Chapter 193 186: Male God

"Extra! Extra! Extra! Extra!"

"Everyone, hurry to the athletic field! Yang Yang's finally playing! He's on the field with our school team!"

"Hurry! If you're late, you won't get a good spot!"

...

As the shouts of students echoed from the hallway outside, a commotion erupted within the classroom.

Upon hearing the news, many students scrambled out of the classroom, rushing downstairs and making a beeline for the soccer field.

Su Ye, sitting by the window, turned to look at the distant athletic field. Just as she expected, it was already packed solid with people, several layers deep. Even the terraced bleachers next to the field were crammed with student spectators.

Over two weeks ago, Yang Yang had suddenly shown up at their school to train by himself, capturing the attention of the entire student body and faculty. However, at the teachers' request, no one disturbed him, allowing him to focus on preparing for the Asian Cup.

During that time, the school's PE teacher, who was also the head coach of the school team, had repeatedly invited Yang Yang to offer some guidance to the team, but Yang Yang had always politely declined. Today, it seemed the coach's earnest enthusiasm was finally too much to refuse, so he agreed to get on the field.

"Hey, Su Xiaomei, aren't you going to watch your dreamboat play?" the girl with the thick, high-prescription glasses at the next desk asked with a giggle.

Su Ye turned around and retorted teasingly, "Since when are you into soccer?"

"Just recently," the girl with the glasses giggled. "I didn't expect it either. Turns out Yang Yang is way more handsome in person than in photos or on TV. Seeing him all drenched in sweat while he's playing... so masculine."

"You can't be serious," Su Ye said, her cheeks suddenly flushing crimson.

For the past while, she had been meeting Yang Yang every morning to go running in Yihe Garden. She had even gone with him to pick out and buy the soccer ball, equipment, and training clothes he was now using.

She hadn't thought much of it before, but hearing her friend say that now... 'It's a little embarrassing.'

...

...

The two of them hurried over to the athletic field, arriving just as the match was about to begin.

When the students in the crowd saw the school beauty, they thoughtfully made way, allowing Su Ye and her friend to walk right up to the edge of the field.

On the field, the school team members were split into two teams wearing different colored jerseys. Yang Yang, however, stood among them in his own training clothes, looking somewhat out of place.

"Huh? Why are there only twenty-one people?" the girl with glasses asked a male student standing next to them.

Seeing a girl asking a question, the male student instantly perked up. "It's like this: Yang Yang said he's playing as a neutral. Whichever team passes to him, he'll help them attack. But he's only going to make runs and pass the ball."

"Why?" The girl with glasses found this even stranger.

Even Su Ye was curious. 'How do you even play if you only make runs and pass?'

"It's perfectly normal. The skill gap is just too massive. If Yang Yang went all out, who here could possibly stop him?"

Understanding dawned on the crowd, and they all nodded.

Just then, the PE teacher, who was also acting as the referee, blew the whistle to start the match.

And sure enough, Yang Yang's movements on the field were light and nimble. No matter which side passed to him, he handled the ball with ease before deftly passing it to a teammate from that same side. Regardless of the distance, every single pass was perfectly placed.

Nearly every time Yang Yang touched the ball, every pass he made drew thunderous applause and cheers from the students on the sidelines.

He was also deliberately using this match to hone his first touch and passing. 'Even though the skill gap is huge, it's still better than practicing against a wall, right?'

The two teams were evenly matched, and with Yang Yang's continuous, brilliant assists, the score for both sides kept climbing. Exciting plays happened one after another, leaving the student spectators roaring with excitement.

The only slight disappointment was that Yang Yang didn't showcase any of his individual skills; he stuck entirely to making runs and passing.

Even though this was what he had said he would do, the students were still disappointed.

This was a new national team player, and a peer their own age. After half an hour, the students on the sidelines began to clamor, shouting for Yang Yang to dribble the ball, demanding to see his Pendulum Move, wanting a goal from a solo run.

Even the players on the field started passing the ball to Yang Yang, gesturing for him to let loose and show what he could really do.

The crowd's excitement was surging, and with everyone urging him on, Yang Yang couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement himself.

Spurred on by the encouragement from the school team players and the PE teacher, Yang Yang decided to just let loose and go all out.

The school team's defense was nowhere near strong enough to stop an unrestrained Yang Yang.

Every time he got the ball, he charged ferociously toward the opposition's defense. His footwork was so fast that the defenders had no time to react before he was already past them.

The Marseille Turn, the elastico, step-overs, la croqueta...

He executed all sorts of signature superstar moves with effortless skill, frequently putting on a one-man show, tearing through an entire defensive line before sending the ball into the net, eliciting endless screams from the sidelines.

Yang Yang was also very fair about it. After scoring for one team, he would immediately help the other team score. Though the defenders always did their absolute best to stop him, it was futile. Time and again, he tore their formation to shreds.

This left the many fans on the sidelines feeling more than just admiration; they were utterly shocked.

Many of them had never realized that the gap between a professional and an amateur player could be so enormous.

Many of the school's players were actually quite good. They were tall, strong, and skilled with the ball. But in front of Yang Yang, they all looked as clumsy as children.

At this point, the score had become completely meaningless.

It was a game, a training session, and above all, a personal showcase for Yang Yang.

Finally, amid the roars of the entire crowd, Yang Yang scored with a curling long shot from over thirty meters out. The ball scraped the inside of the post as it slammed into the net, earning a final, massive ovation.

After the match, Yang Yang made a point of going to each of the school players to apologize and chat, answering their questions about soccer. Afterward, he spoke with the PE teacher for a while.

Many students still lingered by the field, waiting for a chance to get Yang Yang's autograph or a photo with him.

It was as he was walking toward the sidelines that Yang Yang finally spotted Su Ye and greeted her with a smile.

The setting sun slanted across the athletic field, casting its glow on Yang Yang. From Su Ye's perspective, it was as if every inch of his skin, every single bead of sweat, was luminous.

'Mm, I guess he really is pretty masculine after all.'

...

...

Even though it was just a game, Yang Yang had worked up a good sweat and felt great.

He now felt an incredibly strong desire to play in a real match.

Just playing with students at the school didn't scratch the itch at all; he was eager to play in an official match as soon as possible.

He went home, showered, and changed his clothes. Just then, Su Xiaomei came over to call him for dinner.

"Several girls in my class have officially added you to their dreamboat list," Su Ye said with a grin.

"Dreamboat list?" Yang Yang gave a wry smile.

'I guess that's a good thing, right?'

"Lots of people are posting photos on the school's forums and other popular online communities. Someone even uploaded a short video of you playing for everyone to download and share. It's got a lot of people talking." Su Ye looked even more excited than Yang Yang.

Yang Yang just smiled faintly. To him, it was nothing to be proud of; the skill gap was just too vast.

When he went across the hall for dinner, Su Wenhong also brought up the afternoon's match. He said the teachers at school were all buzzing about it, and that Yang Yang had become a campus celebrity, even attracting the attention of the school's administration.

Yang Yang hadn't expected to cause such a commotion just by playing one game. 'I wonder if I'll be able to train in peace anymore,' he worried.

"Don't worry. Our school has a good culture. Some of the students might be a little mischievous, but they know where to draw the line. No one will bother you," Ye Ziqing said reassuringly, sensing his concern.

She and Su Wenhong taught at the same school. According to Su Ye, Ye Ziqing was an English teacher.

'That probably explains why Su Ye's English is so good,' he thought.

...

...

Just as he returned home after dinner, Yang Yang received a call from Raiola.

"The contract renewal is settled."

"Mm." Yang Yang wasn't surprised in the least.

"Your annual salary is rising to fifty thousand euros after taxes. On top of that, there are appearance fees, goal bonuses, assist bonuses, win bonuses, and championship prize money, among other incentives. All things considered, this is the most generous contract Ajax can offer right now."

From his tone, it was clear Raiola was extremely confident in his negotiating skills.

In fact, it was his greatest strength.

Long-term career planning for his players and negotiating with clubs—these were the two things Raiola did best.

"Zlatan is going to Juventus. The transfer fee is 25 million euros. He probably called and told you already, right?"

"Yeah, he told me a couple of days ago." Yang Yang was sad to see him go.

Even though they'd only been teammates for a year, Zlatan was the first friend he had made in the Netherlands.

"The terms Juventus offered are excellent, the pay is great, and they're going to invest heavily in his development next season. It's a perfect situation. Plus, the Zebra Army is one of the most competitive teams in Europe right now. If Zlatan can make his mark at Juventus, he'll officially become a top-tier star," Raiola said, outlining the blueprint he had laid out for Ibrahimovic.

Ultimately, a star's status and influence must be proven by their performance on the pitch.

It's like how so many fans still remember Pele and Maradona today. But if you were to ask how many championships they won or what accolades they received, how many people could actually tell you?

But when it comes to their performances on the field, almost everyone can recall their feats in minute detail.

Winning one Champions League title with Ajax doesn't mean all that much, because some team achieves that honor every year. If Ibrahimovic wants to ascend to the ranks of top-tier stars, he has to make a name for himself at Juventus.

This was true for the Swedish Striker, true for Van der Vaart, and in the future, it would be true for Yang Yang as well.

"Van der Vaart might be heading to La Liga. Barcelona is determined to sign him, but Real Madrid has also suddenly shown great interest. With two giants vying for him, they're currently in intense negotiations with Ajax."

"Talabesi wants to go to the Premier League; teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool are all interested. The transfer fees for both him and Van der Vaart won't be low. Ajax should be able to recoup a huge amount of capital just by selling players this summer. Combined with the reduction in payroll, the team's financial predicament will be greatly eased."

Yang Yang was happy to hear this, as he was still an Ajax player.

"By the way, has there been any progress with the club's new signings?"

"Yes. They signed two full-backs from Brazil, one for the left and one for the right."

Yang Yang nodded. With those additions, Ajax should still be competitive in the new season.

Of course, after selling Ibrahimovic, the club still wanted to bring in a new center forward.