Starting With Real Madrid

When Gao Shen and Su Qing got out of the taxi, took out their suitcases, and appeared at the intersection of the Sunshine community, everyone around them was stunned and caught off guard.

Gao Shen is back! Su Qing is also back!

These two were well-known figures in the community, especially Gao Shen. Recently, even provincial and national newspapers had come to the community to interview and report on him. The news of his achievements, including winning two championships abroad, had amazed everyone. The locals were proud of how he had garnered praise from foreigners.

"Gao Shen, you're back!" someone shouted from the intersection.

"Yes, Third Uncle, just got off the plane."

"Hey, Gao Shen, you're doing so well now, why didn't you call us in advance?"

"Uncle Liu, don't make fun of me. What's so great about what I'm doing?"

"Gao Shen, I've always said you'd be the most promising person in our community. Remember, I used to give you smart candies when you were a kid, didn't I?"

"Yes, yes, Uncle Zhang, the candy from your shop was always the best."

Gao Shen and Su Qing pulled their suitcases, greeting everyone as they walked into the community.

Returning to his familiar hometown, Gao Shen felt a surge of emotion.

He hadn't been back for three years.

"Gao Shen? Is that really you? My God, I'm a Real Madrid fan! Can you sign something for me?"

A young man who had heard the news rushed over excitedly, shouting with uncontainable enthusiasm.

Gao Shen didn't recognize whose child he was, but he smiled and agreed, signing his name.

"I've told my classmates so many times that Gao Shen is my neighbor, but they never believed me. Now, I'll show them this signature and make them envious!"

Before leaving, the young man turned back to say goodbye to Gao Shen. "Gao Shen, I'm on the school football team. I'll work hard to get into the Europa League in the future, just like you. I'll learn from you!"

Gao Shen watched as the young man ran further away. He was probably a junior high school student, but he was quite tall. Gao Shen couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

He wanted to tell him to focus on his studies, but the boy was already gone.

"Do you think I'm setting a bad example?" Gao Shen asked Su Qing with a wry smile.

Su Qing understood what Gao Shen meant, shook her head, and said, "No, everyone has their own path to take. You're just following the path you chose. What others think doesn't matter."

Gao Shen turned to smile at Su Qing, appreciating her straightforward perspective.

...

Gao Jianguo, Zhang Wenying, Su Zhijun, and Lin Xiuhui had already received a call and knew that the two young ones were coming home today. They were all waiting in the courtyard of Gao Shen's house.

Some relatives and neighbors were also there. Everyone chatted and drank tea, passing the time.

When they got the call from the convenience store at the intersection that Gao Shen had arrived, they immediately went to greet him.

As they reached the intersection, they saw Gao Shen and Su Qing coming with their suitcases.

Su Qing came back home for winter and summer vacations, but Gao Shen had not been home for three years.

Seeing his parents from a distance, Gao Shen felt a bit timid.

He was somewhat uneasy because, after all, he was not the real Gao Shen.

But when he saw his familiar parents, he was overwhelmed with emotion.

Aren't they also his parents in this life?

"Dad, Mom," he called out excitedly as he approached. He took three quick steps, reached them, and hugged them tightly, his voice choking with emotion.

"It's good to have you back, just good to have you back."

His father remained composed, but his mother began to cry immediately. Her eyes filled with tears as she carefully examined his face.

"You've lost weight; you must have suffered a lot out there," she said, her voice breaking.

"It's fine, it's fine," Gao Shen replied with a smile.

But the more he said it, the more his mother felt that he was just trying to comfort her with nice words. How could she believe it?

"Okay, okay, the child is back now. Let's be happy. Let's go home first and talk slowly," Su Zhijun, who was also delighted to see his daughter return, chimed in to help persuade.

"Yes, Sister Wenying, let's head home first," Lin Xiuhui added, pulling Zhang Wenying's arm gently.

"Yes, let's be happy. We should be happy. Let's go home first."

A lively group of people led Gao Shen to the courtyard of his house.

Gao Shen's parents were honest migrant workers. Although they had some relatives, they were rarely this lively, so they seemed unsure how to react.

However, Su Zhijun, a businessman with extensive experience, was not intimidated. He acted as if he were in his own home, greeting the Gao family's relatives and neighbors warmly. No one found it strange.

It was a normal scene among old neighbors in the community.

Being a die-hard football fan, Su Zhijun's first move after settling in was to ask Gao Shen for an autograph and a photo, saying he would proudly display it on his desk.

"Haha, I can proudly tell everyone that the coach of Real Madrid's double championship is my nephew."

Everyone chimed in with praise, and many followed suit, clamoring for photos and autographs. They were even more excited than Real Madrid fans.

All the elders present uncles, aunts, and even some grandfathers were eager, and Gao Shen was more than happy to fulfill their requests.

Afterward, everyone urged Gao Shen to talk about his time coaching Real Madrid in Spain.

Although most of them had read about it in newspapers or watched it on TV, hearing the story from Gao Shen himself was far more intriguing.

Gao Shen briefly explained that the reality was much more complex and severe, but even so, everyone was astonished. None of them had experienced such dramatic ups and downs in life.

When the conversation turned to Gao Shen's recent time in the capital, everyone was curious about what it was like.

Apart from Su Zhijun, who had gone to the capital to send Su Qing to school, most of them had never left the province.

They listened with fascination to stories about the capital. Then, Gao Shen accidentally let slip something that surprised everyone: he had bought a house in the capital.

Throughout the ages, no matter when or where, the common people were most concerned about matters they could relate to.

Buying a home was always a big deal.

"It's not one house, it's two," Su Qing calmly corrected him.

The crowd was even more astonished.

He had bought two apartments in one go?

Su Zhijun looked at his precious daughter, who was sitting beside him, and asked, "What are the house prices like in the capital now?"

"In the core area of the city center, it's around seven or eight thousand at the low end, and over ten thousand at the high end," Su Qing said. She paused and added, "He bought a large duplex for over ten thousand, and later a large flat near my school for around eight thousand per square meter. He even said he would rent it to me for free after the renovation."

Even Su Zhijun was taken aback this time.

With these prices, it was clear that buying these apartments would cost several million yuan.

"What about a mortgage loan? Is it easy to get now?" he asked, concerned.

From his tone, it seemed he was thinking about buying a house for his daughter as a future dowry.

"I don't know about mortgages; he paid in full," Su Qing replied casually.

The room fell silent.

Paid in full!!!

To take out several million yuan in cash at once and buy two apartments outright, how wealthy could someone be?

In 2006, for ordinary people in third-tier cities earning a monthly salary of 1,000 yuan, hearing about the Champions League or La Liga was irrelevant. They would think it was a story, something far removed from their reality.

But when it came to money and property, it was a different matter.

To pay several million in cash in one go to buy two apartments in the capital was almost unimaginable.

Even looking across the whole city, how many could do that?

For them, this was truly shocking.

They didn't understand real estate fluctuations or market trends, but they knew one thing for sure:

Gao Shen was sophisticated!

...

Gao Shen understood why Su Qing had told their family and friends about his house purchase.

Over the past few years, many people in the community had looked down on their family.

People had mocked Gao Shen for going to Europe to study football. They thought he had given up a promising future to learn something frivolous, indirectly causing his parents to be looked down upon.

That's how life was in the community. They called themselves cousins and neighbors, but in reality, they weren't always harmonious.

Su Qing's words were meant to boost their family's pride so that Gao Shen's parents could hold their heads high in the future.

This was the reality: the Gao family was rich!

Su Zhijun, a longtime friend of the Gao family who owned several supermarket chains in the city, was one of the wealthier residents in the community. Even for him, buying such an expensive house was a big deal.

After everyone had left, he repeatedly insisted that Gao Shen should charge Su Qing rent. "This is how friends and family should deal with each other with everything clear," he said.

Gao Shen just smiled and didn't answer.

For his second home in the capital, he had chosen a two- or three-year-old new community near Su Qing's university. The developers and the property management were very reputable, and the school district and supporting facilities were extremely comprehensive. There was a subway station just over 300 meters away. According to Su Qing, this subway station was a transfer station, and another line under construction was expected to open before the Olympics.

Perhaps the landlord was eager to sell, or Su Qing's bargaining skills were formidable. The final transaction price for this house, which had a market price of over 8,000 yuan per square meter, ended up being in the low 7,000s. It was a large flat of more than 150 square meters, totaling several million yuan, but he paid the full amount upfront.

"Uncle Su, let's talk about these things later," Gao Shen said, intending to steer the conversation away from money. "You know this city well. Tell me, where are the most expensive houses? What's the best place to buy?"

"Do you even have to ask? Of course, it's the core area of the city center. The current housing prices are nearing 4,000 yuan per square meter, but the units are all quite large, with the smallest being 130 square meters," Su Zhijun replied, clearly knowledgeable.

After a pause, he asked again, "Are you planning to flip the house?"

Gao Shen laughed awkwardly. He didn't intend to speculate on property prices because, for him, investments offered a better return than real estate speculation.

"My parents have always wanted to move to the city center. I plan to buy two apartments for them to live in."

Su Zhijun's eyes brightened with understanding. "That's a great idea. I've been looking at houses too. Let's find time in the next few days to go together."

Gao Shen had no reason to refuse.

---

Meanwhile, in Europe...

As Gao Shen was busy buying houses for his parents back in China, his name continued to be mentioned by several clubs in the far-off world of European football.

There were even giants among them.