Brune is a small town, but Alf Haaland is a local celebrity.
His entire family is well-known here.
Alf himself was a Premier League player and a Norwegian international. Even after returning to his hometown following retirement, he remained a prominent figure.
His wife is also an accomplished athlete, having been the Norwegian heptathlon champion.
Young Haaland is the third child in the family, with an older brother and an older sister.
But that wasn't the interesting part.
What stood out was that playing alongside young Haaland was his cousin, Jonathan Braut Brunes.
They were the same age, both born in 2000, just a few days apart.
In one of the smaller pitches that Gao Shen had previously searched, another cousin, Albert Tjåland, was playing. He was born in 2004 and wasn't even eight years old yet.
Just like many extended families in China, their relatives and friends also lived nearby in Brune, growing up together, receiving football training together, and—coincidentally—all playing as center forwards.
In his previous life, Gao Shen had read reports on Haaland's two cousins. Both were considered promising talents in Norway.
Alf Haaland was very warm and insisted on inviting Gao Shen for a meal.
After the players finished their session, everyone walked to a Chinese restaurant located just north of the pitch, diagonally across from City Hall. It was a favorite spot for the kids and a frequent gathering place for their families.
The restaurant was called Hualou.
From the outside, it looked like a traditional Norwegian-style building. But once inside, the décor was a fusion of Chinese and Western styles.
The owners, dressed in traditional Chinese attire, greeted them warmly.
They immediately recognized Gao Shen and Su Qing. In a small town like this, it was rare to see Chinese people, let alone someone famous.
After some conversation, Gao Shen learned that the owner's name was Yang Hua, and his wife was Wang Huizhu. They were Chinese expatriates living in Norway.
"We all know who you are in the Chinese community across Europe," Yang Hua said proudly.
They took photos with Gao Shen and Su Qing to commemorate the occasion and said they would hang them in the restaurant so others would know that Gao Shen had visited.
Young Haaland and the other kids were all outgoing and didn't shy away from strangers. They gathered around, chatting happily.
Not long after, Alf Haaland's extended family arrived in a large group.
Gao Shen usually felt overwhelmed in such social settings, but thankfully, the group was very welcoming, which put him at ease.
During dinner, the topic of Leeds United came up, and reactions were mixed.
This was understandable.
Brune was their home, where they had lived all their lives.
If the children were to grow up to become successful players like Alf and eventually play in Europe, then they would leave. But sending their kids away so young, to a faraway place like England for formal football training, was not an easy decision.
For many families, football wasn't necessarily a guaranteed path to success. It wasn't always a viable or reliable career choice.
Su Qing expressed understanding. If they wanted to come, Leeds United would fully support them—arranging everything from living conditions to education. But if they weren't willing, that was understandable too.
"We can stay in touch," Su Qing said sincerely. "You can also bring your kids to Leeds every year for our summer camps and other activities."
Gao Shen wasn't as thorough in his thinking as Su Qing. He had been thinking quickly during the dinner, hoping to lend a helping hand. If it worked out, great. If not, there would still be time in the future.
This dinner effectively established a connection between Su Qing and the Haaland family. Now she could maintain communication, invite Alf to club events, and gradually strengthen the relationship.
With that kind of rapport, there was no need to worry about Haaland slipping away.
Gao Shen gave his wife a secret thumbs up.
After the meal with the Haaland family, Gao Shen and Su Qing retraced their route and returned to Stavanger.
Along the way, Gao Shen talked to Su Qing about young Haaland.
He explained that Manchester City had information on Erling Haaland.
"He was born in late July. Not long after his birth, Alf moved to Manchester City. Some people even joke that the kid was born for City," Gao Shen said, smiling.
He had heard about Haaland and came to check him out.
"An 11-year-old who can play against 15- or 16-year-olds without being out of place—he's definitely something special. The future is wide open for him!"
To make his case more convincing, Gao Shen also brought up another young Norwegian talent: Martin Ødegaard.
"Have the scouts keep an eye on him too. He's at Strømsgodset in Drammen. Born in 1998, not even thirteen yet. I've heard he's a genius, though I haven't seen him in person."
Gao Shen said he had planned to stop in Oslo, and from there head to Drammen. The two cities were close.
But now, time wouldn't allow it.
Su Qing was confused. Why wouldn't time allow it?
She found out soon enough.
After returning to Stavanger and resting for the night, the next day Gao Shen took Su Qing south to Amsterdam.
Flying from Stavanger directly to Manchester didn't require a layover, but Gao Shen had deliberately booked a flight to Leeds, which included a stopover in Amsterdam and a one-day gap between flights.
They arrived in Amsterdam in the afternoon. Gao Shen took Su Qing out for a meal and visited Ajax's stadium and training ground from afar in the southeastern part of the city. Then, he led her into the famous Red Light District.
Only when they got there did Su Qing realize what Gao Shen had planned. She was so furious, she wanted to tear him apart.
There are strange men in the world—but who brings their wife to a red-light district?
"I'm serious. I'm just curious. I had no other intentions," Gao Shen explained quickly, sensing danger.
"You know, with my status, I can't visit this kind of place alone. I'd get misunderstood, right?"
"But I really wanted to see it for myself, so…"
Very clever!
Su Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Bringing your wife to the red-light district—even if the media caught wind of it, no one could say anything.
But did you even consider how I would feel?
"I'll deal with you when we get back to the hotel!" she said, threateningly.
Gao Shen burst out laughing.
Truthfully, Su Qing was also curious.
So the two of them wandered into the De Wallen area of Amsterdam, hearts full of anticipation.
They had imagined seeing something wild or outrageous, but in the end, it wasn't much.
Just a few scantily dressed women posing behind glass windows to attract customers. Others called out seductively from alleyways. But nothing more.
As a man, Gao Shen was… disappointed.
When Su Qing saw the look on his face, she snorted. "Disappointed, are we?"
"No," Gao Shen replied in a solemn tone. "I'm heartbroken! Seeing so many young women reduced to this… I feel deeply saddened. Capitalism is truly evil!"
Su Qing burst out laughing. "And yet you haven't left the district."
"Exactly. That's why I'll continue to criticize it!" Gao Shen declared.
Su Qing laughed so hard she almost slapped him.
Men!
The Amsterdam trip was just a short episode in their honeymoon.
The next morning, they flew directly from Amsterdam to Leeds.
Fernando Lucas personally picked them up at the airport and drove them straight to Wetherby.
Gao Shen had already called Sarri in advance, saying he wanted to visit the Thorp Arch training base and meet with players who didn't go on international duty or who had already returned.
When they arrived, Sarri was conducting training.
Gao Shen met up with Rodolfo Borrell. Together, they went straight to the methodology department to speak with Paco Seirul·lo and Juan Villa. There were now five people in that department, all highly specialized in their fields.
Leeds United's stance was clear: they would resolve issues as they came and continue prioritizing youth development.
Gao Shen shared that philosophy. He first asked about their current progress, then addressed challenges. For some issues, he made decisions on the spot. For others, he asked for more research.
He valued the methodology department greatly.
He also visited the big data and scouting departments—both of which had received significant investment.
All hardware and software for the big data department had been supplied by Huawei.
Not because of favoritism, but because Huawei offered sponsorship. It wouldn't make sense to take their money and buy from a different foreign brand, right?
The scouting department was also coming together. The local scouting network was mostly in place. The club had a good foundation, but building a complete global network would take time.
That couldn't be rushed.
By the way, the WiFi system at Elland Road was fully operational.
It had been reported that Leeds United was the first club in Europe to offer full-stadium WiFi, using Huawei as the provider. On-site fan testing showed it was fast and stable.
Leeds United also announced there were no plans to charge fans for using it.
Huawei UK revealed that other clubs had already contacted them. Of course, competitors like Cisco and Ericsson were also capable in this space. A bidding war was likely.
After Gao Shen finished his inspection, Sarri wrapped up training.
Gao Shen had just finished greeting the players when Sarri immediately began "crying" to him.
(To be continued.)