Super Wingstorm

Kroen calmly converted the penalty, extending the Ajax Second Team’s lead to three goals.

Down by three goals and a man, the home team completely lost their will to fight back.

Ajax, on the other hand, had sky-high morale and began to relentlessly press their attack.

Van Basten quickly made his third substitution, still aiming to strengthen the offense. Everyone could sense the former legend’s determination in this move.

He was determined to make his mark as a coach and prove himself.

After all, of the legendary Dutch Trio, Gullit was coaching the Dutch Youth Team, while Rijkaard was already the head coach of Barcelona. This gave Van Basten a sense of urgency.

Heeding their coach’s signal, the Ajax Second Team continued to assault the home team, still focusing their attack on Yang Yang’s right flank. He became even more active, drawing the core of the home team’s defense. This was especially true after the eighty-first minute, when he created another dangerous opportunity only for Babel to squander it. In response, the home team assigned two players to mark him.

But as a result, their defense down the middle became relatively weak.

In the eighty-sixth minute, the Ajax Second Team created another chance. Maduro, in the center, suddenly made a run from deep and unleashed a long shot from outside the box, drilling it into Ezmeralda’s goal to make the score four-nil.

This would be the final goal of the match.

Afterward, Ajax gradually eased up on their attack, and Ezmeralda defended desperately. Neither side was able to create any more scoring opportunities. The only exception came in stoppage time, when Yang Yang broke through on the right wing once more and sent a long, whipped cross in front of the goal. But Fred Benson reacted a beat too slow and couldn’t reach it, ultimately missing the goal.

But the beautiful cross still earned a round of applause from the entire stadium.

...

...

When the referee blew the final whistle, the tension in Yang Yang’s body finally melted away. He couldn’t help but break into a smile, an unprecedented sense of ease washing over him.

It was his first official match. Even though the opponent was just a third-tier Dutch team, and it was only the first round of the Dutch Cup, it still filled him with an unparalleled sense of accomplishment.

It was a feeling that was hard to put into words, yet it was dangerously addictive.

Fred Benson was the first to rush over and embrace Yang Yang. The dark-skinned teammate, who flashed a mouthful of pearly whites when he smiled, looked particularly ecstatic. Scoring a goal after coming on as a substitute would undoubtedly be a huge boost for his future with the Second Team.

So, naturally, he was especially grateful to Yang Yang, who had provided the brilliant assist.

The next to come over and offer his congratulations was Kroen, who was also all smiles. After all, he had also gotten a goal, and his passing ability in the midfield had been on full display.

Of all the teammates Yang Yang had played with, Kroen’s passing skill was second only to Sneijder’s and far superior to Henk Demyer’s. Nearly every pass he made was perfectly weighted, allowing Yang Yang to receive the ball comfortably and easily transition into his next move.

Sometimes, that’s just how teamwork is. Players build each other up, and it’s hard to distinguish individual contributions from the collective effort.

Babel was likely the most frustrated player on the pitch. Whether playing as a center-forward or a left-winger, he hadn’t managed to score. In fact, he hadn’t contributed to any of the team’s four goals and had even missed several excellent scoring chances. It was not an ideal start to the season for him.

While it wouldn’t threaten his standing on the team, Babel’s expression betrayed his inner turmoil. His face turned especially sour when he saw Yang Yang laughing and celebrating the victory with their teammates.

Ever since their encounter in the amateur match against Almere, he had disliked this Chinese guy.

He had then, he did now, and he would in the future.

But Babel’s feelings alone couldn’t influence anyone else.

After Vermaelen rushed over, wrapped his arms around Yang Yang’s waist, and lifted him into the air, the celebration completely devolved into good-natured roughhousing.

Even the coaching staff on the sidelines were grinning from ear to ear. Van Basten was so focused on the celebrating players on the field that he didn’t even notice Babel heading to the locker room early.

...

...

"Uncle, Auntie, Cousin."

After finally breaking free from his teammates, Yang Yang quickly ran to the sidelines to find Shen Ming and his family.

"Hey, you rascal." The moment Shen Ming saw his nephew, he laughed so hard he was almost in tears. He gave Yang Yang a playful punch on the chest, then, ignoring the sweat and grass stains covering his nephew, pulled him into a tight hug. His love and pride were written all over his face.

He never would have imagined that his nephew, who had such a bleak future just a few months ago, was now wearing an Ajax jersey and playing so brilliantly.

Ezmeralda was a team every bit as strong as Almere’s first team, yet Yang Yang had helped Ajax achieve a stunning four-nil victory over them. It was simply incredible.

"Alright, alright, people are watching. Don’t make a scene," his aunt said, pulling Shen Ming away.

Only then did Yang Yang notice that his uncle’s eyes were red, clearly from happiness.

"It’s fine. Let them watch," Yang Yang said with a wide grin.

"That’s right, let them watch!" his uncle, Shen Ming, laughed, but he didn’t lunge forward for another hug.

Since Yang Yang had moved to Amsterdam, they had only spoken on the phone, not seen each other in person. Meeting here was a rare opportunity, so naturally, they had a lot to talk about. They were concerned about his life in Oude Kerk, asking if he was used to his new place, if he was eating well, and things like that.

Yang Yang, in turn, asked about the Chinese restaurant. When he heard they had hired two more people, he was all for it.

"We originally thought our business would slow down a lot after you transferred to Ajax, but it hasn’t at all. Henk Demyer, Nick, and the others still come to the restaurant to hang out all the time. And now that they’ve all made it to the first team, they’ve brought along a lot of other first-team players. Business is actually even better than before."

Shen Ming was visibly excited as he spoke about it.

Yang Yang was happy for him, too. "Then you should hire more help. Don’t work yourself too hard."

"Yeah, we hired two this time. One is a student from back in China. He’s a solid guy, very reliable."

"That’s good." Yang Yang was relieved to hear that.

With his parents so far away, his uncle’s family was the only family he had in the Netherlands. Naturally, he wanted them to be doing well.

"Hey, make sure you call your parents as soon as you get back. I’ll call them too. We have to tell them this great news," Shen Ming said excitedly.

Seeing Yang Yang’s performance this afternoon finally set his mind at ease. At last, he hadn’t let down the heavy trust his sister and brother-in-law had placed in him.

After a bit more small talk, Yang Yang heard the coaching staff calling for him in the distance and said his goodbyes to his uncle and family.

Just as he turned to leave, he found a young man in his early twenties standing behind him.

"Hi, hello, Yang Yang. I’m a reporter for the Super Football website. My name is Michel van der Steeg."

"Oh, hello." Yang Yang quickly shook his hand.

This was his first-ever encounter with the media. Although he’d never even heard of a website called Super Football, the name sounded impressive.

"Uh, so, I was watching the match from the stands just now. You were fantastic. I think you’ll definitely be playing for the first team in the future, so I was hoping to find an opportunity to do an exclusive interview with you. Would that be possible?"

"An exclusive interview?" Yang Yang was clearly taken aback.

This was the first time a member of the media had ever wanted to interview him. ’What should I do?’

"Of course, I know you don’t have time right now. How about this, we can find another time to schedule it. Here’s my card."

"Oh, okay." Yang Yang took the card, gave the man an apologetic smile, and hurried into the locker room.

But Yang Yang didn’t notice that after he left, Michel van der Steeg let out a visible sigh of relief. He had just been putting on a brave face himself, terrified that Yang Yang would reject him. It looked like his act had worked; Yang Yang was clearly a newbie at this too.

Today, he just wanted to show his face and make an impression, making it easier to arrange an interview in the future.

But after Yang Yang left, Van der Steeg quickly noticed Shen Ming and his family. He could tell they were Yang Yang’s relatives and figured he might be able to get some information about the player from them.

So, Van der Steeg walked over with a smile and offered his business card.

When Shen Ming heard that a reporter wanted to interview his nephew and learn all about him, his heart swelled with pride. He immediately agreed to Van der Steeg’s request, promising to tell him every last detail he knew.

...

...

"This match today, both the result and your performance, I am extremely satisfied. Every one of you demonstrated your abilities well and played your part in the team’s final four-nil thrashing of Ezmeralda."

In the post-match locker room, Van Basten was lavish with his praise for the players.

Anyone could see that the head coach was in high spirits after the four-goal victory.

"And I have to single out Yang Yang for praise. He was a key factor in our victory today and made an outstanding contribution to our advancement. I hope all of you can follow his example, keep up the hard work, and play well in every match to come."

At this, Van Basten turned and looked intently at Yang Yang. "Yang, you need to keep working hard. Don’t get complacent. Maintain that hunger. I’m confident you’ll get better and better."

Yang Yang nodded firmly. "I understand. I won’t let you down, Coach."

The way the other players in the locker room looked at Yang Yang changed considerably.

It was clear that Van Basten intended to make Yang Yang a regular starter. This left Demuer, whose position was now in jeopardy, feeling somewhat dejected. Babel, who already disliked Yang Yang, also looked displeased. Vermaelen, however, was genuinely happy for him.

Yang Yang himself, however, remained calm deep down.

’My opponents in the Super Training are already at the Eerste Divisie level,’ he thought. ’The players I faced today were only third-tier. Besides, I already figured them out completely during the pre-match simulation. A performance like this isn’t surprising at all.’

But the real challenge was just beginning.

They had advanced to the second round of the Dutch Cup, and the league season was about to begin.

Yang Yang felt he needed more match experience to stimulate his own improvement.