Eindhoven?

After the first match against AS80 in the City Derby, the celebratory banquet was held at Shen's Chinese Restaurant. Perhaps Shen Ming's cooking really was that good, or perhaps everyone felt the place brought them good luck. Before they knew it, they had all started treating Shen's Chinese Restaurant as their meeting place.

Whenever night fell, Almere's players would start drifting here, intentionally or otherwise. They did not go inside, but consistently claimed a table in a corner of the courtyard, gathering together to eat, drink tea, and chat.

As soon as he finished with the dinner rush and had eaten his own meal, Yang Yang would come out to keep them company.

Gradually, business at Shen's Chinese Restaurant actually grew better and better, and more and more locals began to enjoy dining there.

So Shen Ming and Yang Yang discussed it and simply set aside that corner exclusively for Almere's players.

Tonight, when Henk Dimer arrived, Nick and four others had already settled into the Almere section with their tea. Yang Yang, however, had finished dinner and was sitting inside the restaurant, staring blankly at the dozen or so business cards stacked before him.

They were all business cards left by scouts who had visited that day. Yang Yang studied them carefully. There was Henk Vonk from Utrecht, Michel Becks from Feyenoord, and scouts from several other teams, including Alkmaar and Roda JC.

But the two that drew Yang Yang's greatest attention were from Eindhoven: Karas van Balen and Pete Deviser.

Karas van Balen's card listed him as a scout, but Pete Deviser's said Chief Scout.

What did that mean?

"Cousin, do you know these people?" his older cousin Shen Yuzhu asked with concern.

She did not know much about football, but she at least knew that behind these business cards were major teams from the Eredivisie and Dutch Second Division. Any one of them was bigger and stronger than Almere.

She did not understand the specifics, but she could vaguely guess that Yang Yang's performances in the amateur league had attracted the attention of many major clubs. Before, the question had been whether he could remain at Almere. Now, it was probably whether he wanted to stay at Almere—and even which club he should join to enjoy better development.

Sometimes, when she thought about it, she could not help but marvel at how quickly things changed. Who could have imagined that Yang Yang would come this far?

If her cousin could become a famous Dutch star, she, as his older cousin, would share in the glory.

Yang Yang naturally had no idea what Shen Yuzhu was thinking. He shook his head. He knew nothing about these names. The only thing he knew was which teams they represented, but even so, he was completely confused.

This was the first time he had felt that he needed to find a reliable agent as soon as possible.

At the very least, he needed a professional beside him to offer advice and help him understand his current situation.

"What should we do now?" Shen Yuzhu asked.

Many scouts had come to visit that day—more than ten groups in all. Every group seemed extremely sincere. Should they call them back? If they did not, would they offend them?

Yang Yang gave a wry smile. "I don't know either."

This probably counted as a happy dilemma.

"Forget it. I'll keep the cards here for now. I'll find out more and then we'll talk."

It seemed he should find a chance to ask John Rep. After all, he had been a professional player and was also the team's Head Coach, so he should have a better understanding of the current football landscape.

Once he had made up his mind, Yang Yang put away the business cards and walked out of the restaurant. Henk Dimer and Nick immediately waved and called him over.

The match had ended yesterday, and today should be when the sixth-round draw was announced. Who would Almere face?

Whatever the case, the opponent would certainly be stronger than Volendam.

Almere had already struggled so much against Volendam. The sixth-round opponent would probably be even more dangerous.

Just then, a commotion came from the restaurant entrance.

Yang Yang looked up and saw Head Coach John Rep walking into the courtyard from a distance with a smile.

He was a famous figure in Almere, and this was also his first visit to Shen's Chinese Restaurant. Everyone nearby was secretly astonished, and even Yang Yang himself was somewhat taken aback.

How could the restaurant's customers miss such a good opportunity? They immediately crowded around him, some asking for photographs and others for autographs. They surrounded John Rep so tightly that no one could get through. The scene made Yang Yang, Henk Dimer, and the others extremely envious.

He had been a Dutch international, a right winger of European caliber, and Almere's great contributor over the past seven years. His standing in the fans' hearts was simply beyond anything people like them could compare with.

After finally escaping the fans, Shen Ming received word and came out to welcome him, greeting John Rep warmly.

Almere's Head Coach had come in person. This would greatly raise Shen's Chinese Restaurant's profile. Shen Ming also understood that John Rep, Henk Dimer, and the other players had clearly come because of his nephew.

He had never expected that being good at football could actually boost the business at his Chinese restaurant.

Knowing that Almere's people had things to discuss, Shen Ming warmly welcomed everyone and brought out his treasured tea before returning to the restaurant.

"The draw results are out."

Once there were no outsiders, Henk Dimer immediately got to the point.

"Our sixth-round opponent is far stronger than Volendam."

Everyone knew that already. By the sixth round of the amateur league, only eight teams remained. Almere was the only third-tier team; all the others were teams with excellent youth systems from the Eredivisie or Dutch Second Division. Whoever they faced would be incredibly difficult.

"Who is it?" Yang Yang asked.

"Ajax."

"What?" Everyone drew in a sharp breath.

Ajax was one of the favorites in the amateur league. Players such as Babel, Amrabat, and Maduro were either First Team players or on the verge of becoming First Team players. Many even felt that if this team were placed in the Eredivisie, it would have no trouble avoiding relegation.

No one had expected Almere to draw this giant so soon.

Yang Yang glanced around and saw that everyone looked dejected. His heart stirred. Losing confidence before the match had even begun was unacceptable.

"All right, everyone. Ajax isn't invincible. We may not be without a chance."

Everyone immediately looked toward Yang Yang.

"Over the past five rounds, every match has been incredibly difficult. AS80, Vlaferlants, and Volendam—which of those opponents wasn't stronger than us? Volendam even had several Ajax youth players in the squad. How much stronger were they than us? But what was the result?"

Hearing that, everyone recovered some of their morale and confidence.

Who could deny it?

Almere had made it this far by overcoming stronger opponents one match after another.

Last night's match against Volendam was the best example.

John Rep, who had remained silent until then, gave Yang Yang an approving look before nodding. "Yang Yang is right. Ajax isn't unbeatable. Whatever happens, as long as we give it everything we have, we can face the result with a clear conscience."

Since even the Head Coach had said that, everyone agreed and nodded. Still, they remained somewhat uneasy inside. That could only be dealt with through adjustments over the next few days.

Since the sixth round would be a home match, John Rep said that he and Dick Van Pool would make time to lead the team in training over the next few days. They would rehearse defensive-counterattacking tactics aimed at Ajax, and he would personally direct the match as well.

That undoubtedly gave everyone another boost of confidence and fighting spirit.

Having said everything that needed to be said, John Rep did not linger. He rose to leave, but before departing, he asked Yang Yang to see him out.

The two walked side by side out of the courtyard. As they headed toward the parking lot, John Rep asked about Yang Yang's recent situation with concern.

"I heard that a lot of scouts have been contacting you lately?" John Rep asked tentatively.

Yang Yang did not know where the Head Coach had heard the news. As he nodded, he took the stack of business cards from his pocket. John Rep was startled when he saw them; he had not expected there to be more than ten groups.

The moment he saw the stack of cards, John Rep knew that Almere probably could not keep Yang Yang.

A small temple could not contain a great Buddha. The Yang Yang of today was no longer someone Almere could hold on to.

Yang Yang had already wanted to ask John Rep about some things, so he took the opportunity to voice his doubts.

"I don't know exactly how these clubs view you, so I can't say much. But look at these two from Eindhoven."

John Rep took Karas van Balen's and Pete Deviser's cards from the stack.

"Karas van Balen is an Eindhoven scout responsible for the North Holland region. There's nothing strange about him contacting you. But Pete Deviser is Eindhoven's Chief Scout. That makes things much more significant."

"What do you mean?"

"According to the usual process, Karas van Balen would notice you first, then submit a scouting report and recommend you to Pete Deviser. Once he approved, Pete Deviser would personally assess you. After that, Eindhoven's youth director, Frank Arnesen, would evaluate you. If they felt it necessary, Arnesen might even come in person, and members of the First Team coaching staff might accompany him."

Yang Yang was not familiar with the process Dutch clubs used to evaluate players. Hearing John Rep explain it, he felt that having Pete Deviser come personally and leave his business card meant he was already very close to Eindhoven.

"Although you haven't signed a professional contract with Almere yet, you are still one of our Youth Training Players. They haven't formally contacted us, so you're probably still in the assessment stage. But if you're interested in joining Eindhoven, calling him now would greatly improve your chances."

As John Rep spoke, his eyes remained fixed on Yang Yang's expression, as though trying to find some clue there. Instead, he found that Yang Yang seemed completely unaffected, still wearing a calm expression.

His mental strength really is impressive!

What he did not know was that although Yang Yang showed no reaction on the surface, a storm had already erupted in his heart.

Eindhoven, champions of last season's Eredivisie. Their Head Coach, Hiddink, was a household name in China. They had two Asian players, as well as famous European stars such as Kezman, Robben, and Van Bommel.

More importantly, Ronaldo had launched his European League career from Eindhoven and gone on to shock the entire world.

Following his idol's path to success was a dream so wonderful that Yang Yang had never even dared imagine it.

He was almost dazed by this pie that had suddenly fallen from the sky.

Should he join Eindhoven?

Yang Yang's heart was moved.