"Plotting against you?"
Gao Shen walked over, laughing as he unscrewed a bottle of mineral water. He took a sip, looked at Ferguson, and asked, "Old man, what is there for me to plot against you for? You tell me."
Ferguson laughed too.
He had actually thought about this question many times. Honestly, there didn't seem to be anything worth scheming over.
Fame? He was almost retired.
Money? Gao Shen was far richer than him, with a much higher post-tax annual salary.
Women? He was just an old man now, and besides, he didn't even have a daughter—only granddaughters, and they were still young.
That was what puzzled him.
In the end, he could only conclude that Gao Shen truly respected him.
Just as Gao Shen had told him before, when he was starting out, he devoured Ferguson's autobiography, studied Manchester United's matches during Ferguson's tenure, and drew much inspiration from them. That helped shape the coach he became today.
Perhaps that was why he respected Ferguson the most.
Ferguson felt at ease with that explanation.
To be fair, Gao Shen had always been open and honest with him.
It was the same when it came to Pogba.
In interpersonal dealings, while exchanging benefits is important, there's no need to make it so overt. That only makes people uncomfortable. Everyone wants to preserve a little dignity.
Like when you're asking someone for help—some do it politely and tactfully, others are blunt and direct.
Gao Shen preferred the long game. He took his time, built up relationships steadily, even if he didn't need anything in return. After all, more friends mean more options. If someone was worth befriending, he would do it. And if he could help them, he would.
That way, when he actually needed a favor in the future, he often didn't even have to ask. Friends would offer to help him first. If he refused, they'd be the ones upset.
That was exactly how things were with Ferguson now.
He didn't need to mention it directly, and there was no point in doing so before the situation played out. Still, a subtle hint was fine.
"Your U18 youth team has done well this year. Great results in the FA Youth Cup," Gao Shen remarked casually.
Ferguson nodded. "Paul McGuinness. He graduated from Loughborough with a sports degree."
"I know him. He was my senior. When I was still in school, he came to give us a lecture. He got hired by United right after graduation. We were all envious back then."
Gao Shen's tone was a bit exaggerated, and Ferguson burst out laughing.
"His father used to coach Manchester United and the England national team. He was one of the original Busby Babes. He survived the Munich Air Disaster but retired young. So Paul was groomed early at United. But to be honest, he didn't have much talent as a player. We advised him early on to focus on coaching."
Gao Shen understood. This was the power of connections.
Most people didn't realize how much weight being head coach of Manchester United and the England national team carried.
It was like how Gao Shen himself could easily place someone at Napoli if he wanted to.
"He's in charge of the U18s now. He used to handle their day-to-day affairs. He started coaching in 2005 and has done a decent job. But he still lacks some experience. He'll probably stick to youth development going forward."
"That's not bad either," Gao Shen replied.
Youth coaching was a good job. The pressure wasn't too heavy, the pay was decent, and it was enough to live comfortably.
Of course, those with ambition could still aim for first-team coaching.
"Your youth development has been excellent over the years. I saw Ravel Morrison play. Incredible talent. He's worth developing. And there's another kid, someone being called the new Vieira… Paul something?"
"Paul Pogba."
"Right, him. He's good, but not as gifted as Morrison. Another local talent."
Gao Shen noticed a flash of helplessness in Ferguson's eyes when Morrison was mentioned.
Ravel Morrison really was a genius.
Anyone who had seen him play wouldn't deny it.
How talented was he?
Ferguson personally oversaw him, asked about his home life, and tried to keep him away from the wrong crowd in Manchester.
But it was no use. The kid grew up around those people. His friends were all troublemakers, and eventually, he spiraled.
"You're not eyeing him, are you?" Ferguson asked warily.
Gao Shen laughed. "If you're selling, I'll buy."
"Get lost!" Ferguson snapped immediately.
"You've got a lot of talented kids. I heard you're having a bit of a row with Anderlecht again. Trying to poach someone?"
Ferguson chuckled. "There's a young lad named Adnan Januzaj. He's very good. When the scout recommended him, I was impressed. He's got great technical skills and dribbling ability."
Seeing the look in Gao Shen's eyes, Ferguson felt deeply satisfied.
You little brat! If I can't beat you on the pitch, I'll beat you with youth players!
"Don't get any ideas. He's already ours. Just waiting on paperwork now."
Gao Shen sighed. "I told the club Belgium's been producing a lot of young talent lately and that we should keep an eye on them, but it was already too late."
"Haven't you already got Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois?" Ferguson smiled and offered a smug "consolation."
Gao Shen didn't take the bait. "Come on, old man. You don't even want to play youngsters in your first team anymore. Why are you hoarding so many? Morrison's already 18, isn't he?"
That comment hit a sore spot for Ferguson.
It really was a headache.
Why?
The youth team had done well. Logically, even if you didn't give them a chance this season, you should at least give them a run next season. Otherwise, the kids would rebel.
At this age, what they needed most was match experience.
Kids these days were nothing like before. They were difficult, rebellious, and hard to handle.
"It's all your fault! If you hadn't shown up and hadn't put on that performance last season, I could've promoted a few players to train with the senior team. But now? The teams ahead of us are strong, and the ones behind are closing in. How can I take it easy?" Ferguson grumbled.
City's rise had disrupted the Premier League's balance, making the competition fiercer than ever.
But the price of that was clubs like Manchester United couldn't afford to gamble on youth anymore.
Even someone like Welbeck had only been promoted after repeated evaluation and training.
As for rising stars like Morrison, there simply weren't opportunities.
Especially with City continually applying pressure, Ferguson had become even more cautious about using young players.
If United slipped, like Arsenal, and fell out of the top four, he'd be in big trouble.
"Alright, alright, blame me!" Gao Shen said cheerfully, happy to accept the blame since he'd gotten the info he wanted.
After a glass of wine, Ferguson sighed. "To be honest, your approach to developing young players is something worth learning from."
Gao Shen was a little surprised. "That might be hard for you. You've got a serious generation gap with them."
"Get out!" Ferguson snapped, annoyed.
He hated being called old more than anything.
Gao Shen chuckled. "The Premier League's so competitive now. If you want results, you've got to ensure your first team stays strong. Developing young players isn't easy. You have to rely on other teams. The old one-stop model, from academy to first team, doesn't really work anymore."
"Barcelona's golden generation is more of an exception."
Ferguson agreed. He'd been exploring new ways to develop youth, like sending them out on loan.
But loans were hard to manage. You couldn't control whether the team suited the player. Even if it did, would they really put in the effort to develop someone else's player?
So, clubs started offering training subsidies—sending players out for free and paying a fee if the loaning club developed them properly.
But honestly, the return on that approach wasn't ideal either.
"That's perfectly normal. I think Real Madrid's method is worth considering."
"What method?"
"Sell them, include a buyback clause, and bring them back after they've proven themselves. It might cost a bit more, but for rich clubs like yours, is money really a problem?"
Clubs like United didn't lack money. What they lacked were players.
For giants like United, results were everything. As long as you performed, there were plenty of ways to make money.
So, Gao Shen's suggestion was actually very reasonable.
"It's not that easy. You know how it is. Even in the Premier League, plenty of clubs struggle to develop young players. It's hard to trust them, especially with technically gifted players."
Gao Shen nodded. "That's why I'm thinking about buying a club. One that focuses on developing young players for big teams like yours. What do you think?"
Ferguson was stunned for a moment. But seeing how serious Gao Shen looked, he burst out laughing.
"That's a great idea. Tons of potential!"
"Really? I don't have much education. Don't try to fool me!"
"Why would I lie to you? If you really buy a team, I'll let you pick any player from my youth squad."
"You can make that call?"
"I've still got that much say, lad," Ferguson said confidently.
Gao Shen looked thoughtful. "Then I'll go back and discuss it with my wife."
Ferguson just laughed and swore at him. Like he'd believe that.
With Gao Shen's status, why would he buy a club?
It was a money pit. Could he really afford it?
Plus, he was still City's head coach. If he bought a club, would he still manage City?
Ferguson didn't believe it for a second but kept egging him on.
"Alright, go talk it over carefully. If there's any news, let me know. I'll take you to the youth academy myself."
That tone, that posture, so generous.
Gao Shen gave him a look of exaggerated frustration, like he had no words.
That just made Ferguson laugh even harder. He felt thoroughly satisfied.
You little brat. I finally got the upper hand.
(To be continued.)