The stands were already packed with eager fans.
Among the visiting team's supporters were Tomoaki Makino, recently released by Cologne, and journalist Taro Tanoya, blacklisted by Dortmund. They had come today to witness Ye Chen's failure to break the world record!
The stage was setânot only had many head coaches arrived, but retired football stars and celebrities from the entertainment world were also there to watch the game.
If Ye Chen failed to score a hat-trick today... his reaction would undoubtedly be priceless.
Of course, the hype for this match had already swept across Europe. After all, tonight was about breaking a legendary world record in football history!
The broadcast director was having fun, focusing the cameras on celebrities in the crowd of 80,000 fans. Whenever a familiar face appeared, the fans enthusiastically shouted their names.
"Löw!"
"Löw!"
"Löw!"
"Oh my, even the coach of the German national team has shown up!"
"He must be here to scout Götze and GündoÄan!"
The atmosphere was electric even before the match began.
As the match time drew near, the coaches of both teams appeared early from the tunnel, with substitute players already in position. At the tunnel's entrance, players from both teams were ready, waiting for the referee to lead them onto the pitch.
Dortmund wore their iconic yellow kits, while Dresden sported their away whites. Interestingly, Dresden's home kit was also yellow.
The referee checked the time and led the teams out onto the field.
Cameras zoomed in on the players emerging from the tunnel as the commentators enthusiastically introduced them one by one.
"Leading the way is our captain, Kehl!"
"Woohoo!"
...
"Good evening, viewers! Welcome to Penguin Sports! I'm your commentator Zhan Jun for tonight's second-round German Cup match, Dortmund versus Dresden. Joining me is Zhang Lu, our expert analyst!" Zhan Jun's voice resonated across Chinese households via livestream.
Zhang Lu smiled warmly. "Good morning, everyone! I bet a lot of fans are tuning in tonight!"
Zhan Jun nodded. "We currently have 40 million viewers online, and this number is expected to rise once the match starts. After all, tonight is a crucial moment for Ye Chen!"
Zhang Lu sighed emotionally. "I never thought I'd live to see a Chinese player shine in the Bundesliga! This is the happiest moment of my career!"
"It's a joyful moment for all Chinese fans," Zhan Jun said with a heartfelt tone. "In the last four games, Ye Chen scored hat-tricks in three substitute appearances and one start, tallying 12 goals and one assist. This ties the record for consecutive hat-tricks in four games, set by Japanese striker Masashi Nakayama, who scored 16 goals in four matches. Nakayama's stats are more impressive, but..."
"If Ye Chen breaks the record tonight, Nakayama's Guinness World Record will be surpassed, and Ye Chen's name will be etched into the Guinness database!"
Zhang Lu chuckled. "Let's hope Ye can perform well and break the record. But let's not put too much pressure on him. Scoring 12 goals in four Bundesliga matches is already unprecedented!"
"True," Zhan Jun agreed passionately. "We wish Ye Chen good health and hope he continues to bring us exciting matches in the Bundesliga!"
"By the way," Zhang Lu suddenly asked with a playful grin, "if the record is broken, does he have to return the Guinness certificate to the committee?"
"Not at all," Zhan Jun replied with a laugh. "The committee issues a new certificate to record-breakers. Earlier, we saw three Guinness officials seated next to Mendes. If Ye Chen breaks the record, he'll receive the new certificate tonight!"
Zhang Lu's expression turned serious. "Even though Dresden is a second-division team, they're not to be underestimated. Let's hope Ye Chen shines on the field!" His eyes reflected a deep sense of hope.
Ye Chen, you've got this!
"The crowd's roaring now! Ye Chen is on the pitch, and the fans are giving him a thunderous ovation!" Zhan Jun continued excitedly. "Let's take a look at the starting lineups!"
...
On the field, Ye Chen stepped onto the pitch with his team.
When the match finally arrived, Ye Chen felt an unexpected calmness within.
Before stepping out, he had noticed Dresden players frequently glancing at him.
Clearly, breaking the record tonight would not be easy.
Ye Chen took a deep breath as a familiar system notification rang in his mind:
"Ding! Main mission issued: Lead Dortmund to a victory over Dynamo Dresden by at least three goals. Successful completion will reward you with a Silver Chest!"
Hearing the task, Ye Chen's expression sharpened.
This was no ordinary mission. Previously, simply winning was enough. But now, he had to secure a three-goal margin.
However, the rewardâa Silver Chestâsignaled its difficulty.
Ye Chen had aimed for five goals before the game, but now even scoring three seemed like a challenge.
No matter. One goal at a time.
As music filled the stadium and the players lined up on the pitch, the South Stand suddenly erupted in fireworks.
A massive tifo rose slowly into the air.
(Note: In European sports culture, "tifo" refers to giant banners or mosaics displayed by fans during important matches, symbolizing their support for the team.)
The tifo depicted a handsome Chinese player proudly holding a Guinness World Record certificate.
"Chenye!"
"Chenye!"
"Chenye!"
The fans roared Ye Chen's name with wild enthusiasm!
Seeing the tifo for the first time, Ye Chen was deeply moved. Especially seeing his own likeness on it, he felt tears welling up in his eyes.
Overwhelmed by the fans' love, he raised his hand high, applauding the crowd in gratitude.
For this battle, I will give it my all!
Even Dresden's players were shaken.
So this is the "nuclear weapon" of Signal Iduna Park?
Whenever the stands displayed such tifos, it was an enormous psychological blow to visiting teams.
But they weren't cowards!
"Signal Iduna Park? So what?"
"If he wants to break the Guinness World Record, he'll have to go through us!"
"If it's war they want, we'll fight to the death!"
Both teams spread out and assumed their formations.
Ye Chen stood over the ball, facing Germany's star player Mario Götze.
The match was about to begin. Ye Chen was ready to give it his all.
Breaking a Guinness World Record was a rare opportunity.
More importantly, he was shattering a record held by a Japanese player, which gave him extra motivation.
While Ye Chen wasn't a nationalist, something about the word "Japan" always lit a fire in him.
This battle was personal.