Three years had passed since Gao Shen found himself in this world, and he was feeling the ever-deepening effects of the butterfly effect.

  This "catfish" had stirred up massive ges, including the development of the Braziliaral defeanding before him: David Luiz.

  Gao Shen vividly remembered that when he first started coag Napoli, he had jokingly suggested David Luiz grow a big, fluffy afro. David Luiz, intrigued by the idea, actually grew ohinking it would be fun.

  At its peak, his hair was so long and wild that he looked like a lion, and the hairstyle became his trademark.

  However, things ged. Gao Shen vaguely recalled that after a draw against Inter Min away st season, he had harshly criticized David Luiz and even threateo sell him. That i prompted David Luiz to cut his hair short.

  At first, it was just a little trim, but over time, the hair got shorter and shorter.

  Now, it was ly cropped.

  Initially, Gao Shen had thought David Luiz would only bee stronger if he stuck with the iic afro. But over time, he realized that the shorter the hair, the more posed and reliable David Luiz seemed to bee.

  Gao Shen's trust and relian David Luiz were evident to everyone.

  As long as David Luiz wasn't injured or unfit, he was almost always a starter. Gao Shen had publicly decred on multiple occasions that David Luiz embodied his ideal of the perfect moderral defender.

  But the prerequisite was that David Luiz o remain calm and focused at all times.

  Few pyers earned such high praise from Gao Shen.

  With such trust came meticulous coag and development. Pying in the physically demanding and tactically rigorous Serie A helped David Luiz improve rapidly. His defensive abilities became more solid with each passing season, though he still occasionally had pses in tration.

  Gao Shen often teased him for this and even scolded him on occasion. But David Luiz, ever cheerful and optimistic, would ugh it off and ake it to heart.

  This time, however, was different.

  Napoli reparing for the Champions League knockout stages, and David Luiz would have to face Drogba.

  Bonucci's weakness in one-on-one defending made David Luiz's role even more critical.

  …

  "Three years ago, around this time, I took over a Real Madrid squad full of superstars."

  Gao Shen pulled two chairs over and sat at the doorway of his office, gazing at the training field in the distance as he began chatting with David Luiz.

  This was his signature style, initiating casual yet meaningful versations in ued settings.

  "Back then, Real Madrid was a mess, even though they had the most star-studded squad in the world."

  "Our current assistant coach, Zidane, was still pying at that time. There was Ronaldo, Raul, Roberto Carlos, Beckham, Guti… Robinho, and many others. Every position was stacked with stars."

  "On paper, that team should have been unstoppable. But iy, they were perf terribly. They were ten points behind Bara in the league, had lost to Arsenal at home in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, and were humiliated by Zaragoza in the Copa del Rey. The euation looked hopeless…"

  David Luiz was familiar with this story.

  It was a well-known piece of football history, often revisited by the media when discussing Gao Shen's achievements.

  But Gao Shen wasn't bringing this up t.

  "Tell me, why do you think Real Madrid was so bad at the time?" Gao Shen suddenly asked.

  David Luiz instinctively wao reply: "Because of the superstar strategy, and because many of the pyers were aging…"

  But he caught himself. Something didn't feel right.

  If that were the sole reason, how had Real Madrid's fortuurned around so dramatically after Gao Shen took over? After all, those same superstars had pyed pivotal roles in winning a league and Champions League double under Gao Shen.

  Puzzled, David Luiz shook his head, waiting fao Shen to expin.

  Gao Shen smiled knowingly. "You're overthinking it."

  "Boss, with you around, I don't o think too much. I just listen to whatever you say." David Luiz grinned.

  Gao Shen rolled his eyes. "If you'd really been listening to me all along, you wouldn't still be making the same mistakes."

  He sighed. But deep down, Gao Shen uood that David Luiz's issues stemmed from his personality and habits.

  "You know, back when Cristiano Ronaldo Lisbon, he wasn't sidered the most talented pyer. In Pal, there were others with more natural ability—like Quaresma, for example. Quaresma was so highly regarded that he moved to Bara early in his career."

  "I still remember how dangerous Quaresma was on the right wing. His dribbling was sharper than Ronaldo's, and his outside-foot shot was a real on. But despite all that, it wasn't until 2003 that Ronaldo caught Ferguson's attention."

  David Luiz listened ily. He khere was a deeper message behind Gao Shen's words.

  "Back then, Ronaldo's biggest fw was that his py was too fshy, too chaotid too insistent. In the Premier League, though, defenders don't py o help Ronaldo overe this, Ferguson had defenders hound him relentlessly in training, tag him hard until he learo adapt."

  "Quaresma had simir issues, but he didn't have a coach like Ferguson to guide him. After failing at Bara, he returo the Puese league—his fort zone. Meanwhile, Ronaldo had the ce to ge, adapt to the Premier League, and make himself stronger."

  David Luiz began to grasp what Gao Shen was trying to tell him.

  He wasn't fully there yet, but the message was starting to sink in.

  "I once had dinner with Vite del Bosque, the former Real Madrid coach who now manages Spain's national team. He told me that the Real Madrid team I coached was the best he'd seen in years, eveer than the ones he managed."

  "Del Bosque won two Champions League titles with Real Madrid. But he said it was never just about the stars like Raul, Zidane, o. It was also about pyers like Maman, Sori, and Makelele. They were just as critical to the team's success."

  Gao Shen paused, giving David Luiz time to process his words.

  After a moment, he tinued.

  "The reason Real Madrid transformed under my ma wasn't just tactics or individual brillia was because every pyer was willing to ge and sacrifice for the team's collective success."

  "The reason Ronaldo thrived at Maer United and became one of the world's best was because he ged himself and subdued his natural tendencies. Meanwhile, Quaresma, despite his greater natural talent, failed because he refused to ge."

  "Del Bosque's two Champions League wins weren't just about the stars. They were about the eeam w as one. In football, there's a term for that: unity."

  Gao Shen's tone was calm and measured, but his words struck a chord. David Luiz felt his blood boiling with determination.

  He finally uood the lesson Gao Shen was trying to impart.

  "I've spoken with many great managers—Ferguson, Ai, Sacchi, Capello, Lippi. From our versations, and my own experiences, I've realized ohing."

  "Superstars aren't the most important factor in football. her is pure talent. Not even a renowned coach is the most important."

  "The truly great teams, those that domiheir eras all have ohing in on. They're made up of pyers who are willing to give their all for the team's goals. Pyers who suppress their egos, overe their fws, and dedicate themselves fully to the collective."

  Gao Shen paused again, watg as David Luiz's expression shifted.

  The Brazilian finally uood.

  "David, when I asked Robinho to dribble less, many questioned me. When I asked Ronaldo to track bad defend, I faced criticism. When I implemented a defensive terattag system at Real Madrid, the doubters opped."

  "But Ronaldo won his only Champions League title under me. Beckham finally lifted a trophy at Real Madrid. Robinho pyed some of his best football during my time there."

  "Remember this, David: championships belong to the team. Any pyer ires to be the best must first ie into their team and serve it wholeheartedly."

  David Luiz felt a surge of gratitude aermination.

  He had been just another unknown pyer in Brazil. But in Naples, it was Gao Shen's trust and guidahat had elevated him to where he was today.

  And now, Gao Shen was raising the bar.

  This wasn't just about following orders. It was about transformation trolling his impulses, reshaping his habits, and putting the team above all else.

  It was a daunting challenge, but David Luiz was ready.

  "Boss, I uand. Don't worry, I'll give it my all a your expectations. I won't let you down!" David Luiz stood up and solemnly vowed.

  Gao Shen looked at him, nodded, and said, "I believe in you."