Chapter 317: The Wind Has Changed

The next day, the Italian media was sharply divided into two camps.

One side gave Napoli high praise, applauding their 5-2 away victory over Juventus, achieved even during a period when the team wasn't in peak form. This alone, they argued, was enough to prove Napoli's strength.

In its commentary, Gazzetta dello Sport noted that compared to the Napoli of the season's start, the team had grown significantly stronger and more dominant on the field, exuding the presence of a top Serie A team.

"In less than two years, Gao Shen has transformed Napoli from a newly promoted Serie B team into a formidable force in Serie A!"

Though Napoli remained in third place in the league standings, they were close behind the teams in second and fourth. Many media outlets suggested that Napoli needed to further refine their game and reach optimal condition as soon as possible.

As for the Serie A championship?

Sorry, but that was as good as Inter Milan's.

The other camp, however, was critical of Ranieri.

After the Capanna scandal, Ranieri's position in the Juventus locker room had clearly been undermined, making him even more desperate to hold on to his role as head coach. This desperation had led him to gamble on defeating Napoli at home, taking a more aggressive approach than usual.

This resulted in an offensive battle with Napoli at home.

But when it came to attack, there were only a few teams in Serie A with the firepower to compete, and Juventus was clearly not among them.

Even Roma wouldn't dare to play such an open game against Napoli.

In this context, Ranieri's tactical choice was essentially suicide.

Even Turin Sports Daily, known as Juventus's mouthpiece, called Ranieri's decision foolish and irresponsible.

As for substitute goalkeeper Berardi, he was heavily criticized.

It wasn't that all five goals were his fault, but he bore considerable responsibility for the defensive lapses.

Camoranesi's red card was also labeled as reckless and irrational.

After tallying up the performances, the media concluded that Juventus had suffered a complete defeat in this match.

Apart from Del Piero and Iaquinta, who performed reasonably well, the rest of the team had been utterly outclassed.

This was one of the rare occasions where Gao Shen received widespread recognition from the Italian media.

At the very least, they were starting to acknowledge that Napoli had the strength of a top Serie A team, which was a significant step forward.

Reading these reports, Gao Shen couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

"Does this mean I've reached the fourth stage?" he wondered to himself.

From a newcomer, to a demonized figure, to a "thief stealing the country," and now being described as a sophisticated strategist, with the media starting to genuinely acknowledge Napoli's strength—it was quite a journey.

Gao Shen smiled, relishing the shift in perception. He was already looking forward to the day when these same critics would be singing his praises.

…

Marino arrived at Napoli's headquarters early that morning.

"Is the boss in?" he asked at the front desk.

After getting a positive answer, he headed straight to Chairman De Laurentiis's office.

De Laurentiis was just making himself a cup of Italian coffee. He added a cube of sugar and stirred slowly.

Every morning, when he was in a good mood, he'd make himself a cup of coffee and light up a cigar. That feeling… in two words: pure bliss!

But Marino's arrival interrupted his peaceful ritual.

His face darkened, but as Marino explained the situation, he quickly put his annoyance aside, his expression turning serious. He didn't even touch his coffee or cigar.

"We originally signed a three-year contract with Gao Shen, but it's an annual rolling contract," Marino reminded him.

This contract structure actually favored Gao Shen, though it came at the cost of a lower initial salary.

Negotiation is always about compromise, and Gao Shen had chosen autonomy over a higher salary.

So now, the initiative for renewing the contract lay squarely in Gao Shen's hands.

"Given the current situation, it's highly likely that Ancelotti will be sacked unless he secures Champions League qualification. According to reliable sources, Gao Shen is indeed on AC Milan's shortlist," Marino explained.

Although Gao Shen was seen as a divisive figure by some Italian fans, he held a strong reputation within the professional football community.

Public opinion from the media or fans might paint Gao Shen as a controversial figure, but within the football industry, his tactics and achievements spoke for themselves. Even coaches like Spalletti were studying his strategies.

In fact, one of Gao Shen's greatest endorsements came from Arrigo Sacchi, who had been publicly praising him for a long time.

Sacchi wrote columns on nearly every Napoli game, often applauding Gao Shen's tactics.

For a head coach of Gao Shen's caliber, job security was never a concern. If he ever wanted a new challenge, opportunities would be abundant.

The key question was how he wanted to shape his career.

There was no doubt that Gao Shen was now a renowned coach in Serie A, considered by some top teams for future appointments. However, his influence with elite clubs would still be limited.

If he wanted to reach the next level, he needed to achieve even greater success.

And Napoli was the ideal platform for that growth.

"Moreover, this is also a financial opportunity. If he continues coaching Napoli and elevates the team further, the players' values will increase. When they transfer, he'll receive a share of the profits, which is beneficial for him as well."

Marino continued his analysis without noticing De Laurentiis's face growing increasingly tense.

Especially when Marino mentioned Gao Shen's profit-sharing clause, De Laurentiis felt a pang of bitterness.

Napoli had spent money, paid salaries and bonuses, and provided resources to develop players like Gervinho, only to see Gao Shen walk away with a significant cut when they transferred him for 15 million euros.

That was three million euros in Gao Shen's pocket!

Enough to buy a promising player in Serie A!

But De Laurentiis couldn't complain. After all, he was the one who had insisted on including this clause in Gao Shen's contract. Who could he blame?

Maybe Marino, for not warning him about this earlier!

He didn't even dare to bring up the idea of buying out Gao Shen's profit-sharing clause anymore.

Why?

Because Napoli's players were only increasing in value.

Cavani was now one of the top scorers in Serie A, competing with the likes of Trezeguet, Del Piero, Ibrahimovic, and Di Natale. And how old was he?

There were also Hamsik, Pelle, Di Maria, Sanchez…

Nearly every Napoli player was improving.

Even Thiago Motta, who had recently shown significant progress, was catching attention.

That very morning, rumors circulated that Barcelona was considering buying back Thiago Motta due to his impressive performances in recent matches.

In this situation, De Laurentiis couldn't even bring himself to broach the topic with Gao Shen.

Of course, viewed from another angle, this was actually a good thing.

The higher the players' value, the more Napoli would profit. But De Laurentiis still felt a twinge of pain every time he thought about Gao Shen's share of those profits.

The price of success.

…

"Two things."

After listening to Marino's analysis, De Laurentiis made his decision.

Though he had a reputation for being controlling and calculating, he was ultimately pragmatic when it came to the big picture.

"First, draft a reward plan for winning the Coppa Italia and for securing Champions League qualification this season. We should also have a tiered reward structure for higher league placements, maybe even winning the title."

All team incentives would be tiered, the better the results, the greater the rewards.

Of course, this was in addition to the regular performance bonuses that were already part of the players' and staff's contracts.

"I feel like Gao is aiming for both the Coppa Italia and a strong league finish," De Laurentiis observed, sensing Gao Shen's ambition.

It had to be said, Gao Shen's courage and drive outmatched even De Laurentiis's own.

And because of this, he was willing to delegate authority to Gao Shen.

He knew that trying to control too much would only stifle Gao Shen's creativity and drive him away from Napoli.

So he chose to hold back.

He was genuinely looking forward to Gao Shen leading Napoli to even greater success, establishing the team as a formidable force in Serie A.

This was De Laurentiis's primary goal.

Marino nodded, understanding De Laurentiis's intentions. "I'll arrange it right away."

"Second, prepare a new contract proposal for Gao Shen. Discuss it with the finance department and come up with a sincere offer. Once we have a plan, talk to Gao Shen and get his feedback."

De Laurentiis didn't spell it out, but the implication was clear.

This contract renewal would be based on Gao Shen's terms, and Napoli would make every effort to keep him.

If necessary, they would make significant concessions.

Anyone could see that Napoli was now exuding the confidence of a strong Serie A team. But this confidence was largely rooted in Gao Shen's leadership.

If Gao Shen were to leave, it was uncertain if Napoli could maintain this upward trajectory.

Therefore, retaining Gao Shen, consolidating this foundation, and laying the groundwork for Napoli's future in Serie A was De Laurentiis's top priority.

"Understood. I'll take care of it and head to Castel Volturno tomorrow," Marino replied.

But De Laurentiis shook his head. "We can't wait until tomorrow. Prepare everything now. We'll go to Castel Volturno this afternoon. I have a dinner planned with Gao Shen tonight."

Marino noted the urgency in De Laurentiis's voice.

Though he often grumbled about Gao Shen's profit-sharing clause, De Laurentiis understood the real stakes. When it came to the club's long-term interests, he knew what needed to be done.

Right now, Gao Shen was Napoli's core competitive advantage.

"I'll get on it right away," Marino said, nodding.

After Marino left, De Laurentiis remained seated on the sofa, lost in thought. The coffee in front of him had gone cold, but he didn't seem to notice. His expression was serious, as if he were contemplating something significant.

After a long pause, he seemed to come to a decision. Taking out his phone, he made a call.

"Hello, it's me," he said, his voice calm but resolute. "The villa where Maradona lived back then…."

****

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