October 22, 2011, 2:30 PM.
As the team bus came to a stop, the players stepped off one by one.
Waiting to greet them were some of the most passionate Borussia Dortmund fans in the world.
The players returned the love, signing autographs and taking photos with their devoted supporters.
When Ye Chen got off the bus, he noticed that in addition to fans from China, there were also many German fans wearing his jersey, eagerly asking for his autograph and photos.
"Wow, he's so handsome!"
"His looks must be god-tier in the East!"
"Oh my gosh, I didn't know Easterners could be this good-looking!"
"I'm completely in love with him!"
As soon as Ye Chen appeared, the female fans erupted into screams.
To be fair, Dortmund was a good-looking team, but players who stood out were few. Mats Hummels, for instance, was handsome in a rugged, mature way.
Ye Chen, on the other hand, was a fresh-faced heartthrob, reminiscent of a young David Beckham.
In China, many girls who initially had no interest in football became ardent fans after seeing Ye Chen.
Of course, some girls weren't into football for the sport itself, but for the adrenaline and testosterone-fueled excitement it brought.
Ye Chen interacted briefly with the fans before heading into the player tunnel.
"Ye, starting todayâhow are you feeling?" Mario Götze asked, sidling up to him.
"Don't worry about me. Are you sure you're in shape?" Ye Chen asked curiously.
Dortmund hadn't rotated their squad much, sticking with the same lineup as the previous match.
Of course, Kagawa had been subbed off after 60 minutes in the last game, and Götze after 70 minutes.
Dortmund's style revolved around high pressing and quick counterattacks, requiring constant running to create opportunities.
This tactic was extremely demanding on players' stamina.
Götze was already playing his third match in a week, and Ye Chen was genuinely concerned about the team's fitness.
"Ah, you don't get it. The packed schedule has even sapped my energy for going to the bar. My girlfriend's been complaining I'm too quick lately!" Götze sighed. "What about you, Ye? Does Lina complain about you?"
Ye Chen's mouth twitched. Was this really something to talk about?
"She only tells me to hurry up."
As a man, he couldn't back down here!
"Respect!" Götze gave him a thumbs-up. "Tonight, make those runsâI'll get the ball to you whenever I can!"
"Deal!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to CCTV-5's live coverage of the 2011-2012 Bundesliga season as Borussia Dortmund hosts FC Cologne!"
"I'm your commentator Huang Jianxiang, joined by my colleague, Zhan Jun!"
Zhan Jun smiled. "Good evening, everyone! Like many of you, I'm eagerly anticipating Ye Chen's performance today. This will be Ye Chen's first-ever start in the Bundesliga, marking a historic moment as the youngest Chinese player to start in a European top-tier league. Let's remember this dayâit signifies the beginning of a new era!"
"Zhan, don't you think it's a bit early to call it an era?" Huang Jianxiang teased with a grin.
"Not at all! Ye Chen has already secured his place abroad, and his success will inspire more Chinese players to pursue opportunities overseas. For Chinese football, this is a monumental step!" Zhan Jun replied confidently. "Dortmund recently conducted a poll on their website: if you had to choose between Ye Chen or â¬10 million, which would you pick? Out of 300,000 voters, only 20,000 chose â¬10 million. Clearly, Ye Chen has won over the hearts of Dortmund's demanding fans!"
"Ye Chen is indeed worth the admiration!" Huang Jianxiang added. "I've heard Dortmund fans even wrote a song for himâ'The Ye Chen Anthem.' That speaks volumes about his growing influence!"
Zhan Jun nodded enthusiastically. "I've even taken the time to learn it!"
"Shall we sing it together?" Huang suggested with a smile.
They were clearly prepared for this.
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"Ha-la, ha-la, Ye Chen, Ye Chen, our hero from China..."
The two commentators sang the anthem with pride, their faces beaming.
Ye Chen's success in Europe was a source of immense pride for them as fellow Chinese.
Many fans at home recorded this moment on their phones, determined to learn the song themselves.
Of course, being a German song, it would take some effort to master.
"I have to say, it's pretty catchy!" Huang Jianxiang laughed.
Zhan Jun agreed. "I hope all of Ye Chen's fans will learn it so we can sing it together whenever he scores!"
The broadcast then switched to the player tunnel.
The referee and assistant referees were ready, and the camera panned over the players' faces.
"All right, the players are in the tunnel. We see Ye Chen, the young star from China, making his first home start for Dortmund. He looks radiant...how can we even describe his handsomeness?"
Zhan Jun chuckled. "There's an interesting subplot to today's match. FC Cologne has tasked Japanese defender Tomoaki Makino with marking Ye Chen. Before the game, Makino boldly declared that Ye Chen wouldn't even get a shot off today!"
"Well, that's quite the boast!" Huang Jianxiang scoffed. "Let's not forget, even Brazil international Naldo couldn't stop Ye Chen in the last match. Does Makino not fear biting off more than he can chew?"
"We'll see how it plays out, but Ye Chen won't be easy to contain," Zhan said, smiling. "My only concern is whether Cologne will resort to foul play to take Ye Chen out of the game."
The players began to emerge onto the pitch.
Every time a Dortmund player's name was announced, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.
"And now, starting as our strikerâour super scorer, Ye...Ye...Chen!"
"Yeahhhhhhh!"
On the sidelines, Cologne manager Ståle Solbakken shook hands with Jürgen Klopp.
"Jürgen, I've got a big surprise for you today!" Solbakken grinned.
"Bring it on! The Black and Yellows aren't afraid of anyone!" Klopp replied, flashing his trademark toothy grin, which somehow made him look even more menacing.
Some people just weren't meant to smile, especially while baring their teeth.
On the pitch, the players exchanged handshakes.
Lukas Podolski greeted Ye Chen warmly. "Let's see who scores more today."
"Sure thing!" Ye Chen smiled.
When it was Makino's turn, he smirked and said in broken Chinese, "Hello, Sick Man of East Asia!"
Ye Chen's cheerful expression immediately darkened.