Starting With Real Madrid

It was past two in the morning when Gao Shen finally returned home from Fort Volturno to his house in the Bay Area of Naples.

After the Juventus match, the team interacted with the fans at the Stadio San Paolo and celebrated in the locker room. De Laurentiis and Marino also came by to congratulate the players on their stunning 5-0 victory over Juventus and their advancement to the fourth round of the Coppa Italia.

Unlike the first three rounds, which were played within a week, the fourth round of the Coppa Italia would include the top eight Serie A teams from last season. The matches were scheduled for November, and the draw would take place in the coming days, giving Napoli ample time to prepare.

Now, the team's focus would shift to the upcoming Serie B season.

With three consecutive wins in the Coppa Italia and a stunning rout of Juventus, morale in the squad was at an all time high. Every player was fired up, determined to push Napoli through Serie B and into Serie A as soon as possible.

Even though the aftermath of the Calciopoli scandal had shaken Italian football, Serie A was still regarded as the world's top league. It was the dream of countless professional players to play in such a prestigious competition.

Gao Shen was pleased to see the players aiming high for Serie A. He encouraged them to maintain this ambition and work towards their goal.

Once they returned to Fort Volturno after the celebrations, the team was dismissed for the night.

The first round of Serie B was scheduled for September 9, which gave the team two weeks to prepare. However, with the international break in early September, a few Napoli players would be called up for their national teams or national youth teams. Most of them were in their early twenties and eligible for youth squads.

Although the international break would impact the team's training sessions, this was something Napoli would need to get used to, especially as they aimed to become a top club in Italy and Europe.

For now, Gao Shen planned to give the players who weren't called up a little time to rest, allowing them up to two days off per week. But for the coaching staff, there would be no break. As the Serie B season approached, the schedule would only get more intense.

...

Both Gao Shen and the coaching staff lived in the Bay Area of Naples.

Many of them had brought their families, including Carlo, whose wife had moved with him to Italy. 

Gao Shen, however, lived alone. His assistant Lucas had recently started dating, so he decided to move out and rent his own place instead of continuing to live with Gao Shen.

This left Gao Shen to enjoy a luxury double-decker house on the hills overlooking the sea, complete with a small garden. Despite its large size and scenic location, the rent was surprisingly affordable. 

Lucas and other members of the coaching staff lived nearby, so Gao Shen could easily hitch a ride with them to work.

After a quick shower at Fort Volturno, Gao Shen drove home, but despite being physically exhausted, his mind was still buzzing. He couldn't sleep.

He entered the tactical library as usual, but his excitement made it difficult for him to focus. After a while, he gave up, grabbed his phone from the nightstand, and scrolled through his contacts.

After some hesitation, he finally dialled a number back home in China.

"Hello," came Su Qing's pleasant voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey, are you still awake?" Gao Shen asked.

There was a brief pause before Su Qing responded with a lighthearted tone, "It's morning in China, I'm having breakfast in the school cafeteria."

Gao Shen paused, then smiled awkwardly.

He had completely forgotten about the time difference.

"Sorry, I was just too excited to pay attention to the time."

"Yeah, I saw the news," Su Qing replied. "A lot of newspapers here are covering it. I even heard some students in the cafeteria talking about the match. You guys played beautifully."

She spoke in her usual calm, composed manner, as if nothing could truly excite her.

"I just wanted to talk to someone, that's all."

"Well, I'm free now. Go ahead," Su Qing replied, still maintaining her calm tone.

Gao Shen smiled bitterly, unsure of where to begin.

"If you don't know what to say, just start with what's on your mind," she suggested.

So, Gao Shen began talking about the game. He recounted the victory, his thoughts on tactics, and his excitement about the future. Su Qing listened attentively, even though she wasn't a football fan. She chimed in with brief responses, maintaining her usual air of distance and composure.

But Gao Shen found solace in speaking with her. He knew that whatever he shared, Su Qing would listen and never judge him. She wouldn't laugh at his ambitions, even if they seemed unrealistic to others. She had always been supportive, ever since they were young.

"How about you?" Gao Shen asked, shifting the conversation. "What's your goal?"

"Me? Nothing special. I plan to stay in Beijing and take the civil service exam."

"Why? Doesn't your dad want you to return home?"

Su Qing paused for a moment before replying, "Doesn't your mom also want you to return home?"

Gao Shen laughed.

It seemed that Su Qing, like him, didn't want to follow the path their parents had planned for them.

"Why the civil service?"

"Isn't it a good option?"

"No, it's fine. I was just curious."

"It's stable. And I like the challenge," she said simply.

Stability and challenge two seemingly contradictory concepts, yet Su Qing had found a way to reconcile them.

The two continued to chat, with Gao Shen doing most of the talking. Occasionally, Su Qing would share something about her life, but she was always brief. At one point, she mentioned that she was starting to get interested in football, and Gao Shen, of course, shamelessly encouraged her to watch more of his games.

"You know, Football Manager is a great game. I think you'd like it," Gao Shen teased.

After a long conversation, Su Qing finally excused herself to attend her morning class.

...

Later that day, Su Qing was walking back to her dorm after lunch when she received a call from a delivery service. 

The deliveryman said she had a package waiting for her downstairs, which confused her she hadn't ordered anything recently.

When she went down to pick it up, she found that it was a brand new, high-end laptop along with several football video games, including FIFA, Football Manager, and PES.

The delivery was addressed to her dorm, and the name and phone number were hers. 

She didn't need to guess who had sent it. A small smile appeared on her face.

She had only casually mentioned to Gao Shen that her old laptop had broken.

...

...

Napoli slaughtered Juventus 5-0!

This was the headline that dominated Italy and much of the football world the next day.

No one could quite believe it.

Yes, Juventus had been relegated to Serie B because of the Calciopoli scandal. Yes, they had sold more than €80 million worth of players. Yes, they weren't the same Juventus as before.

But still, no one expected Juventus to be crushed 5-0 by a newly-promoted Serie B team.

After the match, Deschamps faced harsh criticism for his poor tactics and in-game decisions. 

Even Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco voiced his displeasure in an interview with Turin Sports Daily, saying, "It's hard to believe this is the same team that won Serie A last season!"

Although the title had been stripped, Juventus had topped the Serie A table last year, and Secco felt the players had failed to meet the standard expected of them.

"Someone has to take responsibility for this fiasco!" Secco declared.

Meanwhile, the media was full of praise for Gao Shen and his Napoli side.

Despite the €16 million transfer investment, Napoli was still a newly-promoted Serie B team. Yet under Gao Shen's management, they had played outstanding attacking football, even against a weakened Juventus.

Arrigo Sacchi, in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, praised Gao Shen's victory, saying, "Gao Shen has proven that his success at Real Madrid was no fluke."

"I am looking forward to seeing him continue with Napoli. I truly believe he can lead them to Serie A this season. And I'm excited to see what he can achieve once he gets them there!"

In another article, La Gazzetta dello Sport commented on the potential impact of Gao Shen's success, asking, "Is Serie A ready for Gao Shen and his Napoli?"

With Napoli advancing to the fourth round of the Coppa Italia, they would soon face one of the top eight Serie A teams. Many of these teams would be stronger than Juventus.

Yet, La Gazzetta dello Sport remained optimistic, writing, "We might soon see Gao Shen and Napoli shake up the entire balance of power in Serie A."

"Gao Shen and his Napoli are coming. Get ready!"