[{"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-78":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},2300048,4499,"Chapter 78: Ten Hag Refuses to Substitute (230k more votes for monthly tickets!)","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-78",78,"\u003Cp>The match ended, and Utrecht, with two consecutive wins, retained their position at the top of the league table; Ten Hag returned to the press room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click-click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eric, this is your second league win this month. Next Saturday you’ll face Willem II at home—do you think Utrecht can keep winning?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Willem II? Of course!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag answered without hesitation: “We beat Willem II in the previous league match, and we’ll win again a week from now—there’s no doubt about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reporter paused: “We’ve noticed your next match against Willem II kicks off at 9:30 p.m.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, it’s all the same.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag shrugged: “Whether it’s 8:30, 9:30, or 10:30, we’ll win. Right now, we’re in our best form.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reporter glanced at his notes: “According to the Dutch Youth Protection Act, underage players cannot work after 10 p.m., meaning Tang can play at most 30 minutes in the next match.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camera cut to Eric Ten Hag on the podium; the underdog coach’s expression froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag patted Van der Gaag’s shoulder and whispered: “Is this true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Van der Gaag frowned—he didn’t know about this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pull out your phone and search.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck, it’s true!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag took a deep breath: “This isn’t a big issue. No matter how long Tang plays, we’ll give our all. But I must say this: no team can win forever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know—even the most outstanding teams, with the best coaches, can’t guarantee a 100% win rate. Willem II is a well-established side; I hold them in the highest regard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reporter nodded: “Eric, did you change your tone because Tang can’t play the full match?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, this has nothing to do with the player. I’m simply stating a fact.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag smiled: “Mr. Cocu’s experience made me realize a head coach must speak with precision. I respect Willem II, and I cannot guarantee a 100% win rate—that’s the truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht Evening News front page headline: Due to Dutch Youth Protection Law, Tang can play at most 30 minutes in the next match against Willem II; if he remains on the bench after 10 p.m., Utrecht will face penalties from the Utrecht government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dongqiu Di: Match time too late, Tang Ye’s playing time restricted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【What the fuck, they banned my Mongol? What’s the point of Utrecht even playing?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Holy shit, triggered youth protection law?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【I thought this match started too early—can Utrecht ask the FA to move it earlier? That way we in China won’t have to stay up so late.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Willem II: I refuse to move the match!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Ten Hag’s still bluffing—wait till Mongol comes off, then we’ll see who the fraud really is.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Ten Hag: Tang is a fraud, how long he plays doesn’t matter—I’m the team’s only core.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, Tang Ye carefully washed his hands with hand soap in the bathroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the return bus, Tang Ye learned from Van der Gaag that he’d be legally protected in the next match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only play 30 minutes next game—Tang Ye felt disappointed, but there was nothing he could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t a football association rule—it was the damn Youth Protection Law!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no time to dwell on it now; Tang Ye dried his hands thoroughly with a towel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat on the chair, then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Open the chest!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You obtained Mbappé’s Volley Strike template.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Volley Strike!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know who Mbappé was, but it didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name “Volley Strike” clearly had something to do with shooting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes and focused—just as expected, it was a powerful shooting technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was truly impressive, but the trigger condition was extremely strict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, opportunities for a Volley Strike don’t come often!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After opening the chest, Tang Ye planned to watch a movie to relax, but then someone knocked on his door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suspecting Ten Hag had broken in, Tang Ye turned off his computer, remembering past lessons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he opened the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly hugged, Tang Ye froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t the hateful Ten Hag—it was his parents!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye, uh, let me look, let me look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qingqing scrutinized Tang Ye before her; behind her, Tang Zhengxiong wore a smug grin: “How’s that, Tang Ye? Moved?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To surprise Tang Ye, Tang Zhengxiong and Zhang Qingqing had gone through great trouble to find his room number and even hired a translator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad, weren’t you going to watch the Manchester Derby?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye smiled and led his parents into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered Tang Zhengxiong saying he’d go to England to watch the Derby—yet here they were, suddenly appearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye felt relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good thing he’d had the sense to turn off his computer early!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Manchester Derby? That’s nothing. I skipped it just to come see you tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong waved dismissively and sat down on Tang Ye’s bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Tang Ye, don’t listen to your dad—he’s lying. We flew here from Liverpool.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye had been touched, but after Zhang Qingqing’s explanation, he fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad, this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, it’s all the same.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong glanced around Tang Ye’s room: “Mainly, I came to see you. The Derby was just a side trip. Wait, Tang Ye, your room’s even smaller than I imagined—aren’t you planning to buy a place outside?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But isn’t it convenient? Right next door is the cafeteria, and next to that is the training ground.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye pulled open the window; from the fourth-floor dorm, he could see the three 11-a-side pitches of the first team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was night, so outside was pitch black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true. I toured your club earlier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong continued slowly: “It’s nothing like Melwood (Liverpool’s first-team base). Your gym has only one floor—is that enough?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course it’s enough—we don’t have many players.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye had Zhang Qingqing sit on the bed, then moved his chair over and sat down himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Dutch league may be weak, but the atmosphere here is pretty good. On the way here, I saw your poster on the street—I told the driver, ‘That’s my son.’ He didn’t believe me. Fuck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong clenched his teeth: “By the way, Tang Ye, your mom and I plan to stay in the Netherlands for two weeks. Do you have any family tickets? You know, the kind where everyone around you knows you’re a player’s relative?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye fell silent under Tang Zhengxiong’s question: “Uh, Dad, why don’t you buy a suite ticket? Utrecht’s suite tickets are cheap…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not the same.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong shook his head: “Family tickets are the real deal. You’re a midfielder, right? When you pull off a brilliant assist, I’ll jump up from my seat and shout, ‘That’s my son!’—how cool would that be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong began to fantasize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a proud Premier League fan, he looked down on the Dutch league.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was his first time watching Tang Ye play live—he had to make it look impressive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That, that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye blushed: “I gave away my family ticket slot…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Zhang Qingqing could react, Tang Zhengxiong leapt off the bed: “Damn it, Tang Ye, we haven’t seen each other for two months and you’ve already got a new dad? What the hell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong pointed at Tang Ye, then turned to Zhang Qingqing still sitting on the bed: “I knew my kid couldn’t be anything good. Qingqing, look at this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calm down, calm down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye stood up and pushed Tang Zhengxiong back onto the bed: “I gave the tickets to fans! I met a few Chinese fans on the way—they regularly watch Utrecht’s games—so I gave them the slots.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong’s eyes lit up: “Good! I knew my parenting had no flaws! Tang Ye, I’m telling you—this is exactly how you should act!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhengxiong, calm down. This is a dorm—other people are sleeping.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qingqing tugged at Tang Zhengxiong’s shirt: “Tang Ye, are you hungry? Let’s go out for dinner tonight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tomorrow night. After training, I’ll take you out. Tonight’s no good—eating too much isn’t good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong stood up and pinched Tang Ye’s arm: “You should eat more—your physique won’t cut it in the Premier League.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong really wanted Tang Ye to play in the Premier League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one hand, it would bring glory to Tang Zhengxiong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other hand…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong wanted Tang Ye to go undercover at Manchester United.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is Tang Zhengxiong’s loyalty to his team as a Liverpool fan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Tang Ye couldn’t refuse Tang Zhengxiong and sent a message to Ten Hag via his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon learning that Tang Ye’s parents had arrived, Ten Hag promptly arranged a day off for Tang Ye, saying he could come to training late the next morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next afternoon, Utrecht’s official Twitter account posted a tweet stating that their U17 player Tang Ye had been visited by his parents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the official photo, Tang Zhengxiong faced away from the camera, raising both hands with thumbs pointing to the 99 jersey on his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Tang Ye’s number, but the name above it wasn’t “Tang”—it was “Tom’s Dad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the accompaniment of Utrecht staff, Tang Zhengxiong toured the facility, then left Utrecht with Zhang Qingqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They planned to travel around the Netherlands and return before the next match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are they really leaving already?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Qingqing seemed reluctant to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, don’t think like that—we’ll interfere with Tang Ye’s training if we stay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day arrived: Utrecht versus Willem II.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As reporters had said, the match kicked off at 9:30, so Tang Ye had at most thirty minutes of playing time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even so, Ten Hag started Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camera first showed Tang Ye chewing gum on the pitch, then cut to Tang Zhengxiong and Zhang Qingqing in the front-row stands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guys, even though Tang Ye can only play thirty minutes, with his father and mother watching from the stands, I think Utrecht’s chances of winning are pretty high.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, Utrecht’s playing aggressively!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Van der Maarel launches a long ball straight to Ale!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ale sets up Jansen!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jansen passes again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To Tang Ye!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perfect! Jansen is incredibly smart—he chose to pass to Utrecht’s strongest striker!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye, cut wide to the far corner!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“GOOO——AAAAAA——LLLLLL！！！！”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Goal! Goal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye! Beautiful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You gained 10 Reverse Points】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At 37, you’re playing on the pitch; your 39-year-old father watches from the stands—you gain an extra 1 Reverse Point】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At 37, you’re playing on the pitch; your 36-year-old mother watches from the stands—you gain an extra 1 Reverse Point】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scoring a goal just ten minutes into the match took Tang Ye by surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The extra two Reverse Points were even more unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awesome!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wuhu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Zhengxiong punched the air; Zhang Qingqing clapped nonstop beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten minutes later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang Ye, move your feet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Move your damn feet! What kind of play is this?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Move!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd was loud, but Tang Zhengxiong stood in the front row, and since he shouted in Chinese, every word reached Tang Ye’s ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So those two Reverse Points weren’t free after all!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the 29th minute, the crowd turned their eyes to Utrecht’s bench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one was warming up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Is Ten Hag not substituting anyone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoa—already thirty minutes, and Ten Hag still won’t substitute!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, awesome!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Saint Ten Hag!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Wait, isn’t it illegal to keep playing past this point…?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Is Ten Hag this bold? He’s ready to pay the fine, right?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Isn’t Tang Ye’s dad yelling at him the whole time, haha!?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【My brother’s movement is insane—even his own dad can’t take it!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Still not substituting?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【What’s going on?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Willem II’s bench, head coach Boch glanced sideways at Utrecht’s bench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw that Ten Hag had no intention of substituting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he forgotten?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boch took action—he had a forward on the bench put on a training vest and start warming up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While warming up, he deliberately jogged in front of Utrecht’s bench and twisted his body in front of Ten Hag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag remained unmoved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boch shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten Hag hadn’t forgotten—he had made up his mind not to substitute Tang Ye!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten Hag isn’t making a substitution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why! Why is this happening?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commentators were utterly baffled by Ten Hag’s move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minors cannot work after 10 p.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This isn’t a rule from the Dutch Football Association—it’s local Dutch law!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eric, what are you doing?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2068,"2026-06-20T06:50:08.245Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1deadb4ba6d34557d0603c6f6a746e789b07b95efa6b870d93e156639d5eb4d9","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-79","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-77",918,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffootball-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-cover.jpg"]