Chapter 278: I Must Interfere

Chapter 278: Chapter 271: I Must Interfere

“Yang Yang, I want to ask you something.”

As Chen Tao entered Yang Yang’s room, he specifically looked around to make sure no one else was there before turning to close the door.

Seeing him act like this, especially with that grave expression on his face, surprised Yang Yang.

“What is it? Go ahead.” Yang Yang motioned for Chen Tao to come over and sit down across from him.

Chen Tao looked worried and hesitant, a stark contrast to his performance on the pitch.

On the pitch, Chen Tao was very creative and bold. He wasn’t afraid to take the ball or try new moves. He was hailed as the most creative player on the National Youth Team and among China’s new generation of players, second only to Yang Yang.

Arie Haan valued him highly this time, calling him up to the National Team twice in a row. In the previous away game against Iran, he even had him come on as a substitute, primarily to play on the right wing, which in turn pushed Yang Yang to the frontline.

But off the pitch, Chen Tao was somewhat straightforward and shy, not very good with words.

“I heard before that you were the one who helped Zheng Zhi find a team to play for abroad?” Chen Tao asked.

Yang Yang nodded. “You could say that. The agent does business with a lot of players at Ajax and I know him pretty well. It just so happened that when I asked him about opportunities, he recommended Zheng Zhi for a trial at Mainz. He passed it on the first try.”

Zheng Zhi had been performing well at Mainz recently and was starting to make the starting lineup, but a permanent spot wasn’t guaranteed yet.

This was normal. After all, Zheng Zhi hadn’t fully integrated into the team yet, nor did he have the overwhelming strength to immediately lock down a starting position on a Bundesliga team. But from their regular phone calls, it was clear Klopp really appreciated him.

Zheng Zhi was also one of the few Chinese players with a relatively high football IQ, and Yang Yang had high hopes for him.

“I have to ask you something, and it concerns my future. Please, you have to tell me the honest truth.” Chen Tao’s eyes suddenly turned red. He gritted his teeth and spoke with great force.

Yang Yang realized the gravity of the situation and immediately nodded several times. “Go on, tell me.”

“Do you think… at my current level, can I play abroad?” Chen Tao asked, his eyes red and his voice choked with emotion.

Yang Yang understood how much his answer could affect his teammate. He didn’t dare give a rash response. He thought it over carefully, replaying the games he had played alongside Chen Tao in his mind.

Finally, Yang Yang gave a firm nod. “I can’t speak for other leagues, since I’ve only played against them in European competitions. But in the Eredivisie? Maybe not the big three, but I think you’d do just fine on other teams. Getting a starting spot wouldn’t be a problem.”

Yang Yang had played in the Eredivisie for two years, so he knew what he was talking about when it came to the league’s strength. His words undoubtedly gave Chen Tao a sliver of hope, making the buzz-cut-wearing teammate suddenly look up.

Glistening tears welled up in his eyes. Yang Yang knew something must have happened.

“Tell me, what’s wrong?”

Chen Tao blinked hard, trying to keep his tears from falling. “The club wants me to sign a long-term contract. The monthly salary is only a few thousand yuan, but I looked at the contract… if I sign it, I’m afraid I’ll never be able to go play abroad.”

As Yang Yang made a name for himself in Europe, his influence on his National Youth Team teammates was immense. It especially made them personally feel the vast gap between football in China and abroad. Many of the more talented players on the National Youth Team began to dream of playing overseas.

This trend became even more pronounced after Zheng Zhi and Zhao Junzhe successfully transferred abroad.

As one of the most outstanding players on the National Youth Team besides Yang Yang, Chen Tao had always longed to play abroad. Back during the Toulon Cup, he had constantly asked Yang Yang about what it was like. Later, everyone on the National Youth Team agreed to play their hearts out at the Netherlands World Youth Championship next year, and then talk about moving abroad after the tournament. Yang Yang promised he would do his best to help.

It seemed now that Chen Tao’s club was forcing his hand.

“Then don’t sign it! A few thousand yuan a month, and for a multi-year contract? Are they trying to sign a long-term laborer?” Yang Yang was furious.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t heard of things like this before, but that was just hearsay. Now, his own National Team teammate was facing this problem. This was seeing it with his own eyes. How could he not be angry?

“I don’t want to sign either. I’ve been putting it off since last year, but the owner came to talk to me personally. I said I wouldn’t sign. He said if I don’t sign, I’m suspended from training. I said, ‘Fine, suspend me. At worst, I just won’t play this year and I’ll leave as a free agent when my contract is up.’ But then… he told me to leave immediately, ‘if you’re a real man’.”

“Then leave!” Yang Yang was furious. He couldn’t believe such people existed.

“I don’t dare.” At that moment, Chen Tao’s tears fell. He felt utterly humiliated.

“Why?” Yang Yang’s eyes turned red as well.

“The situation in the domestic league is very complicated right now. If I leave, other teams might not take me in because of their relationship with my club. If I can’t play abroad, where would I go after leaving?”

Yang Yang could understand Chen Tao’s concerns.

“I’m not from a rich family. Even now, after making it to the National Team, I don’t earn much at all. Just that few thousand yuan a month, and even that often gets docked. My family lives in a small house, just over forty square meters. We don’t even have any decent appliances. All these years, my parents have scrimped and saved to support my football career, spending so much money. I can’t…”

By the end, Chen Tao was so choked up he couldn’t speak.

Yang Yang felt a deep sense of empathy, his heart aching for him.

After finally managing to calm down, Chen Tao continued, “My parents are laid-off workers, they only make a few hundred yuan a month. I thought if I just worked hard, pushed myself, I could make money once I got into the first team. I could improve my parents’ lives, maybe buy them an apartment. But who knew… there’s still no money. Forget an apartment, right now, even…”

Chen Tao choked up again.

Yang Yang could understand what he was thinking and feel his anxiety.

‘He’s not wrong. If anyone’s to blame, it’s this damned system!’

Yang Yang comforted Chen Tao for a moment, then immediately stood up and made a call to Wei Zhen to find out more about Chen Tao’s current situation.

The feedback from Wei Zhen confirmed that the basic situation was just as Chen Tao had described. Apparently, five players were being coerced by the club. Chen Tao was one of them, and so far, the only one still resisting.

Because he was the biggest name among the five and had the best chance of playing abroad, he was unwilling to give in so easily.

“Yang Yang, situations like this are very common. You can’t do anything about it,” Wei Zhen said helplessly.

“I know,” Yang Yang said. “I can pretend I don’t know about the others, but I’ve encountered this one myself. He’s my teammate, and I believe he has the talent to play abroad. I have to get involved. I can’t just let a talented young player be ruined like this.”

Wei Zhen was silent on the other end of the line for a moment, then sighed. “Alright then. I still have some connections in the country. I’ll do my best to mediate for you. I also suggest you talk to Captain Zhu of the National Team. He’s a good man.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Yang Yang made another call, this time to Guido Alberts in the Netherlands.

He didn’t tell the Dutch agent too many details about Chen Tao’s situation. After all, it was a domestic shame. He just said that he had a very good teammate who wanted to play abroad and asked if there was a way to arrange a trial.

“Of course, no problem. For someone to get such a high recommendation from you, I’m sure it won’t be an issue,” Alberts readily agreed.

Arranging a trial was a piece of cake for an agent of his caliber.

But whether the player could make the team, that was up to his own ability.

“Thank you, Guido.”

Immediately after, Yang Yang called Ronald Koeman and Luther Carroll one after another, asking if Chen Tao could train with Ajax for a while. This was quite common in European football; many free agents who hadn’t found a team yet would temporarily train with a club to stay in shape.

Both Ajax coaches agreed on the spot that it was no problem.

After hanging up, Yang Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief and walked back to Chen Tao’s side.

“Guido Alberts is a very famous agent in the Netherlands. Players like Sneijder, Van der Vaart, and Heitinga are all under him. He has strong connections in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. He’s the one who arranged for Zheng Zhi to play at Mainz.”

Upon hearing this, hope flared in Chen Tao’s eyes. He asked anxiously, “So what did he say?”

“He’ll help you contact teams for a trial. But as you know, it’s late March. European teams don’t sign new players at this time of year, so the earliest it could happen is after the season ends. But you can go for trials during this period.”

Chen Tao’s heart leaped at the news, but his brow quickly furrowed again. “But, I…”

“You don’t need to worry about anything else. I’ll cover all the expenses and fees.”

“How can I let you do that?”

“Then just consider it a loan. You can pay me back when you’re making money. Besides, I’ve already talked to Ajax. They’ll let you train with the team temporarily to maintain your form. While you’re in the Netherlands, you can stay at my place for as long as you need.”

The helping hand Yang Yang offered was like a welcome rain after a long drought for Chen Tao. This unexpected surprise came so suddenly that all he could do was grip Yang Yang’s hand tightly, unable to speak for a long time.

Yang Yang himself felt a bit regretful.

He had previously heard Van Gaal mention that he wanted a tall center-forward. If Chen Tao had been a tall center-forward, he would have recommended him directly to Van Gaal. Playing under Van Gaal would be a huge benefit for a player’s long-term development.

But unfortunately, Chen Tao was better at playing as an attacking midfielder or on the right wing.

“Don’t overthink it. For now, just focus on football. Get into your best form and prove yourself to everyone.”

With his hope rekindled, Chen Tao nodded forcefully.

After they finished talking, Yang Yang took Chen Tao to visit Captain Zhu of the National Team.

As it happened, Arie Haan was also there.

When Yang Yang explained Chen Tao’s situation and stated his intention to help, Captain Zhu promised to do his best to mediate and persuade the club to let him go. Arie Haan was also indignant about Chen Tao’s plight and offered to help contact teams as well.

As a legend of Dutch football, Arie Haan had far more channels and connections in this regard than Yang Yang.

Given Yang Yang’s current status and influence in Chinese football, if he intervened, the club would have to show him some respect. With Captain Zhu and Wei Zhen also mediating, it was likely the club wouldn’t make things too difficult for Chen Tao.

“Yang Yang is sticking his neck out for you because he hopes you’ll focus on your football and work hard!” Captain Zhu encouraged him.

Chen Tao nodded repeatedly, thanking Yang Yang over and over.

Yang Yang himself didn’t care about being thanked. He was more concerned about Chen Tao’s future development.

He was still very confident in Chen Tao’s abilities. He couldn’t say for sure about the Four Major Leagues for now, but the Netherlands and the Belgian First Division A would definitely be no problem.