Bab 146: First Generation
After an eleven-hour flight, an Airbus from Madrid finally arrived at the Capital Airport.
Shortly after, Gao Shen pushed his suitcase and walked out slowly.
Almost instinctively, he wanted to find the entrance to the airport subway, but quickly realized, with some frustration, that there was none.
This was a time when the Capital Airport was not yet connected to the subway!
With a sigh, Gao Shen began to head toward the airport bus stop, but stopped after a short while.
Wait, I'm rich now, why am I thinking of taking a bus?
Take a taxi!
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel delighted and immediately turned around to head toward the taxi stand.
The fare from the airport to the city center was nearly 100 yuan.
At first, Gao Shen didn't think much of it, but after getting into the car and listening to the driver's chatter, he realized that in 2006, 100 yuan wasn't a small amount of money.
The driver was mainly curious about what Gao Shen did for a living, wondering why he was willing to splurge on a taxi ride.
Because Gao Shen wore sunglasses and a hat to disguise himself, no one had recognized him, except for the flight attendants on the plane, and there were certainly no media reporters at the airport.
This made him seriously doubt whether those so-called celebrity street photos were really random encounters.
Gao Shen also began to realize that in 2006, wages in China were generally low. In his memory, when he had just graduated, his monthly salary was about 1,500 to 1,800 yuan.
With that perspective, spending around 100 yuan on a taxi was indeed quite a luxury.
Given Gao Shen's age, the driver's first guess was that he must be a rich second-generation kid studying abroad.
Gao Shen didn't deny it, feeling a little amused with himself.
Unexpectedly, in this life, he could be considered a rich second generation.
But the driver had gotten it wrong; Gao Shen was actually the first generation .
During the ride, Gao Shen listened to the driver talk about various things happening domestically. The driver even mentioned him, saying how incredible it was for a Chinese person to be coaching abroad, especially for a giant team like Real Madrid.
But the driver didn't seem to know the facts too well, claiming that Gao Shen was probably in his thirties or forties.
This almost prompted Gao Shen, sitting in the back, to ask out loud: Do I look that old?
Gao Shen managed to resist the urge but decided to show off a bit by asking the driver where he could find the best mobile phones in the capital.
This suddenly surprised the taxi driver.
"Man, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening these days," the driver said with a shake of his head.
...
The capital city of 2006 looked fresh and new to Gao Shen.
Especially listening to the driver's chatter along the way, Gao Shen felt he had learned quite a bit.
In the end, the driver dropped him off in Zhongguancun.
God knows if it was just because it was a bit further away.
However, since he was in the city, Gao Shen didn't mind.
After paying the fare, he first looked around and soon found a large mobile phone store, where he began browsing immediately.
Having been accustomed to using a smartphone from 2021, seeing world brands like Nokia, Sony, and BlackBerry, along with domestic knockoffs like Gionee, Timestar, and Obi, everything felt awkward to him.
No WeChat, no Taobao, no Twitter, no Instagram, no...
Oh my God, nothing!
Even the latest so-called camera and color-screen mobile phones seemed like junk to Gao Shen.
After careful selection, Gao Shen finally chose Nokia's new music phone with a swivel design. He spent 3,000 yuan and asked the clerk to help him pick a good mobile phone number. Only then did he leisurely walk out and head to the café across the street.
Finding a seat by the window, Gao Shen first made a phone call, then began transferring his contacts, calling his friends in Europe to share his new number in China for easier communication.
When he finished, he saw a familiar yet distant figure hurriedly pass by the window.
Looking toward the entrance, he saw Su Qing standing at the counter, looking around.
Despite his disguise, Su Qing immediately spotted him and walked over.
"When did you get back?" She sat directly across from Gao Shen, slightly breathless from her rush.
"I just arrived. I bought a new phone and a new number and contacted you immediately," Gao Shen replied with a smile, showing off his new phone.
Though it was still quite basic, at least it was a music phone, capable of playing some tunes.
Su Qing noticed the suitcase beside Gao Shen and, without asking much, got straight to the point, "I'll help you find a place to stay."
As she spoke, she took out her phone and asked, "How long are you planning to stay in the capital?"
"I'll stay for a few days, then I want to go home," Gao Shen replied, feeling a deep longing for home.
Su Qing gave him a thoughtful look but asked no more questions. "I'll go back with you once I finish up some things here."
Gao Shen didn't respond.
In his memory, his relationship with Su Qing had always been like this, calm and indifferent.
While Su Qing made some phone calls, the waiter brought her a cup of coffee. She quickly arranged a place for Gao Shen to stay in a small hotel near her school.
"Didn't you say earlier on QQ that you would come back a few days earlier? Why were you delayed?" Su Qing asked casually.
"Something came up, you know, I'm very popular now," Gao Shen chuckled.
"Have you found a job?"
Gao Shen shook his head. "Not yet. They're all considering my demands."
From the moment he decided to leave Real Madrid, Gao Shen had started thinking about his next steps.
His coaching requirements were quite high. For instance, he wanted absolute authority over the locker room and also sought to have a say in the club's transfers and contract renewals. The latter, in particular, caused many teams to back away.
Many were afraid!
Not for nothing.
In recent years, the "bung-gate" scandal in the Premier League had stirred up a lot of controversy. In the end, it was mainly because the head coach had too much power. Even famous managers like Ferguson were caught up in it. This shows how serious this storm was.
It's true what they say: absolute power leads to absolute corruption.
Leagues like La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 in continental Europe don't operate like the Premier League; they put stricter limits on a head coach's power and rarely allow coaches to get involved in transfers.
At most, they could give some advice.
In reality, Gao Shen's demand wasn't about having complete control over transfers but ensuring that the club's transfers aligned with his requirements—whether buying or selling.
But the top-tier European teams were very cautious about this, as it posed a high risk with many uncontrollable factors.
To be frank, Gao Shen had no experience in this area at all.
The owner of a mid-table La Liga team had even told Gao Shen directly that if he was only responsible for the locker room, they could sign immediately, but if he wanted authority over transfers and renewals, even if partial, they would have to think long and hard.
It was evident how wary these teams were.
Not to mention, even in the Premier League, the powers of the head coach had been increasingly curtailed in recent years, drawing lessons from the continental leagues. They added roles like sporting directors and technical directors.
In other words, they were balancing the head coach's authority.
Of course, famous coaches like Ferguson and Wenger were exceptions; they were too special.
After the Champions League final, Gao Shen stayed in Madrid, taking refuge at Carlo's house to avoid the media. He spent most of his time handling various matters.
For example, Real Madrid had transferred his championship bonuses, and he needed a tax payment certificate to transfer the funds back to China through his Hong Kong account. He used most of the money to buy shares in Tencent.
But Gao Shen had never mentioned this to anyone.
While in Madrid, a major incident rocked European football: the Calciopoli scandal in Serie A.
Fans familiar with football knew the details, but one thing was different from what Gao Shen had remembered.
Previously, he thought that the scandal was because Juventus manipulated referees to fix matches, as often reported in the domestic media, but it wasn't quite like that.
It wasn't so much a match-fixing scandal but rather that Juventus management had used disgraceful means to arrange favorable referees for their matches, which is distinct from actual match-fixing.
Nevertheless, the Juventus hierarchy the so-called "Big Three" were set to step down, and the Bianconeri would likely face relegation, just as Gao Shen remembered.
As for whether Capello would leave Juventus to coach Real Madrid, as he had in Gao Shen's memories, that would depend on the upcoming presidential election at Real Madrid and whether Calderon could defeat Martin.
Interestingly, several Real Madrid presidential candidates had reached out to Gao Shen through Carlo, hoping he would endorse them in their campaigns. But Gao Shen firmly rejected their offers.
Florentino Perez also called Gao Shen, advising him not to get involved.
Gao Shen was no fool. What benefit would it bring him to participate in the election circus?
These candidates would be friendly when they needed his support, but as soon as they secured the presidency, their attitude would likely change. Why bother?
...
Su Qing didn't seem surprised by Gao Shen's situation and didn't press further, instead talking about his next plans.
"I want to fulfill a wish I've had for many, many years," Gao Shen replied with a smile.
"What is it?" Su Qing asked, her curiosity piqued.
"That's a secret."
Su Qing rolled her eyes at him but didn't pursue the matter. She sipped her coffee and suggested they get moving. "Let's get you settled," she said, pushing his suitcase and leading the way out.
As they walked out of the café, they took to the road.
The subway system in the capital wasn't very convenient back then, and it would only improve after the Olympics.
At first, Su Qing walked ahead, pushing Gao Shen's suitcase herself, while Gao Shen trailed behind, observing her figure, her long black hair flowing down her back in smooth, glossy waves that seemed to shimmer in the light.
Her figure was captivating, with a petite upper body and a small chest that contrasted with her curvier, fuller hips that moved with a subtle rhythm. There was a natural elegance about her, a quiet beauty that should have easily caught any man's eye. As she pushed the suitcase along with slender arms, her movements were both deliberate and graceful. By all appearances, she had everything that should have drawn him in, yet Gao Shen felt no spark of attraction.
Perhaps it was because Su Qing had always kept their relationship at a neutral distance.
After they turned a corner, Su Qing noticed that Gao Shen was lagging behind, so she slowed her pace.
"Can you walk a little faster? I still have a class to get to," Su Qing urged.
But she still waited for Gao Shen to catch up before walking side by side with him.
She was always like that, maintaining a comfortable distance with people, which made them feel at ease.
In the past, Gao Shen hadn't understood her behavior, but now he saw it as the quiet strength of a self-assured woman.
............
Finally done with my exams, wish me a good result.
Now updates will be more stable.
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