On the evening of September 30, Ye Chen lay awake in his dormitory bed.
The loneliest times abroad are often during festivals.
During holidays in foreign countries, everyone gathers with family and friends, celebrating joyfully, while he was alone.
And when holidays came around in his home country, it inevitably brought back memories of the festive atmosphere.
He couldn't quite tell whether the scene in his mind was from a past life or this one. In the image, it was National Day, and he was out shopping with his parents. They bought him a small flag and stickers.
While they were resting on a bench, a program host came by to ask the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.
Several kids were asked together.
Some wanted to be scientists, others doctors, teachers, or police officers. Only Ye Chen said he wanted to play soccer and become a professional player!
The reporter even asked him why, but Ye Chen couldn't remember how he had responded.
However, becoming a player had been his dream since childhood.
Perhaps it was because he had a dad who loved watching soccer.
But this system was merciless. When he crossed into this world, he became an orphan, his parents having died in an accident.
Not only that, but he had no relatives or friends.
Now, as National Day suddenly arrived, listening to music on his phone, he felt a wave of melancholy.
"Ding ding ding..."
Seeing the caller ID, a smile spread across Ye Chen's face.
It seemed he wasn't entirely alone anymore.
The match was scheduled for 3:30 PM at Signal Iduna Park!
Fans preferred to call it Westfalenstadion, as Dortmund was located in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany.
This stadium was also recognized by UEFA as a five-star stadium and was the largest in Germany.
With a maximum capacity of 80,654, it even exceeded Manchester United's Old Trafford by several thousand seats.
Of course, having a large capacity wasn't what made it special; what truly set it apart was its "never-empty" status.
The attendance rate here was always 99%. Last season, it even set a record with an average of 80,500 spectators per game, ranking first in Europe!
It boasted the world's most passionate fans and held a Guinness World Record for exceeding one million spectators annually for 16 consecutive years.
So, even before the match began, the streets were already alive with the buzz of the crowd.
Fans sang and danced along the streets, holding hot dogs and beers, singing Dortmund's team anthem on their way to the stadium.
As Dortmund players, they didn't usually train at the main stadium. They only came to the locker rooms on match days via bus.
The stadium was just a ten-minute ride from the training grounds.
Sitting on the bus, Ye Chen was experiencing the fans' enthusiasm for the first time. The streets were filled with Dortmund's yellow jerseys, with many fans holding posters of their favorite players. Among them were quite a few Asian faces.
They were likely fans of Kagawa Shinji. After all, Kagawa was currently the core of Dortmund's midfield, excelling both on the field and off.
The media often compared him to Manchester United's Park Ji-sung, calling him the future "Number One in Asia."
"Ye, how do you feel about our fans? Pretty passionate, right?" Götze, sitting beside him, smiled. "After the match, let's hit the bar for some drinks. The girls there are even more passionate!"
He even winked as he spoke.
Ye Chen quickly shook his head. "No thanks, I have a girlfriend."
"Come on, it's the modern era! Girlfriend is girlfriend, drinks are drinks. They're not mutually exclusive!" Götze insisted.
This guy seemed a bit sleazy.
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and replied, "I'm focused on earning a starting spot for the team. I'll consider it in the future."
"You've just joined the team; starting on the bench is fine. Once you've adapted to the Bundesliga's pace, you'll naturally get a chance to start," Götze said, speaking as a veteran. "But tonight, just come with me. I guarantee you'll have the time of your life."
If Ye Chen remembered correctly, Götze was only 19 this year.
He suddenly thought of the perfect excuse. "I just turned 17. I'm not even allowed in bars yet!"
In many countries, you had to be 18 to enter bars or buy alcohol; anything else was illegal.
"Oh man, I totally forgot about that!" Götze slapped his forehead. "Guess I'll have to enjoy the ladies alone!"
Ye Chen turned to look out the window, wondering when he'd get subbed in tonight.
Being a substitute wasn't fun.
Even without the system's task, he knew he had to secure a starting position soon.
When the bus arrived, the players got off one by one. Captain Kehl was the first to step out, followed by Weidenfeller.
The fans waiting by the entrance immediately erupted into cheers.
"Kehl, I'm your biggest fan!"
"Kagawa! Over here!"
"Super Mario, sign this for me!"
"Oh... Lewandowski! Here, over here! We're here!"
The excited fans shouted as the players passed by. Some players stopped to sign autographs before heading to the locker rooms.
Ye Chen planned to head straight to the locker room, as he doubted he had any fans.
But as soon as he stepped off the bus, a familiar voice called out in Chinese.
"Ye Chen, it's Ye Chen!"
"Ye Chen, can we get your autograph?"
A group of student-aged girls shouted excitedly.
Ye Chen paused, surprised, but walked over. "You're my fans?"
He had only played one match so far.
The girls nodded eagerly. "You're so handsomeâno, your playing is amazing! We love watching you on the field!"
"Please sign this for us!"
They looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Alright, alright, everyone will get one!" Ye Chen said, taking the pen. "Wow, you already have my numbered jersey?"
"We requested it specially!"
Just then, a well-endowed girl tugged at her white shirt. "I didn't buy a jersey. Could you sign here instead?"
Ye Chen's eyes widened.
Big, big, big...
"Ye, let's go!" Götze called from the bus.
"Coming!" Ye Chen returned the pen, waved goodbye, and walked off.
Although it was his first autograph in this life, he felt calm.
After all, he had been a player in his past life too, with fans of his own.
"Ye Chen, keep it up! We'll always support you!"
"Ye Chen, your fans in China are behind you!"
"Ye Chen, I love you!"
Even as he walked away, the excited screams of his fans echoed behind him.
But Ye Chen had already put them out of his mind. One day, when he became a star, there would be many more fans.
For now, his focus was on changing into his kit, listening to the coach's tactics, and preparing for the game.
When Ye Chen entered the locker room, the first thing he saw was his locker.
Hanging above it was a yellow Dortmund home jersey with the number 16 and "Ye" on the back.
A smile spread across Ye Chen's face as he took the jersey down.
"This afternoon, I will make all the fans of Westfalen remember you!"