"The food at this restaurant is good, but I kinda miss Juan Rota Madrid."

  On the way back to the hotel, Gao Shen ented with a satisfied expression. He had clearly ehe meal.

  Guardio, sitting beside him, was equally tent. Not only had his favorite pyer, Busquets, not been poached by Gao Shen, but he had also enjoyed watg Gao Shen in a, slyly iating and cutting deals. He couldn't help but chuckle.

  "I bet you never really wanted Busquets," Guardio remarked.

  Gao Shen, sitting in the passenger seat, turo g his friend. "Of course not. I'm not that dumb. Busquets is my gift to you. You won't have to worry about the kid for a while."

  Guardio ughed. "So, you do have a sce after all."

  "e on, you think I didn't know Bara would never sell Busquets?" Gao Shen teased, grinning.

  Guardio shook his head, amused. "You never had any iion of gettiti either, did you? From the very beginning, you were after Thiago Motta. You just dragged it out and pyed it slow, cutting the price down in the end."

  Ihe Min clubs had initially offered €1.5 million to take Thiago Motta, but Bara rejected that offer. In the end, Gao Shen mao pull off a deal, getting Motta for €1 million. As part of the agreement, there was an additional cuse: if Motta reached a certain number of appearances in the season, Napoli would pay another €1 million.

  But either way, seg a pyer valued at €6 million for such a deal was a steal.

  Gao She proud of his iating skills but kept up a fa?ade of reluce. "Don't think I took advantage of your Bara. Let's be real here would Thiago Motta eve pying time in his current state of mind? Do you think he would perform well?"

  Gao Shen tinued, "In the sed half of st season, he didn't even show up for training at times. And this season, with so muternal petition, do you think he'd do anything other than sit on the bench? If he stays another year, Baright end up releasing him for free."

  Guardio had to admit that Gao Shen's analysis made sehiago Motta had been cast aside by Rijkaard and Bara.

  "You're right," Guardio ceded. "But you stop ag like you're doing us a favor? Yetting a good deal here, so don't act like you're being ripped off."

  Gao Shen gave an exaggerated shrug. "'t help it, I'm a businessman."

  "Oh, by the way, don't worry about seeing me off tomorrow. I'll call a cab to the airport myself," Gao Shen suddenly said.

  Guardio, suspeg nothing, nodded. "Sure."

  ---

  The day, just before noon, Gao Shen sat in his hotel, waiting to meet Thiago Motta.

  After the iations with Begiristain the night befao Shen had gotten Motta's taformation. He reached out to the pyer, arranging a private meeting to discuss his potential trao Napoli. Gao Shehat in order to move forward, he needed Motta's agreement.

  Fao Shen, unication was key when managing a locker room. He wao meet Motta personally and ehey were on the same page. Guardio didn't o know about this after all, Napoli hadn't formally submitted an offer to Bara yet. Teically, it was illegal fao Shen to meet Motta without permission, but such practices were on in football.

  Thiago Motta was a dual-nationality pyer, holding both Brazilian and Italian citizenship. Gao Shen remembered that Motta would eventually choose to represent Italy in iional football rather than Brazil. The pyer was 25, and while his career had once looked promising, injuries had derailed his progress.

  When Gao Shen had coached Real Madrid, Motta had been a key pyer for Bara. At the time, he had shown immeential, but injuries especially a major oo his right knee had takeoll. Now, he looked defeated, g the fidence of his younger self.

  Sitting down with Gao Shen, Motta got straight to the point. "My agent said Bara hasn't informed me of any offer."

  Gao Shen smiled, uerred. "I've already spoken with Begiristain, but since we haven't made an official offer yet, Bara wouldn't notify you. If you aren't ied in joining Napoli, we won't proceed with the offer, and you pretend this versation never happened."

  Motta was silent for a moment, processing Gao Shen's words. He uood that Gao Shen had no reason to lie. He sighed, "I don't uand why you'd want me. You've got plenty of talented pyers in Napoli already."

  "You're right," Gao Shen agreed, "We have Biglia, Rakitic, Vidal, and Hamsik. And we pn t in more high-level midfielders this summer. But that's exactly why I need you."

  Motta uzzled. "Why me?"

  "I'm pnning to use a 4-3-3 formatio season, simir to Bara's system. For that, I need a deep-lying pymaker, someone who dictate the tempo, make incisive passes, and defend well. You o have the ability to protect the defense while also being able to step forward and ahe py. Among the pyers I've sidered, you're the best fit for that role."

  Motta looked down at his hands, which trembled slightly. He was nervous, uain of himself after months maybe years of self-doubt. But hearing these words from Gao Shen, the same coach who had led Real Madrid to glory, stirred something within him.

  "You should know about Jonathan Woodgate, right?" Gao Shen asked, ging the subject abruptly.

  Motta nodded. How could he not? The English ter-back had been pgued by injuries throughout his career.

  "When I was at Real Madrid, Woodgate had stant injury problems. But under my tenure, he never missed a game due to injury. After I left, well… you know what happened," Gao Shen said, refereng Woodgate's return to the Premier League, where he was once again sidelined by injuries.

  Motta was intrigued. "So, you think you help me?"

  "I'm fident of it," Gao Shen said firmly. "Your surgery was successful. The problem lies in how you're training and managing your body. With the right approach, you avoid further injuries."

  Motta was listening ily now, clearly moved.

  "And," Gao Shen added, "While our midfield is strong, I need someone who fit into that deep-lying role in a 4-3-3. You're the pyer I need for that position, Thiago."

  Motta's eyes widened. Here was a coach telling him he was hat he could still be important. After years of feeling like a fotten man at Bara, this was exactly what he o hear.

  "I uand, Mr. Gao," Motta said, his voice steadier now. "I'm willing to join Napoli."

  Gao Shen smiled, pleased with the response. "Don't worry, we'll make sure the tract is fair, too."

  In terms of sary, Thiago Motta's tract at Bara wasn't particurly high, so Napoli wouldn't have to break the bank to sign him.

  "Take some time to rex for now. Leave the past behind you. In the new season, we're going to aim for the Serie A title," Gao Shen said fidently.

  Motta's eyes lit up. "Are you really aiming for the title?"

  Gao Shen smiled. "Why not? Do you think I 't do it?"

  Motta shook his head quickly. "No, I believe you . It's just… I didn't expect it."

  "We're building a team to win the Scudetto, Thiago. And I expect you to give everything you've got. I believe in you, and you o start believing in yourself again."

  Hearing these words, Motta felt a renewed sense of purpose. His fidence, once shattered, was slowly starting to return.