"Mr. Rudolph, thank you very much for calling me. Goodbye!"

  After hanging up the phone, Gao Shen exhaled deeply.

  How many calls had he received like this siurning home over the past few days?

  He hadn't even ted, but there were at least five or six. All of them were from clubs in Europe's top leagues.

  Either the teical director, sp directeneral manager, or even the chairman was calling.

  The call he had just ended was from Ivan Rudolph, the chairman of Atanta. Although he didn't say anything too specific, he did express i iing Gao Shen for a meal. Gao Shen politely deed, saying he was currently in a.

  He could easily guess the iion behind the call from Ivan Rudolph.

  It wasn't difficult to figure out. Whether explicitly or implicitly, all the clubs calling him had the same idea: they were looking to ge coaches, and Gao Shen was on their shortlist. They wao gauge his i.

  This was the usual process.

  Many people believe that seleg a coach is like an emperor flipping through potential didates, but that's not how it works. Clubs won't make a move uhey are sure of a coach's i and suitability. Even if they make a move, it doesn't meahing is settled right away. It's like going to a car dealership until you show serious io buy, they won't offer you the best price.

  Typically, clubs will first tact the coach's agent to uand the coach's i. If there's mutual i, then both parties arrange a sit-down for more ih iations.

  If both sides sit down to talk, it usually means things are heading toward an agreement.

  That's why, when the media reports that a coach was seen having dinner with a club official, it's often a sign that the deal is almost done.

  The differeh Gao Shen is that he doesn't have a, so these calls e directly to him.

  This is something he had thought through carefully.

  On the one hand, it's hard to find a trustworthy agent. He knows that agents like Je Mendes and Mino Raio are top-notch, but it's not like he could just reach out to them and say, "Hey, be my agent." That would be ridiculous.

  Besides, having a doesn't always make things easier.

  Take Mourinho, for example wherever he goes, Mendes' pyers follow. Is that a ce?

  For now, Gao Shen decided not to hire a.

  As for ercial matters, Gao Shen could simply hire a professional pany to hahem. There's no need for a in that regard, and it saves him from paying an additional ission to a middleman.

  The downside, of course, is that he gets all these calls directly.

  "I miss my Mate40 Pro!" Gao Shen looked at the old Nokia brick phone in front of him and sighed.

  Dual SIM dual standby is such a blessing!

  "Which team is trying to recruit you this time?" asked Su Zhijun, who was always curious, as a die-hard football fan.

  "Atanta," Gao Shen replied with a smile.

  "Wow, eighth p Serie A st season, that's impressive," Su Zhijun excimed.

  It was clear to ahat Gao Shen's coag career was on the rise, progressing steadily and rapidly.

  "Atanta is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary in the new season. They want to take a risk and push for a European spot. But after their head coach, tuono, performed well and was snatched up by Palermo, they're left without a coach."

  Palermo, after firing Guidolin st season, had also reached out to Gao Shen about two or three months ago. But Gao Shen politely deed at the time, saying he was focused on achievis with Napoli. After Gao Sheed them, Palermo turo tuono, leaving Atanta scrambling to find a new coach.

  It's a on cycle in European football. Top coaches are always in demand, and the pool of truly elite managers is limited.

  Top coaches, like top teams, are a rare odity.

  In addition to Palermo and Atanta, several other clubs had tacted Gao Shen, including Parma.

  Parma, after narrowly avoiding relegation st season, also tried tao Shen from Napoli, but he politely turhem down as well.

  He was ser-focused on Napoli and preparing for the uping Serie A season.

  Especially after that 0-3 loss to Inter Min.

  He had to settle that score personally!

  "I have a question," Su Zhijun said, puzzled. "The domestic media keep saying that the Italian media are attag and critig you non-stop. So why are so many teams still trying to hire you?"

  Gao Shen paused for a moment, then realized it was still 2007, long before 2021.

  What was the media enviro like in 2007?

  Back then, if fn media criticized someone, even some domestic media outlets would follow suit, amplifying the noise.

  Why?

  Because the perception was that things abroad were always better than at home.

  Some domestic outlets would even regurgitate sensationalized fn tabloid reports, hyping them up in a.

  Gao Shen was used to it by now.

  "Think about it this way: the media and football have a symbiotic retionship. They use each other. The media, especially, is all about the attention ey. They need headlines, sales, and clicks. The bigger the troversy, the better for them. When I'm successful, they hype me up. When I stumble, they tear me down."

  "Fans, oher hand, are simple. They're often influenced by media reports and might not even realize why they like or dislike someone."

  "But clubs? Clubs i real mohey're dealing with tens of millions of euros every season, so they're the most ho evaluators."

  Su Zhijun suddenly uood.

  "It's like buying a house. You always hear people online saying house prices are going to crash, but think about it if you had money right now, aside from iing in business, what would you want to do?"

  Su Zhijun thought for a moment and realized Gao Shen was right.

  Not just him Su Qing, who had been quietly listening, also nodded in agreement.

  If you had money, besides business, the most on instinct would be to buy property.

  It's just like the old story of the farmer who cimed to have a cow but didn't really own one.

  Never listen to eople say watch what they do.

  Too often, people say ohing but do another.

  "So, are you pnning to stay in Naples?" Su Zhijun asked, genuinely curious.

  "I've been prepariiculously for six months. From the moment I started coag Napoli, I've been gearing up for Serie A. What do you think would I leave now?" Gao Shen asked with a smile.

  "No, of course not. That would be foolish," Su Zhijun ughed.

  Behind him, Su Qing was quietly watg Gao Shen. He seemed both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

  She had grown up with Gao Shen, but to her, he had always been a childhood friend and nothing more.

  People around them, whether in their unity or at school, had ofteed that they liked each other. But the truth was, they didn't.

  Su Qing never had romantic feelings for the old Gao Shen.

  But ever since he came back st year, he seemed like a pletely different person.

  It wasn't his newfound fame. It was the way he carried himself more fident, decisive, and responsible. He spoke with vi, always managing to persuade others and instill a sense of security.

  It was a side of Gao Shen she had never seen before.

  After returning indao Shen checked the time and decided to call Marino, who was still in Naples. He kept in touch with Europe every day that art of his job.

  He o stay updated oest market developments.

  Marino also kept him informed, especially about the activity iransfer market.

  Napoli's general manager was currently overwhelmed with the number of teams trying to poaapoli's pyers.

  "I feel like we're not holding onto pyers, but piles of euros that everyone wants!" Marino practically cried over the phone.

  It was chaos.

  Arsenal had sent a fax asking for a price, Roma had called directly, and Juventus had eve someoo iate in person.

  "My God, you have no idea how busy our office is right now!"

  Gao Shen ughed.

  It was no surprise.

  Napoli didn't just have pyers they had assets worth millions.

  In professional football, pyers were the most valuable currency.

  "You should think of it this way," Gao Shen said, still amused. "This just proves how strong we are. Remember what I told you before oal is to make a huge impa Serie A seasht?"

  "I believe you! You've vinced me!" Marino said, his tone full of respect.

  "But still, Gao, this 't go on forever. We might be able to hold off the clubs, but the pyers may not resist the temptation."

  "Don't worry. I've already spoken to the pyers. If anyone pns to leave, they'll inform me first. But you make sure De Laurentiis stays grounded. If he starts wavering, remind him: does he still want the Serie A title?"

  Marino's ughter boomed through the phoartling Gao Shen.

  "Do you have to ugh so maniacally?"

  "A me tell you," Marino tinued between chuckles, "when it es to painting grand visions, you're the master. The boss has no choice but to fall for it!"

  Some of the offers from other teams were quite tempting, and De Laurentiis wasn't pletely immuo them. But Gao Shen's grand vision of winning the Serie A title kept pulling him back. After all, who didn't want that kind of glory?

  So now, De Laurentiis ractically avoiding people afraid that a moment of weakness could lead him to agree to something he would regret ter.

  "By the way, Gao, when are you ing back?" Marino asked with . He was itg to take Gao Shen out for a meal and learn more from him especially how to keep the boss in ched manage upward.

  "I'll be ba a couple of days, but I o stop by Bara first."

  "Bara? What are you going to do there?" Marino asked, surprised.

  "Meeting a friend and while I'm at it, I might try to poach a pyer or two," Gao Shen replied with a mischievous grin.

  Marino could only ugh, knowing that wherever Gao She, something iing was bound to happen.

  ****

  Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon./Blownleaves.