The presidential suites in high-end hotels all have private driveways and dedicated elevators.
Ramos entered through this private driveway into the underground parking garage, then took the elevator straight up to the presidential suite.
Before ringing the doorbell, he took a moment to check his clothes.
He had carefully dressed up before heading out today.
After making sure everything was in order, he rang the doorbell.
Soon, Gao Shen opened the door.
"Hello, Boss. Nice to see you!"
The moment the door opened and Ramos saw Gao Shen, he immediately spread his arms wide, full of enthusiasm.
"Long time no see, Sergio." Gao Shen returned the hug politely.
Once inside, the kid started glancing around sneakily, eyes darting about like a scout entering unfamiliar territory, all while throwing out exaggerated compliments.
He kept going on about how luxurious the suite was, how spacious the rooms were, how comfortable the lounge and entertainment room looked. He expressed his envy repeatedly. In short, just a bunch of nonsense.
"What are you looking for?" Gao Shen laughed, watching him dart around.
Ramos grinned and strolled over to sit on the couch.
"Just checking in on you, Boss."
"Doesn't feel like it."
"Boss, your wife didn't come with you, so I wanted to see if you had someone secretly hidden in the room," Ramos said, winking with a face that said, "We're all men, you know what I mean."
Gao Shen was speechless. Do I look like that kind of guy?
Even if I were that kind of guy, knowing you were coming, would I leave someone here for you to find?
Idiot. I haven't seen you in years, and you're still as dumb as ever.
Come to think of it, Ramos was already 26 now.
Gao Shen still remembered that when he first coached Real Madrid, Ramos wasn't even 20. Back then, he was fearless, daring to challenge the big names, full of reckless courage.
Now, he looked more mature, but also a lot craftier.
That was only natural.
After going through so much, who could stay the same?
If Ramos were still like he was back then, Gao Shen would probably have a headache instead.
…
The reason Gao Shen chose to meet with Ramos first wasn't random, nor because Ramos was the one he was closest to.
In terms of closeness, it was actually Ángel Di María.
After the Argentine joined Real Madrid, he would regularly call Gao Shen, especially during the holidays.
Just from that alone, Gao Shen knew how much Di María respected him.
Ramos, too, was familiar with Gao Shen. They had fought side by side. But Gao Shen had been away for six years. Many things had changed. Both he and Ramos had changed.
Gao Shen chose to meet Ramos first because of his importance in the dressing room and what he represented moving forward.
Casillas was the current captain of Real Madrid, but his leadership style was very different from past captains, and even more so from Ramos.
Real Madrid's goalkeeper was the type who didn't speak much or take on much responsibility.
That was one of the main reasons for the ongoing issues in the locker room.
Before officially taking over, Gao Shen wanted to understand what the players were really thinking.
"Sergio, there aren't many players I truly trust in this Real Madrid squad. You know what happened with Adán. The whole team was upset about it. I did what I could, but a lot of it was out of my hands. That's why Courtois is here."
What Gao Shen said wasn't wrong, and he spoke with confidence, because Courtois really wasn't his signing.
Ramos was well aware of that.
He also knew Gao Shen had personally persuaded Adán to leave.
"Boss, if there's anything you need, just say the word. I'll do everything I can," Ramos said firmly.
Gao Shen smiled and praised him, saying he hadn't disappointed him.
Anyway, a few kind words never hurt.
From the moment Ramos entered the room to the point they sat down and started chatting, Gao Shen had been observing him. He adjusted the tone and rhythm of the conversation accordingly and made an effort to cater to Ramos.
Because he could tell Ramos had come here cautiously.
That's why he was trying to seem casual, joking about "looking for women" as a way to lighten the mood and close the distance.
It probably took him a while to think up that move.
"To be honest, a lot of people have told me that Iker is no longer fit to be captain," Gao Shen said bluntly.
"Who said that?" Ramos was stunned.
"Quite a few people," Gao Shen replied calmly.
Ramos swore under his breath, then looked at Gao Shen and said helplessly, "Boss, don't listen to the nonsense outside. As for last season's incident, I don't think Iker did anything wrong. He's not just Real Madrid's captain, he's also Spain's captain…"
"No, no, no, Sergio, you've misunderstood. I don't think he was wrong either. I agree with you on that."
"Then…"
"I'm talking about the stuff his girlfriend reported," Gao Shen cut straight to the point.
Ramos fell silent, then scoffed. "I told him not to get involved with her, but he wouldn't listen. I don't know what kind of spell that woman put on him. He listens to her for everything. He won't even let me speak. If I say too much, he gets angry!"
The resentment was written all over Ramos' face.
The whole conflict between Mourinho and Casillas had escalated because of the female reporter's articles.
Sure, the manager mishandled things. But was Casillas innocent?
Now the past was the past. Mourinho was gone, and Gao Shen had no intention of revisiting it. There was no point. His goal was to manage the current locker room.
But the Casillas issue still needed resolving.
The captaincy at Real Madrid wasn't like other clubs.
"I'm thinking about whether he's still suitable to be captain," Gao Shen admitted.
He really was.
Ramos didn't know how to respond.
Any manager coming in would have the same thought. It was only natural.
Even if Casillas had once been Gao Shen's favorite player, it didn't matter now. What happened last season had been too serious.
Who could guarantee that his girlfriend wouldn't stir up more trouble?
"Boss, I understand and respect your thinking. But changing the captain is a huge decision…"
"If—and I mean if," Gao Shen interrupted, "I made you captain instead, what would you think?"
Ramos looked at him in surprise, clearly caught off guard, then quickly fell into thought.
Real Madrid had a tradition of awarding the armband based on seniority.
Right now, Casillas was captain and Ramos was vice-captain. If Casillas stepped down, Ramos would naturally be next in line.
Previously, Mourinho had tried to make Ronaldo captain, which had caused a lot of controversy because of that tradition.
"To be honest, Sergio, there aren't many players I trust in this locker room. You're one of them. If I'm going to change the captain, you're my top choice. I believe you can do the job."
Gao Shen's words left Ramos speechless. He looked conflicted.
Had he thought about becoming captain?
Of course.
He was already vice-captain. Given Casillas' age, and after what happened last season, it would be a lie if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind.
In reality, he was the acting captain last season.
But being captain on the field and being the official captain were not the same thing.
"Boss, I have something to say, but…" Ramos hesitated.
Gao Shen smiled and handed him a bottle of water. "Same as always. You talk, I'll listen. No one else will ever hear about it. Even if you curse out Florentino, I won't say a word."
Ramos laughed.
Back then, he had actually ranted about Florentino to Gao Shen.
And as it turned out, Florentino had never heard a word of it.
The center-back exhaled heavily, then said, "Boss, if you ask me if I want to be Real Madrid's captain, I'll tell you without hesitation: 100%, yes. I've wanted that since the day I joined this club."
Gao Shen understood. He'd known that six years ago.
"But honestly, now's not the right time," Ramos said seriously.
"The national team just won the Euros. Iker was the captain. If he comes back to Real Madrid and gets stripped of the armband, no matter who takes over, it's going to cause tension and conflict."
Gao Shen nodded. It was a mature and thoughtful answer.
He hadn't expected Ramos to be so considerate.
Then again, it made sense. Ramos had been at Real Madrid for many years. Of course he had grown.
He might play with reckless abandon on the pitch, but off the pitch, this was his real personality.
"Boss, I think you should think carefully before changing the captain. Now isn't the right time. What you need most right now is stability, to get everyone focused on training and games."
After a pause, Ramos added that if Gao Shen decided to make a change, he would fully support him.
Gao Shen didn't give a final answer but said he would carefully consider Ramos' advice.
After that, they chatted about some locker room matters, including player performances and the effects of the summer transfers.
As a player, Ramos knew a fair bit.
Though he was a homegrown Spaniard, he got along well with Ronaldo and the other foreign players. He was popular across the board.
How to describe him?
He had a "high-functioning social disorder." No matter where he went, he could fit in with everyone.
Gao Shen got a lot of useful information from him, including insight into what the players were really thinking.
Under Gao Shen's coaxing, Ramos couldn't help but vent about many people, from Mourinho to Ronaldo to others in the squad. No one escaped his "poisoned tongue."
Gao Shen felt that Ramos looked a lot more relaxed after letting it all out.
Over the years, Gao Shen had always played the role of a "tree hollow"—a place to pour your heart out.
(To be continued.)
***
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