Gao Nuo didn't care about making money; he only knew that the Chinese Football Association was incredibly supportive this time.
Filled with enthusiasm, Gao Nuo worked tirelessly with the host system for nine days, sending Sun Hai an 83-page text document titled 'European Football Youth Training Philosophy'.
Sun Hai was once again astonished by Gao Nuo.
After carefully reading the entire document, he realized that the information Gao Nuo provided was even more comprehensive than what he had gathered over many years.
He immediately called Gao Nuo.
"Gao Nuo! Where did you get this document from?" Sun Hai's excited voice came through.
Gao Nuo panicked slightly: "Oh, um? Ah! I asked Li Qiang to collect it, and then I organized it based on Manchester United's youth training."
"What? You collected it yourselves? That's incredible!" Sun Hai said, half-believing, half-doubting, then continued, "Anyway, thank you! Don't worry, Xiao Gao, your team will have a smooth path in China from now on.
Just tell me if you need anything, and I'll make sure it gets done."
"Okay, okay, Coach Sun, don't be so polite.
I'll be troubling you a lot in the future.
I can't talk anymore; I'm still training here."
Finding an excuse, Gao Nuo hung up the phone.
He had underestimated the host system's capabilities.
The host system had provided him with conclusions drawn from synthesizing all modern football youth training systems, which were the most advanced, comprehensive, and authoritative, even in Europe.
Heart pounding, Gao Nuo didn't want any trouble, so he quickly found Li Qiang, and together they agreed on a unified story, much to Li Qiang's confusion.
With everything settled in China, things went more smoothly than Gao Nuo had imagined.
Not only had he established his own agent team, but he had also formed a very close partnership with the Chinese Football Association.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, the vacation ended.
On June 27, 2023, Gao Nuo traveled alone to Manchester to participate in the team's preseason training.
Li Qiang, with the agent team, was handling matters in China and would arrive a few days later.
Wang Qing was staying in China temporarily to take a series of qualification exams after graduation.
In a foreign country, Gao Nuo's only companion was the first pair of football boots created for him by Su Xun Sports, the SX-GAO.1.
They had a red base with black lines outlining the sides.
They looked good, but unfortunately, they didn't incorporate the most cutting-edge technology; overall, they were just average.
Returning to his home in Manchester, Gao Nuo couldn't help but feel a bit lonely.
He forced himself to collect his thoughts and refocus on his club duties.
"host system, are there any new training plans?"
"host: Gao Nuo, 19 years old.
Height: 192cm, Weight: 93kg.
Ball Control: 13.
Passing: 12.
Shooting: 12.
Positioning: 12.
First Touch: 12.
Strength: 14.
Stamina: 15.
Speed: 17.
Explosiveness: 17.
Willpower: 18.
Understanding: 13.
Decisiveness: 11.
Concentration: 17.
Maximum attribute value is 20.
Other attributes are currently hidden.
The host's current training status is good.
Please try to increase your physical fitness as much as possible."
Normally, attributes would decrease during vacation, but with the host system, Gao Nuo's attributes increased instead, with passing, shooting, and first touch all going up by one point.
During this month-long break, Gao Nuo consistently engaged in host system virtual training and regularly played in friendly match instances, maintaining excellent competitive form.
Since the host system said there were no problems with training, then there definitely were none, and Gao Nuo resumed his routine of home and training ground.
After a week of physical training, Manchester United Football Club began arranging friendly matches.
While other players were still recovering their form, the coaching staff was surprised to find Gao Nuo in excellent condition, seemingly needing no adjustment and ready to play at any time.
In various scout reports, another advantage was added to Gao Nuo's profile: a natural warrior.
The team was preparing for the preseason in an orderly fashion, but Ten Hag's recent work was not going smoothly.
Although his first season coaching Manchester United had yielded an acceptable result, for a massive club like Manchester United, if the team couldn't deliver a better performance and win more trophies in the new season, his job would be on the line.
The summer transfer window had already opened, but Manchester United had been slow to act.
The club was in the process of being acquired, temporarily prohibiting all transfer dealings.
However, Ten Hag wasn't idle; he began contacting players' agents according to his own plan.
Barça's midfielder Frenkie de Jong was still not interested in joining.
Napoli's striker Victor Osimhen preferred to go to Real Madrid.
West Ham United's Declan Rice wanted to play for Liverpool.
Tottenham's Harry Kane was not against a transfer but lacked confidence in Manchester United's current situation.
Ten Hag, facing setbacks everywhere, wasn't struggling to find suitable reinforcements.
Rather, for a club of Manchester United's caliber, the value brought by star players aligned better with the club's interests.
The club focused not only on on-field performance but also on commercial value as a crucial signing factor.
Manchester United's successful signings in the past two years were all star players in their prime: Real Madrid's champion center-back Varane and Casemiro, one of Real Madrid's legendary three midfielders.
Sancho and Antony, once highly anticipated, represented failed signings.
Among the young players brought in, only Lisandro Martínez had performed up to his price tag, but he had just undergone foot surgery, and his ability to stay healthy this season remained to be assessed.
Similar to the club's consistently poor performance in signings, Ten Hag's tactical level is yet to be fully seen, but merely through the two deals for Antony and Wout Weghorst, it has slowly become evident that his judgment in transfers might not be entirely reliable.
Perhaps some might argue that Wout Weghorst was a winter loan to plug a gap and doesn't prove much, but at Manchester United, without precise vision, this club cannot be revived.
In addition to needing to clear out several players from the squad, transfers once again became a challenge for Manchester United.
Real Madrid's head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, contacted Li Qiang again, maintaining his interest in Gao Nuo and willing to offer a contract with a 40 million euro transfer fee and a 100,000 euro weekly salary.
This time, Li Qiang did not refuse but demanded guaranteed playing time for Gao Nuo.
Coach Ancelotti did not give a clear answer, and neither side was in a hurry, so the negotiation plan was temporarily shelved.
Among the teams keeping an eye on Gao Nuo, Inter Milan, in contact with Li Qiang, inquired in detail about Gao Nuo's interest in joining and his salary demands.
Li Qiang's reply to Inter Milan was that a transfer fee of 40 million euros might be required, a weekly salary of 80,000 euros, and various bonuses would also need to be added.
Inter Milan's representative stated that they needed to re-evaluate and would resume negotiations once Manchester United's transfer ban was lifted.
These matters were beyond Gao Nuo's concern.
He was currently focused only on training and matches, striving to secure a starting position in the new season.
