Chapter Summaries

Tang Ye practiced his unconventional curved through balls until the skill reached Lv. 4, then made his first La Liga start for Villarreal against Málaga. After Málaga’s disallowed goal and a series of missed chances, Escribá urged Villarreal to keep passing, and Tang Ye spotted open space ahead.

• Tang Ye struggled to play standard long passes, but his low, curving pass set up Bakambu for a goal and impressed Escribá.
• Tang Ye trained his passing skills until De Bruyne Curved Through Ball reached Lv. 4, unlocking De Bruyne Cutback Cross.
• Tang Ye started Villarreal’s away match against Málaga, and CCTV broadcast the game as Chinese fans followed his debut.
• Málaga scored through Charles Díaz, but the assistant referee ruled the goal offside after Tang Ye had failed to stop Recio’s pass.
• Tang Ye helped launch a Villarreal counterattack with a through ball to Castillejo, but Haller’s shot was blocked and neither side scored.
• Escribá called for Villarreal to advance through passing, and Tang Ye noticed open space ahead and asked for the ball.

Tang Ye led Villarreal to a 2–0 away win over Málaga with two assists, earning a new Toni Kroos Safe Pass template after the match. He left the pitch to protect the lead, while Escribá defended his team-first tactics at the press conference and stopped short of promising Tang Ye a starting place.

• Tang Ye used a quick left-footed pass through Málaga’s center backs to set up Haller’s opening goal before halftime.
• Escribá told Tang Ye to pass more freely in the second half, and Tang Ye later launched an ambitious cross that led to Sansone setting up Costa’s goal.
• Tang Ye was substituted for Trigueros, then opened a Germany Advanced Chest and received the Toni Kroos Safe Pass Template after Schlotterbeck’s template mutated.
• Villarreal beat Málaga to claim their third straight win, and Bruno praised Tang Ye for his two assists during the locker-room celebrations.
• Escribá told reporters Tang Ye had played decisively but insisted he was adapting to Villarreal’s system rather than the team adapting to him.

Villarreal’s players watched the Europa League draw, hoping to avoid the strongest clubs, but were placed in Group L with Ajax and Inter Milan. Tang Ye joked about his good luck as the group became a daunting challenge, and a system mission tasked him with reaching 15 combined goals and assists.

• Escribá saw fans praising Tang Ye’s impact while criticizing him for not starting Tang Ye earlier.
• Villarreal’s players gathered to watch the Europa League draw, and Tang Ye predicted they would avoid Manchester United.
• Manchester United entered Group A, while Villarreal later joined Group L with Zürich.
• Ajax was drawn into Group L, prompting Escribá and Bruno to worry about the group’s strength.
• Inter Milan joined Group L, leaving Villarreal in a group with Inter Milan and Ajax.
• The system assigned Tang Ye a mission to reach 15 goals and assists across upcoming league, Copa del Rey, and Europa League matches for a Random Advanced Club Chest.

Tang Ye’s Overall Rating rose to 78 as he started Villarreal’s Europa League opener against Zürich. He assisted Pato’s goal, made a mistake that led to Zürich equalizing, then helped create Ndiaye’s go-ahead goal as Villarreal entered halftime leading 2–1.

• The Europa League draw placed Villarreal in a group with Inter Milan, Ajax, and Zürich, while Tang Ye’s training skills and attributes improved.
• Tang Ye started against Zürich and crossed for Pato to score Villarreal’s opening goal.
• Tang Ye lost possession in the 32nd minute, and Zürich scored through Bangura to equalize.
• Tang Ye played a through ball to Haller, who set up Ndiaye’s long-range goal to restore Villarreal’s lead.
• Villarreal led Zürich 2–1 at halftime, and the team prepared to seek a larger goal difference in the second half.

Tang Ye scored directly from a left-footed free kick to help Villarreal beat Zürich 3:1, then confused reporters by explaining that he could use either foot. The chapter ended with Escribá predicting Villarreal would advance from their Europa League group in second place.

• Tang Ye fouled Sal to disrupt Zürich’s attack as Villarreal protected their lead.
• Tang Ye took Bruno’s free kick with his left foot and scored, making the score 3:1.
• Escribá substituted Tang Ye for Castillejo, and Soriano asked Tang Ye how he had learned to take set pieces with both feet.
• Villarreal held on to win 3:1, and Tang Ye earned an 8.1 rating before joining Escribá at the press conference.
• Escribá said Villarreal were prepared for the group stage and predicted they would advance in second place.
• Tang Ye told reporters he had switched feet on the free kick because he suddenly wanted to, then struggled to identify which foot he preferred.

After Erik ten Hag claimed Tang Ye’s two-footed ability came from extra training at Utrecht, his joke about Villarreal owing another €3 million sparked a police investigation. Tang Ye was named a starter against Real Sociedad, bought a bicycle with Rodri, and ended the chapter still short of the points needed to unlock a new item.

• Erik ten Hag defended Manchester United’s loss to PSV Eindhoven and credited himself for Tang Ye’s Europa League performance, claiming he had trained Tang Ye’s weaker foot at Utrecht.
• Erik ten Hag joked that Villarreal owed Utrecht another €3 million for borrowing Tang Ye’s other foot, and PSV supporters and Feyenoord fans called for an investigation into his extra training of Tang Ye.
• Utrecht police announced they were reopening their investigation into whether Erik ten Hag had illegally given underage Tang Ye extra training.
• Escribá told Tang Ye he would start against Real Sociedad, while Mati noticed hostile headlines criticizing Escribá for not regularly starting Tang Ye.
• Tang Ye and Rodri bought a Trek road bike, which Tang Ye left in the apartment building’s parking area despite Rodri’s warning that it might be stolen.
• Tang Ye checked his system and found he had 287 points, short of the 320 needed to unlock a new item.

Villarreal fell behind twice against Real Sociedad, with Tang Ye assisting Haller’s equalizer and then winning a dangerous foul while pretending to be a winger. The chapter ended with Tang Ye staying down on the pitch after Zaldúa stepped on his calf, hoping the referee would book him.

• Real Sociedad pressed Villarreal early, and William José scored to give the visitors the lead.
• Tang Ye nutmegged Illarramendi indirectly, then assisted Haller’s equalizer in the 34th minute.
• José scored again four minutes later, leaving Villarreal trailing 1–2 at halftime.
• Escribá demonstrated how Villarreal should play out from the back and told Tang Ye to position himself farther forward.
• Tang Ye drove down the left, worked a one-two with Bruno, and cut past Zaldúa before Zaldúa stepped on his calf during a tackle.
• Tang Ye stayed on the ground shouting, hoping the referee would show Zaldúa a second yellow card.

Tang Ye helped Villarreal turn a 1-2 deficit into a 4-2 win over Real Sociedad after Zaldúa was sent off, scoring an accidental long-range goal with a back-to-goal kick. He received the La Liga MVP trophy, while Escribá learned that Tang Ye's two-footed ability had supposedly doubled his loan price.

• Tang Ye drew a studs-up foul from Zaldúa, who received a red card and left Real Sociedad with ten players.
• Rodri came on for Bruno, and Tang Ye passed to Haller, whose cutback let Musacchio equalize for Villarreal.
• Asenjo's long clearance reached Tang Ye, who kicked the ball backward over his head; it bounced into Real Sociedad's goal and gave Villarreal the lead.
• Tang Ye celebrated with his teammates, nearly choked on his gum, and was substituted as Villarreal went on to win 4-2 and claim their fourth straight victory.
• Tang Ye received the La Liga MVP trophy, and Bruno and Rodri soaked him with water while celebrating.
• At the press conference, a reporter told Escribá that Erik ten Hag had joked Villarreal owed Utrecht another three million euros for Tang Ye's left foot; Escribá subscribed to more football news and followed Erik on Twitter.

After Tang Ye’s spectacular goal drew attention, he discovered that Erik ten Hag had been sued for making him train illegally as a minor. Tang Ye trained with Villarreal while worrying about Erik, then Escribá reminded the squad that Real Madrid was their next opponent.

• Tang Ye posted his back-to-goal lob online, gained attention, and learned that Erik ten Hag had been sued in the Netherlands over his extra training sessions.
• Erik ten Hag faced reporters before Manchester United’s EFL Cup match and admitted he had broken the law to train Tang Ye.
• Northampton fans taunted Erik ten Hag over the lawsuit as he arrived for the match.
• Tang Ye arrived late to Villarreal training after his bicycle was stolen, then told Bruno and Haller that the reports about his extra training were mostly true.
• Haller explained that Erik ten Hag could avoid arrest in the United Kingdom but would face punishment if he returned to the Netherlands, and Tang Ye said he had accepted the training to earn a starting spot.
• Escribá ended the relaxed training session by reminding the Villarreal squad that they would face Real Madrid the next day.

Tang Ye and Villarreal prepared to face Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, where a system mission offered different rewards for losing, drawing, or winning. Real Madrid struck first through Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tang Ye resolved to fight for a victory despite the hostile atmosphere.

• Villarreal's players joked over a slice of herring while discussing Real Madrid's powerful midfield trio of Modrić, Casemiro, and Toni Kroos.
• Tang Ye arrived at the Bernabéu and received the three-tiered Sinking Battleship mission, which rewarded a loss, draw, or win with increasingly powerful templates.
• Tang Ye entered the match after buying Vardy's Red Bull as the commentators introduced both teams' lineups.
• Casemiro stole the ball from Bruno, and Real Madrid built an attack that ended with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring past Asenjo.
• Tang Ye asked Bruno what Villarreal should do after conceding, then committed himself to pursuing the victory and its reward.

Villarreal equalized against Real Madrid when Tang Ye’s dummy created a shooting chance for Bruno, but Cristiano Ronaldo soon restored Real Madrid’s lead. The chapter left Villarreal trailing 2–1 at the Bernabéu.

• Tang Ye dropped back to help Villarreal play through Real Madrid’s press, then carried the ball forward and sent Haller into the attack.
• Tang Ye called for Bakambu’s pass and faked a shot, fooling Real Madrid’s defenders and allowing Bruno to score from distance in the 34th minute.
• Escribá replaced Cheryshev with Rodri, moved Bruno deeper, and pushed Tang Ye forward.
• Tang Ye stopped Bell’s break down the flank with a sliding tackle after Rodri was beaten for pace.
• Casemiro launched a counterattack, Kroos set up Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldo scored to put Real Madrid ahead 2–1.

Real Madrid led Villarreal 3–1 after Sergio Ramos scored from a set piece, but Escribá pushed Tang Ye into an attacking role and Villarreal fought back. Rodri scored, then Tang Ye equalized in the 84th minute, leaving the match level at the Bernabéu.

• Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace put Real Madrid ahead, and Escribá recognized that Villarreal’s formation was struggling against the press.
• Casemiro tackled Tang Ye as Villarreal counterattacked, and the referee ended the first half with Real Madrid leading 2–1.
• Sergio Ramos headed in Toni Kroos’s set piece in the 56th minute to make it 3–1, prompting Escribá to tell Tang Ye to stop defending and play as an attacking midfielder.
• Tang Ye helped create space for Rodri, who scored from a rebound in the 65th minute to cut the deficit to 3–2.
• Tang Ye won the ball from Casemiro with a sliding tackle as Villarreal launched another counterattack.
• In the 84th minute, Tang Ye’s pass struck the post and went in, equalizing for Villarreal before he celebrated with his signature stripes.

Tang Ye scored a late equalizer in Villarreal’s 3-3 draw with Real Madrid, then gained a Modrić-inspired template and unlocked a passive lunchbox item. The chapter left him considering the item’s benefits and the penalty it imposed when he was hungry.

• Tang Ye celebrated Villarreal’s equalizer and received a Real Madrid Superstar Chest after the match.
• Tang Ye joked with reporters at the press conference, while Escribá praised the team’s performance and later considered how to improve its formation.
• Cristiano Ronaldo high-fived Tang Ye and promised they would meet again in future matches.
• Escribá told Mati that Tang Ye needed to improve his passing and ball control despite his varied skills.
• Tang Ye opened the chest and gained Modrić’s back-to-goal escape template, raising his ball control and speed.
• Tang Ye spent 320 Comeback Points to unlock Jadon Sancho’s lunchbox, a passive item that improved nutrition and recovery but reduced his performance when hungry.

After ten Hag defended Tom and proposed careful recruitment for Manchester United, Escribá searched his former mentor’s records for a tactical answer to Villarreal’s erratic form. He switched Villarreal to a 4-2-3-1 and placed Tang Ye at attacking midfielder, telling him he was as good as the model team’s playmaker.

• Ten Hag said Manchester United needed major recruitment but argued that the club should look beyond expensive players from the top five leagues.
• Ten Hag rejected questions suggesting Tom trained more seriously for Escribá than he had for ten Hag, then blamed Tom’s punctuality at Villarreal on diminished enthusiasm.
• Escribá, troubled by Villarreal’s unpredictable performances, found that ten Hag had used a 4-2-3-1 at Utrecht and decided the formation suited the Yellow Submarine.
• Tang Ye completed his training, joked with his teammates about his stolen bicycle, and joined Escribá’s tactical meeting.
• Escribá unveiled a 4-2-3-1 with Tang Ye at attacking midfielder, explaining that the formation would strengthen Villarreal’s attack.
• Tang Ye worried that he could not match the successful team’s attacking midfielder, but Escribá told him there was no gap between them.

Tang Ye assisted Haller and set up Villarreal’s second goal with a long cross after nutmegging Mérida, helping the Yellow Submarine take a 2–0 halftime lead over Osasuna. After Rodri and Dos Santos entered in the second half, Rodri drove forward and realized Tang Ye had moved too far upfield for an obvious pass.

• Tang Ye discovered he had only four Comeback Points, too few to buy Vardy’s Red Bull, but earned enough after assisting Haller’s ninth-minute goal to activate it.
• Tang Ye nutmegged Mérida with his back to goal, then sent Bakambu a long 45-degree cross that began the attack leading to Villarreal’s second goal.
• Villarreal ended the first half ahead 2–0, and Tang Ye told Rodri he still planned to score.
• Escribá sent Rodri and Dos Santos on at halftime, and Rodri carried the ball forward before noticing Tang Ye was too far ahead to be an easy passing option.

Tang Ye helped Villarreal beat Osasuna 4–1, winning a penalty and setting up Bakambu’s goal before being named MVP. After the team celebrated, news coverage and online reactions amplified the attention around his league-leading assists, and Tang Ye began watching a video about an €18 million midfielder’s ball control.

• Tang Ye drew a foul from Garcia in the penalty area, and Bruno converted the resulting penalty to extend Villarreal’s lead.
• León scored for Osasuna in the 67th minute, but Tang Ye later set up Bakambu with a creative flicked pass for Villarreal’s fourth goal.
• Villarreal held on to win 4–1, and Bruno raised Tang Ye’s hand as the home fans chanted his name and recognized him as the match MVP.
• In the locker room, Bruno called Tang Ye’s two assists and penalty won a near-assist hat trick, and the team celebrated the victory together.
• News outlets and fans praised Tang Ye’s five assists in six league matches, while his social-media following surged and he replied to insulting comments.
• On the team bus, Rodri showed Tang Ye a headline comparing his assists with Messi’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s, and Tang Ye opened a football video recommended on Bilibili.

Tang Ye encountered online criticism before Villarreal prepared to face Inter Milan, while Escribá changed the team’s hotel to evade fans’ firecrackers. Tang Ye started the Europa League match and helped Haller score in the sixth minute, giving Villarreal an early lead.

• Tang Ye watched a mocking compilation of his mistakes and read the hostile comments it attracted.
• Tang Ye discovered Inter Milan were struggling in Serie A, while Escribá and Mati debated whether to use a 4-2-3-1 against them.
• Escribá moved Villarreal to a different hotel after Tang Ye suggested the switch, and Inter Milan fans’ firecrackers went off outside the original hotel.
• Tang Ye and Rodri started for Villarreal against Inter Milan, and the teams took the field before nearly 80,000 spectators.
• Tang Ye set up Haller with a curved through ball, and Haller scored in the sixth minute to put Villarreal ahead 1–0.

Villarreal took an early lead over Inter Milan through Tang Ye, but Mauro Icardi and Candreva scored to bring Inter level. The chapter ended with Inter buoyed by their comeback and aiming to take the lead.

• Tang Ye scored Villarreal’s equalizer after combining with Soriano in the penalty area.
• Frank de Boer urged Inter’s players to mark their opponents closely, though they showed little response.
• Mauro Icardi scored just before halftime, cutting Villarreal’s lead to 2–1.
• At halftime, Escribá instructed Villarreal to press high and told Tang Ye to stay central.
• Asenjo saved Icardi’s header in the second half, but Candreva volleyed in the rebound to equalize for Inter.

Tang Ye scored Villarreal’s winning goal in a 3–2 Europa League victory over Inter Milan and earned Man of the Match. After the match, Escribá prepared to confront Tang Ye for repeatedly pretending to be a winger, but Mati’s notes showed that each time Tang Ye had pretended to be a striker, he had scored or assisted.

• Tang Ye escaped Inter Milan’s pressure, beat Yuto Nagatomo with feints, and scored in the 83rd minute to put Villarreal ahead 3–2.
• Villarreal beat Inter Milan 3–2, moved temporarily to the top of Group L, and Tang Ye received the Europa League Man of the Match trophy.
• Tang Ye told reporters his feints were intentional and struggled to explain why a midfielder trained to dribble past opponents one-on-one.
• Escribá reviewed Mati’s notes and became angry that Tang Ye had impersonated a winger three times during the match.
• Mati pointed out that Tang Ye’s three impersonations of a striker had produced two goals and one assist.

Tang Ye was named to the 2016 Golden Boy shortlist, while Escribá adjusted Villarreal’s tactics to accommodate his attacking runs. The chapter ended with Erik ten Hag joking in a Manchester United interview that Villarreal owed him another three million euros for Tang Ye’s training.

• Escribá warned Tang Ye to stop abandoning his midfield position, but later agreed to let him play farther forward and moved Rodri into the space he left vacant.
• Tang Ye learned he had been named to the Golden Boy Award’s 40-man shortlist, and the system penalized him one Comeback Point because he was actually thirty-eight.
• Escribá read online criticism of his handling of Tang Ye and changed his tactical plan to move Tang Ye forward.
• Erik ten Hag discussed Tang Ye’s Golden Boy nomination during a post-match interview and claimed Villarreal owed Utrecht three million euros in additional loan fees.
• Erik ten Hag then joked that Villarreal also owed him three million euros for tutoring Tang Ye, leaving Escribá impressed and defeated by the Dutchman’s interview skills.