SWR: Chapter 989/990

Chapter 989: Good News

On the evening of February 9, at the Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.

In the 23rd round of La Liga, Real Madrid hosted Sevilla.

Gao Shen made appropriate rotations for this match, but players like Ronaldo, who was competing with Messi for the league's top scorer, as well as Kaka and Higuain, still started.

From the kickoff, Real Madrid took advantage of playing at home to launch a fierce attack on Sevilla.

Sevilla were no pushovers. Even away from home, they remained tenacious.

In the 14th minute, however, Higuain seized an opportunity to open the scoring for Real Madrid.

In the 26th minute, Vazquez crossed from the right. Kaka, with his back to goal inside the penalty area, controlled the ball and laid it back. Ronaldo struck with his left foot, making it 2-0 for Real Madrid.

Shortly after the start of the second half, Ronaldo scored twice in quick succession, completing his hat-trick and securing a 4-0 lead.

The Portuguese forward continued to maintain his lead over Messi in the scoring charts.

Once the result was safe, Gao Shen began making substitutions from the 55th minute to conserve energy for the midweek Champions League clash.

Sevilla took advantage to launch counterattacks.

In the 87th minute, former Real Madrid player Negredo pulled one back for Sevilla.

The match ended with Real Madrid winning 4-1 at home.

After the final whistle, Negredo ran over to hug Gao Shen and wished him success in the Champions League next Wednesday.

"Although I play for Sevilla, I am still a Real Madrid fan and I will still cheer for Real Madrid!"

Gao Shen expressed his thanks on behalf of the club.

In truth, Gao Shen still regretted Negredo's departure, as the striker was genuinely useful.

While Morata could also play as a centre-forward, he still had room for improvement.

In this match, Morata, Jesé, and others came on as substitutes and performed reasonably well.

But for a striker like Negredo, returning to Real Madrid was almost impossible. Starting for a club like Sevilla was far better than sitting on the bench in Madrid.

…

The day after the Sevilla game, Real Madrid held a recovery session in the morning and a lighter adjustment session in the afternoon. They also had an analysis meeting, mainly reviewing the Sevilla match.

Gao Shen always believed these post-match analysis sessions were the most valuable.

They allowed players to clearly understand the problems they encountered and how to solve them.

The next time they faced a similar situation, they would know what to do.

The match against Manchester United was scheduled for the evening of the 13th, but preparations began on the afternoon of the 11th.

Gao Shen had the team carry out targeted defensive drills based on Manchester United's attacking patterns.

From the trident of Rooney, Ronaldo, and Tevez in the past, to the current setup with an added playmaker in Sneijder, Manchester United's style was clear.

Gao Shen's approach was to use the team's defensive structure to isolate United's attackers, preventing them from combining and forcing them into individual battles.

Ignoring the wings for a moment, Rooney in the attacking third was not the type to link play effectively. Sneijder's passing was excellent, but he was not strong at connecting the attack. This meant that if Real Madrid held their defensive shape, they could cut off Manchester United's forward play.

In midfield, Real Madrid had the advantage and could press United's double pivot.

Gao Shen had no intention of holding back in this match. He was not afraid of conceding away goals. His plan was to go at Manchester United at the Bernabéu.

The players understood this and trained with extra intensity.

But halfway through training, Carlos Vargas suddenly rushed from the analysis room outside the pitch, sprinting onto the training ground like a gust of wind, shouting for Gao Shen.

"Phone! Phone!" Vargas waved the phone in his hand as he yelled.

Everyone on and off the pitch stopped immediately.

Gao Shen, standing on the touchline, was snapped out of focus. He quickly ran over, grabbed the phone from Vargas, fiddled with it for a moment, and called back.

"Hello, Mom."

"Gao Shen, Xiaoqing's water broke. We're on our way to the hospital. Come quickly."

"Okay, I'll be right there."

After hanging up, Gao Shen waved to Zidane, Carlo, and the others, and dashed off without looking back.

"Boss, good luck!"

"Drive safely, Boss!"

"Congratulations, Boss!"

The players all shouted their well wishes, delighted for him.

Everyone knew Gao Shen's wife was due in the next couple of days. Seeing his reaction now, they understood immediately.

"Alright, alright, keep your focus, train well, and don't distract your boss!" Carlo called out.

The players responded with a cheer and returned to training.

Zidane and Hierro took the opportunity to go over the issues that had cropped up in the drills.

Gao Shen had already shared his ideas and requirements, so now they were simply carrying out his instructions.

…

The media, as always, were everywhere.

By the time Gao Shen reached the hospital, reporters were already waiting at the entrance.

Clearly, they had also caught wind of the news.

But they understood Gao Shen was in no mood for interviews, so they let him through, calling out only for him to share the good news later.

Rushing to the maternity ward, he found his father and father-in-law standing at the door. Seeing his anxious expression, they smiled and reassured him.

"Don't worry, it won't be that fast."

"Yes, the doctor said there's still some time to wait."

It was Gao Shen's first time experiencing this, so he was puzzled. "Why?"

"This is how normal childbirth goes. We told you not to rush," Su Zhijun said with a smile.

Childbirth was once considered a life-or-death ordeal for women, but those days were long past.

With modern medicine, it was far less dangerous.

Gao Shen entered the ward to find Su Qing standing and walking around. He felt much more at ease.

The screams he had imagined never came.

Su Qing was even relaxed enough to tease him when she saw him arrive, out of breath.

"Didn't I tell you to take your time?"

Gao Shen went over to support her. "It's my first time. Of course I'm anxious."

Everyone around laughed. First-time fathers were always like this.

"Honestly, I should have waited until after the baby was born to tell you. There are doctors, midwives, and nurses here. They don't need you at all," Su Qing said, unimpressed.

She knew how busy Gao Shen was.

On the 13th, they would face Manchester United at home in their first Champions League knockout tie in years. All of Madrid was waiting for it, and the pressure on Gao Shen was heavy.

"It's fine. When this kid is born, he'll bring me good luck," Gao Shen said with a smile.

…

Waiting was the hardest part.

Two days earlier, Su Qing had been fine, even attending the 4-1 win over Sevilla at the Bernabéu. Now she was about to give birth.

She was admitted in the afternoon, but by evening the baby still had not arrived. Gao Shen was becoming anxious.

After checking with the doctor and confirming there was no danger, he finally relaxed.

If there had been any risk, he would have chosen to prioritise Su Qing's safety, even opting for a caesarean section.

"Don't worry, Mr. Gao. My whole family are Real Madrid fans. We've already bought tickets for Wednesday's match at the Bernabéu. I can guarantee you everything will be fine," the doctor in charge said.

Gao Shen thanked her repeatedly.

Later, Zidane, Carlo, and others called to check in, followed by close friends like Guardiola and Lucas. Gao Shen thanked them all while continuing to wait.

It was not until nearly nine in the evening that the doctor took Su Qing into the delivery room for a painless birth.

Within half an hour, the sound of a baby crying could be heard.

For some reason, Gao Shen began to cry when he heard it.

He sat on a chair outside, tears sliding silently down his face.

Gao Jianguo, Su Zhijun, and the others were overjoyed. This was the first grandchild for both families, and everyone treasured him.

When the nurse brought the wrinkled newborn out, they all praised how handsome he was, saying his eyes and brows resembled Su Qing's.

Gao Shen was baffled. How could they tell already?

"Oh, right, what's the name?"

"Ming."

"Ming as in 'bright and upright'? Or Ming as in 'a hundred schools of thought contending'?"

"Ming, as in upright and aboveboard."

"Good! Good! That's an excellent character, really good!"

The four grandparents fussed over the baby, chatting and laughing, completely ignoring Gao Shen.

He wanted to say, "Hey, that's my son. Can I at least have a look?"

But did he dare?

Looking at the four elders, if he complained, he'd immediately be branded ungrateful.

"Oh, Gao Shen, what are you standing there for? Come and hold your son."

Gao Shen was almost moved to tears.

They finally remembered this was his son.

The moment he held him, all his frustration vanished.

The little guy was honestly not much to look at yet, but as they said, babies grow into their looks. In a few days, he'd be fine.

He was sleeping soundly, completely unfazed at being passed around.

Holding him, Gao Shen felt a real sense of blood connection.

In that moment, he truly felt he had taken root in this world.

Soon after, Su Qing was wheeled out.

Gao Shen carried his son over and placed him next to her.

He wanted to take a photo holding his son's hand, but the four elders said it was bad luck to show his face so soon and forbade it.

In the end, Gao Shen took a picture of his little feet, posted it on Twitter and Weibo to thank everyone for their concern, and shared the good news.

Soon, congratulatory calls and messages flooded in.

Over the years, Gao Shen had made many friends in European football, and now they were all happy for him.

Naturally, that included Manchester United's manager Ferguson.

But Ferguson said, congratulations aside, the match still had to be won.

That was keeping business and personal matters separate.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 990: King of Freeloaders

"Look at this calf, it's really strong. Looks like it was made for football."

"Exactly. I think this little guy will definitely be a football genius in the future."

"Oh, just look at the sole of his foot, and those muscles… tsk tsk…"

In the coaches' office at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training base, a group of people were crowded around a photo of Gao Shen's son, chatting and praising him non-stop, while Gao Shen, sitting next to them, felt increasingly embarrassed.

Dododo!

Gao Shen could not stand it any longer. He banged on the table. "Alright, that's enough. Stop bragging, you're giving me goosebumps. Do you all have this much free time?"

Zidane, Hierro, and the others burst out laughing.

"We're not bragging, we're telling the truth," Hierro said, clearly excited.

"Let me tell you, Gao, I've played football for half my life, and your son's legs are made for it. He's guaranteed to make the national team in the future."

Gao Shen froze for a moment, feeling dissatisfied.

What kind of curse was that supposed to be?

"I can also promise you my godson is going to be a football genius. Leave him to me to train, I'll make sure he turns out great." Zidane patted his chest confidently.

Gao Shen looked at the shameless French bald man in confusion. "When did I agree for my son to call you godfather? Why are you clinging to me like this?"

"I…" Zidane pointed to himself, looking aggrieved. "Can't I be his godfather?"

"Of course not. You played under me and were a bit lower in seniority than me. Now you want to be my son's godfather? Are you trying to be on equal footing with me?" Gao Shen counted it out on his fingers, bringing up the matter of seniority.

Zidane was left speechless.

"Honestly, why don't you understand what's good for you?" Zidane muttered, walking off in annoyance.

"Alright, alright, you've been sitting here bragging since early this morning, embarrassing me. You just want me to treat you to a meal, right? No problem!" Gao Shen waved his hand in agreement.

Everyone instantly perked up.

"That's the way!"

"If you'd said that earlier, we wouldn't have had all this fuss."

"I told you, Gao is the most generous."

Gao Shen was speechless.

"You guys… luckily there are no outsiders here. If anyone else heard this, I don't know where you'd put your faces. Former superstars, former Real Madrid captains…" He shook his head at these freeloaders.

But it was clear this meal was unavoidable.

Once he agreed, all the awkward small talk stopped instantly.

Sure enough, these guys were kings of freeloading.

When it came to eating for free, no one could match them.

Then, another topic came up.

"I heard yesterday Ramos started something in the locker room." Zidane looked at Gao Shen with a smirk.

Gao Shen immediately felt something was off.

"They got someone to make special T-shirts to wear under the match shirts. The design is that barefoot photo we just saw. They said they'll use it to celebrate if they score against Manchester United, to congratulate you on becoming a father."

"That's it?" Gao Shen was incredulous.

From his impression, Ramos was not exactly the sentimental type.

"Of course it's not that simple," Zidane grinned.

Gao Shen thought to himself, "As expected."

If Ramos suddenly acted sweet and considerate, even the most naïve would suspect something.

"They also said something about adding a Chinese slogan."

Hierro and the others burst out laughing.

It was a great idea.

During a match watched by hundreds of millions worldwide, pulling up the shirt to show a slogan like that would have quite the effect.

"When it comes to freeloading, the young players are the best. They've got ideas, energy, and enthusiasm!" Hierro said, almost wishing he were younger so he could join in.

"Bullshit!" Gao Shen was nearly fuming.

It was one thing to freeload, but to do it in front of the whole world?

That was freeloading on a whole new level.

"I've got a question. What if we don't score?" Carlo asked.

Zidane and Hierro exchanged glances, then said together, "Impossible!"

The atmosphere in Real Madrid's dressing room was excellent right now.

Especially after advancing from the group of death. Even though they went through as group runners-up and drew Manchester United, the players were highly motivated. Everyone wanted to make a statement.

After years of being called the Royal Circus, who could bear the insult?

Now, with Gao Shen becoming a father, the players wanted to turn it into double celebration.

Gao Shen was already thinking he should negotiate terms with them beforehand, to avoid embarrassment.

If they really went out "begging for food" in front of global media and fans, what would happen to his image?

"To be fair, Ramos has a lot of influence in the dressing room now," Carlo pointed out.

This whole thing had been started by Ramos.

Since Gao Shen gave him strong backing this season, Casillas had failed to hold off Courtois in the battle for the starting spot. The dressing room was becoming more optimistic about Ramos' prospects.

Casillas' age was catching up with him. With his technical limitations and height disadvantage, his performances would inevitably decline. It was only a matter of time before Courtois took over completely.

Once Courtois became the main goalkeeper, Ramos would naturally be next in line for the captain's armband.

Of course, Gao Shen would manage the transition carefully.

Casillas' status at Real Madrid and among Spanish fans was still immense.

In the national team too, De Gea's challenge to Casillas was still some way off.

At the start of the season, many thought Real Madrid's purchase of Courtois from Leeds United for a high fee was a shady deal, and some even called for UEFA to investigate.

But now Courtois' value had soared since joining, and the deal looked like a bargain.

Who could still doubt his quality or potential?

In fact, more and more media and fans were reassessing last summer's transfers and realising how successful they had been.

Khedira had gone to Bayern but failed to replicate his European Championship form, with his value dropping sharply.

Coentrao, after joining Chelsea, suffered constant injuries and was even reported to have been smoking while driving.

Özil had done well but not returned to his Real Madrid form, and Chelsea's season had been disappointing, stuck behind the Manchester clubs.

By contrast, the signings of Toni Kroos, Modric, and Courtois had all become core players for Real Madrid, with their values skyrocketing.

Casemiro, Verratti, Isco, and the young Marcos Alonso had all performed well.

And the likes of Carvajal, Nacho, Jesé, Morata, Vazquez, and Varane, all discovered by Gao Shen this season, had made significant contributions.

Not just in Spain, but across Europe and worldwide, media and fans were moving from criticising to praising Gao Shen's transfer work.

They had not spent excessively, yet the players were performing to their value, and the team's strength had increased.

The only real issue was the lack of depth on the bench.

But with young players continuing to develop, that depth would improve, and Florentino had already promised to invest more in the summer.

As a membership-based club, Real Madrid would rather invest in players than lose money to heavy taxes on profits.

In the midst of this locker-room camaraderie, Gao Shen could see Ramos' growing influence.

"This kid is tough. He's got a natural presence. When he's in the dressing room, it feels like it belongs to him. That's the mark of a captain," Hierro praised his junior.

Zidane agreed. "When he first came, he dared to challenge the veterans, and not just individuals, but issues. Back then he was young and inexperienced. Many thought he'd mellow with age, but in reality…"

Before he could finish, Gao Shen added casually, "He's still just as much of a rascal."

Everyone laughed.

Ramos had been hot-headed and card-prone when young, and he was still extravagant now.

Maybe it was simply his nature.

Pepe, on the other hand, had matured a lot under Gao Shen, showing signs of evolving from a fighter into a leader.

Gao Shen did not see this as a problem.

Ramos and Pepe understood each other well, and keeping a bit of Ramos' impulsiveness could be useful.

Sometimes a team needed someone who was aggressive, full of energy and fighting spirit, and willing to do the hard, dirty work.

Of course, you still needed to know when to be smart.

"In that sense, Ramos is still behind you. When you have time, teach him a few tricks," Gao Shen told Hierro.

Hierro agreed. Helping the next generation was in his own interest too.

"No, I'd better go to the locker room now and negotiate with them. These guys, if we don't deal with it quickly, who knows what they'll come up with?"

Shaking his head, Gao Shen left.

Zidane, Carlo, Hierro, and the others all laughed.

In the current Real Madrid dressing room, only Gao Shen could keep it under control.

(To be continued.)