On June 1, 2025, Children's Day, during the Champions League final, Huang Hao stared at the large 0:5 on the TV screen.
As an Inter Milan fan, he had bet several months of his salary on Inter Milan winning.
Watching the Paris Saint-Germain players celebrate joyfully, anger surged within him, and he instinctively grabbed something and threw it at the TV.
“Zzzzzzz…” Accompanied by the sound of electricity, Huang Hao’s entire body glowed with golden light.
Looking at the iron clothes hanger in his hand, Huang Hao saw his great-grandmother beckoning to him.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
The sound grew louder and louder, constantly irritating Huang Hao's eardrums!
Huang Hao slowly opened his eyes, lying on the bed, his chest still heaving violently from excitement.
Picking up his phone, the screen displayed June 5, 2005.
Huang Hao had transmigrated into another Huang Hao studying in Cambridge, England.
Just then, his phone alarm rang again.
After picking up the phone, three words were clearly displayed on the screen: “See Boss!”
Seeing these three words, Huang Hao sighed softly, got up, quickly washed up, then opened his door and ran towards the Cambridge United Training Base.
Huang Hao, 25, had just enrolled in Cambridge University last year, beginning his study abroad journey in England.
In his spare time, due to his love for football and also to work part-time, he found a part-time job as an assistant coach for the youth team at the local Cambridge United.
While barely able to support himself, Huang Hao could also accumulate professional club work experience there, allowing him to meet the prerequisites for a UEFA B coaching license.
However, just yesterday, the Human Resources Manager of Cambridge United called him, informing him that the club's chairman, Mr. Barry, wanted to see him.
Normally, Huang Hao would rarely have the opportunity to interact with the club's senior management.
After all, he was just an inconspicuous nobody in the youth team.
But at this time, Cambridge United was causing quite a stir locally.
Due to their poor performance last season, the team ranked second to last and was relegated to the National League.
Already deep in financial crisis, Cambridge United seemed even more unsustainable.
A few days ago, it laid off over 60 staff members, including the team's Head Coach!
At this critical juncture, receiving a summons from the club chairman probably meant bad news for him as well.
It seemed he would have to find a new job after the summer break.
But to dismiss him, would they really need the Chairman?
That's completely unnecessary!
With such doubts, Huang Hao quickly arrived at the unassuming two-story office building next to the base.
“What? Are you sure?!”
“You want me to be the team’s… Head… Head Coach for this season?!” Huang Hao shot up from his seat, staring at the club chairman, Barry, in astonishment, his brows furrowed with disbelief.
“That’s right, young man.
We believe you are fully capable of leading Cambridge United back to prominence at a time like this!”
Barry, the Chairman of Cambridge United, looked kind-hearted and responded with a smile.
Barry gently pushed his glasses up and continued, “Huang Hao, what’s more, we are currently just a fifth-tier amateur League team in England.
We won’t put any pressure on you.”
Huang Hao’s mind was filled with question marks at this moment.
Although he had obtained a UEFA C coaching license during his studies abroad, theoretically making him a legitimate professional coach, his current position was merely an assistant coach for the Cambridge United youth team!
And he had only just been promoted!
He had no first-team coaching experience, not even as a first-team assistant coach.
Of course, Cambridge United is currently just an amateur team and cannot be considered a professional team.
A UEFA C license is completely sufficient, but he is a complete rookie.
He had originally thought this meeting would lead to his unfortunate dismissal, but he never expected the club chairman to directly appoint him as the team's Head Coach!
Could this still be a dream???
While Barry wasn't looking, Huang Hao secretly pinched his thigh, and a sharp pain instantly shot through him, making him hiss!
“This is the contract we’ve prepared for you, a 1+1 deal, with a weekly salary of approximately 400 pounds.”
Seeing Huang Hao remain silent for a long time, Barry, thinking he had some concerns, immediately presented the contract.
“Uh, I apologize, this salary isn’t high.
As you know, the team’s current financial situation is quite bad, so I ask for your understanding.”
Clearly, Barry himself knew that the price of this contract was pitifully low, even for an amateur League.
Even in the lower-tier amateur Leagues in the North and South, the Head Coach’s treatment would be much better than this.
Upon hearing this figure, Huang Hao could roughly understand why the team's former Head Coach, Edgar Louis, would rather forgo compensation than continue as the team's Head Coach.
“However, Huang Hao, we’ve all seen your diligent performance since you joined the team last year.
We believe the experience as a team’s Head Coach will be a huge asset for you!
If you seek employment with other teams, it will be a tremendous resume for you, and perhaps in the future, you can even return to China to coach the national team!”
Barry clearly did not want Huang Hao to hesitate, eagerly outlining the various benefits of accepting this contract.
“Mr. Chairman, I accept, and thank the board for their trust in me!”
Even with all his current doubts and confusion, Huang Hao had no reason to refuse this job.
After all, being a first-team Head Coach was a height he simply couldn't reach at the moment!
And Barry was right, having the Head Coach experience on his resume would give him a significant advantage when looking for jobs compared to others.
“Wow, fantastic!
I once again welcome you to Cambridge United, Huang Hao!”
“If you encounter any difficulties, you can always come to me.
The board is your strong backing!”
With that, Barry even clenched his fist tightly.
Thus, Huang Hao, who had originally thought he was about to be laid off, unexpectedly became the Head Coach of a football club with a history of over a hundred years!
Although it was just a small fifth-tier League club deeply mired in financial crisis, for Huang Hao, the role of Head Coach, a position second only to one and above tens of thousands, was more than he could have ever asked for!
Watching Huang Hao's retreating figure, Barry, standing by the window, revealed a subtle, almost imperceptible sneer.
He then picked up his phone and dialed a number:
“Boss, he’s signed the contract.”
“Don’t worry, he’s a rookie with no coaching experience.
If all goes as expected, we’ll be relegated in a few months!”
“Then, dissolving the club might be a lot easier…”
In England, there is a very interesting phenomenon.
Any football club you randomly pick will often have a history of over a hundred years.
Cambridge United Football Club is no exception.
Cambridge United was founded in 1912, also boasting over 90 years of history.
However, disappointingly, it has consistently languished in the lower Leagues of England.
If memory serves, this relegation of Cambridge United severely damaged its vitality, and it wasn't until 2014 that Cambridge United returned to League Two, becoming a professional team.
Nevertheless, after long years of accumulation, especially at Cambridge University, this team also has many loyal fans.
As the pandemic ravaged Europe, England was also severely affected.
Cambridge United, located in England's fifth-tier amateur League, struggled due to a sharp decline in spectators.
To reduce club expenses, Cambridge United laid off 60 staff members at once, including the team's Head Coach!
This move immediately made headlines in the local media!
Despite operating at a deficit, on the deeply football-cultured land of England, the owner dared not easily disband the team.
Unless that person wanted to be infamous and despised in England.
Just as the club's behind-the-scenes owner was at a loss, the club's Chairman, Barry, came up with a perfect plan.
After deliberation, they decided to promote the Chinese Head Coach, Huang Hao, who had no coaching experience in the youth team, attempting to use poor results to completely extinguish the passion of the team's loyal fans, thereby getting rid of Cambridge United, which was a hot potato.