The French fans at the stadium fell into complete silence!

Their worry wasn't just about this match—after all, it was merely a friendly game. But what if they encountered Germany in the knockout stages of the Euro Cup?

The German team had star players in nearly every position. For the French side, the best they could do was assign one man to mark Ye Chen.

Diaby had already done his best; everyone could see how hard he worked.

And yet, the result?

Not far away, Diaby was gasping for air. He felt as though Ye Chen, while not as skilled in intricate techniques as Messi, had an even greater ability to score from long distances!

Messi was the kind of player who could wreak havoc on an entire defensive line single-handedly. Ye Chen, on the other hand, was like a noble sword:

He either didn't strike, or he struck with deadly precision!

Take the three goals Ye Chen scored today—two of them were stunning long-range shots!

Looking at the exuberant teenager celebrating on the field, a thought popped into Diaby's mind: one day, Ye Chen could grow to rival Messi and Ronaldo.

Turning the era of two legends into a rivalry of three!

But what Diaby didn't know was that in the future of football, there wouldn't be a rivalry of three equals. Instead, there would be one who stood alone at the summit.

After the celebrations ended, play resumed.

Three minutes of added time were already halfway over, leaving France with just ninety seconds.

But Germany's defense held firm in the dying moments, leaving France with no chance to create an effective attack.

With the referee's final whistle, this intense showdown came to an end.

The German fans at the stadium erupted in joyous song, celebrating this hard-fought victory with their voices.

The substitutes rushed onto the pitch, cheering for their team's success!

Yet Diaby took the initiative to approach Ye Chen. "Ye, can we swap jerseys? You're a truly worthy opponent!"

"Sorry, this jersey has special significance to me," Ye Chen replied, apologetically.

"That's a shame!" Diaby said with a look of regret. "You're one of the toughest opponents I've faced in my career—you're incredibly strong!"

"Thanks!" Ye Chen smiled. "You made it very hard for me out there too!"

"Haha, looking forward to our next encounter!" Diaby responded with a wide grin.

"See you then!"

But no matter how much you praise me, I'm not giving you this jersey.

After all, it's my first national team jersey—it holds great sentimental value!

Someday, after retiring, it might even fetch a decent price.

The German team gathered to thank their fans, while the French team did the same. With France and Germany being neighbors, the match had drawn over 10,000 French fans to the stadium.

Meanwhile, on the broadcast from Zhongyang Television, the host was wrapping up the coverage.

"It's already the early hours of a new day in Beijing. When many of you wake up tomorrow, if you didn't watch tonight's game, how would you know what an incredible journey it was?"

"But life can be cruel. Sometimes, no one cares how much effort you've put in, how exhausted you are, or how much pain you've endured. People only care about where you ultimately stand, because there's no such thing as 'easy' in an adult's world."

"So, in the end, let's just say there's no such thing as accidental success—it's all the result of hard work paying off."

"Thank you, Ye Chen, for giving us such an incredible national team debut. We hope you can carry the hopes of countless Chinese fans and reach even greater heights!"

"Ye Chen, keep it up! We'll always be your strongest support!"

"I'm Liu Jiayuan. See you next time!"

With that, the broadcast ended.

This match was truly full of ups and downs!

Before the game, most people thought it would be an evenly matched battle. But France came out swinging with a flurry of attacks that caught Germany off guard, putting the hosts down 2-0.

In Germany's moment of crisis, Ye Chen took to the field.

But few had faith in him—some even thought he was just there to make up the numbers.

Some believed this match would be the first defeat of his career!

And the result?

This young player first used a clever run to break through the defense and score with a calm finish. Then, with a thunderous long-range strike, he bagged his second. Of course, the most shocking moment was his third goal.

He seemed to transform into Robben. Even though everyone knew he would cut inside, no one could stop him!

Using a silky step-over to bypass Diaby, a sharp cut inside to evade Malouda, and a perfect left-footed curler, he sent the ball straight into the net!

These three goals officially announced his arrival!

German fans were undoubtedly the happiest that night.

They were already eagerly anticipating Germany's performance in the 2012 Euro Cup—and, of course, the 2014 World Cup!

The pinnacle of world football in every fan's heart.

But for every joy, there was also sorrow.

At Portugal's Lisbon training center, head coach Paulo Bento was deeply worried.

As a former leader of Portugal's "golden generation," he became head coach in 2010 after a stellar stint at Lisbon.

But who could have guessed his first major test would be such a hellish challenge?

Should he just concede the match against Germany?

Focus entirely on the games against the Netherlands and Denmark?

Surely, a Portugal team led by Cristiano Ronaldo could beat Denmark and the Netherlands, even if they couldn't overcome Germany's all-star lineup?

Meanwhile, at the Netherlands' national team training base in Amsterdam, Bert van Marwijk smoked his cigarette furiously.

How could Germany turn such a dire situation around?

This team... was terrifying!

And that kid—where on earth did he come from?

Ye Chen... why didn't you debut in the Eredivisie? If you had, I'd have made sure to snatch you up with a genius contract!

Of course, Denmark's head coach Morten Olsen also watched the game.

His only thought afterward?

It's over.

Barbie-Q'd!*

They always said there were no weak teams in Europe, and Denmark had even once created the fairy tale of their own. But against those three goals? There was no chance.

This tournament wasn't like 2016.

In 2016, the best third-placed teams still had a shot at the knockout rounds. Portugal won the championship that way.

But now, only the top two from each group advanced.

The "Group of Death" meant at least one European powerhouse would be eliminated.

Four groups, eight teams advancing straight to the quarterfinals.

Denmark, unfortunately, had drawn the short straw.

But life could be so harsh.

People only cared about where you ultimately stood, because there was no such thing as 'easy' in an adult's world.

After the match, Ye Chen was cornered by reporters.

To his surprise, one of them was a glamorous host. Her tight-fitting professional attire seemed ready to burst at any moment...

With a bright smile, the host from Sport1, Emma Jones, interviewed him on the spot.

"Congratulations on being tonight's MVP, Ye! As a player who scored a hat-trick on your debut, how do you feel right now?"

Ye Chen smiled. "It's been an unbelievable night and a moment I'll remember for the rest of my career."

"With the Euro Cup around the corner, Germany has been drawn into the Group of Death. Do you have anything bold to say to your opponents?"

"I have nothing much to say," Ye Chen replied calmly. "For other teams, it may be the Group of Death, but for Germany, it doesn't matter. We fear no one."

Silence.

Even the cameraman was stunned by his response.

Then, the stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.

"We fear no one!"

"We fear no one!"

"We fear no one!"

Could there be a bolder statement than that?