"You choose to storm into hell when there's a path to heaven you won't take!"
Ye Chen's lips curled into a cold smile. "You'll regret what you just said."
"Oh? Is that so?" Makino Tomoaki dismissed him with a wave and walked away.
His plan was simple: provoke Ye Chen, disrupt his rhythm, and throw off his game. But would Ye Chen let him have his way?
The players of both teams were already in position, while the referee glanced at his watch, waiting for the right moment to blow the whistle.
Ye Chen took a quick look at Cologne's lineup.
Other than Podolski, none of the names rang a bell.
Of course, the reason Ye Chen even recognized Podolski was because he later transferred to Arsenal.
To put it simply, Podolski's 18-goal season caught Arsène Wenger's eye, earning him a spot at Arsenal, where he replaced none other than Robin van Persie.
Van Persie, who captained Arsenal for just one season before being sold off, had famously declared in an interview, "If there's anyone loyal to Arsenal, it's me!"
We all know how that story ended.
Back to the game!
With the referee's whistle, the 10th round of the Bundesliga officially began.
Cologne started with the ball and immediately launched an attack.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen noticed that Makino Tomoaki was already staring him down like a predator sizing up its prey.
It seemed Makino's sole mission for the day was to mark him tightly.
But could he keep up with Ye Chen?
In Ye Chen's eyes, Makino didn't even exist.
Simply put, he wasn't even qualified to be Ye Chen's opponent.
With an ability score of 81, Ye Chen was already one of the top players in the Bundesliga. Among young players, he was in a league of his own.
And as for Makino, a player who couldn't even secure a starting spot for Cologne? What gave him the right to call himself Ye Chen's rival?
He wasn't worthy.
Cologne's opening attack was promising. Podolski's positioning was excellent, and German midfielder Lanig delivered a precise through ball to his feet.
Podolski unleashed a powerful shot, testing Weidenfeller.
But the Dortmund keeper reacted quickly, smacking the ball down before catching it securely.
Podolski's effort earned applause from the away fans, who appreciated the attempt.
Little did they know, it would be Cologne's only shot on target in the first five minutes.
Instead of a long clearance, Weidenfeller opted for a short pass, building play from the back.
As Dortmund players passed the ball around, Ye Chen hadn't even touched it when Makino Tomoaki latched onto him like a piece of gum on a shoe.
But Ye Chen wasn't in a hurry. He jogged at a leisurely pace.
The ball eventually made its way to Mario Götze on the wing.
That's when Ye Chen started sprinting toward the penalty area. But Götze's cross was too close to the keeper, and Rensing easily claimed it.
Rensing was once touted as Kahn's successor, Germany's youth team star goalkeeper. He began his career at Bayern after being scouted by their talent-spotters.
When Kahn retired in 2008, Rensing took over the legendary No. 1 jersey.
But he soon fell out of favor. By 2010, an unemployed Rensing was picked up by Cologne, reviving his career.
Last season, he was rated the best non-Dortmund player in the Bundesliga. Of course, Dortmund players occupied the top five spots after winning the league.
Today, however, this "goalkeeping god" of last season would face Ye Chen's challenge!
At 4 minutes and 31 seconds, Ye Chen finally received the ball in the front line, and Makino immediately closed in.
But Ye Chen calmly passed the ball to Götze on the right.
Makino still rammed into him with all his strength, nearly knocking Ye Chen to the ground.
"With me here, don't even think about getting a shot off!" Makino snarled, glaring at him.
Ye Chen said nothing.
Opportunities to shoot don't disappear just because someone says so.
The game continued. The referee's attention was elsewhere, focused on the ball, as Götze attempted a one-two with Kehl in midfield.
But their pass was intercepted.
Matúšchyk started a counterattack but lost the ball after pushing it too far forward. Sven Bender stepped in, gaining possession and passing back to SubotiÄ.
Today, Dortmund's formation was a 3-5-1-1, resembling an airplane.
Their wingbacks could double as wingers, and Ye Chen was the lone forward leading the line.
Kehl played slightly ahead to support Ye Chen, with Kagawa Shinji orchestrating from the midfield.
Klopp's tactics reflected his complete trust in Ye Chen.
And Ye Chen was determined not to let his coach down.
As the ball cycled back to Weidenfeller, the keeper calmly waited for Cologne's players to retreat before passing to Hummels.
Hummels sent it wide to Schmelzer on the left.
Schmelzer, playing almost as a winger, spotted Götze breaking free on the right and delivered a pinpoint diagonal ball.
Götze controlled it, but Jemal immediately closed him down.
Instead of forcing a cross, Götze noticed Kagawa making a run toward him.
With a quick stop, Götze lofted the ball into the air.
Despite his height disadvantage and Matúšchyk marking him, Kagawa didn't bring the ball down but instead flicked it backward with a clever header.
The ball soared into open space.
At the moment Kagawa jumped, Ye Chen exploded into action!
Calm as a still lake, swift as a striking rabbit.
Makino lunged forward.
Ye Chen touched the ball with his toes, bringing it under control. He shifted left with a quick tap, his eyes darting toward the goalkeeper.
He feigned a powerful strike.
Makino panicked. "Damn it, he's going for it!"
Without hesitation, he slid in, aiming to take Ye Chen down even if he couldn't win the ball.
"What an idiot," Ye Chen scoffed internally.
It was just a fake.
As Makino went to ground, Ye Chen deftly flicked the ball into the air and leaped over him.
In desperation, Makino raised his boot, studs up, trying to stop him.
Ye Chen had already predicted it. Dodging with ease, he landed gracefully.
Without pausing, he unleashed a ferocious strike.
Boom!
The ball rocketed toward the goal.
Sereno, scrambling to block, caught nothing but air.
Rensing, the "goalkeeping god," lunged as though his life depended on it.
But no matter how fast he reacted, the ball was faster.
Swoosh!
The net rippled.
It was a thunderous long-range strike!
This was the violent beauty of football.
Ye Chen didn't celebrate. Instead, he turned back and bent over to stare at Makino.
A playful smirk crossed his face as he cupped a hand to his ear.
"Come on, say that again."