Gao Shen sat in the yard of his villa, staring at the dark night sky in a daze.
The fifteenth had passed a few days ago, but the moon still looked round tonight.
He had been thinking about Leeds United's transfer situation.
In the past two or three months, he had been busy with Real Madrid and hadn't had time to pay attention to Leeds. Now that problems were surfacing, he felt unprepared and needed to sort things out carefully.
Whenever he handled things, Gao Shen always prepared for two scenarios.
This habit extended to Leeds United's management as well.
If Leeds sold a player, it meant they already had a suitable replacement lined up or a successor identified.
For example, Icardi was the team's top scorer. But if he left, Leeds had Harry Kane and the "veteran" Vardy.
Speaking of which, Vardy was now getting more and more minutes. He had already scored two goals in the Premier League and two more in the cups.
He had become the team's third striker behind Icardi and Kane.
For a 26-year-old, this was quite a story.
But Vardy continued to work hard and improve.
If Jorginho left, Leeds had Brozovic ready. Under Gao Shen's instructions, he had been transitioning into a defensive playmaker and performing well.
Fabinho was another option, though he had mainly played right-back for years. It would take time for him to adapt as a defensive midfielder, but Gao Shen was convinced that was his best position.
If Pogba left, there was Kondogbia.
And to be safe, Leeds had already signed Rabiot from Manchester City as extra insurance.
Gao Shen had also spoken with Pochettino.
Over the past six months, the Argentine had watched countless Leeds matches and scouting reports. He believed Coutinho's best position wasn't as a left attacking midfielder but as a left central midfielder, or even an attacking midfielder.
Shifting him inside, he felt, would boost the team's attacking power on both flanks.
Especially since Kurzawa might leave. Although Leeds had Bertrand and Mendy on the left, and the technical team were scouting more full-backs, moving Coutinho inside made sense.
This was the conclusion he reached after observing Real Madrid under Gao Shen.
Pochettino believed Leeds should keep attacking from the wings, while reinforcing control in midfield.
Gao Shen found the idea intriguing, maybe even capable of producing surprises.
As for defense, if Koulibaly did leave, Leeds still had Marquinhos, Stones, and Maguire.
They had also previously signed De Vrij and Van Dijk from the Eredivisie, though both remained on loan at their original clubs.
At present, central defense wasn't a concern.
This reflected Leeds' entire transfer policy.
For example, in goal, the current number one was Navas. The Costa Rican had been excellent. But the club was already planning ahead.
Last summer, they signed Ederson on a free from Ribeirão in Portugal's second division. After signing, he was loaned out for match experience.
They also signed Alisson Becker from Internacional.
The 20-year-old Brazilian would arrive this summer under the special talent clause, since he played for Brazil's youth national team.
Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Ederson would continue on loan in Portugal's top flight.
With Navas, Ederson, and Alisson, Gao Shen believed Leeds' goalkeeping department was secure for years.
It could be said Gao Shen was working hard to build Leeds United into a system that could withstand the coming storm.
But now, as that storm approached, he felt uneasy.
He had poured so much effort into this project.
…
"What's wrong?"
Su Qing walked out, sat beside him, and looked at him softly.
Her husband hadn't entered the house since returning. He had made a phone call, then sat quietly at the door, lost in thought. She was worried.
"Nothing," Gao Shen smiled lightly. "Where's the child?"
"He's asleep. My mother and your mom are watching him."
Gao Shen nodded.
Since their son was born, his mother and mother-in-law had practically lived in Madrid. Even his father and father-in-law visited once or twice a month just to see the baby.
The whole family adored him.
So much so that Gao Shen sometimes worried he might be spoiled.
That was why Gao Shen had already decided: when the boy was old enough, he would send him to Real Madrid's youth academy to play football.
Su Qing, as Leeds' chairwoman, knew plenty about the club.
After giving birth, she resumed working remotely, handling club affairs again. Her life felt more complete.
"Sometimes, when I talk to them, I get a strange feeling," Su Qing said gently.
"What do you mean?" Gao Shen was surprised.
"It's like you always give us a sense of urgency, as if we're racing against time."
Gao Shen was stunned.
"Like last year's transfers. We didn't need to make such drastic moves, but you decided to sell. None of us said anything, but deep down, we suspected you were doing it to prepare for a training base."
Gao Shen said nothing, which was tacit agreement.
"This season, we've achieved a historic breakthrough, both in the league and commercially. Our revenue has surpassed £100 million, which is incredible."
Over half of that came from Premier League broadcast revenue. Based on Leeds' performance and TV appearances, they expected at least £50–55 million.
Add commercial deals and ticket sales, and total revenue exceeded £100 million.
By this measure, Leeds could rank among the top 30 clubs in Europe.
Yet their wage bill remained among the lowest.
"Next season, the new Premier League TV deal begins. That will push revenue even higher. Our offices in North America and Asia are expanding too. Plus, AXA's naming rights for the training ground and kit sponsorship bring in £15 million per year."
"We can be sure revenue will keep growing."
When Su Qing finished, she looked at Gao Shen with doubt.
"We don't understand. We spent two or three years building this team. Why do you still give us the feeling you're worried, like time is running out?"
Gao Shen understood her point. He guessed Fernando Lucas, Borrell, and the others felt the same.
If he wasn't a transmigrator, he'd probably feel that way too.
But as one, he knew Leeds' current state was nowhere near enough.
If they wanted to grow stronger, they needed a new stadium.
Elland Road, no matter how much it was repaired, could never match his ambitions.
But building a new stadium required money.
Meanwhile, player wages and transfer fees were about to explode. If not tightly controlled, Leeds would collapse.
Gao Shen didn't have the resources of oil-rich owners. He couldn't throw money endlessly.
Unless he sold all his assets, which would still be a bottomless pit.
That was why he had to make Leeds financially self-sufficient.
A new stadium, the squad, the management system—all required his foresight to make initial gains. But his advantage as a transmigrator would only last until 2021.
Everything had to be completed before then.
The stadium especially. If not finished by then, with Brexit and rising material costs, it would end up like Tottenham's project, which doubled in cost.
Gao Shen couldn't reveal the truth, but he told Su Qing with certainty that European football was heading for a surge in wages and transfers.
Many already suspected this.
Especially in the Premier League.
Every time broadcast revenues spiked, salaries and transfers soared as well.
And for the stadium, he was clear. Leeds had to build a new one. Only then would they have a foundation.
Elland Road alone couldn't sustain them.
"In recent years, foreign capital has poured into football. From Manchester City to PSG, now Monaco. Soon there will be Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, even the United States. All will invest."
"If we don't strengthen now, they'll carve us up like a piece of meat. Leeds will be reduced to a feeder club, maybe even fighting relegation."
Maybe his words weren't visible yet, but Su Qing believed him.
Because in all the years they'd been together, from property to investments, Gao Shen had never been wrong.
She trusted him almost blindly.
"We need to raise funds, endure a few more tough years, and build a new stadium," Gao Shen said firmly.
"Are you sure Pochettino can handle it?" Su Qing asked cautiously.
Gao Shen nodded. "On the competitive side, with me here and him as coach, survival won't be an issue."
After this season, he was even more confident.
"I understand." Su Qing nodded. "I'll meet with Fernando and Rodolfo tomorrow."
"Don't worry. I'll fully support you. The others will too. You decide the path, and we'll follow."
Gao Shen felt his heart stir.
From her eyes and expression, he sensed complete trust.
Even admiration.
It filled him with satisfaction and gave him greater drive.
(To be continued.)