The moment Gao Shen suggested staying in China for the Lunar New Year, even extending his stay to visit relatives with his parents and only returning later, both Su Qing and Gao Ming agreed without hesitation.
Gao Jianguo and Su Zhijun were especially delighted.
The residents of the community were usually very busy. Some traveled across the country for business, while others worked nine-to-five jobs. But over the years, they had upheld a cherished tradition: every Lunar New Year, the community committee would organize a large potluck gathering.
What began as a small get-together had grown significantly after recent renovations. With a steady income, the committee had naturally been able to scale things up.
They even organized various recreational activities such as basketball, football, and table tennis tournaments.
Not only did community residents participate, but anyone and any team could join as long as they signed up.
So, every Lunar New Year, the community would be buzzing with activity, both inside and out.
In addition, the committee distributed subsidies annually to households in need, and during the holidays, provided rice and cooking oil, treating all residents equally—whether long-time locals or newcomers who had bought homes more recently.
Of course, these were just the benefits offered by the community committee.
In reality, original residents also received dividends from community-operated businesses, such as rental income from shopping malls. These profits were distributed annually, a benefit that new homeowners did not enjoy.
However, in most other respects, there was no discrimination in treatment.
This made Sunlight Community one of the most well-regarded and desirable residential areas in the city. Even surrounding property prices were higher than elsewhere, thanks not only to its prime location but also to its excellent services and community welfare.
For instance, this annual potluck allowed everyone to join—new and old residents alike, including tenants, shop owners, and even market vendors—creating a vibrant and festive scene.
The lively atmosphere would continue for quite some time, lasting until the Lantern Festival's grand celebration.
Throughout this period, daily festivities and events kept spirits high. The entire community would be filled with laughter and warmth.
This year felt especially different because Gao Shen and Su Qing had returned home.
And they were staying through the Lunar New Year.
As for this legendary figure from Sunlight Community, not to mention within the community itself—even in the wider city—he was a household name.
In recent years, Gao Jianguo and Su Zhijun had frequently used Gao Shen and Su Qing's names to give back through charitable acts in the province, city, and local community, earning them widespread respect and a stellar reputation in their hometown.
As soon as the community committee learned that Gao Shen would be staying for the New Year, they immediately convened a meeting to ensure the celebrations would be more grand and festive than ever.
As the New Year approached, more relatives and friends found free time and began to visit.
In previous years, Gao Shen and Su Qing had usually been abroad. Even when they returned, it was only for short visits.
While a few relatives and friends had stayed in touch while he was overseas, they were a very small minority.
Most hadn't seen him in years, and now that they had the chance to meet again, emotions naturally ran high.
What shocked Gao Shen the most was that two of his and Su Qing's former classmates had already passed away.
It hit him then—without realizing it, he was nearly 40 years old.
It was something worth reflecting on. When he was busy with work, life felt fulfilling and didn't leave much time for thought. But now that he had some idle time, surrounded by everyday life and its familiar warmth, everything from the past began to feel distant and almost unreal.
The contrast in lifestyle between China and abroad was simply too stark.
Through this period of down-to-earth living, Gao Shen began noticing many subtle changes he had previously overlooked.
For instance, when a local city leader came to visit, he specifically invited Gao Shen to attend a symposium in the provincial capital.
The meeting was scheduled just before the Lunar New Year.
As it had already been agreed that the topic would focus on football, Gao Shen made a special trip and was personally received by a provincial leader for a one-on-one discussion.
The country was now placing great importance on football development and was actively exploring new avenues.
Everyone understood that, in order to develop football, more people needed to play the sport. But the current number of players in China was very low.
Professional leagues were struggling, and the overall environment wasn't ideal. Many issues were hard to explain.
Gao Shen had always stayed far away from such matters.
But this time, the provincial plan was to connect with sponsors and use their support to promote football leagues in schools. By sponsoring youth leagues, they hoped to encourage more primary and secondary schools to run internal and inter-school football competitions.
The provincial leader personally assured Gao Shen that there were no political or commercial motives involved. It was purely about strengthening physical education and responding to the national push for campus football.
Gao Shen reviewed the detailed proposal and asked a series of questions. He confirmed that the plan was feasible and wouldn't negatively affect students' academic performance.
Many domestic sports brands were eager to sponsor, offering naming rights and sports equipment. For them, this was a valuable opportunity and they were happy to participate.
All the necessary conditions were essentially in place. Nowadays, many parents care deeply about their children's physical and mental well-being. They actively encourage physical activity and even enroll their kids in expensive sports training programs.
But one major issue remained: there were too few youth football coaches, and their overall skill levels were inconsistent.
In the past, a few small-scale pilot programs had been attempted, but problems soon followed—cases where children got injured while playing football. Some schools and coaches were even sued.
Although these were isolated incidents, they still needed to be taken seriously.
If football were to be promoted on a wider scale, similar issues would likely arise more frequently.
In truth, China had long overlooked the development of youth training coaches.
But that wasn't surprising.
With such a small football-playing population, who would focus on coach development?
Besides, those with certifications and connections often preferred running their own training schools to make more money.
Still, this issue was critical.
From his many years in football, Gao Shen knew that the quality and quantity of a country's youth training coaches were a clear reflection of its overall youth development system.
"Mr. Gao, you're the best football coach in the world. You have the top coaching team, and your Leeds United are Premier League and Champions League winners, known for your youth development. We sincerely hope you can provide more support."
The provincial leader's sincerity was evident, and Gao Shen began to seriously consider the proposal.
"Youth coaches aren't just a matter of training a group of people in one place, putting them through a short boot camp, and then letting them start. They play a vital role in a child's development, so we must pay extra attention to them."
Gao Shen then introduced how youth development was handled in Europe, along with the systems used to train youth coaches in countries like Italy, Spain, France, and England. He spoke about it fluently, as if he were reciting from memory.
The basic qualities and abilities needed to be a youth coach aren't something that can be acquired in a short time.
In recent years, many top European clubs had come to China to open youth training camps. Some were only trying to boost their brand presence, while others genuinely wanted to build a market here. But in the end, none of them made much impact.
Gao Shen fully supported campus football, believing it to be a promising and feasible path.
But the lack of qualified coaches remained a serious issue.
The provincial leader then proposed that they were willing to provide full support for Leeds United to establish a professional youth training center in China. The center would be dedicated to youth development, coach training, and campus football programs.
Currently, many private football training programs operated like crash courses. Their facilities were lacking, coaching quality varied widely, and prices were often excessive, leading to all kinds of issues.
Gao Shen found the idea promising, but one concern remained.
"To build a youth training center, you need a large plot of land. That takes serious commitment."
He didn't say more. The implication was clear.
Youth football training was a semi-public welfare initiative. The site needed to be spacious and accessible.
If it were tucked away in some remote location in the mountains, who would go?
But if it were in an easily accessible urban or suburban area, especially near a subway station, then the land cost alone would be astronomical.
That alone would require immense determination.
To his surprise, the city leader responded without hesitation, "Let's do it!"
Not only would they do it, but they would do it on a large scale.
Nowadays, parents are incredibly busy and have limited time to spend with their children.
If there could be a place where parents and children could play football together—creating more shared moments, offering more family-friendly facilities—that would be a wonderful thing.
And most importantly, it should be a public welfare project.
Gao Shen was a bit stunned. He could truly feel that the leadership's mindset and approach were shifting.
It reminded him of a memory from before he transmigrated. He once drove past a football park that featured a professional pitch surrounded by multiple standard-size fields. Every afternoon and weekend, it was packed with people.
Amateur teams played pickup games, community tournaments were organized spontaneously, and kids trained or chased each other across the turf. The entire place was full of life.
At the time, a friend riding with him commented, "This land sits right next to a major city artery and a subway exit. If they built apartments here, the land alone could fetch billions."
Back then, Gao Shen hadn't thought much of it.
But now, looking back, he realized how great that was.
"Alright. Leeds United and I will fully support this!" With the government's backing, Gao Shen had no reason not to get involved.
Success or not, it was a worthwhile endeavor.
And more importantly, he sincerely wanted to do something meaningful for his hometown.
If his youth training center could produce even a few top talents in the future, that would be an extraordinary achievement.
After returning home from the meeting with the provincial leader, Gao Shen discussed the matter with Su Qing, his father, and his father-in-law. They all offered full support, believing it was a project worth doing.
His father, Gao Jianguo, even said something that left a deep impression on Gao Shen.
"Over the years, we've done many things for the community and for our hometown. Some people truly appreciated it, but others just saw us as show-offs, throwing money around to look important."
"In the beginning, Old Su and I felt a bit uneasy, especially when we heard criticism. We questioned whether any of it was worthwhile. If people weren't grateful, what was the point?"
"But later, some of the community elders told us, whether good or bad, everyone sees and feels it for themselves. We shouldn't let a small group of people shake our resolve."
"When successful, benefit the world. When down and out, better yourself."
"As long as our conscience is clear, that's all that matters."
(To be continued.)