Van Gaal's Selfishness

"Last night, among the fans in Almere, I spotted Pete Deviser."

Chief Scout Tony Bruns Slots frowned with concern as he warned, "That's the second time Eindhoven has gotten a close look at Yang Yang. I suggest we move quickly."

Almere was Ajax's satellite club, and Yang Yang was a die-hard fan of Van Basten. From any angle, Ajax had no reason to let this highly promising player slip away, especially to their sworn rivals, Eindhoven. If that happened, Ajax's reputation would be utterly tarnished.

"I agree with Tony. Back when Robben was at Groningen, we had the best shot, but Eindhoven beat us to it. If we'd snatched him up then, the situation would be completely different now," Patrick Radru chimed in.

Robben had been one of the brightest young talents in Dutch football over the past two or three years, hailed alongside Feyenoord's Van Persie and Ajax's Van der Vaart as the New Dutch Three Musketeers. But unlike Van Persie and Van der Vaart, who came through top-tier youth academies, Robben emerged from Groningen in the north of the Netherlands.

Back then, the three giants had fought over Robben, but Eindhoven got there first—a regret Ajax's team still carried. If Robben and Van der Meide had manned the wings, Ibrahimovic held the center, and Van der Vaart ruled the midfield, Ajax's frontline attack would have been unstoppable.

But sadly, Robben was now Eindhoven's star player.

"I also think Yang Yang is ready to play for Ajax. From what I've gathered, he's clearly more attached to us than to other teams, since he's spent a year in Almere," Luther Carroll added.

Though technically a satellite club, Almere was essentially part of Ajax's youth training system. Granted, a very small part.

"How did he perform yesterday?" Van Gaal asked flatly.

Though pleased that Yang Yang had earned everyone's approval, he kept business separate from personal ties.

"He did well, especially in the first half. He created several threats and scored a goal. Against defenders like Vermaelen and Emanuelson, he still managed to snatch a goal on his own—that's no small feat," Chief Scout Slots reported.

"Last night, Aron Mooy's Football Online was buzzing about the match too, and they gave him high marks. This is the third straight episode. I'd bet quite a few teams are eyeing him now," Patrick Radru warned.

Van Gaal remained noncommittal. "And what about his own attitude?"

"I don't know, but I think he'd be happy to join Ajax."

"Why?"

"He came to the Netherlands a year ago and lives with his uncle, who runs a Chinese restaurant in Almere. He studies at Baken Academy. If he joins Ajax, his life and schooling can stay the same. But going to Eindhoven would throw everything into chaos."

At that, Patrick Radru smiled. "I checked with John Rep—turns out this kid is better at studying than playing football. He ranked first in his grade in Baken Academy's final exams and even got a scholarship."

"Really?" Everyone looked surprised.

Even Van Gaal and Koman were slightly impressed.

In Ajax's youth training camp, plenty of players were good at football, and many did well in school. But someone who excelled at both was a rare find.

They hadn't expected this Yang Yang to be a top student.

Van Gaal paused, then turned to Van Basten. "Marco, what do you think?"

Van Basten grinned. "I like the kid."

That one sentence made his stance crystal clear.

Van Gaal then looked at First Team Head Coach Koeman, who shrugged to show he had no objections.

Though Koeman oversaw youth training as head coach, it was more about promoting young talent, with Luther Carroll handling most of the day-to-day. Van Gaal, as Technical Director, had the final say over all Ajax's competitive matters.

In other words, the Dutch legend was the direct superior of everyone in the room, including Van Basten.

His word now would decide Ajax's course.

Van Gaal didn't rush to a decision. He flipped through the scouting reports and materials on hand, frowning slightly as he weighed things, then set the papers down.

"From the materials, he's already secured a spot in Almere's Talent Day. So my take is this: we can talk to him first, keep him steady, but it's best to have him join the Talent Day selection. That way, we can get a thorough, systematic, up-close look at him. It'll be a valuable experience and a chance to grow."

Ajax's Talent Day selection happened twice a year, with First Team players joining in to train and compete with all participants. Nearly a thousand young players from around Amsterdam, across the Netherlands, and even worldwide would take part.

It was an excellent opportunity to gauge one's own abilities and broaden horizons.

More importantly, a sixteen-year-old like Yang Yang, if signed directly, would typically be bumped up to the seventeen-to-eighteen age group and climb through the ranks. But if he performed well in Talent Day, he could leap straight into the second team—the one Van Basten coached.

This was a small favor Van Gaal showed within the bounds of rules and authority.

He believed that, whether from the club's scouting perspective or Yang Yang's own development, joining Talent Day was a solid choice and a great training experience.

After all, the chance to compete alongside First Team stars wasn't something you got every day.

Hearing Van Gaal's words, the others mostly saw it as his usual caution and strict standards, which fit his style, so they weren't surprised.

Whether or not he joined Talent Day wasn't the issue—the real problem was the competition.

"What if Eindhoven reaches out to him in the meantime?" Chief Scout Slots worried.

The urgency to sign Yang Yang stemmed from that concern.

"He's smart. Going to Eindhoven now wouldn't give him many chances. And as you said, his uncle is in Almere. If we promise to sign him after Talent Day, regardless of the results, I believe he won't refuse."

Everyone found that reasonable, confident in Ajax's appeal.

"Of course, to be safe, Patrick, make a trip to Almere yourself after this meeting."

Patrick Radru nodded. "I'll talk to his uncle at the Chinese restaurant first."

"If he's not at the restaurant, he'll probably be at the Skate Park. Go straight there and find him, and tell him this is my decision," Van Gaal said flatly.

Everyone looked surprised.

How did Van Gaal know where to find him?

Had they known each other before?

And what exactly was their relationship?

Everyone was curious, but since Van Gaal wasn't saying more, there was no point in guessing.

Around noon, Youth Training Assistant Patrick Radru, accompanied by scout Fred Arroyo, arrived at Shen's Chinese Restaurant in Almere, but Yang Yang wasn't there.

After a deep conversation with Yang Yang's uncle, Shen Ming, they followed Shen Yuzhu's lead to the Skate Park, where they found Yang Yang in the core skateboarding area, having been practicing hard all morning.

By then, Yang Yang had already finished his wall drills and was standing before a yellow marker disc, using his left and right feet to tap, push, drag, flick, or hook the ball as it circled the tiny disc.

As Ajax's youth training assistant and scout, Radru and Arroyo naturally knew this was a basic ball-control drill, but Yang Yang repeated it over and over, his expression utterly focused, completely unaware of their presence on the sidelines.

From his soaked jersey, his sweat-drenched hair, and the battered wall in front of him, they could easily picture Yang Yang's training routine here and the sheer intensity of this Chinese kid's dedication.

It left them both stunned.

This was almost self-torturous training, especially such mind-numbingly basic drills, yet he remained so absorbed.

"How long has he been training like this?" Patrick Radru asked, his voice trembling.

"Three months," Shen Yuzhu said, still feeling a pang of sympathy.

Her parents treated Yang Yang like a son, and she saw him as a younger brother.

Radru and Arroyo exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes. They had clearly connected the same dots: Yang Yang's rapid rise in Almere had started three months ago, and since then, he'd shot up like a rocket, astonishing everyone with improvement in almost every game.

Everyone had chalked it up to him suddenly "getting it" and understanding the game, which, given his weak fundamentals, seemed reasonable. But now, it looked like the secret to his surge was hidden right here in the Skate Park.

Van Gaal must have known this, which was why he told them to come here if they couldn't find him at the Chinese restaurant.

But what was his relationship with Yang Yang? How had they met?

"It seems we still underestimated him," Patrick Radru said, shaking his head.

Fred Arroyo nodded in agreement. They had indeed underestimated Yang Yang.

Not his current ability, but the man himself and his future potential.

Who knew how far he could go with this kind of self-torturous dedication and the momentum of progress he was showing?