“It Was Only a Blessing,” Says Woman Boss on Car-Gift Pledge; Yongzhou’s Top Scorer Admits: “It Really Hurts Me.”

It has been three days since Yongzhou won the championship on December 27, yet the team’s female boss, Tang Lei, has still not fulfilled her widely discussed promise to gift each player a car. The latest reports say company staff now claim her earlier remark was “only a blessing.” Players from Yongzhou have also begun speaking out.

Back in August, almost no one believed Yongzhou had a real shot at the title. It was during that period that Tang addressed the entire squad and said, “If you win the Xiang Super League championship, I’ll reward each of you with a car.” The statement electrified the players, who responded excitedly and expressed their gratitude.

Even after the regular season—when Yongzhou finished fifth—the team remained an underdog in most people’s eyes. In the semifinals, they drew heavily favored Changsha, and public opinion overwhelmingly leaned toward a Changsha victory. Ahead of the match, Tang posted a video to encourage the team and reiterated that she would honor her promise, but only if they went on to win the championship.

Yongzhou then pulled off a surprise run to reach the final. Tang continued to double down publicly, saying she would deliver on the car reward. She also pushed back at online speculation, stating that some commenters claimed she would “only give Yadea electric scooters,” adding that her ambition was bigger—again stressing that the condition remained the same: Yongzhou had to win the title.

However, once Yongzhou actually secured the championship, Tang largely disappeared from public view. Her social media accounts went quiet, a sharp contrast to her earlier high-profile presence. This sudden silence fueled speculation that she might backtrack. A reporter later visited the car sales company’s store, but staff refused to be interviewed.

Unable to get answers on site, the reporter called the company’s legal representative. The response—delivered on Tang’s behalf—surprised many: “It’s just our best wishes.” In other words, what had sounded like a firm, repeated promise before the final was now being reframed as a goodwill message. Local staff in Yongzhou also reportedly confirmed that Tang has not provided cars to the players.

The shift has clearly upset members of the team. In a livestream, Yongzhou’s leading scorer, Gao Xiang, expressed frustration and disappointment. He argued that Tang’s change in stance felt as if she never truly believed the team could beat Changsha, and that the promise was made only because she assumed they would fall short.

He added that the part he found most difficult to accept was how definitive the pledge sounded before the Changsha match—only for it to be withdrawn after the team delivered the result. “If you’re not going to give them, just say it,” he said, stressing that the reversal left him genuinely hurt.