Surprise

After the assessment results were announced, the youth team officially kicked off their summer break and disbanded on the spot.

Yang Yang jogged south, dribbling a ball, feeling incredibly light on his feet. Every step landed with precision, every touch on the ball was perfect.

He knew that was partly psychological, but his whole body truly felt unburdened.

As he passed the Skate Park, he deliberately detoured into the skating area. Partly to see the Graffiti Wall that had kept him company for over a month, but also hoping to catch another glimpse of Louis van Gaal.

He really wanted to have a proper chat with the world-renowned coach.

Funny thing was, after knowing him this long, he didn't even know the man's name. Every meeting was just a few exchanged words, and their deepest bond was probably that bottle of water—what a missed opportunity.

But unfortunately, after practicing in the skating area for a while, van Gaal never showed up again.

Yang Yang let out a regretful sigh. Maybe he'd already left Almere.

Leaving the Skate Park, he headed south, passed the Aminiga Villa District, and soon reached Car City.

But when he got to the back door of the Chinese Restaurant, he suddenly changed his mind. Deciding to surprise his uncle and the others, he stopped, composed himself, made sure no hint of his news showed on his face, and then stepped into the kitchen.

It wasn't mealtime yet, but Uncle Shen Ming was already busy with the chefs, prepping the evening dishes. Some dishes that needed long cooking times had to go on the stove early, or they'd never be ready in time.

Knowing Yang Yang had gone for his assessment today, Shen Ming saw him come in through the back door with a blank expression. Sweating profusely in the kitchen, he thought, Oh no, and quickly stepped out.

"How'd it go? What's the result?" his uncle asked, wiping his hands, concern in his voice.

He looked just like a parent anxious about their kid's final exam grades.

Yang Yang furrowed his brow slightly, putting on a troubled look. He stayed silent for a long moment, then let out a long sigh.

"Tch." His uncle sighed too. "It's okay, keep trying. Even if you can't stay in Almere, there are other teams. With how you've been playing, plenty of clubs will be interested."

He assumed Yang Yang had bombed the assessment and been cut by Almere.

Just then, his aunt and cousin heard the commotion and came into the kitchen. Seeing Shen Ming and Yang Yang's expressions, they understood without a word. They didn't say much, just felt a pang of disappointment.

They'd all seen how hard Yang Yang had worked over the past month. They'd thought his good performance in the matches would lead to a decent result, but it seemed it wasn't meant to be.

"It's fine, Yang Yang. Keep at it."

"Yeah, if it really doesn't work out, I'll talk to your mom. You can stay in the Netherlands to study. Your grades are pretty good, right? Keep studying here, aim for a good university, and come back as a returnee—that's respectable too."

His cousin and aunt's care was written all over their faces. Yang Yang was deeply moved and decided to reveal the truth. He burst into loud, hearty laughter.

Shen Ming and his family were feeling sorry for Yang Yang, but when he suddenly laughed so joyfully, they exchanged confused glances. Could he be so upset that he was laughing at himself?

"Uncle, Aunt, Cousin—I passed the assessment." Yang Yang spread his hands and announced it with no small amount of pride.

"What?"

"You passed?"

"Hey, you little brat..."

The three of them finally realized they'd been had by this rascal.

He'd deliberately messed with them.

His uncle raised his hand as if to swat him, but Yang Yang just chuckled and didn't dodge. He knew his uncle wouldn't actually hit him.

Sure enough, the raised hand came down gently on Yang Yang's shoulder.

"You little punk, messing with your own uncle. You're asking for it."

"Right, and here I thought you were about to cry with that face. Turns out you were just acting."

"Yang Yang, your cousin's not kidding—you could win an Oscar."

His uncle threw an arm around Yang Yang's shoulder, beaming from ear to ear. "Come on, kid, spill it. What's the result?"

"Just happened to get first place."

"Huh?"

Shen Ming and the others froze for a second, then burst into laughter. His cousin pointed at him, laughing exaggeratedly. "Yang Yang, forget football—you should go to Hollywood to act, or go back to Beijing to do stand-up. My stomach hurts from laughing."

Who would believe he got first? And "just happened to"?

"See? Reality is always stranger than fiction or movies." Yang Yang shrugged with a smug look.

Not only had he passed the assessment, but he'd also taken first place, earning a spot in Ajax's Talent Day selection. Yang Yang felt completely at ease. Around his family, he let his playful side show, cracking rare jokes.

After their laughter died down, Shen Ming and the others noticed Yang Yang still looked dead serious. They straightened up.

"Did you... really get first?"

"True as pearls."

"How?"

"How should I know? Just took the test and got first." Yang Yang grinned cheekily.

Shen Ming nearly kicked him for being such a show-off. Was getting first place really worth all this bragging?

But... maybe it wasn't easy.

He'd seen everything Yang Yang had been through over the past year. He'd felt the kid's pain too. Seeing the once cheerful, confident boy suddenly turn quiet and withdrawn had weighed on him.

Thankfully, over the past month, Yang Yang had regained his confidence. And they could feel the pride and joy radiating from him now—especially the flash of his white teeth when he smiled, like they were glowing.

Aunt and cousin believed it too—they knew Yang Yang wouldn't lie about something like this. Besides, his joy couldn't be faked; it came from the heart, leaving them no choice but to believe.

After a round of congratulations, Uncle quickly wiped the smile off his face, looked gravely at Yang Yang, and advised him earnestly, "You know very well how hard it was to get first place this time."

Yang Yang nodded. This was the result of his relentless day-and-night practice over the past month, and he had nothing to be proud of. When it came down to it, he'd only benefited from the assessment system; in pure ability, he still fell short of Henk Dimer and the others, especially in fundamentals.

This first place was an affirmation, but also a push and encouragement.

"You're a smart kid. You know the saying: humility reaps benefits, arrogance invites loss. Almere is just a small club in a small Dutch town. Getting first place and moving into the First Team isn't that big a deal. There's always a higher mountain, a better man. Stay grounded, understand?"

Yang Yang was deeply moved and nodded. "I understand, Uncle."

With his parents far away, Uncle had raised him like a son since childhood, so these words were meant to guide him.

"Now that you've got first place, you'll be heading to Ajax's Talent Day, right?" Uncle smiled again.

If word got out, the neighbors would be green with envy.

"Cousin, cousin, listen to me." Cousin immediately leaned in to cozy up. "You're going to Ajax's Talent Day, right?"

"Yeah."

"Get me Van der Vaart's autograph. If you can snag a photo together, even better."

Van der Vaart was the hottest young star in the Netherlands and Europe right now, hailed as the standout of the new Dutch Three Musketeers and Ajax's second captain. He was worshipped by countless fans at home, especially female ones.

Why? Van der Vaart was handsome—the type who could coast on looks but chose to rely on talent, and to make it worse, he was a genius player. He had all the luck.

Not long ago, his relationship with famous Dutch TV host Sylvie had been splashed all over the papers, making the beautiful and sexy Sylvie an instant celebrity and the focus of all Dutch media.

Van der Vaart and Sylvie were hailed as the Netherlands' Beckham and Victoria.

"I'll try my best," Yang Yang had to agree.

He wasn't sure he'd even get to see Van der Vaart, and he felt a bit resistant. A sixteen-year-old fan asking a twenty-year-old Van der Vaart for an autograph? That was awkward.

"Alright, go call your parents and give them the good news." After a pause, Uncle patted Yang Yang's shoulder lightly. "When you get back, we'll have a drink together to celebrate."

"Uncle, I can't drink," Yang Yang reminded him.

"Then drink plain water—plenty of it." Cousin Shen Yuzhu laughed, stirring up trouble.

Back home, his parents were shocked that his skills had improved so dramatically, landing him first place in Almere's semester assessment. They were skeptical at first, but after asking in detail, they were thrilled for Yang Yang.

Though they hadn't wanted him to play soccer, since he was already doing it and doing well, they could only support him.

Still, they repeatedly urged Yang Yang to stay humble and warned him to keep up with his academics, no matter what, and make sure to get into university.

They knew how brutal professional leagues could be. Even if he played for Almere and they got promoted to the Dutch Second Division, so what? Could Yang Yang guarantee his future?

Pro players lived off their youth; lower-league players didn't make much money, barely enough to support themselves. So they still hoped he'd go to university, learn a skill, and have better prospects when he returned to China.

Yang Yang understood his parents' hopes and agreed readily, confident he could manage—his memory was now superhuman, almost photographic.

After the call, he went to help at his uncle's restaurant. After the meal rush, the family and a few workers gathered for a drink to celebrate. Yang Yang was the center of congratulations, drinking plain water until he was bloated.

Over the next two days, Yang Yang skipped school and team practice. Every night, he trained in the Super Training Ground, and most of the day, he practiced at the Skate Park, only helping at the restaurant during evening meals. His days were packed and fulfilling.

Then, on the afternoon of the third day, Henk Dimer and the others came looking for him.

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