Journalists are often experts at taking things out of context.
Especially someone like Wang Bo, who wasted no time sending negative reports back home.
However, before these rumors could stir up any real trouble, countless Ye Chen fans stepped in to debunk them.
With platforms like Dongqiudi and Zhibo8 clarifying the situation, everyone quickly understood the truth.
Ye Chen's die-hard fanbase has now surpassed 4 million, and who knows when the next growth surge will come...
Ye Chen, though, isn't in a rush. He has settled into a routine of commuting between the club and home.
The specialized training purchased through the system has shown significant results.
In just one week, Ye Chen's strength has increased by one point!
This improvement was palpable, filling him with newfound power...
Dortmund's official website also announced that the club had signed Genk's young talent Kevin De Bruyne for â¬10 million.
De Bruyne arrived at Dortmund for a medical, and the club held a press conference to introduce him.
Ye Chen and De Bruyne, having previously interacted online, met in person and felt an immediate sense of familiarity. Naturally, they went straight to Ye Chen's place to play FIFA 2012!
Ye Chen isn't just skilled on the pitch â he dominates in video games too.
The new FIFA typically releases in October, around the time Ye Chen made his debut for Dortmund...
At the time, FIFA didn't take much notice.
But as Ye Chen's performances on the real pitch became sensational, FIFA 2012 quickly contacted Dortmund to add him to their update plans.
The demand was too high to ignore â fans flooded the internet with requests.
Not just FIFA â PES followed suit.
However, adding players isn't simple â licensing fees must be paid for image rights!
Even if Ye Chen's earnings weren't astronomical, every little bit counted.
But FIFA faced a dilemma over his stats.
Most 17-year-old prospects sit around the 60 mark, with prodigies reaching 70 at best.
Yet Ye Chen's performance far exceeded the realm of mere prodigies...
When Ye Chen first appeared in the game, his rating was 72.
By the next day, FIFA was trending â and not in a good way.
A 72 rating for Ye Chen?
After thorough internal discussions, FIFA revised his rating to 81!
A 17-year-old with an 81 overall rating...
Ye Chen instantly became a hot commodity in the game.
Fans scrambled to sign him the moment he became available.
But FIFA mirrors reality â his â¬88.88 million release clause wasn't something every club could afford.
In an era when transfers rarely exceeded â¬10-20 million, signing Ye Chen was no easy task.
As a result, the number of players managing Dortmund skyrocketed. Every new save meant Klopp lost his job again.
An online joke emerged: "Klopp, the most frequently unemployed coach of 2011!"
Klopp arranged accommodation for De Bruyne in the same complex as Ye Chen â not a villa, but a high-end apartment.
For De Bruyne, it was more than enough.
The best part? De Bruyne could hitch a ride with Ye Chen to training every day.
Ye Chen's life was uneventful â aside from occasional movie nights or shopping trips with Lina, most of his focus remained on training.
De Bruyne shared the same lifestyle.
Mendes brought good news for Ye Chen.
Adidas offered him a â¬5 million-per-year endorsement deal for three years.
But what truly excited Mendes was the product sales commission.
Upon signing, Adidas planned to launch a new product line featuring Ye Chen, granting him a designer title and a share of the sales. The Huaxia market would also be segmented into three tiers.
In short, Adidas showed immense sincerity in securing Ye Chen's endorsement.
Of course, this opportunity was earned through his stellar performances on the pitch.
Ye Chen deserved this special treatment.
After careful review, Ye Chen finalized the contract.
At Adidas' German headquarters, Ye Chen and Mendes attended the signing ceremony.
Ye Chen instantly became the highest-paid young player under Adidas and one of their top-tier endorsers.
To put it in perspective â Ye Chen's endorsement level was on par with Messi's, though his fee was slightly lower.
After all, Messi's performances were Ballon d'Or-worthy.
Ye Chen, on the other hand, was still at the Golden Boy level.
And there's a significant gap between the Ballon d'Or and the Golden Boy...
While Ye Chen was signing with Adidas, Dortmund faced Kaiserslautern on December 11th.
Dortmund, playing at home, was held to a 1-1 draw.
In the 27th minute, Kagawa scored from a GroÃkreutz assist.
However, in the 60th minute, a scramble in the box saw Sahin poke the ball into the net.
Klopp subbed in Götze for Kuba and PeriÅ¡iÄ for da Silva to bolster the attack, but Dortmund couldn't find the winning goal.
Post-match, Klopp lashed out at the players.
"Anyone caught in a bar during matchweek, consider yourself done!"
Funny thing â Klopp forgot he was the one who insisted on covering the tab that night!
Things got a little out of hand...
Meanwhile, Bayern won 2-1 away at Stuttgart, boosting their points to 34 â just one behind leaders Dortmund.
The Bundesliga title race was heating up.
Despite Dortmund's championship win last season, most favored Bayern for the current campaign, given their depth in all competitions.
Transfers would be decisive.
After his medical, De Bruyne returned to Belgium for two more matches before the winter break.
Klopp approached Ye Chen again.
"Ye, De Bruyne was a great recommendation. Got any more names? Preferably a winger or full-back."
"What about Azpilicueta from Marseille? He was impressive when we faced him."
"Azpilicueta? Would he accept a bench role?" Klopp raised an eyebrow.
"We wouldn't sign him as a backup â he'd rotate with the starters!" Ye Chen responded earnestly.
"That could work..."
Ye Chen mentally apologized to Chelsea.
It seemed both De Bruyne and Azpilicueta were their targets...
"And for a winger?"
Ye Chen's mind raced.
Then it hit him â a true genius from Huaxia.
"Boss, aren't we missing an attacking midfielder?" Ye Chen grinned and raised his eyebrows.
Klopp considered this. They weren't lacking after signing De Bruyne...
"You have someone in mind?"
Ye Chen nodded and calmly said two words:
"Wang Chu."