Starting With Real Madrid

Gao Shen lay on the soft bed, the light, elegant fragrance close at hand unmistakably belonging to Su Qing.

At this moment, she was panting, her entire body draped over him, her head resting against his chest as if listening to his heartbeat. Her posture was lazy yet captivating.

After Gao Shen returned from the Middle East, she knew they would soon be separated again.

Back when he was coaching in Serie A, he still had a winter break. Now, in the Premier League, even that was gone.

From now on, the only time she could see him was during her vacations when she flew to England.

With their separation approaching, she had been especially clingy.

Only in moments like this could Gao Shen see a completely different side of Su Qing, one that belonged entirely to him.

…

"You work in the ministry, and I invest on the outside. There shouldn't be any major issues, right?" Gao Shen asked with concern.

Su Qing was too lazy to move. She simply reached out, found his hand, and intertwined her fingers with his.

"What could possibly happen? I already asked my boss. He said it's fine, it's your own money anyway."

"That's good," Gao Shen nodded. "There's probably going to be more than 300 million coming into the account soon. When the time comes, help me figure out how to handle the taxes properly."

"So much money?" Su Qing was shocked, sitting up straight in surprise.

Gao Shen's eyes widened as he stared at her, quickly pulling her back into his arms. His hands began to wander again.

She already knew that Gao Shen received 20% of the transfer fees when Napoli sold players, but she never expected the amount to be this high.

More than 300 million!

Oh my god, how much money is that?

"This is nothing. Napoli will keep selling players, and I'll keep getting my cut." Gao Shen chuckled.

Winning the Champions League, along with Serie A and the Coppa Italia, the first treble in Italian history had put Napoli in the spotlight. Naturally, the value of their players skyrocketed.

Gao Shen never expected that Sánchez and Di María could each fetch 50 million euros.

But if you think about it, Ronaldo was sold for 100 million euros, Kaka for 65 million. Is 50 million each for Sánchez and Di María really that outrageous?

Besides, these two weren't just talented, they had already proven themselves at the highest level. And they were both still in their early twenties.

What do you call that?

Genius!

Even Benzema, who had only shined in Ligue 1, was sold for over 30 million euros. Is it really expensive to sell two starting wingers, who had just won the Champions League for 50 million?

Of course, in the current market, these were already high prices. It would be difficult to push them any further.

If he waited a few more years, Manchester United would inevitably step in to inflate the market again. The way player valuations kept rising…

It really wasn't the right time!

…

"I'm thinking of handing over all my bank accounts, stocks, and assets to you. What do you think?" Gao Shen suddenly said.

Su Qing was taken aback. She propped herself up and looked at him. "Why?"

Seeing her reaction, Gao Shen immediately pulled her back into his arms, his hand tracing along her smooth, jade-like back. "I just don't want to be distracted by these things. I feel at ease letting you handle it."

Su Qing was silent for a moment, then looked up at him. "Aren't you afraid I'll run off with the money?"

"Then run away." Gao Shen chuckled. "But do you really think it's worth it? Leaving behind a gold mine like me just to run off with a small amount of money?"

Su Qing giggled, playfully smacking him twice. But deep down, she was touched.

She knew that if he didn't fully trust her, he would never hand over all his assets.

"Let's get married!" Su Qing suddenly said.

"Huh?" Gao Shen was caught off guard.

Su Qing's eyes were slightly red. "I'm moved. I want to marry you!"

Gao Shen was delighted. Just like that?

But he wasn't in a hurry to get the marriage certificate.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he needed to find the right time.

Silence fell between them. For a moment, they simply enjoyed the warmth of each other's presence.

"You know what? Only when I'm with you do I feel completely relaxed," Gao Shen murmured.

"Ever since I started coaching Real Madrid, I've always felt like someone was behind me, holding a gun to my head, forcing me to keep running forward. The faster, the farther—the better.

"Sometimes, I feel exhausted and just want to stop and rest, but I can't. Sometimes, I want to slow down and take in the scenery, but I can't do that either. Sometimes, I don't even want to run anymore, I just want to go back. But I can't…

"I can only keep running, without knowing how long I can last or when I'll reach the finish line. Sometimes, I even wonder if I'll have to keep running until the day I retire."

Gao Shen had never said these words to anyone before not even Zidane or Guardiola.

As a head coach, anyone on the team could say they were tired or wanted to give up except him. Because he was the leader.

If Gao Shen gave up, the entire team would collapse.

So he could only keep running. Just keep running…

"That sounds like a midlife crisis." Su Qing chuckled, breaking his train of thought.

Gao Shen reached out and lightly patted her back in retaliation.

He knew she didn't want him to dwell on such negative emotions.

"Actually, I understand. People have to keep pushing forward, right? Isn't there a saying, 'Life is like a train headed for the grave—you never stop at any station, and you never get off'?"

Su Qing was silent for a moment before saying, "I think you should get some proper rest."

Gao Shen shook his head. "No, I'm not that fragile. To be honest, I enjoy the struggle, especially when I can defeat so many opponents. It excites me. It's just that sometimes, out of nowhere, I feel exhausted. But as long as I see you, as long as I'm with you, I feel relaxed, and all the fatigue disappears."

"Why do you make me sound like a can of Red Bull?" Su Qing scolded playfully.

"Red Bull? Then I have to try it and see if it tastes right."

With that, Gao Shen flipped over and pressed her down.

The two immediately started wrestling around again.

…

The most touching part of a long-distance relationship is the joy of reuniting after a long separation.

But before that, one must endure the pain of parting.

When Gao Shen returned to Europe, his parents were in Chile, while Su Zhijun and his wife were in Shanghai. He called them separately.

Only Su Qing took special leave to see him off at the airport.

Along the way, she tried her best to suppress her sadness, pretending nothing was wrong. But just as Gao Shen was about to enter the terminal, she could no longer hold back. She called out to him, tears streaming down her face, and rushed over to hug him tightly.

But Su Qing had always been someone who quickly regained her composure. After just a few moments, she sobbed lightly, pulled away from his embrace, and wiped her tears.

"When you land, no matter how late it is, call me. I'll be waiting."

Gao Shen smiled and nodded. "And you, save up as much vacation time as possible and come visit me when you can."

"Okay," Su Qing nodded.

Her next break would be the National Day holiday, which was still over three months away.

Gao Shen turned and walked inside, while Su Qing remained standing there. No one knew how long she stayed.

Sometimes, Gao Shen wondered, if he insisted, would Su Qing be willing to quit her job in China and move to Europe to be with him?

But making himself happy at her expense would be unfair.

Gao Shen derived immense satisfaction and achievement from coaching. But should Su Qing have to give up her own career to stay home, take care of him, and raise children? Couldn't she have her own ambitions?

If the day ever came when she wanted to stop working, he would support her. But as long as she still had passion for her job, he would continue to support her, because he knew she genuinely enjoyed it and found fulfillment in it—just as he did with football.

As for long-distance relationships?

They had made it work all these years.

…

Gao Shen took an Emirates flight to Dubai. After meeting with Mubarak there, he continued on to London to reunite with his coaching staff.

The wealthy Middle Eastern investors were generous, booking him a first-class ticket, which spared him a great deal of travel fatigue.

While he was in the air, the European transfer market had significant new developments.

The two football giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid, had outbid numerous competitors to secure two star wingers from Napoli—Alexis Sánchez and Ángel Di María—each for a staggering €50 million.

With Thierry Henry aging, Sánchez, who could play on both wings as well as centrally, was seen as a crucial reinforcement for Barcelona's attack.

Di María, capable of operating on either flank, was expected to complement Cristiano Ronaldo perfectly. The Argentine would become the Portuguese superstar's ideal wing partner, forming one of the most lethal wide duos in world football.

At the same time, Real Madrid announced another blockbuster signing—French forward Karim Benzema from Lyon, secured for a hefty €35 million.

The entire European football world was stunned.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, and Di María—Real Madrid had assembled four superstars in one window, forming an attacking lineup that left the rest of Europe envious. Though the spending was astronomical, it was seen as money well spent.

Not to be outdone, Barcelona had their own formidable offensive combination—Messi, Henry, Eto'o, and Sánchez—equally terrifying and by no means inferior to Madrid's.

More importantly, after securing Sánchez, Pep Guardiola set his sights on another Napoli star.

He wanted Thiago Motta.

The Brazilian-born midfielder had come through La Masia, and now, Guardiola was eager to bring him back to Barcelona.

According to the latest report from Gazzetta dello Sport, Barcelona had even made an eye-watering €50 million offer for Thiago Motta!

An absolutely staggering figure!

As soon as Gao Shen landed in London and heard the news, he immediately picked up his phone and called Thiago Motta.