As Li Qiang laid out the entire plan, silence fell upon the private room in the teahouse. Sun Hai was clearly deep in thought, while Gao Nuo and the other person, in a tacit understanding, remained silent, sipping their tea and awaiting the outcome.
After an entire pot of tea, Sun Hai finally spoke, "Gao Nuo, I truly didn't expect a child like you, not even 20 years old, to possess such vision. I've seriously considered your plan. This matter could very likely impact your professional career. Are you truly sure about this?"
Gao Nuo met Sun Hai's gaze, his voice as firm as ever: "I've thought it through. I hope to secure an opportunity for young players in our country. Moreover, I don't believe this will affect my professional career. Coach Sun, you know that European football doesn't even look at our Chinese players right now. Rather than being used as tools for making money by so-called agents, I'd rather take control of my own future."
Sun Hai was continually impacted by Gao Nuo's words today. He had thought his evaluation of this child was already quite high, but after interacting with him, he realized he had still underestimated today's young people. With a surge of passion, he slapped his thigh, his voice rising considerably: "Good! Good boy! Since that's the case, I'll definitely help you! Li Qiang, I'll give you half a month to assemble your team, and I'll connect you with domestic youth training institutions."
Gao Nuo and Li Qiang repeatedly agreed and expressed their thanks, but Sun Hai then changed the subject: "Don't rush, there's another matter I'd like you to participate in. The Xinjiang Province Football Association has already decided to build a brand new youth training base, with a total planned investment of 1 billion. Besides the Chinese Football Association's allocation, local enterprises in Xinjiang Province have invested, but it hasn't yet opened up to the market for further investment. I've just carefully considered it, and if possible, incorporate your plan into it. Use two years for development, and then formally send our young players to Europe."
Gao Nuo was still a bit dazed, but Li Qiang was completely shocked. He had thought Gao Nuo's plan was already massive and difficult to achieve, but he hadn't expected the Chinese Football Association to be playing an even bigger game. This money wasn't being invested out of patriotism; as businesses, investments require returns. If this batch of young players didn't make it, the losses would be far more than just a small signing fee. In such a turbulent period for the Chinese Football Association, it was clear how much pressure Sun Hai was under to work for the development of Chinese football.
After receiving affirmative replies from the two, Sun Hai did not linger. He arranged for Li Qiang to attend the Xinjiang Province Football Association's investment conference five days later for further in-depth communication.
After Sun Hai left, Li Qiang had Yu Shengwen take Gao Nuo to handle endorsement contracts, while he himself hurried to continue recruiting.
Domestic endorsement contracts were diverse, ranging from small umbrellas to large real estate. After Yu Shengwen's screening, three endorsements were finally selected. Gao Nuo spent the next week busy with photo shoots and commercials.
For 666 Cold Granules, Gao Nuo drank a cup after playing football, emphasizing good health.
For Taibao Electric Vehicles, a running leopard transformed into Gao Nuo riding an electric vehicle, the speed of the leopard being unquestionable.
For Arctic Man Underwear, there was no plot, just various displays of physique.
When Wang Qing saw the commercial samples from Gao Nuo, she laughed delightfully, and inevitably, she accompanied Gao Nuo for another abdominal muscle workout.
Yu Shengwen had already recruited two assistants, and Gao Nuo's personal social media began to operate. With the broadcast of the commercials, Gao Nuo's followers surged, and in addition to football fans, personal fans, mostly young women, also appeared.
The money from the three endorsement contracts was sufficient to operate the current team. The now idle Gao Nuo did not run around aimlessly; he indeed needed a period of rest. Aside from system virtual training, he went to the gym daily to train his physical fitness, spending the rest of his time honestly at home.
Unlike Gao Nuo's leisure, Li Qiang was already swamped. He quickly assembled a team of agents. Including himself and Yu Shengwen, there were a total of 9 people: 3 professional agents, 3 assistants, and 3 recently graduated intern assistants, grouped into three teams.
Li Qiang was primarily responsible for Gao Nuo alone, while also handling all company affairs. Yu Shengwen was responsible for his three players, and the other group served as a reserve, with the three teams assisting each other.
The construction of the Xinjiang Province Football Association's youth training base was not going smoothly. When the overall plan was released, people were surprised to find that Gao Nuo had become a key part of it. To send players to Europe, given the current international reputation of Chinese football, it would be difficult to generate profit. However, if a Chinese player could establish himself in one of the top five Leagues, referencing the football development of South Korea and Japan, the feasibility of the plan could be significantly increased.
As it was led by the Chinese Football Association internally, the instructions from above were very clear: they were determined to establish an "Asian Black Shop." Unlike Europe, the youth training base would be affiliated with the Chinese Football Association, so after its completion, it would be open to all local teams. The entire country would send young players aged 0-15 to the base. After 15, talented children would go abroad directly, successful players would be sent back to local clubs, and those who truly couldn't make it would be advised to retire early and return to society, aiming to solve the future employment of all children.
As for players who had the opportunity to go abroad at 18, the standards were unified: the Chinese Football Association would pay 1 million per player for a buyout, and 50% of the transfer fee generated from the next transfer would go to the original club.
Each proposal stunned the various parties involved, one after another. The Chinese Football Association was clearly determined to get things done. The system was complete, the process clear, and prices transparent, leaving no room for loopholes or tricks. This way, there would no longer be instances of clubs demanding excessive prices leading to failed transfers, and a transfer fee of 100,000 euros greatly increased the chances of young players going abroad.
The owners of local clubs reluctantly agreed to inject capital into the base annually, but until the very end, there was still a funding gap of nearly 100 million.
Gao Yuan, who returned from France that year, started from scratch, so to speak. With his keen insight, he saw a business opportunity. Through Li Qiang, he had a meeting with the person in charge of the Chinese Football Association. Ultimately, Gao Yuan's medical equipment company invested 30 million and was responsible for providing medical equipment to the youth training base. He also pulled in his future in-law, Old Wang, who invested 50 million, and Zhao Dong, who actively and shamelessly joined in, with Speed Info Sports contributing 5 million and providing sports equipment to the youth training base free of charge.
After the funds were in place, construction of the base began, expected to be completed in three months. At that time, the first batch of 0-15 year old young players in China would begin training at the Xinjiang Province Youth Training Base.
When the Chinese Football Association's massive move was announced, domestic media rushed to report it, full of praise, while fans began a heated discussion.
The consistent malpractices had made the Chinese Football Association widely criticized. Although a batch of corrupt elements had just been cleaned out, this thankless "youth training plan" seemed to not align with the Chinese Football Association's interests, and some local clubs even openly expressed dissatisfaction.
Most fans' views were positive. They believed that with this move by the Chinese Football Association, more and more children would play football, and talented children would have better prospects. Moreover, transparent pricing prevented both the Chinese Football Association and clubs from interfering.
Some fans, however, were more pessimistic, believing that such a costly endeavor would cripple China's football economy, and that the youth training base would also be unable to operate due to financial problems.