"Marino, what's David Luiz's current valuation?"

  The stadium was filled with people, and the Napoli fans were r with excitement, pletely igniting the atmosphere.

  Everyone was ecstatic, cheering and shouting loudly.

  Chairman De Laurentiis sat down, a bit flicted, and asked Marino, the general manager sitting beside him.

  Marino was still celebrating, too excited to pay attention. "What did you say?"

  "I asked you, how much is David Luiz worth now?" De Laurentiis raised his voice.

  This time, even Sacchi and Zidane, who were nearby, heard the question and became ied.

  Of course, they assumed the two big bosses of Napoli were discussing some top-secret matter, so they preteo focus on the game, but iy, they were secretly listening in.

  These guys are quite sneaky.

  Marino heard him clearly this time, sat down, thought for a moment, and replied, "It should be around three million euros."

  "Three million euros?" De Laurentiis seemed dissatisfied.

  David Luiz pyed so well tonight; surely three million euros wasn't enough.

  "By the way, how much did we spend t him in?" De Laurentiis asked again.

  "I don't remember the exact amount, but I think it was around... 500,000 euros?"

  "500,000 euros?" De Laurentiis was shocked.

  A pyer brought in for 500,000 euros is now worth three million after just half a season?

  Not only was De Laurentiis surprised, but even Sacchi and Zidane, who were eavesdropping, were equally shocked.

  Damn, it's like printing money!

  His value increased sixfold just like that how incredible!

  "Yeah, when we bought him for 500,000 euros, we were worried he might not work out. But we didn't expect this..." Marino smiled tentedly. Even though it was Gao Shen who picked him, Marino was the one who iated the transfer.

  Iure, he could easily cim credit for this who could argue against him?

  Uedly, De Laurentiis's face suddenly darkened.

  "Shit, 500,000 rising to three million... a 2.5 million increase... which means 20%..." De Laurentiis muttered to himself, looking like a man whose lover had been stolen.

  "What 20%?" Marino asked halfway through and then immediately remembered.

  Wasn't there?

  He had pletely fotten.

  In Gao Shen's tract terms, there was a cuse about a 20% ission on the profit from pyer pricreases.

  Now that the increase was 2.5 million, that meant 500,000 euros in ission. What a lucrative deal!

  Looking at his boss again, De Laurentiis's face had turned as stiff as a dried fish.

  Wasn't this cuse added because he thought he was being too clever?

  Sacchi and Zidaill eavesdropping, were left fused. What 20%? What were these two talking about?

  It felt like something major was happening.

  The gossip intrigued them even more, and they straiheir ears, nearly ready to hand over a megaphoo hear better.

  "Boss, it's not just David Luiz; everyone else's value has also increased..."

  "What?" De Laurentiis's face kept twitg.

  A major loss!

  What a huge loss!

  You think you're clever, but you've lost everything in the end!

  "All of them! All the pyers Gao Shen brought in have gone up in value. Gervinho and i are the highest, each worth at least five million euros now. Keep in mind, this is based on their Serie B performance. Oonight's match is over..." Marino didn't o finish the sentence.

  De Laurentiis could already guess the rest.

  Napoli's performaonight was exceptional. Tomorrow, all these pyers' names would be on everyone's lips, and their values would soar even higher.

  That's it! That's the end of it!

  This time, I've really lost it all!

  "Tell me, Marino, why did you sign such a dumb tract back then during the wiransfer window?" De Laurentiis sounded like he was addressing a historical criminal responsible for the greatest disaster in Napoli's history.

  Marino was taken abad was about to defend himself, but upon seeing De Laurentiis's murderous gaze...

  Fine, I'll e!

  When the boss says you're wrong, you're wrong. Otherwise, you'll only be more wrong!

  "How could you sign such a traot only does it show a ck of trust in the coach, but it also results in huge losses for the club! You'd better refle this. I... I... my blood pressure is rising..."

  Marino saw De Laurentiis's trembling hands as he fumbled in his pocket, took out his blood pressure medication, and popped a few pills into his mouth. Marino quickly handed him some water and waited on him carefully.

  "This... this..." After taking the medie, De Laurentiis pointed shakily in the air for a long time.

  In the end, he let his hand drop weakly, realizing this was the decision he regretted most in his life.

  Bme the damned, useless Marino!

  Sacchi and Zidane, having overheard this shog exge, felt as if they had just witnessed something as moal as Russia deg war on NATO.

  Even though they hadn't caught every word, they had a general idea. It seemed that in Gao Shen's tract, there was a fee cuse regarding the increase in pyer values, and now De Laurentiis was suffering because of it.

  Gao Shen was too smart!

  They hadn't seen it ing!

  This young man, only twenty-six years old, had outwitted an old fox like De Laurentiis.

  How brilliant! Truly brilliant!

  Both Sacchi and Zidane were lost in thought, marveling at how skillful Gao Shen was. Meanwhile, De Laurentiis finally calmed down and spoke again.

  "Marino, how about this? Go talk to Gao Shen directly. With the current pyer values, we'll buy out those tract cuses, sign a new one, and give him a raise." De Laurentiis thought he had found a solution.

  Marino smiled awkwardly, clearly unfortable. "Boss, what we just mentioned was only the estimated market value."

  "What do you mean?" De Laurentiis looked fused.

  "I mean, if Roma es to us ter to discuss a transfer for David Luiz, do you think we'll ask for just three million euros?"

  "Of course not! What do you take me for, an idiot? There's no way I'd sell David Luiz for three million euros!" De Laurentiis nearly spped himself for even suggesting it.

  Exactly, he wasn't an idiot, but he had just eained a rather idiotic idea.

  Why wouldn't Napoli sell David Luiz for three million euros?

  The reason was simple: David Luiz was young and still rapidly developing. His value would only increase with age and experience. Especially season, no doubt Napoli would be in Serie A, and if David Luiz performed well there, would he still be worth only three million euros?

  If he performed well, adding a zero wouldn't be out of the question.

  Look at Porto's defender, Pepe. Didn't he sell for 30 million euros?

  Under such circumstances, Gao Shen wouldn't agree to a buyout, right?

  Unless Napoli predicted the future pricrease.

  But that would be plicated, and where would De Laurentiis get the moo pay for all of that?

  After thinking it through, De Laurentiis realized there was no way out.

  This was a deal he was destio lose!

  And he couldn't five himself.

  However, given Gao Shen's current standing in Napoli, De Laurentiis had to approach him cautiously.

  Though he was losing money on these tract terms, in the grand scheme, Gao Shen had helped the club make a fortune.

  Taking a deep breath, De Laurentiis g Marino with a sly, malicious grin.

  "B-Boss..."

  "I'm sorry, Marino, I'm furiht now. I really feel like killing someone, but... murder is illegal."

  Marino nodded vigorously, yes, you 't do that.

  "So... sorry, it's going to have to be you..."

  Sacchi and Zidane didn't fully uand what was happening. They only saw the halftime whistle blow, apanied by the wild cheers and screams of the fans, as De Laurentiis began furiously berating Marino.

  The peneral manager of Napoli curled up in his seat, too scared to move, enduring the tirade of spit.

  God knows what he did to deserve being scolded so publicly, like a child being reprimanded by his grandfather.

  Sacchi and Zidane exged a gnce, both capturing the same thought in each other's eyes.

  It's better to be a coach these days!

  ...

  Gao Shen, meanwhile, had no idea what was happening iands.

  He was in a great mood.

  Returning to the locker room, he saw that the Napoli pyers were in high spirits, clearly satisfied with the 4-0 scoreline from the first half. Gao Shen didn't dampen their morale but remihem to stay focused in the sed half.

  "Roma won't go down without a fight. Sure, they're five-two down, and it looks hopeless, but don't fet, even a three-nil lead in a Champions League final be overturned, so don't get pt."

  The pyers stopped smiling and nodded solemnly.

  Still, Gao Shen remained firm with his instrus.

  For the sed half, the pn was simple: tinue defending and terattag.

  "By the time of that foal, Doni had clearly lost his fidence, and the rest of Roma's pyers were mentally shaken. "If they don't attack, that's fine."

  "But if they dare to e forward, I want you to hit them even harder, until they don't dare to press up anymore!"

  "Do you uand?"

  "Yes, we uand!" the pyers responded in unison.

  At this point, Gao Shen's authority within the Napoli team was uionable. Not only the general manager Marino, but even the chairman De Laurentiis couldn't and more respect than Gao Shen.

  Of course, this had a lot to do with their prireement.

  De Laurentiis rarely visited Castel Volturno, Napoli's training ground, and almost never interfered with Gao Shen's decisions.

  In many ways, this Napoli team beloo Gao Shen!