On December 27th, just two days after Christmas, the 17th round of the Eredivisie resumed as Ajax returned to domestic action at the Amsterdam ArenA, hosting FC Groningen.
Despite the festive period, Ronald Koeman's side showed no signs of sluggishness. Ajax came out aggressive, and it didn't take long for their talisman to break the deadlock.
In the 29th minute, Yang Yang struck again. Latching onto a quick one-two with Sneijder just outside the penalty area, he slipped between two defenders and finished calmly with his left foot into the far corner, opening the scoring for Ajax.
That goal ignited a spell of relentless attacking football from the home side.
After the break, Ajax launched a devastating 15-minute offensive that left Groningen in disarray. In what could only be described as a blitz, the Amsterdam side scored four goals in quick succession.
Wesley Sneijder was at the heart of it all, orchestrating the tempo and delivering precise service. First, he found Yaya Touré with a perfectly weighted pass in the 49th minute. The Ivorian midfielder powered into the box and slotted home Ajax's second.
Just two minutes later, Sneijder floated a curling cross from the left, which Angelos Charisteas met with a commanding header to make it 3–0.
In the 54th minute, Sneijder completed his assist hat trick, playing a short through ball that allowed Steven Pienaar to break through the defensive line and finish with confidence.
Then, to crown his own performance, Sneijder got on the scoresheet himself. In the 56th minute, Yang Yang provided the assist, cutting in from the left wing and rolling the ball back across the box. Sneijder struck it first time from the edge of the area — a clean, driven finish into the bottom right corner.
By full-time, Ajax had dismantled Groningen with a resounding 5–0 home victory.
Elsewhere in the league, PSV Eindhoven maintained the pressure in the title race, defeating NEC Nijmegen 2–0 away from home, while Feyenoord secured an impressive 2–0 victory over Louis van Gaal's AZ Alkmaar at De Kuip.
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December 30th – Round 18 of the Eredivisie.
Ajax traveled north to face SC Heerenveen at the Abe Lenstra Stadion for their final match of 2005.
Despite the cold wind sweeping across Friesland, Ajax hit the ground running. The match had barely settled into rhythm when Yang Yang, charging down the right flank, forced a corner with his relentless pressure in the 10th minute.
From the resulting corner, Wesley Sneijder delivered a pinpoint cross into the heart of the penalty area. John Heitinga, rising highest at the near post, met it with a powerful header to put Ajax in front, 1–0.
The goal boosted Ajax's control over the match. With Yaya Touré anchoring the midfield and Sneijder dictating tempo, the visitors remained composed and dangerous.
In the 42nd minute, Yaya picked up the ball near the halfway line and carried it forward before threading a brilliant through ball between two defenders. Yang Yang timed his run perfectly, burst into the box, and calmly slotted the ball under the advancing goalkeeper to make it 2–0 just before halftime.
After the break, Ajax struck again almost immediately.
Just four minutes into the second half, Yaya Touré was again involved. From the edge of the box, he rose to meet a lofted pass and nodded the ball across the penalty area. Yang Yang had already read the play, arriving unmarked and drilling the ball home from close range. 3–0 Ajax, and Yang Yang had a brace.
But the match was far from over.
In the 60th minute, Heerenveen found their lifeline. A quick transition caught Ajax momentarily off-balance, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar capitalized with a clinical finish to pull one back for the hosts. Just five minutes later, Heerenveen struck again — this time a low cross from the right found an unmarked runner at the far post, who tucked it in to make it 3–2.
With the momentum shifting, Ajax were momentarily rattled, but they regained composure and saw out the remainder of the match with renewed focus.
In the 87th minute, Ajax earned another corner. Once again, Sneijder was the provider. Heitinga broke free from his marker at the back post and thundered in a second header to seal the game, 4–2.
It was a thrilling contest, and Yang Yang's brace brought his Eredivisie tally to 25 goals in just 17 league matches — an astonishing return for the teenager.
Behind him, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar also continued his rise, scoring his 17th of the season. Dirk Kuyt, not to be outdone, delivered a hat-trick in his own fixture, pushing his total to 14 goals.
Meanwhile, Shota Arveladze, who had once been level with Yang Yang early in the season, had since lost steam, remaining on 13 goals after falling into a dip in form.
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After the eighteenth round of the league, the Eredivisie entered a two-week winter break.
As in previous years, Ajax traveled south to Portugal for training. However, Yang Yang was granted a two-day leave to participate in Nike's World Cup advertising shoot.
The campaign brought together several other high-profile players under Nike's banner, giving Yang Yang the opportunity to connect with new friends and expand his network among elite footballers.
Meanwhile, Raiola delivered a series of good news during the break.
After over two weeks of negotiations, Raiola successfully closed an endorsement deal with Armani. Yang Yang would serve as one of Armani's global brand ambassadors for the next three years, joining the likes of Shevchenko and other top-tier athletes. The deal was reportedly worth three million euros annually, a clear indicator of Armani's commitment to expanding its presence in the Chinese market. As per the agreement, however, both parties agreed to keep the exact figures confidential.
Securing Armani's endorsement gave Raiola the momentum to close three more major deals: Head & Shoulders shampoo, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's.
Each contract was valued at approximately three million euros per year, though the exact figures again remained undisclosed due to confidentiality clauses.
All four brands planned major advertising campaigns ahead of the upcoming World Cup in Germany, with China qualifying once more for the finals. Yang Yang's rising popularity and marketability made him a central figure for promotional campaigns targeting both the global and Chinese audiences.
To accommodate the schedule, Yang Yang took a brief trip to Italy to shoot the Armani commercial before rejoining the team in Portugal for full training sessions. The remaining ad shoots — for Head & Shoulders, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's — were arranged to take place in Amsterdam after Ajax returned from camp.
The shoots were kept efficient. McDonald's, for example, completed filming in under an hour.
While the payments would be made in structured installments, the total annual value of Yang Yang's five endorsement deals — including his existing contract with Nike — amounted to 15 million euros per year.
It was a staggering figure, one that Yang Yang would have never dared to imagine just a couple of years ago.
With earnings like that, he could easily live a life of luxury without ever playing another minute of football — but of course, that was never his intention.
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At dusk in Almere, just off the fifth exit of the A6 highway, a modest Fiat rolled down the exit ramp, heading northward. It passed through the familiar stretch of the Automotive District and the quiet villa neighborhood before finally arriving at the edge of the skate park.
The car eased into a roadside parking spot. Yang Yang stepped out and walked toward the skate park.
It had been a long time since his last visit, and much had changed.
He'd heard rumors that the city council planned to turn the park into a local tourist attraction—especially the central skateboarding zone, now a hotspot for younger crowds.
But the wall was still there.
Worn, chipped, and scarred, it stood in the same place, looking just as battered as he remembered. Cracks and dents crisscrossed the surface like a timeline etched in concrete.
Yang Yang approached slowly and stretched out a hand, gently brushing his fingers over the uneven surface. Every groove and imperfection triggered a memory.
Three years ago, this was where he had made a quiet vow to himself: to make it into the professional leagues.
Back then, he hadn't planned so far ahead. He didn't know what the future held. He just knew one thing—he loved football, and he wanted to prove to the world that he could play.
At that time, Ajax felt like a distant, untouchable dream. Every player who wore that jersey seemed like a giant in his eyes, a global superstar. Just hearing the name of the club was enough to make his heart race.
He still vividly remembered the first time he passed the Amsterdam Arena while traveling with the Almere youth team. From the bus window, he stared at the stadium in awe.
His biggest dream then? To one day step onto that pitch and hear more than 50,000 fans cheer his name.
Now, that dream was his reality. The roar of 50,000 supporters had become routine. Every match brought waves of applause. The crowd erupted at his every goal, his every sprint, his every touch of the ball.
But somehow, it didn't feel the same.
Yang Yang let his hand fall away from the wall. He stepped back slowly and walked toward the weathered bench nearby.
This was where Van Gaal had always sat. During those early training sessions, he would watch quietly from that very spot, offering no words, just presence.
Now, Yang Yang sat down where Van Gaal once did. He looked back at the wall, and in his mind, he could see the younger version of himself, furiously kicking the ball against it, again and again.
He wasn't here to relive the past.
He was here to rediscover the fire he had back then.
He wanted to get back the feeling he had that year.
...
"Why come back here?"
Inside the Dream training system, Zax's voice echoed softly.
Yang Yang gave a quiet smile and shook his head. "I don't know. I just… felt like coming back."
"That's it?" Zax sounded unconvinced.
Yang Yang shook his head again. Of course it wasn't that simple.
After a long pause, he exhaled slowly and muttered, "I was stunned by those 15 million euros."
It wasn't that Yang Yang hadn't seen money before, but he had never seen that much come in so easily, so suddenly.
Fifteen million euros—well over a hundred million yuan.
Just a few signatures. A few commercials. And the money came flooding in like a dream.
"You know," he continued, his voice quiet, "I've never been the type to chase material things. I've never had the habit of squandering money. That kind of money… it's enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life. But football is hard. It always has been…"
He fell silent again.
Zax said nothing. This was one of those moments where no one else could help—only Yang Yang could answer that question for himself.
Fifteen million euros. An astronomical sum. Enough for anyone to live like royalty.
And anyone who came into such wealth overnight would inevitably start to loosen up. That was human nature.
But human nature, in this case, was a professional footballer's greatest threat.
Yang Yang believed there were countless players before him—full of ambition and belief in their own greatness. Players who, when untested, probably told themselves they would work harder than anyone and climb to the top of the world.
But along the way, many fell.
They might've had more talent than Ronaldo. More raw ability than Zidane. They may even have looked better than Beckham.
But in the end, only Ronaldo, Zidane, and Beckham stood at the top.
Because the path to greatness in professional football is filled with temptation. Wealth, fame, distraction—they come faster than expected.
Hard work is just the beginning. To truly succeed, one must also be ruthless with oneself. Focused. Unshakable.
Yang Yang had always believed in his ambition. His goals were clear.
But lately, with time off for photo shoots, business meetings, and endorsement deals, something had shifted. He had signed several contracts and pocketed a fortune that could last generations.
And he realized, somewhere deep down… he had started to waver.
There was a voice—faint, but persistent—telling him he could slow down. That he didn't need to push himself so hard anymore.
That was the warning sign.
That was the beginning of decline.
Absolutely not.
Florentino had been right. Modern football was filled with distractions, designed to chip away at a player's purity. And in this era, every professional had to be constantly vigilant.
...
In winter, darkness falls early.
The park had grown colder by the minute.
Yang Yang sat alone on the long bench, unmoving, almost as if he were asleep.
In this kind of weather, no one else would be outside. The world around him was utterly silent. It was as if he had melted into the landscape, into the shadows and stillness.
Suddenly, the streetlights in the park flickered on.
The sudden burst of light stirred him. His eyes opened, and he slowly rose from the bench.
He walked once more to the weathered, crumbling wall, his hand brushing across the familiar cracks and pits. He inhaled deeply, exhaling with quiet force.
This wasn't a battle that could be won in a day.
This was a war that would last his entire career. As long as he hadn't retired, he would have to keep fighting it, again and again.
And it was a battle only he could fight.
No one else could take it on for him.
Only by overcoming it could he climb higher, go further.
If he lost, he would become like all the prodigies the world once admired but ultimately forgot—brilliant young stars who faded too soon, leaving only a trail of regret in their wake.
He couldn't let that happen to him.
He wouldn't let that happen.
He had to win.
"Zax," Yang Yang said softly, almost with a wry smile, "I didn't realize until now... having that much money come that fast—turns out it's a painful thing too."
Inside the Dream training system, Zax's expression couldn't be seen. Yang Yang had no idea if the AI understood his dry humor—or if it would even bother to laugh.
But Zax's reply was immediate, and characteristically blunt.
"Get back to training."
Yang Yang chuckled to himself, not at all bothered.
Then, without looking back, he left the skate park and stepped once more into the cold evening.