SWR: Chapter 527/528

Chapter 527: A Gifted Souvenir

Rush hour was in full swing once again.

Every intersection in the capital was packed with traffic, and the streets buzzed with energy.

Clusters of pedestrians moved swiftly under the guidance of traffic lights, keeping up with the city's relentless pace.

For those living here, this intense and fast-paced life had become second nature.

Su Qing hopped on her bicycle and began her daily commute.

She and Gao Shen had just returned to China the day before.

But to their surprise, media reporters and fans somehow got wind of their arrival and swarmed the airport.

Fortunately, Gao Shen reacted quickly, stepping forward to meet them, shielding Su Qing from being pushed into the spotlight once again.

After all, his Champions League final proposal had already made headlines worldwide—now, she needed to keep a low profile.


---

Originally, Gao Jianguo and his wife had suggested renovating the large villa near the Summer Palace that Gao Shen had purchased, using it as their future wedding home.

However, after discussing it, Gao Shen and Su Qing decided to stay in their current apartment.

It was spacious, newly renovated, and most importantly, close to Su Qing's workplace.

Although the subway line south of the Summer Palace was operational, it was still inconvenient.

Su Qing preferred riding her bike through the streets of the ancient capital. It was a quick and enjoyable way to commute.


---

The Champions League final had caused a global sensation, and back home, the response was no less enthusiastic.

Even state-run newspapers and national television prominently reported on it, calling it "a historic moment in Champions League history."

When Su Qing returned to work, her colleagues were visibly surprised, each reacting differently.

Some male colleagues who had previously pursued her but were rejected now felt a deep sense of embarrassment.

After all, compared to Gao Shen, they were clearly outmatched.

The female colleagues, on the other hand, were filled with admiration and envy.

Meanwhile, those who had once joked about Gao Shen felt awkward and quickly approached Su Qing to apologize.

Back then, they had never imagined that she was actually dating Gao Shen.

"It's okay, I know you were just joking," Su Qing responded graciously.

"Let's find a time to have a meal together. I'll introduce him to you all."

It was the perfect opportunity, celebrating her engagement while also easing any lingering awkwardness.

Her colleagues readily agreed and offered their congratulations.

Su Qing had always been known for her beauty and competence, but she had also been somewhat reserved.

Lately, however, she seemed much more cheerful.

And today, after her return, there was a noticeable glow of happiness about her, her face practically radiated joy.


---

"Oh, by the way, I brought gifts for everyone."

Su Qing reached into her bag and took out a stack of carefully prepared souvenirs.

They weren't expensive gifts.

These were simply Champions League memorabilia, courtesy of Gao Shen, things that, for him, cost nothing at all.

And that's exactly how Su Qing presented them.

"Gao Shen just won the Champions League, so it's only natural for him to have some extra souvenirs to share."

But there was one special detail, each item bore Gao Shen's autograph.

That changed everything.

The gifts weren't expensive, but an item signed by Gao Shen? That was priceless.

Apart from her colleagues, Su Qing had also prepared gifts for several senior officials, especially her direct supervisor, who happened to be a massive football fan.

For him, she had chosen a Napoli UEFA Champions League commemorative jersey, a freshly released limited edition, available only to the club's most loyal season ticket holders.

On the back, it bore Gao Shen's name, along with the signatures of the entire Napoli squad—including Zidane.

The moment her supervisor saw it, his eyes widened with delight.

He instantly recognized how valuable this was.

The jersey itself was already rare, but with these signatures, it became a collector's item, the kind of thing that money couldn't buy.

Still, technically speaking, the jersey wasn't expensive, so he had no reason to refuse.

Smiling, he graciously accepted the gift.


---

"Xiao Su, your Gao Shen is incredibly famous now."

The supervisor chuckled as he admired the jersey.

"National television and state-run newspapers want to interview him. Just a few days ago, I attended a meeting, and officials from other ministries were all talking about him."

He shook his head in amazement.

Su Qing remained humble, thanking him politely.

She then mentioned her upcoming engagement dinner and how she and Gao Shen wanted to invite her colleagues.

Hearing this, her supervisor immediately nodded.

"Of course! I'll be there. I'd love the chance to have a proper chat with Gao Shen."

After a brief pause, he suddenly asked:

"By the way, Xiao Su, which team is your Gao Shen planning to coach next? Is it really Real Madrid?"

Su Qing's smile brightened.

"No, he's not going to Real Madrid."

Her supervisor raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Then where is he going?"

"He's received offers from several European clubs, but he hasn't made a decision yet."

The supervisor nodded in understanding.

"That's the right approach. There's no need to rush, he should take his time and choose carefully."


---

After Su Qing left his office, the supervisor carefully opened the gift box once more.

He lifted the signed Napoli jersey, holding it up with both hands.

For a true football fan, this wasn't just a jersey.

It was a masterpiece.

---

After returning home, Gao Shen still couldn't get the rest he had hoped for, he remained busy for several days.

First, he accepted exclusive interviews with three major national television programs, followed by a sit-down with a leading party newspaper.

Then came a string of interviews with other influential media outlets, all of which he simply couldn't refuse.

In truth, these media outlets had long wanted to interview him, but Gao Shen had always politely declined for various reasons.

He genuinely just wanted some time to relax.

But before he knew it, an entire week had passed in a flurry of interviews.


---

As June arrived, the 2009 European summer transfer window erupted into a storm of superstar signings, with Serie A's AC Milan setting things in motion.

It all started when AC Milan chairman and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi complained in an interview that Italy's tax rates were too high.

He claimed that the club could no longer afford to keep certain superstars, such as Kaka, whose €9 million after-tax salary ballooned to €18 million before tax—an unsustainable financial burden for Milan.

By comparison, in La Liga, Kaka's salary would only cost around €12 million.

This was widely interpreted as a clear signal that Kaka was on his way out.

Shortly after, the media reported that Milan's general manager, Adriano Galliani, had traveled to Madrid to negotiate Kaka's transfer.

Then, Brazilian outlets revealed that Kaka had already signed with Real Madrid—it just hadn't been made public yet.

On June 3, Zinedine Zidane, who had recently been appointed special advisor to Real Madrid's president, confirmed the news in an interview with AS:

"Yes, I can say with certainty—Kaka is already a Real Madrid player!"

Zidane described it as a historic signing.

He also hinted that Real Madrid would sign more stars over the summer, aiming to strengthen the squad in a single transfer window.

When asked about Real Madrid's next head coach, Zidane remained vague.

"I've heard the fans and media loud and clear. To be honest, I want the same thing. But… we've run into some difficulties."

His words made it clear, bringing Gao Shen to Madrid wasn't going to be easy.

Soon after, Marca officially reported Kaka's signing, confirming that the Brazilian superstar would be presented at the Santiago Bernabéu on July 1.

According to reports, Kaka's transfer fee had reached €65 million, making it the second-highest in history, behind only Zidane's move to Madrid.


---

Kaka's transfer set off a domino effect at AC Milan.

Flush with cash, Milan planned to rebuild the squad, focusing on young talents like Pato.

They quickly set their sights on Napoli's Hamsik and Biglia.

Hamsik, who played in the same position as Kaka, had impressed in Serie A, while Biglia was the midfield engine of Napoli's Champions League-winning team.

However, signing Biglia wouldn't be easy.

As one of the key midfielders of the Champions League champions, he had already attracted interest from Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea.

After Ancelotti took over at Chelsea, he strongly pushed for Biglia's signing, believing the Argentine midfielder could provide the creativity and control that Chelsea's midfield currently lacked.


---

On June 1, Gao Shen published a heartfelt farewell letter to Napoli fans in the local media.

In his letter, he expressed deep gratitude and nostalgia for Naples, the club, and its supporters.

He vowed that he would always remember the city, the team, and the fans.

The reaction across Naples and even all of Italy was one of disappointment.

Luciano Spalletti sighed, saying:

"The best coach in Serie A is gone."

José Mourinho also voiced his regret:

"He's leaving, but I hope we meet again in the Champions League. Next time, I'll make sure to win!"

Meanwhile, Arrigo Sacchi, in his newspaper column, called Gao Shen's departure inevitable and beneficial for both Napoli and Gao Shen.

Sacchi also revealed that before leaving, Gao Shen had personally recommended Cagliari's head coach, Massimiliano Allegri, to the Napoli board.

Just three days later, De Laurentiis and Marino officially announced Allegri as Napoli's new manager.


---

Allegri was formally introduced to the media at the San Paolo Stadium.

He revealed that before taking the job, he had spoken directly with Gao Shen.

"He encouraged me to take on this challenge and gave me a lot of advice."

Allegri admitted that accepting Napoli at this moment required courage, but Gao Shen had been a major influence on his decision.

"I believe Gao Shen has left behind a very competitive squad."

He acknowledged that Napoli would sell several key players this summer but believed it wouldn't be a major problem.

"Last season, we had two highly competitive squads."

"That's the foundation Gao Shen built for Napoli."

His goal?

"I want to build a competitive Napoli team!"

However, Allegri refused to compare himself to Gao Shen.

"He's young, but I have immense respect for him. Many of his ideas are worth studying."

Before entering the San Paolo Stadium, Allegri had taken a long moment to stand before the iconic Diego Maradona statue.

"This was once Gao Shen's team, but I hope to build something new under my leadership."


---

When Gao Shen heard the news, he immediately sent his congratulations to Allegri via Twitter.

At that moment, he was sitting in the restaurant of a five-star hotel in Beijing.

Across the table from him sat three European guests.

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Chapter 528: Fleecing Ferguson

"Why are you back so late?"

Hearing the sound of Gao Shen unlocking the door, Su Qing peeked her head out from the kitchen, a radiant smile on her face.

Ever since she started dating Gao Shen, she had been smiling much more often.

The once cold and reserved beauty had finally melted.

"Had a good chat?" Su Qing asked, returning to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner.

Gao Shen sat on the shoe-changing stool by the entrance and smiled.

"I met three seasoned football executives, very easy to talk to."

Su Qing emerged, balancing a dish in one hand, and urged him to wash his hands quickly so they could eat.

Lately, the two had begun living together shamelessly, with Su Qing taking care of all the housework.

At first, Gao Shen was more than happy to let himself be spoiled, but over time, he started helping out whenever he could.

"I'm looking for a wife, not a maid."

Neither of them liked the idea of hiring a housekeeper.

Although their apartment was spacious, keeping it clean wasn't difficult. More importantly, having a stranger in the house would just make them uncomfortable.

Instead, they preferred doing things themselves.

Both were neat and organized, so their home was never messy to begin with.


---

"They came to offer you a job, right?" Su Qing handed Gao Shen a pair of chopsticks and sat down across from him.

"Probably," Gao Shen replied. "But they didn't say it outright. They just shared their vision for the club."

Earlier today, Gao Shen had met with Bayern Munich's "Big Three"—Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and Uli Hoeneß—who had flown all the way from Munich to Beijing.

Their presence alone made it clear how serious they were.

"That's a strong show of sincerity," Su Qing commented.

"Yeah, and their project is quite convincing," Gao Shen nodded.

The Big Three were all seasoned football minds, and Bayern's management was among the best in Europe. Gao Shen had no doubts about their football expertise, nor their ability to maintain a strong working relationship with their head coach.

Even when Klinsmann's tenure had turned into a disaster, Bayern's leadership had managed the situation well.

More importantly, they understood that German football was on the rise.


---

"Isn't Bayern's youth system among the best in Germany?" Su Qing asked.

"Exactly," Gao Shen nodded. "Beckenbauer was actually one of the driving forces behind Germany's youth development overhaul. Bayern, of course, benefits the most from it."

There's an old saying in German football:

"The entire Bundesliga is Bayern's talent pool."

And there were many reasons for this.

Gao Shen had previously discussed why Bayern had remained the dominant force in German football.

It all traced back to Europe's pre-euro era, when each country had its own currency, the British pound, French franc, German mark, and Spanish peseta.

Back then, cross-border transfers were much rarer, and German players rarely moved abroad.

Many older football executives believed this was due to the complexities of international transfers at the time.

For example, because different countries used different currencies, many clubs ran into issues receiving payments for transferred players.

In some cases, teams never even got their money.

Several clubs ended up in court over unpaid transfer fees.

As a result, smaller clubs often preferred to sell their players domestically, to the top teams in their own leagues rather than taking risks with international deals.

In La Liga, this meant selling to Barcelona or Real Madrid.

In Serie A, it was Juventus, Milan, or Inter.

And in the Premier League, it was Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, or Liverpool.

But in Germany, Bayern stood alone at the top.

Dortmund had briefly challenged their dominance in the 1990s, but after financial troubles and near-bankruptcy, they had faded.

So, whenever a top Bundesliga player moved, Bayern was always the first option.

With no serious domestic competition, Bayern also benefited from the Bundesliga's financial restructuring after its early-2000s economic crisis—allowing them to sign top talent at bargain prices.

That was the reality.


---

Gao Shen was fully aware of the Bundesliga's landscape.

Although Klopp was about to launch Dortmund's resurgence, if Gao Shen took over Bayern, Klopp wouldn't stand a chance, because Gao Shen knew exactly how to neutralize Dortmund's tactics.

With Bayern's financial power and squad strength, beating Dortmund wouldn't be a challenge.

And as for the other Bundesliga clubs?

To be blunt, none of them posed a serious threat to Bayern's dominance.

That, however, was precisely Gao Shen's hesitation.

Coaching Bayern wouldn't be challenging enough.

To be honest, even an average manager could win the Bundesliga with Bayern.

For most coaches, this would be a dream job, a guaranteed title, an elite squad, and full backing from the board.

But Gao Shen didn't see it that way.

Right now, he was still growing, still learning, still testing himself.

This was the crucial stage of his career, he needed to push his limits, gain more experience, and take on tougher challenges.

Seeking comfort and stability wasn't the answer.

Instead, he should be putting himself under pressure, creating obstacles, and solving bigger problems.

As a great leader once said:

"People need pressure. Without pressure, there is no progress."

Gao Shen agreed wholeheartedly.

Gao Shen believed that, while he was still young, he needed to seize every opportunity to gain experience, refine his skills, and further his development.

Getting too comfortable and staying in a safe environment wasn't the right approach.

If he had a choice, he would prefer the Premier League.

Ferguson's Manchester United, Ancelotti's Chelsea, Benítez's Liverpool, Wenger's Arsenal, Redknapp's Tottenham, Martin O'Neill's Aston Villa, Moyes' Everton…

All of them were strong, competitive teams.

This was why the Premier League was the most influential league in world football and the most intensely competitive battleground.

Gao Shen had gone to Serie A to coach Napoli with the goal of honing his skills.

Now, he wanted to test himself in the Premier League, where he could fully display his tactical ideas and see just how capable he really was.

He also wanted to use the Premier League's relentless competition to push himself to an even higher level.

However, at this stage, this was just his initial thought.


---

A few days ago, Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak called him.

Gao Shen didn't immediately reject the approach, he was curious to hear about City's project.

He wanted to know how much support the club could offer and how much freedom he would have.

At the moment, Manchester City also had a technical director—Brian Kidd.

A former assistant to Ferguson, Kidd had deep knowledge of the Premier League, knowing it inside and out.

Gao Shen wasn't in a hurry to make a decision.

Bayern's offer was solid, but he was still waiting for Manchester City's proposal.


---

Gao Shen had been wondering how De Laurentiis and Marino would handle Napoli's transfers this summer.

The first sale would be crucial.

He had considered several scenarios, perhaps they would cash in on Thiago Motta, Cavani, Rakitic, Sánchez, or Di María, all highly sought-after young talents.

But what he hadn't expected was for Napoli's board to take an entirely different approach.

While European clubs were fixated on Napoli's biggest stars, the Italian media suddenly broke a shocking transfer story:

Napoli had sold Ecuadorian winger Antonio Valencia to Manchester United for €25 million.

This deal sent shockwaves through European football.

On one hand, Manchester United's signing of Valencia all but confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo was leaving for Real Madrid.

Ronaldo's impending departure had been widely reported for months, but now, this transfer made it feel all but inevitable.

On the other hand, Napoli had managed to sell Valencia at a massively inflated price, forcing all other clubs interested in Napoli's players to reconsider their budgets.

At the time of the deal, Valencia's estimated market value was only €15 million.

Yet Napoli had sold him for €25 million—a staggering 67% premium.

This shocked the entire football world.

For comparison, Kaka's market valuation was €55 million, and he transferred to Real Madrid for €65 million, an increase of just 18%.

But Valencia's price had been inflated by 67%—an absolutely staggering figure.


---

Such a premium could only mean one thing:

Ferguson was genuinely convinced by Valencia's talent, and Napoli's management had been ruthless in negotiations, leaving Manchester United with no choice but to pay up.

When Gao Shen heard the news, he was stunned.

He always knew that De Laurentiis and Marino were incredibly shrewd, but he never imagined that they were cunning enough to outmaneuver Ferguson himself.

Still, there was something odd about all of this.

Ferguson had paid an inflated price for Valencia, yet when negotiating with Lyon over Benzema, he had been stubbornly stuck at €30 million, refusing to budge.

This was strange.

After all, Benzema's market value was already €29 million—meaning Ferguson wasn't willing to pay a premium for him.

There were only two explanations:

1. Ferguson didn't rate Benzema that highly, but that was unlikely, given that he had been pursuing the striker for over a year.


2. Ferguson was confident he had already secured Benzema's commitment, possibly through a preliminary agreement.


As Gao Shen thought about it, he suddenly laughed to himself.

Football had a funny way of surprising even the most seasoned professionals.

Many times, teams thought they had locked in a player, only to have someone swoop in and steal the deal at the last moment.

That had been the case when Florentino Pérez and Martín lost the Real Madrid presidency to Ramón Calderón.

And now, it looked like Ferguson was about to lose Benzema the same way.

Because Gao Shen had already received clear information, Real Madrid were now in direct negotiations with Benzema.


---

Ferguson had always been notoriously careful with spending.

In 2003, United had missed out on Ronaldinho because of a small financial gap.

And now, in 2009, they might lose Benzema for the exact same reason.

Gao Shen couldn't help but feel tempted to call Ferguson directly and give him some advice:

"Sir, can you stop being so stingy?"

"If you had just spent a little more, you wouldn't just have two Champions League titles, you'd have three or four by now!"

And it was in this very situation that Gao Shen found himself meeting with Manchester United's fiercest rival.