Two days later, Yu Shengwen completed his task ahead of schedule and arrived in Shudu, officially joining Gao Nuo's management team.
The company registration progressed smoothly under Gao Yuan's leadership, and Li Qiang wasn't idle either; he pulled Yu Shengwen along, and the two of them wielded their hoes, digging up corners everywhere.
In Gao Nuo's home in Manchester, a recovered Wang Qing was making lunch. Seeing Gao Nuo in swimming trunks, bare-chested, her face flushed, "Are you done with training? Rest a bit, then get ready to eat."
His ankle injury hadn't fully healed, so Gao Nuo had been training his physical fitness in the backyard pool these past two days. He acknowledged her, then went back to his room to change clothes.
"Qing Qing, does it still hurt?" Gao Nuo asked, feeling a bit guilty.
Wang Qing's face instantly turned red again, "You're asking to die, aren't you? Just eat properly!"
Gao Nuo chuckled foolishly, saying, "After the team's match tomorrow, we'll have a holiday the day after, so we can stay here for two more nights."
Wang Qing served Gao Nuo some food and asked, "How's Qiang Ge's side of things?"
"It's going well. He's already scouted a professional agent, who apparently brought three young players with him. The two of them are currently scouting for more people. My dad is handling the company registration; it should be done in about half a month."
The two chatted while eating.
In the afternoon, Wang Qing dragged Gao Nuo to the mall. Seeing Wang Qing buy two pairs of leather shoes, Gao Nuo seriously stated that his feet were size 47 and the shoes she bought were too small, which made Wang Qing pinch his thigh hard and lightly toss out three words: "Meeting the parents."
The silly boy finally realized, and he happily became her bag-carrier.
Wang Qing was meticulous, buying gifts for almost all the relatives they would see back home, until Gao Nuo couldn't carry anything more, and only then did she call it a day.
Gao Nuo attended the England FA Cup final with Wang Qing in the stands, which inevitably led to media reports. Gao Nuo didn't try to hide it, essentially openly admitting his relationship.
Manchester United ultimately lost the match 1-3. Although the result was not ideal, Manchester United's performance in this match was decent, with similar statistics for both sides. The loss was mainly due to the poor finishing ability of the forwards.
Manchester United Football Club officially concluded its work for the season. Erik ten Hag conducted a season review for the team:
Fourth place in the Premier League,
League Cup champions,
FA Cup runners-up,
Quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Erik ten Hag first praised the team's performance this season, then set the goals for the next season's matches:
The goal for the Premier League is undoubtedly to contend for the championship.
The goal for the Champions League is relatively lowered, aiming to secure a spot in the quarter-finals and strive to reach the semi-finals.
As for the two domestic cup competitions, there is no clear distinction; the team only needs to show its due competitiveness, hoping to win one championship.
The players had no objections and all supported the coach's match plan.
The meeting concluded, and starting tomorrow, the team would enter the summer break. The Manchester United players, having endured a tiring season, would begin to enjoy a month-long vacation.
In his first season as a professional, Gao Nuo made 20 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions, with 10 starts and 10 substitutions, scoring 9 goals and providing 10 assists.
Statistics nearing one goal contribution per game;
And it was only his rookie season;
Nearly double-digit goals and assists in 20 matches;
No improvement in ability during the last 2 months of training;
Whether the Chinese player can continue to fulfill his potential is questionable.
The report submitted by the performance analyst clearly documented Gao Nuo's high-energy performance this season. However, long-standing prejudice against Chinese football meant that the club always lacked confidence in Gao Nuo's future.
Such a performance, if by any European player, would undoubtedly be hailed as a prodigy, and their market value would skyrocket.
But Gao Nuo's transfer market value is only 32.5 million euros, and the European agent community gave this valuation because of the commercial value of the Chinese market behind Gao Nuo.
Most clubs and agents are taking a wait-and-see approach with Gao Nuo; 20 matches are not enough to convince arrogant European football.
On June 5, 2023, Gao Nuo, who was immensely popular in China, returned to the embrace of his homeland.
Under the arrangements of Gao Yuan and Xu Meiling, relatives from both the Gao and Wang families were invited to a welcoming dinner for the two children, and incidentally, their engagement was set, with the wedding to be held when they reached legal age.
Looking at the well-matched young couple, Father Gao and Father Wang were very pleased. Filled with joy, the two exchanged toasts and drank to their heart's content.
After the festivities, the Chinese Football Association paid a visit the day after Gao Nuo returned to China, which somewhat flattered Gao Nuo, as it seemed to deviate from the Chinese Football Association's usual high-and-mighty demeanor.
Gao Nuo did not neglect them either, politely inviting the visitors to a teahouse, dressed formally, and arriving early with Li Qiang.
At 10 AM, Gao Nuo met Sun Hai of the Chinese Football Association for the first time. This former National Football Team player, who also played in the Premier League, transitioned to coaching after retirement and has been dedicated to improving the domestic youth training system. He has already achieved initial success, cultivating a group of competitive young players for the National Football Team U20.
Since the Tie Zi case, the Chinese Football Association underwent a purge. Sun Hai was promoted to Chairman of the Xinjiang Province Football Association and has hopes of becoming the Chairman of the Chinese Football Association in the future.
Gao Nuo respectfully shook hands with Sun Hai, genuinely respecting this generation of predecessors who bravely ventured into the World Cup.
After introductions and a chat about the Premier League matches, Sun Hai stated the purpose of his visit today.
"Xiao Gao, the main reason I came to see you today is just to meet you. When you first joined the Premier League, we had some internal issues, and no one was able to contact you. We didn't give you enough attention, and that was a mistake in our work."
Gao Nuo quickly waved his hand, "Coach Sun, you're too kind. I didn't have an agent before, and I was just focused on training every day, so I didn't get around to contacting our domestic side."
"Focusing on training is right, and I really admire your professionalism. Let's not be so formal," Sun Hai said with a smile, looking at Li Qiang. "Xiao Li, being an agent isn't easy. I have some friends in England too, so if you need help, just let me know."
Faced with Sun Hai's gesture of goodwill, Li Qiang didn't hesitate at all and immediately said, "Coach Sun, since you've said so, then I'll be thick-skinned and ask for your help in contacting our domestic youth training institutions. That way, when I sign players in the future, the prices can be more reasonable."
Sun Hai was a bit puzzled, "Oh, how do you mean? Do you plan to sign domestic players?"
As the saying goes, 'it's good to enjoy the shade when leaning against a big tree.' If Gao Nuo's agent plan could get help from the Chinese Football Association, it would certainly be much smoother to implement. Li Qiang deliberately used the opportunity to start the conversation, naturally wanting to seize the chance, "Coach Sun, it's like this: Gao Nuo is eager to serve his country. He plans to establish his own agent team to sign our domestic young players and send them abroad for training. It might be difficult to achieve at this stage, but as Gao Nuo's fame grows, I believe this endeavor can definitely be put into motion."
Watching Li Qiang, who, after some maneuvering, began to give Sun Hai a detailed report, Gao Nuo was overjoyed, with only one thought in his mind: Qiang Ge is truly strong, even stronger than Gao Qiqiang.