Gao Shen had always believed that if there was anything in this world that could quickly deal with Wenger, it was Ferguson.
If one wasn't enough, then bring two!
The first time Wenger saw Gao Shen, he looked like he was ready to grab a kitchen knife and chop him down. But as soon as he saw the three boxes of Chilean wine Gao Shen had brought, he immediately put down the boning knife.
A smile once again appeared on the professor's wrinkled, weathered face.
"If you had done this earlier, there wouldn't have been any misunderstanding, right?" Wenger called out. "It smells amazing."
Smells amazing?
That old guy Ferguson only accepts two boxes at a time and still brags about it in the headlines. Now I'm taking three boxes!
And it was delivered by Gao Shen himself. Isn't that something?
"When I came in earlier, the team reporters were outside. They saw everything," Gao Shen said with a grin.
Wenger acted like he was thinking, you're a good kid, I won't argue with you about poaching from me.
Gao Shen was just as happy. Not only did he poach Bellerin, he gave Wenger three boxes of wine and even scored some good publicity. A win-win...
Of course, everyone knew the wine wasn't the point. The key was who sent it.
…
The team had come to Arsenal's training ground, and as usual, Gao Shen had to "pay tribute at Wenger's gate."
Arsenal had once again failed to make the top four this season, finishing sixth. But since Manchester City and Manchester United, who contested the FA Cup final, had both already qualified for the Champions League, Wenger's side earned a spot in the Europa League. At least they were still in European competition.
The Premier League had really become chaotic!
A tight title race, intense battles for Champions League spots, scraps for the remaining European places, and fierce relegation fights—it was thrilling in every zone.
Gao Shen only truly realized it after starting to coach in England. If Premier League broadcasting rights were ever split into upper and lower halves, what would the landscape look like?
But one thing was certain: Premier League games were intense and high-quality. Nothing was watered down. Even the broadcast production quality far surpassed other leagues.
It wasn't Arsenal's time to shine yet, and Wenger could only wait.
The club's board knew the score. With the level of investment they had put in, expecting a top-four finish was unrealistic.
After several straight exits in the Champions League, Arsenal's situation was becoming increasingly dire.
Wenger was also frustrated, especially when it came to players like Fabregas—he simply couldn't keep them.
Gao Shen repeatedly assured him that he had no intention of poaching Arsenal players.
Mainly, it was Gervinho's agent who had come out publicly, saying Gao Shen was interested. But Gao Shen really wasn't.
He already had Gareth Bale, Hazard, and Robinho. Why would he want Gervinho?
He wasn't out of his mind!
"Actually, the player I want to sign is Benatia," Wenger confided.
Gao Shen was surprised but shook his head. "Not realistic."
Wenger smiled bitterly and nodded. Who didn't know?
Any top-class center-back had already seen their value skyrocket.
Take Napoli's Benatia for example. Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus were all interested. If the bid wasn't above €40 million, don't even bother calling De Laurentiis or Marino.
Those two old foxes were as sharp as they come.
And Benatia was only 24. Sign him now and he'd give you seven or eight good years.
From a revenue perspective, Arsenal ranked among Europe's elite. But in the transfer market, they had to calculate every penny. It was frustrating.
"Do you think Pellè can adapt to the Premier League?" Wenger asked suddenly.
"Who?" Gao Shen was stunned for a second. He hadn't caught the name.
"Pellè, your favorite student at Napoli."
Gao Shen was genuinely surprised. "You're interested in Pellè?"
The whole world knew Arsenal lacked a proper striker.
Last season, their only real center-forwards were Chamakh and Bendtner. Everyone knew how that went—the Gunners' attack was abysmal.
It was at this moment that Gao Shen realized once again just how much history had changed.
Today, Pellè was Cavani's backup. But his strength and reputation were nothing like before.
Now he was an important part of Napoli's rotation and a key figure in their multi-front campaign.
"If it's about adapting to the Premier League, that won't be a problem. But he won't come cheap."
Wenger smiled. "Cheaper than Cavani though, right?"
Gao Shen laughed too. "That's true."
Cavani's value had skyrocketed.
He had been Serie A's top scorer for years. And now, Paris Saint-Germain had come knocking.
Everyone knew PSG were filthy rich and didn't blink when spending.
Given De Laurentiis and Marino's personalities, if they didn't squeeze every cent out of that deal, they'd regret it for life.
Gao Shen had a strong feeling that the ripple effects of his "butterfly wings" were going to send transfer fees and wages in European football soaring.
Just take Cavani. Do you know how much De Laurentiis asked for?
No less than Cristiano Ronaldo!
Unbelievable. The man had guts!
And Benatia too. Both PSG and Bayern were after him, and they set the price at €60 million.
It was outrageous!
Everyone agreed De Laurentiis was asking too much, but this was excessive.
Still, this would undoubtedly push player valuations up across the board.
Of course, PSG weren't fools. They had their own calculations and played their cards carefully. The deal was still deadlocked. Everyone was waiting to see who blinked first.
"A storm is coming, Professor!" Gao Shen suddenly felt a mix of anxiety and excitement.
Wenger had been around European football for decades. He understood the deeper meaning immediately.
"You chose to dive in at this moment. That proves you're just as much a lunatic!"
Gao Shen didn't mind. Wenger had always been cautious.
"I'm not a lunatic, I'm a great adventurer!" Gao Shen corrected him.
…
As matchday approached, the atmosphere surrounding the Champions League final grew more intense.
Especially after Manchester City and Barcelona both arrived in London, fans from all over the world flooded the streets.
You could see fans of both teams everywhere throughout the city.
According to UEFA data, this Champions League final would draw 86,000 fans, with each club bringing nearly 30,000. Add in neutrals and the streets of London were absolutely packed.
For the two clubs' fans, this was the final.
But for the rest of Britain, for Europe, and for football as a whole, this was a spectacle—an annual celebration.
Mansour's private jet arrived at London Heathrow the day before the final.
That afternoon, Manchester City's owner brought a large entourage straight to the team's hotel.
All the players still remembered the Abu Dhabi visit in 2009. Among them, Giroud was the most excited, because it had been a moment of pride for him.
Back then, when he heard Manchester City were interested in signing him, he rushed from France to join the team just one day before they left for South Africa.
In the end, he received a gift worth hundreds of thousands of euros.
That amount was enough to pay his salary in France for a whole year.
Giroud had basically gotten a full year's salary for free. How could he not be proud?
Gao Shen had always felt Giroud was extremely lucky.
Of course, in Giroud's words, "The best luck of my life was meeting our boss!"
See? That's a man who knows how to flatter.
Hardworking on the pitch and well-behaved off it—what coach wouldn't like him?
The people Mansour brought this time were all heavyweights from the UAE, including government officials, business tycoons, and powerful figures from the emirates. The group was so influential that it even drew the attention of the British government and the European Union.
The UAE wasn't a big country, but it was rich in oil and overflowing with cash.
With the global financial crisis still looming, what country wasn't short on money?
Just look at Qatar—practically buying all of Knightsbridge in London.
However, many Manchester City players were a bit disappointed that Mansour didn't hand out any gifts this time.
But he did bring a promise.
Now that the team had won the Premier League and FA Cup double, if they could win the Champions League as well, every first-team member would receive a hefty bonus beyond what was written in their contracts.
According to Mubarak, even squad players with limited minutes would get at least £500,000.
That was an astronomical bonus!
As the saying goes, heavy rewards inspire bravery.
As soon as Mansour made the announcement, the whole team lit up.
Wasn't that what they were fighting for? To play, to win, to earn.
The Champions League brought glory, and now there was a huge bonus too. What could be better?
Gao Shen also had a private chat with Mansour, during which the Sheikh subtly brought up Leeds United, mainly asking if Gao Shen needed any financial backing.
In Mansour's eyes, football was never just a business card. It was business.
He revealed to Gao Shen that he planned to acquire more clubs around the world and build the strongest football empire on the planet, all under one group.
The advantage was clear: resource sharing.
Coaches, scouts, players—resources could be centralized to fully exploit internal potential.
It reminded Gao Shen of something: every Michelin three-star restaurant owner would open another restaurant next door.
Why?
Because Michelin's high standards meant only a small portion of each ingredient was used. Without another restaurant, the rest would be wasted. With one, those leftovers could become delicious dishes at a lower price.
That was the concept behind Mansour's football empire.
It was also why he valued Manchester City so much.
Because City was his Michelin three-star restaurant.
Gao Shen had mixed feelings. Economically, it made sense. But from a football perspective, he wasn't sure. Football wasn't always about numbers.
Still, Mansour had already started planning.
His interest in investing in Leeds United this time was mainly out of respect for Gao Shen. But Gao Shen didn't want him to get involved and gently reminded him that if Leeds United were promoted to the Premier League, things would get complicated.
Mansour thought about it, agreed, and backed off.
…
After seeing Mansour and the UAE delegation off, Gao Shen took the players out for dinner.
That evening, players' families began arriving one after another. Gao Shen gave the team a full day off so they could spend time with loved ones.
Around eight o'clock, Ferguson showed up at his door.
(To be continued.)