"Do you know what our fans call this ceiling above their heads?" Gao Shen looked up at the stadium roof and asked in wonder.
"I don't know," Mbappé shook his head.
"They call it the suspended roof."
The stands and the pitch are covered with a membrane structure for lighting, but the area around it, along with the commercial street and shopping center extending to the east, is built with a combination of special steel plates and membrane structures, linked together.
The special steel plates have irregular hollow circular holes cut out, which emit different colors of light every night.
Combined with the building's lighting effects, it looks from a distance as if the entire ceiling is floating in the air. It is beautiful.
Mbappé followed Gao Shen's words and kept studying the ceiling.
They were sitting on the top tier of the stands, right beneath the junction of the membrane and steel plates. They could see a lot of steel framing, which looked extremely complex.
"Do you know how big this circular screen in front of us is?"
"Well, the display area is said to be nearly 7,000 square meters," Mbappé said.
Leeds United players are very proud of it.
"How much does it weigh?" Gao Shen asked again.
Mbappé shook his head. "A hundred tons?"
Gao Shen laughed. "Multiply by ten."
"One thousand tons?" Mbappé almost jumped up in shock.
A thousand tons.
The 19-year-old's eyes widened. He stared at the circular screen that looked so close and could hardly believe it actually weighed a thousand tons. It was outrageous.
"How does our roof hold it up?" Mbappé asked the question anyone hearing that number would ask.
Gao Shen smiled knowingly. "That is the strength of the designers."
In truth, he could not explain it clearly if asked. It was very complicated.
Mbappé looked around the stadium. From the entire roof to the stands, there were no supporting columns blocking the view. This gave fans the best sightlines and made the stadium look its best.
But he still could not figure out how a circular screen weighing a thousand tons was suspended in the middle.
"My stadium's designer, Norman Foster, is a friend," Gao Shen said. "He told me the roof and stands are separate. To support the entire roof and the 1,000-ton circular screen, they designed a very complex truss system. They ran repeated precise calculations, brought in numerous experts, and optimized the structure more than a dozen times."
The detailed explanation helped Mbappé better understand the complexity of the stadium and why it had won so many awards.
"But he also told me that what truly supports it all are the massive pillars outside, and everything those pillars anchor."
"This is a great project, sir," Mbappé said with genuine admiration.
Gao Shen smiled. "The beautiful floating ceiling the fans see exists because it is deeply rooted in the ground. This is a stadium, and as a player, the same principle applies."
Mbappé was not slow. He immediately understood why Gao Shen was telling him this.
The young Frenchman took a deep breath. "Sir, you have trained so many outstanding players. What do they have in common? Or rather, what should I do to be like them?"
"There are no standard answers in life, and it is the same for players. Other people's advice is only for reference, including mine, your parents', and the people you admire most."
"You do not need to copy others or force yourself to be like them. You should write the answer you believe is right."
Gao Shen's words sounded like a dose of motivational speech, but they worked for Mbappé at that moment.
Moreover, the logic was sound.
"But I think I wrote the wrong answer."
"Then keep revising it until it is correct, and think about why you got it wrong," Gao Shen said.
"The media and fans said I was a little overconfident."
"That is normal," Gao Shen smiled. "A study shows that when people say they are 70 percent sure, they are actually only about 50 percent correct. And when they say they are 100 percent sure, they are only 75 percent correct."
Gao Shen looked at Mbappé. "We tend to overestimate our abilities and knowledge and underestimate the risk of being wrong. This is human nature. Overconfidence easily breeds a sense of superiority, making us feel like we can control the world."
Some people call this chuunibyo.
But it is undeniably common.
"Ever heard of Ken Olsen?"
Mbappé shook his head. He did not read much.
"In 1986, he was on the cover of Fortune and hailed as the most successful entrepreneur in American history. The company he founded with 70,000 dollars, DEC, was later acquired by Compaq for 9.6 billion dollars."
Mbappé looked surprised.
"This was the same man who once said that not everyone wanted a computer in their home. That one line ruined his reputation. His achievements were forgotten, and he became a symbol of stubbornness and short-sightedness."
Mbappé was a little confused about the point of the story.
"In my view, young people should be ambitious and full of confidence, because only then can they break rules and conventions. Clinging to old rules is lifeless, and that is not what the young should be. The courage to break through and dare to try is the spirit of youth."
Mbappé nodded repeatedly. He agreed.
But Gao Shen immediately shifted the focus.
"But arrogance and confidence must be built on solid ground. You must first have the strength and talent to have the capital for confidence."
With that, Gao Shen pointed to the roof and the circular screen.
"Just like the huge circular screen and the transparent membrane roof, the reason they are so beautiful and breathtaking is because they are supported by massive pillars outside."
"It is like building a house. The higher you want to build, the more patient you must be. The stronger you want it to be, the more you must lay a solid foundation from the start. Otherwise, the building collapses halfway."
Mbappé began to grasp the deeper meaning.
"You asked me about the common traits of the players I have trained."
Gao Shen smiled. "They are all very confident and never doubt themselves. Some may even seem proud and arrogant, but they are down-to-earth in how they live and work."
"Your idol is Cristiano Ronaldo?" Gao Shen asked.
Mbappé nodded. "Yes."
"Ferguson told me that even if Ronaldo was not the first in Europe, he was definitely among the first to hire a personal trainer. He trained with his personal trainer every day and during every holiday. He never slacked off. He also hired a professional support team early on, including a chef, nutritionist, and fitness coach."
"Let me tell you another story about Ronaldo."
Gao Shen paused, glanced at Mbappé, saw his interest, and continued.
"When I coached Real Madrid, he was the star, but he always got along very well with his teammates. Every holiday, he would personally prepare valuable gifts for all his teammates, the coaches, and the staff at the training base."
"You may have seen this in the news, but do you know why?"
Mbappé blurted out, "To maintain a good relationship with his teammates."
"Go deeper," Gao Shen said.
Mbappé thought for a moment and fell silent.
"Because he knew very well that he was like this huge circular screen that amazes media and fans around the world, but what supports him are the truss systems above and the massive pillars outside."
"If those supports are lost, the screen collapses and shatters. Then it is nothing."
Mbappé understood the meaning.
No matter how big a star you are, you must be part of the whole. Without the support of your teammates, you are no longer the top star.
If he wants to succeed, he must improve himself steadily, just like his idol did, one step at a time, without relying on luck.
Everyone is different, but no one succeeds easily.
By the same logic, he needs to further consolidate his foundation in football technique. The stronger the base, the higher the ceiling, the stronger the ability, and the more qualified and confident he will be.
"I understand, sir. Thank you," Mbappé stood and said respectfully.
Gao Shen waved and smiled. "You have amazing talent. As long as you are willing to work hard, stay focused, and refine your skills, I believe you will achieve great success."
"Just like your idol, Cristiano Ronaldo."
Mbappé was deeply encouraged and nodded firmly.
Gao Shen watched him leave, feeling amused. He wondered if he was just serving up motivational talk and making promises to a youngster.
As for Mbappé, Gao Shen had to say that his ceiling was that of Cristiano Ronaldo. It would come down to how high he could push his peak and how long he could sustain it.
This is actually the upper limit for European players.
It is no coincidence that two generations of football kings, Pelé and Maradona, came from South America.
The main reason is that South American players have more creativity and imagination. They have an extraordinary talent for combining man and ball.
This is the gift that South American superstars like Messi and Ronaldinho possess.
Ronaldo, Mbappé, and others are typical European players, with technique, strength, and speed, but they lack the South Americans' unparalleled talent for man-ball fusion.
(To be continued.)