Chapter Summaries

Tang Ye scored a spectacular stoppage-time Volley Slash to give Utrecht a 3–2 win over Feyenoord, then learned he would start the Dutch Cup semifinal despite the club’s fines for violating the Minor Protection Act. Against Saints Football Club, he helped Utrecht build a commanding lead and recorded three assists before the chapter ended.

• Feyenoord shifted formations and Vejinovic assisted Vilhena’s equalizer, making the score 2–2.
• Tang Ye supported Utrecht’s attack, and de Jong’s headed layoff set him up to score a Volley Slash in the 91st minute for a 3–2 win.
• Erik ten Hag defended Tang Ye’s goal at the press conference and declared that Utrecht’s victory and his Manager of the Month award came through strength, not luck.
• Tang Ye asked Erik ten Hag about playing in the Dutch Cup semifinal, and Erik promised he would start and play at least 45 minutes despite the club’s fines.
• Utrecht took a 3–0 halftime lead over Saints Football Club, with Tang Ye assisting Kleiber and scoring from a set piece.
• Tang Ye slid in to win the ball and set up Haller’s second goal, completing a hat trick of assists.

After Utrecht’s cup win, Tang Ye learned he was nearing his seventeenth birthday and discovered he led the Eredivisie with 24 assists and 14 goals. His teammates and Erik ten Hag surprised him with a birthday celebration, where Tang Ye made a wish and blew out the candles.

• Tang Ye worried that the system’s boost to his reaction speed had made him older, then learned his birthday was March 4 and he would remain an academy player until turning eighteen.
• Erik ten Hag told the team Feyenoord would be their Dutch Cup final opponent and warned them to stay focused on their league goal of finishing in the top four.
• Tang Ye checked the league statistics and showed Erik ten Hag that he had 24 assists and 14 goals, prompting Erik to send him back to his seat.
• Tang Ye tested Cristiano Ronaldo’s chicken breast item and learned that buying another while its effect was active only refreshed its duration.
• Ramselaar lured Tang Ye into arriving late at the cafeteria, where the team surprised him with a birthday party and a cake marked “17 years old.”
• Erik ten Hag explained that it was already March 4 in China, and Tang Ye blew out his candles after saying he already knew what wish he wanted to make.

On his 38th birthday, Tang Ye received an Ultimate Chest that could grant an Ultimate Template if Utrecht won both the Dutch Cup and the league, so he chose to wait before opening it. He helped Utrecht beat Heerenveen 2-0, won February’s Player of the Month award, and finished the chapter determined to keep working hard.

• On March 4, Tang Ye received the Ultimate Chest and decided to delay opening it in hopes of earning its Ultimate Template reward by winning both competitions.
• Before Utrecht’s away match against Heerenveen, Tang Ye and Erik ten Hag were announced as February’s Best Player and Best Manager.
• Tang Ye’s curling shot hit the post and crossbar, allowing Balazhit to score the rebound, and he later scored Utrecht’s second goal with another far-corner curl.
• In the second half, Tang Ye earned a yellow card for a mistimed tackle, and Haller and Marzo were also booked after a confrontation.
• Utrecht beat Heerenveen 2-0, and Tang Ye received the February Player of the Month trophy and said hard work had helped him more than talent.

Tang Ye improved his far-corner curl, scored and assisted as Utrecht beat SBV Excelsior 2-0, and urged his teammates to target the Eredivisie title. The chapter left Utrecht top of the standings, while Erik ten Hag remained cautious about claiming they would win the league.

• Tang Ye posted a photo of his trophies, played ten FIFA matches against an Utrecht fan, and arranged to send him a signed jersey despite the fan losing every game.
• Tang Ye raised his Far-Corner Curl to Lv. 3 during Utrecht's 3-2 loss to ADO Den Haag, where he scored twice but could not prevent a late winner.
• Tang Ye assisted Haller's opening goal against SBV Excelsior, then missed a shooting chance as Utrecht led 1-0 at halftime.
• Tang Ye scored with a far-corner curl in the second half, helping Utrecht defeat SBV Excelsior 2-0.
• Utrecht remained first in the Eredivisie with 63 points, and Tang Ye told Ramselaar and Erik ten Hag that they should aim to win the league.

Tang Ye’s late substitution against Heracles Almelo sparked criticism of Erik ten Hag, while youth-protection authorities warned the coach over repeatedly letting Tang play after 10 p.m. As Utrecht prepared to face Nijmegen, Tang learned that Sevilla and Eintracht Frankfurt were interested in signing him, and he entered the match determined to win.

• Erik ten Hag substituted Tang Ye in the seventy-third minute to avoid a larger fine, and Utrecht drew 1–1 with Heracles Almelo.
• Reporters challenged Erik ten Hag over Utrecht’s weaker attack without Tang Ye, and he left the press conference without answering.
• Fans criticized Erik ten Hag’s coaching, while a video argued that Tang Ye’s performances had helped earn the coach his Manager of the Month awards.
• Montfoort police warned Erik ten Hag that continued violations of youth-protection laws could lead to detention, leaving him alarmed despite Mitchell van der Gaag’s reassurances.
• Boer told Tang Ye that Sevilla and Eintracht Frankfurt wanted to discuss a transfer, and Tang said he was open to moving if either club reached an agreement with Utrecht.
• Before Utrecht’s match against Nijmegen, Erik ten Hag confidently said he would prove himself, and Tang Ye spotted a fan sign supporting him as he entered the pitch.

Tang Ye scored a hat trick as Utrecht defeated Nijmegen 3:1, giving Erik ten Hag the victory he wanted to prove himself. After receiving the MVP trophy, Tang Ye hurried to find the referee and claim the match ball.

• Tang Ye intercepted Sleegers's pass, helped Utrecht build an attack, and scored the opening goal with a curling shot.
• Tang Ye set up an attack that ended with the ball rebounding off his head into the net, giving Utrecht a 2:0 halftime lead.
• Erik ten Hag urged Utrecht to keep pushing, but Nijmegen scored through Todd Kane in the 77th minute to make it 2:1.
• Tang Ye scored from Ramselaar's corner in the 89th minute to complete his hat trick, and Utrecht won 3:1.
• Tang Ye received the MVP trophy and learned that he could ask the referee for the match ball as a hat-trick scorer.

Tang Ye celebrated his first professional hat-trick as Utrecht beat Nijmegen 3–1, while Ten Hag dominated the post-match press conference and fans circulated his contradictory remarks. Tang Ye learned that Sevilla and Eintracht Frankfurt had made bids below Utrecht’s asking price, then improved his passing in training; Utrecht’s looming away match against Ajax left Ten Hag worried because underage-player restrictions limited Tang Ye to thirty minutes.

• Tang Ye gave his signed match ball to a young fan after celebrating his first professional hat-trick, and a fan mistakenly called him Japanese.
• Ten Hag defended Utrecht’s 3–1 win at the press conference, and his eighteen contradictory remarks spread widely online.
• Tang Ye posted a photo of his trophy, considered unlocking new system items, and decided to save his Comeback Points.
• Boer told Tang Ye that Sevilla and Eintracht Frankfurt had offered 8.5 million and 10.5 million euros, below Utrecht’s valuation of more than 15 million euros.
• Tang Ye excelled at one-touch rondo, raised his passing attribute to 80, and unlocked De Bruyne’s 45-Degree Cross skill.
• Ten Hag worried that Utrecht’s April 17 away match against Ajax could cost them the top spot because Tang Ye could play only thirty minutes under underage-player restrictions.

Tang Ye faced uncertainty over whether Utrecht would let him play against Ajax because Dutch police threatened to punish the club and Erik ten Hag for violating the Minor Protection Act. Erik ten Hag announced that Tang would start and play the full match, accepting the risk of punishment as Utrecht prepared for kickoff.

• Tang Ye estimated he could not raise De Bruyne Curved Through Ball to level 4 before the season ended and focused on training his 45-Degree Cross.
• Weilhof warned Erik ten Hag that Dutch police could detain him if Tang played beyond the legal limit, even if Utrecht paid the 80,000-euro fine.
• News of the threat spread widely, and betting sites offered odds on whether Tang would play and whether Erik ten Hag would go to jail.
• Tang Ye traveled with Utrecht to face Ajax, and the club included him in the matchday squad.
• Erik ten Hag told reporters Tang would start and said he expected to keep him on the pitch for the entire match.

Ajax took an early two-goal lead over Utrecht, but Tang Ye helped spark a second-half comeback that leveled the score at 2–2. Erik ten Hag kept his attacking approach after the equalizer, leaving Utrecht pushing for a win as the match continued.

• Klaassen scored a penalty in the eighth minute after Amrabat handled the ball, giving Ajax an early lead.
• Erik ten Hag kept Tang Ye on the pitch beyond the thirty-minute mark despite the risk of a fine, and Bazoer later received a yellow card for fouling Tang Ye.
• Klaassen scored again in the forty-first minute to put Ajax 2–0 ahead at halftime.
• After Erik ten Hag told Tang Ye to press with his teammates, Tang Ye intercepted Younes's pass and launched the attack that ended with Haller scoring to make it 2–1.
• Tang Ye's shot struck the post in the sixty-fifth minute, and Haller scored from the rebound to equalize for Utrecht.
• Erik ten Hag replaced Amrabat with de Jong in the seventieth minute and kept Utrecht in an attacking shape.

Tang Ye helped Utrecht come from two goals down to defeat Ajax 3-2, earning the match MVP after assisting Ramselaar’s winning goal. As Erik ten Hag was led away by police after the match, he declared that his contributions to Utrecht could not be taken away.

• Gudelj fouled Tang Ye, and Tang Ye took the resulting set piece after Ramselaar handed him the ball.
• Tang Ye curled a precise cross to Ramselaar, who headed in Utrecht’s winning goal.
• Utrecht held off Ajax’s late attacks and completed their comeback win away from home.
• Mitchell van der Gaag told Tang Ye he had been named MVP because he had initiated most of Utrecht’s attacks.
• Tang Ye and the Utrecht players found Erik ten Hag being escorted to a police car by officers.
• Erik ten Hag told the crowd, “You can take my body, but you can't take away my contributions to Utrecht,” and raised his fist with the words “Make Utrecht Great Again.”

After visiting Ten Hag in detention, Utrecht prepared for their match against De Graafschap without him, and Tang Ye helped secure a 2–0 win. Ten Hag remained in custody, but he watched the match and shouted instructions at the television.

• Utrecht’s players visited Ten Hag in Montfoort, where he laid out the lineup and urged them to aim for the league title and Dutch Cup.
• Tang Ye told reporters he was sad about Ten Hag’s arrest but repeatedly struggled to keep from laughing during the interview.
• Mitchell van der Gaag told the squad Ten Hag would miss the De Graafschap match because he had miscalculated his release time.
• Tang Ye scored in the 18th minute, then assisted Joosten with a cross in the second half as Utrecht won 2–0.
• Ten Hag called the players from detention at halftime to criticize Tang Ye and give instructions, and police later posted footage of him cheering at the television.

Erik ten Hag returned from detention and led Utrecht toward the Dutch Cup final, while Tang Ye negotiated a new contract with Boer and agreed to let him pursue a transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt. Utrecht arrived at Feyenoord Stadium, and the final began with Feyenoord targeting Tang Ye and denying him space to make long passes.

• Erik ten Hag left Montfoort Detention Center, praised his decision to help Utrecht against Ajax, and said he believed Utrecht could win the Dutch Cup final.
• Tang Ye unlocked Paul Pogba's Hair Clay, worried about Ramselaar's pressure, and agreed with Boer to sign a new agency contract after the season.
• Boer told Tang Ye that Eintracht Frankfurt wanted to offer more for him, and Tang Ye agreed to let Boer push the transfer forward.
• Utrecht arrived at Feyenoord Stadium, where a bottle struck the team bus as Amrabat prepared to taunt the home fans.
• Erik ten Hag calmed the Utrecht players before kickoff by reminding them that they led the league and Feyenoord were under greater pressure.
• Feyenoord started the Dutch Cup final in a 3-4-3 formation, and El Ahmadi used his body to dispossess Tang Ye before he could send a long pass.

Tang Ye scored Utrecht’s opening goal, then set up Haller for a 91st-minute winner after Erik ten Hag told the team to involve him more. Utrecht led Feyenoord 2–1 in the Dutch Cup final as the chapter ended with ten Hag sending Ayoub to get ready for the trophy presentation.

• Tang Ye scored with a sliding toe poke to put Utrecht ahead, but Kuyt equalized for Feyenoord with a direct free kick.
• Utrecht struggled under Feyenoord’s pressure, and ten Hag told the team at halftime to move the ball faster and find Tang Ye when he was unmarked.
• Feyenoord marked Tang Ye closely in the second half while Balazhit missed two chances, leaving the score level at 1–1 late in the match.
• Tang Ye moved to the right flank and delivered a 45-degree cross that Haller headed in during the 91st minute to give Utrecht a 2–1 lead.
• Ten Hag celebrated with the Utrecht players and told Ayoub to change and prepare to receive the trophy.

Utrecht defeated Feyenoord 2-1 to win the Dutch Cup, and Tang Ye celebrated the club’s title and his final MVP award. He received 100 Comeback Points from the system, leaving him with a new reward after his first championship since coming out of retirement.

• Tang Ye received a yellow card for delaying play as Utrecht protected its lead in the final minutes.
• The referee ended the match, and Utrecht beat Feyenoord 2-1 to become Dutch Cup champions.
• Tang Ye celebrated with his teammates, who jokingly imitated his duck-like goal celebration before Erik ten Hag confronted the jeering Feyenoord fans.
• Erik ten Hag and Utrecht’s players received their medals and lifted the club’s first Dutch Cup since 2003.
• Tang Ye received the final MVP trophy and joined his teammates in celebrating with water poured into it.
• The system awarded Tang Ye 100 Comeback Points for winning the Dutch Cup at age 38 and earning the final MVP award.

After winning the Dutch Cup with Utrecht, Tang Ye faced questions about his future as clubs from several leagues showed interest. He wanted to move to one of Europe's top five leagues, but Utrecht was refusing to sell, leaving his transfer uncertain as the season continued.

• Tang Ye said he had not decided whether to stay at Utrecht after reporters asked about interest from Sevilla and Eintracht Frankfurt.
• Utrecht Evening News reported that the club had rejected Eintracht Frankfurt's offer and considered Tang Ye not for sale.
• Shandong Taishan offered to buy Tang Ye back for more than nine million euros, but he declined because he wanted to pursue opportunities in Europe.
• Boer told Tang Ye that Eintracht Frankfurt had raised its offer to six million euros and that Lyon and Benfica were also interested.
• Tang Ye showed his trophies to his former reserve-team teammates, and Merent wished him luck while warning that top-five-league clubs would not tolerate his old training habits.

Utrecht faced Vitesse with the Eredivisie title still to secure, and Tang Ye met fellow Chinese player Zhang Yuning before the match. Utrecht dominated the game, with Tang Ye contributing to several goals and scoring himself, while Zhang Yuning made his Vitesse debut; the chapter ended with Utrecht leading 4-0.

• Tang Ye met Zhang Yuning in the players' tunnel and learned that the fellow Chinese forward had recently been promoted from Vitesse's U19 team.
• Tang Ye helped create Utrecht's opening goal for Joosten, and Kleiber scored the rebound after Tang Ye's shot was saved to make it 2-0.
• Zhang Yuning came on as a substitute in the sixty-first minute, and Tang Ye's free-kick delivery led to de Jong scoring Utrecht's third goal.
• Tang Ye tracked back and tackled Zhang Yuning as he prepared to shoot, stopping Vitesse's attack.
• Tang Ye scored Utrecht's fourth goal with a first-time finish after Balazhit played a through ball into the penalty area.

Tang Ye helped Utrecht defeat Vitesse and won April’s Eredivisie Player of the Month award as rumors spread that Erik ten Hag might leave for Manchester United. With the league title still at stake, Tang Ye learned Erik ten Hag had registered him for Utrecht’s youth and reserve competitions and wanted him to play in the U21 Dutch Champions Cup final.

• Tang Ye won the April Player of the Month award, then discussed his transfer rumors with Zhang Yuning after Utrecht beat Vitesse 4-0.
• Erik ten Hag confirmed Manchester United had contacted him but declined to say whether he would leave Utrecht.
• Utrecht’s players worried about Erik ten Hag’s possible departure, while Tang Ye secretly welcomed the prospect because he could eat burgers more often.
• Erik ten Hag urged the players to focus on beating AZ Alkmaar in the final league match, which Utrecht needed to win to contend for the title against PSV Eindhoven.
• Tang Ye trained his 45-Degree Cross and raised its proficiency to 75 before Erik ten Hag and Merent asked him to join the Reserves for the U21 Dutch Champions Cup final against Ajax Reserves.
• Erik ten Hag revealed he had registered Tang Ye for several youth and reserve competitions before the season, leaving Tang Ye convinced his manager had planned to send him back to the Reserves.

Tang Ye joined Utrecht II for the U21 Dutch Champions Cup final and led the team to a 5:1 victory over Ajax Reserves, winning Final MVP. Merent defended Tang’s eligibility after the match, while Jaap Stam angrily complained that Utrecht had used an unexpected reinforcement.

• Merent told a reporter that Utrecht II had 35 people, hinting that Tang Ye would play despite fans thinking the squad had 34.
• Tang Ye assisted Zaka’s opening goal in the first minute, then scored and assisted another goal as Utrecht II led Ajax Reserves 3:1 at halftime.
• Tang Ye urged Zaka to move forward and assisted his hat-trick goal after the break.
• Utrecht II defeated Ajax Reserves 5:1, and Tang Ye won the U21 Dutch Champions Cup Final MVP award despite gaining no Reversal Points.
• Merent argued that Tang Ye was a U19 player challenging himself in a U21 match, while Jaap Stam accused Utrecht of bringing in unfair help.

Tang Ye leveled up his 45-Degree Cross while Utrecht prepared for the decisive Eredivisie match against AZ Alkmaar, despite the Minor Protection Act limiting his playing time. The chapter ended with Utrecht naming Michel van der Gaag head coach for the final, leaving Erik ten Hag free of responsibility if Tang played the full match.

• Tang Ye posted a photo of his Man of the Match trophy, then realized the late kickoff against AZ Alkmaar meant he might be restricted to sixty minutes under the Minor Protection Act.
• Tang Ye took over Utrecht’s crossing drill and raised De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross from Lv2 to Lv3 while earning ten Comeback Points for helping the team practice.
• Tang Ye told his teammates he might only play sixty minutes, then Erik ten Hag assured him he would play the full match despite the risk of another penalty.
• PSV Eindhoven beat Cambuur 4–0 to reach 78 points, leaving Utrecht needing only a draw against AZ Alkmaar to overtake them.
• Utrecht’s fans urged Erik ten Hag to let Tang play, and he confirmed Tang would start and play the entire match.
• Utrecht announced Michel van der Gaag as head coach and Erik ten Hag as assistant coach, making Erik ten Hag uninvolved in choosing the lineup.

Utrecht faced AZ Alkmaar in a decisive final match for the Eredivisie title, with Tang Ye making his first-half impact on both ends of the pitch. Haller’s goal gave Utrecht the lead, but AZ scored twice, leaving Utrecht trailing 1–2 at halftime.

• Before kickoff, Tang Ye asked Ramselaar about the silver championship shield and was reassured that Utrecht would not lose.
• Tang Ye set up Utrecht’s first dangerous attack with a cross, but Joosten’s shot was saved.
• Tang Ye stopped Dos Santos with a sliding tackle, then launched a curved through ball that led to Haller’s 17th-minute opener.
• After Haller slipped, Johansson’s pass reached Jahanbakhsh, who equalized for AZ Alkmaar.
• Jahanbakhsh and Vincent combined with Dos Santos to score AZ’s second goal, putting Utrecht behind 1–2 before halftime.
• Erik ten Hag moved Tang Ye forward, but Tang Ye found no chance to attack before the first half ended.