"Boo!"
The Stuttgart fans at the stadium were loudly booing Ye Chen!
After all, this guy had just kicked their team's starting defensive midfielder off the field.
Of course, they didn't care that their own midfielder had already taken out two of Dortmund's starters.
They could dish it out but couldn't take it!
Ye Chen glanced at the trembling wall of players in front of him, a faint smirk forming at the corner of his mouth. His gaze swept across each of them.
That look wasn't aimed at scoring a goalâit was aimed at shooting them!
"Hey, did you notice something weird about this Chinese kid's eyes?"
"Do you think he's trying to take one of us out too?"
"Don't worry, guys! He's kicked me before, and it didn't hurt at all!" Shinji Okazaki said seriously.
Not hurt?
Kuzmanovic had to go to the hospital, and it didn't hurt?
Besides, a stationary kick and a run-up shot are two different things entirely.
No one bothered to argue with Okazaki. Instead, they instinctively shielded their chests and... other important parts.
But then, they realizedâtheir heads were exposed!
If only they had three hands...
Whistle!
As the players in the wall stood nervously, the referee blew the whistle.
Ye Chen took a deep breath. In front of him, the players in the wall looked like prisoners about to face the guillotineâsome had already turned slightly sideways.
If they took a direct hit to the chest, the next one heading to the hospital could be them!
Bang!
Ye Chen ran up and unleashed a ferocious low drive!
No curling shot!
No knuckleball!
Not even a dipping strike!
Just a sudden, low, skimming shot that caught everyone off guard!
The ball zipped across the grass.
The moment Ye Chen struck the ball, the entire wall leaped high into the air.
Goalkeeper Ulreich focused intently above the wall, ready to react the moment the ball appeared.
But soon, confusion spread across his faceâwhere was the ball?
Was it blocked?
In that brief moment of hesitation, a flash of white suddenly appeared beneath Okazaki's feet!
Realizing too late, Ulreich dove to save it. But no matter how far he stretched his arms, he couldn't stop the ball from hitting the back of the net!
Swish!
The ball slammed into the goal!
Ye Chen didn't celebrate. His face remained calm as he turned and walked toward the center circle.
But his teammates swarmed him in excitement.
"Ye, what were you thinking? That low shot was incredible!"
"My god, I didn't think you'd go for a low drive. Genius!"
"Ye, you're a free-kick master!"
While his teammates chattered excitedly around him, Ye Chen couldn't bring himself to smile.
This 17-year-old was carrying too much on his shoulders.
Just two seconds before the shot, Ye Chen had planned to attempt a curling free kick. The angle and distance were perfect for it.
But he changed his mind because of one thingâOkazaki's loud remark.
Only someone truly nervous would shout like that to mask their fear.
At the moment Ye Chen took the shot, Okazaki jumped the highest and was the only one to turn sideways in the wall.
He was terrified of getting hit.
Ironically, his exaggerated jump left a gap beneath him.
Okazaki... was nothing more than a clown.
Didn't Kagawa say not to use power shots?
Well, I'll do it just to prove a point.
And Ye Chen was right.
No one expected itâso he succeeded.
That's called reverse thinking.
But Ye Chen's lack of celebration only fueled the fans' anger.
Not far away, Okazaki glared at him with resentment.
Scoring against us is so easy you don't even celebrate?
That arrogant, infuriating Chinese player!
Ye Chen's calm demeanor starkly contrasted with Okazaki's frustration, making him feel even more humiliated.
Rage burned inside Okazaki as he clenched his teeth.
Fine, you think you're good? I'll score a hat-trick today and shut you up!
Meanwhile, Japan's sports channel had fallen silent.
"Damn it, he scored again!"
"That's Ye's sixth consecutive goal!"
"He's too cunningâusing a low drive like that!"
"Dortmund equalized on the road. Bad news for Stuttgart!"
"Ye is too versatile. He can do everything!"
"His long shots and dribbling give me a headache... is there anything he can't do?"
The two Japanese commentators voiced their frustration, clearly worried about the match.
They had no choiceâOkazaki was up against Ye Chen.
As for Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa... well, they conveniently ignored him.
After all, in Japan, this match was dubbed the "Asian Derby," with the spotlight on Kagawa and Ye versus Okazaki.
Sympathy for the underdog led most Japanese fans to side with Okazakiâcommentators included.
But many Dortmund fans in Japan were already calling in complaints.
How can you guys keep backing Okazaki? What about us Dortmund fans?
Meanwhile, in China, the reaction was entirely different.
When Ye Chen scored, the two Chinese commentators were full of praise.
Six consecutive goalsâYe deserved the recognition!
And this was an equalizer while Lewandowski was injured.
But as Ye Chen quietly walked back to the center, the commentators sighed.
"I understand why he's not celebrating. At this moment, no player could be happy, even after scoring," said Huang Jianxiang solemnly.
Jian Jun said nothing, his gaze reflecting sympathy for Ye Chen.
For a 17-year-old chasing his dreams, he carried far too much.