The match concluded completely with the referee's final whistle.
The head coaches of both teams shook hands on the sidelines.
"Congratulations, you've gained an incredibly talented striker!" Lü Xukai said to Klopp with a mix of admiration and envy.
"Hey, we didn't win just because of Ye!" Klopp responded with a grin.
"I'm telling you, if this kid Ye were on my team, the winners today would have been us!" Lü Xukai retorted, clearly unconvinced.
Klopp burst out laughing. "Such a brilliant talent naturally belongs to our Yellow Wall!"
After the home game, the players took time to thank the fans who had come to support them.
When Ye Chen joined his teammates at the South Stand, the fans had already gone wild.
"Ye! Ye! Ye!"
"Ahhh... so handsome, Ye!"
"Ye, you're my hero!"
At the Westfalenstadion, every time a goal is scored, the DJ interacts with the players and the crowd. For Ye's first goal, the DJ had asked who scored it. The crowd answered "Ye" three times in unison. The cheers afterward were so loud that they even drowned out the DJ's follow-up questions.
By the end of this match, it was unlikely anyone watching would forget Ye Chen. Today, he was undoubtedly the brightest star.
Of course, after thanking the fans, Ye Chen had to do another interview with the television crew. This time, though, the interviewer wasn't the beautiful female host from last time but a well-dressed white guy in a suit.
"Congratulations on securing your second hat trick! That's no small feat. Is there anything you'd like to say to your fans?"
Ye Chen smiled. "I'm so happy to play for such a great team, and I'm incredibly grateful to the fans who cheer for me. I promise to bring more goals and help the team win every championship we can!"
The interviewer smiled back. "With six goals so far, you're now fifth in the scoring rankings. Have you thought about aiming for the Golden Boot this season?"
"Already fifth? The Golden Boot is every striker's dream, of course. I'd love to go for it, but I'm just a substitute right now. Without more playing time, it's a tough goal to achieve!"
"Do you think you're ready to start in matches?"
"That's up to the coach. It's not something I can decide," Ye said with a shrug. "But as long as I get the chance to play, I'll give it my all!"
"Alright, last questionâwho's better, you or Lewandowski?"
Clearly, this was the headline-grabbing question.
Ye Chen laughed. "Right now, it's definitely Lewandowski. He's the one I'm learning from! But I believe that as long as I keep working hard, I can become a world-class striker too!"
This answer was a masterclass in diplomacy and emotional intelligence.
In terms of skill, Lewandowski was indeed better than Ye Chen at this moment. That was undeniable. But the gap wasn't enormous, especially considering this was Lewandowski's first full season as a starter.
Ye Chen had something Lewandowski didn't, thoughâa system.
The system's rewards could elevate his abilities dramatically. For example, before this match, Ye Chen had received an SS-tier "Poacher" skill card, which boosted his physical attributes and decision-making. This improvement showed in his runs and passing choices.
Take his second goal todayâif not for the "Poacher" upgrade, he wouldn't have been able to outrun Sankoh.
Surpassing Lewandowski was only a matter of time.
Still, Ye Chen, having grown up in an environment valuing humility, knew how to stay modest. Besides, he disliked people who acted overly arrogant.
True strength comes from camaraderie with teammates. Even players like Ronaldo and Messi had countless helpers around them.
Football is an 11-man sport. One strong player isn't truly strongâno matter how good they are, they're still just a sheep. But a united team becomes a pack of wolves.
Klopp headed off with team captain Weidenfeller for the post-match press conference, while Ye Chen went to the locker room and pulled out his phone.
As soon as he unlocked it, multiple messages popped up, and he saw several beautiful photos.
"Ye, is this your friend? She's gorgeous!" Kagawa walked over and commented.
"She's my girlfriend now!" Ye Chen said proudly.
"That was fast!"
"Of course! She's so pretty. If I didn't act quickly, someone else might have swooped in!" Ye Chen replied with a grin.
"I meant she acted fast... With your performance these last two games, there'll be no shortage of beautiful women chasing after you in the future!"
Ye Chen froze for a moment. Come to think of it, that did make sense.
It seemed like his girlfriend was worried about exactly that!
Ye Chen smiled and called Lina. "Lina, when did you arrive in Dortmund?"
"A little after 1 p.m. Your game today was incredible!" Lina praised.
"Thanks. Did you rent a car?"
"Of course, but renting isn't very cost-effective. I'm thinking of buying one in Germany," she replied.
"We'll talk about it when we meet. Find a spot in the parking lot to wait for me. I'll be there soon!"
With the game over, it was now the international break. The team had a friendly scheduled for the 6th to maintain their rhythm, while national team players were off to report to their respective squads.
As for the rest of the players, they were given two days off and only needed to return on the 4th.
After changing clothes, Ye Chen left the stadium. Many fans were still lingering outside, chatting as they walked away. Ye Chen, now wearing a mask, avoided being recognized.
In the parking lot, he spotted Lina. Even after just a few days apart, she seemed even more beautiful.
Perhaps this was the magic of love!
For a football-loving guy like Ye Chen, there was something particularly special about a girl in a football jersey.
"Hey, baby!" Lina waved excitedly.
She had rented a vintage Ferrari sports car that stood out in the crowd.
"Looks like Solskjaer earned quite a bit during his playing days..." Ye Chen joked as he got into the passenger seat.
"I thought you said you had class tomorrow afternoon and couldn't make it today. Why the sudden visit?"
"I just wanted to see you playâis that a problem?" Lina replied, pouting.
"Of course not!" Ye Chen laughed. "So, are you still going to class tomorrow?"
"Definitely. That's why I plan to drive back tonight," Lina said with a nod.
"No way!" Ye Chen exclaimed.
He had plans for tonightâplans that involved Lina staying.
Lina burst into laughter. "Why not? Don't tell me you want to book a room again?"
"Don't you?" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and shot back.
Lina's face flushed red. "I... I do!" she admitted, then quickly added, "But I just want to be with youâI'm not thinking of anything... inappropriate!"
Ye Chen's smile widened. "If you're not thinking about it, why bring it up? That's like a thief yelling, 'Catch the thief!'"
Lina's face turned even redder. "Enough about that. Do you have any restaurant recommendations?"
As they chatted in the car, neither of them noticed a figure hiding in the shadows, snapping photos with a camera.