Chapter 262: Two Years Ago I Put On the Rattan Armor, and Now I Can

"There's an AK in the pack! There's an AK in the pack!"

"Okok, beautiful Osman!"

【WIN】

Phew…

Taking a long breath, Tang Ye leaned back in his chair.

A tough match!

Checking the time, it was already 11 p. m.

"I need to sleep, Osman, let's play again tomorrow."

After greeting Dembélé, Tang Ye logged out of the game.

While the 2345 browser window remained open, Tang Ye received a call from Pohl.

"Man United's interest in you is growing stronger; they're very likely to make a higher offer to Utrecht."

"You told me before you preferred Barcelona, but now I think Man United is a good option."

Pohl explained to Tang Ye the advantages and disadvantages of joining Man United.

The disadvantage is that Man United's squad isn't as star-studded as Barcelona's—but that's actually an advantage too.

If you go to Barcelona, your spotlight will be overshadowed by Messi; but at Man United, it's different.

Rooney's contract is expiring and leaving; if you transfer in, you could very well become the number one star of the Red Devils in Manchester!

"And you've already worked with Eric before—you'd gain far more at Man United than at Barcelona."

"But I remember you told me before you really wanted to transfer to Barcelona, right?"

"Not really…"

Tang Ye shook his head.

He had indeed told Pohl he wanted to transfer to Barcelona.

That was because Tang Ye believed joining Barcelona would let him and his new teammates win something he'd never won before.

The La Liga title!

Having finished second in La Liga by just a few points behind Real Madrid, Tang Ye still harbored a deep obsession with winning the league title.

Of course, Tang Ye wasn't the stubborn type—if a better path appeared before him, he could make a new choice.

"Good."

Seeing Tang Ye no longer fixated on Barcelona, Pohl exhaled in relief.

"So now I can choose between Barcelona and Man United?"

Tang Ye pressed.

"Yes, and no."

Pohl began to explain slowly.

"Barcelona's final official offer was 150 million euros. If Man United offers 160 million, you can clearly tell Utrecht you'd prefer Barcelona. This maneuver is feasible—they want the money fast, since the summer transfer window in the Eredivisie closes in less than half a month; if Utrecht doesn't act now, it'll be too late!"

As Pohl said, as the final decision-maker, Tang Ye wasn't entirely without leverage in the transfer.

To ensure Tang Ye cooperated and completed the transfer quickly, Utrecht was willing to accept a transfer fee fluctuation of several million to tens of millions of euros.

But it wasn't absolute.

"If Man United offers a higher price… Tom, then it'll be much harder for you to go to Barcelona later."

"Not that bad, right?"

Tang Ye widened his eyes.

His transfer value should have been somewhere between 90 and 110 million euros—but the bidding war between Bayern, Villarreal, and Barcelona drove it straight to 130 million.

Then Barcelona and Man United started fighting over him, pushing it all the way to 150 million.

"150 million is Barcelona's final offer—but not Man United's."

Pohl explained: "My contact at the FA told me Man United has nearly 200 million euros in transfer budget this summer—even without selling any players. You know, last summer Man United wanted Pogba, but Ten Hag turned them down."

"…."

After ending the call, Tang Ye's mind kept racing.

Checking WhatsApp, his last message to Ten Hag had been a month ago.

If Mr. Eric wanted him to join Man United, why hadn't he reached out privately?

Not knowing what to do, he kept refreshing the page, then scrolling up and down with the mouse wheel.

The webpage was filled with strange ads, and Tang Ye's attention was quickly drawn to one of them.

What Exactly Is This "Invincible" Tengjia Armor?

Tengjia?

What is this?

Tang Ye frowned and stopped scrolling the mouse wheel.

He scrolled to the top of the page, placed his hands on the keyboard, and quickly typed into the search engine: What is Tengjia?

【Tengjia: Armor woven from rattan and treated with special methods; lightweight, water-resistant, and highly breathable.】

【Though recorded in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Tengjia first appeared on a large scale during the Tang Dynasty. Tang Dynasty Tengjia was the finest of all, and Tang Tengjia soldiers were the strongest.】

【Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Zhuge Liang marched out of Wuge, captured Meng Huo seven times. The "Wuge Kingdom" reportedly had a "Tengjia army," whose armor "would not sink in rivers, stay dry in water, and was impervious to blades and arrows."】

Would not sink in rivers!

Impervious to blades and arrows!

Sounds kinda powerful?

He scrolled down further.

【Ancient soldiers never removed their armor immediately after battle, because sweating and then catching a chill could trigger a disease called "Xiejia Feng," causing muscle stiffness and blocked qi-blood flow.】

"This, this…"

Tang Ye lowered his head and looked at his body.

He reached out and touched it.

Hmm…

Tang Ye felt as if he were wearing a thick layer of Tengjia armor.

He tried to pull at it.

Couldn't take it off…

…

"Listen to me, Tom must be acquired!"

In the second-floor office at Carrington, Ten Hag and director Mutaaf were arguing.

"Eric, what are you thinking? 160 million euros for an 18-year-old player?"

"I know Tom was last season's La Liga Player of the Year, but can you guarantee he'll perform the same way in the Premier League?"

"What if he doesn't?!"

Although Ten Hag had led Man United to Champions League qualification, Mutaaf still shouted at the Dutchman.

He had to shout loud enough to wake Ten Hag from his slumber.

Eric was insane!

"John, you're not seeing the essence of this!"

Ten Hag's expression was serious.

"Then tell me what the essence is!"

Mutaaf spread his hands, clearly opposing the transfer.

"John, sit down."

Ten Hag pushed Mutaaf onto the sofa, pulled over his office chair, and sat facing him.

"John, last season we finished fourth in the Premier League. Many Man United fans think we did well—but do you know why I used 'only' to describe our season?"

"Why?"

"Because that wasn't even my full potential!"

!!!

Ten Hag's words stunned Mutaaf. The club director stared fixedly into Ten Hag's eyes as the latter continued calmly.

"Last season was my first at Man United. I bought almost no players in the summer window—not even Pogba. I led Man United to fourth place with zero transfers. And you know, our forwards and full-backs aren't even my preferred type. John, I'm not lying to you."

Mutaaf said nothing.

It was true: Man United's forwards and full-backs didn't suit Ten Hag's tactical system.

Yet the Dutch coach had still pushed a squad he disliked to fourth place—and nearly won the FA Cup and Europa League.

That was also true!

Seeing Mutaaf silent, Ten Hag continued: "That's what I meant—last season, I hadn't even shown my full strength."

"What the fans saw, what you saw—that was only a tiny, insignificant part of my ability."

Ten Hag stood up.

"If we get Tom in the summer window, my full potential will be perfectly unleashed next season. Then the Glazers will see exactly what they want to see."

"How long has it been since Man United won a Premier League title?!"

Ten Hag's voice grew louder, putting immense pressure on Mutaaf.

"Huh, huhh…"

Mota breathed deeply, wanting to speak but not knowing what to say.

Looked up.

"Eric"

"I'll speak with the Gräzer family on your behalf."

……

The Utrecht Evening News — Utrecht held its third shareholders' meeting on the proposal to erect a statue for former head coach Ten Hag; some shareholders argued that his tenure was too short to warrant a statue. The proposal has been ongoing for a year but still lacks official approval.

The Guardian front page — Manchester United is pushing for Tom's transfer, with the fee currently estimated around £135 million (€160 million), but Utrecht has yet to give a clear response.

"I think it's time we stepped out."

At Barcelona's shareholders' meeting, Valverde sat in a corner seat, listening to the recent remarks — the new head coach was under immense pressure.

"Man United's bidding, Neymar's departure — all signs show we need Osman, not Tang."

One shareholder slowly spoke: "If possible, we sell Neymar for nearly €200 million, then buy Dembélé for around €120 million — we still come out ahead."

"And!"

The speaking shareholder extended his right index finger: "I had someone analyze it — both Tom and Dembélé love video games. But do you know? Tom's gaming skill is extremely high — he's better at every game than any professional player should be. Do you think a player like that will focus on training and matches?"

"I'm sorry to say, absolutely not. What if, after we buy Tom, he's still thinking about his games during matches?"

He shook his finger: "Dembélé is different — his gaming rank is low. He's just an amateur, plays games when he's bored."

"He'll dedicate himself to the team, to Barcelona."

Clap! Clap! Clap!

All shareholders stood up; the meeting room erupted in loud applause — but the new head coach, Valverde, sat motionless in his seat.

Hesitant, but finally he summoned the courage: "But… I still want Tom."

"Meeting adjourned. That's all for today."

……

August 2nd: Tang Ye returned to Utrecht after national team training.

Familiar Montfort!

Familiar player dormitory!

But…

"So Philemon (Amrabat) and Nasser (Balazic) are gone already…"

On the training ground, Tang Ye, wearing Utrecht's training kit, stared blankly at his unfamiliar teammates.

And those unfamiliar teammates, in Tang Ye's eyes, were now staring back at him with the same curious gaze.

Of course, they weren't just curious — they were clearly excited.

The legendary Tom!

The guy whose market value exceeds the entire Utrecht squad combined!

"I've told them about you often — about how your dorm heater got cut off."

Ramseyer laughed beside him: "Honestly, I originally planned to leave — to go to PSV. But then I thought: if we can win the Eredivisie once here, we can win it again."

"So you stayed, Bart."

Tang Ye smiled — then head coach Koek arrived.

He rubbed his nose; Tang Ye felt awkward.

The man before him was the former head coach of PSV Eindhoven — but this guy was fired by Tang Ye in the 2015–16 season, and now he was here at Utrecht.

"Do you think he'll target you?"

Ramseyer leaned close to Tang Ye's ear and whispered.

"This… Bart, it's not that bad."

Tang Ye chewed gum and shook his head.

……

Dongqi Di trending: Tang Ye has returned to Utrecht and resumed training. Utrecht has a friendly match against ADO Den Haag on August 4th — their final game before the Eredivisie season begins.

Utrecht RTV reporter Van der Berg: To ensure Tom's medical examination goes smoothly, Utrecht will not field the player in the friendly against Den Haag.

Romano: Manchester United is interested in Utrecht's midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who previously played under Ten Hag. But the player seems more inclined to join Barcelona.

With just over a week left before the Premier League and La Liga kick off, the FIFA Coaches' Summit convened in Paris.

Holding a wine glass, Escrivá approached Ten Hag, who was watching an art performance.

Due to the Europa League draw, the two had become acquainted, so they exchanged brief pleasantries — then Escrivá brought up Tang Ye.

"I saw the news — you're determined to get Tom?"

Ten Hag smiled: "If Barcelona won't raise their offer, then yes."

"You'll have to pay a lot then."

As he spoke, Escrivá's face was full of envy.

This season, Villarreal had grown wealthy — but still couldn't match the traditional giants like Manchester United and Barcelona.

"How much exactly?"

"At least €160 million."

Ten Hag replied.

Hssss —

Escrivá took a deep breath: "Are you sure? Isn't €160 million a bit too high?"

Ten Hag shrugged, joking: "He's a 'Shiyizhong' — I love using players like this. Their creativity is exceptional."

"'Shiyizhong'?"

Escrivá tilted his head.

"Oh? I thought Tom taught you Chinese. Haha, never mind then. Ferran, will you stay at Villarreal next season? Planning to chase the La Liga title?"

"La Liga title…"

Escrivá shook his head.

Ten Hag patted Escrivá's back a few times: "If you win the La Liga title, I'll treat you to drinks."

Back at the hotel, Escrivá immediately called Royg.

"I think it's time we stepped out."

Escrivá acted quickly.

Although the summer transfer window hadn't closed, La Liga was about to start.

Because they were waiting for Tang Ye, Villarreal hadn't made a single proper transfer yet.

Holding over €100 million idle was no benefit to Villarreal next season!

"Step out? Are you sure? Only we and Man United are left — we could try installments. I'll convince Utrecht to agree."

"No, no."

"Man United won't give up."

Escrivá could see — Ten Hag was the kind of coach who would stop at nothing to get a player he wanted.

Let him give up Tom?

No, impossible.

Just as Escrivá had said at dinner.

"Man United is determined to get Tom!"

"Our entire summer transfer budget adds up to €130 million. After selling players, we might bring in €160 million — but that's still not enough. Man United will spend more!"

"Fernando, listen — remember that note I gave you? We need to buy exactly those players on it: eight signings, four sales, totaling roughly €110 million — maybe a bit more."

"Complete these deals as fast as possible!"

Huh…

He hung up, tossed his phone onto the bed.

Thud!

Escrivá collapsed onto the hotel's soft bed.

Stared at the ceiling.

He didn't know how to put it — he just felt a strange sensation.

Like… uh… a sense of grievance?

Of course, no matter what, he needed to focus on training the team.

Next season's league, Champions League, and Copa del Rey!

He picked up his phone, opened the App Store and found Twitter.

【Download】

He'd avoided Twitter and Instagram after the online abuse — now, during the offseason, it didn't matter.

He logged in and checked fan comments.

【My God, €160 million? Man United is ruthless.】

【Man United is inflating prices again — will they actually buy him?】

【Ten Hag has Tom's instruction manual — I feel Tom's best fit is Man United, though Barcelona isn't bad either.】

【Villarreal missed out — they should've bought him outright. Shame the boss is stingy.】

"…"

Escriba exhaled.

"Ding dong!"

His phone chimed once—it was a message from Royege.

【Are you sure about your choice? I think we can still fight for it.】

Escriba hugged his phone, sent a "yes," then kept reading the comments.

【Tom and United seem just one step away, but why didn't the transfer work out?】

【Ten Hag is truly amazing—a 90-million-euro prophet!】

Prophet…

Escriba's mind flashed back to the scene of chatting with Ten Hag that night.

Of course!

"Shi, yi zhong…"

Escriba struggled to utter the Chinese words Ten Hag had spoken to him that night.

Hadn't Ten Hag said this exact phrase to Tang Ye during the Europa League final?

"Yes!"

Escriba pushed with his thighs and torso, sitting up on the bed.

He pulled the phone up to just below his chin and spoke in standard Spanish.

"Hey, Siri."

"I'm here."

"Shi yi zhong—what does that mean in Spanish?"

"Translating for you: Shi Yi Zhong."

The phone screen switched.

Escriba waited slowly.

What exactly was Ten Hag always saying!

He had to find out today.

"Here are the search results for you."

【Shi Yi Zhong: The World's Number One Midfielder, Unparalleled, Matchless】

"…"

"This, this…"

"Huh, huh, huuuh…"

Escriba's right hand, gripping the phone, trembled uncontrollably—finally, he lost his hold, and the phone dropped straight onto the bed.

…

The Sun front page headline—reporters captured footage of the United factory

Romano: HereWeGo! Utrecht's golden boy Tang Ye joins United for €180 million plus €20 million in add-ons, breaking the world record for the most expensive transfer in football history.

(End of Chapter)