The Bundesliga committee's fine once again highlighted their stance.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen unlocked the rewards for the Ruhr Derby.
The system's initial task for that match was to lead Dortmund to victory over Schalke 04. The reward for success was a golden chest. Before kickoff, Ye Chen was determined to perform well, aiming for a diamond chest...
He felt his performance was average, but he was awarded the MVP of the match!
A strange contradiction!
So, whether it was good or not â that was up to the system to decide!
"Ding, congratulations to the host for completing the task. Task rating: A. Reward: one golden chest!"
Not perfect, but not bad.
Another S-rank reward!
"Open the golden chest for me!"
"Ding, congratulations to the host for acquiring an S-rank skill â Marseille Turn!"
Hearing the system's reward, Ye Chen was momentarily stunned.
A bald figure immediately surfaced in his mind.
Zinedine Zidane!
Zidane, both as a player and a coach, achieved extraordinary success. Of course, his coaching career mainly thrived in a parallel world. In 2011, Zidane was likely at home resting â after all, he had played football for so long, earned wealth and status, and deserved time with his family.
Even if Zidane wasn't on the pitch, his legend lived on.
The Marseille Turn was the signature move of this legendary maestro!
The move became widely recognized because Zidane mastered it and popularized it. People unfamiliar with the term started calling it the "Zidane Turn." Since Zidane was born in Marseille and remained humble, it became known as the "Marseille Turn."
While Zidane didn't invent the move, its practicality was what mattered.
Against aggressive interceptors, Ye Chen could now rely on this skill...
In the Ruhr Derby, if Ye Chen's dribbling had been better, he could have evaded several fouls.
But his ball control was only 73!
This directly hindered his ability to maintain close control of the ball.
Would this skill improve his ball control?
Ye Chen opened his stats panel.
Sure enough, his ball control increased â jumping straight to 80!
A full 7-point boost!
It made sense â without solid ball control, how could he keep possession during dribbles?
But why hadn't it improved before?
Ye Chen wasn't the type to overthink things â if he didn't understand, he let it go.
Following Dortmund's November awards ceremony, snippets from the event surfaced online.
Fans abroad stumbled upon videos of Ye Chen singing, with many downloading them out of curiosity...
A small contribution to promoting Chinese music!
Domestically, "Total Soccer" finally aired, with the final segment featuring "Interview with Ye Chen"!
Given the program's usual ratings, Ye Chen's special tripled viewership.
His influence in China was staggering!
Many media outlets covered the broadcast, and "Total Soccer" even edited a highlight reel of Ye Chen's goals.
From Manchester United's youth team to his dazzling performances at Signal Iduna Park, Ye Chen's talent astonished viewers.
On the Puskás Award website, many of the top goals belonged to Ye Chen.
His goals were nothing short of spectacular â
Long-distance runs.
Half-field lobs.
Powerful free kicks from distance.
Corner kick goals and thunderous volleys.
One goal against Bayern Munich â a volley from a corner â earned the nickname "Celestial Strike."
Each goal ignited excitement!
Online discussions about Ye Chen surged, leading several Chinese sports brands to approach him for sponsorship deals.
The most enthusiastic brands were Anta and Li Ning. However, international brands had already contacted Mendes.
Adidas showed the most interest.
In 2011, while Nike dominated basketball, Adidas reigned supreme in football.
Adidas's investment in football far outstripped its basketball ventures.
Still, it wasn't just about who made the first offer â sincerity mattered.
Sincerity hinged on their projection of Ye Chen's future.
Ye Chen preferred brands that believed in his potential.
But for now, Mendes filtered out insincere offers.
Notably, Adidas, a German brand, had a stronghold in the Bundesliga â Ye Chen's current domain.
Thus, after a string of stellar performances, Adidas reached out immediately.
Their initial offer was â¬1 million per year for three years. For a rising star, this was significant â even generous â but Ye Chen wasn't in a rush.
After all, value rises when demand surges.
Competition often fuels motivation â and better contracts!
This was why Coca-Cola ultimately paid â¬5 million to sign Ye Chen â Pepsi's competition played a crucial role!
Returning to league play, Dortmund faced five matches in December.
The first was on December 3rd, away against Gladbach.
Gladbach's reputation was built on their fierce clashes with Bayern Munich.
A team that consistently challenged Bayern was undoubtedly formidable.
After 14 rounds, Gladbach sat second in the league.
With 9 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses, they had 29 points â trailing only Bayern.
However, Bayern stumbled in Mainz, losing 3-2 in their last outing.
That match concluded the 14th round.
This meant Dortmund's clash with Gladbach would be tough.
The reason was simple â after Gladbach, Dortmund faced Marseille three days later.
A win against Marseille secured a Champions League spot.
A loss meant the Europa League.
Klopp's message to the squad was clear â prioritize the Champions League!
The league had a long road ahead.
Hence, Klopp planned to field more substitutes against Gladbach.
The first confirmed starter? Ye Chen!
Meanwhile, Gladbach held three meetings solely to strategize around stopping Ye Chen.
Despite Schalke 04 providing a blueprint, Ye Chen still influenced that match with a decisive goal.
Moreover, his five goals against Bayern...
Gladbach had no choice but to mark him tightly.
However, the Bundesliga's heavy penalties for foul play, especially after Atsuto Uchida's punishment, made Gladbach cautious.
In the end, their strategy relied on man-marking and zone defense.
Manager Lucien Favre was stern, "Be discreet with fouls, but if necessary â be aggressive. The worst outcome is committing a foul without stopping him."
Favre took a deep breath, his gaze sharp.
"If a player risks a red card, take Ye Chen down with you!"
In football, sometimes, tough measures are necessary to win.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
After all, Ramos dislocated Salah's shoulder once â that was ruthless!