Ye Chen only needed to nod, and Adidas, along with the national team, would handle all the necessary paperwork.
However, news of Löw appearing in Ye Chen's neighborhood spread like wildfire!
This revelation caused a massive stir online!
With Klose aging, the German national team lacked a powerful striker.
Although Gómez performed well at the club level, his performance for the national team could only be described as mediocre.
Simply put, Germany's overall setup was top-tier, but their striker position seemed to lack succession.
Ye Chen might not fit the traditional tall striker mold of the German team, but his terrifying goal-scoring efficiency... was frightening!
German fans were ecstatic...
This meant that for the 2012 European Championship, the German national team could potentially feature the most promising under-20 striker!
Although the news wasn't officially announced, countless fans eagerly anticipated Germany's next friendly match!
Before the Euros, Germany had only one friendly match... March 1st at Allianz Arena against France!
A clash of titans!
If Ye Chen could participate in this match...
It would be a sight to behold!
Of course, while some were thrilled, others were distressed.
Teams in Germany's Euro group already began to panic.
Germany was placed in the "Group of Death," facing off against Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo and the Netherlands with their formidable attack.
Moreover, the Danish team that once created a football miracle wasn't to be underestimated!
Germany was already a powerhouse, and with rumors of Ye Chen joining, it felt like adding fuel to the fireâor rather, like giving wings to a tiger!
Apart from the ever-confident Spanish team, fans from other countries were visibly frustrated.
What was the Chinese Football Association (CFA) doing?
How could they let such a strong striker join Germany instead of their own national team?
That raised the questionâwhat exactly was the CFA doing?
On China's Weibo platform, the news of Ye Chen joining the German national team instantly topped the trending list!
The topic became so popular that Weibo even launched a special discussion thread.
At the top was a poll:
Do you support Ye Chen joining the German national team?
⢠A. Yes
⢠B. No
It was a straightforward, binary question.
Votes surged rapidly, surpassing 7 million in total, with a staggering 92% voting for option A!
What was going on?
I support Ye Chen joining the German national team. Don't ask whyâjust blame the CFA!
I support Ye Chen joining Germany. As long as it's not the Chinese men's team, I'm happy! It's a dark, dark day...
I support Ye Chen. Germany is now my home team for the Euros and 2014 World Cup!
I support Ye Chen. He may have dual nationality, but as long as he shares Chinese blood, we'll support him wholeheartedly!
Faced with overwhelming online support, the CFA retaliated with smear campaigns, accusing Ye Chen of being unpatriotic and unwilling to fight for his country.
However, in this alternate world, China allowed dual nationality. Ye Chen's primary nationality remained Chinese, and that had never changed!
Fans quickly compiled the timeline of Ye Chen's complicated relationship with the CFA and posted it online.
Rather than saying Ye Chen chose Germany, it seemed more like the CFA forced him into that decision.
When the smear campaign failed to shift public opinion, the CFA gave up.
They had bigger problems to worry about...
Even CFA official Liang Zhijun secretly felt relievedâYe Chen's fans could no longer criticize him.
After all, Ye Chen was no longer part of the Chinese team!
Ye Chen's PR team had been ready for damage control.
But after seeing the poll, Li Xinran was stunned!
Was the Chinese men's national team really this unpopular?
Meanwhile, Ye Chen, far away in Europe, quickly saw the poll results.
Other than a bitter smile, he didn't know what else to say.
The truth was, Mendes had intentionally leaked the news of Löw's visit to gauge public reaction.
Until Ye Chen officially joined, there was still room for negotiation.
But judging by the overwhelming support... there was no need to hesitate any longer!
Though there were critics, Ye Chen understood one thingâ
Life is too short to please everyone.
Besides, if the CFA had shown even a glimmer of hope, he wouldn't have pursued a second nationality.
Amidst the uproar, reporters swarmed Dortmund's training ground.
Yet Ye Chen made no public comments.
It was just like a transferâuntil the contract was signed, anything could happen.
What if Ye Chen changed his mind and decided not to join the German national team?
Wang Chu finally couldn't hold back and approached Ye Chen.
"Chen, are you really joining the German FA?"
Ye Chen nodded. "The paperwork is already in process. It shouldn't take long."
Special cases in Germany could be expedited, especially under the "talent clause." The entire process would take about two weeks.
Wang Chu gave a thumbs up. "Chen, you did what I didn't dare to! France U18 once invited me, but my parents turned them down."
"As long as I can have dual nationality, I'll always be Chinese," Ye Chen said calmly.
Wang Chu nodded. "Good luck, Chen. I'll work hard too. One day, China will make it to the World Cup!"
Seeing Wang Chu's determined expression, Ye Chen silently nodded.
Although he had made his choice, deep down, he still felt conflicted.
But there was no turning back now.
Germany had already made him feel at home.