87: Chapter 87 The Torn Stand! Grandpa Yu Bai: Playing for the British? Absolutely impossible!

Inside a VIP box at Old Trafford, there sat an elderly couple with distinguished bearing, yet they were entirely out of place amidst the fervent atmosphere of the Red Devils.

Yu Chengan, 65, still stood as straight as a pine. His graying hair was meticulously combed, his dark suit was crisp, and his gaze was as sharp as an eagle's.

Time had carved marks upon his face, yet it could not hide his inherent majesty from a life of high status, nor the rugged aura of "a Ferrari, even when old, is still a Ferrari."

He remained a loyal fan of Real Madrid.

Nestled beside him was his wife, Yu Luoqing.

Born a true London lady, even past the age of sixty, one could still see the contours of her youthful beauty.

Her eyes were clear and bright, and she was dressed impeccably, focused intently on the pitch.

Her Chinese name was adopted after marriage. She was a lifelong fan of Arsenal, and Yu Bai entering the London Colney Training Centre at the age of eight was inseparable from the full support and behind-the-scenes maneuvering of this "Gunner Grandma."

At this moment, Yu Luoqing watched the active blue number 52 on the field, a smile playing on her lips. She spoke to her husband in fluent Chinese, albeit with a slight British accent, sounding seemingly casual:

"My dear, why do I feel... like your nose has suddenly grown larger?"

She was referring to the Western idiom about pride making one's nose grow longer.

Yu Chengan was drinking water and nearly choked upon hearing this. He glared at his wife with feigned annoyance, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward uncontrollably. He forced a serious expression and huffed:

"Grown larger? That brat hasn't even scored a goal yet; what do I have to be happy or proud about?" His tone was stiff, but his gaze remained locked on every move Yu Bai made on the field.

Yu Luoqing chuckled, her gaze following their grandson's figure with tenderness: "But in my eyes, our little Bai is the brightest and most pride-inducing star on the pitch today."

...

In the 14th minute.

Leicester City's patient infiltration finally bore fruit.

On the left flank, Yu Bai faced the marking of Italian international Matteo Darmian. The two stood a step apart, neither acting rashly, like gunslingers in a Western film, searching for the slightest flaw in the other.

Manchester United defensive midfielder Michael Carrick, experienced and savvy, immediately shifted from the inside, preparing to form a double-team with Darmian.

Just in that thousandth of a second when Michael Carrick moved and Darmian's attention was distracted—Yu Bai moved!

His eyes had been seemingly observing the runs of his teammates in the penalty area, deceiving the defenders.

However, without any warning, his right foot flicked like a viper striking. With a twist of his ankle, he delivered a cross with his outer instep that was both fast and swerving!

The timing, trajectory, and technique of this pass were impeccable! The ball whistled past the ear of Darmian, who was just about to step up to block. The Italian only felt a gust of wind!

Inside the Manchester United penalty area, De Gea, Chris Smalling, and Blind all widened their eyes! The pass left them at a loss; it cleared the near post perfectly, making it difficult for both the goalkeeper and the defenders to handle!

Jamie Vardy ghosted out from Chris Smalling's side, and with a diving header so effortless it was almost artistic, he nodded the ball into the empty net!

0:1! Leicester City leads away! Jamie Vardy! A brilliant assist from Yu Bai!

"Gooooooal!!! Jamie Vardy! Yu Bai's pass was like a scalpel!"

"This Vision! This technique! Gods Eye View!"

After delivering the pass, Yu Bai himself was stunned for a moment.

He had promised not to pass today and to focus on farming "One Goal Three Points"... but the moment he saw that lane, Passing was almost an instinctive bodily reaction! There was no time to switch to his left foot, and his right outer instep subconsciously completed this exquisite delivery.

De Bruynes Gods Eye View, coupled with his 92 Passing attribute...

It was explosive!

Truly explosive!

In the box, Yu Chengan slapped his thigh hard, his excitement overflowing: "Good lad! Watching his posture earlier, I thought he was dead set on trying to do it all himself today! I didn't expect this first cross to be so lethal! Great pass! You really have it in you!"

Yu Luoqing glanced at him with amusement: "Who was just saying their nose hadn't grown and they had nothing to be happy about?"

...

In the 22nd minute.

Manchester United's wave of counterattacks had not yet formed before it was ruthlessly extinguished.

NGolo Kanté in the center of the pitch faced the inward cut of his French compatriot Anthony Martial. He tackled with precision, cleanly dispossessing him! The moment he won the ball, a cold smile flashed in NGolo Kanté's mind: "Yu Bai has used this move on me countless times in training... In a match, you, Martial, still think you can succeed?"

Leicester City's counterattack was as swift as thunder!

Danny Drinkwater sent a long pass to Mahrez on the right. The Algerian magician made no adjustments, immediately sending a low-angled cross to the edge of the Manchester United penalty area!

Yu Bai arrived on the scene! He met the ball, turned, and dodged the lunging Schweinsteiger—the movements flowed in one continuous motion!

"Schweini" was completely shaken off!

No more Dribbling!

Yu Bai adjusted one step, and from twenty-five meters out, he swung his right foot, unleashing a full-power shot with his instep!

"Bang—!!!"

A deafening explosion!

Anyone who has played football knows how satisfying that release of power feels when striking that part of the ball!

The ball was like a cannonball exiting the chamber, with almost no spin, turning into a straight beam of white light, hurtling toward the top-left corner of the goal at a terrifying speed!

De Gea had done everything he could; he dove with full force, his body stretched to the limit!

However, the ball was too fast! His fingertips couldn't even graze the leather!

Just as all the Leicester City fans were ready to cheer—

"Clang—!!!"

An even louder, more piercing sound shook the entire Old Trafford!

Yu Bai's sure-fire world-class goal smashed solidly and fiercely against the underside of the crossbar! It then bounced high and flew out of the penalty area!

"The crossbar! Manchester United's crossbar has saved the team!"

"Yu Bai! It's such a pity that didn't go in! An absolute world-class goal!"

Yu Bai watched the rebounding ball, clutching his head in frustration, sighing at the sky. The three-point defining goal! The cooked duck flew away!

But the crisis was not yet resolved! The ball that bounced to the left side of the penalty area was controlled immediately by the tireless NGolo Kanté. He chested the ball and sent it forward! Danny Drinkwater received the ball on the left flank of the Manchester United penalty area. He looked up to observe—

After his moment of regret, Yu Bai instantly sobered up. Like a ghost, he silently slipped into the penalty area, keenly realizing he was briefly unmarked! He immediately raised his hand discreetly, not daring to be too obvious, and certainly not daring to shout, for fear of being discovered by the Manchester United players! It was like being a thief!

Danny Drinkwater saw him and immediately sent a ground pass! But the moment he struck the ball, he knew it was bad—he had led him too far, and the ball speed wasn't fast enough! In the crowded Manchester United penalty area, this was practically handing the opponent an opportunity to intercept!

Chris Smalling, like a tiger pouncing on prey, rushed at full speed from the side-rear toward Yu Bai and the incoming ball!

Lightning fast! A matter of life and death!

Yu Bai looked at the incoming ball and the fierce Chris Smalling, his brain calculating countless possibilities in an instant.

The moment the ball was about to roll to his feet, he used his right foot as support, and with the inner instep of his left foot, he delicately nudged it, completing a touch and a turn in one move! Simultaneously, he skillfully turned his body sideways, using his back to block Chris Smalling's line of approach!

Chris Smalling's eyes widened! This kid is dancing on the edge of a knife?!

If this were outside the penalty area, he would have undoubtedly knocked Yu Bai down without hesitation.

But this was inside the penalty area!

A tackle would mean a penalty!

He forcibly held back his already raised foot, his body stumbling due to momentum!

It was this momentary hesitation! Yu Bai had already completed a magnificent turn and was facing the goal!

He didn't blast it with power; instead, aiming for the near post, he calmly pushed it with his instep!

De Gea's line of sight had been partially blocked by Chris Smalling, and by the time he could react, it was too late!

"Swish—!!!"

0:2! Yu Bai scores! Leicester City extends their lead!

"Gooooooal!!! Yu Bai! Extremely calm! A waltz in the penalty area!"

"From the world-class shot hitting the post to the second-chance goal! Yu Bai didn't let the opportunity slip away again!"

After scoring, Yu Bai excitedly rushed to the corner flag. He circled his thumbs and index fingers, placing them over his eyes to perform a unique "telescope" celebration, his face wearing the pure, mischievous smile of a child who had successfully pulled off a scheme.

Three-point defining goal, acquired!

[This football IQ! This calmness! Amazing!]

[Telescope celebration? Did Little Bai develop a new move again?]

[Truly the Demon of Dribbling! He could still pass and turn in this situation, simply invincible! Truly worthy of being King Yu!]

In the box, Yu Chengan could no longer restrain himself. He stood up abruptly, pumped his fist hard, and growled a low "Yes!" His face was filled with undisguised ecstasy and pride.

Yu Luoqing also smiled like a flower, but as she looked at her husband's excited profile, she suddenly recalled a piece of news she had seen recently. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly:

"Dear, I saw a report a few days ago saying that people from The FA seem to have contacted Yu Bai's agent privately, expressing their intention for him to play for the England national team in the future... What do you think?"

She paused, then quickly added, her tone carrying a sense of "matter-of-fact" consideration:

"I think... this is actually a good thing for Yu Bai's development. Representing Hong Kong or the China National Team, it might be a long time before he can step onto the stage of the World Cup. But in England, he has the most exposure, the best teammates, and the highest possibility of realizing the dream of 'football coming home' and touching the World Cup trophy..."

Her words were not yet finished.

The smile on Yu Chengan's face froze and vanished at a speed visible to the naked eye, then was covered by a layer of livid frost.

He turned his head sharply, staring at his wife, his eyes filled with a sharpness, anger, and even a hint of hurt that Yu Luoqing had not seen for many years.

"What are you saying?!"

Yu Chengan's voice rose sharply, interrupting his wife, sounding exceptionally abrupt and cold in the soundproof private box.

"Alice! I see that you are still a Londoner at heart! You changed your name, but in your heart, you have always considered yourself British! Now, you want to turn my grandson into that too?!"

His chest heaved slightly, resolute and decisive, every word falling like a hammer:

"That is impossible! I tell you, that is absolutely impossible!"

Yu Luoqing was stunned by her husband's sudden intense reaction and almost unreasonable accusation, and a wave of grievance and anger welled up inside her:

"Why are you being so unreasonable? If Yu Bai plays for England, does that mean he becomes English? No! That's not it! This is just football, a sport! Yu Bai can tell the difference! He has lived in London the longest, but he has never forgotten that he is Chinese. His Chinese language, his cultural studies—they have never been neglected! This is his root!"

"I believe that even if he really puts on an England jersey, he will still be the same Yu Bai who loves China!"

"Bullshit!"

Yu Chengan stood up abruptly, his fingers trembling slightly from agitation. He pointed at Yu Bai on the field, his voice suppressing extreme anger, yet it was all the more chilling:

"My grandson, Yu Chengan's grandson, will absolutely never play for those British bastards! Putting on that damn white shirt!"

"He can forget about it!"

He stared at his wife, his eye sockets actually turning slightly red. His voice lowered, but carried an unquestionable, even tragic, determination:

"I am afraid... I am afraid that after I pass away, I will have no face to go down and meet my parents, to meet the ancestors of the Yu family!"

"I, Yu Chengan, cannot afford to lose face like that!"

Looking at the faint moisture in the corners of her husband's eyes, Yu Luoqing's heart trembled violently, and all her words of argument were stuck in her throat.

She had known this man for most of her life; she had seen his thunderous methods in the business world, seen his silent grief when losing loved ones, but she had rarely seen him so emotionally exposed, so... fragile and stubborn.

She knew he was serious. This was no longer a simple difference of opinion.

"...Alright, alright, it was just me talking nonsense. I won't mention it again."

Yu Luoqing sighed, holding her husband's slightly trembling hand, softening her voice to soothe him. But deep in her heart, a strong sense of unease and lingering fear welled up.

She turned her gaze back to the pitch, watching that blue figure actively defending, full of worry:

Yu Bai, my grandson, what are you really thinking in your heart?

If... if one day in the future, you really have the thought of playing for England... wouldn't this family, which has finally found peace with such difficulty, be turned upside down and torn apart once again?

Yu Chengan also sat down, his chest still heaving, his face gloomy.

He watched the field as Yu Bai once again dribbled the ball in a long-distance run, dribbling past three people, only to be brought down at the edge of the penalty area by a vicious tackle from Chris Smalling, rolling on the ground clutching his leg in pain. Craig Pawson blew the whistle, a yellow card, and the team doctor entered the field.

Watching his grandson's painful appearance, Yu Chengan's tightly clenched fists loosened, and he let out a long, heavy sigh, as if trying to exhale the congestion and anger in his chest.

His tone calmed down strangely, carrying a kind of exhaustion and nostalgia born from experiencing the vicissitudes of life:

"When Yu Bai was 8 years old, his parents were going through a divorce."

"What did I say back then? Let us two bring up this child, cultivate him well, and in the future, all the Yu family's assets will be handed over to him. This is a golden path that countless people would give anything for."

"But what happened?"

He smiled self-deprecatingly, "All of you came to persuade me, to beg me. Yes, that kid knew how to threaten suicide at 8 years old, saying he had to play football. You were soft-hearted, saying let him play for a few years; when he got tired and couldn't see a way forward, he would naturally come back."

"What did I say back then?" He looked at his wife.

Yu Luoqing's expression was complex as she replied: "You said... the Yu family ancestors never produced anyone with talent for football, Yu Bai didn't have that talent, it was purely a waste of time, and in the end, he'd just be covered in injuries, why bother."

"Heh, you still remember."

Yu Chengan's gaze was distant, "At that time, that bastard Yu Yun was confused and even helped Xiaowan speak... saying things like 'Does one have to have a way forward to play football? Life isn't a business arena, why must everything be about interests and results?'"

"You were on their side back then, weren't you?" He looked at his wife.

Yu Luoqing nodded, as if time had flowed backward; seven years had passed in a flash, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Yu Chengan was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "Now, I am old."

"I am beginning to understand Xiaowan's words a little. Life is indeed not a business, not a gamble. There is nothing that must be won. Championships... are they really that important?"

He turned his head and looked back at his grandson on the field, who was being examined by the team doctor, brows furrowed but gritting his teeth to persevere. In his eyes was an undilutable pride, heartache, and a deeper expectation.

"In my view—"

"As long as Yu Bai can wear a jersey with the five-star red flag on his chest in the future and lead the China National Team into the World Cup..."

"Even if he just stands on that field, this significance would be far greater than him winning some World Cup championship wearing an England jersey!"

"If one day he can lead the China National Team to qualify from the group stage..."

Yu Chengan's voice was not loud, but every word was resounding, carrying a deep, old-school Chinese sense of patriotism:

"Then he would be the football king in my heart! He would be a true success!"

"Starting from scratch and earning millions is worth being proud of. But that kid Yu Yun, relying on the family to earn a few million—does he have the nerve to call himself a success? I don't look up to him at all!"

"In short, I have just one thing to say—"

He looked at his wife again, his eyes sharp as knives, leaving no room for negotiation:

"If this kid Yu Bai dares to even think about giving up his Chinese nationality to play for the British bastards..."

"I will sever my relationship with him as his grandfather!"

When his voice fell, the private box was deathly silent. Only the faint clamor from the field could be heard.

Yu Luoqing's heart was shaken violently; she knew this was absolutely not just angry talk.

And after saying these heavy words, Yu Chengan felt no relief in his heart; instead, a deeper sense of powerlessness and stinging pain welled up.

He did not know what Yu Bai was thinking.

He knew even better that Yu Bai might not care about him as a grandfather at all, and might even... hate him.

He had supported his son and daughter-in-law's divorce back then, and he was also the only person in the family who firmly opposed Yu Bai playing football, often giving the child cold looks and pressure.

Over these years, Yu Bai had almost never called him "Grandpa" again.

He was busy with business and sometimes wouldn't see his grandson for a year. Once, at a family gathering, he looked from afar at Yu Bai, who had shot up in height, and in a daze, he hadn't recognized him, even asking, "Whose child is this?"...

Under such a relationship, did his threat of "severing ties" really carry any weight in Yu Bai's heart?

Would it... instead become the worst possible trigger that pushed him to the other side?

Yu Chengan closed his eyes in pain, and when he opened them again, there was only the deep, almost humble plea of an old man:

Yu Bai...

Grandpa's good grandson...

As long as you promise Grandpa, as long as you don't wear that white shirt...

Grandpa will immediately hand over everything of the Yu family to you.

Seeing you shine so brightly on the field, Grandpa is truly... more proud and happier than when I built up this family business back then!

But he could not say these words.

They could only turn into a heavy gaze, tightly following that blue figure on the field who made him both love and worry.