[{"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-69":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},2300039,4499,"Chapter 69: Passes That Benefit the People—Can That Be Called a Fumble","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-69",69,"\u003Cp>Learning that his own pet pig had been lured away by another family with cabbage, Ten Hag grew anxious and immediately called Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come to my house now—the address has already been sent to your phone. Get here right away!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his authority, the banquet had barely lasted an hour when Tang Ye hurried back, knocking on Ten Hag’s door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, come in!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag grabbed Tang Ye from outside and yanked him inside, then slammed the door shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, Tang Ye realized everyone in the room was staring at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Ten Hag: “Mr. Erik, what’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come here, I want to ask you—why didn’t you attend tonight’s banquet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag pulled Tang Ye aside, his eyes locked onto him, the word “anger” plainly etched on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, my agent called me to discuss something…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye answered honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, I knew it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag clenched his teeth: “So which club is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye scratched his head, confused why Ten Hag was so angry, but still answered: “Feyenoord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feyenoord—one of the Big Three!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag sucked in a sharp breath. His worst fear had come true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other teams were manageable, but if it was Feyenoord—a traditional powerhouse in the Eredivisie—he’d have a hard time handling this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given Tang Ye’s current treatment at Utrecht, Feyenoord could easily offer three, even five times more!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, Utrecht had no leverage to keep Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What treatment did they offer you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag asked. The first-team players immediately gathered around; the atmosphere grew tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… 7,000 euros weekly salary, 20,000 euros goal bonus, assist… assist is apparently 10,000 euros each—I’m a bit fuzzy on the details, but I think it’s 10,000 euros.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye counted on his fingers, listing everything he’d heard from Feyenoord’s staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he’d feared, Feyenoord had offered Tang Ye an extremely generous package.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A weekly salary of 7,000 euros, plus a slew of goal bonuses—Utrecht could barely afford these.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was Tang Ye’s contract included a buyout clause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wanted to join Feyenoord, Utrecht couldn’t possibly retain him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That damn agent—Ten Hag couldn’t help but rage at the Brit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it weren’t for Boer, Utrecht would never have agreed to a buyout clause with Tang Ye!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag placed a hand on Tang Ye’s shoulder, his eyes slightly red: “No matter what, before the winter transfer window opens, I’m still your coach, and we’re still friends, okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye stepped back: “W-what? Mr. Erik… I didn’t say I was leaving. I’m not going.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag froze in place: “You’re not leaving? Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag didn’t understand what Tang Ye meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Triple salary, generous bonuses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were Ten Hag making the choice, he’d have left long ago!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s so great about Utrecht?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I definitely can’t leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye explained: “The league’s only halfway through—I’m still a starter. If I suddenly left, we’d be short a midfielder, and that’d be terrible. Utrecht might lose games.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wins means no points, Mr. Erik. We still have a goal to finish in the top four this season—if we fail, everyone will be unhappy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye continued his reasoning: “My friends are all here. If I go to Feyenoord, I won’t know anyone—I’d be miserable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag and Fan De exchanged a glance, then turned back: “I… uh, never mind. Sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye was bewildered—Ten Hag had suddenly hugged him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Erik?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag patted Tang Ye’s back, his eyes redder now: “You’re a proper player. Yes, we must achieve our goal—we still need to finish in the top four!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag pulled back, pointing a finger at Tang Ye’s nose: “I’ve decided—I’m restoring heating to your dorm!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come here, look—I bought you a new controller!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag picked up the gift box on the dining table meant for Tang Ye, who opened it right in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye rubbed his head, embarrassed: “My mom already bought me one of these…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, are you sure it’s the same one? This is the latest model!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dongqiu Di reports: Before the winter transfer window opened, Utrecht signed a new contract with Tang Ye. Under the new terms, he will receive a weekly salary of 7,000 euros for five years, and the original buyout clause has been removed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s contract renegotiation with Utrecht sparked heated discussion on Dongqiu Di, though most agreed it was reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting aside attitude, speed, stamina, defensive skills, and movement, Tang the King’s ability is simply flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a player of this caliber, a raise isn’t just justified—it’s expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>January 2016 arrived. Europe’s winter transfer window officially opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the first day, Ten Hag began his show, securing Frenkie de Jong from Ajax for 9 million euros.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eredivisie clubs generally avoid signings in the winter window, and Utrecht was no exception—Frenkie de Jong was Utrecht’s only winter transfer, worth 9 million euros!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Erik, so now do we have the concrete strength to secure a top-four finish?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately after the transfer, owner Verhof sought out Ten Hag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Verhof was anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A top-four finish in the Eredivisie meant Utrecht could qualify for the Europa League next season—even the Champions League wasn’t entirely out of reach!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does that mean? Erik, I’ve done exactly what you asked!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Ten Hag shake his head, Verhof snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Paul, don’t rush. What I mean is, a top-four finish can’t be forced—but rest assured, I’ll do everything I can. Originally, my confidence was 90%. After Frenkie’s transfer, that probability has increased!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Verhof’s eyes lit up: “So now, how confident are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“99%!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day after completing the de Jong transfer, Ten Hag received the Dutch Royal Football Association’s December Coach of the Month award.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was his second Eredivisie monthly coach of the month award in his career.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so far, Ten Hag had only been managing Utrecht for five months!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On December 17, during the pre-match interview before Utrecht’s away game against Groningen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Twice. Two Coach of the Month awards.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag held up two fingers: “This season, no other coach has won more awards than me. I don’t understand why anyone still questions my transfers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mid-sentence, he placed his hand over his left chest: “I feel my heart is wounded. Do you understand that feeling? I’m giving everything for the team, yet you say I’m harming it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Five months, two Coach of the Month awards—am I harming the team?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Ten Hag walked straight out of the press room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply couldn’t understand why these utterly foolish reporters questioned his transfers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather—what right did they have to question them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough, cough—welcome back, guys. The past few weeks had fewer European matches, but now everything’s back to normal. Don’t worry—I’ve carefully selected the games I stream for you, the ones easiest to bet on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chinese New Year was coming soon, and Wang Chao’s tone had grown far more confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, as a low-tier streamer on Huanle Dou, he’d always be bombarded with questions from relatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not this year!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the great leadership of Tang the King, Wang Chao was no longer just a low-tier streamer!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now spoke with the unmistakable confidence of a successful man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today! Groningen vs. Utrecht—Tang Ye starts again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First off, Utrecht will definitely win. As for the score—I personally think Utrecht will lead by two.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me introduce the home team’s lineup first.” Groningen (4-3-3)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goalkeeper: Pat\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defenders: Hartbauer, Rienen, Maduro, Payne\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Midfielders: Driew, Capelhof, Tiblin\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forwards: Rusnak, Serot, Lin Sen\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s the away team, the main C is No. 99 Tang Ye!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Other players aren’t important; we won’t introduce them here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kickoff!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Damn, finally an Utrecht match! I’ve got to make some cash before New Year’s, or I won’t have money for the holiday.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Let me tell you a ghost story: New Year’s Eve is coming soon—how much do you have left in your bank account?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【I’ve got 300 yuan saved, but I’m not worried—I’ve got Utrecht matches, and I’ll safely earn 20,000 before the holiday.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Awesome】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Pass it to Tang Ye, pass it to Tang Ye! Are Utrecht’s defenders idiots? Pass it to Tang Ye—I’ll just blast it straight to the forward’s feet!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【If a pass benefits the team, can you even call it a “blast”?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 11th minute, Tang Ye, strolling down the left flank, received a pass from Koom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dribbled forward, facing Driew’s defense!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye knew he couldn’t beat Driew with 200% certainty, so he quickly looked for a teammate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pass to Aale, then run forward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aale pass it back!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one-two combination executed perfectly—Tang Ye showed his incredible sprinting ability to the haters in the livestream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fullback Hartbauer was sprinting toward him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy shit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hartbauer’s beard was long and menacing—Tang Ye was terrified and immediately turned around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a quick glance, then launched a long pass to the overlapping Barazit on the right flank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Barazit is pressing the opponent’s defense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“OK, very nice—this attack also comes from my genius pass!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To Josten in the center!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Josten shoots!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Center-back Rienen suddenly fell to the ground and blocked Josten’s low shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht’s attack ended abruptly—and Tang Ye inexplicably found himself standing beneath the ball again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Head it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xuuuu——！！”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stands erupted with boos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s header went wide!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cursed under his breath, quickly retreated, controlled the ball on the ground, and lofted it into the penalty area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nasir!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barazit, called by name, sprinted forward and headed the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quality of this header was immeasurably better than Tang Ye’s earlier one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goooooo——aaaaa——lllllll!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here we go, guys! Utrecht leads 1-0!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The scorer… wait, no—the assister is…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wuhu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【French Premium Chest upgrade progress: 1\u002F5】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here it comes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I got this French Premium Chest in mid-December, but Christmas hit and I never got the chance to upgrade it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, a long-awaited league assist!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beautiful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barazit sprinted toward the sideline; Tang Ye followed closely behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye could feel—he was in good form today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If things kept up, maybe he could rack up another assist in this match?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The game continued. Utrecht, leading with their 4-3-3 formation, kept their three forwards on to push for more goals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>28th minute!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give me! Give me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye reached out to Rieuwe for the ball, but Rieuwe didn’t pass—so Tang Ye shouted again: “Trust me, brother!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His teammates didn’t trust his ball control—but Tang Ye had full confidence in his own ability!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rieuwe passed the ball—Tang Ye sprinted eagerly to receive it, but Serot appeared out of nowhere and stole it clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy shit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye realized his mistake and sprinted back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serot was physically strong—Tang Ye couldn’t push past him, so he simply blocked Serot’s position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Sen ran up from the left flank; Serot passed the ball wide—Tang Ye held his position to deny Serot the pass, so Serot opted to shoot instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goal!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serot’s shot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crime committed by Tang Ye!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Serot’s shot find the net, Rieuwe shrugged at Tang Ye. Tang Ye felt embarrassed: “Mine, mine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look before you pass!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t believe that kid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag and the players warned him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye always thought he could control the ball—but in truth, he often couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t matter—Tang Ye immediately began his redemption phase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Koom launched a long ball from the left baseline; Josten, dropping back, jumped and headed it back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye was sharp—he knew Josten would head it back, so he waited right in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catch it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t let him pass!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defender Maduro shouted—but it was too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye was now unmarked—this was when Tang Ye was most dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because no one knew what kind of “blast” he’d unleash next!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye, whip it with your outside foot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The ball’s speed is high—let’s see the quality of this pass!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye’s cleats scraped the grass; the ball lifted off the ground and skimmed past Josten’s right arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>???\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give it to me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Josten held out his hands toward Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his perspective, Tang Ye’s pass was aimed straight toward the left sideline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no Utrecht player on the left sideline!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Future updates will be at 10 a.m. daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2060,"2026-06-20T06:50:08.245Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a13a1e7619d06b1ff1886ad574e8c6a5cf6922c9cc8ef4e59725059995d4a4e6","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-70","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-68",918,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffootball-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-cover.jpg"]