Chapter 317: Ballon d'Or Rankings Announced: Tang Ye's Second Miracle Chest

Baidu Hot Search No. 4: 2017 FIFA Ballon d'Or Rankings.

As the announcement time for the Ballon d'Or rankings draws near, Dongqiu Di and Weibo are predictably bustling.

Loyal Tang Ye fans are predicting his possible Ballon d'Or ranking, and one fan's analysis received over 20,000 likes.

The reason is simple: this fan's comment was over 2,000 words long and looked thoroughly reasonable.

The fan meticulously analyzed the statistics of all 30 candidates from the past year's matches, including Tang Ye.

Notably, only a few of the 30 candidates had not participated in last season's UEFA Champions League knockout stages.

"Tang Ye has no Champions League knockout data from the 2016–17 season, and Champions League stats are crucial for Ballon d'Or voting—this will significantly affect his final ranking."

"Although Tang Ye played in this season's Champions League, only his five group stage matches are counted in the Ballon d'Or voting."

"This is very disadvantageous for Tang Ye—same goes for De Gea," the fan said.

But not all news is bad.

The good news is that Tang Ye performed exceptionally well in all three competitions last season.

He was the La Liga assist leader, the Copa del Rey assist leader, and the Europa League top scorer and assist leader—these stats give him massive advantages.

"Taking everything into account, Tang Ye's Ballon d'Or ranking this year should be between 6th and 15th, similar to Modrić and Ramos."

"But Tang Ye is a newcomer; some voting journalists may not be familiar with his performance, which could lead to fewer votes."

【No matter which newspaper, if you don't vote for Tang the King, go see an eye doctor.】

【Can I get a voting right? I'll personally ensure Tang the King gets my vote.】

【Fan voting? No way—fan voting would make GGBond truly invincible.】

【I've scrolled through the comments for three hours, and there are still four hours until the ceremony—guess I'll just keep waiting.】

…

Click-clack! Click-clack!

"Tom! Tom!"

"David!"

As soon as he stepped out of the car, Tang Ye and De Gea were immediately surrounded by reporters.

Waving to the reporters and fans, Tang Ye stomped hard on the red carpet: "David, I feel this carpet is really hard—maybe it's the shoes. I hate dress shoes."

He didn't just hate dress shoes—he also hated suits.

Earlier, Tang Ye had told Pohl he wanted to wear his favorite Adidas jacket to the Ballon d'Or ceremony, but Pohl told him everyone in the venue would be wearing suits.

So there was no choice—he didn't want to be the odd one out.

"Hey Tom!"

"Hey Pohl."

Shaking hands with Pohl, who had been waiting outside, Tang Ye moved to the sides to sign autographs for fans.

"Go get 'em, Tom! Manchester derby's coming up!"

"Haha, thanks, thanks."

Tang Ye had been enjoying the event, but the fans' reminder suddenly made him tense again.

Of course, the fans were right.

Just a few days after this ceremony is the match against Manchester City!

He glanced at De Gea.

Tang Ye could tell De Gea was also nervous.

He had talked for a long time with De Bruyne on the plane—Kevin was a nice guy.

But that didn't mean Manchester City was an easy team to beat!

As he signed autographs for fans, Tang Ye slowly walked toward the Eiffel Tower—the venue for this year's Ballon d'Or ceremony.

Tang Ye had been to Paris once before, but only from afar with his parents.

This was his first time entering the Eiffel Tower!

"Ronaldo!"

"Ronaldo!"

Hearing the shouts, Tang Ye turned his head.

Ronaldo and his girlfriend Georgina stepped out of the car and, just like Tang Ye earlier, were immediately swarmed by reporters.

"Cristiano is amazing."

Tang Ye whispered to De Gea: "Last season we played Real Madrid twice—we lost both."

Tang Ye still remembered last season's matches against Real Madrid, and Ronaldo was the player who stood out most in his memory.

Every time Cristiano scored, the stadium erupted with "Siu!"—Tang Ye found that fascinating.

"Tom!"

Ronaldo walked over to Tang Ye; they shook hands and hugged: "Shall we go in together?"

"Sure, David, let's go with Ronaldo."

In the Eiffel Tower elevator, Georgina linked arms with Ronaldo's right arm, while Tang Ye stood on his left: "Cristiano, everyone says you're the favorite today—you'll beat Messi."

"Haha, thanks."

Ronaldo placed his hand on Tang Ye's shoulder: "You're excellent too, Tom."

"But I'm not as good as you."

Tang Ye shrugged, and Ronaldo laughed.

"At 18, I couldn't have stood here. Keep going, Tom—I have high hopes for you."

Since their first match, Ronaldo had remembered this guy from China.

The match ended 2–2; Ronaldo was furious after being equalized and even threatened Tang Ye after the final whistle.

Tom was a player who made him feel threatened—that was Ronaldo's conclusion after their first match.

After exiting the elevator, Ronaldo exchanged a few words with De Gea.

They weren't in the same league, and chances of meeting in the Champions League were slim.

But Portugal and Spain would meet in the World Cup!

"David, if you face Portugal, you'd better be in top form—or you'll get crushed!"

Watching Ronaldo walk away, then glancing at De Gea standing motionless beside him, Tang Ye stood frozen, unsure what to say.

Ronaldo's threatening again.

After thinking for a while, Tang Ye finally spoke: "I don't like the way he talks."

"But Portugal is strong—maybe he's right. I need to stay in good form."

Though they were friends, De Gea always felt an inexplicable fear when facing Ronaldo.

As Spain's starting goalkeeper, De Gea needed to overcome this mindset.

Otherwise, if they faced Portugal in the group stage and he underperformed, it would be disastrous!

"Come on, David, there are already a lot of people inside."

…

Dongqiu Di pinned: The 2017 Ballon d'Or Ceremony has begun.

30th place: Coutinho (Liverpool/Brazil).

The Ballon d'Or rankings were announced starting from 30th place; fans hunched over Dongqiu Di held their breath.

The logic was clear: the later a name appeared, the higher the final ranking.

Chinese fans hoped Tang Ye's name would appear late.

【Guys, no need to be nervous—Tang Ye's definitely top 15, no need to panic now. Oh my god, oh my god… I'm so stressed.】

【Coutinho last? Whatever.】

【Go get 'em, Tang the King!】

Go get 'em, Tang the King!

Honestly, cheering now was useless.

The results had already been decided days ago—this was just the official announcement.

Sitting in his seat, watching the names pop up on screen, Tang Ye immediately spotted Coutinho.

He had played against Coutinho before, during the Liverpool match—but only once—so he didn't really know Coutinho's true strength.

He whispered to De Gea: "Looks like there are three goalkeepers this year."

De Gea raised an eyebrow, surprised.

Of course, he wasn't surprised by what Tang Ye had just said.

He was surprised by Tang Ye's expression.

"You don't seem nervous at all—you're about to find out your ranking."

"Why be nervous?"

Tang Ye chewed gum.

If he had no chance of winning, his exact rank didn't matter.

"David, here, have a piece of gum—it'll ease your stress."

Looking at the gum Tang Ye offered, De Gea hesitated, then finally took it.

Since Tang Ye's transfer, more and more Manchester United players had started chewing gum—and they all only chewed Tom's gum.

Was Tom's gum really that appealing?

Chewing gum, Tang Ye looked up and continued watching the screen; the 29th place was soon announced.

29th: Žeko (Roma/Bosnia and Herzegovina).

Tang Ye knew Žeko—they had faced each other during the previous UEFA knockout stages.

But Roma wasn't a match for Villarreal!

…

21st: De Gea (Manchester United/Spain).

"Oh, it's you, David."

Tang Ye turned to look at De Gea, who turned his head toward him as well.

It was clear De Gea wasn't in a good mood.

"I thought I'd make the top 20."

The rankings continued; when the 15th place was announced, Tang Ye saw their next opponent.

De Bruyne!

A midfielder from Belgium!

He ranked 15th with 18 votes—right in the middle of the 30 players. Dongqiudi pinned: 2017 Ballon d'Or 10th place, Lewandowski.

【Lewandowski is only 10th?】

【So cool!】

【Lewandowski and Kane? All crushed by my GGBOND!】

Chinese fans were now the most excited.

The top 10 had been announced, but GGBOND hadn't appeared yet!

What did that mean!?

It meant GGBOND was in the top 10!

No Champions League knockout results, yet ranked in the top 10 of the Ballon d'Or.

Only my idol GGBOND could pull this off!

8th: Mbappé (Monaco/Paris Saint-Germain/France).

7th: Tang Ye (Utrecht/Villarreal/Manchester United/China).

!

"Wow."

Leaning back in his chair, Tang Ye smiled.

He hadn't expected a high ranking to begin with, so when he saw he was 7th, he was genuinely surprised.

Dongqiudi pinned: Here it is! Tang Ye ranked 7th in the Ballon d'Or—the highest ever for an Asian player and an English Premier League player.

【I gotta bow down to my King Tang】

【Insane, damn!】

【God!】

【6666】

"Congratulations, Tom."

De Bruyne, seated to his left, reached over and bumped fists with Tang Ye; Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi also bumped fists with him, leaving Tang Ye slightly embarrassed.

"Thank you, thank you all, thank you."

7th place in the Ballon d'Or was an excellent ranking for an 18-year-old Tang Ye.

Too bad only the 1st place received a trophy!

3rd: Neymar (Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain/Brazil).

2nd: Messi (Barcelona/Argentina).

"Wow!"

With the 2nd and 3rd places announced, all guests turned their attention to Cristiano Ronaldo, seated in the center, who wore a brilliant smile.

Look at the screen.

【2017 Ballon d'Or winner: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Portugal)】

"Cristiano."

Tang Ye bumped fists with Ronaldo, who stood up under the gaze of the entire audience, embraced his wife, Messi, and Neymar one by one, straightened his suit, and walked toward the podium.

Applause, applause, applause, applause!

The crowd roared. Tang Ye watched Ronaldo on stage and spoke to De Gea beside him: "This feeling is amazing—too bad I'm not first."

"Don't rush. It'll come."

De Gea placed his hand on Tang Ye's shoulder.

Dongqiudi pinned: Ronaldo defeats Messi and Neymar, winning his fifth Ballon d'Or.

L'Équipe front page, bolded headline: 2017 Ballon d'Or winner: Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.

CCTV-5

Applause, applause, applause, applause!

"Hello, fans—we're bringing you live coverage of the 2017 Ballon d'Or ceremony."

"Our host today is French football legend David Ginola."

As soon as the commentator mentioned the host, a small line appeared on screen.

【Ginola: Former French national team player】

"Welcome to our ceremony today… (in French)"

The screen split: left side showed Ginola's opening remarks, right side showed the Eiffel Tower glowing gold.

Soon, the host stepped aside as Ronaldo slowly walked forward and picked up the Ballon d'Or trophy.

The camera cut to the guest seats—Tang Ye's mouth hung open, eyes wide as he stared at Ronaldo on stage.

Tang Ye said nothing, but fans could clearly see his envy in his posture and gaze.

GGBOND never hides his feelings!

【At 18, sitting in the stands like a nobody】

【No way—if I were there, I'd charge the stage with the Tang Army and steal Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or】

【Relax—he's only 18. My King Tang still has at least ten years left. By then, Ronaldo will be retired.】

【That Champions League comeback was insane—Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or is unquestionable.】

On stage, Ronaldo posed with his girlfriend Georgina, holding the trophy, then gave a press interview.

The host first asked Ronaldo to reflect on his achievements over the past year, then invited him to evaluate other top-ranked players.

A painfully dull segment. Tang Ye stared at Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or for a moment, then his attention drifted away.

"Neymar is outstanding—he performed brilliantly at Barcelona. Though they finished third in the league last season, I fully recognize Neymar."

"What about Tom? At 18, he ranked 7th—that's something neither you nor Messi achieved."

?

Tang Ye suddenly sat up straight—he hadn't expected the host to mention him.

"Similarly, Tom is an exceptionally gifted player. Among all the players I've seen, his talent ranks among the very best. As you said, neither you nor Messi achieved this at 18—but Tom did."

"This shows modern football training systems are improving. I'm delighted to see Tom's success."

De Gea sat below, watching Tang Ye, who stared at the podium, lost in thought.

And regarding Tang Ye, Ronaldo seemed to have much more to say.

"I've faced him twice, so my evaluation of him is extremely high. He displays maturity beyond his age on the pitch, makes excellent decisions—I believe he has the potential to become the next football king."

Applause, applause, applause, applause!

The camera cut to Tang Ye—the Manchester United midfielder blushed, nodding awkwardly at the lens.

…

China Football Daily front page: Tang Ye ranked 7th in the Ballon d'Or, breaking the record for the highest-ever ranking by an Asian player.

Dongqiudi pinned: Ronaldo praises Tang Ye at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, calling him capable of winning the award in the future. (Comments: 21,337)

The Ballon d'Or ceremony was over.

7th place was an excellent result for Tang Ye and his fans, but they needed to quickly move past this joy.

Because the Manchester derby was about to begin.

This would be Manchester United's toughest test so far this season!

On the return flight, Tang Ye stared blankly at the table in front of him.

Ronaldo's praise made him very happy.

But the problem was…

This was such a major event—the Ballon d'Or ceremony. Even though he didn't win first, shouldn't the system have given him a reward?

Tang Ye knew his system was abstract, but it shouldn't have failed him at a moment like this!

He pushed his seat back to rest, and finally, the thing he'd been waiting for arrived.

【At 39, finishing second in La Liga is one thing—but ranking 7th in the annual Ballon d'Or at age 39? That's not a human achievement.】

Not a human achievement?

Tang Ye didn't know if the system was praising him or mocking him—but that wasn't his current concern.

His concern was: what reward would he get?

Achieving this great feat at the age of 39 is undoubtedly a miracle.

You have obtained... a Miracle Chest.

Another Miracle Chest!

Tang Ye's eyes lit up—he had received a Miracle Chest before, when he and the national team secured their World Cup ticket, and had opened a very useful 【Greenwood Front Adjustment Template】.

Seeing the Miracle Chest, Tang Ye's first thought was that so-called "slot machine" mechanism.

【Miracle Slot Machine: Pull the lever, and three reels spin simultaneously—you will receive three independent and completely random templates, from which you may choose one.】

【Miracle: If all three templates are of the same type, you obtain all three.】

The greatest strength of the Miracle Chest is that it offers a chance to obtain three chests at once.

But the system also stated that the results of the three reels are "independent and completely random."

Drawing three templates of the same type under these conditions is practically impossible!

"Huh..."

He exhaled, then shook his head.

Tang Ye knew his luck was good, but not so good that he could pull three identical templates from a Miracle Chest.

The probability was simply too low; there was no point chasing something unattainable.

Still...

For him, the Miracle Chest had one advantage: he could choose the template most suited to himself from the three.

The template most suited to ggbond!

【Open the Miracle Chest?】

【1. Maradona's Eagle Vision Template (Legendary)】

【2. Totti's Offensive Vision Template (Legendary)】

【3. Beckenbauer's Defensive Ball-Out Vision Template (Legendary)】

"..."

Uh, this, this...

PS: Starting tomorrow, three chapters per day.

(End of Chapter)