Chapter Summaries

Ajax beat Vitesse 4–1 after falling behind, and Yang Yang scored twice to equal Henk Groot’s Ajax single-season record of forty-two goals. The chapter leaves one league round remaining, with Yang Yang still pursuing Coen Dillen’s Eredivisie record before departing Ajax.

• Vitesse scored first, but Yang Yang calmed Ajax and equalized in the twentieth minute with a chip over goalkeeper Coutinho.
• Sneijder scored shortly after halftime, and Yang Yang assisted Charisteas to give Ajax a 3–1 lead.
• After Ronald Koeman brought on Nicklas Bendtner, the Dane set up Yang Yang, who scored his forty-second goal and tied Henk Groot’s record.
• Yang Yang embraced his teammates and coaches, then thanked the Amsterdam Arena fans, many of whom knew he was leaving Ajax.
• Dutch newspapers praised Yang Yang’s record, while Van Basten and Arie Haan discussed his achievements and the possibilities his success opened for Chinese football.

Ajax visited Waalwijk as Yang Yang pursued the Eredivisie scoring record, but a tense start and an early injury left the team struggling. After Waalwijk took the lead, Yang Yang regained his composure and moved to discuss a solution with his teammates.

• Waalwijk coach Adrie Koster fielded a defensive 4-5-1 lineup, while Yang Yang steadied his nerves with support from Sneijder, his teammates, and a message from Su Ye.
• Charisteas was injured in the twelfth minute, and Nicklas Bendtner replaced him.
• Anthony Lurling scored for Waalwijk in the eighteenth minute after Hans van der Haar knocked the ball down during a counterattack.
• Yang Yang recognized that Ajax's focus on helping him score and Waalwijk's aggressive midfield had caused problems, then went to speak with Sneijder and Yaya Touré.
• Su Ye, Yang Yang's family, John Rep, and Van Schip watched the broadcast and trusted Yang Yang to help Ajax recover.

Ajax came from behind to lead Waalwijk 2–1, with Yang Yang scoring the go-ahead goal to match Coen Dillen’s record of 43 Eredivisie goals in a season. The chapter ended with Yang Yang determined to score again and claim the record outright.

• Van Hareen warned Waalwijk’s players about Yang Yang after Ajax gathered to discuss their response to conceding.
• Ajax attacked down the wings, and Yang Yang’s dangerous efforts forced Waalwijk’s goalkeeper into a save before Heitinga scored from Yang Yang’s corner in the twenty-fifth minute.
• Ajax patiently pressed against Waalwijk’s defensive formation, while Yang Yang encouraged his teammates to stay calm and wait for an opportunity.
• In the forty-fourth minute, Pienaar set up Yang Yang, who controlled the ball with his chest and volleyed it in for his forty-third league goal of the season, matching Coen Dillen’s record.
• Yang Yang celebrated with his teammates and encouraged Ajax to keep pushing, determined to score again and become the Eredivisie’s sole single-season scoring record holder.

Yang Yang scored his second goal of the match in the eighty-eighth minute, giving Ajax a 4–1 lead over Waalwijk and setting a new Eredivisie record with his forty-fourth league goal of the season. Exhausted and cramping, he was surrounded by his teammates as the stadium celebrated his achievement.

• Ajax led Waalwijk 3–1 as both teams defended and attacked fiercely, with Waalwijk focused on stopping Yang Yang from scoring again.
• Yang Yang kept searching for an opening while exhausted fans in China and the Netherlands watched and cheered him on.
• Filipe Louis and Nicklas Bendtner helped create space for Yang Yang to break into the penalty area.
• Yang Yang struck the ball off the inside of the right post and into the goal, scoring his forty-fourth league goal of the season.
• Ajax players surrounded Yang Yang as he celebrated the new Eredivisie record, and he struggled to stand because he was cramping.

Yang Yang returned to Amsterdam as Ajax celebrated his record-breaking 44-goal season and third straight league title, while Van Basten urged him to keep striving. In Barcelona, an injured Messi resolved to challenge Yang Yang in their upcoming Champions League semifinal and vowed to beat him with goals.

• Yang Yang carried Ajax's championship trophy off the team bus as fans, club executives, Van Basten, and Arie Haan celebrated his record and urged him to focus on the Dutch Cup final.
• Van Basten warned Yang Yang against complacency, and Yang Yang promised that his ambitions went beyond the achievement.
• Messi brooded over Yang Yang's record while recovering from a hamstring injury and training to improve his fitness.
• Ronaldinho promised to set Messi up for a goal in the midweek match, and Messi declared that he would take Yang Yang down with goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo rejected Real Madrid’s efforts to involve him in its presidential election and looked forward to competing with Yang Yang, while Ajax hosted Barcelona in the Champions League semifinal first leg. Barcelona won the opening goal, and Yang Yang’s third yellow card ruled him out of the second leg as Messi returned from injury determined to score against him.

• Cristiano Ronaldo dismissed The Sun’s attempt to link Yang Yang with a Page Three girl and told Mendes he would not join Real Madrid or take part in its presidential campaign.
• Mendes told Cristiano Ronaldo that Juventus, Inter Milan, and the Premier League’s Big Four were interested in Yang Yang, and Ronaldo said he would welcome him at Manchester United or relish facing him elsewhere.
• Ajax hosted Barcelona on April 18, and Ronald Koeman set up a cautious defense while Yang Yang worked tirelessly to defend and lead counterattacks.
• Puyol received a yellow card for fouling Yang Yang, but Barcelona dominated possession and Ronaldinho assisted Giuly’s goal in the fifty-seventh minute.
• Yang Yang dribbled toward Barcelona’s penalty area and won a free kick, but Sneijder missed; later Yang Yang fouled Ronaldinho and received his third Champions League yellow card, ruling him out of the second leg.
• Messi returned from injury as a substitute for Giuly and told Ronaldinho he wanted to defeat Yang Yang and score, while Ronaldinho promised to help him.

Ajax fought back against Barcelona after Ronaldinho tried to help Messi score, and Yang Yang equalized with an 80-meter solo run in the ninetieth minute. The first leg ended 1–1, with Yang Yang set to miss the return match through yellow-card accumulation.

• After Vermaelen told Yang Yang that Ronaldinho had promised to set up Messi, Ajax's players became more determined to resist Barcelona.
• In the ninetieth minute, Vermaelen slid in to clear the ball before Messi could reach Ronaldinho's through pass.
• From Ronaldinho's corner, Yang Yang intercepted the ball as Messi tried to control it outside the penalty area.
• Yang Yang sprinted through Barcelona's half, beat Puyol with a feint and burst of speed, then scored past Valdes to make it 1–1.
• The commentators announced that Yang Yang would miss the second leg at Camp Nou through yellow-card accumulation and had become the Champions League's top scorer with twelve goals.

Yang Yang scored Ajax’s late equalizer against Barcelona but missed the second leg through suspension, and Barcelona advanced to the Champions League final after beating Ajax at Camp Nou. Yang Yang vowed to return, while Ajax turned its attention to the Dutch Cup final as a major shock rocked European football.

• Yang Yang scored his twelfth Champions League goal to earn Ajax a 1–1 home draw with Barcelona, then exchanged a competitive challenge with Messi after the match.
• The media praised Yang Yang and debated Messi’s failure to catch him during his long run, while transfer rumors linked Yang Yang with Real Madrid.
• Ajax lost 2–0 at Camp Nou without Yang Yang, and Yang Yang told reporters, “I’ll definitely be back!”
• Barcelona advanced 3–1 on aggregate, while Arsenal reached the final by defeating Villarreal on away goals.
• Ajax returned to Amsterdam and prepared for the Dutch Cup final as a world-shaking event rocked European football.

Yang Yang watched revelations about Moggi’s alleged referee manipulation erupt into the Calciopoli scandal and worried about his friend Ibrahimovic, who was caught in the turmoil at Juventus. As Italian authorities opened investigations and Moggi vanished, Yang Yang turned his attention to Ajax’s upcoming Dutch Cup final.

• Yang Yang and Ajax’s players read reports linking Moggi to referee appointments, including the previous season’s Champions League match against Ajax.
• Yang Yang called Ibrahimovic, who said Juventus was in chaos, Moggi had disappeared, and Mino was trying to gather information about the club’s contract negotiations.
• Ibrahimovic told Yang Yang that he suspected the scandal might be connected to Lapo Elkann’s earlier controversy, though neither of them knew what was happening.
• Yang Yang urged Ibrahimovic to stay strong and consider leaving Juventus if necessary, especially with Helena expecting their first child in September.
• The Italian Football Association formed an investigative team, media outlets named suspected referees and officials, and the Naples Prosecutor’s Office joined the Calciopoli investigation as Moggi remained missing.
• Yang Yang refocused on Ajax’s upcoming Dutch Cup final.

Yang Yang scored both goals in Ajax’s 2–1 victory over Eindhoven, then said farewell to his teammates, coaches, and fans as he prepared to leave the club. He left the pitch certain that Ajax had been his home, but determined to pursue his ambitions elsewhere.

• Yang Yang scored early in the second half, Eindhoven equalized through Michael Lamey, and Yang Yang won the match with a late goal assisted by Yaya Touré.
• After the final whistle, Yang Yang embraced his Ajax teammates and made clear that the match was his last for the club.
• Yang Yang thanked the Ajax fans, who urged him to return and recognized that the club could not keep him from moving on.
• Yang Yang thanked Ronald Koeman, Luther Carroll, and Jan Kruijtenberg for their guidance and support.
• Winston Bogarde jokingly complained that Yang Yang had not embraced him, and their playful exchange made everyone laugh.

After Ajax’s Double Crown season, Yang Yang faced intense transfer interest from Europe’s leading clubs, but the Calciopoli scandal made Serie A an unacceptable risk. He decided to focus on preparing for the World Cup while Raiola monitored developments, especially in the Premier League.

• Ajax won the Dutch Cup and finished the season with a Double Crown, while reports increasingly treated Yang Yang’s departure as certain.
• Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool joined the race to sign Yang Yang amid competing club and sponsor interests.
• Raiola visited Yang Yang in Amsterdam and told him that Moggi, Juventus, and other Serie A clubs were caught in the spreading Calciopoli scandal, with Juventus possibly facing relegation.
• Yang Yang agreed that Serie A was too risky, and Raiola said he would help Ibrahimovic leave Juventus if the club were relegated.
• Raiola postponed Nike and Adidas negotiations until after the World Cup, when Yang Yang’s performance could strengthen his bargaining position.
• Yang Yang planned to return to China to prepare for the World Cup and asked Raiola to watch developments in European football, especially the Premier League.

Yang Yang returned home after a year away and reunited with Su Ye, who had prepared his apartment for him. He then visited Su Ye's parents with her, leaving Su Wenhong awkwardly trying to reconcile Yang Yang's place as his idol with his new role as his daughter's boyfriend.

• Yang Yang returned discreetly to his apartment and found that Su Ye had cleaned it, stocked the refrigerator, and made it feel like home.
• Su Ye arrived, and Yang Yang embraced and kissed her after Wei Zhen teased them and left.
• Yang Yang decided to take Su Ye to her parents' home for dinner with gifts for them.
• Yang Yang and Su Ye arrived holding hands, startling Su Wenhong and making Ye Ziqing realize they were together.
• Su Wenhong struggled to speak naturally to Yang Yang, while Su Ye blushed and Yang Yang found the meeting awkward.

Yang Yang met Su Wenhong over dinner, won his support for Su Ye’s acting ambitions, and promised to treat her well. After Su Wenhong persuaded him to drink, Yang Yang passed out in Su Ye’s room, where a late-night moment between them was interrupted by her father.

• Su Wenhong praised Su Ye and explained his concerns about her joining the entertainment industry, while Yang Yang defended her ambitions and earned Su Wenhong’s approval.
• Su Ye promised to honor her three-point agreement, and Yang Yang vowed to treat her well as Su Wenhong accepted their relationship.
• Su Wenhong persuaded Yang Yang to drink a small glass of wine, and Yang Yang promptly fell asleep at the table.
• Su Ye put Yang Yang to bed and later brought him water when he woke thirsty, kissing him as she helped him drink.
• Su Wenhong caught Su Ye leaving Yang Yang’s room and told them to pay attention to safety, leaving Su Ye mortified and Yang Yang asleep.

After an embarrassing first meeting with Su Ye’s parents, Yang Yang reunited with her and promised they would stay committed despite the distance. He then picked up Winston Bogarde and proposed that they, Wei Zhen, and Wei Zheng take over a struggling fitness club, leaving the partnership plan underway.

• Yang Yang woke up in Su Ye’s room after getting drunk, and Su Ye told him to go home and clean up before meeting her outside the complex.
• Yang Yang and Su Ye ran together at the Summer Palace, reassured each other about their long-distance relationship, and reaffirmed their love.
• Wei Zhen drove Yang Yang and Su Ye to her school, where Qiao Shan saw Yang Yang with her and promised Su Ye he would keep it private.
• Yang Yang and Wei Zhen picked up Winston Bogarde at the airport and took him to a struggling fitness club that was for sale.
• Yang Yang proposed that he and Winston Bogarde take over the gym with Wei Zhen and Wei Zheng, offering Wei Zheng shares as an advance dowry for Yang Yang’s sister.

Yang Yang finalized a gym investment with Winston Bogarde and the Wei brothers, then learned that heading ability involved more than technique. Old Bing offered Klinsmann and Klose as candidates for Yang Yang’s fifth Star Skill, leaving him to choose between them.

• Yang Yang, Winston Bogarde, Wei Zheng, and Shen Yuzhu agreed to invest in a gym, with Yang Yang holding fifty-five percent of the shares.
• Yang Yang returned to his training routine while spending his free time with Su Ye, and Old Bing approved his fifth Star Skill.
• Old Bing explained that heading ability depended on technique, physical attributes, positioning, and reading the ball’s path.
• Old Bing presented Klinsmann and Klose as suitable heading specialists for Yang Yang to learn from.
• Yang Yang watched examples of their heading goals and wondered which player’s Star Skill he should choose.

Yang Yang chose Klinsmann's header as his new skill and studied how the whole body, especially the core muscles, generated power for headers. He trained while Su Ye pursued film auditions, and as the National Team departed for Germany, Yang Yang prepared for his first World Cup.

• Yang Yang accepted Old Bing's recommendation and chose Klinsmann over Klose, absorbing Klinsmann's header technique.
• Yang Yang learned how core muscles transferred power through the body to produce forceful headers and began practicing through simulated matches.
• Yang Yang trained daily with Winston Bogarde while spending more time with Su Ye, whose auditions were arranged for two films.
• Su Ye described her auditions for a war film and another role that required her to look like a peasant girl.
• The National Team gathered in Beijing, trained, and departed for Germany as Yang Yang prepared for his first World Cup.

China Team prepared for the World Cup with three winless warm-up matches, and Arie Haan settled on a lineup built around Yang Yang and the National Youth Team's overseas players. As the tournament approached, Group D's matchup between Yang Yang and Cristiano Ronaldo drew media attention, and Yang Yang looked forward to facing him.

• China Team lost 3–2 to France, where Ribery exposed weaknesses on the right side of its defense and Arie Haan brought Sun Jihai back into the lineup.
• China Team lost 2–1 to Côte d'Ivoire despite Sun Jihai's strong return, then drew 1–1 with Costa Rica as Yang Yang assisted Chen Tao.
• Arie Haan settled on a starting lineup featuring Li Leilei in goal, Sun Jihai at right-back, Feng Xiaoting and Li Weifeng in central defense, Zheng Zhi in midfield, and Yang Yang, Gao Lin, and Chen Tao up front.
• China Team was drawn into World Cup Group D with Portugal, Angola, and Mexico, prompting media outlets to frame the group as a contest between Yang Yang and Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Su Ye sympathized with Yang Yang over being compared with Cristiano Ronaldo, while Yang Yang said he was eager to face the player he had never seen on the pitch.

Yang Yang learned that Raiola was pursuing huge sponsorship deals and a Premier League transfer while China Team prepared to face Mexico. China Team conceded first, but Yang Yang helped avert another goal and began a counterattack in the second half.

• Yang Yang asked Raiola about Ibrahimovic, and Raiola said Juventus was in chaos and Ibrahimovic’s future remained uncertain.
• Raiola told Yang Yang he had demanded fifteen million euros from Nike and Adidas, citing Yang Yang’s value to the rapidly growing Chinese market.
• Raiola said the Premier League’s Big Four were interested in Yang Yang, who prioritized finding a team suited to his strengths.
• Arie Haan warned China Team to watch Zinha and Borgetti and prepared the team to defend against Mexico.
• Mexico took the lead in the thirty-seventh minute when Zinha set up Mendes’s cross and Borgetti headed it in.
• Yang Yang blocked Zinha’s shot three minutes later, then drove forward on a counterattack after Zheng Zhi won the ball in the fifty-sixth minute.

Yang Yang scored China Team’s first-ever World Cup goal against Mexico, but China lost 2–1. In the next group match against Portugal, he scored again to give China an early lead.

• Yang Yang finished Chen Tao’s lofted cross with a header in the fifty-sixth minute, equalizing against Mexico and ending China Team’s World Cup goal drought.
• Bravo scored from a free-kick routine in the seventy-sixth minute, and Mexico defeated China Team 2–1.
• Yang Yang’s historic goal earned praise from the media, while he said he hoped it was only the beginning.
• China Team faced Portugal in Frankfurt, and Yang Yang scored with a left-footed shot in the fourteenth minute to put China ahead.

China Team fell behind Portugal after Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty, but Yang Yang rallied his teammates and helped create a late corner. As stoppage time began, Ronaldo marked Yang Yang closely, and China Team prepared to take what might be its final chance.

• Record criticized Cristiano Ronaldo’s play against Angola and named Yang Yang as the role model he should follow.
• Yang Yang scored early against Portugal, but Deco equalized and Ronaldo later converted a penalty to give Portugal a 2–1 lead.
• Yang Yang encouraged China Team to keep fighting, while Li Weifeng was injured and replaced by Shao Jiayi.
• In the eighty-ninth minute, Yang Yang set up a chance for Gao Lin, whose layoff was cleared by Figo for a corner.
• As Shao Jiayi prepared to take the corner, Cristiano Ronaldo marked Yang Yang and vowed not to give him a chance.