Chapter 381: I Won't Say the Same Thing Twice, 201718

Check Dongqiu Di pinned post: Manchester United defeats Chelsea 3-2 to claim the 2017-18 FA Cup title; Rashford scores his first senior career hat-trick.

"Wow!!"

"Rashford!"

"Tom!"

Under the gaze of the fans, Ten Hag leads the Manchester United players slowly up the steps.

Ten Hag appears extremely calm, high-fiving the fans on both sides one by one.

Tang Ye is doing the exact same thing.

"Haha, thank you, thank you!"

"Thank you!"

Tang Ye is extremely serious, observing carefully to ensure he completes a high-five with every single fan on both sides.

Bright eyes should demonstrate their advantage at a time like this!

"Sebastian!"

"Mm, Young!"

After embracing his teammates once more, Tang Ye successfully reaches the podium, receiving the championship medals one by one from the FA officials.

【FA Cup (Football Association Cup)】

【2017/2018 WINNER】

Hehe!

Tang Ye lifts the medal around his neck, showing it off to the fans.

"Hurry, hurry!"

Urged on by Valencia, the Manchester United players line up in front of the railing, with Tang Ye pressing both hands against it.

This scene makes him feel incomparably content.

Captain Ashley Young has gone to retrieve the trophy!

Ashley Young takes the trophy from the hands of the FA Chairman, but instead of starting the celebration immediately, he passes the trophy to Carrick.

This is Manchester United's first captain from the beginning of the season; he will leave the team after the season ends.

"Are you sure?"

Carrick needs to confirm once, but Ashley Young directly pushes Carrick toward the center.

"Hey, Michael (Carrick), don't hesitate."

Rashford urges.

"Haha, okay!"

Carrick carries the trophy to the very center, gripping it tightly with both hands.

The voice of the live announcer rings out at this moment.

"The champion of the 2017-18 FA Cup is..."

"Manchester United!"

"Wow!!!"

Carrick suddenly hoists the trophy high, while the Manchester United players beside him raise their hands.

Bang!

Bang bang bang!

Confetti explodes outward, scattering across the players' faces.

Feeling it still isn't exciting enough, Carrick then shakes the trophy back and forth in front of his chest.

Then he lifts it up again!

"Wow!!!"

Pass it to Ashley Young!

The trophy is passed continuously among the players, quickly arriving in Tang Ye's hands.

The mouth of the trophy is very large; finding it interesting, Tang Ye directly stuffs his face inside and shouts into the trophy: "Ah!!!"

The sound leaks out from within the trophy, sounding somewhat strange.

Lift it up!

"Man United!"

Bring it back.

Then comes another triple swing.

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

Haha!

Passing the trophy to Rashford beside him, Tang Ye leans his back against the railing.

So comfortable!

"Glory, glory, Man United! (Glory belongs to Manchester United)"

"Glory, glory, Man United! (Glory belongs to Manchester United)"

"As the reds go marching on! On! On!"

"..."

Returning from the podium to the pitch, most of the Chelsea fans have already departed by now; for the remaining time, Wembley Stadium belongs entirely to Manchester United.

As players' families entered the venue, Tang Ye recognized Ashley Young's wife and De Gea's wife, and he took the initiative to greet them.

"Young, you need to get two medals."

Tang Ye suddenly said.

"Hm? Why?"

Tang Ye pointed at a child in front of him who looked to be under eight years old: "Because you still have a son; I can see your son really wants to wear a medal too."

Tang Ye possessed the talent to perceive others' thoughts; he knew Ashley Young's son also wanted a golden medal.

"Oh, then Tom, give me your medal."

"Haha, fuck, get lost, Young!"

Realizing Ashley Young had designs on his medal, Tang Ye slipped away immediately.

He could give away the Premier League Match MVP trophy because he had many of them.

But the FA Cup champion medal was out of the question.

Tang Ye had only this one medal!

Bringing Rodrigo and Mata along, Tang Ye found Rashford, who was currently receiving the Final MVP trophy.

Rashford was still in a dazed state.

Because he himself never expected to score three goals in the final.

And the opponent was damn Chelsea!

Watching Rashford receiving the MVP trophy, a smile hung on Tang Ye's face.

That's right!

Suddenly remembering something, Tang Ye quickly went outside the pitch and grabbed a bottle of mineral water.

"Come, come, come, Marcus!"

The players began to heckle as Tang Ye poured all the mineral water into Rashford's trophy.

"Oh, that's enough, that's enough, don't do this, Tom!"

Rashford lifted the trophy and then drained the mineral water inside in one gulp.

After the match ended, the official Manchester United account posted an FA Cup championship poster on Twitter, with Tang Ye, Rashford, and Ashley Young occupying the center position.

Click, click!

In the press room of Wembley Stadium, head coach Ten Hag accepted interviews from reporters.

This was Manchester United's last match of the season, so reporters asked numerous questions, including their feelings about this championship.

"The EFL Cup championship... and today's FA Cup championship, these are all honors Manchester United achieved this season. But in my view, this is merely a small step, a very small step."

"A small step?"

Ten Hag's words sparked the interest of the dozens of reporters present.

"Yes, because we all know Manchester United is a super giant club with a century of history; for such a team, the EFL Cup and FA Cup are merely small achievements; this is just the beginning."

Ten Hag spoke slowly.

"Some fans think that winning two championships this season means we were successful, but actually, fans should not harbor such thinking; such thinking is wrong."

Looking at the camera.

"Fans have been affected by the team's terrible results over the past few years; we should maintain our arrogance, the arrogance of being a Manchester United fan and supporter. Only by not being satisfied with current achievements can we progress."

"I know many fans want to say that winning a championship deserves celebration, but what I want to say is that reality is cruel; only by craving more can we obtain more."

Only the sound of camera shutters filled the press room as Ten Hag shrugged his shoulders.

"In my view, Manchester United still did not perform well enough this season."

"So... Erik, does this mean Manchester United will pursue more championships next season?"

"Pursue higher? Of course, professional teams should naturally do so."

"Fortunately, due to the schedule this season, I was unable to display my full strength."

Ten Hag spread his hands, his expression somewhat helpless: "As you know, when the schedule is too congested, you cannot implement your philosophy into the team's actual gameplay; this is extremely fatal."

"Erik, are you implying that if the Premier League schedule hadn't been so tight, Manchester United could have defeated Mancheng to win the championship this season? Is that what you mean?"

"Not entirely that meaning, but if you wish to interpret it that way, I don't think there's much of a problem."

Ten Hag held up three fingers.

"At the beginning of last month, we played a match against Mancheng."

"3:2, that was the final score of that match, with Tang delivering three assists. I won't say my signings helped the team, because that is what I should have done. What I want to talk about is victory; since we can defeat Mancheng in a direct match, why can't we defeat Mancheng in the standings as well?"

This season, Mancheng accumulated 100 points over 38 rounds, which was indeed ridiculously strong.

But in Ten Hag's view, Mancheng's strength had its limitations.

"If the schedule had been more relaxed, giving me enough time to convey tactical philosophies to our players, then I believe our final point total should not have been 92 points, but 102 points, or perhaps 103 points. As for whether it could be even higher, I cannot guarantee that; I can only say that Mancheng is unlikely to be Manchester United's match."

"..."

The reporters below exchanged bewildered glances.

"Then regarding the team's signings, there are rumors that you are interested in Dembélé? But Dembélé's performance this season at Barcelona wasn't particularly good."

"Fans say Tom's opinion influenced your signings; is this true? We all know Dembélé and Tom have a very good relationship."

"No, no, no."

Ten Hag shook his head quickly: "No player can influence a head coach's judgment on signings; a head coach's signings must be objective; this is a principle all coaches should abide by."

"I greatly admire Dembélé; that is the reason we contacted him."

Click, click!

"Haha, Marcus, if I were you, on the way back I'd watch the entire match again—a hat-trick in the final, hmm."

Tang Ye paced back and forth in the locker room, the championship medal still hanging around his neck.

"So you watch the replay after every win?"

Rashford's medal was still around his neck as well, and he was also holding an MVP trophy in his hand.

"Not exactly, but I'll look for fan comments on Twitter and Check Dongqiu Di; they clip my highlights. Oh, Marcus, you might not know Check Dongqiu Di—it's a Chinese app I play on often."

While talking, Tang Ye suddenly walked up to Rashford and threw a mineral water bottle he had hidden behind his back toward Rashford's spot.

"Fuck!"

Rashford reacted quickly and dodged it directly.

Just as he was about to stand up and grab Tang Ye, the locker room door was pushed open.

Seeing it was Fan Fan Dejiahe, the players continued their horseplay.

But soon another figure, Ten Hag, walked in behind Fan Fan Dejiahe; the locker room instantly fell silent, and Rashford and Tang Ye immediately sat back down in their spots.

"It's fine, it's fine, everyone did very well today."

Clap, clap, clap!

Walking in, Ten Hag applauded the players; Lin Lin Jiade shouted something, and the locker room became lively again.

Scanning the players in the locker room, Ten Hag walked up to Rashford.

!

Rashford suddenly grew nervous, feeling uncomfortable all over.

"E-Erik..."

"Played well."

"Hm?"

Rashford suddenly looked up: "Wh-what?"

"I won't say the same thing twice."

Ten Hag walked away.

"..."

Rashford glanced in Ten Hag's direction, then lowered his head, looking at the MVP trophy in his hand.

He stood up quickly.

"Hey, Erik!"

"Thanks! I mean... um, thank you."

After saying that, Rashford hurriedly sat back on the bench to avoid making eye contact with Ten Hag.

On the way back to Manchester, Tang Ye prepared to claim the reward for his Ultimate Mission.

But then he thought again and felt something was off.

Something as important as the Ultimate Mission—he should wait until he got home and sat in his favorite gaming chair before claiming the reward!

After careful thought, Tang Ye took out the championship medal from his backpack, took a photo with his phone, and prepared to post it on Twitter.

"Rod, why isn't my photo very clear?"

Tang Ye showed his phone to Rodri: "Marcus's phone takes much clearer photos; mine isn't as clear as his. Look, you can't even read the letters on the medal."

Rodri examined Tang Ye's phone carefully: "Oh, Marcus's phone has one more camera lens than yours, so it's bound to be clearer. Next time, you should just buy one with dual cameras."

"But Marcus's phone is too big, isn't it? Very inconvenient."

Tang Ye shook his head, deciding not to dwell on image clarity anymore.

After all, he was a footballer, not a photographer; clarity and such didn't really matter.

Click send!

"Ding ding ding ding ding!"

"Ding Ding Ding!"

"Damn, fuck!"

He quickly pressed the mute button, then turned on Do Not Disturb for messages.

The fans were truly ruthless!

At this rate, Tom's phone wouldn't be able to handle it!

【Premier League Best Player!】

【Good luck at the World Cup, Tom; I'm cheering for the Chinese team!】

【Don't go to any other club, or I'll burn your signed jersey!】

【Tang Ye, GOAT!】

Tang Ye placed his thumb on the phone screen, preparing to find a few interesting comments to reply to, when captain Ashley Young walked into the aisle.

"Guys, let me say a few things: once we get to Manchester, no one is allowed to go home."

"I've already booked a pub; everyone must come today to celebrate our victory."

"Wow!!"

"Haha!"

Tang Ye fist-bumped Rodri: "Rod, you can drink a bit more; if you get drunk, I can carry you back. But don't drink too much, because if you get too heavy from drinking, I might not be able to carry you."

Spain, Barcelona.

As the referee's whistle blew, the home team, Barcelona, defeated Real Sociedad with a score of 1–0, securing victory in the final league match of the season.

After this match ended, Barcelona's league points were fixed at 93, a tally that meant they were the La Liga champions for this season!

"BARCA! BARCA! BARCA!"

Barcelona fans were celebrating in the stands!

Head coach Valverde led the Barcelona players to the area below the stands, but soon Valverde froze in shock.

The Barcelona fans in the stands before them were holding high Tang Ye's Manchester United No. 10 jersey.

"We want Tom!"

Manchester United's red looked somewhat out of place in the Barcelona home stands, though not all Barcelona fans were doing this.

On the other side, Barcelona fans held up their signs.

【Messi Cannot Leave!】

"..."

Letting out a long sigh, Valverde shook his head.

Last season, during his time at Yellow Submarine, Tang Ye's performance had left a deep impression on Barcelona fans.

This resulted in Barcelona fans now splitting into two factions.

The conservative faction did not support a trade between Messi and Tang Ye.

Because Messi was a legendary hero of Barcelona, suddenly losing such a legendary striker was unacceptable to Barcelona fans.

The radical faction hoped to use Messi to exchange for Tang Ye.

The radicals' reasoning was simple: Messi was already old, and if they could use Messi to secure Barcelona's future, the fans would be very willing to do so.

Moreover, Messi's wages were too high; resolving Messi's contract to sign Tang Ye could largely alleviate the club's financial difficulties!

Valverde raised his head and glanced toward the presidential box, unsure what was running through his mind.

Premier League Official: The winner of the Golden Boot for the 2017-18 Premier League season is Liwupu forward Mohamed Salah, who scored 32 goals in 36 appearances.

The Premier League Official announced the list of best players by position for the 2017-18 season (listed in no particular order):

Forwards: Salah, Kane, Aguero.

Midfielders: Tang Ye, De Bruyne.

Defenders: Fan Daike, Milner.

Goalkeeper: Ederson.

Tang Ye became the Best Midfielder of the Premier League for this season.

This news was not too shocking to the fans, as it was something everyone had anticipated.

What the fans cared about was the selection for the Season's Best Player.

Between Tang Ye and Salah, there could only be one winner!

This was a contest between Tang Ye and Salah, and also a rivalry between two red-clad Premier League clubs!

Just as the Manchester United players were still reveling in a bar, news from the official Chinese national team quickly surged to the top of the Baidu trending search.

Baidu Trending Search No. 4: Chinese Men's National Football Team announces the 23-man squad for the Russia World Cup.

Zeng Cheng (1), Ren Hang (2), Gao Gao Zhunyi (3)... Feng Feng Xiaoting (6C), Wu Lei (7)... Gao Lin (9), Tang Ye (10)... Wei Wei Shihao (19)... Wang Wang Dalei (23)

Among the 23 players, captain Feng Feng Xiaoting, along with star players Wu Lei and Tang Ye, were the focus of fan attention.

Besides these few stars, another player captured everyone's attention.

No. 19, Wei Wei Shihao!

Like Zhang Zhang Yuning, Tang Ye, and Wu Lei, Wei Wei Shihao was an overseas player, having just transferred in January from the Portuguese second-division club Leixões to Beijing Beijing Guoan.

He was given a key role directly despite having no experience playing for the national team!

Why could Wei Wei Shihao gain such trust from Lippi?

Could it be that he was on the same level as Tang Ye?

Fans quickly began searching for Wei Wei Shihao and discovered many interesting things.

When Tang Ye was training at the Shandong Luneng Football School, there was an older brother looking out for him.

And that older brother was Wei Wei Shihao!

【Tang Ye Ye Ye (Level 18) — What are you yelling about? Believe it or not, I'll get someone to mess you up; I think you don't know how fierce my big brother is】

【You really dug out the comments, didn't you?】

【Tang Ye: I said don't dig up my Tieba comments】

【I'll dig them up, I'll dig them up!】

【Damn, Tang Tang Qiuwang was so arrogant as a kid, challenging people to offline fights over online arguments, huh?】

Upon learning of Wei Wei Shihao's powerful background, Chinese fans' hands were trembling.

Tang Ye was already so extraordinary.

Then just how strong would Tang Ye's big brother be?

Titan Sports reporter: The Chinese team will play warm-up matches against Shanghai SIPG Club and the Saudi Arabian national team on May 25 and May 29, respectively.

"Currently, the time of Tang Ye's return to the squad is unknown, but it is certain that he will participate in at least one of the warm-up matches."

Professional Footballers' Association: Manchester United midfielder Tang Ye elected Premier League Young Player of the Season for 2017-18.

Professional Footballers' Association: Manchester United midfielder Tang Ye elected Premier League Playmaker of the Season for 2017-18.

(End of Chapter)