What's it like to suddenly find yourself with nothing to do?

  Holy, it's not a bad feeling.

  Every m, Gao Shen woke up to find Su Qing already goo work, but there was always breakfast waiting for him oove.

  After eating, his days were a mix of leisurely activities—watg the news, browsies, catg up on TV, and expl new hobbies. During this downtime, Gao Shen stumbled upon something ued on Twitter.

  As it turned out, Twitter was beginning its Series B funding round in May, seeking 15 million. Gao Shen decided to i a third of that—5 million.

  tally, this was almost exactly the bonus and sary he earned for leading Napoli to the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles.

  The iment gave him a 6.5% stake in Twitter.

  As a shareholder now, he figured he'd o promote his "business" more actively.

  ---

  Around eleven each m, Gao Shehe apartment and walked to Su Qing's office.

  Every day at lunch, Su Qing would take him to explore different parts of the city, trying out local delicacies.

  Both were from the south, so they weren't used to certain northern foods. But with Su Qing "testing the waters" first, Gao Shen didn't have to worry, he just followed her reendations. She rarely got it wrong.

  Iernoons, Gao Shen ofte grocery shopping and wandered around the area, soaking in the sights.

  When Su Qiurned home in the evenings, she would start preparing dinner.

  W in a core department of a powerful ministry was demanding. Her schedule was uable, and her workload heavy.

  But it was obvious she loved her job, it gave her a sense of aplishment.

  "It feels like I'm part of shaping history," she said proudly one evening.

  "You're a world-renowned manager now, a rising star. As your friend, I 't afford to be too ordinary, I?"

  Gao Shen nodded, watg as Su Qing glowed with enthusiasm.

  People shihe brightest when they're chasing their dreams, he thought.

  ---

  Gao Shen didn't visit his hometown during this trip to a.

  There was no ohere anymore.

  After he ied in farms and wineries in Chile and Peru, both his parents and Su Qing's parents left their hometown and moved to Shanghai. To make their transition easier, Gao Shen bought tartments for them there.

  While the farms and wihemselves weren't highly profitable, the trade busiied to them was booming.

  Even Su Qing's father, Su Zhijun, hadn't anticipated such success. The market was still in its early stages, but it was already thriving.

  The two families now lived in Shanghai, with the pany based there as well. They even made regur trips to Chile ao oversee operations.

  Business was growing more prosperous by the day.

  Naturally, Gao Shen made a point of visiting them upourning to a.

  But by ce, his father and Su Zhijun were out of the try when he arrived. After a short stay in Shanghai, Gao Sheuro the capital, just in time to meet with the Inter Min delegatiarding their coag offer.

  ---

  Before the Inter representatives arrived in the capital, Gao Shen had already spoken with Marco Brand Angelo Moratti by phone and politely deed.

  Coag Inter Min right now wasn't the right move for him.

  First, there was the lingering tension from st season. Napoli had thhly outpyed Inter, and many Inter pyers felt a mix of dissatisfa and even hostility tao Shen and his team.

  Taking over as manager under such circumstances would mean walking into a highly strained situation.

  Sed, Inter's squad wasn't well-suited to Gao Shen's tactical style. The team had too many aging pyers who couldn't execute the high-iy, attag football he preferred. Reshaping the squad into something more dynamic ossible, but at this stage in his career, why should Gao Shen promise or settle for a defeyle that didn't reflect his philosophy?

  He wasn't the same young manager desperate for an opportunity, as he had been at Real Madrid.

  If he were to take the Inter job, restructuring the squad would be a y. But that raised other issues: the cost of such a rebuild, the time it would take, and whether the team could still be petitive during the transition.

  This was where Inter's pn came into py.

  When Moratti, Branca, and Lele Oriali arrived in the capital, they presented a bold vision. They were willing to restructure the team and i heavily to make it happen. Their approach tered on raiding Napoli for talent, effectively transpnting Gao Shen's successful blueprint to Inter.

  While this strategy would save time and streamlihe adjustment process, one signifit hurdle remained: Ztan Ibrahimovi?.

  Inter's star pyer was someone Moratti was determio keep, but Gao Shen had his doubts about building a team around Ibrahimovi?.

  In Gao Shen's view, Ibrahimovi? was a "system pyer"—a superstar whose style dictated the system rather thaing it. His presence imposed a ceiling on what the team could achieve.

  Gao Shen suspected that Guardio, in aimeline, had likely e to the same clusion when he decided to part ways with Ibrahimovi?.

  Ultimately, despite several ih versations, Gao Shen remained firm in his decision.

  He did not want to coater Min.

  Moratti and Branca left disappointed but respectful of his choice.

  ---

  Though Gao Shen was on vacation in a, he remained in close tact with Europe.

  Before he left Italy, Napoli had officially submitted an offer to Sampdoria a scouts to Marseille to explore potential signings.

  While enjoying his downtime, news from Europe arrived regurly.

  The situation in Marseille progressed smoothly.

  Gao Shen's reendation, Madhi Benatia, wasn't even in Marseille at the time. After missing aire seasoo a severe knee ligament injury, he had been released by the club. Gao Shen's scouts tracked him down to a small town on the southern outskirts of Paris, where he ying informal matches with local amateurs.

  The scouts reported that Benatia looked promisie his circumstances.

  When the offer from Napoli arrived, Benatia was stunned.

  To go from being a fotten, injury-prone pyer to receiving an offer from the Serie A champions, it was like a dream e true.

  Overwhelmed, Benatia immediately accepted.

  Gao Shen quickly arranged for a team doctor and two of his key staff members, Bueura and Pintus, to fly to Paris. They ducted a thh medical evaluation and developed a detailed rehabilitation and strength-training pn for Benatia, ensuring he would be fully recovered by the start of training camp.

  Reports from Europe indicated that Benatia was respondio the pn.

  "If he sticks to it, he'll surprise you during training," Bueura assured Gao Shen.

  Meanwhile, iations for aarget, Sampdoria's Maggio, were more plicated.

  Maggio had expressed his desire to move to Napoli, eager to py in the Champions League and join a more ambitious project. However, Sampdoria's initial asking price of €15 million was exorbitant.

  Napoli's general manager, Marino, traveled to Genoa twice to iate. After several rounds of talks, the two clubs finally agreed on a fee of €8 million.

  While Napoli recouped some funds by selling Domid Garics, De Laurentiis still had to cover part of the cost out of his own pocket.

  In the end, however, Napoli secured their top-choice right-back.

  ---

  With Benatia and Maggio signed, and Domid Garics sold, Napoli's overall strength had improved, though they'd speively little—just €2 millio.

  To some, this modest iment seemed underwhelming for a Serie A champion preparing to pete in the Champions League.

  At the press fererodug Maggio, Marino annouhat Napoli's primary transfer objectives had been achieved. The club's focus would now shift to renewing tracts with key pyers, rewarding them for their exceptional performa season.

  At the same time, De Laurentiis ramped up efforts to secure sponsorships, hoping to capitalize on Napoli's ret success. The Serie A and Coppa Italia titles, bined with Champions League participation, presented a golden opportunity to attravestment.

  Without additional funding, De Laurentiis kneoli couldn't sustain its momentum alone.

  It was during this delicate period that news broke in Spain: Bara had made Gao Sheop choice for head coach.

  The report sent shockwaves through Italy.

  De Laurentiis and Marino, who were already worried about retaining their young manager, became even more anxious.

  Meanwhile, Spanish media fidently framed Gao Shen's appoi at Camp Nou as iable.

  To them, Soriano, Begiristain, and Guardio's uping trip to a was merely a formality, just the final step befao Shen's ation as Bara's new king.