Chapter 358: Double Kill Against Liverpool: Is Mr. Ferran a Serial Killer?

The anthems of both Manchester United and Liverpool rang out simultaneously on the pitch.

With ten minutes remaining until the end of the match, Liverpool had narrowed the goal deficit to one, making the atmosphere in the stadium feel stiflingly hot.

It was certain that Liverpool wanted to take points from Manchester United!

"..."

Ten Hag stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes fixed intently on the situation on the field.

Manchester United had now switched to a five-defender formation.

He could only hope Liverpool wouldn't find an opportunity to equalize!

Looking left and right, Tang Ye slowly retreated to the defensive half.

"You go over there!"

Pointing toward Emre Can's position to instruct Rodri to defend there, Tang Ye himself marked Milner.

Liverpool's possession-based attacking was quite formidable; man-marking was the best choice for Manchester United.

Slap!

Crossing the halfway line, Alexander-Arnold delivered a 45-degree cross straight into the penalty area.

It found Mané at the far post!

Mané controlled the ball with his chest!

"Wow!"

"Beep beep beep!!!"

Manchester United fans blew fake whistles, attempting to disrupt Mané.

Controlling the ball, Mané chose to drive directly down the line!

Valencia was tracking him!

Damn, damn!

Sensing danger, Tang Ye abandoned Milner and dropped even deeper into the defensive half.

At this point, there was no need to consider attacking anymore.

Protecting their current advantage was the most important thing!

Feinting near the baseline.

Mané!

Bang!

The Liverpool winger played a cutback cross, finding Emre Can directly in the center.

Emre Can was in an excellent position; Rodri used his body to interfere but dared not commit a foul.

"Emre Can!"

Slap!

A volley was struck, and Tang Ye rushed in from the side.

He went to ground, using a sliding tackle technique to block the shot.

Emre Can's volley struck Tang Ye's body!

"Phew!"

Ten Hag breathed a sigh of relief.

That was close...

After defending through the center, Manchester United launched a counterattack; although this counter was quickly intercepted by Liverpool, the Manchester United fans were still extremely happy.

Because they were about to win!

"Fuck, left wing, pass to the left wing!"

"Mohamed (Salah), cut inside!"

Klopp looked somewhat anxious.

But his shouting had little effect; for the remaining few minutes, the Manchester United players essentially controlled the match!

"If Liverpool cannot generate attacks from the wings, then Manchester United can effectively declare the winner of this match in advance..."

"..."

"Beep, beep beep!!!"

The match had ended!

2:1, this was the final score of the match!

"Phew..."

Standing on the grass and shaking his head, Tang Ye saw Rodri walking toward him.

"Haha, Rodri!"

"Nice block."

Tang Ye shrugged his shoulders: "Of course, Rodri, my defending has always been formidable."

【Casemiro Tackle】 was a very useful template.

And leveraging his own ability to judge the situation, Tang Ye could make this tackle template perform even more powerfully.

The kind that was even more formidable than Casemiro himself!

"Glory Glory Man United~"

The Manchester United fans were loudly singing in celebration of their victory in this double-red derby.

Halfway through the anthem, the broadcast camera cut to Tang Tang Zhengxiong, at which point the fans very tacitly stopped their collective singing.

"Tom's dad!"

"Booo!!!"

"Tom's dad!"

"Booooo!!!"

Tang Tang Zhengxiong instantly became the target of universal condemnation among Manchester United fans.

Tom is a great guy!

But Tom's dad is truly, truly terrible!

……

Check Dongqiu Di Match Report: Manchester United defeated Liverpool 2:1 at home to sweep this season's Double Red Derby, with Tang Ye scoring twice to challenge the top scorer rankings.

This was Manchester United's second Premier League match in March, and once again, the performance was flawless.

And in this match, Tang Ye netted two more goals!

After the match, Manchester United's official account posted a photo on Twitter showing Tang Ye using a nutmeg to dribble past both Lovren and Fan Daike inside the penalty area.

The caption read: Is scoring really that easy?

"Is scoring really that easy... Haha!"

Because attention was so intense, the phones of Manchester United players rang the moment the club's official account posted the tweet.

Ashley Young stood in the middle of the locker room, a jersey draped over his shoulders, facing Tang Ye: "Is scoring really that easy, Tom?"

"Hmm..."

Tilting his head to think carefully, Tang Ye tried to find an answer.

"Actually, Young, I feel it was okay; the goal in the first half was a bit easier, hmm... but it wasn't that easy, it still had considerable difficulty."

"Oh, the goal in the second half, that goal in the second half was far too difficult; did you see it? I slipped between Fan Daike and Lovren—that's the same Fan Daike who tripped me in the first half."

Although he had already taken his revenge in the second half, Tang Ye clearly had not forgotten Fan Daike's foul from the first half.

Because that had hurt far too much!

Tom still remembered the feeling from back then!

"No no no! Tom, you should have told me that scoring is easy; what you just said isn't the standard answer."

Ashley Young led the players in the locker room in teasing; at that moment, Mata remembered something and suddenly asked: "Tom, how many goals do you have now? Hmm, I mean in the league."

How many goals...

Rodri and Fan Fan Dejiahe exchanged a glance; both of them knew the answer to this question, but they did not intend to say it out loud.

It would be better to let Tom see the answer himself!

"I don't know either; let me check, let me check."

Sitting on a bench, Tang Ye reached behind him and grabbed his phone.

Premier League top scorers list, Premier League top scorers list...

Found it!

Tang Ye reflexively wanted to scroll down, but before his hand even moved, his eyes landed directly on his own name.

Premier League Top Scorers List (As of Round 30)

1. Salah (Liwupu), 24 goals.

2. Harry Kane (Tottenham), 22 goals.

3. Aguero (Mancheng), 18 goals.

4. Tang Ye (Manchester United), 16 goals.

It's... it's Tom!

"I, I, I..."

Tang Ye looked up at Mata: "Damn, I'm fourth!"

The last time he checked the top scorers list was the last time; he remembered that back then, Tang Ye was only ranked around 7th or 8th.

He hadn't expected to jump straight to 4th now.

Of course, this ranking didn't surge up suddenly; it was just that Tang Ye himself hadn't checked the top scorers list for too long.

Ranked fourth on the top scorers list, the players ahead of him were all super strikers from other clubs.

Which meant...

He was now the top scorer within the Manchester United team!

Looking down at the palms of his own hands, Tang Ye's heartbeat unconsciously accelerated.

Tom... so amazing!

……

Check Dongqiu Di Match Preview: In the early hours of March 14, Manchester United will face Yellow Submarine again in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, as the Red Devils aim for the Champions League quarter-finals.

Manchester United didn't have many matches in March, but the opponents were all the kind that were not easy to bully.

Having just played against Liwupu, now they had to take on Yellow Submarine!

The Champions League match against Yellow Submarine was something Manchester United fans had been worrying about.

Because judging from the situation in the first leg, Villarreal's intensity was indeed somewhat exaggerated.

Although they had won the first leg, fans could not say with certainty that Manchester United would definitely defeat Yellow Submarine in the second leg.

"Goodnight, Rodri!"

After saying goodnight to Rodri in the corridor, Tang Ye returned to his apartment.

Ding-dong!

Fan Fan Dejiahe promptly sent a message in the group chat; these were Manchester United's remaining matches for March.

March 13: Home match against Villarreal (Champions League Round of 16, Second Leg).

March 17th, home match against Brighton (FA Cup Quarter-final).

March 31st, home match against Swansea (Premier League Round 32).

Three matches in twenty days; considering Manchester United's absurd schedule in December and January, the March fixture list is relatively friendly for the players.

And among these three matches, the most important is naturally the Champions League knockout tie against the Yellow Submarine!

Manchester United must advance, then encounter an even stronger opponent.

And then...

Then defeat that even stronger opponent!

Thud!

His body crashed onto the living room sofa; the moment Villarreal was mentioned, Tang Ye couldn't help but recall his ordeal in Spain last month.

Inside the restaurant's private room.

That terrifying look in Mr. Ferran's eyes when he gazed at him!

Just like a perverted serial killer from Detective Conan!

It couldn't be, could it...

Tang Ye wanted to play a game, but the thoughts swirling in his mind left him with no desire to do anything else. Bringing the laptop he had just finished charging in the bedroom out to the living room, Tang Ye placed both hands on the keyboard.

【What are the characteristics of a serial killer?】

What are the characteristics of a serial killer? Here are the search results for you:

1. Cold and heartless, yet may appear normal or even charming on the surface.

2. Different from normal people in their feelings; high-pressure environments may make them feel excited.

3. Lacks a sense of fear and feels a longing for difficult things.

4. Extremely high IQ; may engage in mental labor and use their main profession to hide their identity as a killer.

5....

There are quite many characteristics of serial killers; Tang Ye carefully recalled the scenes when he spent time with Escrivá.

However, this matter was simply too important, making Tang Ye somewhat afraid to make a judgment based solely on his own memory.

He needed to find something related to Mr. Ferran.

Opening YouTube, he searched for Escrivá; the first result to pop up was a Sky Sports interview video with Escrivá, concerning the upcoming Champions League knockout match against Manchester United.

!

Clicking open the video, Escrivá's familiar face came into Tang Ye's view.

A very amiable coach, but due to the suspicion in his heart, Tang Ye always felt there was something slightly off about Escrivá's expression.

Let's see what the situation is!

"Yes, I greatly admire Tom; if he were our player, I would give him the highest tactical status. Hmm... and of course, the status of first penalty taker."

"But as you know, Tom is currently a Manchester United player; for such an outstanding player, we must make some specific arrangements, even though I have one year of cooperative experience with him."

Mr. Ferran wants to target Tom!

Tang Ye's heart tightened; he quickly clicked open the page he had just searched on Google.

Characteristics of a serial killer.

1. Cold and heartless!

"Hiss..."

"Damn it."

The situation seemed a bit off, but since Escrivá was ultimately Tom's good friend, Tom still decided to trust him.

Continue watching the video!

"Can targeting Tom alone win the match?"

The reporter pulled the microphone to his mouth: "I believe you have heard about Manchester United this season; their win rate in the Premier League is absurd, having steadily held the second position since the beginning of the season."

"Facing such an opponent, do you feel pressure?"

"Of course there is pressure, but I like pressure, because pressure makes me even more excited."

"As for the match..."

With a smile on his face, Escrivá said: "Manchester United is strong, but Villarreal fears no opponent, not even Real Madrid or Barcelona."

Click!

Striking the spacebar to pause the video, Tang Ye once again found the previous search interface.

"High-pressure environments may make them feel excited," "Lacks a sense of fear"...

When only the first point was satisfied earlier, out of the friendship between him and Escrivá, Tang Ye could still maintain his trust in him.

But now, the second and third points also matched.

Could Tom still continue to trust his Mr. Ferran?

Right, there is still the final fourth point.

4. Extremely high IQ; may engage in mental labor and use their main profession to hide their identity as a killer.

"..."

Damn!

Tang Ye clasped his head with both hands.

It turns out everything said in Detective Conan is true!

It's over!

Creak—

Rodri suddenly pushed the door open: "Tom, did you watch that video of Ferran? Haha, I suggest you watch..."

Slap!

Tang Ye slammed the laptop shut, then immediately put on an extremely calm expression.

Since the situation was not yet confirmed, and out of concern for Escrivá's safety, Tang Ye needed to ensure that no one besides himself knew about this matter.

Hmm, that's how they always act on TV.

"Wh-what's wrong?"

Rodri stared with wide eyes, because Tang Ye's reaction was indeed somewhat too abnormal.

"Oh, oh, it's nothing, Rod. I'll watch that interview video you mentioned!"

Rodri frowned: "I didn't say it was an interview video..."

"..."

The corner of Tang Ye's mouth twitched: "If it's Mr. Ferran, then it must be an interview video. Head coaches do mental labor, Rod; we can't exactly film a video of him playing football, can we?"

"Wow, that's true."

Rodri expressed his agreement with Tang Ye's words.

Although he didn't know why Tang Ye had suddenly brought up something like mental labor, Rodri decided not to overthink it.

If it's Tom, then there's truly no need to doubt!

After Rodri left, Tang Ye did not open the laptop again; instead, he leaned back on the sofa and fell into deep thought.

That's right!

Taking out the phone resting beside his hip, Tang Ye began searching for information.

【How are serial killers usually punished?】

【Serial killers are typically sentenced to death, life imprisonment, or fixed-term imprisonment of over ten years.】

"Th-this..."

The hand holding the phone in Tang Ye's grip was trembling uncontrollably.

Mr. Fer... Mr. Ferran...

Slap!

【De Bruyne Underlap Cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 302/800

Slap!

【De Bruyne Underlap Cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 332/800

Training in preparation for Villarreal continued in an orderly fashion.

Tang Ye happily grinded his proficiency, while Ten Hag wore a serious expression.

The knockout match against the Yellow Submarine held a very important place in the Manchester United head coach's heart.

It was even more important than the North West Derby.

Because this was a contest between Tom's current head coach and his former head coach.

Ten Hag absolutely could not lose.

Absolutely, absolutely!

"You seem very eager for the next match? Is it because an old friend is coming to Manchester?"

Ashley Young wiped the sweat from his face with a Mao Jin, then sat in the empty seat beside Tang Ye.

"Ah, Young, why do you say that?"

Ashley Young pointed at Tang Ye's phone: "Today you've checked the match time against the Yellow Submarine at least three times."

"Well..."

Tang Ye swiped away the website he had just opened: "I am indeed a bit eager. I'm planning to go out for a meal with Rod and Sebastian after the match. Last time in Spain, Sebastian wasn't there, which was quite a pity."

"Hmm, what's this?"

Just as Tang Ye swiped away the football app page, Ashley Young caught sight of a video playing halfway on Tang Ye's phone.

A smile appeared on Tang Ye's face: "I don't know how to say this in English... hmm, Famous Detective Conan? That should be it, right?"

"It's just an anime; many people back home watch it."

"Anime? David (De Gea) watches anime too."

Ashley Young pointed toward De Gea in the distance.

"The one David watches is One Piece; that's different. Mine is about a detective. Detectives are even more impressive."

"You know, Young, this protagonist can kick a shot with incredible ball speed, fiercer than the shots from Rod and Marcus, and he can accurately hit the bad guys."

"Accurately hit the bad guys..."

Ashley Young pondered thoughtfully: "You can do that too, right? After all, Tom, your shooting is the most accurate among us here, haha!"

"This..."

Tang Ye stopped speaking midway through his sentence.

Accurately knocking down a bad guy with a football—of course, he could do that.

After all, his current passing attribute was 89 points, and after the +10% bonus from First Touch, it reached as high as 98 points; kicking a fleeing bad guy from a long distance was absolutely no problem.

But.

If that bad guy happened to be Tom's good friend, what should he do?

Repost: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) announces its sponsorship of the Chinese National Men's Football Team.

Repost: Manchester United releases the starting lineup for the match against Yellow Submarine, with Mata playing.

One day before the match, Manchester United's team reporter broke the news that the team's midfielder, Mata, had been injured during training.

After the news broke, Manchester United fans grew extremely worried.

Fortunately, Mata still made it into the starting lineup for the match against Yellow Submarine, indicating that his injury should not be particularly severe.

Besides the starting lineup, there was another rather interesting piece of news on match day.

A reporter from "442" conducted a detailed analysis of Tang Ye's statistics in this season's Premier League.

To carry out this analysis, "442" specifically compared Tang Ye's match data from his time at Utrecht, Villarreal, and Manchester United, discovering a key point in the process.

Tang Ye's goal-scoring data has improved; even excluding penalty goals, his scoring efficiency this season is significantly higher than in the past two seasons, with his peak scoring efficiency occurring last year in August, September, and December.

After careful analysis, "442" quickly reached a conclusion.

In the first half of the league season, Manchester United lacked a stable striker, which forced Tang Ye to frequently move to the edge of the penalty arc or even into the box to directly participate in attacks.

However, after Ale joined the team, Tang Ye's assist efficiency began to surge sharply, which inevitably led to a corresponding decline in his goal-scoring efficiency.

"Some fans believe Tom will become a standard midfield scorer, but this viewpoint is flawed. The data shows that Tom remains a midfield playmaker, albeit one who simultaneously possesses the authority to shoot; he seems to be gradually breaking free from the rules of the game."

Midfielder, Premier League, 16 goals in 30 rounds—the elements surrounding Tang Ye can be said to be maxed out.

The Premier League has previously seen midfielders who could score 16 goals within 30 rounds, but none of those midfielders managed to maintain over 20 assists like Tang Ye.

According to the analysis by "442," Tang Ye's technical characteristics are groundbreaking.

Tom is forging a great path, though he himself is unaware of it.

"If you calculate the timing, Tom should have been playing CS: GO when this report was released," the "442" reporter remarked.

(End of Chapter)