Tonight's match was scheduled for 9:30 PM, on National Day evening.
Even after the football match, it wasn't yet midnight!
But countless fans had already gone wild.
They ordered takeout while flooding into the Dortmund fan forum, frantically posting threads.
"I've become a fan of Ye Chen! From today, I'm supporting Dortmund!"
"I used to be a Manchester United fan, but now I'm switching to Dortmund!"
"Six goals in two matchesâYe Chen is absolutely insane!"
"Why call him Ye Chen? Call him the God of War!"
"Ye Chen is both handsome and skilled. I officially declare I'm no longer an iKun fan. I'm now a die-hard Ye Chen wife fan!"
"What do the girls who like Ye Chen look like?"
"Detailed analysis of Ye Chen's three goals! He's far more incredible than you'd think!"
"Ye Chen's speed is probably on par with a professional sprinter!"
"Counting the records Ye Chen has already broken..."
Posts sprang up like mushrooms after the rain.
While many declared their newfound loyalty to Dortmund and Ye Chen, there were also some technical analyses. However, the thread with the most replies was "What do the girls who like Ye Chen look like?" After all, football and beauty are inseparable topics.
That said, the girls who liked Ye Chen were undeniably good-looking. Coupled with advanced photo-editing technology, these posts caused quite a stir in the Dortmund forum.
Meanwhile, others focused on breaking down Ye Chen's goals and the records he had shattered.
Chinese football fans were celebrating as if it were a holiday, and the Dortmund forum was ablaze with excitement.
Over at the once-bustling Manchester United fan forum, the mood was somewhat mixed despite their team's 2â0 victory over Norwich at home. Mixed in with the cheers were plenty of discussions about Ye Chen.
After all, Ye Chen had been a Manchester United youth academy player!
Many forum members were furiously blaming the club's general manager.
Had he not acted so decisively to cut Ye Chen, Manchester United might not have missed out on such a phenomenal talent.
And the fact that this talent was Chinese only added to the sting.
The excitement wasn't limited to China, either. In Germany, Ye Chen's name was lighting up sports headlines.
After all, Dortmund were last season's Bundesliga champions, and they attracted considerable attention. This was especially true after the pre-match press conference where Augsburg coach Lutz Kainz was asked about Ye Chen.
"Coach Lutz, in Dortmund's last match, the young player Ye scored a hat-trick. Will you be making any special arrangements to deal with him?"
"I've watched Ye's games. While he has some ability, I don't think he warrants special attention," Lutz had replied.
But just one day after making that statement, he was proven spectacularly wrong!
At the post-match press conference, reporters again brought up Ye Chen.
"Coach Lutz, do you still think Ye Chen doesn't need special attention?"
Lutz's face turned red, but he adjusted his stance. "I admit I underestimated him. If we were to play again, I'd have confidence in containing him!"
Then he jokingly asked the reporters, "Who are Dortmund playing next?"
"Werder Bremen!" The reporters, well-versed in the fixtures, immediately answered.
Lutz pulled out his phone and sent a message right there in front of everyone.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
With a serious expression, Lutz replied, "Klaus and I are good friends. I just texted him Ye's name and told him to mark this kid tightly in the next match!"
[Werder Bremen Head Coach: Klaus Allofs.]
This remark drew laughter from the reporters.
It's worth noting that Germans rarely joke around, as they are typically very serious.
But it turns out, Lutz really did send that text...
Over at Dortmund's post-match press conference, reporters asked Klopp a similar question: Would he consider starting Ye Chen in the next game?
Klopp's response was simple and straightforward: "My team has always fielded players in good form. If someone's out of formâwhether it's a core player like Kagawaâthey'll have to sit out, just like in this match."
"And between Ye and Lewandowski, who do you think is better?"
Klopp smiled. "For now, Ye's performances have been more outstanding. Of course, as a coach, I trust Lewandowski more because he has more match experience."
"Ye has scored enough to rank fifth on the scorers' chart after just two games. Will you let him compete for the Golden Boot this season?"
"I don't set such expectations for him, but he seems quite interested in it himself... That said, he's only 17. I think it's too early for him to aim for the Golden Boot!" Klopp candidly shared his thoughts.
However, the reporters spun his words into headlines:
"Klopp: Ye is too young. Winning the Golden Boot is a pipe dream!"
"Klopp: Despite his hat-trick, I trust Lewandowski more!"
"Klopp: Lewandowski is the starter; Ye isn't qualified yet!"
It's safe to say that the media's skill in twisting words is not unique to Chinaâthey're even better at it abroad.
Ye Chen's name spread far beyond China and Germany. At Manchester United's post-match press conference, Sir Alex Ferguson was also asked about Ye Chen.
"Sir Alex, are you aware that the club recently released a player named Ye?"
"I've seen his highlights. That midfield lob was truly beautiful!" Ferguson said, smiling calmly.
"In Dortmund's just-concluded match against Augsburg, Ye came off the bench and scored a hat-trick. In the previous game against Mainz, he also scored a hat-trick after coming on for 45 minutes. Do you regret releasing such a talented player?"
Ferguson's face showed surprise. "Really? I've seen that kid's training videos, and he seemed pretty average. I didn't expect him to dominate in the Bundesliga. Are the Bundesliga opponents that weak? Can any random youth player of ours score six goals in two games there?"
"If Ye were still in Manchester United's U18s, would you consider promoting him to the first team for a trial?"
After a brief silence, Ferguson replied, "He doesn't have the ability to establish himself at Manchester United."
The room erupted in shock.
It was clear to everyone that Ye Chen had at least earned the right to be a first-team substitute. But Ferguson remained as resolute as ever!
Of course, this was also to protect his old friend David Gill, as it was Gill who had personally ordered Ye Chen's release.
"When interviewed, Ye once said that Manchester United ignored him when he needed them. In the future, he'll make sure they can't afford him. Do you think there's any chance Ye would return to Manchester United?"
"Did he really say that?" Ferguson asked, his face darkening.
"Absolutely!" A reporter nodded and even played a video of Ye Chen saying those words.
Ferguson slammed the table. "As long as I'm here, Manchester United's doors will forever remain closed to Ye Chen!"