Chapter 118: Good News

Mourinho’s stance was clear: based on Long Bisheng’s technical attributes and current ability, he would not be ready to play in Europe’s top-tier leagues until at least the age of twenty-five. After all, Luca Toni did not enter the European stage until after twenty-five, and in the history that had since been rewritten, it was not until he was twenty-nine that he made his spectacular breakthrough at Fiorentina, scoring thirty-one league goals in a single season to win the European Golden Shoe.

Pei Wei could only sigh at this. He trusted Mourinho’s judgment. While Long Bisheng’s abilities on the pitch were sufficient for domestic leagues or second-tier European competitions, he still required a certain degree of tempering. There was a massive gulf between youth team matches and professional league football. Aside from the rare, transcendent genius capable of dominating at the top level before reaching adulthood, most players had to climb through the ranks—from youth squads to reserve teams, then to first-team substitute roles—gradually earning a starting spot or finding a place at smaller clubs after leaving their formative ones.

The week-long training camp concluded, and the called-up youth players completed their mission. As the national team players returned, so too did they, with the exception of three fortunate souls whom Mourinho kept on for further first-team training. These three were Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, and Theo Walcott. None of the Yunjia Tianyu youth players were selected. Aside from the objective gap in quality compared to that trio, the most significant hurdle was the work permit; without the eligibility to play in England, keeping them with the first team was pointless.

The eight Chinese players who returned to their squad were the envy of their teammates. Having had the chance to train alongside Premier League stars, they showed exceptional form in the subsequent youth matches. The Yunjia Tianyu U-17 team’s ranking on the league table climbed steadily, eventually finishing in fourth place. During this stretch, the standout players began to draw the attention of scouts and various clubs.

Newcastle United enjoyed tremendous success that season. Although eliminated by Rafael Benitez’s Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals, they surpassed Chelsea in the league with over a hundred points to claim the title—their first league championship since 1927.

After finally securing the league title he had dreamed of, team captain Alan Shearer announced his retirement. The veteran captain had nothing left to ask for. He had broken Milburn’s club scoring record, becoming the highest-scoring player in Newcastle’s history, and had won the Champions League, the League Cup, and the Premier League. Following a stellar career, he would continue to dedicate his energy to Newcastle, serving as Mourinho’s assistant coach in the coming season to help manage the dressing room.

Two brilliant seasons had rapidly transformed Newcastle into one of Europe’s most successful clubs. Coach Mourinho and Chairman Pei Wei had become the darlings of the Newcastle fans—even though they were neither English nor local to the city, they had brought Newcastle more glory than ever before.

With the successful season for Newcastle coming to a close, the Yunjia Tianyu U-17 team’s campaign was also drawing to an end. Everyone felt a sense of unease, uncertain if they would have the opportunity to remain in England or elsewhere in Europe for the next season.

While chatting on QQ with Long Bisheng and the others, Ning Xi and Liu Lin excitedly told them that in a few days, they would be arriving in Newcastle under the leadership of Jiang Hao. This meant that a portion of the players among them would be staying in Europe.

Of course, it would only be a lucky few, and most would likely head to leagues in Austria, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, or Romania. Those with better luck might find spots at clubs in Spain, Germany, or Italy. The probability of staying in England was slim, as the work permit remained an insurmountable wall. While it was not overly difficult for lower-league English clubs to sign non-EU players—the Football Association often turned a blind eye to players the clubs were desperate to sign—this only happened if the club truly needed you; otherwise, they would not expend the effort to secure a permit.

Sixteen-year-old Ning Xi had blossomed into a poised young woman. The long legs that had been so striking during her childhood were now even more slender. It appeared that her severe injury had not hindered her skeletal development. Standing at over 1.6 meters, she no longer looked out of place even when standing beside Long Bisheng.

Because she had stopped training after her injury, her skin had become fairer than it was at thirteen or fourteen. Her swan-like, slender neck radiated an endless charm, leaving everyone—including Hu Gandang and Dai Guangming—momentarily stunned when she appeared before them.

After a year apart, the change in Ning Xi was so profound that even Long Bisheng barely recognized her. It was only thanks to the presence of the short, stout Liu Lin that they were certain this beautiful young woman was indeed the Ning Xi they knew.

"Wow, Ning Xi! You've grown so much. Come, let Uncle give you a hug..." Zhou Wei was the first to approach with a cheeky grin, only to be kicked back by Ning Xi. "What are you doing? Trying to take liberties with me? Aren't you afraid of choking?"

"No way, how did you become so ferocious in just a year?" Zhou Wei lamented, sitting on the ground.

"You deserve it. You’re always trying to take advantage of people. Ning Xi is just protecting herself," the others immediately expressed their disdain for Zhou Wei before swarming around Ning Xi. Long Bisheng took the lead, standing directly in front of her—he was anxious, behaving entirely out of character in his eagerness to speak with her.

Left out, Liu Lin could only sigh, find a spot to sit, and watch the group fawning over Ning Xi. However, he soon had company, as Ning Xi only smiled at the others while her autumn-water-like eyes remained fixed on Long Bisheng. Long Bisheng just chuckled, saying nothing, but the ambiguity between them was obvious even to a blind person.

The others, completely ignored, returned to Liu Lin’s side and began peppering him with questions about transfers. Now it was Liu Lin’s turn to look at them with disdain, his nose practically pointed at the sky.

After a long while, Long Bisheng and Ning Xi finally broke their gaze. Liu Lin, having been ignored, finally became the center of attention. He cleared his throat and tried to affect a professional air. "Before we came to England, General Manager Jiang Hao gave us some documents... Honestly, I’m very happy, because all seven of you have attracted interest from European clubs... Coach Ding Yu is already going crazy back home, as no Chinese coach has ever managed to cultivate seven young players capable of catching the eye of European clubs all at once."

"Yeah!" A massive cheer erupted in the room. Everyone was overjoyed; beyond the hope of staying, they wanted their friends to remain in Europe as well. Even if they weren't in the same place, knowing their friends were playing on the same continent meant they could gather during breaks.

"Don't get too excited yet," Ning Xi said with a smile. "These clubs are mostly mid-to-lower-tier teams from second-rate leagues like Austria, Denmark, and Belgium... There isn't a single one from England. Although some scouts expressed interest in some of you, English clubs can't sign you because of the work permit issues. They aren't willing to haggle with the FA for players under seventeen; it’s too much trouble."

"Damn the work permit," all seven muttered in unison. Having been in England for nearly a year, they had begun to feel the suffocating weight of the regulations regarding non-EU players. For young athletes, it was a torment; even the most brilliant talent could not meet the requirement of having played in 75% of a national team’s FIFA 'A' matches over the past two years before turning seventeen. For established national team players, this wasn't an issue, but for teenagers, it was an impassable chasm.

In the other four major leagues, the regulations for non-EU players were not so rigid. Serie A allowed one non-EU player to be signed from abroad per season. La Liga restricted clubs to four non-EU players, with only three allowed on the pitch at once. The Bundesliga was the most lenient, allowing clubs to have eight non-EU players, with the stipulation that match-day squads in the second tier and below must include at least six German players under the age of twenty-three—a measure to ensure domestic players had opportunities to develop.

As for other European leagues, there were few restrictions, primarily because their leagues lacked the same level of global attraction. The number of foreign players was manageable, and leagues like the Eredivisie had become "factories" for player development, nurturing not only domestic talent but also promising players from around the world.

"Tell us, tell us," Li Jie said, rubbing his hands together in extreme impatience. "Let us hear exactly what kind of teams these are... Please don't tell us they're third-rate teams from third-rate leagues. If that's the case, we might as well stay at home. At least with our current strength, playing in the China League One shouldn't be a problem."