SWR: Chapter 777/780

Chapter 777: Gao Shen Returns Home

Gao Shen is back home!

The news quickly spread throughout this small third-tier city in southern China. It appeared in authoritative city and provincial newspapers and attracted widespread attention.

But in the old residential neighborhoods of the city, residents basking in the sun just scoffed when they saw the news.

"Hmph, reporting it now? He's already been back for two days."

"Just yesterday, he visited every household. He even brought my family all kinds of European specialties."

The moment anyone mentions the name "Gao Shen," the residents of Sunshine City all raise their heads with pride and speak with confidence.

He is Sunshine's pride!

A UEFA Champions League champion!

There's only one person like him in all of China—no, in all of Asia!

Just how extraordinary must someone be to achieve something like this?

Gao Shen did it.

The residents of Sunshine watched him grow up. Many of his peers were his elementary school classmates, and some even grew up playing together. Who wouldn't feel proud of his success?

Besides, as soon as Gao Shen came home and rested for a night, he went door-to-door to greet everyone.

They say he's a European champion, yet his attitude is even more humble than before.

Who in Sunshine wouldn't like a child like that? Who wouldn't be won over?

Whenever outsiders ask about him, the locals always give a big thumbs up and talk about him at length.

Why is he back this time?

Everyone in Sunshine knows the answer.

Three things: getting married, investing, and giving back to his hometown!

Speaking of his wedding, it's another joyful event for the entire city.

Gao Shen and Su Qing—everyone in the neighborhood watched them grow up and always thought they were meant to be together.

And look at that, they really did end up together.

Word is, they've come back this time to hold a proper wedding ceremony and plan to invite everyone in Sunshine to a buffet-style celebration.

Yesterday, the young couple came to our home together. They were friendly and easygoing, the kind of people that make others admire and envy them.

Such a great guy and a lovely girl, they should be together!

A perfect match!

Originally, many people thought that with Gao Shen and Su Qing's current status and the financial strength of the Gao family, their only son's wedding would definitely be a massive affair. Some even speculated it would require at least two to three hundred banquet tables.

Some guessed that even provincial and municipal leaders would attend.

But unexpectedly, Gao Jianguo and Su Zhijun came back first and announced directly that they wouldn't be inviting any outsiders this time—only uncles, brothers, some relatives, and old friends. No one else.

In total, there would be fewer than a hundred tables—less than even some of the wealthier families.

Stingy?

You don't get it, do you?

They donated ten million yuan to the community nursing home in one go. They said they wanted to renovate the aging facility and upgrade the equipment. The remaining funds would go toward the home's operational costs to improve services for the elderly.

At the same time, they delivered rice and cooking oil to all elderly residents over sixty in the community. Each person also received a large red envelope, which the two families personally delivered to each home. Their sincerity was undeniable.

Not only that, they also decided to donate a building each to the community kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school that Gao Shen and Su Qing had attended.

Think about how much all that costs.

Even setting aside the money, just this kind of thoughtfulness earned praise from everyone in the community.

Everyone was convinced.

That's a different level of generosity.

You throw a banquet, people eat and drink, and that's it—nothing remains afterward.

But renovating nursing homes, establishing activity funds for seniors, donating buildings to schools—those are lasting contributions to the community.

In the past, many people thought that the Gao family had made it big and wouldn't come back to live in the spotlight.

Not only did they return, they even restored their old, dilapidated courtyard and planned to hold the wedding in Sunshine and live in the community. That's what it means to not forget your roots.

In just two days, who in the community didn't give a thumbs up when Gao Shen and Su Qing were mentioned?

Oh, and word has it they're also planning to invest in their hometown and purchase a large piece of land in the city's southern development zone.

In short, Gao Shen is now the brightest ray of sunshine in Sunshine City!

…

Gao Shen didn't really care about the community chatter.

He had heard some of it from his parents, Su Qing, and others. He was proud, sure, but didn't think too much of it.

To him now, giving back to his hometown isn't a burden.

It's more like fulfilling a wish.

By the time the provincial and city newspapers ran the story about his return, Gao Shen had already taken Su Qing, along with his father Gao Jianguo and future father-in-law Su Zhijun, to inspect land in the development zone in the southern part of the city.

They planned to buy 100 acres. The price was reasonable because the municipal government was still in the phase of attracting investment. Land was still quite cheap, and they were even offering some tax breaks.

The Chilean wine import business had been booming, with turnover doubling or even tripling every year.

With Gao Shen's strong push, they had opened online stores. They were one of the first wine companies to go online, and business was only getting better.

By 2010, the company's turnover had surpassed 100 million yuan.

Of course, this wasn't some monumental figure—compared to major importers, especially state-owned enterprises, it was nothing. But once a company hits a certain scale, its operations need adjustments.

For example, they began hiring professional managers, recruiting more talent, formalizing management and sales channels, and mapping out plans for the coming years.

All of this was already in progress.

The key issue was that the company's business was too narrowly focused and heavily reliant on Chilean wine.

So, expansion into wine imports from France, Australia, and Spain became the next step.

In Shanghai, the company had purchased a 5,000-square-meter factory and converted it into a modern wine warehouse with constant temperature and humidity.

Now that he was back in his hometown, Gao Shen planned to buy land and build a wine warehouse here too. It would combine storage, operations, and an exhibition hall, and primarily focus on Australian and European wines.

They had already scouted several plots, each about 100 acres, that seemed suitable.

When asked for their opinions, Gao Shen, relying on memories from his past life, picked a piece of land that seemed ordinary now but had great future potential.

The reason its potential wasn't obvious yet was because the surrounding companies were only modestly well-known, many hadn't begun production, and much of the area was still undeveloped.

But as a reincarnator, Gao Shen knew that while some things may change, others wouldn't.

For example, the labor-intensive enterprises nearby would eventually bring in large numbers of workers, which would naturally form a local market. Once the market takes shape, even if the government wanted to relocate it, it would be nearly impossible.

Later, the government would issue documents to revitalize idle land and underperforming factories, standardize commercial streets, improve shopping environments, promote industrial upgrades, and boost the service industry.

Some of the surrounding businesses would catch the wave of national economic growth. Their operations would boom, production would scale up, their workforce would grow, and the whole street would become increasingly vibrant.

By the time Gao Shen last visited before his time travel, this place had become a bustling commercial hub. Old factories had been converted into shopping malls, cinemas, and brand-name stores. The foot traffic was massive.

It could be said that the entire process of China's economic growth and transformation was condensed into this area.

The land Gao Shen chose was located in the core area of that future market. It would eventually be surrounded by some of China's top domestic companies—some even among the top three globally in their industries by market value.

Buying this land wasn't just about convenience. In the future, just collecting rent would be enough to make a fortune.

That was Gao Shen's vision as he stood on this land, looking out over the currently desolate development zone.

Who would have thought that in just ten years, such earth-shattering changes would take place here?

It could only be described as a miracle.

But Gao Shen had seen it with his own eyes, and it was real.

…

"This is the one!"

Gao Shen made the decision on the spot.

The only downside was that the plot was a full 200 acres, twice the size of what they originally intended.

But then again, the surrounding area included many well-known domestic and local companies.

After the wedding, Gao Jianguo and Su Zhijun would purchase the land in the company's name.

However, Gao Shen and Su Qing reminded them that the country would soon roll out policies restricting public expenditures, which would inevitably impact the wine industry—especially the high-end segment—so they needed to prepare in advance.

Don't overextend.

Gao Jianguo and Su Zhijun both took it very seriously.

"Luckily, we're not that high-end yet," Su Zhijun said with a wry smile.

But the impact would still be there.

Mention public expenses, and everyone immediately thinks of the government.

Su Zhijun brought up that several senior city government officials wanted to meet with Gao Shen.

"Is there something going on?" Gao Shen was puzzled.

Su Zhijun shook his head. "No, just a meet-and-greet, show some concern, have a chat."

"Also, our simple wedding has drawn a lot of attention. Plus, our donations to nursing homes, hospitals, and schools caught the government's eye. This aligns well with national priorities, so they want to attend in person."

"Really?" Gao Shen was genuinely surprised.

Even though it's just a third-tier city, the municipal leaders showing up in person still felt like a big deal.

"Don't be too surprised. Don't underestimate the influence you have or the demonstration effect of what you've done with this wedding. I've heard that even officials from the provincial capital might come."

Gao Shen looked at Su Qing, who nodded slightly, a bit helplessly.

They had originally wanted to keep things low-key and follow local customs by inviting neighbors for a meal. They never expected it to snowball into something so big.

"It's alright. Just get married. We'll handle the rest," Su Zhijun said with a smile, seeing the awkwardness on their faces.

Gao Jianguo agreed. After doing business for several years, his communication skills had improved quite a bit.

Gao Shen had no choice but to accept it.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 778: Wedding

When he was young, Gao Shen loved the hustle and bustle of weddings. Whenever an uncle, aunt, or older sibling in the community got married, he'd always tag along, collecting all kinds of wedding candies and trying every trick possible to get red envelopes.

Back then, Su Qing was already like a little grown-up. She didn't like any of that.

Later, when school and studies took them out of the province, those beautiful memories became fewer and farther between.

Even though the community would still be lively during weddings—after all, everyone had been neighbors for decades—many things had changed. That once-close bond had gradually faded.

But this time, when Gao Shen got married, the whole neighborhood came alive again. It was different.

Two days before the wedding, they went door to door inviting people.

Starting the day before the wedding, nobody in the community cooked at home. Everyone just went to the playground in front of the community committee building for all three meals and even a late-night snack.

Over the years, the community had changed a lot. People were busy with their own lives, and it became rare to gather like this.

Gao Shen's parents were well-liked in the community. His future father-in-law had been a businessman and was a natural social butterfly. Everyone was either a buddy or an old friend. He'd gotten the atmosphere going early on.

The night before the wedding, Su Qing stayed at her own home, while Gao Shen stayed at his. A bunch of uncles and aunties got drunk and insisted that Gao Shen go and pick Su Qing up in advance, saying they wanted to stir up some bridal chamber excitement ahead of time.

Of course, the so-called bridal prank wasn't anything like the crazy stuff you see online. It was all about keeping the mood light and fun.

According to local custom, these kinds of pranks could last up to seven days.

In the end, it was Gao Shen's father and future father-in-law who put a stop to it.

On the wedding day—which happened to fall on a weekend—just after six in the morning, a group of kids from the neighborhood came pounding on the door, full of energy.

Turned out someone had leaked the news early that whoever helped welcome the bride would get a piece of Lego.

This made both the kids and adults in the neighborhood very excited.

But it was tough on Gao Shen.

He had been dragged by the uncles and aunties into chatting until after 3 a.m., and now he had to get up early while everyone else was still sound asleep. He was absolutely exhausted.

Not just the kids came to hurry him along—their parents tagged along too.

In fact, Gao Shen's and Su Qing's homes were just a few steps apart. You could walk over in minutes.

But no, that wasn't the custom.

According to the rules, they had to exit the community, circle around the outside, and then enter again through the main gate to pick up the bride. After that, they had to exit once more, walk around, and return through the main gate again.

Alright then, who's getting married? Let's go.

When they finally reached the bride's house, they couldn't just walk in. There were challenges to overcome.

Eating mustard and doing push-ups were the easy ones.

No need to go into the rest. Talking about it too much might offend someone.

Anyway, it was rough.

Luckily, Gao Shen had come prepared. He brought a group of kids with him. These little rascals charged around wildly, unstoppable. Before long, they had snatched the beautifully dressed bride away.

After the tea ceremony, they quickly ran off.

On the way home, Su Qing quietly told Gao Shen that she had it even worse—she had to get up around five in the morning.

Why so early?

She needed to do her makeup, get dressed, and follow a bunch of customs before leaving the house.

"I haven't eaten anything yet," Su Qing said with a worried look. She was clearly starving.

Gao Shen felt a little better.

Sure enough, sharing the pain really does make things easier.

When they finally made it home, there were still all sorts of customs and mischief to deal with.

For example, the bride's veil was snatched away the moment she entered the courtyard. According to tradition, it couldn't be given back without some bargaining.

Don't want cigarettes or alcohol?

Alright, then name your condition.

What? You want me to sing in public?

Come on, man. Back in primary school, you copied my homework and even passed a few exams because you peeked at my test papers. And now you want to mess with me? Traitor!

Finally, after sending his wife into the new room, Gao Shen quietly grabbed some food, stuffed it into Su Qing's hands, and told her to lock the door and eat in peace.

Technically, the bride wasn't supposed to eat yet, but Gao Shen didn't care.

His wife already had a perfect figure. No need to diet.

But then it was back to the chaos outside.

A senior provincial official showed up and said he had met Su Qing back when she was working in the capital. City leaders came with him too.

The donation Gao Shen had made this time wasn't small and had great social value. In recent years, efforts to promote this kind of charitable giving had increased significantly. Gao Shen's case was an excellent example to publicize, a positive model for the community and even the general public.

So now Gao Shen was like a tool being paraded around.

It was fine at first, but after a while, he started to zone out.

There was just too much going on and too many people.

He couldn't even remember how many relatives he'd been introduced to or how many old friends he'd reconnected with.

Basically, everyone he met would praise him, and he had to smile and act polite.

Eventually, he was totally drained.

Normally, weddings in his hometown included a lunch banquet and a dinner banquet.

But since simplicity was becoming the trend, Gao Shen and his friends canceled the lunch banquet. Instead, they offered three dishes and one soup at noon and held the main banquet in the evening.

Not easy to pull off.

Changing a tradition that had been around for decades—or even centuries—was no small task.

Nobody wanted to be the first to do it for fear of being talked about. People had been calling for simpler weddings for years, but participation remained low.

Many people suffered through the expense, but when it was their turn, they still bit the bullet and sometimes even borrowed money to throw a lavish party.

This time, the wedding was simple and elegant. Although there were still quite a few tables, cutting the event down to one meal reduced a lot of the burden.

And since most of the guests were community residents and friends and relatives, the number of tables was reasonable.

If this had been in another city, they probably would've only needed 20 or 30 tables. That would've cut the cost dramatically.

And when weddings are simplified, other customs tend to follow suit. That's how traditions evolve.

Because of this, no one complained. Some even said it was a pity the wedding was so simple. But deep down, everyone knew this was a good thing for the entire community.

After all, if people want to hold simpler weddings in the future, they can now point to this one as a precedent.

And who would dare say Gao Shen was stingy?

So everyone took the wedding seriously and was genuinely happy for Gao Shen and Su Qing. It was a joyful event that filled the entire community with warmth and cheer.

After the banquet finally ended and the guests were seen off, he returned home and collapsed onto the bed. Before he could even hug his wife, another duty came up.

According to custom, the bride had to return to her parents' house the next day, and the Su family would come early in the morning to pick her up.

Going back?

That was another round of exhaustion.

But it did save them a banquet.

Normally, there'd be a separate banquet for the bride's return to her family, but now it was combined with the wedding banquet.

They had already invited all the relatives and friends from both families, so there was no need for a second one.

Still, all the formalities had to be done.

Another busy day.

And the day after that, the two families had already arranged to go out together to burn incense and fulfill their vows. They planned to visit multiple places and would be busy for two full days.

Just listening to it made Gao Shen feel exhausted.

This marriage was more tiring than coaching a match.

"I told you from the start not to go through with it, but you insisted on following hometown traditions. Now you're complaining again."

Su Qing chuckled as she spoke, massaging Gao Shen's shoulders and hands with the right amount of pressure.

Gao Shen laughed, "Isn't this what they call returning home in glory?"

Su Qing rolled her eyes at him, clearly not buying it.

But deep down, she knew Gao Shen didn't want her to be let down.

In their hometown, even if you had the marriage certificate, if there was no proper wedding, it wouldn't count as a real marriage.

Even if they didn't visit often in the future or lost contact with some people in the community, the memory would remain: the Su family's girl married into the Gao family properly.

If she hadn't, people would've talked behind her back.

And even if the younger generation didn't care, would the older generation be so open-minded?

Would Su Qing's parents feel at ease?

"Alright, I was just talking nonsense," Gao Shen said with a smile as he held Su Qing's hand. He pulled her gently toward him, and she lay down beside him. The two looked into each other's eyes.

"By the way, my mom already told you—hurry up and have a baby for the Gao family."

Though they were already like an old married couple, Su Qing still blushed a little and said irritably, "This isn't just a woman's job. Isn't it up to you men? You should try harder."

"Yes, yes, yes. What's the saying? There are no dead fields, only dead cows. I swear I'll be the cow that plows the field to death!"

Seeing him getting more and more shameless, Su Qing gave him a fierce side-eye but then nestled into his arms with a shy smile.

Gao Shen had taken two weeks off from Manchester City.

By the time all the wedding matters were settled, it was almost time to return.

Before leaving, he took Su Qing around the community, visiting neighbors, relatives, and friends one by one, observing all the traditional courtesies.

Before they left, Gao Jianguo and Su Zhijun had already finalized their agreement with the development zone's management committee to purchase the 200-acre plot that Gao Shen had requested. Next came the formal procedures.

It would take time. Even if construction began, it wouldn't start until next year at the earliest.

Fortunately, the company wasn't in a rush.

When both sets of parents came to see them off at the airport, they naturally started nagging them again about having children.

The same old arguments.

Gao Shen told them not to work so hard and to come live in the UK when they had time. After all, both of their careers were now based in Europe.

After arriving in the capital, Su Qing hosted some banquets for former classmates, leaders, and colleagues.

Many of them had helped Leeds United with earlier investment efforts in China. That friendship needed to be maintained.

The couple also attended the opening ceremony of Leeds United's Beijing office together.

This showed the club's efficiency. Once they decided to set up an office in China, they acted quickly, and now it was up and running. Their speed was impressive.

With the new office open, Leeds United signed two sponsorship deals in China. Both were home appliance brands, but they operated in different sectors. There was no conflict, and the fees weren't high. The negotiations had taken over two months and were just recently concluded.

This marked a strong start to Leeds United's push into China and the broader Asian market.

Just as Gao Shen wrapped up his business at home and was about to return to Europe with Su Qing, the international break was coming to an end.

But at that very moment, a bombshell piece of news suddenly broke, shaking the entire European football world.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 779: Ban

"What's going on?"

As soon as Gao Shen got off the plane at Manchester Airport and sent his wife home, he went straight to the Carrington training base. The moment he walked in and saw Carlo and the others, he immediately asked.

Carlo and the rest were clearly surprised to see him.

They hadn't expected him to return so soon.

No honeymoon after the wedding?

"Just today, news came from Madrid that Mourinho has banned Casillas."

"Banned?" Gao Shen was stunned.

He was genuinely shocked.

Perhaps many people don't realize the gravity of this situation.

Who is Casillas?

Captain of both Real Madrid and Spain.

His performances may have had ups and downs, but his status and identity speak for themselves.

From Sanchís to Hierro, then Raúl, and now Casillas—Real Madrid's captain has typically also worn the armband for Spain.

Back when Luis Aragonés removed Raúl as Spain's captain, it caused a major stir.

If he hadn't led the team to win the European Championship and kickstart a golden era for Spanish football, Aragonés would have paid a heavy price, because Raúl's contributions to the national team could not be dismissed.

Before Spain reached its golden age, it was Raúl who carried the team. Just because other players had emerged and Raúl was getting older didn't justify discarding him without recognition. That would have been disrespectful.

To his credit, Raúl didn't make a scene. He quietly accepted it.

That moment marked a turning point.

From then on, Barcelona players became the backbone of the Spanish national team and formed its tactical core.

There's little to argue about that. Strength speaks for itself on the pitch. Barcelona's youth academy produces world-class players, and the national team uses them. It makes sense. So players like Raúl, Baraja, and Albelda gradually became outdated. That's normal.

But it raised another issue: as the captain of both Real Madrid and Spain, how could Casillas balance the relationship between club and country?

Barcelona players had become central to the Spanish squad, but Real Madrid still formed another significant faction. With tension between the two camps, how was Casillas supposed to navigate that?

The national team had just played, and relations between the Barcelona and Madrid players had only just begun to thaw. But Mourinho's sudden decision to bench Casillas, even if triggered by recent reports, clearly pushed things over the edge.

"What's the reaction in Spain?" Gao Shen asked, concerned.

Carlos Vargas, now Gao Shen's chief analyst and responsible for intelligence gathering, was a Spaniard himself. He clearly found the situation shocking as well.

But when Gao Shen asked, he patiently explained the current public opinion landscape.

Reactions had split into two extremes.

One group, led by Alfredo, editor-in-chief of AS, and De la Morena of SER Radio, criticized Mourinho's decision. They believed it was irresponsible and harmful to Real Madrid.

But Mourinho's stance was unyielding.

Some fans even accused Casillas of betrayal, because his girlfriend had revealed he had reconciled with Barcelona players while on national team duty. This was taken as a sign that not all Real Madrid players were fully aligned with Mourinho.

Upon hearing this, Gao Shen slapped his forehead. "I knew it."

Carlo and the others all showed helpless expressions.

The entire issue was incredibly complex and, frankly, unsolvable.

All parties involved had their problems, but also their own reasons.

Take Mourinho, for instance. Is he just being dramatic?

Not really. He cannot allow anyone to question his authority, so he had to take a firm stand. That meant dealing with Casillas in an authoritarian way.

And Casillas?

He was caught in a difficult position too. As captain of the national team, was it really wrong for him to ease tensions with Barcelona players?

His girlfriend, Sara, is a journalist. She was a journalist before she became his girlfriend, and there's nothing inherently wrong with that. In fact, Real Madrid has long tolerated, even encouraged, these kinds of leaks and media attention.

When Gao Shen was managing Real Madrid, even a sneeze in the locker room would make the news.

That's the nature of Real Madrid. Their business model thrives on attention and headlines. That's the system.

But at such a sensitive time, this sort of thing inevitably causes problems.

"What's Real Madrid's official stance?" Gao Shen asked.

No outsiders had any answers, so he turned to Carlo.

"Florentino is furious. Mostly because he feels that Sara should never have disclosed that information. It's made things incredibly awkward."

Gao Shen nodded. That made sense.

It's hard to say who's right or wrong here. What's clear is that under the enormous pressure to get results, things have gone off the rails.

"When I was managing Real Madrid, I warned that this kind of locker room with no privacy would eventually become a problem. And now it has." Gao Shen was visibly frustrated.

He had suffered in the same environment before, and now everyone else was paying the price too.

It was tough on Mourinho. It was tough on Casillas. It was tough on everyone.

"Someone at Real Madrid even suggested that Sara resign from her job as a reporter. They were prepared to offer her a position within the club. But she refused. And now Casillas..." Carlo shook his head with a bitter smile.

To put it bluntly, Casillas was currently head over heels in love.

Does this sound familiar?

It's exactly like when Ferguson clashed with Beckham over Victoria. The famous flying boot incident.

Now Mourinho probably understands how Ferguson felt back then.

But benching Casillas will trigger serious unrest.

In Spain and within Real Madrid.

Mourinho has a real problem on his hands.

"Have our scouts monitor La Liga this weekend," Gao Shen ordered. "Pay attention to the reaction and the atmosphere. Gather intel from all directions. If there's any sign of de-escalation, I want to know immediately."

Carlos Vargas took note.

Next Wednesday, Manchester City would host Real Madrid.

If the conflict remained unresolved and Casillas stayed benched, that would definitely be good news for City.

But it would be disastrous for Real Madrid.

"If they mess up this season, they might drop to Pot 3," Gao Shen said with a bitter smile.

UEFA coefficients are calculated over the past five seasons. The season when Gao Shen led Real Madrid to the title was no longer counted this year. So, Real Madrid had dropped to the bottom of Pot 2, and were hanging by a thread.

Now, with this kind of internal turmoil, one wrong move could drop them to Pot 3. That would be a nightmare.

Just look at Manchester City. As a Pot 3 team, they were almost guaranteed to end up in a group of death. There's no avoiding it.

Of course, Real Madrid had been unlucky these past two years. Even as a Pot 2 team, they kept getting drawn into brutal groups. Maybe there was something shady going on.

Either way, it was bad news for Real Madrid to have this scandal break just as the season was getting underway.

After returning to Manchester, Gao Shen got back to work.

He and Su Qing hosted a dinner in Manchester for his assistant coaches, colleagues, and players at City.

It was simple. Just a meal at a Chinese restaurant downtown.

Though there's no tradition of giving wedding money in Europe, everyone still brought gifts. Mansour even asked Mubarak to pass along a very valuable one, which made Gao Shen feel deeply grateful.

After that, Gao Shen and Su Qing visited Leeds United and treated Lucas and the rest of the team to a meal, including the players.

Just hosting these dinners took two full days.

During that time, several matters were settled.

For instance, both AS and Marca confirmed that Casillas had indeed been banned. He would not appear in upcoming La Liga or Champions League matches.

Casillas himself declined to comment, but his girlfriend publicly expressed her full support.

Her continued attacks on Mourinho only made things worse.

Antonio Adán would now take over as Real Madrid's starting goalkeeper.

The young keeper had decent talent and potential. He was good enough as a backup, but not quite ready to be Real Madrid's number one.

Mourinho was in a tight spot now.

On the afternoon of September 10, in Premier League Round 4, Manchester City hosted Wigan Athletic.

Gao Shen fielded a full lineup of European players against Wigan, resting South Americans like Suárez and Felipe.

In just the 13th minute, Van Persie opened the scoring for City with an assist from David Silva.

Six minutes later, Manchester City won a penalty. Gareth Bale converted it calmly, adding a second.

After halftime, Van Persie scored twice more in a six-minute stretch, assisted by David Silva and De Bruyne respectively.

In the end, Manchester City thrashed Wigan Athletic 4–0 at home.

At 7 p.m., in La Liga Round 3, Real Madrid hosted city rivals Getafe.

In the 13th minute, Benzema put Madrid ahead.

But in the 38th minute, a defensive mistake allowed Getafe's striker Fedor to pounce and equalize.

Sarabia, who had come through Real Madrid's youth academy and joined Getafe for €2.7 million in the summer, played aggressively against his former club. Just before halftime, he assisted Fedor again to put Getafe in front.

After that, Real Madrid launched wave after wave of attacks, but it wasn't until the 87th minute that Kaka, coming off the bench, set up fellow substitute Higuaín for the equalizer.

In the end, Real Madrid drew 2–2 with Getafe at home.

In this match, Ramos wore the captain's armband. But it was clear that the team's morale had taken a hit.

This immediately raised concerns in the Spanish media.

With this kind of mentality, does Real Madrid stand a chance against Manchester City?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 780: Mourinho's Last Pride

Valdebebas, Madrid.

For some reason, after the match against Getafe, the team took the bus back to Valdebebas and everyone disbanded, but Mourinho chose to stay behind.

He first packed up some things in the office, but his mind was filled with thoughts of the Champions League group stage match in three days.

Before he knew it, he found himself standing at the door of the coaches' office.

From the doorway, he could see a desk that had never been used.

Every desk had a computer and was covered in documents, but this one had only a computer and nothing else.

The chair that came with it was always tucked in and rarely pulled out for anyone to sit in.

From Mourinho's very first day at Real Madrid, Karanka had told him that this was Gao Shen's desk when he was in charge of the team.

Yes, that unconventional guy didn't even use the head coach's private office. He worked right here with all the other coaches, sharing this big office space.

Mourinho had heard of Gao Shen's story. He knew the difficulties and challenges Gao Shen faced at Real Madrid. He also knew how difficult it was to achieve what Gao Shen had done.

It was incredible that, even five or six years later, Real Madrid fans still missed him.

And no one dared to sit in that chair!

As head coach, Mourinho couldn't understand how Gao Shen had done it. He admired the achievements, yes. But as the current Real Madrid manager, he couldn't help but feel bitter.

He felt like a stand-in.

Yes, that desk and that chair were always there like a constant reminder to Mourinho.

You, José Mourinho, are just a replacement.

It was like that at Barcelona. It was like that at Inter Milan. And now, at Real Madrid, it's still the same.

Every head coach has their strengths and style. But Mourinho had the feeling that he had never been the kind of coach Real Madrid truly wanted.

From the president to the staff, from the fans to the players—none of them liked his style.

The only reason they tolerated Mourinho was that they believed he was the coach most likely to bring them a trophy. So, they put up with him.

But what happens when you win the title?

Mourinho often thought that even if he delivered, he'd be cast aside the moment his usefulness was gone.

Like a womanizer who coldly ditches the woman who was madly in love with him.

Truthfully, Mourinho wasn't one to overthink things.

This had nothing to do with being deep or introspective.

But he felt genuinely uncomfortable and unhappy inside.

He had never beaten Gao Shen. Not once.

Sometimes, he wondered if it was because Gao Shen knew him too well.

So, he tried to change his approach. But when he did, he lost even more miserably.

And every time he lost, no matter who the opponent was, the media would always compare him to Gao Shen and criticize him.

Mourinho once complained about this to Karanka. Do you know what his assistant said?

"This is normal. It's what happens when you manage Real Madrid."

"Actually, your situation's not even that bad. When Gao Shen first arrived, Carlos threatened to fire him the moment he walked in. Can you imagine Cristiano Ronaldo threatening to kill you now?"

"Back then, the media were all counting down the days until he got sacked. Some said one day. Others said two. Three to five days was generous."

"But then he kept winning. Game after game. Until eventually…"

There's no denying that Gao Shen's story at Real Madrid was legendary, moving, and full of drama.

But why did it have to be so profound?

Can't we just change the script?

Even if he was the protagonist of an online novel, the author didn't need to spoil him so much.

And if I, Mourinho, am the tragic villain, can I at least win once to make myself a proper antagonist?

If you don't even know how to write a good villain, no wonder your story's a failure!

The more Mourinho thought about it, the more annoyed and frustrated he became.

Before he took the Real Madrid job, he had mentally prepared himself. But after stepping into the role, he realized just how deeply Gao Shen's legacy was ingrained in the club.

So deep, it had taken Mourinho more than a year just to begin to move past it.

Karanka said it was because Real Madrid hadn't made it past the Champions League round of 16 since Gao Shen left.

Gao Shen represented Real Madrid's last moment of glory.

Even more painfully, many Real Madrid fans had cursed and criticized Gao Shen back then, claiming he didn't deserve the job.

But a few years later, they began to realize, more and more—that Gao Shen was exactly the kind of manager Real Madrid had always been searching for.

"Regret, guilt, shame, longing…"

"Real Madrid's feelings toward Gao Shen are far too complicated. So complicated, they've started to mythologize him."

"Sometimes, we feel like he's not just a coach, but a memory, a goal, a standard to aspire to, and an emotional anchor."

Mourinho sneered.

Seriously? That guy really made himself sound like some kind of noble martyr.

Why is it that whatever someone else had is always better?

Even being a scumbag requires some professionalism!

…

"I didn't see you in your office, so I figured you'd be here."

Assistant coach Rui Faria's voice came from behind, breaking Mourinho out of his thoughts.

Mourinho didn't need to turn around. He knew it was Faria just by the sound.

"What is it?" Mourinho asked in a low voice.

He had been in a foul mood lately, and it showed with everyone.

"I just ran into Zidane. He wanted to talk about the team's current situation. Asked if there's anything he can help with."

When Mourinho heard that, he sneered. "Yeah. He can start by selling Casillas. Or maybe get him to break up with that damn reporter. That'd save me a lot of trouble."

Faria smiled bitterly.

That wasn't going to happen.

Casillas and the reporter were getting along very well. There was no chance of a breakup.

And as for selling Casillas… well, while his form had dipped, there was no reason to offload him just yet.

He was only 30. That's still prime age for a goalkeeper.

Of course, Casillas at 30 wasn't as phenomenal as he used to be. That was down to a variety of reasons. But still, he wasn't finished.

"They're placing a lot of importance on this season's Champions League. They're hoping to calm things down and reduce the impact on the dressing room. If we don't earn enough UEFA points this season, Real Madrid could fall into Pot 3 next year."

As soon as Faria said that, he noticed Mourinho was staring at him intensely.

"What?" Faria was startled.

"If they want me to calm things down and reinstate Casillas, fine. They know where my line is. And Casillas crossed it. I told him to stay away from the Barcelona players. What did he do?" Mourinho was like an angry lion.

Faria understood exactly how Mourinho was feeling.

"He's the Spanish national team captain."

"I know. But why was it leaked to the media?" Mourinho's tone grew sharper.

That was the heart of the problem.

Mourinho issued a clear directive, and Casillas ignored it. Not only did he go against orders, but the incident was also leaked to the media.

And what was the purpose of saying that not everyone in the dressing room follows Mourinho?

If Mourinho didn't crack down hard, what authority would he have left?

This entire situation, from the beginning, had spiraled out of control step by step.

"I told you from the start this kind of media game would backfire. You just didn't believe me," Faria muttered.

Mourinho waved his hand. "No point saying that now."

The truth was, from the very beginning, when Mourinho started waging a public battle against Barcelona and fueling the so-called "war" in the press, many within the coaching staff opposed it. Even Faria had reservations.

But Mourinho was used to this approach and dismissed the concerns.

He never expected the media war to spiral like this, and now he had no way out.

Faria didn't say anything more. He knew Mourinho would never admit regret, even if he felt it inside.

And right now, Mourinho was more frustrated than anyone.

"How's Khedira doing physically?" Mourinho asked.

Khedira had played two full matches for the national team, both with full effort. His physical condition was poor, so Mourinho hadn't played him against Getafe and used Coentrão instead.

The Portuguese fullback had been in better form and condition lately.

But Coentrão was still a fullback. Playing him as a holding midfielder next to Xabi Alonso created an imbalance. It disrupted rhythm and made it hard to control the game.

Real Madrid's No. 10 and Coentrão weren't tempo-setters. Neither were Ronaldo or Di María. That made the team's tempo chaotic and unpredictable.

Khedira was one of the few players who could bring balance to the midfield.

"I spoke with the team doctor and with Khedira. It's not ideal. He hasn't fully recovered," Faria reported. He was now in charge of Real Madrid's fitness department.

"Do you think we can use him against Manchester?"

Mourinho nodded as he asked.

"We'll need to monitor him a few more days," Faria replied cautiously.

Mourinho cursed under his breath, clearly irritated.

When it rains, it pours.

At a time when he needed him most, this had to happen. Who could he blame?

Faria stood to the side, glanced at Mourinho, lowered his head in thought, then looked up again, hesitated, and looked down.

"If you're about to ask me to play Casillas, don't say a word," Mourinho cut him off coldly.

Clearly, he had made up his mind.

This was his last pride.

(To be continued.)