Chapter 258: ggbond Turns Out to Be a Top Scholar; The Candidate Will Battle Syria in One Week!

"As you can see, behind me is the examination center for Foshan No. 1 High School; it is currently 4:33 PM, and the mathematics exam is underway."

The reporter was staking out the entrance to the examination center when suddenly some parent shouted, "Someone's coming out!"

【????】

【Hasn't it only been an hour and a half? Coming out early from the math exam?】

【Foshan No. 1 High School has so many top scholars, awesome!】

【Let's see the top scholar, let's see the top scholar!】

Security pulled open the cordon, and Tang Ye walked out from inside, clutching a pencil and an eraser in his hand.

"Holy crap, Tang Tang Qiuwang!"

A parent shouted, but the reporters did not recognize Tang Ye, and together with the cameraman, they surrounded him.

"Huh?"

Tang Ye looked at the reporters before him, blinking his eyes.

He glanced at the microphone in the reporter's hand.

"Guangdong Youth."

"Student, if we're not mistaken, you left the examination room half an hour early; is that correct?"

"Yes."

Tang Ye nodded.

"Leaving the mathematics exam half an hour early, does that mean you've already finished all the questions?"

"Uh..."

This was a rather difficult question to answer.

"I wrote down everything I knew how to do, and then I came out."

"Wow!"

The surrounding parents erupted in cries.

A classic statement from a top scholar!

Generally speaking, students bold enough to say such things score no lower than 130 in mathematics.

Looking at Tang Ye again, he was holding two pens and an eraser in his hands, without even a ruler.

This was no longer just a top scholar, but rather... a Scholar God!

The kind who scores 140!

In just a short minute, the parents had already formed their judgment of Tang Ye.

At this moment, the cameraman behind suddenly tapped the reporter, signaling her to continue the interview.

From the moment the Scholar God appeared until now, less than three minutes had passed, yet the number of viewers in the live stream had more than quintupled.

Simply outrageous!

【Wait, ggbond, what's your situation?】

【Hahahahahaha】

【Tang Tang Qiuwang must leave the examination room early!】

【Spotted Tang Tang Qiuwang!】

【Brother, in seven days you're playing against Syria, and here you are taking the Gaokao, damn it. Awesome...】

"Student, was this the science-track mathematics or the arts-track mathematics?"

"It was science-track."

"Wow!"

The parents continued to exclaim in amazement.

Scoring 140 on science-track mathematics absolutely, definitely confirms he's a Scholar God without a doubt!

"Then how would you rate the difficulty of today's mathematics exam?"

"I don't know."

Tang Ye shook his head, and the surrounding parents let out another "Wow."

"What about the final pressing question? Was its difficulty manageable?"

"I don't know, but there was one question that was mine."

"Your question?"

The reporter paused for a moment, then realized: "Oh, you mean a question you're good at, right? That's great, so you must have solved it?"

"I solved it; it took me half a minute."

A smile hung on Tang Ye's face, and the parents let out another "Wow."

In the lens, several parents in their forties and fifties surrounded Tang Ye from behind, the uncles and aunties' eyes filled with nothing but admiration for him.

Glancing around, Tang Ye felt somewhat strange.

He hadn't even scored a goal, so why were they saying "wow"...

"Tang Tang Qiuwang!"

"Tang Tang Qiuwang!"

More and more people gathered, and the reporter caught the keyword: "Are you a sports enthusiast? Basketball?"

"Soccer."

"Are you on the school team?"

The female reporter widened her big eyes: "A top scholar and also a school team athlete; you're the template for a male lead in an idol drama!"

"Haha."

Tang Ye blushed slightly from the reporter's praise: "But... um, I'm not on the school team."

He pointed at the gate of Foshan No. 1 High School: "I should be considered a visiting student, not one from this school."

"On the city team?"

The surrounding parents began to show interest; blocking all four directions, they made it impossible for Tang Ye to leave.

"Not that either."

"Could it be the provincial team?"

Tang Ye shook his head again: "There's no such thing as a provincial team in football..."

Several fans outside couldn't squeeze in and could only keep shouting "Tang Tang Qiuwang," "Tang Tang Qiuwang."

The parents finally realized that, unsurprisingly, the young man before them must be a currently popular internet celebrity.

The kind who, like a pop singer, has many fans of their own.

The reporter turned the camera, revealing several young people at the entrance of Foshan No. 1 High School making strange movements.

One person stood on the ground mimicking the motion of reeling in a fishing rod, while several others rolled around on the ground, giving off a strange impression.

As if... they were fish flung onto the shore?

"I have to go now; I need to sleep early because I still have a match after the exams."

Tang Ye tried to leave, but the reporter chased after him, asking: "A football match?"

"Yes, yes, there's a match next Tuesday."

Fearing being stopped by the reporter again, Tang Ye broke into a run.

"Is there anywhere we can watch the match?"

The reporter's voice came from behind.

"You can watch it on CCTV-5!"

Tang Ye shouted back, while several fans chased after him.

"CCTV-5..."

The reporter and the parents frowned, pondering.

Hmm?

Dongqiu Di pinned post: Gaokao Mathematics subject finished early, Tang Ye intercepted by reporters for an interview.

【LOL, what the hell, this academic genius】

【Scoring points in La Liga and now scoring points in the Gaokao, is this the La Liga Assist King?】

【Not city team, not provincial team, then what team is it?】

【Damn, if I'd known Tang Ye was taking the Gaokao, I would've signed up too; I'd go straight to man-mark the Tang Tang Qiuwang on site】

【If you're 18 and not taking the Gaokao, what else are you doing? Playing in the World Cup?】

【Those guys fishing over there are killing me with laughter, haha】

"So, how did it go?"

In the cafeteria that evening, Wang Wang Dalei put his arm around Tang Ye.

"I don't know how it went myself..."

Tang Ye shook his head: "I feel like I gave it my all, but I probably won't get many points."

"You can still get a lot of points in Chinese and Spanish."

Tang Ye remained silent, because he hadn't written the essays for either Chinese or the foreign language.

Mainly, that stuff was too troublesome, and Tang Ye didn't like troublesome things.

"I feel like there were too few multiple-choice questions."

Tang Ye murmured: "In my final exams in Spain, more than half were multiple-choice; those are more comfortable to do. The Gaokao is too hard."

"You're an academic genius, what are you afraid of?"

Wang Wang Dalei patted Tang Ye on the back; the latter picked up the cola on the table and gulped down a large mouthful: "Why isn't there any in glass bottles? This doesn't taste good."

Wang Wang Dalei and Feng Feng Xiaoting exchanged a glance, and finally Feng Feng Xiaoting leaned in to look at Tang Ye: "Does the glass-bottled one taste a bit better?"

"I feel like it does."

Just after finishing his thoughts on cola packaging, Tang Ye's phone rang.

Seeing it was a call from Boer, Tang Ye made an excuse, grabbed the cola from the table, and ran out of the cafeteria.

Boer called Tang Ye to discuss two matters.

First and most important was the transfer; Boer stated that Manchester United had confirmed their interest in Tang Ye and were pushing for the transfer.

"Real Madrid has completely given up, but Barcelona will persist; their communication with the Utrecht senior management is becoming increasingly frequent."

Pacing back and forth at the cafeteria entrance, Tang Ye told himself he leaned more towards Barcelona, but Boer indicated that since Manchester United's specific offer was not yet clear, Tang Ye couldn't decide his future just yet.

The second matter was commercial endorsements.

Specifically, the endorsement with Trek Bicycles, something Boer had already discussed with Tang Ye before the season ended.

"I checked your schedule; will you still be staying in China after the match against Syria?"

"Yeah, most likely staying in China."

"Then I'll ask their people to come over; let's set the time for around June 20th, and I'll contact you in advance then."

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Tang Ye finished the cola in his hand and tossed it away.

Slap!

A mid-air volley kick!

It accurately flew into the trash can at the cafeteria entrance!

Goal!

……

Tang Ye: Villarreal → Utrecht (loan return).

Utrecht Official: Loaned player Tang Ye returns to the club.

Tang Ye's contract with the Yellow Submarine has expired; this is important news for both Chinese fans and Yellow Submarine supporters.

Fans on Check Dongqiu Di began discussing Tang Ye's next club again, but this discussion ended very quickly.

Because something new had captured the fans' attention!

Check Dongqiu Di pinned post: The national team releases the starting lineup for the away match against Syria, led by Tang Ye and Wu Lei; Lippi tries the 4-2-3-1 formation for the first time.

4-2-3-1!

Following Escrivá, Lippi has also followed Ten Hag's footsteps!

It remains to be seen what kind of effect the national team's 4-2-3-1 will produce?

"I've said it before, the focus is on the midfield."

"If we're going to lose possession, try to lose it in the attacking third!"

Lippi's meaning was clear: the national team's defense wasn't very solid, so if Tang Ye wanted to take risks, he should wait until after crossing the halfway line.

"Don't rush at the start; prioritize a conservative approach, do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood!"

The players shouted in unison; Lippi signaled for them to adjust on their own first, then turned to the tactical board behind him to continue pondering. "Feeling the pressure?"

Gao Lin patted Tang Ye's thigh; the latter shook his head: "I feel fine, not as much pressure as in those previous two matches."

"You're adapting quite fast; when I first joined the national team, I couldn't adapt at all—the pressure was too great."

"Haha!"

Tang Ye and Gao Lin high-fived: "Brother Lin, as I said yesterday, seize the opportunity and run immediately, don't hesitate."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm!"

Check Dongqiu Di: With the away match against Syria approaching, let's see what the Young Ball King has to say?

Thanks to that previous news, many national team fans now know Tang Ye has a Tieba account.

Let's see how Ball King Tang evaluates Syria!

TangYeYeYeYeYe (Level 19): Syria is just pure trash; they didn't even make it to the third round, and that number 11 tackled Zhang Zhang Linpeng—zero sportsmanship—(20012.5.18)

Breath of Wind (OP) (Level 21): That counts as normal contact, okay? Can't you handle that level of physicality when playing football?

TangYeYeYeYeYe (Level 19): I usually don't collide with people, but if Syria's number 11 tackles me, he'll definitely get beaten up—I have a big brother.

!

Breath of Wind (OP) (Level 21): Wait, I was discussing tactics with you initially; what does having a big brother have to do with Syria's tactics?

TangYeYeYeYeYe (Level 19): We are talking about tactics; Syria's defense is garbage. If not for bad luck, Gao Lin should have scored another goal; Hao Hao Junmin's passing was too unstable.

【Damn, Tang Ye actually has a big brother, a real social figure!】

【Ruthless!】

【Want to know who the Ball King's big brother is】

【"Syria is just pure trash"】

【Syria was indeed weak in 2012, but the problem is it's 2017 now; the current Syria still has some level of skill】

Enhanced Syria versus Enhanced National Team!

Today's match is quite something to watch!

……

"China Central Television, China Media Group! Here is the live broadcast for you of..."

"Both teams are ready on the field!"

"The referee is checking his watch!"

"Match started! Now I will introduce the starting lineups for both sides in this match, starting with the home team, Syria!"

Syria (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Ibrahim Alma

……

China (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Zeng Cheng

Defenders: Wang Wang Shenchao, Feng Feng Xiaoting, Deng Deng Hanwen, Zhang Zhang Linpeng

Midfielders: Zhang Zhang Xizhe, Tang Ye, Huang Bowen

Forwards: Wu Xi, Gao Lin, Wu Lei

Head Coach: Lippi

Compared to South Korea and Iran played in March, Syria's overall level is certainly lower.

Perhaps because the opponent's overall strength isn't strong, Lippi unusually unveiled a 4-2-3-1 formation for this match.

Wu Xi, Gao Lin, and Wu Lei partnering as the front three!

"Hoo, hoo hoo..."

After the match began, Tang Ye started running.

Having stared blankly at exam papers for the past few days, Tang Ye felt he hadn't quite entered the zone yet.

No rush; as Mr. Marcello said, don't play too hastily at the start of the match!

Slap!

Wang Wang Shenchao's pass found Zhang Zhang Xizhe, who immediately started driving forward with the ball.

Tang Ye had originally intended to run straight forward, but after a quick glance, he realized Zhang Zhang Xizhe might get dispossessed, so he ran back instead.

As expected, Syria's striker and midfielder pressed Zhang Zhang Xizhe simultaneously from two directions.

Finding the right position, Tang Ye ran over to You Su Fu's side.

He reached out, calling for the ball!

Boom!

Zhang Zhang Xizhe was smart; instead of passing the ball directly to Tang Ye's feet, he chose to play it into the space behind Tang Ye.

It was a through ball!

"Screw you!"

Tang Ye bumped You Su Fu behind him with his body, then quickly turned and sprinted forward.

A speed stat of 73 didn't seem particularly impressive at first glance.

But this was, after all, the Asian Qualifiers; among all the midfielders on the pitch, Tang Ye's speed was certainly not the weakest.

Dribbling forward!

"Spread out, spread out, get over there!"

His national team teammates generally reacted a bit slowly to off-the-ball movements, so Tang Ye had to direct them while dribbling.

Wu Xi pulled wide!

Boom!

Tang Ye sent a through ball to Wu Xi, then ran toward the baseline on the left flank.

The focus of this attack was the left wing!

Controlling Tang Ye's pass, Wu Xi made a diagonal run, charging toward the penalty area.

Mawas stepped up to defend!

Tang Ye's pass had been calculated; by the time Mawas reached Wu Xi, Tang Ye had already arrived at an open space ahead.

He could receive the ball now!

"Wu Xi passes to Tang Ye!"

"Tang Ye, run toward the baseline yourself!"

"Saleh is stepping up to defend!"

Saleh was marking one-on-one near the baseline!

Tang Ye visualized Sansone playing, then impersonated him, using the outside of his foot to dribble and gradually press Syria's defensive line.

Tang Ye could almost clearly recall every instance of Sansone receiving the ball near the baseline and breaking through.

He could apply those techniques to himself!

Saleh prepared to stick out his foot!

Tang Ye seized the opportunity, paused his rhythm for a split second, and suddenly stopped the ball dead.

Then he passed directly into the penalty area!

【De Bruyne Underlap Cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 314/400

The ball flew straight from outside the box to the penalty spot; Gao Lin rushed up, but the Syrian goalkeeper grabbed it a fraction of a second earlier!

Just a hair's breadth away!

Tang Ye waved his hand and shouted loudly, "You could have run earlier! If there's a chance, just run immediately!"

Gao Lin gave Tang Ye a thumbs-up, and then the two of them retreated together.

"China!"

"Let's go!"

"China!"

"Let's go!"

China found an opportunity right at the start of the match, boosting the confidence of the fans in the stadium immensely.

For some reason, did China's attack suddenly become much smoother once Tang Ye was on the field?

The fans weren't thinking about Tang Ye's contribution to the team's offense just yet; they only knew that China held the advantage in this match.

That was enough!

"Lei (Wu Lei), watch your tracking back! Track back!"

Although the team currently held the momentum advantage, Lippi's tense mood had not eased much because of it.

Rich match experience told Lippi that a temporary advantage meant nothing.

For the next several tens of minutes of the game, China still needed to produce equally smooth attacks!

The 21st minute of the match!

Good news arrived: China was leading in possession.

This was the first time in the third round of the Asian Qualifiers that China had led in possession rate during the first 20 minutes!

"Here, here!"

OK!

Receiving the ball from Zhang Zhang Linpeng, Tang Ye didn't control it but instead immediately flicked it backward to Huang Bowen.

"Wow!"

The Syrian fans in the stands, unused to such sights, started shouting wildly again.

Passing the ball without even looking—that's just ggbond's basic operation, okay!

Letting Huang Bowen drive forward with the ball, Tang Ye followed closely behind!

Playing for the national team has one advantage: teammates generally don't run fast, so even if Tang Ye participated in defensive duties at the back, he could still join the attack in the end.

Huang Bowen passed directly forward to Gao Lin!

Gao Lin controlled the ball and laid it off to Wu Lei on his left, in the right-wing position!

Having completed the pass, Huang Bowen began running toward the top of the arc.

However...

"Give me the top of the arc!"

Tang Ye snatched the position at the top of the arc, leaving Huang Bowen no choice but to stand on the side and act as Tang Ye's bodyguard.

"Wu Lei is on the wing!"

"Pass back to Huang Bowen!"

"Huang Bowen passes again to Tang Ye!"

The instant he turned to receive Huang Bowen's back-pass, Tang Ye pointed his left finger toward the penalty area.

This was a hidden ability of the Left-Right Mutual Struggle template that Tang Ye had discovered: he could direct teammates with his fingers while receiving and passing the ball!

Bang!

【De Bruyne Curved Through Ball Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 434/1000

It reached Gao Lin!

Bang!

"G——oooo—ooooo——lllll!!!"

"Goal!"

"Goal!"

"Gao Lin scores!"

"In the 24th minute of the match, China takes the lead!"

1:0!

China is ahead!

"Haha!"

Tang Ye stood in place with his arms spread wide; Gao Lin, who had scored inside the box, glanced back at Tang Ye before running toward the corner flag.

"Damn it, give me a high-five first!"

Tang Ye quickly chased after him.

【You have obtained 15 Counterattack Points】

15 Counterattack Points!

This is the benefit of the Asian Qualifiers.

Even though the intensity isn't high, Tang Ye can receive richer Counterattack Point rewards for assists and goals!

"Beautiful! That pass was absolutely beautiful!"

He Wei shouted excitedly.

"Tang Ye's pass was incredibly precise, and Gao Lin's run inside the box was flawless! China leads 1:0!"

On the sidelines, Lippi also displayed a rare smile; he pumped his fist, signaling the players to maintain their focus.

Although they were ahead, this was no reason for the players to relax.

Syria's counter-attacking ability could not be underestimated!

The match resumed!

"Syria! (Syria)"

Bang bang!

"Syria!"

Bang bang!

The fans in the stands were shouting!

Clearly unwilling to fall behind, Syria gradually picked up their attacking tempo.

In the 28th minute, Syria's midfield core, You Su Fu, received the ball in midfield and quickly advanced into China's half.

Tang Ye hurried back to defend, attempting to intercept You Su Fu's passing lane.

"Don't let him pass it out!"

Tang Ye shouted loudly to remind his teammates.

You Su Fu, clearly experienced, did not rush to pass; instead, he dribbled past Huang Bowen.

A direct through-ball found Al-Mardikian making a forward run!

After receiving the ball, Al-Mardikian quickly burst into the penalty area.

Facing Feng Feng Xiaoting's defense, he opted for a long-range shot!

Bang!

(End of Chapter)