Awakened

"God, did you see that?"

"Am I seeing this right?"

"That Chinese kid actually stole the ball from Henk Dimer? How is that possible?"

"Our most promising young talent, the one with the best chance of entering Ajax's Youth Training Camp, actually got dispossessed?"

"I must be dreaming. That kid actually won the ball."

"I can't believe it. This is unbelievable."

The fans gathered along the sidelines erupted into an uproar.

They had been coldly watching Almere's training for quite some time. Many had even treated Yang Yang's predicament as a source of amusement. No one could have imagined that Yang Yang would actually steal the ball—and from Henk Dimer, no less.

It had to be a coincidence.

Yes, it had to be luck.

On the training ground, Henk Dimer was absolutely furious. He glared at Yang Yang, practically jumping with rage.

He never would have imagined that this useless coward, whom he had always looked down on, would make him embarrass himself in front of everyone today—especially in front of Mr. John Rep on the sideline.

That damn bastard!

Henk Dimer swept his fierce gaze over his teammates. They all nodded knowingly. No matter how unwilling he was, he had no choice but to obediently step into the circle and play the monkey being toyed with.

Yang Yang, however, did not think about any of that. After winning what should have been a deeply satisfying ball, he was not excited in the slightest. Instead, he fell into thought, pondering how he had managed to steal it.

In the past, he had possessed no concept of position or space. Standing inside the circle, he only knew how to chase after the ball nonstop. But people could never run faster than the ball, so all he had done was repeatedly waste his energy on futile efforts.

With God's Perspective assisting him, however, he could clearly determine who had the ball and which passing lanes were available. He had used a feint to block part of the opponent's passing options, forcing him to pass toward Dimer's side. That had played right into Yang Yang's trap.

"Old Bing, was my judgment correct?" Yang Yang asked humbly in his mind.

"More or less. You're finally starting to understand how to play football," Old Bing said flatly.

Though it was not direct praise, it was still rare, indirect approval. Yang Yang was delighted. He became even more certain that he was on the right track and decided to keep doing the same from then on.

The keep-away game began again.

Henk Dimer, the most technically gifted and strongest player on the team, had actually appeared inside the circle, which was quite a novelty.

At Dimer's hint, his teammates began deliberately passing the ball to Yang Yang. Seeking revenge, Dimer also chased after Yang Yang, with only one goal in mind: to send the monkey back into the circle.

Sure enough, after only two or three passes, Yang Yang miscontrolled the ball again, and it was stolen.

Whether it was John Rep on the sideline or the watching fans, everyone covered their faces, unable to bear looking. They felt embarrassed for having overestimated Yang Yang just now. The kid's fundamentals were still as disastrously poor as ever.

But unlike his usual gloomy expression, Yang Yang was actually in a good mood this time, as though he had been looking forward to it for ages. Without waiting for the coach on the sideline to give instructions, he eagerly returned to the circle on his own.

They had no idea that he was anxious to verify his judgment and see what he had gained.

Back in his familiar position, Yang Yang quickly found his rhythm. This time, he had come prepared. In less than a minute, he spotted another opportunity, used the same feint, and lured his teammate into passing.

Perhaps because of their habitual reliance from playing together, or for some other reason, the teammate's target was once again Henk Dimer. Before the youth-team captain had even brought the ball under control, Yang Yang had already closed him down.

Still affected by the earlier incident, Henk Dimer was somewhat agitated. When he saw Yang Yang rushing toward him, he instinctively tried to shield the ball and shake him off, but the coach acting as referee on the sideline immediately blew his whistle.

According to the rules, players could touch the ball only once. Henk Dimer had committed a foul.

He did that on purpose to target me!

That bastard definitely targeted me on purpose, just to get revenge!

Henk Dimer glared furiously at Yang Yang through clenched teeth and resentfully walked into the circle.

All the surrounding fans were dumbfounded. Who could have imagined that Henk Dimer would return to the circle so quickly? What was going on with him?

And what about that Chinese kid? How had he suddenly become so much better?

Had Yang Yang really become better?

John Rep had seen it most clearly from the sideline.

Especially as the keep-away game continued and Yang Yang constantly switched between the roles of ball-winner and passer, John Rep found it even easier to discern what was happening.

The kid's fundamentals were still as terrible as ever, but when it came to winning the ball, he seemed to have grown smarter.

If the old Yang Yang had been a headless fly charging blindly in every direction, then the current Yang Yang was full of calculation. Every run carried meaning.

The keep-away game looked simple, but it was an extremely important training tool. It included training in one-touch passing, off-the-ball movement, positional awareness, and many other areas. Yang Yang had performed so poorly in the past not only because his fundamentals were awful, but also because he lacked a sense of space on the pitch.

It was like taking someone with no sense of direction and leaving him alone in a bustling metropolis. He simply could not find his way or any way out.

But judging from today's training, the kid had really awakened.

If that was truly the case, perhaps he still had a chance to become a decent defender. After all, attacking players and defenders in midfield and the forward line had somewhat different requirements when it came to fundamentals, especially in a low-level amateur league.

But John Rep did not change his conclusion about Yang Yang. He still could not keep him.

Although Almere was in the third tier, it had long since set its sights on the Dutch Second Division, or even the Dutch First Division.

When the keep-away game ended, everyone counted the results. Yang Yang was still the player who had been toyed with the most, but what shocked everyone was that Henk Dimer, the team's top prospect, came in second.

Yang Yang had not deliberately targeted Dimer. He had simply noticed that his teammates always tended to pass the ball to Dimer, making it more certain and easier for him to win possession. Naturally, he had taken advantage of it without hesitation.

Henk Dimer had always been proud and arrogant. When the final training whistle blew, he was still playing the monkey inside the circle. Having lost all face, he stormed up to Yang Yang, spat out a vicious threat, and then turned to leave.

"You'd better watch yourself."

Yang Yang helplessly curled his lips. Dimer and the others had toyed with him for nearly a year without making him angry. Dimer had only been the monkey a few times—what was there to get angry about? He was really petty.

Ignoring everyone around him, Yang Yang picked up a football beside him and jogged to the sideline to practice juggling on his own.

Old Bing from the Super Training Ground also appeared in his mind at that moment. Based on his performance during the training session, Old Bing analyzed and coached him. He paid particular attention to Yang Yang's mistakes, not only analyzing them through replay footage but even guiding Yang Yang on how to make better choices.

As Yang Yang practiced juggling while listening to Old Bing's analysis, the training session having just ended and the memories still fresh, he benefited enormously.

"I didn't know the Super Training Ground had this function too," Yang Yang praised with a smile.

He had never really understood what he was doing before, but after Old Bing's analysis, he felt as though he were a complete idiot who did not know how to play football. His mistakes were countless. Sometimes, there had clearly been many better choices available, yet he had stubbornly chosen the worst one, leaving him filled with regret.

But precisely because of that, Old Bing's analysis and guidance left an incredibly deep impression on Yang Yang. He believed that if he encountered similar situations again in the future, he might not necessarily handle them perfectly, but he certainly would not make the worst choice again.

"Change slowly, and improve slowly," Old Bing said with rare patience.

What Yang Yang did not notice was that his focused juggling had caught the attention of head coach John Rep in the distance, as well as quite a few fans who had stopped along the sideline.

Only no one knew how long he could persist with such dull, tedious basic training.

The annual assessment was fast approaching, and Yang Yang did not have much time left.

After experiencing the benefits of the Super Training Ground, Yang Yang began throwing himself into basic training. His uncle, Shen Ming, understood Yang Yang's circumstances and let him focus on football instead of helping at the restaurant. From then on, aside from attending classes and eating, Yang Yang devoted all his remaining time to training. He did not even spare his sleeping hours.

With his previous foundation and the long hours of persistent training, Yang Yang's juggling with both feet progressed quickly. After a week, he could juggle the ball five hundred times in a row, or even more, with the instep, the inside and outside of his feet, and the fronts of his thighs. His progress with his shoulders and head was slower, especially with his head.

Old Bing was not surprised. While continuing to urge Yang Yang to practice with his shoulders and head, he officially moved on to the next stage. He began demanding greater juggling speed and added some fancy techniques, saying that they would further improve his ball control and balance, train the flexibility of every part of his body, and help him master changes in the rhythm of his touches.

After a week of intensive training, Yang Yang could clearly feel his improvement. His performance in team training had also improved greatly, especially during the keep-away game. His teammates could no longer toy with him so easily. During one scrimmage, he had even made a brilliant tackle on Henk Dimer, earning applause from the fans on the sideline.

It was the first time Yang Yang had received applause since arriving in the Netherlands, and it made him happy for a long while.

Because of that, he carried out every one of Old Bing's demands with unwavering determination, without making any compromises.

He believed that with Old Bing's help, he would definitely pass the team's assessment and remain with the squad.

As long as he could stay, he still had hope.

Please continue to support me. Thank you very much!