Chapter 559: On the Eve of the Ballon d'Or Ceremony: Restlessness in the International Football World

"..."

The locker room was utterly silent until Ashley Young let out that roar.

"Fuck, Tom!"

Ashley Young jumped up and rushed over to stand before Tang Ye.

Soon Aleix arrived as well: "You won an award and didn't tell us, Tom!"

"Haha!"

Tang Ye sat on the floor and fist-bumped Rodri beside him: "I was going to say something, but you guys kept talking about this, so I didn't bring it up, haha."

"Oh shit!"

Fan Fan Dejiahe pressed both hands onto Tang Ye's shoulders, his expression terrifyingly serious: "Are you serious? Are you absolutely sure you're serious?"

"Yes, of course, Mr. Michel."

"Look me in the eyes, look me in the eyes and then answer!"

As requested, Tang Ye stared straight into Fan Fan Dejiahe's eyes.

"Say that you're not lying."

"Haha, Michel."

"Just say it!"

"Yes, I'm not lying."

"..."

"Phew..."

Fan Fan Dejiahe lifted his hands off Tang Ye's shoulders, then placed them on his own head: "Oh my god, oh my god..."

"They called me yesterday; I planned to wait until after today's match to say anything, haha, sorry about that."

Tang Ye and Aleix clapped their hands.

"Looks like we don't need to hesitate about whether to go anymore."

Ashley Young clapped his hands and looked at Rodri, who was sitting silently on a bench: "Fuck, you knew, didn't you?"

"Haha!"

"Damn it!"

Ashley Young frantically rubbed Rodri's hair with his hand: "We've all been tricked; I knew those two who came from Spain weren't good people."

"Hey, don't be like that, Young!"

Tang Ye, still sitting on the floor, waved his hand in Ashley Young's direction: "I originally planned to say something, and I'm saying it now."

"Haha, Tom!"

Ashley Young pulled Tang Ye up from the floor, and the two bumped chests.

Boom!

"Come on, come on, I've got it ready!"

Lin Lin Jiade dragged out the sound system, placed it in the center, and connected it via Bluetooth.

"Oh, what song is this, Jesse?"

Rubbing his hands together, Tang Ye was already ready to sing; he just didn't know what song Lin Lin Jiade had queued up.

Lin Lin Jiade held his phone aloft in his right hand: "I don't know either; it's random. Anything works."

The key point right now wasn't what song to sing or whether anyone could actually sing it.

The atmosphere in the locker room had reached its peak; what the players needed now was to shout, to shout loudly.

"Yeah, you can be the greatest, you can be the best!"

"Oh, I know this one, I know this one!"

Tang Ye pointed at Lin Lin Jiade, took out his own phone, and quickly found the lyrics he was looking for.

"Dedicate yourself and you gon' find yourself!"

"Standing in the Hall of Fame! (Yeah)"

"And the world's gonna know your name! (Yeah)"

"Wow!!!"

Creak!

Ten Hag pushed the door open; the first thing he saw was the Manchester United locker room already plunged into chaos.

"Hey!"

"What the hell are you doing!?"

Ten Hag rushed over and turned off the sound system; the locker room suddenly fell silent.

"What are you doing? Can't you use your brains to think about what you're doing?"

Ten Hag pointed at his own head: "Use your brains to think; this is how it is after the match, and even more so during the match."

"We drew 2-2 today; can anyone tell me what a 2-2 result means..."

"A draw."

Ten Hag had intended to ask and answer his own question, but Tang Ye answered for him, which worked out just fine.

"Exactly, a draw. A draw—so what are you doing in here? When you're playing music, can you at least use your bra—"

"Tom won the Ballon d'Or."

De Jong rested his hands behind his neck, looking relaxed and grinning.

"What?"

Ten Hag slowly turned his gaze toward Tang Ye: "Is this for real?"

Tang Ye did not answer yes or no; he simply flashed a smile before Ten Hag.

"Oh shit..."

Ten Hag strode over, yanked Tang Ye into an embrace, and the Dutchman's two hands hammered hard against Tang Ye's back: "Just like this, it has to be like this, it has to be like this..."

"Wow."

Before Ten Hag could speak, Lin Lin Jiade switched the stereo back on.

Tang Ye and Ten Hag, arms slung over each other's shoulders, plus Fan Fan Dejiahe, the three of them started jumping right there in the locker room.

The trio raised single clenched fists overhead.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!"

Bang! Bang!

Bang-bang-bang!

"Here it comes!"

Ashley Young, Mata, and Wan-Bissaka grabbed bottles of mineral water and poured them over Tang Ye, who was in the midst of celebrating.

"Oh, don't do that, fuck!"

"Ah!!!"

Seeing things turning sour, Tang Ye immediately dragged Dembélé over from beside him, making his good friend temporarily bear the brunt of the water-gun barrage.

"Tom!"

"Viva Tom Tom!"

Bang! Bang!

"Viva Tom Tom!"

Bang! Bang!

After the match ended, the team bus carried the players back to the training base.

"I told you the Ballon d'Or selection is absolutely fair; see for yourself!"

From the seat beside him, Rodri spread his hands.

The Manchester United coaching staff and players had just discussed arrangements for hosting a celebration for Tang Ye.

Although the specific activities were not yet decided, one thing was certain: this celebration would absolutely not be small.

When was the last time a Manchester United player won the Ballon d'Or?

It was Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008!

Eleven years have passed since then!

"I have an idea now."

Dembélé suddenly spoke, quickly drawing the attention of the players in the carriage.

"Since it's Tom winning anyway, we could all go."

"That makes sense, huh."

Tang Ye's eyes lit up, as if he could already imagine his teammates down below cheering him on.

But soon Ashley Young shot Dembélé a look reserved for idiots: "We have a match on the award ceremony day; if we all fly to Paris, should the youth academy play the match instead?"

"Hahaha."

"Oh oh, my mistake."

A bit awkward, Dembélé pinched his nose and fell silent.

He genuinely wanted to join the fun, but alas, Ousmane had not made the 30-man candidate list, which was truly unbearable.

"Alright, next year we can go together, Ousmane."

Tang Ye gave Dembélé's shoulder a squeeze.

He believed that one day his good friend would also attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony!

Clang!

The team bus pulled out of the parking lot onto the road and was immediately surrounded by Manchester United fans on the scene.

"Tom!"

"It's okay even if you didn't win the Ballon d'Or!"

"We will always support you, Tom!"

"The Ballon d'Or does not belong to Messi!"

Bang-bang-bang!

The Manchester United fans were excited to a frightening degree; some even attempted to form a human wall and surge forward.

Staff members hurriedly signaled, and the Manchester United players all closed their windows.

"Calm down, calm down!"

Tang Ye shouted loudly.

Romano's news was simply too authoritative in the football world; his single statement that Messi could win the 2019 Ballon d'Or had sent all the Manchester United players into a panic.

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!

A flash of firelight erupted in the distance.

"What's that?"

Rodri pointed toward the firelight and asked Tang Ye.

He could not make out what was within the firelight, but if it involved Tom...

"Those are Messi's jerseys..."

Tang Ye let out a sigh.

He strongly disapproved of the Manchester United fans' practice of burning Messi jerseys the moment they got anxious.

Of course, he also had no way to stand in the fans' shoes and feel it personally.

Bringing the Ballon d'Or to Old Trafford was an obsession for the Red Devils' fans.

Yet in the eyes of Manchester United fans now, Messi had stolen their Ballon d'Or!

Tang Ye looked at the increasingly bright firelight in the distance and realized that more than one person was burning Messi jerseys.

He very much wanted to step forward and debunk the rumors, but alas, France Football had previously told him that all such matters were to be kept confidential until the formal award ceremony began. The only people Tang Ye could notify were the club's senior management and the head coach, so the fact that he had told his teammates the news was actually a violation of the rules.

Of course, all his club teammates stood on his side, so it didn't matter.

……

Spain's Channel Six: The Ballon d'Or ranking results posted by netizens have been confirmed as fake; based on current intelligence, the 2019 Ballon d'Or winner should be Messi.

Barca Reporter: Messi's friends and family stated that the player himself has not received news of winning the Ballon d'Or.

Manchester United Official: Ty, Rodri, Rashford, De Ligt, and De Jong will not play in the match against Aston Villa due to the Ballon d'Or award ceremony.

Liwupu Official: Fan Daike, Salah, and Sane will not play in the team's next round of matches.

Check Dongqiu Di Hot Thread: Romano indicates that Messi is highly likely to be the Ballon d'Or winner, and Tang Ye's ranking should be second.

【Wcnmlgb!】

【How did Romano get involved with the Ballon d'Or? Don't report nonsense; if it's wrong, will anyone believe you in the future?】

【This suggests it might be true...】

【Damn it, it's all Mengniu's fault for not pulling Messi's ads; a traitorous enterprise is pure garbage. I beg you all to drink more Yili.】

【The person upstairs, calm down, calm down; this probably has nothing to do with the ads. The main point is that Barca played one more Champions League round than Manchester United.】

【Laozi doesn't believe it; I'll make this post as proof: Tang Ye is this year's Ballon d'Or winner.】

CCTV-5 Special Program, guest interviewee Zhang Lu.

"Actually, when we say Messi can win this year's Ballon d'Or, that is indeed reasonable, eh, because the Ballon d'Or is, after all, a global vote; considering the angle of international reputation, Messi is indeed a cut above Tang Ye."

"But, hehe, if we just look at match performance, I think Tang Ye's performance is better than Messi's; even without exaggeration, eh-hehe, this kid Tang Ye, his performance over the past year is at least one level higher than Messi's."

Zhang Lu's words surprised the host slightly: "But based on existing news, the winner is highly likely to be Messi."

"We say Romano's news is accurate, and indeed it is accurate, but Romano isn't the official source either, so there will still be margins of error; we still need to wait and see, and be a bit cautious until the formal results are announced!"

"Coach Zhang, do you think Tang Ye has a chance to win the Ballon d'Or?"

The host posed the question; these questions were designed in advance, so for Zhang Lu, they were very easy to answer.

"I think Tang Ye's ranking will definitely be higher than Fan Daike's, but whether it's higher than Messi's, that's hard to say, hehe."

After all, Zhang Lu had been commentating on football for so many years that he understood the Ballon d'Or situation all too well.

Whether in terms of strength or reputation, Fan Daike couldn't beat Tang Ye, so Fan Daike's ranking would definitely be lower than Tang Ye's; this was basically a settled matter.

But with Messi, it was different; as a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, the Argentine came with his own buff, so whether Tang Ye could beat him was still uncertain.

Saying that playing better guarantees winning the Ballon d'Or is not so straightforward, because there are simply too many factors involved in the Ballon d'Or voting process...

……

Morgan: This year's Ballon d'Or should belong to Cristiano Ronaldo; there is no other possibility.

Manchester United legend Ferdinand: If this year's Ballon d'Or goes to Messi, I will never believe in the Ballon d'Or again.

Professional Footballers' Association of England, November Premier League Player of the Month candidates:

1. Tang Ye, Manchester United.

2. Dembele, Manchester United.

3. Sterling, Mancheng.

4. Salah, Liwupu.

5. Rodri, Manchester United.

The candidate list totaled five people, with Manchester United occupying three spots; it could be said to be the most exaggerated instance in recent seasons.

This was already very close to a monopoly!

Of course, at this current juncture, even if all five Manchester United players made the candidate list, it wouldn't spark much discussion.

Because the current focus is on the Ballon d'Or!

……

Kunming.

This was the filming set of "Youth in the Flames of War."

Thump! Thump!

Zhou Ye knocked on the door of the director's office.

"Um, Director... I'd like to request leave."

The director's expression had been fine, but upon hearing Zhou Ye's words, his face instantly drooped: "How long are you requesting? Starting tomorrow?"

"Yeah, one week."

"One week!?"

The director's eyes widened immediately: "Wait, Zhou Ye, what are you thinking? Did something happen to you?"

"No, it's just... my boyfriend has an event, and he needs me to go..."

"Hmph..."

Upon hearing the words 'boyfriend', the director gritted his upper teeth against his lower lip.

"Can you stop using Tang Ye to pressure me?"

"Director, I didn't mean that..."

The director turned his head away, then back again: "I know your boyfriend is Tang Ye, but what you're doing now has nothing to do with him. You are the female lead, Zhou Ye. If you take a week off, what are we, the film crew, supposed to do? Wait a week for you?"

"..."

The director was right; if Zhou Ye wasn't there, their filming work simply couldn't proceed.

"But I have to go; it's a very important event. Moreover..."

"Forget about 'very important events'; right now, filming is the most important thing for you. Your boyfriend is a billionaire, but don't you want to have your own career?"

The director felt it was a pity because Zhou Ye had been relatively diligent while filming and hadn't pulled rank on her colleagues just because her boyfriend was Tang Ye.

Zhou Ye did want to advance, but as the female lead, taking a week off was simply wrong.

"Yes, Director, I know, but I must go; it really is a very important event."

"Let's finish filming this quickly so you can become famous sooner; trust me, okay? Zhou Ye, I have great confidence in this drama. If it succeeds, I'm confident that by the year after next, you'll be walking the Weibo red carpet."

"Is there anything more important than the Weibo red carpet?"

"The Ballon d'Or ceremony. Although I don't watch football, my boyfriend said this event is very important and that I must attend."

"... The Ballon d'Or?"

The director leaned his upper body back and took a sip of water.

Unlike Zhou Ye, who was a non-fan, the director was a pure fake fan—the kind who only watches matches during the World Cup or the Asian Cup.

What was the Ballon d'Or?

This fake fan knew it all too well!

"Ballon d'Or, Ballon d'Or..."

The director narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Zhou Ye: "He's not asking you to walk the Ballon d'Or red carpet with him, is he? Where is it?"

"At the Eiffel... Tower, I think, or maybe the Grand Palais. I remember last year it was at the Grand Palais, but I didn't go last year."

"..."

"Director, it really is very important; I must go, and furthermore..."

"It's fine, it's fine, you go ahead; pausing for a week doesn't matter. Hmm, and what else?"

The director looked into Zhou Ye's eyes, and she explained.

"He said I might have to go up and give a speech or something, so Director, I'm telling you I must go."

"You have to go up and give a speech?"

The director frowned.

He couldn't figure out the reason himself and needed some time to think.

Wasn't the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony just dozens of nominees walking the red carpet with their partners, then watching the winners receive their trophies?

Did the nominees' partners also have to go on stage and speak?

Repost: The official account of the Chinese Football Dragon Team released a highlight video of Tang Ye's goals and assists for the national team in 2019.

As the players on the candidate list set off for Paris, Manchester United's various social media accounts simultaneously posted a photo full of deeper meaning.

The photo was taken last year; from the scene, one could tell it was from the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony at the Grand Palais in Paris.

The focus of the image was on Modrić, the Ballon d'Or winner; he was the core of this photograph.

And right in the bottom left corner of the photo, Tang Ye and Mbappé were sitting together, staring blankly at Modrić on stage.

Tang Ye had been the runner-up for the 2018 Ballon d'Or; back then, he was merely a supporting character to Modrić.

【What the hell is this?】

【No way, I feel like Manchester United already has the news.】

【Back in '19, sitting like a loser! What can I say, my GG Bond isn't a loser this year!】

【Is this hinting that Tang Ye is still the runner-up this year?】

【How is that possible? Manchester United isn't stupid; if he were still second, why would they post this photo? Wouldn't that just be pure embarrassment?】

【The announcement comes in the early hours of the day after tomorrow; don't rush, brothers.】

"Hey, Kevin, Sterling!"

Tang Ye shook hands and hugged De Bruyne and Sterling respectively; players from both Manchester clubs were waiting for their charter flight.

De Bruyne was somewhat surprised because he noticed Tang Ye's muscles had grown considerably larger, but he didn't say it outright.

"Hey, Tom."

Rodri arrived carrying a bag of ice cream, which he must have just bought in the terminal.

Tang Ye picked a vanilla-flavored one; it was his favorite flavor.

The players sat down on the sofa.

"Tom."

De Bruyne leaned his head over: "You must have heard the news by now, right?"

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

De Bruyne punched Tang Ye lightly.

"Haha."

"I don't know, I really don't know, Kevin."

"Okay, okay, fine then."

De Bruyne nodded slightly and exchanged a glance with Sterling beside him: "You seem to be in a good mood."

"Maybe it's because the weather is nice today, haha."

The weather is nice?

De Bruyne froze for a moment, pointing at the sky outside the glass window: "Isn't it cloudy today?"

"..."

"Hahahaha!!!"

Several Manchester United players burst into wild laughter, while Tang Ye looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Stop laughing, stop laughing, damn it, Rodri."

"Kevin, what I mean is, cloudy weather is also good weather, cloudy weather is also good weather!"

Tang Ye emphasized repeatedly: "Because it keeps raining here."

"Oh, oh, okay, okay."

De Bruyne smiled and looked at B-Silva: "It seems you guessed wrong."

(End of Chapter)