18: Chapter 18 Yu Bai scores twice in his U21 debut, Wenger is furious!

The final whistle blew, and the score was locked at 5:2. In stoppage time, the ten-man Everton U21 didn't give up. A simple combination on the right wing pierced through Tottenham's slightly lax defense, a cut-back pass, and a tap-in at the goal mouth. This conceded goal served as a gentle reminder to the youngsters, who were feeling a bit carried away after a big victory.

But this minor flaw could not hide who the night's spotlight belonged to.

The moment the match ended, the stands erupted in thunderous, sustained applause. Many home fans didn't leave immediately; instead, they stood, their eyes following the No. 21 white figure on the pitch who was high-fiving his teammates.

In the area where The Thompson Family was, the cheers were exceptionally loud. Chloe's little trumpet was blown until it almost cracked, David and Susan clapped vigorously, and even Grandma Margaret wore a rare, beaming smile. Although Michael still kept up a bit of a facade, the upturned corners of his mouth and his shining eyes couldn't hide his true feelings.

On the sidelines, Kieran McKenna had his hands in his pockets, watching Yu Bai walk toward the sidelines surrounded by his teammates. His face wore a smile mixed with pride, gratification, and the certainty of 'I knew it.' John McDermott was typing rapidly on his phone, likely reporting to higher-ups. Ugo Ehiogu was talking in low tones with the assistant coach, nodding from time to time, his gaze also never leaving the No. 21.

On the bench, Dylan Duncan was the first to rush over, jumping onto Yu Bai's back and grabbing him by the neck, shouting: "Bro! Are you fucking possessed by an alien today?! Two! A brace! U21 debut! Holy shit!"

Other teammates who didn't play also gathered around, laughing and patting his shoulders and back. Even the usually aloof Alex Pritchard walked over, voluntarily extending his hand to shake Yu Bai's firmly, his face showing sincere approval: "Well played, kid. Especially that Free kick."

Yu Bai was surrounded in the middle, his sweat-dampened hair sticking to his forehead, his face flushed from exertion and excitement. He smiled and responded to each one. In his ears were the buzzing cheers and the clamor of his teammates; a hot, warming current of victory and recognition flooded his chest, washing over every nerve. It felt good, damn good. This feeling of earning everything with his own feet was more blood-pumping than the numbers jumping on the system panel.

In the stands, the crowd began to disperse.

Jonathan Barnett straightened his suit jacket, wearing a professional smile that was clearly much more sincere than when he arrived, and said to Wen Wan: "Miss Linda, I think we have had a very good start. I am willing, and very much looking forward to becoming Yu Bai's agent, to help him plan his future career."

He paused and added: "Of course, we need to meet formally to discuss the specific terms and details. My team will prepare a preliminary proposal."

Wen Wan breathed a sigh of relief inside, but maintained a composed demeanor on the surface. She bowed slightly: "Thank you very much for your appreciation, Mr. Barnett. I will convey your intentions to Yu Bai in full. However..."

She showed a slightly apologetic smile: "You know, the final decision requires Yu Bai's personal approval. I will arrange for you to meet him as soon as possible, but this will take some time, and it also depends on his own schedule and wishes."

Barnett raised an eyebrow, a flicker of the faint helplessness typical of a top agent crossing his face. Usually, others begged him, and now he actually had to wait for a 17-year-old kid to 'give the final word.' But he quickly regained his smile, nodded, and his tone was even more gentle: "Of course, I fully understand. Respecting the player's own wishes is paramount. Then, I will trouble Miss Linda to coordinate as soon as possible. I look forward to meeting Yu Bai and his family."

"Certainly." Wen Wan nodded.

The Chinese internet sports community was completely boiling over. Although it was already past midnight, various news, posts, and discussion threads with exaggerated titles were refreshing at an alarming rate.

The Hupu post title was upgraded from "Descent of a God" to "Descent of a God × 2! Yu Bai's U21 debut brace, is this 17 years old?!", the replies instantly broke a thousand, and the popularity exploded.

Hupu Walking Street hot post title: "No hype, no hate, can Yu Bai's U21 performance crush all his peers in the Chinese National Football Team right now?"

Dongqiudi's news headline carried a bit of a "slap in the face" vibe: "Discarded player? Genius! Yu Bai, abandoned by Arsenal, scored twice in his Tottenham U21 debut, did the Gunners' youth academy misjudge him again?"

In addition to reporting the match, Sina Sports and Tencent Sports quickly produced highlights of Yu Bai's match, and the GIF animations of the two goals went viral on Weibo and WeChat Moments. The topic #Yu Bai Brace# quickly climbed to the bottom of the trending search list.

Even some sports big Vs and media figures who usually don't pay much attention to youth matches began to repost and comment. Awe, questioning, sorrow and anger over the Chinese National Football Team, debates about Yu Bai's future choices... various voices mixed together, but the name "Yu Bai" had truly entered the Vision of a large number of domestic fans overnight. He was no longer "that Chinese kid in Arsenal's youth academy," but "the monster rookie who scored a brace in his Tottenham U21 debut."

The British football media reaction was relatively professional and restrained, but the attention was not low.

The sports section of the London Evening Standard website quickly updated the match brief, mentioning "Tottenham U21 thrashes Everton, 17-year-old Chinese youngster Yu Bai comes off the bench to score a brace with a stunning performance".

The youth football reporting section of BBC Sport also mentioned this match, stating "Tottenham's young Chinese attacker Yu Bai left a deep impression in his U21 debut".

A football reporter for The Guardian shared a video clip of Yu Bai's second Free kick goal on personal social media, with the caption: "A beautiful curve. Tottenham's youth academy seems to have discovered another interesting uncut jade."

Most of these reports were not long, focusing on factual descriptions, but the combination of keywords like "China," "17 years old," and "U21 debut brace" was enough to attract the attention of scouts and veteran fans who follow young talent.

North London, London Colney Training Centre.

Arsenal U18's training had long since ended, but the lights were still on in Henry's office. On the tablet in front of him, the clips of Yu Bai's two goals were playing on a loop. Watching them once, then again.

He picked up his cold coffee and took a sip, brows furrowed, then set the cup down with some irritation, making a "click" sound. He picked up his phone, seemingly wanting to call someone, scrolled through his contacts a few times, then put it down, finally just letting out a deep, helpless sigh, leaning back into his chair, his fingers tapping the desktop unconsciously.

He had always believed that the kid could make it. He had always believed the club shouldn't have given up on him. Now, seeing Yu Bai wearing the white jersey of their bitter rival, shining in a higher-level match, that feeling... was like an uncut jade he had carefully polished halfway, being easily picked up by someone else, and blooming with dazzling light on the spot. Regret, heavy regret, and a hint of stifled frustration at not being understood.

In another office not far away, Wenger had just finished a first-team tactical meeting. A coordinator from the youth department hesitated, but still sent a simple report and a video link to his work email, with a note mentioning Yu Bai's name and tonight's performance.

Professor Wenger rubbed his temples and clicked on the video. It was a highlight reel of Yu Bai's two matches in the U18 and U21, an assist Hat-trick, long-distance runs, precise Free kick... The black-haired teenager's effortless Dribbling, imaginative Passing, and calm finishing in the footage made the professor, who had seen plenty of geniuses, narrow his eyes slightly behind his lenses.

After the video finished playing, the office fell into a brief silence. Wenger took off his glasses and slowly wiped them with a cloth. His face showed no expression, but those familiar with him could see the tightly pursed corners of his mouth and jawline, revealing a suppressed, sharp displeasure.

After a while, he put his glasses back on, picked up the internal phone, and dialed the number of the youth academy director, Andries Jonker. When the call connected, Wenger's voice was steady, but every word seemed tempered with ice:

"Andries, regarding that Chinese kid, Yu Bai, I need the most detailed written explanation of his evaluation report and the final decision-making process. I need it now."

He did not raise his voice, but the weight of his words made the person on the other end of the phone feel the pressure instantly.

After hanging up, Wenger looked out at the heavy night outside the window, his fingers tapping gently on the desktop. Letting go of a genius who might shine in the future is an indescribable heartache for any coach known for developing young players. Moreover, this genius was now emitting such a blinding first light at their crosstown rival.

Tottenham Training Centre, locker room.

The noise gradually subsided. The smell of sweat, fragrance spray, and the steam of hot water mixed together. Yu Bai washed away his fatigue and grass clippings; the hot water hit his skin, bringing waves of comfortable relaxation. In the locker room, his teammates were still excitedly discussing the match, bragging, and making plans on where to celebrate later.

Yu Bai wiped his hair, walked to his locker, picked up his water bottle, and drank slowly. The warm water flowed into his throat, washing away the post-match thirst.

Just in this moment of relaxation, deep in his consciousness, that prompt, which had been temporarily obscured by the passion of the match, clearly emerged.

Right, the reward for the "Fame with One Goal Challenge".

He put down the water bottle, casually wiped his face with a towel, then leaned against the cold metal locker door and closed his eyes. His consciousness sank into that familiar blue space.

Completed, the 100,000-audience level challenge. A brace.

So, what will that "Random Multiple-Choice Question" be?

Yu Bai held his breath, with a hint of curiosity and anticipation, and "looked" at the reward information that was slowly condensing and emitting a soft light...