Dortmund's first team, led by Klopp, left for Greece to face Olympiacos.
After the team's departure, Ye Chen took a rare day off from training and went to a car dealership with Lina.
Just like in China, dealerships in Germany are often clustered together.
Back in China, Ye Chen had assumed that BMWs and Mercedes-Benz cars would dominate Germany's streets since they're homegrown brands.
However, once in Germany, he realized that the roads were mostly filled with Volkswagens, and the locals also seemed fond of Japanese cars.
But Ye Chen wasn't going to consider Japanese brandsâthey just didn't meet his standards.
His signing bonus, salary, and first-stage performance bonus had all been credited to his account ahead of time, thanks to Klopp pulling some strings with Watzke.
Now, Ye Chen had close to â¬300,000 in his hands.
The signing bonus alone was â¬200,000âequivalent to nearly two million RMB back home!
"Tsk tsk, just like that, I've become a millionaire," Ye Chen thought to himself.
"Chen, which brand should we check out first?" Lina asked, holding onto his arm with curiosity.
"What do you think?" Ye Chen teased.
After a moment of thought, Lina pointed to the Volvo dealership. "I... I want to check that one out!"
"Volvo? Haven't you always rented Mercedes or Porsches? Why Volvo all of a sudden?" Ye Chen asked, puzzled.
"Because I think Chinese products are the best in the world!" Lina replied with a sweet smile. "That includes people too!"
Falling in love with a country because of one person.
Ye Chen was momentarily stunned by her words. He hadn't expected Lina to say something so touching, and he felt a wave of emotion.
He quickly recovered, though. "Wait, Volvo's already been acquired by Geely?"
In his past life, Ye Chen knew Geely had fully acquired Volvo as part of their high-end brand strategy, but he wasn't sure of the exact timeline.
"You're amazing! You even know about the car industry?" Lina exclaimed, looking at Ye Chen with stars in her eyes. "I only found out after looking it up last night!"
On March 28, 2010, Geely signed the acquisition agreement, completing the handover in London on August 2.
It was now 2011, so Volvo was officially a Chinese brand.
"Every man's favorite things are cars, beautiful women, and football!" Ye Chen joked. "But don't all you girls love sports cars? That Porsche you rented before was really flashy."
"I didn't find it comfortable at all!" Lina pouted. "Do you know why I'm drawn to Volvo?"
"Why?" Ye Chen asked.
"Because it's the only brand whose homepage doesn't show cars but photos of families!" Lina said earnestly. "I think their focus on family values is wonderful. Plus, I read online that it's the safest car brand in the world. What's it called again..."
"Land tank," Ye Chen said with a laugh.
"Yes, that's itâland tank!" Lina nodded enthusiastically. "I think safety and comfort should come first. And their designs are stylish but understated, perfectly matching my aesthetic!"
The two of them entered the Volvo dealership, where Ye Chen was surprised to find that the salesperson was a Chinese woman.
After a short conversation, they quickly decided on a model: the Volvo S90.
The car's price in Germany was just over â¬40,000, including all the paperwork.
Ye Chen was about to pay when the salesperson informed him that Lina had already covered the cost.
It turned out Lina had excused herself to the restroom earlier, only to secretly pay for the car in full.
This unexpected gesture left Ye Chen a bit stunned.
"Are all foreign girls this independent?" he wondered.
While he didn't care about these things, he couldn't help but be moved by how thoughtful Lina was.
"Maybe I saved the galaxy in my past life?" Ye Chen mused.
After buying the car, the Chinese salesperson revealed herself to be a fan of Ye Chen's. He happily took a photo with her before leaving the dealership. Now all that was left was to wait for a notification to pick up the car.
It was Ye Chen's first time buying a car, but it felt as easy as buying groceries. The whole process took just half an hour.
Being rich really is nice!
After leaving the dealership, the couple wandered around the streets before heading home.
When they turned on the TV, the sports channel was broadcasting Dortmund's away Champions League match against Olympiacos.
Dortmund's starting lineup was packed with regulars. Lewandowski was the lone striker, flanked by PeriÅ¡iÄ on the left, Kagawa in the center, and Götze on the right.
GündoÄan and Sven Bender played as the double midfield pivot.
Ye Chen couldn't remember the exact outcome of this match, but Lewandowski was on fire tonight, showcasing his full attacking prowess.
With a header, a clinical finish, and an unbelievable backheel goal, he completed a hat trick!
Dortmund secured a 3-1 away victory, leaving Ye Chen feeling the pressure.
As the saying goes: "If you don't break through in silence, you'll be consumed by it."
Lewandowski, destined to become a world-class striker, rose to the occasion under the pressure Ye Chen had put on him.
Watching Lewandowski celebrate his goals, Ye Chen knew he had to work even harder.
A great rival is a catalyst, driving you to improve!
"Ye, with Lewandowski in such good form, are you worried about losing your starting spot?" Lina asked, a bit concerned.
Ye Chen shook his head. "That's not something I need to worry about. My job is to keep improving myself."
After all, team selection wasn't up to him.
Still, while Lewandowski's Champions League hat trick was impressive, it paled in comparison to Ye Chen's streak of three consecutive hat tricks.
If Klopp didn't start him in the next game, Ye Chen knew he'd feel a bit bitter.
The Champions League match was on the 19th, and their next league match was scheduled for 3:30 PM on the 22nd. That left the team only two days to rest.
Lewandowski played the full 90 minutes in this match. If Klopp still didn't let Ye Chen start, Ye Chen would be done!
Before Ye Chen could dwell on the thought, Lina leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You're amazing, so I'm sure you'll be fine!"
"Alright, it's late. Let's get some rest," Ye Chen said, turning off the TV.
However, Lina shook her head with a smile. "Not tonight... You need to save all your energy for the match against Cologne!"
"What?" Ye Chen groaned in disappointment.
Lina simply grinned. "Once the Cologne match is over, I've got a surprise for you!" With that, she ran off to the guest room, barefoot.
Ye Chen couldn't help but smile. "Alright, alright. What's that saying again? Youthful restraint..."
As Ye Chen prepared to head to bed, a familiar voice sounded in his mind.
"Ding! Congratulations, host! Your loyal fanbase has exceeded one million. You've unlocked the beginner-level aura: Fan Blessing!"
Beginner-level aura? What was that?