Chapter 84: Smash Fans, Far-Angle Curling Shot Lv3! (20k words, begging for monthly votes!)

Back at the base, Tang Ye’s first task was to clear his desk, then place the February Player of the Month trophy he had just received squarely on top.

Clap clap!

He clapped his hands and counted the items on the desk.

Six Eredivisie MVP trophies, two Dutch Cup MVP trophies, and one trophy with the highest prestige—the Monthly Player of the Month award!

Tang Ye’s heartbeat quickened unconsciously.

This was the feeling of success—he had not experienced it last season; the magnitude of change left him momentarily dazed.

As he lowered his head in thought, Tang Ye remembered something and pulled his phone from his pocket, snapping a photo of his desk.

Tang Ye’s Instagram account now had over twenty thousand followers, nearly a third of whom were Chinese.

How did Tang Ye know so many of his followers were Chinese?

Because those Chinese fans were commenting in pinyin!

Less than two minutes after posting the photo, Tang Ye’s Instagram exploded with dozens of messages.

【Tom, keep playing well, you’ll win more (thumbs up) (thumbs up)】

【The future of Utrecht!】

【Proof that hard work pays off!】

【Ten Hag should promote more young players like Tang—this is vital for the first team!】

【King Tang, lifelong fan since 2020 reporting in!】

【Tom, are you still playing FIFA? I saw your PS5 on the desk】

Huh?

Seeing the comments, Tang Ye paused, opened the photo he had just posted.

At first he saw nothing, so he zoomed in—and noticed half a controller sticking out from the lower left corner.

These fans really have sharp eyes!

Intrigued, Tang Ye replied to the fan’s comment.

【Send me your ID】

The fan replied quickly, sending his FIFA version and account ID.

Tang Ye opened the game, added the fan as a friend, and started a direct match.

【Hello (in Dutch!)】

【Hello hello】

The opponent was Dutch—likely an Utrecht fan, no surprise.

【Tang? Is that really Tang? Damn, hahaha!】

Having been added as a friend by Tang Ye, the fan was ecstatic, exclaiming loudly.

Can you imagine playing FIFA and your opponent is a star of the Eredivisie?

And Tang Ye had just won Player of the Month!

【Tang, I live in Utrecht, but I’m not from Montfoort—if I beat you, can you send me a signed jersey?】

Tang Ye was about to start the match when he suddenly stopped: “How do I send a signed jersey? Are you coming to the base?”

【You can mail it to me—at Banfield!】

【Ok ok, but you’ve got to win the match first】

Tang Ye started the game.

【Of course of course!】

The fan was confident—as a hardcore FIFA enthusiast, beating Tang Ye should be easy, right?

Professional players have deep understanding of football—that’s true—but they’re usually extremely busy.

Take Tang Ye: a sixteen-year-old bearing immense pressure to train with the first team—how much time does he have for gaming?

【Tang, I’m going to win!】

The fan sent the message; Tang Ye burst out laughing.

Minutes later, staring at the 0:4 scoreline, the fan fell silent.

This…

Doesn’t seem right at all!

【Can we play again?】

The fan requested a rematch; Tang Ye agreed without hesitation.

He’d just finished a match today and had no training tomorrow—he had plenty of time to play with this fan.

Though the fan played poorly, he was still better than Ramselaar!

The fan fought hard; they played ten matches, nearly an hour and a half, and the fan lost every single one.

【Don’t you play this game often?】

Reading Tang Ye’s message, the fan began doubting himself.

【I play at least three hours every day】

Three hours?

Tang Ye shook his head: “No wonder—your skill level is too low. Go practice more.”

???

The fan played poorly; according to their agreement, he didn’t deserve a signed jersey—but Tang Ye still asked for his address.

After ten straight losses to Tang Ye, the fan was fired up and rushed to comment under Tang Ye’s post.

The fan raved about Tang Ye’s gaming skills, but sadly, most people didn’t believe a busy pro could play FIFA well—and the fan was labeled a “noob.”

A noob who couldn’t even beat Tang Ye!

【Dongqiu Di】 republished a Dutch football news article: Playing FIFA with a pro? Tang Ye challenged a fan on Instagram to a one-on-one FIFA match and won ten straight.

Chinese fans learned Tang Ye’s in-game name from Dongqiu Di’s article.

ggbond.

【Guys, I’m logging in to take down King Tang】

…

Back in training, on March 10, Tang Ye checked the progress of his two main skills.

【De Bruyne Far-Angle Curling Shot Lv2: Similar】

Proficiency: 61/70

【De Bruyne Curved Through Ball Lv3: Simulated】

Proficiency: 102/400

His passing skill still needed over three hundred proficiency points to level up, but his shooting skill was very close to the next rank.

Without hesitation, Tang Ye requested extra shooting practice from Ten Hag in the coming days.

Through immense personal effort and a tiny bit of help from Ronaldo’s Flower, Tang Ye successfully upgraded his Far-Angle Curling Shot to Lv3 during the match against Den Haag on March 13.

【De Bruyne Far-Angle Curling Shot Lv3: Simulated】

Proficiency: 2/250

This upgraded shot helped Utrecht narrow the deficit to 1:2.

Half-time whistle!

Damn!

Walking down the players’ tunnel, Tang Ye was in a foul mood.

“I’m fed up—this guy wearing number 8 keeps tackling me. Why does he keep targeting me?!”

Tang Ye slowly walked toward the tunnel, showing Ten Hag his clenched fist.

Ten Hag had been displeased with the 1-goal deficit, but seeing Tang Ye’s frustrated expression, the Dutchman suddenly laughed: “Haha, don’t point that fist at me—you look like you want to punch me!”

“I could punch you too.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, sorry, Mr. Erik.”

Tang Ye unclenched his right fist and rubbed his nose: “I spoke too fast—I meant I want to punch that number 8.”

…

【Utrecht Evening News】 Front page headline—Utrecht crushed by Ado Den Haag’s last-minute goal; Tang Ye’s brace not enough; Ten Hag’s tactics to blame?

Sadly, Utrecht lost 3:2 to Den Haag in stoppage time.

Ten Hag remained steady, stating in his post-match interview that Tang Ye had a chance for a hat-trick.

It sounded as if Utrecht should have tied 3:3—but that wasn’t true.

Ten Hag immediately added that defensive awareness had collapsed in the final minutes; otherwise, it would have been Den Haag, not Utrecht, getting the last-minute goal.

In one stroke, Ten Hag turned the 2:3 loss into a fictional 4:2 win (though no points were added to the standings).

…

March’s Utrecht schedule was light; after Den Haag, only one match remained—against SBV Excelsior.

SBV Excelsior currently sat at the bottom of the league, but Utrecht dared not slack off.

Because they’d lost to Den Haag precisely because the players grew too complacent!

“Alright guys, this is Eredivisie Matchday 28: Utrecht vs. SBV Excelsior at home.”

“Last stream, many fans asked me the names of Utrecht’s players—shows I’ve got a lot of new viewers.”

“Let me introduce Utrecht’s starting lineup today!”

Utrecht (4-2-1-3)

Goalkeeper: Ruijt

Defenders: Klebe, Van der Maarel, Timo Lechert, Koom

Midfielders: Ramselaar, Tang Ye, De Jong

Forwards: Barazite, Josten, Aley

“The head coach is Eric ten Hag!”

“Ok, the match has started—camera to our Tang Ye!”

“February’s Player of the Month, the 17-year-old midfield genius!”

Tang Ye touched the ball very early in this match, but he remained extremely cautious.

He got the ball, but found no suitable passing option.

Just pass it to De Jong on the flank!

Until the starting midfielder Jansen fully recovers, De Jong must hold this starting position.

Drive forward with the ball!

De Jong’s pace isn’t fast, but it’s still slightly quicker than Tang Ye’s.

Reaching the center circle, SBV Elite’s players refused to push further—Elbers and Cuvas both sprinted toward De Jong.

“I’ll take it! I’ll take it!”

Tang Ye hurried to De Jong’s back, ready to support his teammate.

But De Jong was ruthless—he suddenly accelerated and shook off his marker. “Damn, awesome!”

Tang Ye gasped and immediately chased after him.

“Wo!!!”

The stands erupted in cheers—De Jong now looked like a bulldozer!

“De Jong is running fast, moving toward the arc, carrying the ball alone for nearly 60 meters!”

“Three defenders stand in front of him—there’s no way to push further. Let’s see how De Jong handles this.”

“Pass to Koom making a run down the left flank!”

“Koom and Aley swap positions—now at the byline!”

“Utrecht’s attack is flowing beautifully!”

Seeing his teammate with the ball on the byline, Tang Ye, following his habit, ran to the arc.

This position allows both passing and direct shooting—it’s the perfect spot for Tang Ye.

!

Thwack!

Koom delivered a low cross—Tang Ye intended to head it, but the opposing center-back shoved him aside.

No choice—Tang Ye quickly turned around.

“I’ll crush you!”

Tang Ye slammed into Fischer with a powerful shoulder charge—Fischer, caught off guard, was knocked back.

“Perfect! Tang Ye’s physical strength is top-class—Fischer is no match for him!”

“Ball control—what now? Just shoot? Should he shoot?”

“Through ball into the box!”

“Aley!”

“Goooo—aaaaa—lllllll!!!”

The commentator screamed into the mic as the goal went in.

In the 19th minute, Aley received Tang Ye’s pass and opened the scoreboard against the away team.

1:0!

In the camera shot, Aley pointed both fingers to the sky.

Then the Ivorian turned his fingers from heaven toward Tang Ye.

He realized it.

His god wasn’t Jesus—it was Tang Ye!

Huh?

On the bench, Ten Hag’s expression was grim.

Isn’t everyone supposed to have their own god?

Why is your god the same as mine?

“Come on! Come on! Come on!”

A one-goal lead is a good start, but after their loss to Haag last match, Utrecht’s players knew they had to be cautious.

Ta!

Tang Ye took the ball Van der Maarel passed to him and immediately scanned the penalty area.

Receiving the ball at the center circle and immediately aiming for the box sounds absurd—but that’s exactly what Tang Ye likes to do.

“Stop him!”

Seeing Tang Ye prepare to shoot, Cuvas shouted—Elbers, the nearest defender, sprinted over.

“Damn, get out of the way!”

Tang Ye grew nervous, quickly shifted his position, and launched a long pass.

Thwack!

Due to defensive pressure, Tang Ye’s long pass lacked precision.

Josten knew he couldn’t control it—he jumped and headed it toward his right to Barazite.

Excellent combination—Barazite received the ball, suddenly accelerated and cut inside, catching the center-back off guard.

Barazite dribbled into the box, tangled with the defender, then passed back to Klebe behind him—Klebe returned the ball to Tang Ye in the center.

“Damn, here it comes!”

Sensing a shooting chance, Tang Ye sprinted forward.

Lower your center of gravity, lower your center of gravity, lower your center of gravity…

After silently repeating it three times and feeling the position was right, Tang Ye controlled the ball and drove a low shot.

Thud!

The ball sailed over the crossbar and flew toward the north stand.

“Damn!”

Tang Ye winced, eyes shut tight, teeth clenched into his jersey.

Just an inch…

Well, it was more than just an inch.

What a shame!

“It’s okay, it’s okay!”

Barazite and De Jong rushed over to comfort Tang Ye—the latter looked slightly dejected.

That last move was too reckless.

He should have controlled the ball first before shooting—not just blasted it!

【Tang the King’s shooting is still a bit off—but that shot was tough to take.】

【Didn’t Ten Hag say he was making Tang Ye practice shooting? Where did that practice go???】

【Don’t you feel Tang Ye’s shooting freedom is excessive? He’s an attacking midfielder—why is he always shooting?】

【What you think Tang Ye is: a pass-first midfielder who can’t do anything but divine passes; actual Tang Ye: Utrecht’s second-top scorer.】

【Feels like Tang Ye’s development is skewed—Tai Shan Youth Academy said he was a possession-based midfielder, and they even released his template photo.】

【Ten Hag: This is exactly my greatness!】

The first half ended 1:0—Tang Ye regretfully failed to score.

But no matter—just as the second half began, Tang Ye seized the chance, sprinting from left to center and curling a long-range shot into the net.

SBV Elite’s goalkeeper got a hand on it, but only deflected it onto the post—it still bounced in for a goal.

“…”

Full-time: Utrecht won 2:0 against SBV Elite.

After losing to Haag last match, Ten Hag told reporters Utrecht lost due to bad luck—many fans thought he was a clown.

Now looking back, Ten Hag was unquestionably right!

…

Eredivisie league table.

1. Utrecht, 63 points

2. PSV Eindhoven, 61 points

3. Ajax, 59 points

4. Feyenoord, 53 points

5. AZ Alkmaar, 52 points

After Matchday 28 of the March league, Utrecht held onto their position at the top of the standings.

There’s no help for it—that’s the pressure of being first; one slip and Ajax and PSV will catch up.

The good news is, there’s a six-point gap between third-place Ajax and fourth-place Feyenoord, meaning Utrecht still has a good chance of achieving their season goal.

“Tang, I can feel it—after this season ends, we’ll definitely finish in the top four, maybe even qualify for the Champions League.”

On the bus ride back, Ramseyer turned around to look at Tang Ye behind him, who was staring blankly ahead.

“Hey, Tang, are you even listening to me?”

“Oh, oh, sorry, Bart, I’m listening, I am—I also feel we can finish top four this season, but…”

Tang Ye paused, then said something that silenced the teammates on the bus: “We’re first now—so why not aim for the league title?”

Hss—

Ramseyer took a deep breath and said nothing. At the front, Ten Hag heard the noise, stood up, and sat down beside Tang Ye: “Wow, Tang, you’re not playing a game? That’s unexpected.”

Ten Hag reached into Tang Ye’s pant pocket and pulled out a piece of gum with practiced ease: “You just said we should aim for the league title—is that serious?”

Ten Hag put the gum in his mouth and squinted at Tang Ye beside him.

“Of course it’s serious—what else would it be?”

“Wow, you’re more ambitious than I thought—I remember you weren’t like this before.”

“I’ve always been ambitious.”

Tang Ye corrected Ten Hag, then placed Ten Hag’s hand on his own thigh: “Mr. Eric, can you feel it?”

“Feel what?”

“Feel my muscles—I’ve been growing them fast lately, especially here on my thighs. Don’t you feel how hard they are?”

“Hahaha, yes, yes, I feel it, I feel it.”

“Aiming high is good, but Tang, do you know how many times reporters have asked me if Utrecht will win the league title this season? Do you know how I answered?”

Tang Ye pursed his lips, thinking.

Considering Ten Hag’s personality: “Hmm… you said we’ll win a trophy?”

“No, I avoided the question.”

Ten Hag chewed slowly: “Since Utrecht was founded, we’ve never won the Eredivisie title.”

Well…

Tang Ye was speechless.

Clearly, timid Ten Hag was easily influenced by public opinion.

…

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(End of chapter)