Starting With Real Madrid

Rome Fiumicino Airport.

As the sun rose in the east, an Airbus flight from Dubai slowly descended onto the runway.

Not long after, a wave of international passengers passed through customs and exited the airport.

Among them, five travelers stood out, not only because they had flown business class, but also because one of them was an exceptionally beautiful young woman with a refined temperament.

Earlier on the plane, a European passenger in business class had tried to strike up a conversation with her, but she ignored him.

Even after landing, many people wanted to approach her but hesitated.

Su Qing and her group paid no attention to the incident. After exiting the terminal, they scanned the crowd and soon spotted the sign they were looking for. The handwriting was striking, clearly written by someone with skill.

After all, Gao Shen's handwriting had always been terrible, no matter how much he practiced.

"Hello."

Su Qing called out, then led Gao Shen's parents toward the sign.

After confirming the vehicles, they quickly left the airport and got into a Buick GL8 parked nearby, heading south.

The driver, arranged by Gao Shen, was a club staff member from Naples who frequently made trips to Rome's airport.

The drive from Rome to Naples took over two hours.

They should have arrived earlier, but unfortunately, their flight had been delayed.

"Mr. Gao should be at the training base right now," the driver said when Su Qing asked.

"If you'd like, I can take you there for a visit."

"Really?" Su Zhijun was instantly excited.

As a die-hard football fan, he had always dreamed of watching a Champions League final in person. Visiting Napoli's training base would make the experience even better.

"If you decide to go, I'll just need to make a quick call to arrange it."

Su Zhijun, Gao Jianguo, and the others immediately discussed it. Despite the long and exhausting journey, the chance to see Gao Shen as soon as possible was too tempting to pass up.

Gao Shen's parents and uncle had no objections, and neither did Su Qing.

She tried calling Gao Shen to check, but he didn't answer.

"He's probably leading training right now," the driver explained.

"Yeah, yeah. I heard European clubs don't allow electronic devices during training," Su Zhijun added.

Su Qing understood and decided not to insist.

The driver, accustomed to welcoming visitors, was quite talkative.

As they drove, he pointed out landmarks along the way, giving them the feeling of a guided tour.

Since there was a language barrier, Su Qing translated for the group.

Their main concern was Gao Shen.

How was his life in Naples? How was his relationship with his colleagues? Were the players easy to manage? Had he encountered any conflicts with the club's management?

The driver answered all their questions. After all, Gao Shen's reputation in Naples was nothing short of legendary.

"In the past, when people found out Mr. Gao was single, many wanted to introduce him to a girlfriend. A lot of beautiful Italian celebrities tried to get close to him. But in the end, they were all disappointed."

The driver chuckled and glanced at Su Qing through the rearview mirror.

"He always said he had a beautiful girlfriend back home. At first, we thought he was just making it up, but now..."

Su Qing didn't translate that part, but she couldn't help feeling a little warmth in her heart.

…

Castel Volturno lay just north of Naples, so coming from Rome, they arrived there first.

The driver navigated through town with familiarity, heading straight for the golf club. Along the way, he explained why Napoli's training base was located inside a golf resort.

Officially, it was due to De Laurentiis' business partnership with the club.

Napoli's training base wasn't particularly large, but when they passed through the security checkpoint at the entrance, the guards became noticeably enthusiastic upon learning they were Gao Shen's family.

They greeted them politely and even saluted.

"This is..." Gao Jianguo was taken aback.

Su Zhijun, full of pride, nodded. "It looks like Gao Shen is truly loved here."

They could clearly feel it from the attitudes of both the driver and the security staff.

When they reached the club's parking lot and got out of the car, they immediately heard shouts coming from the training ground.

Napoli's squad was in the middle of an intense training session.

Even from a distance, separated by a barbed-wire fence, Su Qing instantly recognized Gao Shen.

Several other coaches, most of them middle-aged men were directing the drills, while the players trained with full focus. Gao Shen stood alongside a bald man slightly taller than him, speaking quietly, clearly discussing tactical adjustments.

"Do you want me to let him know you're here?" the driver asked.

Su Qing quickly shook her head, and Gao Jianguo and the others agreed.

"Let's just wait and watch for a bit," Su Qing said.

The driver nodded and stayed with them, observing from afar.

…

When Gao Shen woke up that morning, he checked the flight status and saw that Su Qing's group had been delayed.

With no other choice, he headed straight to the training base.

Starting today, the team would enter the final phase of tactical preparation, focusing on disrupting Barcelona's passing game and control while applying high-intensity pressing.

The overall training session went well, though some issues arose.

That was a good thing.

Problems appearing now meant there was still time to fix them.

After each session, the players were given a short break.

As they caught their breath, some of them noticed a group of strangers in the distance. At first, they thought someone was secretly taking photos, whispering among themselves. But when they spotted the club's driver, they relaxed.

Then, one of them saw Su Qing.

Even from a distance, where it was difficult to make out faces clearly, her elegance stood out immediately.

She had an aura that naturally drew attention.

Even among footballers accustomed to being around stunning women, she caught their eye.

A few of them looked more closely and, based on her complexion and hair color, quickly put the pieces together, Boss's family had arrived.

Needless to say, the beautiful and elegant woman who caught everyone's attention was the boss's rumored girlfriend.

Meanwhile, Gao Shen remained completely unaware, still deep in discussion with Zidane.

David Luiz, the most energetic of them all, cleared his throat loudly and walked toward Gao Shen, fully backed by his laughing teammates.

"Boss, there's something I need to tell you," David Luiz said with a serious expression.

But the players behind him were already stifling their laughter.

This was David Luiz's talent, he could make even the most serious things sound amusing.

"What is it?" Gao Shen asked.

"We found an absolute beauty."

"Oh?" Gao Shen chuckled. "How beautiful?"

David Luiz shook his head. "Too beautiful for words. How about I take you to see for yourself?"

"Sorry, I'm not interested in beautiful women," Gao Shen replied.

The moment he said that, the entire squad burst into laughter.

Gao Shen and Zidane exchanged puzzled looks, but before they could react, Carlo and the other coaches noticed the scene. They quickly walked over, playfully scolding the "troublemakers" while pointing behind Gao Shen.

"Go take a look already," Carlo urged with a smile.

Gao Shen turned around and there they were.

Su Qing and his parents had arrived.

Realizing how David Luiz and the others had just tricked him, Gao Shen pointed at them with amusement.

"Antonio, I think they're looking strong. Take care of them for me," he called out.

"Understood. Leave it to me!" Pintus cracked his knuckles menacingly.

A chill ran down the players' spines.

Crap, boss, we were just joking!

…

Under the watchful eyes of the entire team, Gao Shen ran off the training ground straight toward his family.

The moment they met, he hugged his parents tightly.

It had been too long since they last saw each other, and in a foreign country like this, the reunion felt even more emotional.

Then, he turned to Su Qing and embraced her.

Inside the training ground, the players pressed against the wire fence, peeking curiously. The second they saw Gao Shen hug Su Qing, they erupted into cheers and jeers.

"Kiss her, boss!"

"Woohoo, boss! You get the day off!"

"Boss, I'm still a kid!"

The rowdy shouts left Su Qing flustered. Though she had been overwhelmed with emotion at seeing Gao Shen again, the teasing made her cheeks flush. Embarrassed, she quickly pushed him away, giving him a pointed look as if to say, So many people are watching!

Gao Shen grinned, then turned back to his squad.

"Back to training! No peeking!"

But his so-called "monkeys" only got louder, taking full advantage of this rare opportunity to tease him.

Even the senior coaching staff stood at the sidelines, grinning.

Lucas, after getting a good look at Su Qing, sighed dramatically and shook his head.

"Now I understand why he never looked twice at the women here."

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

Carlo, the happiest of them all, couldn't stop laughing.

As Gao Shen's mentor, he had always worried about him. He had seen pictures of Su Qing before, but she was even more stunning in person.

It genuinely made him happy for Gao Shen.

After a brief conversation, Gao Shen had someone escort Su Qing and his family to his office to wait.

Morning training was almost finished, and once it ended, he would take them home.

Watching them enter the building, Gao Shen reluctantly returned to the training ground.

By then, the players were already lined up, looking like obedient schoolboys.

There was nothing Gao Shen could do with this mischievous group.

"My family is here, and I know many of yours are too," he said.

Over the past few days, many players had asked him for extra tickets, they clearly had large groups of family and friends coming to watch the final.

"No matter what happens, for ourselves, for this team, for the fans, and for our loved ones, we must win this Champions League final!"

The players responded with a loud, unified roar.

No one wanted to lose such an important match, especially with their families watching.

***

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