"It's not that I didn't give you a ce. It's that I gave you the ce, and you couldn't grab it!"

  Gao Shen's grin stretched wide, and he looked as though he was on the verge of giving Ai a celebratory hug.

  Oher hand, Ai stood there with a sullen expression, clearly dissatisfied with the match's result.

  And who could bme him?

  A, Serie A's fourth-pced team, had pyed at home against a Napoli side that fielded a heavily rotated lineup. They even had a numerical advantage for the ey of the sed half, yet they barely managed a draw, relying on a penalty that was steeped in troversy.

  Even though Ai defehe decision in his post-match press ference, deep down, he khe truth. When Kaka's shot struainggon's hand, it was uional. Nainggon's hands were reflexively spread and hardly in a position to block the ball deliberately. And if the ball hadn't hit his hand, there was no guara would've gone in.

  Outwardly, Ai had to support his team. But inside, he was clearly frustrated. He'd throwhing at Napoli but still couldn't secure a win.

  Adding insult to injury was Gao Shen's smug demeanor. Ai's temper simmered as he watched the younger coach revel in his triumph.

  ---

  "Did you pn to lose?" Ai finally asked, barely holding back his irritation.

  Gao Shen waved him off casually. "Let me be clear. It's not that I po lose, I was just ready to accept losing. I've got a four-point lead in the league. Who am I afraid of?"

  The words were as sharp as knives, and Gao Shen's ughter only added salt to the wound.

  Ai gred at him, his hands curling into fists. "You better watch yourself. Your overfidence is going to get you into trouble someday."

  But Gao Shen simply shrugged, the smile never leaving his face.

  "Holy, if you'd gone all-in with your stro lionight, we probably would've lost," Ai admitted after a moment, his tone softening.

  Gao Shen nodded in agreement. "Yeah, probably. But I'm not that reckless."

  "Of course not," Ai scoffed. "But this... This was still risky. You pushed your luck."

  Gao Shen grinned wider. "The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. Isn't that what makes it fun?"

  There ark of excitement in Gao Shen's eyes as he tinued. "This is my st season with Napoli. I want to py big, just like when I was at Real Madrid. Back then, I gambled everything for the double, and I won."

  Ai looked at Gao Shen, a mix of admiration and nostalgia washing over him. Once, he'd been just as daring, just as hungry for success. But the years had worn him down. Now, he was more cautious, less willing to take risks.

  "It's great to be young," Ai sighed.

  ---

  Gao Shen's iions were crystal clear.

  By rotating his lineup heavily against A, he was saving his stro pyers for Napoli's midweek Champions League csh against Zenit St. Petersburg. This wasn't just about avenging the draw in Russia; it was about seg three critical points.

  A win against Zenit would all but guarantee Napoli's qualification from the group stage, leaving the final two rounds as a test for first or sed pce.

  But if Napoli failed to beat Zenit at home, they'd face immense pressure in their st two group games against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. The stakes would skyrocket, and the margin for error would disappear.

  With a four-point cushion in Serie A, Gao Shen could afford to take risks domestically. Even a loss to A wouldn't have toppled Napoli from the top of the table. But in the Champions League, where one bad result could derail aire campaign, Gao Shen's decision to prioritize Zenit made perfect sense.

  Ai had to admit it: Gao Shen's strategy was bold, but it was also logical.

  "Still," Ai said, "Bayern's game against Real Madrid won't be easy for them either. They'll treat it like a final."

  "If I were in their position, I'd do the same," Gao Shen replied fidently.

  Bayern's biggest challenge y in their uping trip to St. Petersburg. The harsh Russian winter would make that game treacherous, and they'd likely have to settle for a loss. Their final group-stage match was at home against Napoli, but no team would want to leave their fate hanging o round.

  For Bayern, the match against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu was critical. If they won, they'd essentially secure qualification and turn their focus to fighting Napoli for the top spot.

  But if they lost, Real Madrid would be ba the race, dragging Bayern into a battle for sed pce.

  Both Gao Shen and Ai shared a pessimistic view of Real Madrid's current state. The team cked cohesion, and the locker room was in disarray. It was a far cry from the Gacticos' glory days.

  "People are already talking about you returning to Real Madrid summer," Ai said, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

  Gao Shen chuckled. "And I heard you're pnning to take Kaka there with you."

  The two coaches ughed, the tensioween them easing for a moment.

  "I haven't thought about it yet," Gao Shen said after a pause, his tourning serious.

  Ai studied him carefully. He knew Gao Shen wasn't just talking about returning to Real Madrid, he was refleg on his eure. Gao Shen was the kind of person who threw himself pletely into his work, fog on the present and not w about what came .

  Ai couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

  "Me her," Ai admitted softly. "This is already my eighth season at Min."

  There was a bittersweeto his voice. Eight years was a long time, and Ai had formed deep ties with the club. But those ties also held him back.

  "This team doesn't deserve you, Carlo," Gao Shen said sincerely.

  Ai gave him a weak smile. He knew Gao Shen was right. A was a shadow of its former self, a squad full of aging stars and a club struggling financially. Without signifit iment or a fresh approach, Min couldn't hope to recim its pce at the top of European football.

  But Ai couldn't bring himself to abandon them.

  "You've got too much heart," Gao Shen said, almost reading his mind. "That's why it's hard for you to make the tough calls."

  Ai didn't respond, but his expression said it all. He uood the reality of the situation. He just didn't want to face it.

  As Gao Shen reached out to shake his hand, Ai saw a younger version of himself in the Napoli coach, someone unafraid to take risks, someone willing to make tough decisions for the sake of the team.

  "Think it over carefully, Carlo," Gao Shen said. "I've got a game against Zenit to prepare for, but you've got some decisions of your own to make."

  With that, Gao Shen turned and walked away, leaving Ai standing alone.

  ---

  Ai watched Gao Shen disappear into the distance, his heart heavy with flig emotions.

  Gao Shen's ability to act decisively, his boldness, and his willio take risks, all of it reminded Ai of what he used to be.

  Now, Ai was hesitant, tied down by seality and cautiousness.

  A, seeing Gao Shen's success gave him hope.

  Gao Shen roof that youth and ambition still had a p football, that daring to dream and fight freatness could yield incredible rewards.

  "Being young really is amazing," Ai murmured to himself.