Utrecht II's Slacker

July 18, 2015, a preseason friendly between Eerste Divisie side Utrecht II and Go Ahead Eagles.

The new Eerste Divisie season was only twenty days away, and the two teams had organized this friendly for two reasons.

1. To help the players regain their match fitness.

2. To determine the team's starting lineup for the new season.

"Tang, do you think we'll get a chance to play today?"

Zaka, sitting on the bench, looked worried. He had just been promoted from the U17s and didn't know Coach Merent's substitution habits.

"It being a friendly, we should get on, right?"

Tang Ye, sitting beside him, replied, "But it doesn't really matter. If we don't get on, then we don't get on."

"Huh? Tang, you were already in the reserves last season. Did you ever play in the league?"

"Yeah!"

Tang Ye rolled his neck to loosen up, then held out five fingers.

"You played five matches?"

Zaka's eyes lit up. Tang Ye had only been fifteen last season. A fifteen-year-old player making five appearances in the Eerste Divisie...

If that was the case, maybe he could get plenty of opportunities too?

"Five minutes," Tang Ye corrected him. He leaned back in his seat on the bench with both hands behind his head, looking utterly at ease. Zaka, sitting beside him, could only stare in amazement.

Dude, you're already giving up at sixteen?

What was a seventeen-year-old like him supposed to do?...

At the same time, on some Happy Beans website in China.

"Good evening, brothers. Hm? This stream isn't very clear. Hold on, I'll find a better one."

The streamer, Wang Chao, fiddled around backstage. About half a second later, the stream froze briefly, and the reloaded image was indeed much clearer.

The match had already begun. Wang Chao calmly dragged a string of numbers to the upper-right corner of the screen. It was the QQ group he had created.

"Brothers in the stream can join the host's fan group. We post winning picks and guaranteed compensation picks every day. Also, if you don't have a betting site, or if you want a better one, feel free to message the host privately!"

By the time Wang Chao finished his classic opening spiel, the match had reached the fourth minute.

"Yeah, for this match, I personally recommend betting on the scoreline. Either 0-2 or 0-3 works."

0-3? Host, you rate Go Ahead Eagles that highly? I don't think they're much better than Utrecht II. Sure, it's the reserves, but Utrecht are still a powerhouse.

Better to play it safe and bet on a Go Ahead Eagles win. Scorelines are way too unpredictable. When I first joined this scene, I had two brothers with me. Now neither of them is around anymore.

Go Ahead Eagles, let's go!

I heard Utrecht II have a Chinese player. Looking forward to seeing him!

You mean Tang Ye? He won't get on. I watched the entire Eerste Divisie season last year—thirty-eight matches, and he practically wore a hole through the bench.

You're such a hater. Tang Ye clearly played five minutes, okay? He even had one touch!

Though the Eerste Divisie wasn't a particularly popular league, the Happy Beans stream was rather lively today because Utrecht II had a Chinese player—one of the few Chinese players currently playing abroad.

When it came to Tang Ye, many Chinese fans had heard of him.

Of course, that wasn't because he was particularly amazing. It was because he was a complete slacker.

Last summer, Tang Ye had helped Shandong Taishan U17 equalize against Ajax U17 in a U17 international invitational with an imaginative long-range strike. That match was why Utrecht scouts brought Tang Ye to the Netherlands, where he now played for Utrecht II.

Utrecht's scouts had thought they had found a young genius. They hadn't expected him to be such a lazy pig.

Merent had coached reserve teams for twelve years, and Tang Ye was the first player he had ever seen run off halfway through a training match!

Merent, standing in front of the bench, noticed Zaka talking to Tang Ye and called out, "Isaac, you can start warming up!"

Merent had no idea why Zaka was talking to Tang Ye.

Damn Chinese kid, don't corrupt my genius! Zaka stood when his name was called and put on a yellow training bib. Tang Ye gave him a thumbs-up. "Good luck."

"Thanks!"

Zaka put on his bib and prepared to go on. He had a pretty good relationship with Tang Ye and wanted to say a few words to Mr. Merent on Tang Ye's behalf, but after thinking it over, he decided against it.

If Mr. Merent found out he had become friends with Tang Ye, he would definitely curse him out! The match continued, and Go Ahead Eagles' high press left Utrecht II's players struggling to breathe.

Their midfield couldn't hold onto the ball, a problem Utrecht II had suffered from since last season.

And the answer to that problem...

Merent looked once again at Tang Ye, sitting on the bench. The scouts had brought Tang Ye into the reserves precisely to solve that problem.

With youth development becoming severely homogenized, Tang Ye was Utrecht II's only possession-oriented midfielder.

Damn it!

Merent's stomach filled with anger whenever he thought of Tang Ye. In the end, he shook his head.

Focus on coaching!...

At the stadium, the organizers knew many Chinese fans were watching this match, so during a stoppage they deliberately switched the camera to Tang Ye on the bench.

Tang Ye had his eyes half-closed, his head bobbing like a pecking chick.

He was almost asleep! Damn it!

Fans who had tuned in specifically to watch Tang Ye immediately began swearing in the stream.

"Tang Ye..."

When Wang Chao saw Tang Ye dozing off on camera, his expression suddenly fell. "Tang Ye does have talent, actually. He just doesn't work hard enough."

The moment Wang Chao finished speaking, Go Ahead Eagles found an opportunity down the wing. After the winger sent in a cross, they were the first to break Utrecht II's deadlock. The players on the bench began groaning one after another.

Hearing the commotion, Tang Ye opened his eyes. Though his team had fallen behind, he felt nothing at all.

Tang Ye knew Utrecht II's level. He also knew there was no future in playing here.

Since working hard was useless anyway, he might as well keep a level head.

When winning and losing had nothing to do with you, invincibility was not far away.

And Tang Ye was that invincible man!

Just then, a line of small text appeared before Tang Ye's eyes.

Because of your slacker mentality since childhood, you wasted your innate football talent. After seven years in Europe, your total playing time in official matches was five minutes. At twenty-two, having already squandered your talent, you joined the Chinese Super League and shamelessly showed off by relying on your status as an overseas player.

It is now 2036. At thirty-seven, you retired in humiliation from China League One and became a football commentator, taking great pleasure in smearing star players. Watching gifted youngsters showcase themselves in Europe's top five leagues on television, you suddenly felt some regret, lamenting that time could not be turned back.

You looked down at your body and regretted never fully fulfilling your talent during your playing career. You then resolved to come out of retirement.

Appear in the friendly match. Reward: a random midfield star skill.