Best Player Trophy, Pay Raise!

"Tang, this belongs to you."

Tang Ye accepted a trophy from a staff member of the Dutch Football Association.

He examined it closely in his hands. It was made of glass, with a metal base beneath it.

Tang Ye saw a line of small text on the base: 2015-2016, the season marker.

Then there was another line of small text on the glass.

speler van de wedstrijd

Tang Ye's Dutch was nowhere near that fucking good, but understanding something like this was no problem at all.

It meant Player of the Match.

"You got an MVP trophy in your first start."

Van der Maarel casually signed a few autographs for the fans in the stands before walking over to Tang Ye.

Tang Ye was somewhat pleased. He bounced the trophy in his hands twice. "This thing's pretty heavy."

"You deserve it."

Van der Maarel patted Tang Ye on the back.

Tang Ye's MVP award was actually fairly controversial, because some fans felt that he had only played in the second half.

He had not played in the first half not because he had not come on, but because he had disappeared from the game.

Of course, Van der Maarel had absolutely no objections to Tang Ye receiving the MVP.

What a joke. If Tang Ye had not exploded in the second half and scored twice, he would have become Utrecht's sinner by now! Tang Ye walked from the awards podium at midfield toward the tunnel. Just as he was about to enter, he heard a voice from the away stand. "Tom, your autograph—can I have your autograph?"

"What?"

Tang Ye froze for a moment. Van der Maarel thought Tang Ye had not heard the fan clearly and reminded him, "He wants your autograph."

"An... autograph..."

That was a little unfamiliar to him!

Tang Ye walked over. The person asking for his autograph was a bearded, heavyset man who looked almost fifty.

The moment Tang Ye approached, the man introduced himself.

A Utrecht fan for forty-seven years! "Tang, can I have your autograph? Just sign it on my shirt."

As he spoke, the man turned around and showed him the Haller number 22 jersey he was wearing.

The man had brought a marker and hoped Tang Ye would write his name over the number "22."

"Are you sure you want my autograph? Um, what I mean is, I'm not a star."

Tang Ye felt a little embarrassed.

In his eyes, autographs were something stars gave their fans.

But he was only a U17 player.

Was it really appropriate for him to give autographs?

"I'm a Utrecht fan. In my heart, you're a star."

The man's words left Tang Ye speechless for a while, but he gave up on the idea of signing Haller's jersey. "Uh, sir, thank you so much for your support. If you want, I can take off the shirt I'm wearing and give it to you."

"That would be even better!" The man smiled, and Tang Ye took off his jersey, revealing his skinny body.

He took the pen and carefully wrote his name in Chinese across the number "99."

Tang Ye

"Here."

Tang Ye handed him both the jersey and the marker.

It was his first time giving someone an autograph, and it still felt strange.

"Thank you, Tang. I'll keep this jersey safe."

The man folded the jersey and draped it over his arm, promising Tang Ye that he would preserve it for at least twenty years.

"Thank you!"

Tang Ye took the initiative to shake the man's hand. After entering the players' tunnel, Van der Maarel began teasing him. "You're a star now. How does it feel?"

Rubbing his head, Tang Ye's face turned a little red. "Um... I probably don't count as one yet, but it really does feel great. I like hearing people call my name."

The next day was Sunday, and everyone from Utrecht's U15 squad to the first team had the day off.

Normally, Tang Ye would play FIFA with Zaka in the dorm during breaks, but Zaka had returned to his hometown in Amsterdam today, leaving Tang Ye to play ranked matches alone in the dorm.

He wanted to work hard in secret and crush Zaka next weekend! On the screen, Tang Ye opened an in-game pack. The pack did not immediately reveal which player it contained, instead slowly giving him clues.

1. Eerste Divisie

2. China

3. Midfielder

4. Utrecht II

"..."

Fuck!

By the third clue, Tang Ye had already realized what was happening.

He had packed himself in the game! Ye Tang (CHN)

Utrecht II CAM (attacking midfielder, number 10) Looking at FIFA's terrible character model of himself on the screen, Tang Ye fell into deep thought.

But the string of Arabic numerals below quickly caught his attention.

An overall rating as high as 51! This was data from the 2014-15 winter transfer window. Given Tang Ye's pitifully limited league minutes, the FIFA staff had probably rated him based on his performances in friendlies.

They had really worked hard!

"Mm—mm—mm—"

The phone charging by his bed began to vibrate, and Tang Ye picked it up.

It was a call from the team manager, Charles.

"We accepted Erik's proposal. You need to come to the third-floor office at noon next Monday. We've prepared a new contract for you."

Tang Ye had initially been nervous when Charles called, because Charles had mentioned Erik ten Hag over the phone.

Based on Tang Ye's experience, anything involving Erik ten Hag was never good.

What new contract was that damned Dutchman trying to use to tie me down? The next day, accompanied by Boer, Tang Ye went to Charles's office on the third floor and finally learned what the new contract was about.

After the Dutch Cup match in which Tang Ye had started and helped defeat Sneek, Erik ten Hag had proposed to the club that Tang Ye's wages be raised. The club's management had discussed the matter at the time.

Now, the results of that discussion were out. Considering Tang Ye's rapidly improving skills and increasing playing time, a weekly wage of 1,000 euros was no longer appropriate for him.

Charles stood before Tang Ye with a document in his arms and said excitedly, "Little star, sign this new contract and you'll earn 2,100 euros a week. I guarantee you, that level of weekly pay is among the most generous for any U17 player in the Netherlands!"

Tang Ye took the document and read through it. For some of the more complicated Dutch words, he still had to take out his phone and use translation software.

Compared with the youth contract Tang Ye was currently on, the new youth contract offered him much better terms.

The most obvious change was his weekly wages. If Tang Ye signed the contract, his weekly pay would triple.

2,100 euros per week, 8,400 euros per month! Tang Ye realized that his salary was about to catch up with his living expenses! Hard work always paid off, didn't it, my friend? Charles looked at Tang Ye with a gentle expression. "So, are you satisfied? You can sign it now!"

Ahem, ahem!

Tang Ye coughed twice, handed the document to Boer beside him, then straightened his training kit and gave his body a little shake. "Mr. Charles, I have an agent!"

"..."