[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back":3,"chapter-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-39":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Football: At 16, Let Me Retire and Come Back?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2300009,4499,"Chapter 39: Best Player Trophy, Salary Raise!","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-39",39,"\u003Cp>“Tang, this is yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye took a trophy from a Dutch Football Association staff member.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held it in his hands and examined it closely—it was made of glass, with a metal base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the base, Tang Ye saw a small inscription: 2015-2016, the season identifier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, on the glass above, another small line of text.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【spelervandewedstrijd】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Tang Ye’s Dutch wasn’t that impressive, understanding these words was no problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant “Player of the Match.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You got the MVP trophy in your first start.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Van der Maarel signed a few autographs for fans in the stands, then walked over to Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye was pleased, tossing the trophy lightly in his hands: “This thing’s pretty heavy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You deserve it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Van der Maarel patted Tang Ye on the back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, there was still considerable controversy over Tang Ye’s MVP award, since some fans believed he only played the second half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t play the first half not because he was benched, but because he vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Van der Maarel had zero objections to Tang Ye’s MVP.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come on—if Tang Ye hadn’t exploded with two goals in the second half, he’d already be Utrecht’s villain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Tang Ye walked from the podium toward the tunnel, he heard a voice from the away fans’ section: “Tom, can I get your autograph?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye froze. Van der Maarel, thinking he hadn’t heard clearly, reminded him: “He wants your autograph.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A-Autograph…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was unfamiliar to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye walked over. The man asking for the autograph was a bearded, fat middle-aged man, probably nearing fifty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Tang Ye approached, the man introduced himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Utrecht fan since 1969!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang, can you sign your name for me? Just on my jersey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned around, showing his ALE number 22 jersey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had brought a marker, hoping Tang Ye would write his name over the “22.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you sure you want my autograph? I mean—I’m not a star.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye felt awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his mind, autographs were for stars to give fans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was just a U17 player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this really appropriate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m a Utrecht fan. In my heart, you’re a star.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s words left Tang Ye momentarily speechless, but he abandoned the idea of signing the ALE jersey: “Sir, thank you so much for your support. If you’d like, I can give you this jersey I’m wearing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even better!” The man smiled. Tang Ye took off his jersey, revealing his thin frame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up the pen and carefully wrote his name in Chinese characters over the “99.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【 Tangye 】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here you go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye handed him the jersey and the marker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was his first time giving an autograph—he felt strangely uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Tang. I’ll keep this jersey safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man folded the jersey and hung it over his arm, promising Tang Ye he’d keep it for at least twenty years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye shook the man’s hand, and as he stepped into the players’ tunnel, Van der Maarel teased him: “You’re a star now. How does it feel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye rubbed his head, his face slightly flushed: “Hmm… I don’t think I’m a star yet. But this feeling? It’s great. I like it when people call my name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day was Sunday. Utrecht gave everyone from U15 to the first team the day off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, on his day off, Tang Ye played FIFA with Zakaria. But today, Zakaria had returned to his family in Amsterdam, so Tang Ye was stuck playing ranked matches alone in his dorm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to sneak in some practice, and knock Zakaria down next weekend!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the screen, Tang Ye opened an in-game loot box. Instead of immediately revealing the player inside, it slowly revealed keywords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1. Eerste Divisie\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2. China\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>3. Midfielder\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>4. Utrecht II\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the third keyword, Tang Ye already realized what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d just pulled himself out of the game!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>YeTang (CHN)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht II\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CAM (attacking midfielder, playmaker)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring at the terrible in-game model FIFA had made of him, Tang Ye fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was immediately drawn to the numbers below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A 51 overall rating!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was based on data up to the 2014–15 winter transfer window. Given his minimal league minutes, FIFA’s staff must have judged him by his friendly match performances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poor bastards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mmm—mmm—mmm—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His phone, charging on the bedside table, vibrated. Tang Ye picked it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a call from team manager Charles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We accepted Eric’s proposal. Come to the third-floor office next Monday at noon. We’ve prepared a new contract for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Charles first called, Tang Ye had been tense, because Charles mentioned Ten Hag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Tang Ye’s experience, anything involving Ten Hag was never good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That damn Dutchman was trying to trap him with another contract!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, accompanied by Bao, Tang Ye went to Charles’s third-floor office and learned what the new contract was for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Tang Ye’s first start in the Dutch Cup against Snijk, Ten Hag proposed a raise for him. The club’s management had discussed it since then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the decision was made: considering Tang Ye’s rapidly improving skills and increasing playing time, his current weekly salary of 1,000 euros was no longer appropriate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles stood before Tang Ye holding a document, excitedly saying: “Little star, sign this new contract, and your weekly salary will rise to 2,100 euros. I guarantee you—this is the highest weekly pay among all U17 players in the Netherlands!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye examined the document closely, using his phone app to translate some complex Dutch words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to his current youth contract, the new one offered significantly better terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most obvious change was the salary—if he signed, his weekly pay would triple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>2,100 euros weekly. 8,400 euros monthly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye realized his salary was about to catch up with his living expenses!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hard work always pays off, doesn’t it, my friend?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles looked at Tang Ye with a gentle smile: “Well? Satisfied? You can sign now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cough!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye cleared his throat, handed the document to Bao beside him, then adjusted his training gear and shook his body: “Mr. Charles, I have an agent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1038,"2026-06-20T06:50:08.245Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8936575b9f3a654e1e0649475e5f89a6db343c3d670b92ee769117683919f444","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-40","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-38",918,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffootball-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-cover.jpg"]