Chapter 237: Bet

"I came to your city, walking the roads you once walked…"

On the taxi ride from Capital Airport into the city, the radio played a song full of emotion, its melody both nostalgic and melancholy. Gao Shen, seated in the back, was gazing out the window at the rapidly passing scenery, but as soon as the familiar tune filled the car, it caught his attention.

"Would you suddenly appear at the corner coffee shop?"

"I'll smile and wave at you, chatting as if nothing ever changed…."

Gao Shen couldn't help but hum along. Before he had crossed over to this life, he had liked this song a lot. It was a song that, whenever heard, filled a person with the desire to fall in love. Something about it struck him deep down.

"Zhongguancun, please," Gao Shen said to the taxi driver.

His mind drifted to the coffee shop he had visited the year before.

---

Sitting by the window of the coffee shop, Gao Shen ordered a simple Americano and leaned back to relax. The past year had been a whirlwind, but now he was back in China for one reason: to invest in Chile.

For Gao Shen, it was just another business venture. But for Vidal and Sánchez, it was a huge step forward. Both had been inspired by his earlier suggestion about investing back home, and the idea had sparked serious interest. They had families to support, and as much as they loved football, they needed to think about securing their future. Over the past six months, they'd both started working on the project in earnest. The more research they did, the more confident they became about its potential.

Why?

Back in 2005, China and Chile had signed a free trade agreement the first of its kind between China and a Latin American country. The deal stipulated that over the next ten years, the two countries would gradually reduce tariffs until they reached zero.

When Gao Shen first brought it up, he hadn't given it too much thought. But after telling Su Qing about it, she had done her own research and confirmed that it was indeed a promising investment. She encouraged him to pursue it further.

In Chile, Vidal and Sánchez were also busy. Chile was a country with vast resources, a sparse population, and a significant wealth gap. The cost of labor was low, and the opportunity to invest in farms and vineyards was almost too good to pass up.

What was even more appealing was the fact that while Chile was home to hundreds of wineries, only a few were profitable. Many were ripe for acquisition at a fraction of their potential value.

Thus, they all agreed to move forward.

Napoli had just been promoted to Serie A, and the players were earning generous salaries and bonuses, including a special bonus for achieving promotion. With cash on hand, Vidal and Sánchez pooled together their savings, each managing to scrape up half a million euros. Gao Shen matched their investment with another million euros of his own.

With a total of two million euros (around 20 million RMB), they were set to enter the world of business.

Gao Shen knew he couldn't manage the project himself. He didn't have the time or the energy, so he called his parents and asked his father to oversee the venture. He also reached out to Su Qing's father, Su Zhijun, to see if he was interested in joining.

Su Zhijun, being a businessman with plenty of experience, immediately recognized the opportunity. He was intrigued by the proposal and decided to come on board.

For him, the key was connections. He knew people in the supermarket industry, had the right channels, and could leverage his network to help the business succeed.

The deal was simple: Gao Shen would handle the initial investment and planning, while Gao Jianguo and Su Zhijun would manage the operations. Su Zhijun didn't even need to put in any money Gao Shen would give him a 10% stake for his expertise.

The plan was clear. Vidal and Sánchez would manage the farm and winery operations in Chile. Gao Shen would handle the export and sales side through his company in China.

This trip to China was for one purpose: to get all the formalities in place.

Once everything was settled, Gao Jianguo and Su Zhijun would head to Chile to oversee the project.

As for Gao Shen, he'd be back in Europe, continuing his coaching career.

---

A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts as Su Qing approached the table.

"Why don't you ever tell me in advance when you're coming back?" she asked, her tone a mix of complaint and amusement.

She sat down across from him, her eyes showing a mix of joy and frustration.

"I wanted to surprise you," Gao Shen replied with a playful grin.

Su Qing raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying his explanation. "Do you think I'd be surprised? You think this is some movie where the girl is secretly in love with you and waits for you to show up unexpectedly?"

Gao Shen laughed, remembering a time when Su Qing had told him that she didn't like his type.

"Well, I remember you once saying you didn't like my type," he teased.

Su Qing shot him a sharp look. "You also said I wasn't your type either."

Gao Shen pretended to be shocked. "Did I really say that? I don't remember."

"You're impossible," Su Qing muttered, rolling her eyes.

"How long are you staying this time?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Just long enough to get the paperwork sorted. Then I'll head back," Gao Shen replied.

Su Qing paused for a moment, clearly disappointed. "In such a hurry?"

"Yeah, I need to be back for the new Serie A season," Gao Shen explained.

She remembered the night after Napoli lost to Inter Milan. Gao Shen had called her, venting his frustration. He had spoken for what seemed like hours, but there was one thing she clearly remembered: his determination.

"I must defeat Inter Milan. I have to conquer the whole of Italy," he had said.

She knew how much that goal meant to him.

"Well, in that case, let's skip the coffee," she said, standing up. "I'll take you home to get some rest. You need to shake off the jet lag."

Gao Shen nodded, following her out of the coffee shop. As they walked together, Gao Shen found himself humming that familiar song again.

---

The following day, Gao Shen's parents, Gao Jianguo and his wife, arrived in the capital, along with Su Zhijun.

It was their first time visiting the city, and they were eager to explore everything it had to offer.

They had planned out their trip meticulously. They wanted to visit all the major tourist spots the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and more. They even wanted to see the house Gao Shen had bought last year.

Gao Shen had originally planned to leave as soon as possible, but seeing his parents so excited made it impossible to refuse their requests. So, he extended his stay by a few days to spend time with them.

Together with Su Qing, they explored the city, visiting all the places on their list.

And then they visited the new house Gao Shen had bought his dream home in the southern part of the city, near the Summer Palace.

Gao Jianguo and his wife were impressed. Even Su Zhijun, a seasoned businessman, was envious. It was a luxurious property, with all the modern amenities one could wish for.

While visiting the house, they also discussed the booming real estate market. Over the past year, prices had skyrocketed once again.

Standing proudly in the spacious living room, Gao Shen pointed to the latest housing prices and grinned. "How about that, Su Qing? Do you regret your decision last year?"

Su Qing scowled at him, but deep down, she couldn't deny the truth. House prices were rising faster than anyone could have predicted.

"You're just lucky," she muttered.

"Lucky? Let me tell you, this is just the beginning," Gao Shen replied confidently. "In the next fifteen years, the housing prices in the capital will keep rising every single year. It'll reach a point where people can't even afford to dream of owning a home."

"Fifty thousand per square meter?" Su Qing asked incredulously.

"Higher," Gao Shen said with a knowing smile.

"Fifty thousand? Really?" Su Qing couldn't believe it.

"If you don't believe me, let's bet," Gao Shen suggested.

Su Qing raised an eyebrow. "What's the bet?"

"If the prices don't reach 50,000 per square meter, I'll do whatever you ask. If I'm right, well… I'll think of something."

Su Qing thought for a moment before agreeing. "Deal."

Gao Shen's smile widened. He knew the future all too well.

But while Gao Shen was busy enjoying his time in China, forces were stirring in Europe. Unknown to him, a massive effort to poach against him was quietly unfolding behind the scenes.

********

Check out the other fanfictions I'm working on;

* One Piece: King Of The World Starting With The Nitrogen-Nitrogen Fruit

* My Hero Academia: Thunder God

*Naruto: Reborn As Orochimaru

*Ultimate Man [JJK X SOL]: Loading Golden Entries at The Start.