Chapter 119: We Are the Champions! By the Way… Can You Accept the Trophy Without a Coaching License?
Wembley Stadium, London.
Premier League Matchweek 34.
Bayswater China hosted Fulham.
This wasn't an evenly matched contest—especially not at Wembley.
Even though Bayswater China had been overtaken by Manchester United in the title race, their home support in London remained as strong as ever.
By now, every home league game drew nearly 50,000 fans.
And for this round—against Fulham—the attendance exceeded 50,000, reaching almost 55,000.
A truly proud number for the club.
With their fans behind them, Bayswater China came out swinging from the very first whistle.
Within two minutes, they had already fired off their first shot.
Wave after wave of attacks followed.
In the 10th minute, Lambert flicked on a header, and Di María almost finished it off—but missed narrowly.
The Argentine was visibly frustrated for missing such a chance.
The gulf in quality was obvious, and Bayswater China dominated possession.
In the 15th minute, Gökhan Inler made a late run into the box and finished with his left from the left side of the penalty spot, breaking the deadlock.
1–0!
Instead of sitting back, Bayswater China pushed even harder.
After their midweek Champions League exit, they had been torn apart by the media.
They were under immense pressure.
They needed a win.
From the 20th minute, it became the Modrić Show.
21st minute: clever pass, Walcott with a powerful strike—just wide.23rd: Modrić diagonal pass to the right, Lambert almost scored with a sliding shot.25th: Modrić dribble through the middle, passed to Yaya Touré, whose long shot was saved brilliantly.27th: Modrić chipped into the box, Lambert's header hit the post.
It was insane—Modrić was creating a chance every 2 minutes.
The fans were in awe.
In the 31st minute, Modrić again sent a pass to Walcott down the right.
Walcott crossed low to Lambert near the right byline.
Lambert squared it across goal—Di María arrived at the back post and tapped it in.
2–0!
The match continued with Bayswater China's relentless assault.
In the first half alone, they had 70% possession and fired off 14 shots.
The fans were in a trance.
Then, 33 seconds into the second half, they showed what it meant to launch a blitz attack.
From kickoff, they passed it back to center-back Škrtel, who returned it to Yaya Touré.
The Ivorian launched a long ball toward the front.
Lambert won the aerial duel and headed it to Modrić at the edge of the D.
Modrić, in breathtaking form, took a touch, rolled past his marker, and struck.
3–0!
33 seconds.
A goal so fast it was lightning.
With the game sealed, Yang Cheng made several changes.
They still missed a few good chances—including one in the 70th minute.
Gareth Bale, off the bench, crossed from the left.
Matić, also a sub, made a late run—but missed a free header from 7 meters.
The Serbian midfielder missed what would've been his first Premier League goal.
Still, Bayswater China won 3–0 at home.
…
When the final whistle blew, Yang Cheng—already on edge—charged onto the pitch.
Dressed in a full suit, fists clenched, he roared with joy.
Everyone was stunned by his reaction.
Players, fans—everyone stared in disbelief at their coach's outburst.
Then, the stadium's PA system made the announcement:
"Breaking news from Stamford Bridge: Manchester United have drawn 0–0 with Chelsea!"
"Incredible! Bayswater China… have returned to the top of the table!!!"
For a moment, the players froze.
Then they exploded, sprinting toward their coach.
The stadium erupted in thunderous cheers and applause.
They had done it again.
Top of the league.
Because Bayswater China beat Fulham 3–0, and United only got one point against Chelsea, the one-point gap flipped—and now Bayswater China led by one.
No one could fully understand the weight this team had been carrying.
They had endured the media's attacks, criticism, mockery, and sarcasm.
They were called arrogant fools for trying to compete on multiple fronts.
Meanwhile, United were glorified as flawless.
Everything Ferguson and his Red Devils did was "right."
Everything Yang Cheng and Bayswater China did was "wrong."
And now?
The tables had turned.
Everything had changed.
Surrounded by his players, Yang Cheng raised his fists high and roared again.
The players joined him, echoing his cries of joy.
He was overcome with emotion.
So much so that he forgot who he was supposed to be.
When he finally calmed down, he realized—the ref was still on the field.
Fulham's players were still on the field.
He'd sprinted straight to the center circle.
"Sorry, Mason," Yang Cheng said, shaking hands with referee Lee Mason.
"Luckily you waited for the whistle. Otherwise I'd have had to book you," Mason joked.
He understood why Yang Cheng lost control.
This title race had been brutal—neck and neck with United for weeks, constantly swapping places at the top.
Now, the young underdog was leading again.
"Good luck, Yang."
"Thank you, Mason."
As he walked off, Yang Cheng heard the thunder of applause.
He raised both hands in return—clapping for the fans.
Modrić, José Fonte, and others led the squad over to him, all of them beaming.
"We've got four games left—we're not giving up!"
"We're going to push all the way—we're winning the title!"
"Can we do it?!" Yang Cheng shouted.
"YES! YES WE CAN!"
Only those who've lost before understand the value of what they've regained.
And Bayswater China had tasted loss.
They would not let this chance slip through their fingers again.
…
"I didn't expect things to turn out like this. This is a disaster."
"All our good work over the past few weeks—ruined at Stamford Bridge."
Ferguson didn't hold back in the post-match press conference—blaming Mourinho directly.
The truth was, Chelsea dominated United for most of the match.
That devastating Red Devils offense from previous weeks?
Nowhere to be seen against Mourinho's iron wall.
Ferguson insisted they were just unlucky.
"Our luck was awful. We actually had two great chances, but the players didn't convert them."
"We also controlled the game for stretches, but the opponent's conservative approach caught us off guard."
When a reporter pointed out that United had been on the back foot for most of the match—and that the stats backed that up—Ferguson immediately disagreed.
"No, no, no. You can't just look at data. What you need to see is that at certain moments on the pitch, we were in control. We just didn't take our chances and turn that into goals."
As for his players, Ferguson offered no blame, instead turning his criticism toward the referee.
"Graham Poll might've been a top-level official in the past, but his performance tonight left me extremely disappointed. He completely failed to manage the match properly."
"This should've been a great game."
"And that final whistle—when we were attacking—how can you justify just three minutes of stoppage time in such an intense match?"
"I protested during the game, but he ignored me."
Though clearly frustrated that United had surrendered the top spot again, Ferguson refused to concede the title.
"This isn't the first time we've lost our grip on the top of the table this season."
"There are still four matches left. I believe we absolutely have what it takes to get back on top."
"Bayswater China are a resilient side. They've hung in there, and now the title race is back to a tug of war. That's not a bad thing."
"We welcome the competition. But the title will belong to Manchester United!"
Ferguson also brought up the Champions League. United had reached the semifinals, where they'd face AC Milan.
He said it was something worth celebrating.
"We're still in the fight on all three fronts—Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup. We're the only team in Europe still going strong on all three. That says it all."
The underlying message: United are still the strongest club in Europe.
…
Ferguson wasn't the only one talking. United players also stepped up in the media.
Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Ronaldo, Rooney—they all voiced support for themselves and the team.
The British media followed suit, rallying behind United and calling for them to fight to the last second.
To win the treble.
But it was clear: the draw at Stamford Bridge had been a massive blow to morale.
They had just clawed their way to the top—only to hand it right back to Bayswater China.
The Red Devils were deflated.
And now, they had to split their focus with the Champions League.
One week later, Premier League Matchweek 35.
Bayswater China's game against Bolton was played at noon.
And Yang Cheng's side, fired up and full of confidence, steamrolled their opponents away from home.
With Džeko scoring twice and Yaya Touré adding one, they beat Bolton 3–1 in emphatic fashion.
That evening, United hosted Middlesbrough.
Ferguson rotated a few players to conserve energy for the midweek Champions League clash.
Things started well—Richardson scored in the 3rd minute.
Everyone expected a rout.
But then the Red Devils stalled.
Their attack lost rhythm. Everyone saw it.
Alan Smith, Ronaldo, Rooney—all shut down by Boro's backline.
Woodgate, in particular, was immense.
It was a gritty, physical battle.
Just before halftime, Middlesbrough hit on a fast counter. Downing crossed from the left, and Viduka rose above O'Shea to head it in.
1–1.
That goal ignited both teams.
Ferguson's original plan had been to crush Boro early and make subs at halftime to rest players for the Champions League.
Now, that plan was toast.
And things got even more heated.
The second half was a slugfest—7 yellow cards in total.
Ferguson made attacking substitutions but left Ronaldo, Rooney, and Scholes on.
Only Richardson, Smith, and Ferdinand were taken off.
But United couldn't break through again.
1–1. Full time.
And just like that, Bayswater China's lead grew—from 1 point to 3.
With Matchweek 35 complete, the British media quickly shifted their narrative.
Suddenly, outlets like The Times, The Guardian, and others were changing their tune, now claiming Bayswater China had seized control of the title race.
"After two straight draws, United have surrendered their grip on the Premier League title."
"Ferguson and his team clearly seem to be focusing more on the Champions League."
The Manchester Evening News even argued that this was a strategic decision.
"For any club, the Champions League is the priority."
"To prepare for their semifinal against AC Milan, United must dedicate all resources and energy to Europe."
Quite the change in tone.
From "treble-bound" to "strategic choice."
Yang Cheng wasn't surprised at all by the media's flip-flopping.
He didn't even bother getting angry about it anymore.
But when it came to Manchester United, he was happy to twist the knife.
"We've played both clubs, and if I had to give a personal opinion, I'd say AC Milan have a better chance of winning. Their defense is excellent, and their counterattack is razor-sharp."
"More importantly, they have incredible midfield control."
"If United want to win, they'll need to dominate the midfield against Milan."
In this timeline, United had Owen Hargreaves in the squad.
But unlike in Yang Cheng's previous life, they hadn't wrapped up the league.
Now, having just surrendered top spot, no one knew how this story would end.
…
While Yang Cheng was focused on preparing Bayswater China for the weekend fixture, United were busy hosting AC Milan in the Champions League semifinal.
And the result? A shocker.
Manchester United lost 1–2 at home.
Kaká scored a brace.
Giggs netted United's only goal.
All of Britain was stunned—and disappointed.
Losing at home basically meant United would miss the final.
The dream of a treble? Shattered.
Ferguson remained publicly optimistic, but fans and media were losing hope.
Yang Cheng wasn't surprised.
Kaká was simply unstoppable.
But what puzzled him was Ferguson's insistence on using the same setup.
Alan Smith as the lone striker, with Giggs, Rooney, and Ronaldo behind.
That trio had already struggled in league games—why did Ferguson think it would work in Europe?
Perhaps he was trying to keep Alan Smith's spirits high.
As Yang Cheng had always said—Ferguson, at his core, was a traditional English manager.
He had a soft spot for domestic players.
So when Smith started performing well, Ferguson elevated him without hesitation.
Same story with Rooney and Ronaldo.
Early on, Ferguson clearly favored Rooney.
In fact, he had always favored Rooney.
It wasn't until Cristiano Ronaldo's form became too overwhelming to ignore—and after the 2006 World Cup controversy forced a decision—that Ferguson finally sidelined Rooney and elevated Ronaldo as the new centerpiece.
But now, in this situation, benching Alan Smith would be a heavy blow to the player.
And that's exactly the kind of thing Ferguson was unwilling to do.
It was also the kind of thing Yang Cheng had always made sure to avoid.
Why did Yang Cheng go out of his way to scout and sign players like Lewandowski, Džeko, Di María, Marcelo, and bring them in young?
Because of the homegrown player quotas.
English youth development had been a mess for years—there simply weren't many quality prospects.
And the few who did emerge were instantly fought over by the top clubs.
Bayswater China only got Gareth Bale and Walcott because they moved early—otherwise, they never would've stood a chance.
Even now, they still had to constantly fight off poachers.
And let's be honest—even someone like Rooney, in terms of talent, ability, and technical polish, wasn't on the same level as football's global elite.
Forget about comparing him to superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi.
Even as a striker, Benzema, Suárez, Lewandowski, Džeko—all of them were clearly more complete than Rooney.
In some ways, homegrown players were a burden for Premier League clubs.
A heavy one.
This would remain the case for years—until players like Luke Shaw, Sterling, and others came along.
England's youth development didn't truly begin reforming until 2012.
Before that, local players were simply holding the league back.
In that sense, Wenger was right with his strategy.
Chelsea's aggressive youth recruitment was also the right call.
But Manchester United, under Ferguson, kept doubling down on homegrown development.
From a British perspective, that was admirable—a kind of duty and pride.
But from a pure footballing lens, it was a terrible decision.
Even someone as promising as Paul Pogba—United failed to keep him.
He went to Juventus for free, only to be bought back for a fortune years later.
That whole "British core" ideology—after Vidic, Evra, and other top-class foreign players were gone—completely collapsed after Ferguson's retirement.
And United's system fell apart fast.
So when Ferguson stuck with Alan Smith, Yang Cheng had already guessed how things would end.
…
When news broke that Manchester United had lost to AC Milan, Yang Cheng was in his office studying league data.
After 35 rounds, Bayswater China had 28 wins, 5 draws, 2 losses—89 points.
Manchester United were at 86 points.
In most seasons, 89 points would've locked up the title.
But not this year. The gap was just 3 points.
Yang Cheng's focus now? Goal difference.
According to Premier League rules, if teams are tied on points, it goes to goal difference, then goals scored, and then head-to-head.
That's why the media had started switching their stance—now favoring Bayswater China.
So far, Bayswater China had a +63 goal difference, while United only had +54.
The key turning point? That 5–0 demolition of Chelsea, followed by several other big wins.
In a five-match span, Bayswater China scored 24 goals.
Head-to-head?
Bayswater China had won 2–1 at home, drawn 3–3 away—clearly better.
In other words, if they win Rounds 36 and 37, the final match wouldn't even matter—they'd be champions.
Conveniently, both matches were at home:
Round 36: vs NewcastleRound 37: vs Watford
United's two games?
Away at EvertonAway at Manchester City
So for United to retake the title, they'd need to win out and hope Bayswater China lose at least two, or draw and lose.
Tall order.
Yang Cheng circled Round 37 on the fixture list.
Watford at home. That might be it.
He drew a big exclamation mark beside it.
"Hey, Adam. It's me. I need a favor," he said, calling Adam Crozier.
…
Returning to the top of the table had a massive psychological impact on Bayswater China.
The mood in the squad was electric.
Every player was determined to fight with everything they had over the final three games.
As José Fonte put it in the locker room:
"If we lose top spot again—it's our own damn fault! Even God won't forgive us!"
So in Matchweek 36, hosting Newcastle, they played like men possessed.
Wembley was packed—over 55,000 fans, nearly 60,000.
In that thunderous atmosphere, just 38 seconds in, Modrić sent a long pass into the box.
Arshavin made the run, nearly reached it.
But in the 7th minute, Bayswater China struck.
Džeko received with his back to goal, spun, and played Arshavin through.
Arshavin fired into the bottom right corner. 1–0.
They kept pushing.
In the 18th minute, Lass Diarra intercepted a pass in midfield, played a through ball, Arshavin broke the offside trap, but this time squared it to Džeko, who smashed it in.
2–0.
Everyone could breathe a little easier now.
But they didn't stop.
In the 60th minute, Lewandowski came on for Džeko.
Just a minute later, Arshavin weaved through two defenders, slipped a pass to Lewandowski, who buried it from the left edge of the six-yard box.
3–0.
His first Premier League goal since joining the club.
In the 79th minute, Lewandowski played a brilliant through ball to Gareth Bale, who finished calmly—but it was ruled offside.
Final score: 3–0.
Elsewhere:
Chelsea drew 2–2 at home with Bolton.Manchester United went down 0–2 away to Everton—then mounted a 4–2 comeback.
Ferguson, fired up post-match, declared:
"The title race isn't over!"
"We'll fight until the final whistle of the final match!"
"There's still pressure on Bayswater China. These last two games won't be easy."
"We still have a chance!"
Oh, and by the way—Ferguson started Alan Smith again in that match, but benched Ronaldo until the second half.
Interestingly, all four goals in United's comeback came after the 60th minute, right after Ronaldo replaced Alan Smith.
Sometimes, it's hard to tell whether something is coincidence or just quality.
Or maybe… a bit of both.
…
Three days later, Manchester United traveled to Milan to face AC Milan at the San Siro.
Having lost the first leg 1–2 at home, everyone assumed Ferguson's side would come out swinging.
They had no choice.
Ancelotti's lineup was no surprise, sticking to his well-drilled 4-3-2-1 Christmas Tree formation.
But his tactical setup was clever—he had Milan press high from kickoff.
That felt a bit like: "Let me play your game, only better."
Ferguson, on the other hand, started the exact same XI as in the first leg.
Not a single change.
It felt like he was doubling down, determined to ride this setup all the way to the end.
A bold move—maybe even stubborn.
They'd already lost the first leg at home. Surely a tweak or two was warranted?
Change the approach? Try something different?
But Ferguson stuck to his guns.
No changes. No compromises.
Yang Cheng couldn't help but wonder: was this a brilliant show of faith or a tactical dead-end?
"Adapt to survive"—but in this case, Ferguson's rigidity backfired.
Milan's aggressive start saw Kaká score in the 13th minute, and the 1–0 scoreline held until full-time.
Ferguson made just one substitution—Saha for O'Shea—to strengthen the attack.
But it didn't help.
United lost 0–1 on the night, 1–3 on aggregate, and crashed out of the Champions League in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, in the other semifinal, Benítez's Liverpool beat Chelsea in extra time, setting up a final against Milan.
A rematch of the iconic 2005 Istanbul Miracle—only this time, the final would be held in Athens, Greece.
…
May 5th, afternoon.
Premier League Matchweek 37.
The Manchester Derby kicked off at 12:45 PM—an early start to cater to fans in Asia.
Other matches were scheduled at 3 PM and 4 PM.
Only one blockbuster game—Arsenal vs. Chelsea at the Emirates—was set for the next day, May 6th.
But that match no longer had any bearing on the title race.
Arsenal were locked in a fight with Liverpool for a top-four finish.
Liverpool sat on 64 points, Arsenal on 60—just a 4-point gap.
Even more interesting? Liverpool's goal difference was +31; Arsenal's was +28.
So the final two rounds were crucial for the Gunners. They had to give everything.
As for the derby—it was intense from the first minute.
City's center-back, Paul, kicked Ronaldo in the stomach as he lay on the ground, sparking a scuffle.
Amazingly, the ref didn't even book him.
City were playing dirty. Rough.
But United, thanks to their superior quality, soon took control and kept threatening.
Still, having been knocked out of the Champions League and trailing in the title race, United's morale was clearly affected.
It wasn't until the 74th minute that Ronaldo, on the right side of the box, beat Paul with a shimmy and slotted home.
1–0.
Then, on a corner, he headed Giggs' delivery to the back post, where Ferdinand scored.
2–0.
The score held until the end—United won the derby away from home.
…
3:00 PM, Wembley.
United's match was over. Bayswater China's was just beginning.
Yang Cheng received the result from Manchester.
He wasn't surprised.
But he didn't tell his players. Instead, he urged them to focus fully and go out to put on a great performance.
"Win this, and the title is ours!"
Not that they needed reminding.
The Premier League trophy had already been delivered to Wembley.
If they beat Watford, the celebration would begin immediately.
Because the final match would be away.
But if they failed here, the trophy might very well go to Old Trafford next week.
This was the first major title of Yang Cheng's coaching career.
It would also be the first top-flight league title for every player in the Bayswater China squad.
Everyone wanted it desperately—but tension was sky-high.
A terrible mix.
Yang Cheng did everything he could before kickoff to calm his players' nerves.
But it was an objective reality.
Tactically, he gave up his usual aggressive start and instead focused on controlling the tempo.
There was no denying it—these teams weren't on the same level.
Watford were bottom of the table.
Bayswater China were top.
This should be a routine win… but the first half was a mess.
Not because players underperformed, but because they were scattered and tense.
They just weren't in sync.
At halftime, Yang Cheng was furious.
He made two substitutions—Walcott for Lass Diarra, Di María for Ashley Young.
Everyone could feel the message: the boss was NOT happy.
The second half began with a completely reinvigorated team.
In the 60th minute, Džeko drifted wide right, received a pass from Maicon, and drove forward before playing a diagonal through ball behind the defense.
Walcott timed his run to perfection, broke the line, and coolly finished.
1–0!
70,000 fans were at Wembley that day—there to witness Bayswater China clinch the title.
And when Walcott scored, the crowd exploded.
Chants of his name filled the stadium.
The Little Tiger roared, waving his arms and rallying the fans.
After that, Bayswater China kept pushing.
They carved out several chances—but couldn't put them away.
Until the 85th minute, when Di María, now on the right, picked up the ball.
Facing the left-back, he feinted—not to cut in like everyone expected—but went down the line, reached the edge of the box, and hit a sudden rabona cross.
No one saw it coming.
Ben Foster, the Watford keeper, rushed out—got a hand to it—but couldn't hold on.
The ball dropped in the box.
Džeko read the bounce, rose high, and headed it into the net.
2–0!
That was the Bosnian's fifth goal in five league matches.
Yang Cheng and Brian Kidd both knew—Džeko had come so far this season.
And Yang Cheng had no doubt:
Next season, Džeko would fully explode.
In fact, Džeko had now scored 17 Premier League goals this season, tying Cristiano Ronaldo for second place on the scoring chart.
Also sitting on 17 goals were Andrey Arshavin and Blackburn's Benni McCarthy.
At the top? Chelsea's Didier Drogba, with 19 goals.
This season's Premier League top scorer chart was a little underwhelming.
With prolific finishers like Van Nistelrooy and Thierry Henry having left the league, things looked a bit sparse at the top.
Meanwhile, on the assist chart, Ashley Young was way out in front with 16 assists.
One of the main reasons for his assist tally was that he took most of the team's set pieces.
Bayswater China's dead-ball routines were a critical part of their attacking play—Gianni Vio was no longer a well-kept secret.
Ashley Young was one of the best set-piece takers in the team. The other? Leighton Baines.
So the majority of corners and free kicks were taken by the two of them, which helped Young rack up assists—some might say he was "stat-padding."
But regardless, Ashley Young was the Premier League assist king this season.
In addition to his 16 assists, he had also scored 9 league goals, placing him seventh among English players, tied with big names like Crouch and Agbonlahor.
…
When referee Dermot Gallagher blew the final whistle, all 70,000 fans at Wembley rose to their feet, delivering a thunderous ovation for Bayswater China.
Every single player in Yang Cheng's squad rushed onto the pitch, celebrating like madmen.
Even the entire coaching and support staff ran in.
They had fought together all season—and now, they were finally reaping the rewards.
The roar of the crowd swallowed the entire stadium.
And yet, amidst the chaos, Yang Cheng froze in place.
When Džeko scored the second goal, he already knew—this match was won.
He had been overjoyed at the time.
He even began picturing how he'd celebrate when the whistle blew.
A Mourinho-style knee slide?
A Klopp-style fist-pump?
Or just a stylish stroll to the center circle with a dramatic pose?
But in the end… he did nothing.
He just stood there, dumbfounded.
Not until his players lifted him into the air did he finally snap out of it.
Only then did he truly feel it:
The overwhelming, dizzying euphoria of winning the title.
And not just any title—the Premier League.
My god—it felt incredible.
Even while being tossed in the air, he kept cheering, unafraid, overjoyed.
…
Before the match had even ended, the preparations had already begun.
As soon as the final whistle blew, stadium staff rushed onto the field to set up the temporary podium and build the trophy presentation area.
Wembley had its own podium, but since the Premier League's sponsor was Barclays, a custom-built stage was required for the live global broadcast.
Once everything was ready, Yang Cheng led his players to the presentation tunnel.
This time, he didn't hold back—he made sure to stand at the front of the line.
Brian Kidd looked on, mock-jealous.
"So let me get this straight—whenever there's glory involved, you're first in line. And I'm just your sidekick?"
Everyone around burst into laughter.
"Next time, it's yours. Promise," Yang Cheng chuckled.
But this was his first major trophy as a manager—of course he was going to accept it himself.
No way he'd pass this one up.
If the Premier League tried to deny him just because he didn't have a coaching license?
He'd flip the damn stage.
License or not—he was a Premier League champion.
When Yang Cheng and his players ascended the podium, Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore jokingly turned to an official beside him.
"Hey… no coaching badge. Is he even allowed to lift the trophy?"
Everyone knew it was a joke.
Scudamore might've been the league's top executive, but he was hired by the clubs. No way he'd antagonize one of his 20 bosses—especially not Yang Cheng.
When Modrić lifted the trophy high, the entire stadium erupted again.
The stadium PA blasted the club anthem's chorus, filling the air with adrenaline and pride.
For Bayswater China, winning the league this season was nothing short of legendary.
Especially after the wild roller coaster they had just ridden.
After the ceremony, the players scattered with the trophy, parading it around the field.
Meanwhile, as per tradition, Yang Cheng was supposed to head to the mixed zone to speak with reporters.
But he didn't.
He stayed up on stage for a bit longer, chatting with Scudamore and others.
Both the Premier League and FA were very interested in Bayswater China's new stadium project.
Right now, it was still being designed by Sir Norman Foster. No blueprint yet.
When Yang Cheng noticed Adam Crozier waving at him from below, he politely excused himself and stepped down from the platform.
Modrić and several players were waiting for him near the royal box, still carrying the trophy.
Somehow, the cup was now filled with roses.
"Come on, boss!"
"Be brave!"
"You got this!"
Yang Cheng grinned, took the rose-filled trophy in both hands, and began climbing the steps to the royal box.
107 steps.
He took each one with purpose.
At the top, he walked straight to Xia Qing.
May in London was still chilly.
As always, she was dressed in her signature office attire—black blazer, crisp white shirt.
But today, her hair wasn't tied up. It flowed gently over her shoulders—soft, elegant.
When she saw Yang Cheng appear, holding the Premier League trophy, overflowing with roses, she froze.
Then she saw Adam Crozier, Omar Berrada, and the others quietly stepping back.
How could she not realize what was happening?
At that moment, down below, players and staff were arranging thousands of roses.
Very soon, a giant heart made of 9,999 red roses appeared on the pitch below the royal box.
The crowd gasped.
Even Scudamore, FA executive Geoff Thompson, and the rest of the VIPs stared in awe.
What… what was this?
Was this a football final or a royal proposal?
Yang Cheng simply smiled and handed the trophy to Xia Qing.
"Remember that question I asked you?"
Xia Qing blushed, flustered but smiling.
She had never expected Yang Cheng to be this bold.
"This is so not your style," she teased, though her heart fluttered.
She took the trophy in both hands, gripping it tightly, staring at it closely.
Inside the cup, among the roses, were two little red hearts—pierced by a golden arrow.
Then she looked down at the field—at the massive rose heart—and she nearly melted.
She wanted to cry.
Overcome with emotion, Xia Qing turned, threw her arms around Yang Cheng, and hugged him tight.
At that moment, across the stadium, across the stands, and around the royal box…
70,000 people stood and cheered.
Clapping, shouting, celebrating.
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