Chapter 528: 33rd Matchweek, 88 Points, the Penalty Kick Treasure Mission (Bonus Chapter—Seeking Monthly Votes!)

"take me home ~ united road ~"

"to the place I belong ~~"

"to old trafford and see united"

"…"

The fans in the stands were singing loudly.

Tang Ye of course knew this song, so he and his teammates joined in.

But he quickly realized his lyrics didn't match the fans'.

"to old trafford and see ggbond ~"

The director's camera zoomed in on Tang Ye's face; the United No. 10 now looked bewildered.

"Haha!"

"Wow!!!"

The fans laughed loudly and continued with the second half of their lyrics.

"gg!"

"bond!"

"ggbond!"

"bondtheunited! (firmly bind United together)"

PS: bond means "bond" in English.

"master bond! bond the united!"

Tang Ye raised his hands, looking innocent.

Ggbond is ggbond—why split it up and say it like that?

Bond means "bond."

The bond connects over twenty United fans.

Then what is gg?

"tom!"

"viva tomtom!"

"always tomtom!"

CCTV5's live broadcast had ended, but the English livestream still showed the stadium footage.

"I must admit, United have now shown the dominance needed to win the league—they've surpassed City in both goal difference and points."

The English commentator offered his analysis.

…

The Manchester Evening News front page headline: Since Ty's return on February 5, United have won every Premier League match.

Premier League standings as of Matchweek 32 (2018–19 season):

1. United, 85 points.

2. City, 82 points.

3. Liverpool, 81 points.

4. Tottenham, 61 points.

5. Chelsea, 61 points.

At the end of January, United were far behind; by the end of March, they had fully risen.

After receiving the Man of the Match trophy, Tang Ye returned to the pitch for a media interview.

The reporters had been waiting a long time for this post-match interview.

They had so many things they wanted to ask!

"Your goal difference has now surpassed City's—your chances of winning the league look very strong. But we all know United face a packed schedule next month… Tom, do you think the team can survive it?"

Tang Ye wiped sweat from his face with his jersey: "I know. We've prepared a lot for next month. I think we can."

"Shaw won't be able to play until May, which affects us—but I think we can handle the risk of him being out."

Cough!

Tang Ye had been substituted off and sat on the bench without his jacket—he now seemed to have caught a cold.

"We saw you suffer a nasty challenge at the 60th minute—is your ankle okay?"

"Oh, sure."

To prove he was fine, Tang Ye lifted his right foot, wrapped in an ice pack: "I came off right after I got stepped on—no problem."

The team doctor hadn't given a final diagnosis, but Tang Ye's experience told him he could play the next match.

"So… Tom, do you have anything to say about transfer rumors? Juventus and Dortmund have proposed a decent deal to swap you over…"

"Uh, honestly I'm not sure—but my wish is to stay at United."

While Tang Ye was being interviewed, a box popped up beneath the Sky Sports livestream.

【Tang Ye's contract with United runs until 2024, gross weekly salary £330,000, no release clause】

Beyond the basic terms, Sky Sports revealed further details of Tang Ye's contract with United.

Tang Ye's base weekly salary rises over time.

Simply put: the longer he stays at United, the more his base salary increases by £22,000 per year, capped at £400,000—provided he plays at least 30 matches per season across all competitions; if injured, the raise stops for that season.

Of course, Tang Ye is a special case.

As China's football prodigy, Ggbond earns only a small portion of his income from club wages.

…

The FA: Sterling named Man of the Match in the FA Cup quarterfinal.

Professional Footballers' Association: Premier League Player of the Month March nominees:

1. Salah, Liverpool.

2. Tang Ye, United.

3. Martial, United.

4. Son, Tottenham.

5. Kanté, Chelsea.

The Sun front-page second headline: Ty donates RMB 12 million (approx. £1.4 million) to forest fire relief in Liangshan, Sichuan, China, and an additional £550,000 to support Rashford's "Rashford Social Charity Foundation."

According to The Sun reporter, Tang Ye appears to have high hopes for Rashford's foundation, as this is his second donation to it this year.

…

April 1, temperature 7°C, torrential rain.

After China officially entered April, England's April arrived.

At 12:30 a. m., Tang Ye, standing by the window lost in thought, received a message from Pohl.

The Dutchman had found Tang Ye a villa in the Manchester suburbs.

The villa was large, and most importantly, it cost only £3.2 million—extremely good value.

【Tang Ye: Buy it.】

【Pohl: You're not asleep?】

Tang Ye replied so quickly, Pohl was startled.

【Pohl: You've got a match the day after tomorrow, Tom.】

"Haha."

Pohl's anxious message made Tang Ye laugh.

Many Premier League players sleep late; Tang Ye was certain he wasn't United's latest sleeper.

Since Tang Ye was awake, Pohl called him directly.

"Uh… Tom, this villa is the most suitable one I've seen for you—it has a dedicated gaming room with a PS and computer. But… my suggestion is"

"Wait until after the summer transfer window to buy—it might rise by £30,000–50,000."

Wait for prices to rise before buying?

Pohl didn't mean that.

His point was: Tang Ye's future was still uncertain; buying now could be disastrous if he left Manchester in a few months: "I checked—the rental price there is about £27,000 per month, not a good investment. You're rich, but I advise against wasting money."

"It doesn't matter, Pohl—I'll still be at United next season."

Tang Ye said it as if it were obvious.

But he couldn't convince Pohl, and the decision to buy a house in Manchester was postponed.

Also, Pohl would use Juventus and Dortmund's offers to pressure United into raising Tang Ye's weekly salary further.

Tang Ye didn't get involved—he truly had no idea how to handle such things.

…

On the morning of April 1, Fan De carried out his routine and posted the team's entire April schedule in the group chat.

April 2: Wolves vs United (Premier League Matchweek 33). April 7: Watford vs United (FA Cup semifinal).

April 10: United vs Paris Saint-Germain (Champions League quarterfinal first leg).

There were three matches before the 10th.

Seeing this schedule again, United players felt their blood pressure rise.

Pressure maxed out!

In contrast, Manchester City only needs to play six matches since they were eliminated from the Champions League.

Did Manchester United abandon the Champions League to help Manchester City?

That's impossible. The Champions League is the most important competition; under no circumstances can it be abandoned.

Abandon the league to preserve the Champions League?

That's also impossible. If they fail in the Champions League after doing so, Manchester United's season would be a disaster.

Then… abandon the FA Cup?

That has some feasibility—the team has already reached the semifinals.

Coaches and players are greedy; you can't expect any team to give up a trophy right in front of them.

…

DQZ Report: Manchester United won 2-1 away against Wolves, with Tang Ye assisting Ma Ta's goal; Nieves' long-range shot failed to equalize. (Comments: 28,312)

Top comment: 33 rounds, 29 assists—Tang Ye is just one assist away from 30.

【The King is the King】

【Only 33 rounds? Damn, I see Manchester United already have 88 points—how are the other teams supposed to compete?】

【I already told you it's Romance of the Three Kingdoms—do you really think other teams get a chance?】

【If they maintain this form, could Manchester United clinch the title one or two rounds early?】

【But how do they maintain it? They've got Paris, Manchester Derby, and Chelsea coming up—I'm exhausted. Why didn't they schedule more matches in March?】

After 33 rounds: 28 wins, 1 loss, 4 draws. Manchester United still lead the Premier League in points and are pulling away from Manchester City and Liverpool.

The vast majority of Manchester United fans are optimistic, believing the club can win the Premier League this season.

But some fans are focused on the remaining matches in April.

Two straight games: Paris, Manchester Derby, then Chelsea.

Why doesn't the Premier League move the Manchester Derby to March? Then Manchester United wouldn't be so tense in April.

Damn it!

"3, 2, 1!"

"ManUnited!!!"

…

The Mirror front page: Manchester United is pushing to renew Tang Ye's contract; if successful, his contract will extend to 2026, with weekly salary rising to £360,000 and base weekly cap raised to £450,000.

Notably, Manchester United's senior management only proposed this as a contingency plan—they have not acted on it. The Glazer family is discussing the feasibility of bringing Ronaldo back to Manchester United.

It's April now. When April ends, May begins—and the transfer window opens.

Simple calculation: less than two months remain until the Premier League transfer window officially opens.

Under these circumstances, transfer rumors involving Premier League players, led by Tang Ye, have been endless.

Fans and journalists are arguing fiercely over transfers; Tang Ye himself has stopped reading the news entirely.

There are too many rumors online lately—if he keeps reading, he'll believe them himself!

The immediate priority is preparing for the FA Cup semifinal against Watford, and studying their next opponent.

Paris Saint-Germain from Ligue 1!

"Tom, I saw news saying you're going to Saudi Arabia to play—haha!"

Ale laughed loudly.

He knew the news was fake.

"I give up. The stuff they say, I don't even know about."

Tang Ye was speechless.

They say Tang Ye's going to Saudi, Tang Ye's going to Qatar, Tang Ye's going to the U. S.

It feels like European reporters are novelists—writing articles entirely from imagination.

Tang Ye won't go to Saudi or Qatar.

As for the U. S., even though LeBron and Bryant are there, Tang Ye won't go either.

GG Master still has many honors left to win!

"I've stopped reading the news, Seba. I suggest you do too—recent news is all terrible."

Tang Ye advised Ale: "So I've been watching Surviving the Wild—you should watch it too."

As he spoke, Tang Ye tugged at his pants: "Just wearing shorts on an island, surviving thirty days—totally badass."

For someone like Tang Ye, who easily gets distracted, this show is perfect.

There's no strong logical flow between segments; a little distraction isn't a big deal.

But it's so addictive that Tang Ye even wants to go find crocodiles in swamps to eat.

"Huff… huff…"

Get ready…

Run-up!

Tang Ye adjusted his pace, planted his supporting foot, and focused on De Gea's hips.

Watch De Gea's center of gravity shift.

Thwack!

He fired a low drive.

De Gea guessed the direction correctly but still couldn't stop Tang Ye's shot.

"Haha!"

"David, I knew you'd dive this way."

Tang Ye raised his hand and laughed.

"Then why shoot here?"

De Gea sat on the ground, helplessly shrugging.

"Haha, you made a fake move—you couldn't have jumped far."

Tang Ye acted like he understood De Gea perfectly.

De Gea feinted left first, hoping to trick Tang Ye—this meant he couldn't reach far enough when diving right.

At this point, if Tang Ye shoots into the corner, his precision ensures success.

"Fuck!"

De Gea punched the grass beside him, splashing up puddles.

Of course, De Gea was just pretending—he was actually quite pleased.

"Wait, Tom—you could just keep shooting like this. You're so accurate, you don't even need to read the keeper's movement."

De Gea slowly stood up and shared his thought with Tang Ye.

Tang Ye's greatest strength is accuracy.

Even with high-speed shots, he still hits precisely—that's the difference between a master and other penalty takers.

If so, instead of analyzing the keeper's feints, specializing in corner shots might be a better choice for Tang Ye.

"Michel told me this."

Tang Ye glanced at Fan De, who was observing nearby; Fan De raised his hand in acknowledgment.

"It's worth trying, but too risky. I think I still need more practice."

Tang Ye picked up a ball at his feet and struck it with a volley.

Duang!

The ball slammed hard against the crossbar.

"If I miss the corner while aiming for it, it's disastrous."

【You've received a new task】

【Task objective: Score 3 penalties or 8 goals】

【Reward: Random rival club treasure chest】

【Current progress: Penalties (0)/Goals (0)】

Finally, another task!

…

(End of Chapter)