The Santiago Bernabéu had ged quite a bit since Gao Shen had st been here.

  The locker rooms had been upgraded, boasting more plete and modern facilities. Even the visiting team's locker room had seen improvements, so Gao Shen could only imagine how much better the home team's aodations must now be.

  The pyer tunnel had also undergone modifications, now separated by a divider to ehat the two teams wouldn't cross paths as they ehe pitch.

  As Gao Shen walked dowuhe atmosphere began to stir. Along the way, stadium staff members him excitedly, with some even stopping to greet him. Gao Shen respoo them politely, smiling and waving in aowledgment.

  He hadn't expected that the staff at the Bernabéu would still remember him.

  He could faintly hear one employee boasting, "I spoke to Gao Shen once before!"

  Today, Gao Shen wasn't just a coach, he was a living legend in this stadium and throughout this city.

  Emerging from the tunnel, he felt a rush of crity aion as he took in the view.

  The stadium, packed with 70,000 to 80,000 fans, roared with a flood of hat seemed to shake the very air.

  Standing at the entrance of the tunnel, Gao Shen silently sed the stands. He looked forward, then to his left and right, where a sea of fans filled every er.

  For a moment, he was deeply moved.

  Fao Shen, Real Madrid truly ecial.

  Before his time-traveling experience, he had been a fan of the club. Afterward, it became the first team he coached, and uhe most improbable circumstances, he led them to a miraculous double: La Liga and the Champions League.

  How could it not be special?

  The weight of that realization made him pause.

  "Gao!"

  A thunderous voice broke his thoughts.

  Gao Shen turned his head but couldn't make out who was calling him from the stands above the tunnel. He took a few steps back to get a better view.

  "Do you remember me? Wele home!" shouted a fan leaning over the guardrail, waving frantically at him.

  Gao Shen couldn't pce him—after all, he had met tless fans during his time at Real Madrid.

  But at that moment, reition didn't matter. He smiled and waved back.

  "Of course! Thank you!"

  As if his aowledgment had ignited a spark, more and more fans noticed him. Soon, ts of "Gao Sheed from all dires, eg through the stadium.

  The sound was deafening, as though the entire Bernabéu was united in celebrating his return.

  Even the pyers warming up och stopped what they were doing to look toward the sidelines.

  The Real Madrid pyers, particurly those who hadn't experiehe 2006 season, were visibly stuhey had heard stories of Gao Shen's legendary tenure, but this was something else entirely.

  Napoli's pyers were equally shocked. They had known Gao Shen was respected, but they never expected their coach to receive such a rapturous wele at the Bernabéu.

  Wasn't this supposed to be eerritory?

  Gao Shen himself was both surprised and thrilled.

  He first bowed deeply to the fans above the tuhen turo bow toward the stands in all dires, expressing his gratitude.

  The crowd responded with even louder cheers, the energy iadium reag new heights.

  At that moment, Real Madrid's captain, Raul, jogged over to Gao Shen and embraced him warmly.

  The crowd exploded with appuse, ting both their names in unison. For a brief moment, it felt like 2006 all ain.

  Although only two years had passed, it felt like a lifetime for the fans.

  "I'm sao. I tried my best," Raul said after the hug, his voice filled with regret.

  When Gao She Real Madrid, he had entrusted Raul with the responsibility of looking after the younger pyers. It was a role Raul had taken to heart, but circumstances had worked against him.

  Capello, who succeeded Gao Shen, had been too eager to erase his predecessor's legacy, prioritizing his own team over nurturing young talent. Schuster, who followed Capello, had tihe trend, fog solely on immediate results.

  As a result, many of the young pyers Gao Shen had high hopes for—Parejo, De La Red, and others were sidelined. Parejo had left for Serie A, while the responsibilities in midfield were hao newers like Sneijder and Van der Vaart.

  De La Red lost his pohamed Diarra. Ramos was forced into an unfamiliar position on the wing. Felipe Luis? Gone.

  Raul hadn't been able to stop any of it, not when he himself was barely holding onto his role ieam.

  Of the inal Galácticos, only Raul and Casils remained.

  "I know," Gao Shen said, patting Raul on the shoulder in uanding.

  Casils, Guti, Ramos, De La Red, and Arbeloa soon joihem, each taking turns embrag Gao Shen. Though no words were exged, the emotions were palpable.

  ---

  Tonight's match at the Bernabéu wasn't just a Champions League group-stage opener, it ectacle.

  The game had attracted a sellout crowd of 70,000 to 80,000 fans, along with hundreds of media reporters from around the world.

  From the moment Gao Shen appeared, the cameras in the media se were trained on him.

  "Gao Shen is ridiculously popur at Real Madrid," a Reuters journalist ony remarked, breaking the silen the press box.

  Heads turoward him.

  "After Gao She, Real Madrid's subsequent coaches didly inspire fideony expined. "Capello and Schuster both won titles, sure, but those victories had more to do with Bara underperf than Real Madrid pying exceptionally well."

  "When Gao Shen was here, Real Madrid fans didn't appreciate him as much. But after he left and built a thrilling, attag team at Napoli, fans immediately regretted his departure," another journalist chimed in.

  "Exactly. The better Gao Shen performs, the more Real Madrid fa losing him. It's human nature, you only realize the value of something o's gone. Of course, if Gao Shen ever es bad doesn't meet expectations, they'll turn on him just as quickly."

  The rephed, nodding in agreement.

  "For now, though, Gao Shen isn't just popur at Real Madrid. He's one of the most admired coaches in the world, rivaling names like Ferguson and Ai," one journalist said.

  "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," another replied. "Whether Gao Shen belongs in that tier depends on how he performs in the Champions League."

  "True. If Napoli does well this season, his reputation will skyrocket."

  The debate in the press box grew increasingly animated as they discussed Gao Shen's legacy, even before the match had begun.

  ---

  Schuster walked out of the tunnel just as Raul and the other Real Madrid pyers were returning to the pitch after greeting Gao Shen.

  His expression darkened.

  The timi deliberate, as though Raul and the others had left to avoid iing with him.

  But it was the fans' rea that truly stung.

  When Schuster emerged, the crowd's cheers fao Shen only grew louder, almost as if mog him. The message was clear: Schuster was not who they wanted.

  At the Bernabéu, a coach lived and died by the fans' approval. And tonight, Schuster ainfully aware of where he stood.

  The German coach ched his jaw.

  He was still fuming over what had happened in Nyon, where Gao Shen had humiliated him in front of Europe's coag elite. Now, at the Bernabéu, Real Madrid's own fans seemed to be siding with Gao Shen.

  It was an unbearable slight.

  I'll expose you, Schuster thought bitterly. I'll show the world that you're nothing but a fraud, all hype and no substance.

  With that, he stormed to the home team's dugout without so much as aowledging Gao Shen.

  ---

  Zidane, watg from the visiting team's bench, couldn't help but chuckle.

  "It seems like you've really offended him," he said, amused.

  "I have that effe people," Gao Shen replied nontly, gng at Schuster's dour expression.

  "I'm surprised you're pying this cautiously. Are you really pnning to defend tonight?" Zidane asked.

  Gao Shen shook his head.

  "We'll see how the game unfolds. I want to see what Schuster has pnned and how he sets up his team. Then, we'll make adjustments."

  Napoli's starting lineup for the match was banced, capable of both attag and defending. Teically and tactically, Gao Shen believed his side wasn't inferior to Real Madrid.

  He wao ensure Napoli emerged from this matscathed. A draw at the Bernabéu would be an excelle.

  Of course, if an opportunity preseself to win, Gao Shen wouldn't hesitate to take it.

  "It doesn't matter if Schuster's givihe cold shoulder now," Gao Shen said with a smirk. "The real test will e during the game. If he gets his tactics wrong…"

  Gao Shen paused, his tone growing sharp.

  "Even Jesus' ing won't be able to save him."

  If Schuster wao show off, then he'd better be prepared to pay the price