Chapter 154: Luck Soars! Anthony

Click-click-click!

After the match, Escrivà arrived at the stadium's press room.

The Spaniard's expression was calm—this was the posture of a victor.

"Ferran, this is your ninth league win this season, and the La Liga season has only reached its eleventh round."

Eleven rounds, nine wins, two draws, 29 points total—only two teams in La Liga currently rank higher than Villarreal: Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Last season, Atlético Madrid outperformed Villarreal, but since the second round this season, Villarreal has consistently ranked above Atlético Madrid on the table!

Atlético Madrid, firmly crushed!

"Yes, the team is gradually finding its rhythm, which makes me very happy—I've seen the effort the players have put in."

The reporter briefly asked Escrivà about the team's next plans, then turned directly to Tang Ye: "Tang has won the European Golden Boy Award this year—the first time a Villarreal player has ever received this honor. Unfortunately, he is not a Villarreal contract player."

Escrivà had already answered the question about why Tang Ye was on loan in a previous interview, so the reporter did not press further on this point.

The reporter's question was this: previously, Utrecht rejected Villarreal's tentative offer of 55 million euros for Tang Ye.

Under these circumstances, will Villarreal continue pursuing Tang Ye in the winter transfer window?

"…"

This reporter's question was not easy for Escrivà to answer—but fortunately, he had anticipated reporters would ask something similar before today's match.

So he was prepared!

"Tom is a crucial player for the team, as evident from our matches—except for the first league game, I've started him in every match because he is truly exceptional. As for the transfer… our club has begun discussions, but there is no result yet."

"If the stadium renaming succeeds, you'll receive a substantial sponsorship fee…"

"I know, I know that, but there are still two months until the winter window opens—we must wait. The club currently has no answer."

Escrivà was telling the truth: whether or not to submit a second bid for Tang Ye to Utrecht in the winter window had been a persistent dilemma for the club's senior management.

Seeing that Escrivà was unwilling to continue discussing the topic, the reporter shifted focus back to today's match.

"Right after halftime, you scored quickly and took a 2-0 lead. Then we saw your team switch to a defensive formation, Ferran—is this the tactic you instructed at halftime? Do you start defending as soon as you're ahead?"

"Yes, that's right."

Escrivà answered quickly.

But his coach's instincts told him something felt off.

"You played the defensive formation for about five minutes, then we saw Tom signal to you for an offensive shift. You hesitated, then gave a confirming nod—is that correct?"

Exactly!

Escrivà frowned.

These Spanish football reporters really had sharp eyes!

Thanks to the live director's ability to capture player gestures, not just the reporters on-site but every fan watching the broadcast had witnessed Tang Ye and Escrivà communicating through hand signals.

"So you changed your team's tactical approach mid-match because of a player's suggestion—is that right?"

"…"

Click!

Click-click!

The silence after the reporter's question, followed by the sudden burst of camera shutters, made Escrivà extremely tense.

Because a player changed the tactics?

Absurd!

Escrivà's actions were utterly absurd!

Although Tang Ye, as the Golden Boy, should have privileges, those privileges shouldn't extend to directly altering the team's match tactics.

That's the head coach's domain!

Facing nearly fifty football reporters and over ten cameras, Escrivà felt as if under siege.

"Ferran?"

The reporter probed, urging Escrivà to respond.

With no other option, Escrivà adjusted his sitting posture slightly.

At that moment, a flash of insight struck him.

"I think this is a misunderstanding."

He maintained a serious expression toward the camera: "The truth is this: when we were leading 1-0, adopting a defensive formation at halftime was a conservative approach—it would help us secure three points, so I told the players at halftime to defend."

"But the actual situation in the second half differed slightly from my expectations—we scored again, a second goal. We were no longer leading by one goal, but by two. Our momentum completely overwhelmed the opponent."

"Under these circumstances, continuing to attack would yield better results than defending—this aligns with professional football principles."

The reporters nodded, listening intently.

Of course, Escrivà had not yet finished explaining.

"I had already mentioned this scenario in the locker room: if we're ahead, we can switch to attack. So Tom came to the sideline—he needed to confirm this instruction with me."

Calm, composed, speaking slowly and steadily.

At this moment, Escrivà felt a pair of hands resting on his shoulders.

Escrivà didn't know who was floating behind him.

He only knew it was a Dutchman, born February 2, 1970, 1.80 meters tall, weighing 73 kilograms.

Probably bald, as expected.

"So you anticipated all of this in advance?"

The reporters below were stunned.

"No…"

The Dutchman behind him squeezed Escrivà's shoulders.

"That's exactly right."

Escrivà smiled: "Whether we're ahead or behind, I always imagine in the locker room what the second half might bring. It's my personal habit—only then can I sit calmly in my chair during the second half."

Click!

Click-click!

…

Daily Sports front page headline—Villarreal's 9 wins, 2 draws in 11 rounds is a force to be reckoned with; could Real Madrid lose its second-place position?

Marca front page headline—Villarreal's 9 wins, 2 draws in 11 rounds is a force to be reckoned with; could Barcelona lose its top position?

Attached: La Liga standings (Round 11)

1. Barcelona, 31 points

2. Real Madrid, 31 points

3. Villarreal, 29 points

4. Atlético Madrid, 26 points

5. Sevilla, 24 points

6. Athletic Bilbao, 24 points

Villarreal's position on the table is excellent—only two points and four goal difference behind league leaders Barcelona.

This start is the best in Villarreal's entire club history.

Eleven rounds have passed, and only Real Madrid and Barcelona can currently outperform Villarreal—Atlético Madrid, Sevilla, or even this season's standout Athletic Bilbao cannot.

Villarreal's outstanding performance, combined with Tang Ye's presence, has attracted a large wave of Chinese fans.

Chinese fans are now launching a campaign against Escrivà.

【Lucky win!】

【You've been sitting on the bench the whole time—why don't you just stay there?】

【A bit useless, but since you follow my King Tang's instructions, I guess you're a decent coach.】

【No buyout clause? Pure sucker! Escrivà out!】

Many new fans who joined because of Tang Ye wanted to become Villarreal supporters, but soon realized Tang Ye was only on loan.

Tang Ye will leave next season!

So they absolutely cannot support Villarreal!

It's all Escrivà's fault!

It's Escrivà's mistake!

Not only did he mess up the transfer window, he's useless during matches too!

But soon, after the post-match interview video was released, Escrivà's reputation instantly reversed.

Villarreal Times—Solved: Tang and Escrivà's communication was pre-arranged; Escrivà still maintains full control of the match.

It may look like he followed Tang's instructions to attack, but in truth, Escrivà had his own plan.

Escrivà is not like Ten Hag.

He's not "E-Hai"—he's "E-Sheng."

He's capable!

…

Opening treasure chests is extremely important, and Tang Ye always takes it very seriously.

He never opens treasure chests in the locker room or on the team bus.

He waits until all match matters are finished, until he sits at his computer desk, before opening a chest.

Of course, before that, Tang Ye carefully washes his face with facial cleanser.

"Huh…"

He took a deep breath and focused his attention on his system.

【Random Club Box · Star: After opening, randomly select one club, then randomly draw one star player from that club (peak market value 70 million euros or more)】

Here we go!

The familiar spinning wheel reappeared before Tang Ye, but this time its color had changed from blue to yellow—signifying higher quality!

【Inter Milan Box · Star】

【Barcelona Box · Star】

【Lyon Box · Star】

【Manchester United Box · Star】

【Arsenal Box · Star】

Snap!

The wheel spun rapidly, and Tang Ye's excitement rose with it.

Which club would he draw this time?

After reaching maximum speed, the wheel began to slow gradually.

【Manchester United Box · Star】

United!!!

Tang Ye had actually really wanted the Manchester United star box, but this damn wheel showed no sign of stopping.

【Arsenal Box · Star】

If it's Arsenal, that's still fine—both the United and Arsenal boxes are equally good.

Just as Tang Ye thought he was about to win the Arsenal star box, the wheel clicked again.

【You have obtained the Ajax Box · Star】

"..."

What?

Ajax?

Star?

Does Ajax even have any star players?

Tang Ye was completely baffled.

He only knew one thing: he'd been ripped off.

Absolutely ripped off!

No way...

Does Ajax really have any players with a market value over 70 million euros?

This...

Though a bit disappointing, if the system called him a star, then he must be a star.

But what kind of star exactly?

【You have obtained the Anthony Ultimate Spin Template (Star)】

【Ball Control: 78 → 79】

【Speed: 69 → 70】

【Defense: 68 → 69】

Anthony?

Huh—

He took a deep breath.

Even though he didn't know who Anthony was, this template looked pretty impressive.

Ultimate Spin!

And it boosts ball control by one point!

Ball control was incredibly important for Tang Ye, who played in La Liga!

Tang Ye felt relieved—even though he'd drawn the Ajax star box, he'd still gotten something excellent.

Most importantly, with the help of the Anthony Ultimate Spin Template, his ball control was about to break 80!

Previously, Tang Ye had often lost possession at the first challenge due to poor ball control; this should improve dramatically now!

Made out like a bandit!

And a massive one at that!

But...

Tang Ye had one question he couldn't understand.

Why did the Anthony Ultimate Spin Template increase his defense stat?

The Villarreal Times reported that Tom was seen boarding a flight at Delapulana Airport; according to reporters, he is heading to Monaco to attend the Golden Boy Award ceremony.

The Sun front page headline—Bayern rookie Sancho, United rising star Rashford, Dortmund's Dembélé: the top five nominees for this year's Golden Boy Award will attend the Turin Sports Report's award ceremony at 8:30 PM London time on Monday.

Tang Ye arrived in Monte Carlo, Monaco, accompanied by his agent, Bole.

Tang Ye knew little about the Golden Boy Award, but he was deeply grateful the organizers had chosen him.

To ensure Tang Ye could focus on the award ceremony, the club generously granted him four days off!

The ceremony was held at a local theater in Monte Carlo, following a format similar to the Ballon d'Or; the luxury car carrying Tang Ye and Bole pulled up outside the theater.

Click! Click!

Tang Ye stepped out of the car and, as this year's Golden Boy winner, received extraordinary attention.

"Tom!"

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

All attendees were youth players under 21; compared to the massive crowd of reporters and agents, the number of participating players was tiny.

Tang Ye walked the red carpet, signing autographs as he moved toward the theater.

"Hey, Tom!"

A white man extended his hand; Tang Ye looked up: "You're..."

"Mendes, Jorge Mendes!"

Mendes shook Tang Ye's hand; as one of the world's top two football agents, he naturally attended the Golden Boy ceremony.

One reason Mendes was here: one of his players was on the 40-man shortlist.

But the second reason...

"Tom, I've heard of you for a long time. Here's my card."

Mendes pulled out a small white card from his inner jacket pocket and handed it to Tang Ye: "My agency represents over a thousand professional players worldwide, and thus maintains connections with many sponsors..."

Tang Ye stared at the card in his hand.

He didn't know what kind of agency Mendes ran, but it sounded incredibly powerful.

Before Mendes finished speaking, Bole, who had just finished an interview nearby, stepped forward and blocked Tang Ye from Mendes.

"Oh, Jorge! Long time no see!"

Bole gave Mendes a big hug.

They were close friends; Tang Ye felt like a third wheel, shoved aside.

"..."

But as today's main honoree, Tang Ye naturally drew the most attention; no sooner had he been pushed out by Bole and Mendes than a fat man approached him: "Hey, Tom! Do you speak Italian? No worries—I speak Spanish, we can use Spanish..."

"Oh, Mino!"

Bole instantly recognized Pini Zahavi and embraced him.

"Uh..."

Tang Ye rubbed his head, unsure what to say.

These guys' way of interacting confused him.

Click-click-click!

Camera shutters kept firing; Tang Ye felt uncomfortable in this environment and stepped inside the theater first.

"Rashford, Neves... Tang Ye"

Ah, found it!

Tang Ye spotted his seat in the center of the front row and sat down immediately.

To his right was Rashford's seat, but Rashford hadn't arrived yet.

To his left sat...

He turned his head and locked eyes with Dembélé; for a moment neither spoke, then both spoke at once.

"Ousmane!"

"Tom!"

"Hah!"

Tang Ye and Dembélé embraced.

"I knew you looked familiar to Tom—I watched your match against Real Madrid, or I wouldn't have recognized you!"

Dembélé leaned his entire upper body toward Tang Ye, leaving his agent behind him stunned.

Isn't Dembélé not very good at socializing?

In fact, it wasn't just Dembélé who was shocked—Pore, who had just walked in, was equally bewildered.

How did a La Liga player and a Bundesliga player get to know each other?

"Do you only recognize players after watching their matches? There's a card of me in FIFA—haven't you played it?"

Hearing Tang Ye's words, Dembélé raised an eyebrow: "Huh, actually, yeah—you're right. I recognize you because you look familiar."

"Wait, hold on—that's not right. So you recognized me from my FIFA card?"

Tang Ye gave a thumbs-up: "When I played on my alt account, I used you as a striker—but you can't go for penalties; defenders knock you out of the box."

They had just met and he hadn't even watched Dembélé play, yet Tang Ye already understood Dembélé's playing style thoroughly.

Clearly, he was a gamer.

"Hah!"

Dembélé and Tang Ye slapped hands, agreeing to find a hotel with a computer after the award ceremony to play together.

Dembélé broke into a bright smile.

With Tang Ye around, wasn't winning the game a given?

The guests hadn't all arrived yet, so Tang Ye and Dembélé played a few rounds of a mobile football game, making the time fly by quickly.

"Marcus."

Rashford extended his hand to Tang Ye: "Eric told me about you, hah!"

"Tang Ye."

Tang Ye shook hands with Rashford.

This tall, slender guy in front of me is Eric's player!

"By the way—"

Tang Ye suddenly remembered something, turned to face Rashford, then fell silent.

"What's wrong?"

Rashford's eyes widened in confusion.

"Uh… I have a question, but I don't know if I should ask."

"Go ahead, just ask."

Rashford was polite—they were all on the Golden Boy shortlist, and they'd surely face each other many times in the future.

"Does Eric forbid you from entering the cafeteria?"

"Huh?"

Rashford blinked: "Hmm… I've never actually encountered that situation…"

Though he didn't understand why Tang Ye asked such a strange question, Rashford answered honestly.

Wait… why did Tang Ye ask that?

Rashford furrowed his brow, then turned his gaze to Tang Ye sitting beside him.

After studying him closely, Rashford reached out and pinched Tang Ye's arm.

…So thin!

"What's wrong?"

Tang Ye asked.

"Nothing, nothing."

Rashford shook his head quickly.

…

PS: Tomorrow, 20,000.

I'll make up what I owe, but I really can't post 20,000 every day—that'll kill me.

I'm trying to catch up!

Please give me double monthly votes, guys!

(End of chapter)