While Ajax's early escape from the group of death sent shock waves around the world, Yang Yang remained calm.
Internally, he warned his team not to let their guard down, because the final round still posed a challenge.
Having failed to beat Bayern Munich at home, Ajax led the Bundesliga giants by just one point. That made the final group match crucial: only a win over Inter Milan would guarantee Ajax top spot.
But that would be difficult, not only because they were playing away, but also because Militão, their first-choice center-back this season, was suspended after his red card.
Yang Yang encouraged his players, telling them that reaching the knockout rounds was only the beginning. Securing first place would put them in a better position for the round of sixteen, because it would mean facing relatively weaker opposition.
"I'm fully confident that this team can keep moving forward and achieve even better results!"
Yang Yang's words gave the Ajax players a huge boost in confidence.
Meanwhile, Wei Zheng began discussing plans with the Supervisory Board to implement the agreement signed years earlier. Much of it involved confidential matters, so little information reached the outside world. Most of the work took place behind closed doors, and word would probably only get out once Ajax began the delisting process.
Under that agreement, Yang Yang would buy all the remaining shares in Ajax for one hundred million euros.
That had been a substantial sum three years ago, but now it was an absolute bargain.
The club's public relations team also began preparing to handle the public response after the takeover. Menno Geelen and the public relations expert Yang Yang had recruited from France Football Magazine years earlier had already drawn up a detailed plan, aiming to ensure a smooth transition before and