"I believe now, you really are a die-hard fan of mine."

  After attending the post-match press ference, Gao Shen invited Ferguson to an office at San Paulo Stadium for a drink.

  Just like the French wine he had gifted Mourinho, Gao Shen had also prepared a box for Ferguson.

  These were rare wines, sourced through Zidane's personal es.

  But Ferguson wasn't just referring to the wine, he was impressed by Gao Shen's knowledge of his past.

  Paisley was a small town in the southwestern suburbs of Gsgow, Sd's rgest city.

  Ba the day, Ferguson had spent four years coag St. Mirren there, his seanagerial job.

  It took him two full seasons to lead the club from the sed division into the Scottish Premier League. He was 36 years old at the time.

  Fans who had read Ferguson's autobiography would be familiar with St. Mirren. It was where his coag career truly took off but also where he suffered humiliatioe his success, his time there ended bitterly, as he was unceremoniously dismissed in 1977 or 1978, f him to move on to Aberdeen.

  But very few people khat during his time coag St. Mirren, Ferguson had another identity: bar owner.

  He had bought two pubs from a yourepreneur named Edward Brunton, a man known for driving a Rolls-Royce.

  One of these bars was in Paisley, the Paisley Turnpike.

  The other was in Ferguson's hometown, located in the High Bay area of southern Gsgow, not far from Ibrox Stadium, home ers. It was at the interse of Paisley Road West and High Bay Road and was called Paisley Avenue West.

  The reason Gao Shen remembered this particur bar was because of a story from Ferguson's autobiography, Managing My Life.

  The bar's basement lounge had a rather peculiar he Elbow Room."

  Yes, the elbow—as in, using one's elbow to gain an advantage.

  Why was it hat?

  Because when Ferguson pyed football, he was notorious for using his elbows to fend off defenders.

  To be ho, if Gao Shen hadn't studied Ferguson's book multiple times iactical library, he probably wouldn't have remembered this minor detail let alohe name of the bar.

  ---

  "You know the bar, so you must know the story behind it tht?" Ferguson asked.

  Gao Shen nodded.

  In his younger years, Ferguson wasn't fully itted to football. Instead, he dabbled in several business ventures, running multiple bars, Paisley Avenue West being one of them.

  But one night, a violent altercation broke out in his bar between two rival gangs. Guns were involved, and things quickly spiraled out of trol.

  As the bar owner, Ferguson was caught in the mess. His bar manager was even arrested.

  Thankfully, this was long before the i era, otherwise, the sdal could have ruined his career before it even started.

  Most of his bars weren't profitable either. Bang football and business proved impossible. Over time, Ferguson fell into serious debt and struggled financially.

  On top of that, Sd in the 1970s was a rough pce, and bar fights were on.

  Ferguson himself wasn't spared, he o caught in a brawl and ended up with a deep head wound from a broken beer bottle.

  After a series of unfortunate events, including his bitter departure from St. Mirren and personal family struggles—Ferguson finally had enough.

  He shut down all his bars a for Aberdeen.

  From that moment on, he fully itted to football.

  And the rest was history.

  But in a twist of fate, even though he quit the bar business, Ferguson ter became obsessed with horse rag, leading to his infamous fallout with Maer United's owners over the Rock of Gibraltar stud rights, a troversy that shook the football world.

  ---

  "Listen, young man," Ferguson said, his tone serious as he looked at Gao Shen.

  "What I want to tell you is this: No one is a prophet. No one knows exactly where they're headed or how their future will unfold."

  His voice carried a weight of lived experience.

  "We're all blindfolded, stumbling forward, trying to find our way. No one is born knowing what they're meant to do or what they're capable of.

  "Autobiographies? They're edited to sound inspiring, to deceive fans. The truth is, I was backed into a er. I had no choice but to go into coag full-time."

  "If my bars had been successful… If my other businesses had worked out… I wouldn't have even bothered with football!"

  Ferguson said it lightly, but Gao Shen could sehe deeper meaning behind his words.

  The real reason Ferguson had devoted himself to football wasn't because of some grand ambition but because life had forced him onto that path.

  Now, after achieving so much, he could refle it all with ease.

  But if Gao Shen took his words too literally, it would be no different from believing the fairy tale version in his autobiography.

  Because the truth was there were no fairy tales in this world.

  "So, young man," Ferguson tinued, his expression softening, "don't be disced. You've still got a long road ahead of you."

  Gao Shen uood.

  He hadn't expected Ferguson to be this kind of person.

  It almost felt like he was giving a motivational speech.

  "Sir," Gao Shen said with a grin, "I heard this wine has a bit of a sour taste. But why does it feel like I'm drinking chi soup for the soul?"

  "Chi soup?" Ferguson blinked in fusion.

  "There's still a sed leg to py," Gao Shen said, still smiling. "Aren't you being a bit too fident?"

  Hearing that, Ferguson chuckled. "What? You actually think you turn this around?"

  Instead of answering directly, Gao Shen started ting on his fingers.

  "Among the 'Big Four' in the Premier League, Arsenal's Highbury and Emirates, and Chelsea's Stamford Bridge, I've already quered them all."

  At that, he smirked and tinued, "It's just a shame we didn't get a ce to py Liverpool this season. Otherwise, I'd be close to colleg all four away wins."

  He paused for effect.

  "You know, I heard that after colleg all four, something special happens. Must be something incredible. What do you think?"

  Ferguson ughed. "What, you think you summon a dragon?"

  "I don't know," Gao Shen said, dead serious. "But I'd like to try."

  Ferguson studied him for a long moment, then gave a slow nod of appreciation.

  "Alright," he said finally.

  "I'll be waiting for you at Old Trafford."

  With that, Ferguson waved a hand and turo leave.

  Chapter 489: Absolute

  Just as Ferguson reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned back slightly, and said, "That's good wine. Make sure to send me another box when you e to Old Trafford."

  Gao Shen watched as Ferguson walked away, feeling as if his admiration for his idol had cracked just a little.

  So, this old man is a shameless rogue!

  He was already holding a box of wine in his hands, yet he was already thinking about the one. Did he think Gao Shen owned a winery or something?

  …Wait a minute.

  He actually does own a winery!

  At that realization, Gao Shen nearly spped himself.

  Why hadn't he thought about giving away his own wine as gifts before?

  The wine from his vineyard was supposedly quite good, and giving it away would double as free advertising.

  Damn, Ferguson had asked for it, so why not seize the opportunity? Not using this moment for promotion would be a waste.

  The first thing that popped into Gao Shen's mind was an iic advertisemeuring Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldobut now, he imagi photoshopped into an ad for Ferguson end his wine.

  The thought of the legendary San holding a bottle of wih that cssic serious expression... Perfect!

  Absolutely brilliant!

  ---

  Napoli 1-1 Maer United.

  For Napoli, this wasn't an ideal result.

  At the post-match press ference, Gao Shen admitted that the team hadn't pyed to their full potential.

  "The pyers performed well. The draw was my fault."

  He aowledged that he had made mistakes both in preparation and during the match itself.

  However, when asked by the media, Napoli's pyers were quick to take responsibility themselves. Mahey hadn't executed the coach's game pn well enough.

  Defensively, the pyers focused on the ceded goal. They admitted that they hadn't done enough to tain Maer United's attack—especially Vargas, who bmed himself for failing to track Cristiano Ronaldo, leading to his solo goal.

  Thiago Motta also stepped forward, saying he hadn't marked Berbatov well enough when the crucial pass was made.

  The attackers didn't shy away from criticism either.

  Napoli had created more ces than Maer United and had 60% possession, but they hadn't turhat domio enough clear-cut opportunities. Both the midfielders and the forwards admitted they could have doer.

  Gao Shen, however, pced the bme on himself. "Our tactics were too servative. That's on me."

  Ferguson, oher hand, was full of praise fao Shen's coag. He aowledged that Napoli had dispyed impressive tactical discipline, making it difficult for Maer Uo impose their game.

  "Iy, we only had one real d we took it."

  Ferguson was satisfied with the 1-1 draw away from home. With the sed leg at Old Trafford, Maer United had the upper hand.

  But Gao Shen wasn't giving up.

  "We will score in the sed leg."

  Napoli's pyers echoed his determination. They were fired up for the return leg.

  The Italian media rgely rallied behind Napoli, reizing them as Serie A's st remaining hope in the Champions League.

  With A eliminated in the group stage, and both Inter Min and Roma knocked out in the Round of 16, Napoli's run to the semifinals was already a massive achievement.

  Now, fag the defending champions and one of Europe's stroeams, Napoli had matched Maer United fe stretches of the game and even had the upper hand at times. Their performance proved they were legitimate tenders.

  Arrigo Sacchi, writing in his n, pointed out that Gao Shen was clearly feeling the pressure of fag his idol, Ferguson but he had still done an excellent job.

  "After all, he's only twe, while Ferguson is sixty-seven."

  Ferguson had been coag for forty years, dating back to his pyer-manager days in Sd. Adding in his pying career, his experience was unmatched.

  Sacchi believed there was no reason to be overly critical of Gao Shen.

  "He's up against Ferguson one of the greatest managers of all time!"

  The European media rgely agreed. Gao Shen's tactics had been solid, and Napoli still had a fighting the sed leg, even if they were at a disadvantage.

  But in Asia—Gao Shen's hion—the rea was far more heated. T"I believe now, you really are a die-hard fan of mine."

  After attending the post-match press ference, Gao Shen invited Ferguson to an office at San Paulo Stadium for a drink.

  Just like the French wine he had gifted Mourinho, Gao Shen had also prepared a box for Ferguson.

  These were rare wines, sourced through Zidane's personal es.

  But Ferguson wasn't just referring to the wine, he was impressed by Gao Shen's knowledge of his past.

  Paisley was a small town in the southwestern suburbs of Gsgow, Sd's rgest city.

  Ba the day, Ferguson had spent four years coag St. Mirren there, his seanagerial job.

  It took him two full seasons to lead the club from the sed division into the Scottish Premier League. He was 36 years old at the time.

  Fans who had read Ferguson's autobiography would be familiar with St. Mirren. It was where his coag career truly took off but also where he suffered humiliatioe his success, his time there ended bitterly, as he was unceremoniously dismissed in 1977 or 1978, f him to move on to Aberdeen.

  But very few people khat during his time coag St. Mirren, Ferguson had another identity: bar owner.

  He had bought two pubs from a yourepreneur named Edward Brunton, a man known for driving a Rolls-Royce.

  One of these bars was in Paisley, the Paisley Turnpike.

  The other was in Ferguson's hometown, located in the High Bay area of southern Gsgow, not far from Ibrox Stadium, home ers. It was at the interse of Paisley Road West and High Bay Road and was called Paisley Avenue West.

  The reason Gao Shen remembered this particur bar was because of a story from Ferguson's autobiography, Managing My Life.

  The bar's basement lounge had a rather peculiar he Elbow Room."

  Yes, the elbow—as in, using one's elbow to gain an advantage.

  Why was it hat?

  Because when Ferguson pyed football, he was notorious for using his elbows to fend off defenders.

  To be ho, if Gao Shen hadn't studied Ferguson's book multiple times iactical library, he probably wouldn't have remembered this minor detail let alohe name of the bar.

  ---

  "You know the bar, so you must know the story behind it tht?" Ferguson asked.

  Gao Shen nodded.

  In his younger years, Ferguson wasn't fully itted to football. Instead, he dabbled in several business ventures, running multiple bars, Paisley Avenue West being one of them.

  But one night, a violent altercation broke out in his bar between two rival gangs. Guns were involved, and things quickly spiraled out of trol.

  As the bar owner, Ferguson was caught in the mess. His bar manager was even arrested.

  Thankfully, this was long before the i era, otherwise, the sdal could have ruined his career before it even started.

  Most of his bars weren't profitable either. Bang football and business proved impossible. Over time, Ferguson fell into serious debt and struggled financially.

  On top of that, Sd in the 1970s was a rough pce, and bar fights were on.

  Ferguson himself wasn't spared, he o caught in a brawl and ended up with a deep head wound from a broken beer bottle.

  After a series of unfortunate events, including his bitter departure from St. Mirren and personal family struggles—Ferguson finally had enough.

  He shut down all his bars a for Aberdeen.

  From that moment on, he fully itted to football.

  And the rest was history.

  But in a twist of fate, even though he quit the bar business, Ferguson ter became obsessed with horse rag, leading to his infamous fallout with Maer United's owners over the Rock of Gibraltar stud rights, a troversy that shook the football world.

  ---

  "Listen, young man," Ferguson said, his tone serious as he looked at Gao Shen.

  "What I want to tell you is this: No one is a prophet. No one knows exactly where they're headed or how their future will unfold."

  His voice carried a weight of lived experience.

  "We're all blindfolded, stumbling forward, trying to find our way. No one is born knowing what they're meant to do or what they're capable of.

  "Autobiographies? They're edited to sound inspiring, to deceive fans. The truth is, I was backed into a er. I had no choice but to go into coag full-time."

  "If my bars had been successful… If my other businesses had worked out… I wouldn't have even bothered with football!"

  Ferguson said it lightly, but Gao Shen could sehe deeper meaning behind his words.

  The real reason Ferguson had devoted himself to football wasn't because of some grand ambition but because life had forced him onto that path.

  Now, after achieving so much, he could refle it all with ease.

  But if Gao Shen took his words too literally, it would be no different from believing the fairy tale version in his autobiography.

  Because the truth was there were no fairy tales in this world.

  "So, young man," Ferguson tinued, his expression softening, "don't be disced. You've still got a long road ahead of you."

  Gao Shen uood.

  He hadn't expected Ferguson to be this kind of person.

  It almost felt like he was giving a motivational speech.

  "Sir," Gao Shen said with a grin, "I heard this wine has a bit of a sour taste. But why does it feel like I'm drinking chi soup for the soul?"

  "Chi soup?" Ferguson blinked in fusion.

  "There's still a sed leg to py," Gao Shen said, still smiling. "Aren't you being a bit too fident?"

  Hearing that, Ferguson chuckled. "What? You actually think you turn this around?"

  Instead of answering directly, Gao Shen started ting on his fingers.

  "Among the 'Big Four' in the Premier League, Arsenal's Highbury and Emirates, and Chelsea's Stamford Bridge, I've already quered them all."

  At that, he smirked and tinued, "It's just a shame we didn't get a ce to py Liverpool this season. Otherwise, I'd be close to colleg all four away wins."

  He paused for effect.

  "You know, I heard that after colleg all four, something special happens. Must be something incredible. What do you think?"

  Ferguson ughed. "What, you think you summon a dragon?"

  "I don't know," Gao Shen said, dead serious. "But I'd like to try."

  Ferguson studied him for a long moment, then gave a slow nod of appreciation.

  "Alright," he said finally.

  "I'll be waiting for you at Old Trafford."

  With that, Ferguson waved a hand and turo leave.

  Chapter 489: Absolute

  Just as Ferguson reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned back slightly, and said, "That's good wine. Make sure to send me another box when you e to Old Trafford."

  Gao Shen watched as Ferguson walked away, feeling as if his admiration for his idol had cracked just a little.

  So, this old man is a shameless rogue!

  He was already holding a box of wine in his hands, yet he was already thinking about the one. Did he think Gao Shen owned a winery or something?

  …Wait a minute.

  He actually does own a winery!

  At that realization, Gao Shen nearly spped himself.

  Why hadn't he thought about giving away his own wine as gifts before?

  The wine from his vineyard was supposedly quite good, and giving it away would double as free advertising.

  Damn, Ferguson had asked for it, so why not seize the opportunity? Not using this moment for promotion would be a waste.

  The first thing that popped into Gao Shen's mind was an iic advertisemeuring Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldobut now, he imagi photoshopped into an ad for Ferguson end his wine.

  The thought of the legendary San holding a bottle of wih that cssic serious expression... Perfect!

  Absolutely brilliant!

  ---

  Napoli 1-1 Maer United.

  For Napoli, this wasn't an ideal result.

  At the post-match press ference, Gao Shen admitted that the team hadn't pyed to their full potential.

  "The pyers performed well. The draw was my fault."

  He aowledged that he had made mistakes both in preparation and during the match itself.

  However, when asked by the media, Napoli's pyers were quick to take responsibility themselves. Mahey hadn't executed the coach's game pn well enough.

  Defensively, the pyers focused on the ceded goal. They admitted that they hadn't done enough to tain Maer United's attack—especially Vargas, who bmed himself for failing to track Cristiano Ronaldo, leading to his solo goal.

  Thiago Motta also stepped forward, saying he hadn't marked Berbatov well enough when the crucial pass was made.

  The attackers didn't shy away from criticism either.

  Napoli had created more ces than Maer United and had 60% possession, but they hadn't turhat domio enough clear-cut opportunities. Both the midfielders and the forwards admitted they could have doer.

  Gao Shen, however, pced the bme on himself. "Our tactics were too servative. That's on me."

  Ferguson, oher hand, was full of praise fao Shen's coag. He aowledged that Napoli had dispyed impressive tactical discipline, making it difficult for Maer Uo impose their game.

  "Iy, we only had one real d we took it."

  Ferguson was satisfied with the 1-1 draw away from home. With the sed leg at Old Trafford, Maer United had the upper hand.

  But Gao Shen wasn't giving up.

  "We will score in the sed leg."

  Napoli's pyers echoed his determination. They were fired up for the return leg.

  The Italian media rgely rallied behind Napoli, reizing them as Serie A's st remaining hope in the Champions League.

  With A eliminated in the group stage, and both Inter Min and Roma knocked out in the Round of 16, Napoli's run to the semifinals was already a massive achievement.

  Now, fag the defending champions and one of Europe's stroeams, Napoli had matched Maer United fe stretches of the game and even had the upper hand at times. Their performance proved they were legitimate tenders.

  Arrigo Sacchi, writing in his n, pointed out that Gao Shen was clearly feeling the pressure of fag his idol, Ferguson but he had still done an excellent job.

  "After all, he's only twe, while Ferguson is sixty-seven."

  Ferguson had been coag for forty years, dating back to his pyer-manager days in Sd. Adding in his pying career, his experience was unmatched.

  Sacchi believed there was no reason to be overly critical of Gao Shen.

  "He's up against Ferguson one of the greatest managers of all time!"

  The European media rgely agreed. Gao Shen's tactics had been solid, and Napoli still had a fighting the sed leg, even if they were at a disadvantage.

  But in Asia—Gao Shen's hion—the rea was far more heated. The match had sparked intense debate, and strong divisions had emerged over Napoli's performance.

  ***

  For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 50+ advanced chapters: patreon./Blownleaves.he match had sparked intense debate, and strong divisions had emerged over Napoli's performance.

  ***

  For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 50+ advanced chapters: patreon./Blownleaves.