Chapter 538: Man United

Beep!

Beep!

Beep-beep-!!!

……

China Online Guangdong — Front Page Headline: Tang Ye Involved in Sudden Car Accident.

Just six words, but ten minutes after this news broke, it surged to No. 1 on Baidu Hot Search.

It also received top pinning on Dongqiu Di.

Republished from Guangdong Shuofa — Tang Ye rear-ended a truck on National Highway G105; the driver's airbag deployed fully.

Reporters moved quickly and obtained the surveillance footage of the accident.

A green Aston Martin was traveling at approximately 85 km/h.

Ahead, a large truck with a container was ahead; the green sports car failed to slow down and slammed directly into the truck's rear.

The surveillance footage couldn't show the driver's face, but based on the public reaction, the driver was undoubtedly Tang Ye.

【?????】

【?????????】

【Holy shit, what the hell, is he okay?】

【Did the brakes fail? Or was he drunk? Feels like he was drunk, but the speed doesn't add up — if drunk, he'd be doing over 100 km/h.】

【No way, don't tell me this…】

I woke up and saw Tang Ye's news, thought my GGBOND had pulled another stunt, turns out it was a car crash.

And right outside his own front door!

Within half an hour of the incident, related search terms for Tang Ye's accident climbed to the top of Baidu, Weibo, and all major platforms; hundreds of comments were posted per second in the comment sections.

Tang Ye hasn't appeared publicly; the exact situation remains unknown. Fans and netizens can only analyze the surveillance video.

One strange detail.

Daytime visibility was clear; the truck ahead was huge — Tang Ye couldn't have missed it.

Did the brakes fail?

Netizens teamed up to search for clues; soon, a netizen with a Guangdong IP commented below the Weibo post that he had seen this Aston Martin before.

He didn't know the car belonged to Tang Ye, but because the license plate was unusual, he memorized it on the spot.

A quick check revealed the car was newly manufactured in 2019 — completely brand new, theoretically incapable of malfunctioning.

There was only one possible explanation.

Fans realized it.

Tang Ye was distracted while driving!

……

The Sun — Front Page Headline: TY Involved in Car Accident in China; No Life Threat Confirmed So Far; Reporters Headed to Hospital for Further Updates.

"It is understood that TY was driving a 2019 Aston Martin DB11 equipped with a 5.2T V12 engine, producing 608 maximum horsepower, a top speed of 322 km/h, and 0–100 km/h acceleration in just 3.9 seconds."

The Sun reporter thoughtfully provided detailed specifications of Tang Ye's vehicle.

But these figures were unnecessary — whether 5.2T or V12, Tang Ye's speed at the time of the crash was under 100 km/h.

In short, the cause of the accident had virtually nothing to do with the car; it was purely his own error.

Hmm… not even an error, really — from the surveillance footage, Tang Ye made no input at all, as if he had fallen asleep behind the wheel.

This video alone could fuel three episodes of "Into Science!"

Click!

Click-click!

【Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Pingzhou Branch)】

Outside the hospital, reporters, fans, and curious onlookers crowded the entrance.

"You can see behind me now is Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital; according to on-site reports, Tang Ye was rushed to the hospital immediately after the accident."

The reporter held up his phone screen to the camera: "You can see this is the footage sent from the accident scene — there's still some blood on the driver's seat, and witnesses say Tang Ye was carried out of the car unable to walk upright. The exact condition remains unclear, so we're waiting outside the hospital."

Beep-beep-beep!

"Make way! Make way!"

A brown Bentley came to a stop amid the crowd of fans; Tang Zhengxiong stepped out from the driver's seat and sprinted toward the hospital building.

"Zhengxiong!"

"Big Brother Zhengxiong! Is Tang Ye okay?"

"Wait, Big Brother Zhengxiong!"

Fans were frantic.

The speed wasn't high, and the airbag deployed normally — Tang Ye was certainly not in life danger.

But Tang Ye isn't an ordinary person.

He's a professional athlete; any injury, however minor, would severely impact his career.

Ssshh—

Fans sat on the hospital steps; reporters kept trying to get inside.

……

Manchester United Official: Deeply saddened by the car accident involving player Tang Ye. The club has dispatched personnel to China to visit him. Further updates will be announced officially.

Marca — Front Page Headline: TY Suspected of Distracted Driving, Rear-Ended Vehicle, Now Hospitalized.

Sky Sports: TY's car accident…

Global Sports: At 10:12 a. m. local time, Manchester United star TY…

Japan Football — Front Page Headline…

In just a few hours, Tang Ye dominated headlines across all major global media outlets.

"Ssshh…"

Tang Ye leaned against the hospital bed; his attending physician and the hospital director stood beside him.

"Will I be okay… uh…"

The attending physician examined Tang Ye's knee: "How do you feel right now?"

"Hmm, just a bit painful."

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain?"

"Hmm… about a 6."

"A six? You're this calm?"

The physician paused, then remembered Tang Ye was an athlete — his pain tolerance was far above average.

"I'll give you a painkiller first, then we'll take X-rays."

"Oh, okay. Doctor, what do you think happened? How long will recovery take?"

Tang Ye moved his right leg: "I feel stiffness around my knee — my calf can't bend or extend normally."

The physician studied Tang Ye's knee, exchanged a glance with the director, then said: "My guess is a dislocated knee joint, but I can't confirm until the X-ray results come in."

"If it's a dislocated knee joint, how long will I need to rest?"

"Depends. Your case doesn't seem severe — you should be able to walk normally in under two months, but… to return to full match play, you'll need more time."

The doctor gave his answer. Tang Ye finally heard the words he dreaded.

More than two months…

"Shit."

Tang Ye clutched his head: "Can it be faster? Is there any other way?"

"Mr. Tang Ye, I understand you're in a hurry, but let's take the X-ray first, then analyze."

The director stepped forward and spoke to Tang Ye: "Sir, I can guarantee you will receive the best possible treatment here."

"Ssshh… thanks."

Tang Ye raised his hand, intending to fist-bump the director.

"Huh?"

The director blinked, confused by the gesture.

"Oh, sorry, sorry."

Tang Ye tapped the director's arm, then pulled his hand back.

His habits were hard to break.

"Tang Ye!"

Tang Zhengxiong burst in: "You okay? Holy shit, how did you crash?"

"I'm about to give you a painkiller."

A nurse brought in equipment; Tang Zhengxiong moved to Tang Ye's bedside.

Tang Zhengxiong focused on Tang Ye's arm — it was cut by glass and bleeding heavily: "Your arm — you alright?"

"The arm's fine — a bit of iodine will fix it. The knee's the problem." The arm wound was minor and wouldn't affect Tang Ye's playing.

The core issue was still the knee.

If this isn't fixed, it'll be a real disaster!

"Ssshh…"

Tang Zhengxiong took a deep breath.

He had intended to say more, but suddenly found he didn't know what to say; just then, the doctor finished preparing the painkiller, and Tang Zhengxiong stepped aside.

"It might hurt a bit."

"Mm."

The needle pierced Tang Ye's knee.

"Fuck..."

Tang Ye clenched his teeth hard as the doctor gently pushed the syringe, the needle slowly sinking deeper.

"By the way, Dad, go ask if my phone's still around—I need to send a message, or you can send it for me: say I'm okay."

"I suggest waiting until all test results are fully in."

The hospital director reminded him.

"Alright then, first find my phone—my teammates and coach must be looking for me."

China's Dragon Team: Player Tang Ye is currently receiving active treatment in the hospital.

About two hours later, Tang Zhengxiong posted his X-ray photos on various social media accounts as Tang Ye requested.

Diagnosis: tibial plateau fracture, lateral plateau split, no displacement detected.

With the results out, fans instantly turned into medical experts, trying to understand the details of a tibial plateau fracture.

Newspapers also speculated on possible causes of Tang Ye's injury.

Front-page headline of The Sports Weekly: Tang Ye diagnosed with tibial plateau fracture; experts suggest that during the car collision, his knee struck the carbon fiber component beneath the dashboard.

"We haven't yet had the chance to speak with Tang Ye personally, but we can reasonably infer he may have been distracted while driving, leading to this chain of tragedies."

CCTV-5 host connected live with the on-site reporter.

"Fans are all focused on Tang Ye's recovery timeline—do you have a rough estimate?"

"Yes, we've seen Tang Ye's test report posted on his Weibo account. It confirms a tibial plateau fracture; we consulted relevant orthopedic specialists."

The reporter's camera cut to the expert beside him, who held Tang Ye's report and pointed to the area where thigh and shin connect—the knee.

"As you can see, there's a crack on the lateral tibial plateau, but no displacement—this can be classified as a Type I fracture."

"We don't yet know what decision Tang Ye will make, but if it were me, I'd recommend conservative treatment—no surgery. Recovery would take roughly three months."

Dongqi Di pinned: Car accident causes knee fracture; experts say Tang Ye needs about three months to recover.

【This is Martin's fault—why install carbon fiber interior? It'll crush you if you hit it.】

【Didn't the airbag deploy? Then how did his knee get hurt?】

【Three months isn't too bad—season's in break now, he can just ride it out.】

【Note: 'three months' here means normal daily life—can you play Premier League after three months of a fracture?】

【Dembele: Wait, I was just about to arrive—Tom, what happened to you?】

【Was there a bird flying over his head while driving? I think Tang Ye was looking at something—he wouldn't have missed the brake otherwise.】

【King Tang, sob sob sob】

On the day of the accident, all of Tang Ye's sponsors reposted the news and offered condolences, including several clubs he had previously played for.

The next day, it was still unclear whether Tang Ye would undergo knee surgery, but a new Manchester United story broke.

Romano: herewego! Dembele transfers to Manchester United, fee 110 million euros plus 20 million in bonuses, official announcement expected within a week.

Romano's transfer news is generally accurate.

This news is also verifiable: Dembele posted a screenshot of himself playing ranked LoL with Tang Ye—clearly a signal of his imminent Manchester United announcement.

With Wan Bisaka and Dembele, Manchester United's transfer spending has now reached roughly 160 million euros.

The remaining budget won't cover more than one more player.

So who to sign becomes a hot topic.

A new, stronger striker?

Or a better center-back?

With their main center-back Smalling loaned to Roma, most United fans believe they'll bring in a new center-back.

De Ligt from Ajax, or Maguire from Leicester—both highly attractive options for United.

Manchester Evening News: Smalling's loan brings in 3 million euros for United; it's rumored Ten Hag also wants to sell Martial, but United haven't found a replacement.

Sky Sports: Dembele is all but confirmed; with the right wing strengthened, United's prospects look promising.

"Of course, all this hinges on one condition: that Tom, the car crash victim, recovers quickly and returns to the pitch."

Manchester United official: Midfielder Tang Ye will not participate in pre-season friendlies in July and August.

Aston Martin CEO: In response to the Tang Ye car accident, Aston Martin designers will revise and adjust the DB11's interior.

Dongqi Di pinned: Tang Ye confirms conservative treatment, no surgery. Estimated recovery time: three months. Return-to-play date undetermined.

From June to now, United's summer window has gone fairly well—Wan Bisaka and Dembele's arrivals have effectively addressed key squad issues.

Thus, a famous line among United fans has gone viral: "This summer window was perfect except for the car crash—I'm never buying an Aston Martin again."

Damn Aston Martin hurt Tom.

You're not buying anymore?

Fine, then I'm not buying either.

The Sports Weekly: To recover fully as soon as possible, Tang Ye's agent recommends traveling to Germany for stem cell therapy to rapidly repair cartilage damage. The plan is still under consideration; Tang Ye's team awaits a better option.

Tang Ye fractured his bone, but for an athlete like him, simply lying in the hospital waiting won't do.

Boer offered Tang Ye a line of thought.

Previously, Boer had a Belgian player with the same issue who received stem cell therapy at a Berlin orthopedic hospital and recovered 20 days ahead of schedule.

It's good news, but Tang Ye and Boer are still waiting, as hospitals worldwide have submitted proposals to him.

At a time like this, you absolutely cannot rush...

On July 4, Manchester United players returned to base to begin preparations for the new season; Tang Ye lay alone in his hospital bed at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, eating a burger.

【You purchased Hazard's Super Burger】

His ball control stat had been stuck at 89 for months, but Tang Ye now felt he was on the verge of breaking through.

As Tang Ye ate his burger and watched a rugby match, the transfer market quietly updated.

Dongqi Di pinned: German transfer market releases new player valuations—Tang Ye at 200 million euros, Manchester United's starting XI now tops the Premier League in total valuation.

This update covered only the Premier League, La Liga, and the Belgian league—but it was more than enough.

For Chinese fans, the key point in the Premier League would inevitably be Manchester United.

Manchester United player valuations (July 4, 2019)

1. Tang Ye, 200 million euros (—)

2. Rodri, 110 million euros (↑35 million euros)

3. De Jong, 90 million euros (↑25 million euros)

4. Rashford, 90 million euros (—)

5. Ziyech, 75 million euros (↑25 million euros)

15. Greenwood, 30 million euros (↑20 million euros)

Projected transfer: Ousmane Dembele, 100 million euros (↓20 million euros)

Six months ago, United's midfield valuation already stunned fans; now, after winning the Premier League, their midfield has climbed another tier.

What's 2 + 1.1 + 0.9?

It's 4!

Manchester United's three midfielders: 400 million euros.

Can you handle that?

(End of Chapter)