38: Chapter 38 High-Level Secret Meeting: Yu Bai or Son Heung-min?

"Ugh!"

Caught off guard, Yu Bai lost his balance entirely, pitched forward onto the ground, slid a short distance across the turf, and got a mouthful of grass clippings.

"Hey!" "Foul!" The Tottenham substitutes warming up nearby saw it immediately and raised their hands to protest to the referee.

However, the referee, Martin Atkinson, had his attention fixed entirely on the ball.

After Jan Vertonghen collected the ball, he quickly passed it forward. It was a counterattacking opportunity for Tottenham!

Adhering to the advantage rule, Martin Atkinson did not blow his whistle.

A dirty play! A blatant dirty play!

Yu Bai lay on the ground, anger instantly rushing to his head.

He propped himself up and glared back at Christian Fuchs, who had already run away.

The other player didn't even look back at him, as if nothing had happened just now.

"Ref! He pushed me!"

Yu Bai shouted at Martin Atkinson's back.

But the referee ignored him. There was little time left in the match, and Tottenham was on the attack.

Yu Bai could only grit his teeth, scramble up, brush the grass clippings off his body, and suppress his anger.

This was the Premier League. Dirty tricks, cynical tackles, the referee's blind spots... these were all things he had to learn.

He looked up toward the front field.

In the few seconds it took him to get up, Tottenham launched a concise and efficient counterattack.

Harry Kane dropped deep to receive the ball, held off the defender, and played a delicate diagonal through ball to find Dele Alli at the edge of the penalty area!

Dele Alli received the ball, cut inside, shook off the covering Wes Morgan, created an angle, and fired a low shot with his right foot!

The ball cut through like a scalpel, skimming the turf, and darted straight into the bottom right corner of the goal! Kasper Schmeichel couldn't reach it!

2:2! Tottenham equalized in the final moments!

Yu Bai witnessed the entire process of the goal.

From Kane dropping back to act as the pivot, to Alli making the run and Shooting, the entire process was smooth, fast, and lethal.

He stood there, suddenly feeling a bit dazed.

Was this... the fast-paced attack that Mauricio Pochettino wanted: "Dribble less, pass more, pass early"?

He twitched the corner of his mouth, revealing a complex smile, and then ran toward his teammates who were celebrating wildly.

"Dele! Congratulations! Great goal!"

Yu Bai hugged Dele Alli tightly.

Dele Alli roared in excitement and hugged Yu Bai back hard.

...

In the remaining few minutes, a morale-boosted Tottenham tried to capitalize on their momentum, but the home side, Leicester City, fought with unity, their defense impenetrable. In the end, the score remained 2:2, both sides took one point, and shook hands on a draw.

Yu Bai's Premier League debut came to an end with one assist, several brilliant dribbles, hitting the post once, drawing two yellow cards, and being maliciously fouled without the referee issuing a card.

...

After the match, Yu Bai had a meal with his parents, who had traveled specifically to see him.

Yu Yun and Shen Muwan praised him the entire time, saying he was their pride and how well he had played.

Yu Bai smiled and agreed, but deep down, he couldn't feel happy.

A delicate and complex "sentimentality" typical of a 17-year-old boy enveloped him.

He felt his style of play was incompatible with the team, felt that Mauricio Pochettino wouldn't like a player like him, and felt that he perhaps wasn't in the team's future plans at all.

That sense of powerlessness, like punching cotton despite giving his all, and the grievance of being fouled in the final moments with no one paying attention, were intertwined.

He guessed half of it right.

...

London, Tottenham Hotspur training ground, executive meeting room.

The atmosphere was somewhat subtle. Club chairman Daniel Levy sat at the head of the table, his fingers tapping lightly on the smooth surface.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino and chief scout/recruitment director Paul Mitchell sat on either side.

Levy spoke first, his voice steady but carrying an unquestionable weight: "Mauricio, it's time we talked. About Yu Bai."

He paused and looked at Mauricio Pochettino, "Against Leicester City, his performance... was very eye-catching. One assist, multiple successful dribbles, and he created significant threats. So, is he in your long-term plans? We need a clear position."

Mauricio Pochettino opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Paul Mitchell, sitting to the side, took over, his tone carrying a business-like efficiency:

"Mauricio, regarding that Korean player we mentioned last time, Son Heung-min. Communication with Bayer Leverkusen has been very smooth. The player himself is extremely eager to join us, and his willingness is very strong. His agent has expressed this many times."

A look of appropriate surprise appeared on Mauricio Pochettino's face. They had indeed only mentioned it briefly last time; he hadn't expected Mitchell to act so quickly.

Mitchell continued to push, his speaking speed increasing, clearly well-prepared: "I have studied his match footage and data analysis in depth. His technical characteristics perfectly fit your high-press and fast-transition system. His Stamina—"

Mitchell emphasized, "He's comparable to Park Ji-sung back in the day; both are the 'run-until-you-die' type. Extremely fast, balanced with both feet, capable of playing multiple positions including left winger, right winger, and even forward. His tactical flexibility is extremely high."

He paused, turned his gaze to Daniel Levy, and after receiving a slight nod from the latter, he looked at Mauricio Pochettino and threw out the core question:

"The chairman has approved this transfer in principle; funds are not an issue. Now, we are just waiting for Leverkusen's nod, and... your final opinion."

Mitchell leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp, "If you believe Yu Bai is the kind of player who can be entrusted with responsibility immediately, doesn't need to be loaned out for development, and can take on an important rotation or even starting role this season, then we can pause the negotiations for Son Heung-min and focus all our efforts on developing Yu Bai."

Daniel Levy added at the right moment, his tone calm but carrying immense pressure: "Conversely, if we believe Yu Bai still needs time, needs to be loaned out to gain experience, just like the 'loan first, glory later' path taken by Harry Kane... then signing Son Heung-min to immediately bolster our ready-to-use strength is the most rational choice. Mauricio, you are the head coach; you have the most say regarding the team's tactics and personnel. We need your decision."

The meeting room went quiet. Both Daniel Levy's and Paul Mitchell's gazes were focused on Mauricio Pochettino's face.

Mauricio Pochettino leaned back in his chair, his hands crossed in front of him on the table.

In his mind flashed Yu Bai's unreasonable dribbling time and again on the training ground, the thunderous shot that hit the post against Leicester City, as well as his tendency to hold onto the ball too much, his lack of defensive positioning, and that final-moment quick attacking play that required team effort more than individual brilliance...

The talent was visible to the naked eye, but... he was too raw, too "selfish," and too uncontrollable.

Son Heung-min... ready-to-use strength, mature, strong tactical execution, capable of contributing immediately.

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table as he fell into a brief silence.

This decision would perhaps affect these two young players, and even the landscape of Tottenham's forward line for years to come.