"Can I ask you a question?"
After the match, Gao Shen walked over to the visiting team's bench to shake hands with Ancelotti and his assistants. The Italian coach, who had stood side by side with Gao Shen throughout the match, frowned as he spoke.
Gao Shen shook his head solemnly. "No."
Ancelotti nearly lost it right there on the spot.
Damn it, I was just being polite, and you're already refusing?
Whether you let me or not, I'm going to ask!
"Where did you find all these weird players?" Ancelotti asked curiously.
Weird?
Gao Shen's expression darkened. "Are you sure that's the right word?"
"You really want to know?"
Seeing Gao Shen's reaction, Ancelotti thought he might actually get an answer, so he nodded quickly.
This was one of the biggest secrets in world football.
The media and fans were all desperate to understand it.
It was part of what gave Gao Shen such a mysterious aura.
Ancelotti really wanted to know.
If it was truly something magical, then maybe he could start scouting players better suited to his system and build his own dream team.
But Gao Shen immediately poured a bucket of cold water over his head.
"I'm not telling you!" he said smugly.
Ancelotti looked like he was about to break down and nearly lunged forward to tear this guy apart with his bare hands.
Damn it, why bother teasing me if you're not going to say anything?
I should've known—this guy's just as unreliable as he is at cards!
Gao Shen looked at Ancelotti cheerfully. He thought the pudgy Italian was the perfect punching bag. So much fun to mess with.
"What did you think of De Bruyne?" Gao Shen asked.
"Average," Ancelotti replied flatly, though the tone of his voice betrayed his true feelings.
"Really? I thought he was just average too. How about I sell him to you? Interested?" Gao Shen asked as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Ancelotti was stunned. His eyes lit up with surprise. "Seriously? You're selling that kid?"
"Interested or not? Otherwise, I'll offer him to someone else," Gao Shen said with a straight face.
"Why?" Ancelotti started to feel suspicious.
This guy was full of tricks. You could never trust him completely.
"You can see it yourself, I've got so many talented midfielders that I can't use them all. Rather than keeping him on the bench and holding back his development, I'd rather let him go. I've been training him for months, and he still hasn't managed to stand on his own."
Ancelotti found that a little more convincing. He was starting to waver.
Judging by his performance today, De Bruyne did have some shortcomings. For example, his physical condition still needed work. But for his age, he was already quite good.
His passes today were very impressive. That kind of vision and execution left a strong impression.
With more time and better fitness, this kid could definitely become something special.
"How much do you want for him?" Ancelotti asked.
Given De Bruyne's current value, Ancelotti didn't even need to report to the higher-ups. He could make the call himself.
At worst, Chelsea's board would buy him just because he was handpicked by Gao Shen. They'd focus on developing him.
Gao Shen thought about it, hesitated for a moment, then gave his answer.
"Tell you what, since we're old friends, I'll give you a friendly price."
Ancelotti nodded happily. That's more like the Gao Shen I know, generous and righteous!
"Eighty million euros!"
Ancelotti's smile froze instantly. He nearly collapsed on the spot.
What the hell?!
"Eighty million euros?"
"Very cheap," Gao Shen nodded, looking like it pained him to say it.
"Are you out of your mind? Is he really worth 80 million euros?" Ancelotti was completely dumbfounded.
"Don't argue about the price. No discounts!" Gao Shen insisted.
Ancelotti pointed at Gao Shen, completely speechless.
At last, he realized this guy was just messing with him the whole time.
"Believe it or not, in two or three years, you won't even be able to buy him at this price," Gao Shen said confidently.
Ancelotti wanted to shout, I don't believe you!
Even if it's true, that would be in two or three years. And now you want to sell him at that price?
Ancelotti pointed at Gao Shen, wanting to curse him out, but couldn't get the words out. In the end, he could only grit his teeth and say, "I've never seen someone as shameless as you! I don't know you!"
He turned and left angrily.
Gao Shen waved goodbye happily.
"When you've got time, invite me to play cards!" Gao Shen shouted after him.
Ancelotti was cursing him silently.
Play cards with you?
Like hell!
If I ever invite you again, may I… may I…
Forget it. I'm never inviting you again when there are people around!
Hmph!
…
Manchester City defeated Chelsea 2–0 at home, with Robin van Persie scoring a brace, securing a six-game winning streak.
This was the first match of the Premier League's sixth round, and it sent shockwaves through British football.
"Manchester City is the team most likely to win the title," Ancelotti said in the post-match press conference.
The Italian admitted that Chelsea failed to execute their game plan because Manchester City applied relentless pressure in midfield, which prevented Chelsea from playing to their strengths.
Ancelotti didn't hide his disappointment. "We gave our opponents too many counterattacking chances."
"We should thank our defenders and Cech for their outstanding performance in diffusing many threats, but unfortunately, we still conceded two goals."
Many media outlets noted that Ancelotti's post-match comments revealed both his frustration and his recognition of Manchester City's strength.
It was worth noting that Gao Shen had not even used his strongest lineup for this match.
After the game, Sky Sports released player ratings. Manchester City's center-back and captain Kompany received the highest rating of nine, and was named Man of the Match.
Interestingly, Chelsea's striker Drogba received the lowest rating of five, with the comment: "A disappointing performance, which led to his substitution in the second half."
Kompany's review read: "Rock-solid performance, barely missed a tackle, flawless in marking Drogba, completely neutralized the Ivorian striker."
This was one of the rare occasions in recent years where a central defender had successfully locked down Drogba!
In the post-match press conference, Gao Shen also praised four players by name, with Kompany among them.
Van Persie, who scored two goals, was also mentioned. Gao Shen said that since joining Manchester City, the Dutch striker had performed consistently well and was a reliable center forward.
Yaya Touré was also praised for his solid link-up play in midfield.
The 4-3-2-1 formation often risks being disjointed, but Yaya Touré's presence helped maintain cohesion and flow.
The fourth player was De Bruyne.
Gao Shen gave a very high evaluation of the young Belgian, saying he could play a much bigger role in the Manchester City setup. He also encouraged De Bruyne to keep improving and perform even better.
"I think he's just getting started. He's far from his peak. But I believe he'll eventually take over the whole pitch and become the best midfielder in European and world football."
A reporter then asked about David Silva.
"David?" Gao Shen chuckled. "He's already the best midfielder in the world. Just like Rakitic."
This was undoubtedly high praise.
…
Manchester City's 2–0 win over Chelsea took place at noon. Shortly afterward, at 3 p.m., Arsenal kicked off their home game against West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates Stadium.
To everyone's surprise, even though West Brom missed a penalty in the first half, they went on to score three goals in the second half, tearing through Arsenal's defense like paper.
Although Nasri scored twice in quick succession to close the gap, Arsenal still failed to equalize.
The upset shocked everyone.
West Bromwich Albion was a newly promoted side. Even though they were ranked tenth in the table, no one had expected them to beat Arsenal at the Emirates.
But this match clearly showed that Wenger's side had declined significantly this season. Especially after Van Persie and Adebayor's departures, the team's overall strength had taken a big hit.
On one hand, they suffered an upset defeat to a bottom-tier team. On the other, Van Persie was on fire at Manchester City, scoring goal after goal. The contrast couldn't have been sharper.
If there were people who had doubted Arsenal's transfer strategy or questioned the decision to let Van Persie go, he was now proving his worth with every goal. At the same time, he was showing everyone how undervalued he had been at Arsenal.
Gao Shen had managed to pull him out of the mire and make him shine. Once again, this highlighted Gao Shen's incredible eye for talent and earned him universal praise from both media and fans.
Due to international fixtures, European competition, and the League Cup, this round had turned into a kind of Waterloo for teams playing on multiple fronts.
Liverpool drew 2–2 at home against Sunderland. Tottenham lost 0–1 away to West Ham.
Manchester United drew 2–2 away at Bolton.
Apart from Manchester City, none of the top teams won. They either drew or lost.
The British media interpreted this as a symptom of the strain from fighting on multiple fronts.
So why wasn't Manchester City affected?
A key reason was that Manchester City had deliberately fielded young players in the League Cup, allowing Gao Shen's main squad to stay fresh for the match against Chelsea and the upcoming Champions League group match on Wednesday.
"Clearly, in Gao Shen's season plan, the Premier League and Champions League are Manchester City's main objectives. Domestic cup competitions aren't a major focus. He might even treat them as platforms to develop young players."
Now, with six straight wins, a victory over Chelsea, and a three-point lead at the top of the table, Gao Shen's strategy appeared to be paying off. After all, the League Cup was practically useless.
Given the choice between a meaningless domestic cup and leading the league, everyone would undoubtedly choose the latter.
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.