Super Wingstorm

For several days, Yang Yang continued his special training day and night. After Friday afternoon’s practice ended, the coaching staff pulled him aside for a private talk and told him he’d made the game roster for Saturday afternoon.

The person who informed him was Dick Van Puer, assistant to head coach John Reep and also the head coach of the Baken Academy team.

"We’ve all been very surprised by the progress you’ve shown in training recently. Considering the team’s current situation, Mr. Reep and I have jointly decided to put you on the roster for tomorrow afternoon’s match."

When Yang Yang heard the news, he was completely stunned.

He had been in Almere for almost a year but had never once played for Baken Academy. This was a first.

Dick Van Puer found Yang Yang’s reaction to be completely normal. While he agreed with John Reep’s assessment that it would be difficult for Yang Yang to stay at Almere, he still held a great deal of admiration for the admirably stubborn young man.

With an attitude like his, even if he didn’t make it on the soccer field, he would sooner or later build a successful career in another industry.

"Alright, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I’ll decide whether or not to put you in based on the situation on the field," Van Puer said with a smile, patting Yang Yang’s shoulder encouragingly. "You know as well as I do, Omni-Bass is no weak opponent."

Although Almere had risen quickly, the club was less than seven years old and its foundations were still weak. It relied heavily on John Reep’s influence and connections, which was why the club chairman had granted him full authority over the team. Youth training, however, was one of Almere’s major shortcomings.

Becoming a satellite club for Ajax and receiving support for their youth training had only happened in the last year or two. It was still too early to see any results. To date, not a single youth player from Almere had ever made it into the Ajax Youth Academy.

This year, Henk Demyer was hailed as the most promising candidate. He was the team’s core midfielder with the best technique.

"Prepare well." With a smile, Van Puer left him with those words and departed.

Yang Yang stood there in disbelief. ’Am I really going to play in a match?’

"It’s not that easy. Don’t overthink it," Old Ice’s emotionless voice sounded in his mind.

"What?"

"You were put on the roster mainly because your team has had a lot of injuries recently, and the defensive line is stretched thin."

"The defensive line?" Yang Yang was taken aback. He was a forward, or a right midfielder at the very least.

"Probably because you’ve been doing a good job tackling and winning the ball lately."

Yang Yang couldn’t help but give a wry smile. He had always played as a forward back home and had considered himself a forward ever since coming to the Netherlands. But now he was being asked to switch to the defensive line. Could he even do it?

But he had no choice. If he wanted to play, he had to follow the coaching staff’s arrangements. Forget playing defense; even if they asked him to be the Goalkeeper, he could only obey.

Of course, for Yang Yang, just getting to play was a form of progress.

"Given your current situation, you do need to be tempered by real matches. This is an opportunity. We’re changing the training plan. Tonight, you’ll start learning Star Skills," Old Ice said suddenly.

"Star Skills?" Yang Yang was overjoyed.

This was something he had always dreamed of.

......

......

The A6 Motorway is the main thoroughfare connecting Almere to Amsterdam. Exit five is located right in the heart of the city, and just north of the exit lies Almere Auto City.

Shen’s Chinese Restaurant was situated between the Auto City and the dense residential area to the north, with a large, open lot for parking out front.

Every evening, as night fell, the traffic from people returning from work in Amsterdam and the Auto City would quickly fill the parking lot. This was also the busiest time of day for Shen’s Chinese Restaurant.

After school, Yang Yang juggled a soccer ball all the way to the Chinese restaurant. He entered the kitchen through the back door, where his uncle Shen Ming’s family was already in the thick of it. His cousin, Shen Yuzhu, who was fluent in Dutch, handled taking orders and payments. His aunt, Zhang Lan, and another Chinese woman served food and wiped down tables. In the sweltering kitchen, his uncle Shen Ming and two assistant cooks were already drenched in sweat.

As soon as he entered the restaurant, Yang Yang instinctively put down his backpack and soccer ball and began to help out, seating guests and seeing them off.

During mealtimes, the restaurant was like a warzone, with everyone racing against the clock. This was typical of the restaurant industry. It was profitable, with good margins, but the work was grueling. Outside of the dinner rush, they were busy with prep work, working from dawn till dusk without a moment’s rest.

Only after the rush was over did they have time to eat. They always made a simple meal of three dishes and a soup from the day’s leftovers. The owner and employees would gather around a table, eating and laughing together.

While they were eating, Yang Yang told them about being put on the game roster for tomorrow. His uncle, Shen Ming, cheered loudly when he heard the news. "I don’t know much about soccer, but it looks like your hard work this past year hasn’t been for nothing."

Shen Ming still felt a bit guilty for suggesting his nephew come to the Netherlands to play soccer. He was well aware of the difficulties Yang Yang had faced. Now, hearing that Yang Yang had made the roster, he was just as overjoyed.

"How about this? Tomorrow is Saturday, so we won’t have many customers. I suggest we all go to the game to cheer for Yang Yang. What do you think?"

His uncle’s suggestion immediately got the approval of his aunt and cousin. They were both very fond of Yang Yang and took good care of him.

"Uncle, I only made the roster. I might not get a chance to play," Yang Yang said, a little uneasy. He was afraid his uncle’s family was getting their hopes up too high. After all, he wouldn’t be in the starting lineup, and who knew if he’d even come on as a substitute?

"Don’t worry. Just making the roster means you have a chance. If you don’t play this match, there’s always the next one. As our ancestors said, persistence pays off. Uncle believes you can definitely do it."

"That’s right, Yang Yang. I believe in you, too."

Yang Yang was very moved.

His uncle’s family had no sons, so they had always doted on Yang Yang, treating him as if he were their own son. It had cost them a lot to bring him to the Netherlands, and he was well aware of how much they cared for and looked after him.

"I understand. I’ll work hard not to disappoint you!" Yang Yang said with determination.

......

......

After dinner, Shen Ming shooed Yang Yang home, telling him not to help clean up so he could focus on preparing for tomorrow’s match.

Yang Yang’s mind was on the Star Skills in the Super Training, so he didn’t argue. He went straight home, showered, and lay down on his bed. He quickly fell asleep and arrived at the Super Training.

Old Ice was clearly ready and waiting for his arrival.

The training field was once again surrounded by star players, even more than Yang Yang had seen last time. It was said to have gathered all the superstars from past and present—not just forwards, midfielders, and defenders, but even Goalkeepers.

"Based on my scan of your body, you have a typical East Asian physique. Your strength is relatively low, you’re only 176 centimeters tall, and although you’re still in your developmental phase, you’re not suited to be a power-type player. Your fundamentals are also poor. Therefore, for now, I recommend you pursue the path of a speed-type player."

"Mm," Yang Yang nodded. This fit with his own assessment of himself.

In terms of physical attributes, there was still a significant gap between him and his Dutch teammates of the same age.

Even a technical player like Henk Demyer was very strong in physical confrontations.

"You can choose any Star Skill you want from them, but I must remind you that learning too many is not necessarily a good thing. Especially given your current condition, learning a wide variety might actually be detrimental. My advice is to specialize in one first, and then gradually learn others later."

Yang Yang understood. It was like the sayings: "don’t bite off more than you can chew," and "quality over quantity."

Learning a Star Skill in the Super Training wasn’t difficult; it just required hard work and practice. But mastering it to the point where he could use it freely in a real match was another matter entirely.

With his current level of fundamentals, even learning a single Star Skill would be a struggle. If he tried to learn too many, he would just get distracted, which wouldn’t do his future development any good.

Walking onto the Super Training field, Yang Yang’s gaze swept over the holographic figures of the surrounding star players. Each one had been a top superstar, the hottest on the planet in their prime. Every one of their Star Skills had once dominated World Football, making them invincible. They were priceless treasures he had always dreamed of, but now, he had to make a choice.

Although he might be asked to play on the defensive line in this upcoming match, Yang Yang was certain that what he really wanted was an attacking role in the midfield or up front. As a speed-type offensive player, he automatically ignored physically strong stars like Vieri and focused more on speed-type attackers. What attracted him most were Maradona’s dribbling, Zidane’s passing and control, Cruyff’s turn, Ronaldo’s explosive runs, Pele’s sense of rhythm, Van Basten’s shooting, and Bergkamp’s first touch.

From a practical standpoint, all of these would be incredibly useful.

In the World Cup in France, Zidane led the France Team to victory through his own exceptional individual skill. The superstar’s passing and ball control were beyond question. Many people praised his elegant style of play, but few realized that his elegance was only possible because of his extraordinary footwork.

The King of Football, Maradona, also had world-shocking dribbling skills. He single-handedly led Naples to a championship and Argentina to a World Cup title. While many people disapproved of his personality and behavior, no one could deny his superhuman performance and impact on the soccer field.

As for superstars like Pele, Cruyff, Ronaldo, Van Basten, and Bergkamp, little needed to be said. Everyone knew how powerful they were. To learn their signature skills—even just scratching the surface—would be enough to benefit Yang Yang for a lifetime and allow him to dominate on the pitch.

But none of these were necessarily suitable for the current Yang Yang.

His problem right now was that his fundamentals were too poor. Therefore, Star Skills like Zidane’s passing and control, Maradona’s dribbling, and Bergkamp’s first touch were clearly not suitable for him at the moment. After all, they all required incredibly solid fundamentals to be effective.

After eliminating those, there weren’t many suitable Star Skills left for him.

So, very quickly, Yang Yang made his decision.