Chapter 35: A fifteen percent cut of his weekly wages, and Tang Ye, who could never seem to break into the starting lineup.

On the second day of his vacation, Tang Ye arrived at a local Chinese restaurant in the small town of Utrecht called "Wen Chow."

Boer had chosen the location. Knowing that Tang Ye was Chinese, he had specifically selected a Chinese restaurant for their lunch meeting.

"Oh, Mr. Tang—Tang, hello!"

Seeing Tang Ye approach, Boer immediately reached out his hand. He had wanted to address him as "Mr.," but given the thirty-year age gap between them, he decided against it.

"I almost thought I wouldn't be able to see you."

Boer smiled and gestured for Tang Ye to sit across from him. Yesterday afternoon had been a nail-biting experience for him; he had come perilously close to losing his 8,000-euro investment.

After Tang Ye sat down, Boer called over a waiter and let Tang Ye order. The news had been constantly reporting on the cafeteria incident, leading Boer to believe that Tang Ye was a man who was very particular about his food, but that was far from the truth.

Glancing at the thick menu, Tang Ye simply ordered a bowl of wontons and lean meat balls. "Boer—is that how I should address you? I’d like to learn more about the role of an agent."

Vacation time was a rarity for Tang Ye, so he chose to get straight to the point. Boer, of course, was happy to oblige and quickly laid out his proposal. The Dutchman spoke rapidly, finishing his pitch just as the waiter brought over the wontons.

Tang Ye added a generous amount of vinegar to his soup. As he blew on the hot wontons, he pondered what Boer had just said. In essence, Boer wanted to sign a formal representation contract with him. If signed, Boer would provide assistance whenever Tang Ye needed to negotiate a transfer, communicate with the club, or handle national team matters. Furthermore, if conditions were right, Boer would also seek out endorsement deals on his behalf.

In return, Tang Ye would need to pay 15% of his weekly salary.

Currently, Tang Ye’s weekly wage was only 1,000 euros, meaning the 15% cut would amount to just over 100 euros. While it might seem like a losing deal for Boer to do so much work for such a small fee, he was essentially gambling. His commission was a percentage of the salary; if Tang Ye’s weekly wage were to reach 6,500 euros, Boer would be earning 1,000 euros a week from this single player. Boer felt this was a sound strategy—it was the instinct of a professional football agent.

As they ate the wontons together, Tang Ye continued to think.

His monthly salary was 4,000 euros, and his living expenses were 20,000 euros, totaling 24,000 euros. If he signed this contract, he would have to pay Boer 600 euros a month, reducing his net income to 23,400 euros. For someone who was already not exactly wealthy, this was a blow.

Even so, after listening to Zaka’s advice yesterday and hearing Boer’s explanation today, Tang Ye felt it was necessary to have an agent. Amrabat had one, and it was with his agent's help that he had secured a weekly wage of 3,200 euros.

"Sir, I need some time to consider this," Tang Ye replied.

He personally felt the contract was reasonable, but before he had left for his journey abroad, Tang Zhengxiong had specifically instructed him to consult with his family before signing any contracts. Tang Ye remembered this, so he was in no rush.

"Of course, take your time to think it over. Would you like anything else to eat?" Boer smiled and pushed the menu back toward Tang Ye. Based on his years of experience, he was confident he had already landed the deal.

***

On September 29th, the first-team players began returning to training.

Thanks to his goal against Cambuur and the accumulation of daily training, Tang Ye’s "Counterattack Points" had reached 33. Feeling suddenly wealthy, he opened the store to see how many points were needed to unlock the next item.

[40 points]

"What the—!!!"

Tang Ye nearly choked. This system was absolutely toxic. With no other choice, he had to focus on making the most of his existing training points. After his recent matches, he realized that the core of earning points wasn't through daily tasks, but through matches. One goal was worth 10 points, and a brace provided an extra 10-point bonus! A brace in a single match was worth ten days of grueling training; match contributions were the key.

Influenced by this realization, Tang Ye turned his attention to "Cristiano Ronaldo’s Broccoli." Whenever his balance exceeded 30 points, he would buy the broccoli to train his Kevin De Bruyne growth template skills. For his second purchase, he focused on ball feel and dribbling training. He alternated between the two, unsure if this was the most scientific approach, but he felt it was working well.

As for the contract with Boer, Tang Ye did eventually sign it. However, following his family's advice, he negotiated a clause: Boer would receive 15% of his weekly wages until his salary reached 10,000 euros per week, at which point the contract would automatically expire. Boer accepted the condition without hesitation. In reality, as long as Tang Ye’s wage reached 3,000 euros, Boer would be making a profit. As for the 10,000-euro mark, given the generally modest salary levels in the Eredivisie, Boer didn't expect to reach that milestone with Tang Ye; the players in La Liga and the Premier League were where the real money was.

***

Time marched on. On October 3rd and October 17th, Utrecht played Eredivisie matches against SBV Excelsior and Roda JC. With one draw and one win, Tang Ye came off the bench at the start of the second half in both games. He didn't have much of an impact against Excelsior, but in the ninth round against Roda JC, he managed to record one goal and one assist.

Things were looking great for Utrecht, but a doubt remained in Tang Ye’s mind: when would he finally get his first start in the Eredivisie? It had been nearly a month since he received the mission to obtain the Portuguese treasure chest. Despite his consistent contributions as a substitute, he just couldn't crack the starting lineup.

He had even approached Ten Hag to ask about his starting prospects, to which the Dutchman had replied, "It is not yet time."

Tang Ye was frustrated; he felt Ten Hag was being far too conservative. Later, he came across a video about himself on his phone. It was from a popular Utrecht fan influencer who analyzed why Tang Ye, despite his excellent performances, was still not starting. No 16-year-old had ever started in the Eredivisie, and Ten Hag was simply too conservative—he didn't dare to break that record.