To be ho, meeting Gao Shen these days is no easy task.

  He's simply too busy.

  Liu Wenda had made the call three days ago, but Gao Shen was only able to find time to meet them tonight, taking advantage of the afternoon match. The UAE representatives, however, had shown siderable siy.

  In fact, they seemed determined not to give Gao Shen any room to refuse.

  Emirates Airlines ao Shen a position as their global ambassador with an annual fee of 5 million euros.

  All Gao Shen o do was shoot two advertisements for Emirates Airlines each year, attend several annual promotios anized by the pany, and work with them on i promotions.

  Additionally, it was vital fao Shen to maintain a positive public image.

  As for the UAE Tourism Board, they offered even more money.

  Gao Shen would only o travel to the UAE for a couple of days to shoot a tourism promotional video, after which he could walk away with another 5 million euros.

  All costs associated with the trip and shoot would be covered entirely by the UAE Tourism Board.

  Gao Shen genuinely hadn't expected that someone would voluntarily offer him such a substantial amount of money, let alohis much.

  The best part? All the money was after-tax.

  In other words, any taxes reted to the ine would be paid by the UAE, leaving Gao Shen to simply collect the full sum.

  This approach is on in celebrity endorsements, as managing tax matters be overly plicated.

  Even top executives iating saries typically discuss pensation after taxes.

  The UAE's proposal was well-prepared and brimming with siy, leaving Gao Shen with almost no reason to dee.

  ---

  Mubarak's presen Naples was hy. He had traveled from the UK and stayed iy for three or four days, clearly not just to meet Gao Shen, exge pleasantries, or indulge a supposed "Gao Shen faality.

  When he jokingly cimed to be a fan, not even he believed his words.

  After the formal discussions cluded, Mubarak finally found his ce to speak.

  The retively tall Arab man spoke fluent English, a result of his time studying in the Uates.

  Siaking over Maer City in te September, Mubarak had struggled to find the right path for the club.

  Acc to him, tens of millions of pounds had already been ied, yet there had been no visible results.

  Not only were results g, but Maer City's extravagant spending was causing numerous side effects.

  First, scrutiny from other Premier League clubs, and even the league itself, had grarding the club's finances.

  Sed, pyers like Robinho, upon arrival, immediately began tret joining the team. Frustrations arose, and managing them became a headache.

  Mark Hughes, the current head coach, was another major issue. Though his limitations as a coach were widely aowledged, there were no high-profile managers willing to take over the job at Maer City.

  This was no surprise.

  If a big-name coach had been willing to step in, Mark Hughes would have been dismissed long ago.

  But Mubarak couldn't shake a lingering question.

  "Mr. Gao, I have a question: why do Maer City and other top clubs, like Real Madrid, Bara, or Maer United, receive such drastically different evaluatioe spending the same amount of money?"

  Mubarak was genuinely puzzled.

  What he truly wao uand was how Maer City erceived within the inner circle of European football, particurly amoe coaches.

  After all, there were only a handful of individuals qualified to provide insight, such as head coaches in the Champions League knockout stages or attendees of UEFA's Elite Coaches Summit.

  Gao Shen looked at Mubarak, sidered his question for a moment, and replied, "Do you want to hear the truth?"

  "Of course."

  "I've heard many people talk about Maer City, and their reas are rgely sistent with what you see from the media and fans, mixed reviews. So, where do the ive opinions e from?"

  Mubarak nodded, curious.

  "It's actually very simple: you disrupted the system. You touched someone else's cake."

  After a brief pause, Gao Shen eborated.

  "Take st summer's transfer window as an example. You swooped in and hijacked Robinho at the st minute. Do you think Chelsea would feel good about that? Especially now, when Chelsea is short on wingers. They're likely thinking, 'If Maer City hadn't taken Robinho, then…'"

  Gao Shen shrugged and spread his hands ily.

  "Additionally, because your team isn't perf well, you've had to pay premiums to attract pyers. Otherwise, they wouldn't e. While this is perfectly rational eic behavior, it iably forces other teams to spend more to retain their pyers, higher saries and bonuses.

  "Those same teams peting with you for pyers also have to pay higher prices.

  "So, you bme them for not liking you? And beyond that, the transfer market is already fiercely petitive, with big clubs fighting over the limited pool of top talent. Now, here es Maer City, a new te in like a barbarian, raiding every star they find to bolster their ranks."

  Gao Shen chuckled.

  "From your perspective, there's nothing wrong with this approach. But from the perspective of your rivals, it's a source of frustration."

  "Moself isn't ily good or bad, it's all about the person spending it."

  Mubarak, though only 31 years old, was struck by the wisdom of these words ing from someone even youhan him.

  He felt like a light had been turned on in a dark room.

  "In fact, if Maer City performed well, much of the ivity would dissipate. Professional football is, at its core, a jungle where the strohe weak. If you're strong enough to win titles, others will respect you. If they don't? Beat them until they do."

  Mubarak burst into appuse, g vigorously.

  "Yes, that's exactly it!" he excimed.

  "There's no way I'm spending this much money just to endure ridicule. The oh the money should call the shots!"

  "When I first arrived in Engnd, people in London advised me to learn from Chelsea. They said Chelsea was a model of how a nouveau riche club could transition into aablished giant."

  Chelsea's success was indeed widely reized.

  And why?

  Two Premier League titles and a Champions League runner-up finish were enough to t Chelsea's reputation among Europe's elite clubs.

  The key, of course, was Abramovich's sistent iment.

  "In Abramovich's first season, when Ranieri underperformed, everyone called Chelsea a nouveau riche. The media and fans mocked them relentlessly.

  "Maer City's situation now is far worse than Chelsea's back then. Why? Because there's already a Chelsea ahead of you, and your local rivals, Maer United, are at their peak. On top of that, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham are all very strong."

  Mubarak sighed. "We need our own 'Mourinho'—someone who y a solid foundation for Maer City, establish a strong tactical system, and transform the team into a legitimate tender."

  That much was clear. Mark Hughes wasn't capable of doing any of that.

  ---

  Mubarak tinued asking more specific questions. For instance, Maer City wao establish a tactical philosophy and youth development system. However, building such a foundation often required poag talent.

  But how should they determiheir dire? Which style should they emute?

  "Learn from Bara," Gao Shen replied without hesitation.

  "Bara?" Mubarak asked, surprised.

  Gao Shen nodded.

  "Bara's system isn't easy to replicate, it requires a deep foundation. But their approach represents the future. Once you've implemeheir system, you adapt it to Maer City's unique characteristid the realities of English football. This would allow you to develop your owy over time."

  Mubarak houghtfully. He seemed to grasp the essence of Gao Shen's advice.

  Gao Sheated briefly before o suggestion.

  "And stop being superstitious about superstars."

  Mubarak blinked, startled.

  "I heard that you offered nearly 100 million pounds for Kaka, plus an astronomical sary. I don't think that's a wise decision. Instead of spending that mu one superstar, you could use the same amount to sign several high-quality, young, and talented pyers with potential."

  "Think about it: when Chelsea first rose to promiheir stars—Drogba, Essien, Robben, Terry, and Lampard—weren't big hey became superstars at Chelsea. That's part of why Chelsea earned respect.

  "Oher hand, look at the big-name signings Chelsea made ter: Shevko, Balck, Deco. It's not that they weren't skilled, but in terms of value, it wasn't worth it."

  "Modern football is about teamwork. Instead of chasiablished stars, i in building your own."

  To Gao Shen, Mark Hughes was currently Maer City's biggest obstacle.

  Without a head coach capable of establishing a system, even a roster filled with stars would struggle to succeed.

  If Maer City wao thrive, they had to align with the broader trends in European football: tactical innovation, youth development, and colboration.

  And, most importantly, they o find their own Mourinho.