[{"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-98":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},2300068,4499,"Chapter 98: We Appear to Have 34 Players, But We Actually Have 35. Divine Weapon Descends!","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-98",98,"\u003Cp>May 10, this was the U21 Dutch Championship Cup match between Utrecht II and Ajax II.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The U21 Dutch Championship Cup usually has no pre-match interviews, but since today was the final, head coach Melent came onto the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Melent, today you face Ajax II in top form—do you think your chances of winning are high?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think they’re pretty high.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Melent nodded: “Although Ajax II has outstanding players, so do we. In my view, our odds of winning are even higher than Ajax’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reporter was surprised by Melent’s answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh, according to the reporter’s memory, Utrecht II’s head coach Melent was supposed to be a low-key guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has Ten Hag influenced you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teng Hake? Oh, Eric has strong tactical ideas—he taught me a lot. Today, I’ll use the tactics Teng Hake taught me and win this match.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It really was Teng Hake’s influence!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you specify exactly what tactics you learned from Teng Hake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reporter handed the microphone to Melent, who politely leaned in: “Fans generally think our second team has 34 players, but that’s not true—we have 35 people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dongqiu Di: U21 Dutch Championship Cup, Utrecht II vs Ajax II, Tang Ye leads Utrecht II’s starting lineup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sudden news jolted Chinese fans awake in the middle of the night while they were browsing Dongqiu Di.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【What’s going on? Second team? Did I misread?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Wait, what’s Tang Wang doing? No match, so he just joins the second team to play?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Tears streaming—holy crap, a workhorse!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【So all those first-team matches of Tang Ye were just my dreams? Is he really just a second-team player…】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【???】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Hahaha, I get it—Utrecht II held back a secret: Tang Ye registered for this tournament.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Ajax II’s head coach: Dude, really? Is this necessary?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s match was Utrecht II’s home game; as a starter, Tang Ye walked out behind Zaka.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Utrecht fans in the stands were now excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht II tickets cost only 15 euros; most fans came to watch the second team hoping to support the first team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they ended up paying 15 euros to see a first-team star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can you imagine the expressions on both teams’ fans when Tang Ye’s name appeared on the second-team roster three hours ago?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camera panned to Melent standing in front of the home bench; now Melent imitated Teng Hake’s posture, hands in his pockets, chewing gum he’d taken from Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, Melent faced enormous pressure against Ajax II.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now things had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Melent could feel Teng Hake was watching from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The savior of Utrecht’s first team had arrived at the second team—and brought his strongest tactics with him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, his confidence surged!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember to pass to Tom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Melent gave a reminder, then sat down on a bench on the sideline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match began at the same moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht II, who kicked off first, launched a rapid attack against Ajax II.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A first-team native playing for the second team naturally held high tactical importance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A defender seized the chance and passed directly to Tang Ye’s feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye was pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was probably the earliest ball touch he’d had in any match this season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go, go, you go, I’ll take this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The U21-level opponents applied less pressure, so Tang Ye felt almost no stress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately looked left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【De Bruyne curved through-pass Lv3: Simulation】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proficiency: 288\u002F400\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a fast ground-long pass, slicing through half of Ajax II’s defensive line and rolling straight to Zaka’s feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaka’s eyes lit up—he accelerated and curled a shot into the far corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Goal!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht II opened the scoring!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wuhu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaka started running toward the corner flag to celebrate, then remembered Tang Ye had set up the breakaway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quickly turned and sprinted toward Tang Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Tang Ye’s face showed no smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At 38, you pretended to be 17 and illegally entered a U21 competition】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Falsifying age—you earned 0 Reverse Points】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye hadn’t expected he wouldn’t earn Reverse Points playing in the second team!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of it made him shudder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Teng Hake hadn’t brought him to the first team, Tang Ye might never have realized his system could do so much!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after kickoff, the stadium screen displayed the goal’s stats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1’ Zaka\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dongqiu Di Live Report: In the 1st minute, Tang Ye created a one-on-one chance, assisting the striker to score—Utrecht II leads 1-0!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Hahaha, who can find a livestream? Holy crap, Tang Wang is bullying the minors now.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Damn it, any brothers have a website? Drop me a link.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【I’m impressed—I remember last season some streamers covered the Dutch second division, but Tang Ye never played, so they stopped.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【One-year term expired—Tang Wang returns to the second team!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match continued; after scoring first, Utrecht II didn’t defend—they became even more aggressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pass to Tom, quick, give it to Tom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaka kept shouting up front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he was a striker, that didn’t stop Zaka from telling his teammates the correct tactics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utrecht’s first team won the Dutch Cup and the Eredivisie title using this exact tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the second team used it too, wouldn’t they just slaughter everyone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dongqiu Di Live Report: In the 21st minute, Tang Ye cut inside from the left and curled a shot into the corner—score 2-0.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dongqiu Di Live Report: In the 28th minute, Ajax II’s striker fired from the arc and pulled one back—score 2-1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dongqiu Di Live Report: In the 37th minute, Tang Ye delivered a 45-degree cross; the striker controlled it and calmly slotted home—score 3-1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yaaaah—!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaka spread his arms and sprinted toward Tang Ye at full speed to celebrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brace—and against Ajax II!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ajax II now sensed something was wrong; several midfielders began marking Tang Ye specifically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before halftime, Tang Ye was fouled directly in the center circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opponents were playing dirty, but it didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye faced relentless pressing from first-team strikers every match in the Eredivisie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These U21 strikers were infinitely weaker than those in the Eredivisie!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, halftime arrived; players gathered in the locker room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Melent summarized the team’s first-half mistakes, while Tang Ye shared his gum with Zaka.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not enough, not enough!” Melent paced in the center of the locker room: “I don’t know what some of you are thinking—can’t you even pass the ball properly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve said it many times: pass that damn ball to Tom. Can you understand? If you don’t, I won’t mind benching you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Melent slammed his fist hard onto the tactics board: “Our biggest problem in the first half? Tang Ye’s touches were too few—far too few!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year, I told you all that Tom is a playmaking midfielder—you need to pass to him more. Do you understand? Pass to him more!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gurgling gurgling!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye chewed gum while drinking water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cool sensation entered his throat, and Tang Ye felt a small surge of emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, someone recognized him as a playmaking midfielder!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second half began; the players walked from the locker room to the tunnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Tang Ye asked Zaka a question: “Do you want a hat-trick?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaka didn’t catch on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A hat-trick—scoring three goals in one match.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye held up three fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know, I obviously know what that is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaka was speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was at least a semi-professional player—how could he not know what a hat-trick was?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then he realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang, you mean…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can move up a bit. You already have two goals—I’ll see if I can pass you one more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye said, then suddenly remembered something and leaned close to Zaka’s ear: “Don’t tell anyone!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye remembered Ale and Barazite—those two always came to chat with him before every match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang, you can count on me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaka straightened his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He faintly felt a force flowing into his body through the crown of his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was power infusion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Utrecht’s first-team!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second half began; after losing possession, Tang Ye immediately pressed and delivered a decisive through pass to Zaka’s feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaka gently nudged it in, completing the hat-trick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clap clap clap!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marent sat on the bench, applauding the hardworking second-team players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t a head coach who usually sat during matches, but he did so anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Ten Hag liked to sit when leading, Marent wanted to absorb Ten Hag’s power—he had to follow Ten Hag’s example.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The full match ended; Utrecht’s second team won 5–1 against Ajax’s second team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【At 38, you lied about being 17 and illegally won the U21 championship】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You gained 0 Reverse Points】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He earned not a single Reverse Point after the match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at least he’d helped his second-team friends win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tom!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaka and captain Trupe hugged Tang Ye tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the Dutch Cup ceremony, the U21 championship awarding was far more modest—but what mattered wasn’t the ceremony, it was the trophy in Trupe’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, come on! Mr. Marent, over here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trupe called Marent to the center of the team; the reporters were ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaka placed his hand on Tang Ye’s shoulder; Tang Ye understood and placed his hand on Zaka’s shoulder, the two embracing tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click click click!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the match, the away fans were furious at Utrecht’s maneuver, with some holding up signs reading “Cheating” and “Violation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Ajax fans were furious at Marent for suddenly bringing in an outsider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the Royal Dutch Football Association issued a statement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Royal Dutch Football Association: Utrecht’s second team defeated Ajax’s second team 5–1, winning the 2015–2016 U21 Dutch Championship Cup. Player #99 Yetang (U19) was named MVP of the final.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, exactly—this isn’t about bringing in an outsider at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marent spoke confidently to reporters, exuding a touch of Ten Hag’s aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The FA has clearly listed Tang’s status: he’s a U19 player. U19 players competing in U21 matches is an age-grade challenge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marent sat in a chair, facing football reporters who had come from across the Netherlands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know Tang is an exceptionally talented player, so we let him compete in the U21 league. I know the U21 level is extremely difficult for him, but he was willing to accept the challenge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marent’s words left the reporters stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But upon closer thought…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s match was indeed a U21 competition, and Tang Ye was a U19 player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A U19 player competing in a U21 match—isn’t that exactly an age-grade challenge?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bullying weaker teams?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it be bullying!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Ye was facing opponents much older than him—he was under tremendous pressure!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing Marent’s words, the reporters frowned, their expressions thoughtful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surface, it sounded absurd—but upon reflection, there was no flaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marent’s words gave the reporters a familiar feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were exactly the words Ten Hag had prepared for Marent!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, Ajax’s second-team head coach Stam was being interviewed on the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You lost to Utrecht’s second team, Stam, yet you were favored to win. Fans generally believed Ajax’s second team was stronger than Utrecht’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we lost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stam’s expression was grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This season, Ajax’s second team had already lost their chance at the Eerste Divisie title; they thought the U21 Cup was a sure win—until Utrecht pulled off a surprise move and crushed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Utrecht’s second team brought in a player from their first team. Since he’s under a youth contract, he’s eligible to play for the second team. Did you know about this beforehand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, how could I possibly know!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stam wasn’t a patient man: “We never saw Tang all season—who knew he was even on Utrecht’s second team? Damn it, I should’ve checked the FA’s player list before the match! Damn it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Football is an 11-man game. Some fans think Tang’s contribution wasn’t enough to turn the match—why did you lose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To hell with those fans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stam cut off the reporter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our first team couldn’t beat him. You’re asking me why we lost? Do I want to lose? Our opponent brought in power that doesn’t belong to this competition—this kind of thing would get you banned in a video game.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2028,"2026-06-20T06:50:08.245Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f13a54e58b0b421e36a38bed8412db369802c4f9426c348c1cb2ccbc1b3f276f","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-99","football-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-chapter-97",918,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffootball-at-16-let-me-retire-and-come-back-cover.jpg"]