Chapter Summaries

After leading China to the AFC Asian Cup title, Tang Ye returned to Manchester United and gained an inheritance that improved his vision, set pieces, and overall rating. He arrived at Carrington in the rain, eager to rejoin the club as the Premier League’s top three battled for first place.

• Teacher Piggy gave Super Strong and Bobby zero points for copying Feifei’s name, while praising GGBond for earning 30 points honestly despite leaving the test to play video games.
• Tang Ye boarded a flight back to Manchester after China won the AFC Asian Cup, drawing attention from fans and prompting Erik ten Hag to ask when he would arrive.
• Tang Ye dreamed that his great-grandfather Tang Xianmin taught him to fly a plane during the war, then woke to discover his inheritance had raised his vision to 99, set pieces to 81, and overall rating to 87.
• Manchester United remained third in the Premier League behind Manchester City and Liverpool, and Erik ten Hag prepared for the upcoming match against Fulham.
• Tang Ye arrived at Carrington Training Ground on February 5 and called out to Rod and Marcus as he hurried back to training in the rain.

Tang Ye returned to Manchester United after winning the Asian Cup, and Ten Hag urged the team to seize the Premier League title race and establish a new era. Tang Ye made his first club appearance of 2019 against Fulham, but Fulham scored less than a minute after he came on.

• Tang Ye showed his Asian Cup winner’s medal to his Manchester United teammates, and Ten Hag teased him for scoring only once in the final.
• Ten Hag told the squad to become heroes in a chaotic title race, and Tang Ye proposed dividing the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup titles among himself, Ten Hag, and van der Gaag.
• Manchester United prepared to pursue the league leaders, with Tang Ye and Rodri agreeing they needed to beat Liverpool later in February.
• Tang Ye came on for Jesse Lingard against Fulham in the 55th minute, making his first Manchester United appearance of 2019.
• Fulham attacked down the wing 47 seconds after Tang Ye entered, and Mitrović scored to make it 1–2 as Ten Hag shouted at the defense.

Tang Ye returned to Manchester United with a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over Fulham, then traveled with the team to Italy for their Champions League match against Juventus. As fans anticipated his showdown with Cristiano Ronaldo, the two met in the tunnel and wished each other luck.

• Tang Ye set up Rashford's goal as Manchester United restored a two-goal lead against Fulham.
• Tang Ye combined with Martial and scored Manchester United's fourth goal in the 4-1 victory.
• Tang Ye told Erik ten Hag that Manchester United needed to win their remaining matches that month, then said he would not pay the Asian Football Confederation's fine or worry about its suspension.
• Tang Ye traveled with Manchester United to Italy ahead of their Champions League match against Juventus, where he was expected to start.
• Tang Ye met Cristiano Ronaldo in the players' tunnel, exchanged congratulations and good-luck wishes, and prepared for their upcoming match.

Manchester United dominated much of the first half against Juventus, but Martial’s goal was ruled offside and the teams went into halftime at 0-0. Cristiano Ronaldo urged Juventus to tighten their defense and warned his teammates about Tang Ye’s passing; after play resumed, Ronaldo knocked Tang Ye down as Manchester United attacked.

• Juventus and Manchester United traded attacks, but Rashford’s shot and Smalling’s header failed to score.
• Tang Ye set up Martial for a goal that was ruled out for offside, leaving the score 0-0.
• Ronaldo missed a header, while Bonucci blocked Tang Ye’s close-range shot as Juventus targeted him defensively.
• At halftime, Bonucci criticized Juventus’s play, and Ronaldo called for steadier defending and warned his teammates about Tang Ye’s ability to time passes.
• Manchester United started the second half with a quick attack, and Ronaldo challenged Tang Ye, knocking him to the ground.

Manchester United beat Juventus 2–0 in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie, with Tang Ye assisting both goals. After the fog-shrouded match, Tang Ye and Cristiano Ronaldo made peace but looked ahead to a tougher second leg.

• Tang Ye won a free kick after Cristiano Ronaldo fouled him, then helped set up Anthony Martial's goal with a chipped delivery.
• Erik ten Hag brought on Haller, and Tang Ye later assisted Ziyech to extend Manchester United's lead to 2–0.
• Heavy fog and Juventus flares reduced visibility, but Tang Ye found Anthony Martial with a long pass that started another Manchester United attack.
• Tang Ye helped disrupt Juventus's counterattack, while Cristiano Ronaldo later missed a tight-angle shot and had a long-range effort saved by David de Gea.
• Manchester United finished with a 2–0 away victory, and Cristiano Ronaldo apologized to Tang Ye before warning him that the second leg would be harder.

Tang Ye discussed Manchester United’s ambitions, his national-team availability, and his commitment to staying until he won the Premier League and Champions League. His agent Boer then raised the possibility that Tang Ye might need to transfer to another club.

• After Manchester United’s win over Juventus, Tang Ye explained that he had identified Anthony Martial through his calves and boots in the fog.
• Tang Ye remained atop the Champions League assist rankings, while pundits praised his rare combination of vision, passing, and two-footed ability.
• Erik ten Hag told Manchester United to win their remaining February matches against Chelsea, Liverpool, and Crystal Palace, and Tang Ye agreed that a three-game winning streak was achievable.
• In an interview, Tang Ye said he would likely miss the first stage of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers but would join the national team during the summer if needed.
• Tang Ye told a reporter he had no plans to leave Manchester United and wanted to win the Premier League and Champions League with the club.
• Boer met Tang Ye at a café and asked whether he had considered playing for another club, saying he might need a transfer.

Boer warned Tang Ye that Manchester United might struggle to strengthen its squad, though Tang Ye remained focused on the club’s current season. In the FA Cup match at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea took an early lead through Hazard after exploiting Manchester United’s defensive weakness.

• Boer told Tang Ye that Manchester United would struggle to find a suitable right winger and suggested Tang Ye could consider joining another club, while advising him not to play alongside Messi or Ronaldo.
• Tang Ye trained his passing skills and resolved to focus on upcoming matches and earning league points.
• Before Chelsea’s FA Cup match against Manchester United, a Chelsea fan and Wang Chao discussed the teams’ prospects, with Wang predicting a likely Manchester United win.
• Chelsea attacked down the left, and Hazard combined with Higuaín before beating Smalling and scoring past De Gea in the eighth minute.
• Rodri urged Manchester United to recover and focus their attack down the left, while Erik ten Hag recognized that Chelsea had exploited the team’s slow starts and weaknesses.

Manchester United defeated Chelsea 3-1 in the FA Cup, with Tang Ye scoring and assisting as the team took control in the first half. After advancing to the quarterfinals, the players turned their attention to their upcoming North West Derby against Liverpool.

• Tang Ye equalized against Chelsea in the 26th minute after Kepa saved Haller’s header.
• Tang Ye set up Rashford’s goal and then assisted Haller’s header as Manchester United went 3-1 ahead before halftime.
• Chelsea threatened through Hazard and Kanté, but De Gea saved their shots, and Valencia’s goal was disallowed for Rashford’s offside.
• Sarri withdrew Hazard and Kanté, while Erik ten Hag later substituted Tang Ye and Rashford as Manchester United won 3-1 and advanced to the FA Cup quarterfinals.
• Tang Ye and his teammates identified beating Liverpool and taking second place as their next goal ahead of the North West Derby.
• The Sun reported that Tang Ye had liked a fan’s image depicting Manchester United’s devil stabbing Liverpool’s red bird.

Manchester United prepared for the North West Derby as fans protested ticket scalping and the latest player-value rankings placed Tang Ye alongside Kylian Mbappé at the top. The chapter ended with Manchester United and Liverpool supporters clashing outside Old Trafford before the match.

• Ferdinand said Manchester United had the strongest starting eleven but lacked bench depth, and predicted they would win the Premier League.
• Manchester United fans protested outside Old Trafford over scalped North West Derby tickets and high prices.
• Tang Ye and his teammates discussed ticket costs, academy player Mason Greenwood, and Transfermarkt’s updated valuations, which put Tang Ye and Kylian Mbappé at €200 million.
• Rodri, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, and Ashley Young joked with Tang Ye on the team bus as he shifted his attention toward Liverpool’s defense.
• Manchester United and Liverpool fans traded insults and shoved each other outside Old Trafford before police separated them.

Tang Ye displayed his AFC Asian Cup winner’s medal at Old Trafford before Manchester United faced Liverpool in the North West Derby. Marcus Rashford put Manchester United ahead with a free kick, and the chapter ended with Rodri appealing for a handball after Tang Ye’s volley was blocked.

• Tang Ye entered Old Trafford wearing his AFC Asian Cup winner’s medal and carrying the Golden Boot, greeting Manchester United’s fans and teammates.
• Scott McTominay helped Manchester United play out from the back, and Tang Ye set up an attack that ended with his shot being blocked by Fabinho.
• Alexander-Arnold fouled Tang Ye, and Rashford scored from the resulting free kick after Tang Ye stepped over the ball.
• Manchester United pressed for another goal, but the referee declined to award a penalty when Alisson challenged Haller.
• Tang Ye volleyed Luke Shaw’s corner toward goal, a Liverpool player blocked it, and Rodri appealed for a handball penalty.

Manchester United took a 2-0 lead over Liverpool through Marcus Rashford and Tang Ye, but Liverpool equalized before halftime with goals from Mané and Salah. In the dressing room, Erik ten Hag urged Tang Ye to attack boldly as Manchester United prepared for the second half.

• Tang Ye won a penalty after his volley struck Matip’s arm, then scored past Alisson to put Manchester United 2-0 ahead.
• Liverpool attacked at a faster tempo, and Mané finished Firmino’s setup in the 34th minute to make it 2-1.
• Tang Ye stole the ball from Fabinho and started a counterattack, but Manchester United could not restore their lead before halftime.
• Salah combined with Fabinho to get past Luke Shaw and scored to level the match at 2-2.
• Valencia and Tang Ye acknowledged Manchester United’s problems after taking the lead, and Ten Hag told the team to attack aggressively and urged Tang Ye to play boldly.

Manchester United came from behind to beat Liverpool 4-2, with Tang Ye scoring a penalty and assisting Ziyech and Haller. The victory lifted Manchester United above Liverpool into second place, and Tang Ye ended the match celebrating with Rodri.

• Manchester United pressed forward after the break, and Tang Ye set up a chance for Haller that Matip blocked.
• Van Dijk fouled Luke Shaw, who was injured and replaced by Ashley Young as ten Hag also brought on Martial.
• Tang Ye sent a long pass to Ziyech, who scored to put Manchester United ahead 3-2.
• Rodri passed to Ziyech, whose cutback allowed Haller to score Manchester United's fourth goal.
• Manchester United held on to win 4-2, climbed to second in the Premier League, and celebrated as fans taunted Liverpool.

After beating Liverpool, Manchester United drew level with Manchester City on points and began pursuing the Premier League title, while Erik ten Hag addressed Luke Shaw’s injury and the team’s tactical problems. Tang Ye trained ahead of the Crystal Palace match and anticipated a new system mission on his birthday, but lost focus when watching the clouds.

• Manchester United’s win over Liverpool put them on 70 points, level with Manchester City but five goals behind on goal difference, as Tang Ye and Mitchell van der Gaag discussed the title race.
• Erik ten Hag told the players Luke Shaw would miss at least 50 days, kept the left flank as the main attacking route, and outlined ways to address the team’s build-up problems.
• Ten Hag urged Manchester United to unite and pursue the title, declaring them the strongest team in the league, and the players applauded him.
• De Bruyne told the Manchester Evening News that Manchester City aimed to win the Premier League and Champions League, with the FA Cup as a bonus.
• Tang Ye trained his passing skills and looked forward to the Crystal Palace match and the new system mission he expected on March 4, but a ball struck him after he became distracted by the clouds.
• The Sun reported that Manchester United’s title odds had risen above Liverpool’s to second behind Manchester City, while The Mirror noted their odds were approaching City’s.

Manchester United began their March title push by beating Southampton 3–1, moving temporarily to the top of the Premier League with a game more than Manchester City. Tang Ye reflected on the fragile lead and prepared for his twentieth birthday as the three-match league siege continued.

• After Manchester United beat Crystal Palace, Ten Hag declared that the team would try to take first place from Manchester City in March, while Lingard’s calf injury worsened the squad’s injury concerns.
• Manchester United promoted a March siege campaign ahead of league matches against Southampton, Arsenal, and Watford.
• Martial scored in the thirteenth minute against Southampton after a coordinated move involving Ziyech, McTominay, Smalling, Tang Ye, and Martial.
• Tang Ye scored from a long-range shot after Luke Shaw’s indirect free-kick setup, giving Manchester United a 2–0 lead at home.
• Martial scored again from Tang Ye’s cross in the second half, and Ward-Prowse replied with a free kick as Manchester United won 3–1.
• Tang Ye said Manchester United’s temporary lead was not worth celebrating because Manchester City had a game in hand, then told reporters he would likely celebrate his twentieth birthday with cake at the training base.

Tang Ye spent his twentieth birthday fretting that Cristiano Ronaldo could lead Juventus back from a two-goal deficit before Manchester United’s Champions League second leg. As the teams prepared to meet, Tang Ye saw the match as a fated confrontation between himself and Ronaldo.

• Tang Ye worried that fans’ confident predictions would jinx Manchester United’s advantage, while Juventus and Ronaldo arrived in Manchester promising to fight for a comeback.
• Manchester United celebrated Tang Ye’s birthday, and his system assigned him a mission to win as many trophies as possible that year.
• Erik ten Hag urged Tang Ye to stay focused in training, while Tang Ye calculated that Manchester United might still win the league and Champions League.
• Erik ten Hag and Mitchell van der Gaag reassured Tang Ye that Manchester United had not surrendered a two-goal lead that season, but their confidence made him more nervous.
• Manchester United prepared carefully for Juventus, and Tang Ye saw Ronaldo’s place in the opposing starting lineup as the start of their fated showdown.

Manchester United faced Juventus in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg, where Cristiano Ronaldo scored to cut the aggregate lead to one goal. At halftime, both teams regrouped as Manchester United prepared to contain Ronaldo and Juventus.

• Tang Ye helped Manchester United create chances, but McTominay’s through ball was blocked and Haller could not convert a later attack.
• The referee disallowed Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal for offside, and Ronaldo received a yellow card for protesting.
• De Gea saved Dybala’s shot after Ronaldo’s backheel and pass opened up Manchester United’s defense.
• Ronaldo headed in Juventus’s corner in the 34th minute, giving Juventus a 1-0 lead and narrowing Manchester United’s aggregate advantage to 2-1.
• Bernardeschi missed a late chance, and the teams reached halftime with Juventus leading the second leg 1-0.
• Ronaldo urged his teammates to attack more decisively in the tunnel, while Tang Ye and Ten Hag instructed Manchester United’s defenders to mark Ronaldo closely.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as Juventus overturned Manchester United’s two-goal first-leg advantage and took a 3-2 aggregate lead. With Manchester United fans pleading for Fergie Time, Tang Ye found a chance to drive forward in the 82nd minute.

• Manchester United threatened through a Rashford shot, but Wojciech Szczęsny saved it.
• Emre Can sent Cristiano Ronaldo through on goal, and Ronaldo scored to level the aggregate score.
• Eric Bailly fouled Ronaldo in the penalty area, and Ronaldo converted the penalty to complete his hat-trick and put Juventus ahead on aggregate.
• Rodri pulled Tang Ye to his feet and urged him to keep fighting as the fans chanted for Fergie Time.
• Tang Ye received Rodri’s through ball and drove toward Miralem Pjanić and Cancelo while considering his next move.

Tang Ye helped Manchester United beat Juventus 3-2 in the second leg and advance to the Champions League quarterfinals 4-3 on aggregate. After Cristiano Ronaldo challenged him to prove himself with more trophies, Tang Ye was left considering what it would take to surpass him.

• Tang Ye set up Eric Bailly’s stoppage-time winning header from a corner, sending Manchester United through despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat trick.
• Manchester United celebrated the victory as the final whistle confirmed Juventus’s elimination and their own quarterfinal place.
• Cristiano Ronaldo told Tang Ye that his talent was not enough without more Premier League, La Liga, and Champions League trophies.
• Tang Ye wondered whether Cristiano Ronaldo still saw him as a rival for the Ballon d’Or, while Mitchell van der Gaag doubted Ronaldo could overtake him.
• Reports praised Tang Ye’s two assists and listed Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Ajax, Liverpool, and Paris Saint-Germain as possible quarterfinal opponents.

Rashford won the Premier League Player of the Month award, while Tang Ye faced renewed pressure to consider leaving Manchester United after Juventus proposed a deal involving Cristiano Ronaldo and 80 million euros. Manchester City’s Champions League exit strengthened their focus on the league, and Manchester United’s match against Arsenal began with the Premier League title race tightening.

• Rashford won the February Player of the Month award and told reporters he did not expect Tang Ye to leave Manchester United.
• A psychology blogger claimed Cristiano Ronaldo had shown hostility toward Tang Ye, while news outlets warned Tang Ye could face an additional suspension for his unpaid AFC fine.
• Boer urged Tang Ye to consider a move and revealed Juventus had offered Cristiano Ronaldo plus 80 million euros, but Tang Ye postponed the discussion until after Manchester United’s crucial matches.
• During training, Tang Ye teased Ashley Young about the viral video that supposedly showed him eating bird droppings, and Juan Mata said he had never believed Young’s denial.
• Manchester City were eliminated from the Champions League, and Erik ten Hag said Manchester United would still try to win the Premier League despite City’s renewed focus on the league.
• Manchester United’s away match against Arsenal began as fans watched to see whether Arsenal could halt the Red Devils.

Tang Ye helped Manchester United take a 2-0 lead over Arsenal by setting up attacks for Anthony Martial and Ashley Young. At halftime, his teammates joked about fan-edited versions of the Tang Ye Bible before ten Hag scolded them for losing focus.

• Manchester United fans displayed English and Chinese quotes from the Tang Ye Bible to unsettle Arsenal’s Mesut Özil.
• Tang Ye combined with Scott McTominay and his teammates to create chances, and Anthony Martial scored in the 15th minute.
• Tang Ye misread Arsenal’s free-kick routine, and Zaka’s shot sailed into the stands after Özil acted as a decoy.
• Tang Ye quickly restarted play after Ziyech won a handball, then crossed for Ashley Young to score Manchester United’s second goal.
• At halftime, Rashford, Ashley Young, and Haller discussed fan-edited versions of the Tang Ye Bible, and ten Hag scolded the players for joking around.