Eindhoven

Since the first City Derby against AS80, the victory banquet had been held at Shen's Chinese Restaurant. Maybe because Shen Ming's cooking was genuinely good, or maybe everyone felt it brought them luck, they'd unconsciously made Shen's Chinese Restaurant their gathering spot.

As night fell, Almere's players would start drifting over, not going inside but claiming a fixed table in a corner of the courtyard, where they'd sit together drinking tea and chatting.

Once the dinner rush was over and he'd finished his meal, Yang Yang would come out to join them.

Gradually, Shen's Chinese Restaurant's business kept getting better, with more and more locals starting to enjoy eating there.

So Shen Ming and Yang Yang talked it over and decided to set aside that corner area exclusively for Almere's players.

Tonight, when Henk Dimer arrived, Nick and the other four had already brewed tea in the Almere section, while Yang Yang, after dinner, stood inside the restaurant staring blankly at a dozen or so business cards stacked in front of him.

These were the cards left by today's visiting scouts. Yang Yang looked them over carefully—there was Henk Vonk from Utrecht, Michel Becks from Feyenoord, and scouts from Alkmaar, Roda JC, and several other teams.

But what caught his attention most were two cards: Karas van Balen and Pete Deviser from Eindhoven.

Karas van Balen's card read "Scout," but Pete Deviser's read "Chief Scout."

What did that mean?

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

She didn't know much about football, but she at least understood that behind those cards were big clubs from the Eredivisie and Dutch Second Division—any one of them bigger and stronger than Almere.

She didn't grasp the specifics, but she vaguely guessed that with her cousin's performances in the amateur tournament, he'd caught the attention of many big clubs. Before, the worry was whether he could stay at Almere; now, it was whether he should stay at Almere, or even which team to join for better development.

Sometimes she couldn't help marveling at how things changed—who would've thought Yang Yang would reach this point?

If her cousin became a famous Dutch star, she'd share in that pride as his cousin.

Yang Yang naturally didn't know what his cousin was thinking. He shook his head—he knew nothing about these names. The only thing he recognized was the teams behind them, but he was still completely in the dark.

This was the first time he felt he should find a reliable agent as soon as possible.

At the very least, having a professional to help him figure things out and clarify his current situation.

"So what do we do now?" his cousin asked.

So many scouts had come today—over a dozen groups—and each one seemed enthusiastic. Should he call them back? If he didn't, would he offend them?

Yang Yang smiled bitterly. "I don't know either."

This was probably a happy kind of trouble.

"Forget it, leave the cards with me for now. I'll look into things later."

He'd have to find a chance to ask John Rep. As a former professional player and the team's Head Coach, he should know the current football landscape well.

Making up his mind, Yang Yang put the cards away and walked out of the restaurant. Henk Dimer and Nick immediately waved him over.

Yesterday's match was over, and today the draw results should be out. Who would Almere's sixth-round opponent be?

But no matter what, the opponent would definitely be stronger than Volendam.

If they'd struggled that much against Volendam, the sixth-round opponent would 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 with a smile from a distance.

This was a celebrity in Almere, and it was his first time at Shen's Chinese Restaurant. Not only were the people around stunned, but even Yang Yang was caught off guard.

Many diners in the restaurant wouldn't miss such an opportunity. They immediately swarmed around him, asking for photos and autographs, crowding John Rep so tightly that Yang Yang, Henk Dimer, and the others watched with envy.

He was a former Dutch International, a European-class Right Winger, and Almere's biggest contributor over the past seven years. His weight in the fans' hearts was nothing like theirs.

After finally shaking off the fans, Shen Ming, who'd gotten word, came out to greet him warmly.

The arrival of Almere's Head Coach would greatly boost Shen's Chinese Restaurant's reputation, and Shen Ming knew full well that both John Rep and players like Henk Dimer were clearly here for his nephew.

He'd never imagined that playing football well could also drive business at his restaurant.

Knowing the Almere group had things to discuss, Shen Ming warmly welcomed everyone, brought out his finest tea, and then went back inside.

"The draw results are out."

With no outsiders left, Henk Dimer got straight to the point.

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

Everyone knew that. By the sixth round of the amateur tournament, only eight teams remained. Almere was the only third-tier team; the rest were clubs with strong youth academies from the Eredivisie and Dutch Second Division. Whoever they faced, it would be tough.

"Who is it?" Yang Yang asked.

"Ajax."

"What?" Everyone gasped.

Ajax was the big favorite in the amateur tournament. Players like Babel, Amrabat, and Maduro were first-team or near-first-team caliber. Many felt that even in the Eredivisie, this team could avoid relegation.

They hadn't expected Almere to draw this giant so soon.

Yang Yang scanned the group and saw everyone looking dejected. His heart stirred—getting scared before the fight wouldn't do.

"Alright, everyone, Ajax isn't invincible. We might not be without a chance."

Everyone turned to look at Yang Yang.

"Over these past five rounds, every match has been a struggle. AS80, Vlaferlants, Volendam—which of those opponents wasn't stronger than us? Volendam even had several Ajax youth players on their team, way better than us. And what happened?"

Everyone's spirits and confidence picked up again at that.

Wasn't that the truth?

Hadn't Almere made it this far precisely by winning one match after another as the underdog?

Last night's game against Volendam was the perfect example.

John Rep, who had remained silent all along, gave Yang Yang an appreciative look and nodded. "Yang Yang is right. Ajax isn't invincible. No matter what, as long as we give it our all, we'll have no regrets whether we win or lose."

Since the Head Coach said so, everyone agreed and nodded, but there was still some unease in their hearts. That could only be resolved through the next few days of adjustment.

Because the sixth round was a home game, John Rep stated that he and Dick Van Pool would find time over the next few days to lead the team in training, drilling some defensive counterattack tactics specifically for Ajax, and he would also personally direct that match.

That undoubtedly boosted everyone's confidence and fighting spirit once more.

Having said what needed to be said, John Rep didn't linger and stood up to leave, but before going, he asked Yang Yang to see him out.

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

"I've heard that a lot of scouts have been contacting you?" John Rep probed.

Yang Yang didn't know where the Head Coach had gotten that information, but as he nodded, he pulled out that stack of business cards from his pocket, which actually startled John Rep—he hadn't expected there to be over a dozen groups.

Seeing that stack of cards, John Rep knew in his heart that Yang Yang was probably no longer someone they could keep.

A small temple couldn't hold a great Buddha; the current Yang Yang was already beyond what Almere could retain.

Yang Yang had originally intended to ask John Rep about some things, so he took this opportunity to voice his doubts directly.

"I don't know exactly how these teams feel about you, and I can't say much, but look at these two from Eindhoven."

John Rep picked out the two business cards of Karas van Balen and Pete Deviser from the stack.

"Karas van Balen is a scout for Eindhoven, covering the North Holland region. It's not surprising he contacted you, but Pete Deviser is Eindhoven's Chief Scout—that's no small matter."

"What do you mean?"

"By procedure, Karas van Balen would have to notice you first, then submit a scouting report recommending you to Pete Deviser. After approval, Pete Deviser would personally evaluate you, followed by an assessment from Eindhoven's youth training director, Frank Arnesen. If they deem it necessary, Arnesen might even come himself, and the First Team coaching staff might send someone along too."

Yang Yang wasn't familiar with the process of Dutch teams evaluating players, but hearing John Rep explain it now, the fact that Pete Deviser had come in person and left his card meant he was already very close to Eindhoven.

"Even though you haven't signed a professional contract with us at Almere, you're still our Youth Training Player. They haven't formally contacted us yet, so they're probably still in the evaluation phase. But if you're interested in joining Eindhoven, calling him now would greatly increase your chances."

As John Rep spoke, his eyes kept watching Yang Yang's expression, as if trying to find some clue on his face, but he found that Yang Yang seemed completely unresponsive, still wearing that calm look.

What mental fortitude!

But what he didn't know was that while Yang Yang's face showed no reaction, a storm was raging inside him.

Eindhoven—last season's Dutch First Division champions, with Head Coach Hiddink well-known in China, two Asian players on the team, and European stars like Kezman, Robben, and Van Bommel.

More importantly, Ronaldo had once landed in the European League through Eindhoven and shocked the world.

Following in the footsteps of his idol's career path was something Yang Yang wouldn't even dare to dream of.

He was almost stunned by this sudden windfall.

Should he join Eindhoven?

Yang Yang was tempted.