Chapter 3: I Was Just Guessing

“Wooww!!!”

Utrecht scored an equalizer, and suddenly the stands erupted in excitement.

Unlike Utrecht’s second team, a perennial Eerste Divisie side, the Eagles of Progress frequently oscillate between the Eredivisie and the Eerste Divisie.

Due to the difference in strength, no one had expected Utrecht to even hold a draw before the match began!

“Jesus!”

Merent touched his bald head, his forehead creased with worry.

Assistant coach Karen shrugged his shoulders beside him. “Well... the boss’s advice is never wrong.”

“Why didn’t he tell me he could do this?”

Merent spread his hands in bewilderment.

According to his memory, Tang Ye shouldn’t have had this skill!

Merent remained silent and continued watching the pitch. Tang Ye, who had just assisted, spread his arms wide, welcoming his teammates’ embraces.

[What the heck is that?]

[No way, bro, you can do that too?]

[Wait, wait, who said Tang Ye was a slacker before? Step forward now! Damn, it’s because of you I didn’t bet 1:1.]

[Is that outside-foot pass a little too exaggerated? Are you sure Tang Ye is only sixteen?]

[Now I finally understand why Utrecht paid 50,000 euros for this ‘slacker.’ Turns out Tang Ye really is talented.]

Seeing Tang Ye deliver such a high-level pass, both viewers in the live chat and the home fans were left stunned.

Seriously, if you have this skill, why were you benched all last season?

The game continued, and the broadcast started focusing more on Tang Ye, though he didn’t show much more afterward.

“Beep, beep beep!”

The referee blew the final whistle. In the end, Utrecht’s second team defeated the formidable Eagles of Progress, securing their second victory in this season’s warm-up matches.

“Tang, what was that? Come on!”

Zaka ran over and hugged Tang Ye tightly.

Nearly ten minutes had passed since Tang Ye’s outside-foot pass, and even now, Zaka couldn’t believe it.

So precise, so delicate a pass that Zaka only had to gently extend his foot to break through one-on-one!

[You have completed your first pre-season match since your comeback.]

[Reward gained: Comeback Points *15.]

Comeback points?

Tang Ye frowned, confused by the sudden voice, but he had no time to ponder it; Head Coach Merent was walking toward him.

“Coach.”

Tang Ye spoke, expecting Merent to embrace him, but Merent bypassed him and went straight to Zaka.

“Well done, Isaac. Thanks to your goal!”

“……”

Tang Ye shrugged. Merent’s reaction made him uneasy, but considering his own poor performance last season, it was understandable.

The truth was, no coach liked a player who gave up.

In the locker room, Merent stood in the center, summarizing the warm-up match and praising players like Amrabat and Zaka for their outstanding performances.

Tang Ye received no praise from Merent. After complimenting the others, Merent took Tang Ye aside.

“Why? What is this? Tang, tell me what this is?”

“What?”

Tang Ye didn’t quite understand what Merent meant.

“You can do an outside-foot pass! You can deliver a pass like that, so why didn’t you tell me?”

Merent was angry.

He felt Tang Ye had been faking it!

Last season, Utrecht’s second team lacked usable midfielders. If Tang Ye had shown that level of passing earlier, Merent had no reason to bench him.

After today’s match, no doubt many Utrecht fans would criticize Merent for not using such a prodigy.

Did Merent not want to use him?

No, it was because Tang Ye had been faking him all along!

“Sorry, sorry.”

Tang Ye was a bit flustered under Merent’s scolding.

To be honest, that pass was executed with the system’s help, so Tang Ye himself didn’t know how he made such a beautiful outside-foot pass.

“Hmm...”

Tang Ye hesitated before finally saying, “It was a fluke.”

“A fluke? Who the hell are you trying to fool!?”

Merent stared into Tang Ye’s eyes. As an experienced coach, he knew which plays could be flukes and which could not.

There was no way an outside-foot pass of Tang Ye’s caliber was a fluke.

“I swear I’m not lying, believe me, sir!”

Tang Ye’s expression was sincere. Merent frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely sure!”

“……”

Merent said nothing. From what he knew of Tang Ye, if it really was a fluke, that would actually make the pass more reasonable.

...

“Tang Ye’s breathtaking outside-foot pass, Utrecht’s second team draws with Eagles of Progress in warm-up match.”

“Fallen genius finally awakens, creates one-on-one chance to showcase talent in warm-up.”

After leaving the locker room and boarding the team bus back to the dormitory, Tang Ye stared at his newly updated stats and fell into deep thought.

Tang Ye (37 years and 4 months)

[Ball control: 69; Passing: 70]

[Shooting: 44; Heading: 38; Set pieces: 55]

[Speed: 48; Stamina: 55; Physical duels: 40]

[Defense: 40; Vision: 91]

Overall rating: 58

After reviewing the stats, Tang Ye finally understood why Merent had benched him all last season.

Aside from his passing, which had been boosted by a template, only two attributes exceeded 60: 69 in ball control and 91 in vision.

Speaking of vision, when Tang Ye first saw his scouting report, he noticed Utrecht’s scouts highly valued his vision, although Tang Ye himself hadn’t felt it.

Then there were the comeback points. After winning the warm-up match, Tang Ye received one as a system reward.

The purpose of comeback points was not clearly explained by the system; it merely gave Tang Ye a task.

[Having completed your first pre-season match since your return, you are now extremely motivated, your determination to make a comeback unprecedentedly high.]

[Score one goal in a warm-up match; reward: Bone Density Growth Capsule *1.]

“Phew...”

Lying on his bed, Tang Ye stared at the ceiling.

He had been prepared to give up, but suddenly received this system.

Now, should he give up or not?

Tang Ye didn’t know; all he knew was he was a little sleepy.

Sleep meant rest.

...

The next day, Utrecht’s second team players gathered at the training ground.

Like other clubs, Utrecht’s first and second teams shared the same facility. On his way to training, Tang Ye noticed some first-team players. Among them, forward Alay approached him.

“Tang, that’s right, isn’t it?”

“I saw the news. Your outside-foot pass was really spectacular.”

Hmm?

The first-team striker had seen the news about him. Tang Ye was surprised. “I was in the news?”

“Of course. A goal of that caliber had to make the news.”

A voice came from behind. It was a bald man wearing a black Nike jacket.

Eric Ten Hag, head coach of Utrecht’s first team.

...