As Chen Tao's German became more proficient, he increasingly enjoyed browsing German football forums.
Compared to domestic forums, Kicker, one of Germany's largest fan communities, had more interesting content.
Besides professional analysis posts from tactical experts, there were more humorous anecdotes from the Bundesliga.
Recently, Borussia Dortmund's head coach, Thomas Doll, undoubtedly became the 'joke king,' giving off a Ten Hag-esque vibe.
Who is Ten Hag?
It's not important.
This morning, while eating in the Borussia Dortmund training base restaurant, Chen Tao was scrolling through his Nokia N95, so amused he almost burst out laughing.
Nuri Şahin and Hummels, carrying their plates, curiously leaned over.
"What's so funny?"
"Let me see too."
Marco Reus also wanted to lean over, but he wasn't too familiar with Chen Tao, so he quietly sat next to them with his plate, tilting his head slightly to listen.
"Look at this…" Chen Tao really couldn't hold it in anymore.
"If points were calculated based on Thomas Doll's press conference remarks, Borussia Dortmund would be this season's Bundesliga champion…"
"And this one: Thomas Doll sometimes screams on the sidelines, sometimes clutches his head, sometimes applauds, as if the situation on the field has something to do with him…"
"Doesn't Thomas Doll resemble your boss? Company performance isn't important; what's important is for him to prove he's not wrong, that the blame lies with others…"
"Fans curse Thomas Doll for not understanding football, and Thomas Doll says, 'You don't understand traffic…'"
"The three hardest things in the world are an ex-girlfriend's heart, a high school boy's 'that,' and Thomas Doll's mouth…"
After Borussia Dortmund's 2-2 draw with Hertha Berlin, Thomas Doll insisted to reporters' questions that his substitutions were perfectly fine.
And he repeatedly emphasized:
"Theoretically, we should have gotten 3 points from this match! We were two goals ahead and controlled the game for a while, and the opponent was down one man. This victory should have been ours."
"It can only be said that the huge advantage made the players on the field lose focus and underestimate the opponent in the final stages."
German media quickly coined a new term: 'press conference comeback.'
This behavior of not admitting coaching mistakes and instead blaming other factors not only angered Borussia Dortmund fans but also annoyed the Borussia Dortmund players.
They had clearly played according to Thomas Doll's conservative tactics, and at moments when they should have pressed the opponent, they retreated into defense, giving Hertha Berlin chances to counter-attack.
Similar situations had happened before; the inexplicable dropped points over the past two seasons had already made everyone lose trust in the head coach.
Despite Chen Tao's excellent performance, the team had once seen hope for the Champions League.
This hope was then personally buried by the head coach.
The strong sense of disappointment gradually accumulated among fans, players, and the club, finally erupting after this drawn match.
Hummels, after reading the jokes, also slapped his thigh with laughter, then he leaned his head in mysteriously.
"Do you guys know? The head coach might be getting sacked."
"Really? He was supposed to be sacked in the first half of the season, but he got lucky with a seven-game unbeaten streak and stayed firmly in his position."
"It's all your fault, Chen, you played too hard."
"Is trying to win wrong?"
Chen Tao gave them the international friendly gesture, feeling a bit unfairly blamed.
"By the way, how did you know?"
"I heard it with my own ears."
Hummels whispered:
"Watzke said that if we can't win the next three games, Thomas Doll will be out."
"Then us…"
Nuri Şahin was slightly moved, but before he finished speaking, he met Chen Tao's unusually serious gaze:
"Play seriously. As professional players, we must have professionalism. The only goal on the field is to win."
"Whether the head coach is sacked is not your concern."
Hummels and Nuri Şahin both nodded, feeling ashamed of their dirty thoughts.
Marco Reus, who had been silent, strongly agreed with Chen Tao's attitude:
"Exactly. We just need to do our part. Football should be pure."
…
While Chen Tao recovered from his ankle sprain, Borussia Dortmund, at the center of the storm, continued their Bundesliga journey.
In the German Cup quarter-finals, Borussia Dortmund easily defeated second-division team Jena 3-1, successfully advancing to the semi-finals.
Marco Reus got a chance to play in this cup match, finally making his first-team debut for Borussia Dortmund.
It must be said, their luck was truly great.
Their semi-final opponent was not the strong Bayern Munich or Wolfsburg, but the weakest team by common consensus, a small team currently in the second division—Hoffenheim.
"What kind of team is Hoffenheim?"
"Oh, them? They're second in the second division. They might make a big splash in the Bundesliga next season."
"Really?"
Hummels looked skeptical.
"I'll bet you, they'll be in the top two by at least winter next season."
In the gym, Chen Tao took a deep breath while bench pressing, casually making a startling prediction without hesitation.
"A promoted team in the top two by winter? Okay, if they can make it into the top 5 by the winter break, I'll give you 100 euros and be your servant for a week, free of charge."
"Deal."
Chen Tao remained unmoved, continuing his bench press.
Such a confident aura made Hummels feel a hint of doubt.
Could he actually be right?
…
In Bundesliga Round 24, Borussia Dortmund played away against Hamburg.
Chen Tao, whose ankle injury had recovered, was included in the matchday squad and sat on the bench for the away game.
Until the 82nd minute of the second half, the score was still 1-0!
Home team Hamburg was ahead!
Thomas Doll, at the center of public opinion, was already distraught, his usually fluffy curly hair almost pulled bald.
His gaze swept to the bench, with only one substitution slot left, Thomas Doll wavered between Reus and Chen Tao.
Ultimately, he still chose the miraculous Asian boy.
"Oh, my God, this is truly hell."
At that moment, Thomas Doll felt a sense of powerlessness.
On this out-of-control pitch,
It seemed that only this 15-year-old Eastern teenager, whom he disliked, who always inexplicably dribbled past opponents against his tactical instructions, but repeatedly saved the team, was his only savior.
"Chen, warm up a bit more, prepare to come on."
"Okay."
Chen Tao showed no emotion, smoothly taking off his training top and warming up on the sidelines.
Seeing this, over 50,000 Hamburg fans in Volksparkstadion erupted in a deafening, overwhelming chorus of boos.
On the field, the player with the ball was Hamburg's captain and creative midfielder, Rafael van der Vaart.
Rafael van der Vaart was utterly bewildered. Who the hell did I offend? Why are they booing me?
I scored the leading goal!
In his confusion, Rafael van der Vaart fired a long-range shot high into the stands.
Only then did he realize that the fans were booing the young Asian man, Chen Tao, who was standing on the sidelines waiting to come on as a substitute.
This face was all too familiar to anyone playing in the Bundesliga.
Almost every Bundesliga team's tactical meeting would feature a magnified photo of Chen Tao on their PowerPoint.
Head coaches would spend an hour, spitting saliva, discussing defensive tactics against Chen Tao.
Besides Klose and Toni of Bayern, Dzeko of Wolfsburg, Özil of Werder Bremen… Chen Tao was probably the hottest star this season.
Chen Tao hadn't even come on yet, but Rafael van der Vaart suddenly had a bad feeling.
Hamburg's one-goal lead didn't seem secure, even with less than 10 minutes left in the match.
Facts proved Rafael van der Vaart's worries were not unfounded.
Every time Chen Tao touched the ball after coming on, he made Hamburg fans and players break out in a cold sweat.
Hamburg's coach, Stevens, nervously chewed his fingernails on the sidelines!
The Bundesliga director, with a mischievous sense of humor, showed a split-screen shot: the away coach, Thomas Doll, had virtually the same actions and expression!
Another famous scene was born in the Bundesliga: when Chen Tao came on, both head coaches were nervous.
Chen Tao on the field didn't pay attention to any of that.
He first briefly moved around on the pitch, feeling the long-lost green grass and checking the condition of his ankle.
"Hmm, it looks completely fine. Let's end this match!"
In the 88th minute of the match, Chen Tao got his chance.
Hamburg actively retreated into defense. Nuri Şahin passed to the right wing, and Chen Tao received the ball, facing a double-team.
Facing this half-volley, Chen Tao incredibly used an unconventional knee trap to get past Hamburg's left-back, Bresko.
Rafael van der Vaart came over to cover and intercept, but was again beaten by Chen Tao's knee juggling!
The continuous knee juggling in front of the box was full of imagination.
The whole stadium was stunned!
"Damn it!"
Hamburg's center-back, future Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, rushed forward without hesitation, hoping to teach him a lesson with his young, strong body!
One second later, Vincent Kompany turned around in a daze, watching the Asian player burst into the box and face the goalkeeper directly.
This scene would forever be Vincent Kompany's nightmare.
Even when he represented Manchester City in the Champions League against superstars like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo,
His most unforgettable opponent remained the 15-year-old Chen Tao.
"Oh my God!!! Chen! A miraculous chip and turn! Vincent Kompany is nothing more than a wooden stake in front of him!!"
After knee juggling, Chen Tao let the ball drop to his ankle, then effortlessly chipped it over Vincent Kompany's head, gliding past him as if on a morning stroll.
By the time Vincent Kompany chased back, Chen Tao was already facing Hamburg's goalkeeper, Frank Rost.
The 34-year-old veteran goalkeeper, Frank Rost, nervously rushed out, attempting to intercept Chen Tao's one-on-one.
Chen Tao initially wanted to pass, but a quick glance showed he was the only one in the box.
All around him were Hamburg players in white jerseys.
No choice,
My shooting is too poor, I can only choose to dribble past everyone, dribble past the goalkeeper!
Facing the charging Frank Rost, Chen Tao still didn't let the ball touch the ground, merely intending to chip it over for a lobbed shot.
Frank Rost's nerves were taut; he quickly jumped, attempting to intercept.
"Bingo!"
In that instant, Frank Rost's eyes widened in disbelief, staring fixedly as the opponent incredibly hooked the ball down and put it through his legs!
As the Asian teenager swept past him, Frank Rost could still catch the robot-like calmness in his eyes.
Glancing around, in the warm afternoon sun of early spring at Volksparkstadion, Frank Rost inexplicably felt a chilling cold.
"Chen!! He's gone past him!! Chen's solo goal reappears in the Bundesliga!!"
"A gentle push in front of the goal line, and it's in!!"
"Cheeeeen Taaaoooooo—"
Chen Tao's unchallenged goal, combined with commentator Sauer's passionate roar,
Once again deeply shocked the Bundesliga audience in front of their televisions!