Chapter 27: Starting in the KNVB Cup!

Learning on match day that he would be starting, Tang Ye now felt somewhat at a loss.

However, this was an opportunity for Tang Ye.

In the Eredivisie, providing an assist earned 5 Counterattack Points, while scoring a goal directly granted 10 Counterattack Points.

With ninety minutes of playing time available, if Tang Ye wanted to earn more Counterattack Points, he had to treat this seriously!

Among the four items Tang Ye could currently purchase, the only one usable during a match was 【Vardy's Red Bull】.

Priced at 5 Counterattack Points, its effect was a 10% stamina boost for the next 120 minutes.

Tang Ye's current stamina attribute was 61; a 10% increase would bring it to 67.

Based on Tang Ye's training experience over the past few days, an attribute value of 70 would already hold its own in the Eredivisie.

Down a bottle of Vardy's Red Bull before the match, and today he would run the full ninety minutes.

Okay, that was the plan for today!

Tang Ye finished his calculations, then looked at the balance in his pocket.

Account Balance: Counterattack Points × 3

"..."

He was still short by two yuan.

He would try taking out a loan.

Tang Ye attempted to select Huabei Payment beneath his account balance, but upon clicking in, the familiar message immediately popped up.

【Insufficient Huabei Credit Limit】

If he hadn't bought that De Bruyne Growth Template, Tang Ye might already enjoy unrestricted access to items.

But he had no choice but to buy it.

If he kept only purchasing skills from players he liked, Tang Ye feared his football development would become severely distorted.

Drinking the Red Bull today was non-negotiable; Tang Ye could only turn to the Daily Mission.

【Daily Mission: Push-ups × 120 (complete in up to 5 sets)】

【Mission Reward: Counterattack Points × 3】

One hundred twenty push-ups!

Tang Ye considered himself fairly lucky today; the system hadn't assigned him any running tasks.

He could finish those 120 push-ups before boarding the team bus.

"Text me if anything comes up later."

After telling Amrabat, Tang Ye slipped out to the training grounds while they hadn't departed yet, completed 120 push-ups, and successfully earned 3 Counterattack Points.

Looking at his current account balance of 6 points, then at the Red Bull's price of 5 points, Tang Ye felt that the gears of his destiny had begun to turn!

Sneek, Netherlands.

Today was the KNVB Cup match between Sneek and Utrecht.

It was still Wang Chao's Happy Livestream Room!

"Okay, good evening everyone, brothers! Today's match starts quite late, but since it's a Utrecht game, I've already posted a preview in the group chat."

"Brothers who haven't joined the group, hurry up and add our QQ group; we post daily winning slip recommendations there. Even if you don't bet, it's fine; pure football fans can join too. Whenever there's a Tang Ye match, I'll send a reminder in the group a day in advance!"

Wang Chao was extremely excited; having been the first to broadcast Tang Ye's matches, he was now the top streamer on the Happy Bean Live platform.

Half of all Bean Warriors in the football section were in his livestream room!

【I want to see Tang Ye; where's the director? Director, hurry and switch the camera to Tang Ye!】

【This is a pirated stream source; the director can't see your comments here.】

【Tang Ye fan for 20 years, checking in!】

【Fun fact: Tang Ye is 16 years old this year.】

【I misspoke; Tang Ye fan for 16 years, checking in!】

I checked Sneek's record; this team is absolute trash, I estimate they're going to get demolished by my King Tang!

The camera cut to the player tunnel; Ramselaar led the way carrying the Utrecht flag, followed by goalkeeper Ruiter.

Behind Ruiter came Haller, Di Di Bala, and the rest of the team's main starters.

And then...

Tang Ye!

Precisely because Wang Chao had announced in the livestream an hour earlier that Tang Ye would be starting, today's viewer count was at least double the usual figure for this time slot!

This was the influence of King Tang!

"Come on, don't be nervous."

Di Di Bala put his arm around Tang Ye's shoulder as the two walked forward together.

However, Tang Ye was not actually as nervous as Di Di Bala imagined; he was merely a bit excited.

From landing on the European continent at age 15 until now, this was the first time Tang Ye had walked straight onto the pitch after emerging from the player tunnel.

In other words, this was his first-ever start for Utrecht!

At the Utrecht Reserve Team training base, players from the reserves, U19, and U17 squads, already dismissed from training, had gathered in the canteen.

The LCD screen hanging at the far end of the canteen was broadcasting today's KNVB Cup match live!

"Tang, he's actually starting!"

Seeing Tang Ye on the screen, Zaka in the canteen shouted excitedly.

It wasn't just Zaka; the other young players in the canteen were also somewhat surprised.

Tang Ye, who usually ate meals with them, suddenly appeared in the starting lineup for the first team!

"Is Tang that good? I remember he wasn't even registered in the transfer market."

A player from the U17 squad stared at Tang Ye on the television screen.

The two were the same age, yet Tang Ye was already starting for the first team.

Meanwhile, he was still playing for the U17s, and even served as a substitute for the U17 squad!

"Tang has always been incredible!"

Zaka spared no praise: "The first team plays at the Eredivisie level; the players there are worth at least one million euros each!"

As soon as Zaka finished speaking, a wave of gasps erupted in the cafeteria.

Calculating it that way.

Did Tang Ye already possess the strength of a player valued at one million euros?

"You're overthinking it; this is the KNVB Cup, and Eric clearly has no intention of going all out."

Melent, the head coach of the reserve team, poured cold water on the players in the cafeteria, yet what he said was the truth.

Tang Ye's ability to start in the KNVB Cup indicated he already possessed the strength to play in the Eerste Divisie.

As for the Eredivisie?

That was still a long way off!

"He must treat us to a meal after he returns from the match!"

Another player from the reserve team shouted, and Zaka immediately echoed the sentiment.

Although Tang Ye was still on a youth academy contract, his ability to start for the first team meant his wages were about to increase soon.

"Sneek!"

"Sneek!"

"Sneek!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Although Sneek's home stadium had just over ten thousand seats, the fans on site were incredibly supportive.

Only now did Tang Ye realize that the most thrilling part of a professional match was not playing on the field.

It was those few minutes spent walking out of the player tunnel and waiting in position for the referee's whistle!

"Hey, Tang!"

Allaire, preparing for kickoff, turned around and shouted toward Tang Ye: "We're going to win, don't be nervous."

Tang Ye gave a thumbs-up.

One could only say that Allaire still underestimated him.

Although Tang Ye had been quite slacking when he first joined the first team, the Tang Ye of now was not the same person as the Tang Ye from a month ago.

The current Tang Ye worked extremely hard.

This had nothing to do with talent; it was solely because of his own efforts, the secret efforts he made behind the scenes, that Tang Ye could make it into the starting lineup.

Today was a great opportunity, and it was time to let these Dutch people know about the efforts he had made behind their backs!

【You have purchased Vardy's Red Bull】

(End of Chapter)