Chapter 189 182: Returning Home

Even though they were already on the plane home, everyone on the National Youth Team was still basking in the glow of last night's match.

Winning the Toulon Cup would be a glorious chapter in all of their professional careers.

And according to the news from back home, the entire country was celebrating.

A championship—this was something Chinese fans hadn't dared to imagine for many years. Even if it was just the Toulon Cup, for the fans back home, it had once been an unattainable honor.

Now, they had finally won it!

Many players were too excited to sleep the whole night, which led to an embarrassing situation when the team checked out of the hotel: they didn't have enough money to pay the bill.

This, again, was the result of unprofessional logistical work.

The National Youth Team had only brought four thousand US dollars in funding for the Toulon Cup. After arriving in Toulon, they exchanged it for Euros. Each player received fifty Euros as spending money, totaling one thousand three hundred Euros. The rest was for food and lodging during the competition.

The coaching staff had also been frugal, pinching every penny. When they went on a tour of Monaco earlier, they couldn't even bring themselves to buy lunch. In the end, Yang Yang had paid for the whole team's meal out of his own pocket and even gave everyone an exquisite gift.

But even so, they were still over budget when it came time to check out. The hotel charged for the conference room rental and for drinks, which alone came to one thousand three hundred Euros. On top of that, the team had spent another two hundred Euros celebrating their victory last night, leaving them one thousand five hundred Euros short on the final bill.

The coaches and players were all broke. They had originally planned to ask the tournament committee for help, but in the end, Yang Yang stepped up again, fronting the money from his own pocket so the team could finally leave the hotel.

Thinking of this, many of them glanced back from time to time at Yang Yang, who had been sitting with his eyes closed the entire trip, looking like he was either resting or fast asleep.

Four goals and four assists had earned him the title of the Toulon Cup's best player, and his performance had outshone the France Team's twin strikers, as well as Flamini, who was joining Arsenal this summer.

But he seemed completely unfazed by the honor, an attitude that his teammates greatly admired.

On second thought, it wasn't surprising. After all, Yang Yang had already won the Champions League with Ajax.

Compared to a Champions League title, the Toulon Cup was nothing.

Many of the team's more skilled players were thinking to themselves, 'Yang Yang has improved so much since he started playing in Europe. Should I follow his example and try to make a name for myself in European Football?'

Playing abroad was an absolutely irresistible temptation for Chinese players.

Before, they wouldn't have dared to dream of it, not knowing how to even get there. But now, Yang Yang had blazed a trail for them.

...

...

The National Youth Team players had no idea that Yang Yang wasn't just resting his eyes—he was asleep.

As soon as he got on the plane, he had entered the Super Training field to continue honing his skills.

After days of competition, he had gradually become aware of his own progress, especially the boost in his combat effectiveness after shoring up his weaknesses. He was really starting to enjoy the benefits.

In the very beginning, he could only do one-on-one dribbles. His first touch and subsequent passes were a complete mess.

Back then, he could handle the Almere Youth Team and amateur matches, but it was difficult for him to advance any further.

So, he began to practice his crosses relentlessly.

Dribbling down the wing plus precise crossing became the foundation of Yang Yang's success in the Ajax Second Team and the first team. Especially as his two Star Skills, [Ronaldo's Rush] and [Beckham's Crossing], improved, his performance with the first team got better and better, culminating in him scoring the game-winning goal in the Champions League final.

A large part of the credit for that goal was due to his first touch, which came from his third Star Skill, Bergkamp's First Touch.

If the goal in the Champions League final had a bit of luck to it, then at the Toulon Cup, Yang Yang could clearly feel his own improvement. Especially against players his own age, he found he had more and more control, more and more confidence.

That first touch he used against Columbus in the final was something he would have never dared to attempt before. But as he got into his rhythm and built up his confidence, Yang Yang pulled it off naturally in the final.

"Old Ice, I've noticed that my third Star Skill is progressing faster than the previous ones," Yang Yang said.

"Mm," Old Ice's faint voice replied from within the Super Training field. "That's perfectly normal. It's because your fundamentals are more solid now."

After hearing this, Yang Yang looked up into the empty air. "You mean the more solid my fundamentals are, the faster I can learn Star Skills?"

"Didn't I tell you that before?"

"No." Yang Yang shook his head. "You only said that building a solid foundation was critical."

"That's right. Fundamentals are the foundation for everything. It's like building a house: the stronger the foundation, the higher you can build. And you should have also discovered that combining the right Star Skills can create an effect where one plus one is greater than two."

Yang Yang nodded repeatedly. He had indeed realized this. "So when can I learn a fourth Star Skill?"

He was getting a little impatient.

"It's still too early. Take your time and polish what you have. When you can refine and master the first three Star Skills, and can at least perform consistently in the Champions League, then it will be the right time."

Yang Yang grunted in agreement, not arguing, because he was well aware of his own situation.

'Haste makes waste, and don't bite off more than you can chew.' The most important thing for him right now wasn't to learn more Star Skills, but to refine the ones he already had.

The Toulon Cup was, after all, just a youth tournament; the defensive pressure wasn't that intense. Even without [Bergkamp's First Touch], he still could have bulldozed his way through, but the final result might not have been as good as it was.

Therefore, the upcoming Asian Cup, as well as the new Eredivisie and UEFA Champions League seasons, would be the true test for Yang Yang.

Besides, he was only seventeen.

Afterward, Yang Yang talked more with Old Ice. For example, Old Ice said that mastering his first touch would be a huge help in learning a series of subsequent Star Skills like shooting, passing, and shaking off defenders, allowing him to get twice the results with half the effort.

At the same time, Old Ice also pointed out that Yang Yang's chance conversion rate at the Toulon Cup was a bit low and that he had wasted quite a few opportunities.

Of course, his frame of reference was the standard of a starting-level striker in the Eredivisie.

Yang Yang knew this himself. Compared to Kezman, Kuyt, or even Ibrahimovic—who was often criticized by Ajax fans for his poor shooting efficiency—his conversion rate was nothing to brag about.

However, he was confident he could gradually improve on this issue.

Maybe it was the thrill of his goal in the Champions League final or his four goals in the Toulon Cup, but Yang Yang was starting to become addicted to the feeling of scoring. He even started thinking that he should design a proper post-goal celebration for himself.

'Yeah, something cool and flashy would be best.'

...

...

When the flight from Paris slowly touched down at Beijing Capital Airport, the media reporters and fans who had long been waiting at the arrivals gate erupted, their passion rivaling the scorching sun outside.

The scene became even more chaotic, especially when the National Youth Team players began to walk out of the arrivals gate one by one, carrying all their bags.

"Yang Yang! Yang Yang!! Yang Yang!!!"

Most of the fans at the scene were chanting Yang Yang's name, and the reporters were all scanning the emerging crowd for a glimpse of him.

Soon, they spotted their target.

Yang Yang, carrying a large and a small bag, was walking out with Wei Zhen when he was startled by the enthusiastic fans and swarming reporters. Everyone was rushing toward him, and the sheer spectacle of it left even Wei Zhen a bit stunned.

The nearby National Youth Team coaches and players watched this scene with a mixture of envy and amusement. Yang Yang's popularity in China was immense right now, and winning the Toulon Cup had pushed it to a new high.

Not since the National Team made it to the World Cup two years ago had anyone commanded such influence.

The fans rushed Yang Yang, hoping for autographs, and he turned no one away.

The reporters, on the other hand, wanted an interview, but they were all scrambling over each other, and Yang Yang had no idea who to answer first.

In the end, it was Wei Zhen who stepped forward to maintain some order, asking everyone to ask their questions one at a time.

The questions the media were most interested in were about Yang Yang's Toulon Cup, the upcoming Asian Cup, and his situation at Ajax.

Regarding the Toulon Cup, Yang Yang repeatedly emphasized that it was a team effort and he couldn't take the credit himself. As for the upcoming Asian Cup on home soil, Yang Yang said he was going in with a learner's mindset, hoping to learn from the senior players on the team.

At Ajax, the club had special media training courses, which Yang Yang was required to attend after joining the first team. As a result, he handled the domestic media without losing his composure, answering their questions calmly and collectedly.

Contract renewal negotiations with Ajax were still ongoing. With his outstanding performance at the Toulon Cup—helping the team win the title and being named the best player—many European media outlets began to hype up a connection between Yang Yang and teams in the Four Major Leagues.

The Toulon Cup was a youth tournament that attracted numerous scouts, so it was all too easy to stir up transfer rumors.

During the media interview, Yang Yang stated very seriously that he had not been in contact with any other teams.

"Right now, I'm only thinking about two things. First, preparing for the upcoming Asian Cup. Second, after the Asian Cup, I will return to Ajax and work hard to prepare for the new season. I won't think about anything else."

Yang Yang's answer served as a direct response to the recent string of rumors. He had never once thought about leaving Ajax from the start, at least not this summer.

When asked about the National Team's head coach, Arie Haan, saying in an interview that Yang Yang could solve the team's chronic lack of attacking power, Yang Yang said he wasn't aware of the comment and wouldn't respond to it. However, he stated that no matter what the coaching staff arranged, he would give it his all.

"For me, it's an honor to play for my country. I will accept any arrangement and do my best, no matter what."

Regarding his skyrocketing popularity in China, which was even said to have surpassed that of the Yao Giant playing in the NBA, Yang Yang said he was flattered by the immense support from the domestic fans. He promised to work even harder and hoped to repay them with better and more outstanding performances.

Besides these, Yang Yang answered some other questions, but some were too personal, so he could only beat around the bush and skirt the important issues.

Wei Zhen, who was accompanying Yang Yang, understood the media's tactics and quickly helped him get away from the crowd and leave the Capital Airport.

But Yang Yang's return to China immediately set off a firestorm of public opinion, drawing huge attention from the media and on the internet.

He was, after all, the first Chinese person to stand on the Champions League winner's podium!