On April 17, 2008, Old Trafford was packed with people.
This was Manchester United's home ground, a sacred place in the hearts of their fans, and famously known as the "Theater of Dreams."
Fans sat in the stands, and some players in training suits were passing the ball to each other. The big screen displayed the score: Manchester United 0:1 Chelsea!
It was halftime.
In the visiting team's locker room, a man about 185 cm tall, wearing a white shirt, black suit pants, and a black tie, was speaking to players in Chelsea jerseys.
But this man wasn't Avram Grant, who had replaced Mourinho as Chelsea's interim coach this season. He was an Oriental man.
Gao Bo's shirt was soaked with sweat. This was the second leg of the 2007-2008 FA Youth Cup final: Manchester United U18 at home versus Chelsea U18! And Gao Bo was the head coach of Chelsea U18!
"We did well in the first half! Keep it up in the second half!"
"Stay compact, don't give them space in the middle, and force them to play wide!"
"Be quick on the counterattack after winning the ball!"
Gao Bo was scribbling on the tactical board while the Chelsea U18 players nodded frequently.
The situation favored Chelsea. A week earlier, they had defeated Manchester United U18—featuring young talents like Welbeck and Cleverley—1:0 at home with solid defensive counterattacks.
And now, with another counterattack in the first half, Chelsea had taken the lead again, giving them a 2-0 aggregate advantage with an away goal!
Manchester United would need three goals in the second half to complete a comeback!
Chelsea U18 was already in a winning position!
"Don't think we've already won. This is their home turf. Stay focused on defense in the second half! Don't be afraid of their crosses from the sides, but don't let them get shots off in the middle!" Gao Bo wasn't taking anything for granted.
Youth matches differ from adult games. Young players often lack emotional stability, and matches can swing wildly, sometimes resulting in high-scoring games.
For Gao Bo, leading Chelsea U18 to eliminate youth teams from Tottenham, Manchester City, and others on their way to the final would significantly enhance his coaching credentials.
At this point, Gao Bo wasn't the same person he was a month ago—or perhaps, he was the same person, but also someone else.
The turning point came after Gao Bo finished his college entrance exams.
Gao Bo was an orphan. When he was brought to the orphanage, all he had was a blue blanket and a note with his name and birth date: Gao Bo, born on August 30, 1981.
Life in the orphanage wasn't easy, but Gao Bo was smart. He excelled in school and was accepted into the University of London after his exams.
Here, history diverged. In one life, Gao Bo stayed in China because he couldn't afford the tuition and expenses for studying in the UK. He went to university locally, joined a Fortune 500 company after graduation, and worked his way up from an entry-level position.
That Gao Bo never drank much, but on one particular day—May 30, 2018—he got drunk for the first time.
When he woke up, he had the memories of another Gao Bo.
This second Gao Bo shared the same early life experiences: raised in an orphanage, excelling in school, and getting accepted into the University of London.
But this Gao Bo's life diverged when the orphanage reported his situation to the education department. An interest-free loan allowed him to study sports management and football business at the University of London.
After earning a master's degree, he obtained a UEFA A coaching license—a qualification few coaches in Europe's top leagues had at the time.
This license helped him land a job with a major club like Chelsea.
With two lifetimes of memories and complementary personalities, Gao Bo's colleagues didn't notice anything unusual.
It took Gao Bo a week to accept that he had traveled back from 2018 to 2008. Once he adjusted, he embraced his role—after all, both versions of Gao Bo shared the same dream of becoming a football coach.
Winning the FA Youth Cup with Chelsea U18 would give him an excellent start to his coaching career.
Despite the circumstances, Gao Bo was optimistic. Coaching football was his dream job, and now he had the chance to pursue it.
He felt satisfied with his halftime talk—his strategy and presence were flawless.
His past life experiences, including rising from a low-level employee to a corporate executive, compensated for his relative youth at 27. Even his assistant coach, Wrights, admired his maturity and leadership.
But just as Gao Bo was about to explain the second-half details, the locker room door burst open.
A rotund man barged in, pointed a finger at Gao Bo's nose, and shouted:
"Why isn't George playing?! I'm warning you—George better be on the pitch in the second half!"
"Do you even understand football? When did Chelsea start hiring Asians as coaches?!"
The man's rant was cut short as Gao Bo grabbed him by the neck and shoved him against the wall. The man's body rippled like water with the impact.
Everyone in the locker room froze.
"Who is he?!" Gao Bo demanded angrily. The locker room was sacred ground—outsiders had no place here.
"G-Gao Bo, this is Director Kent…" whispered team doctor Haruko Sakuragi, stepping forward.
Haruko, a 26-year-old with delicate Japanese features and a sports medicine master's degree, worked as Chelsea U18's team doctor.
Gao Bo recalled that a Chelsea director had called before the match, asking him to field a specific player. Gao Bo had ignored the request.
"I see. Thanks, Haruko."
"You're welcome…" Haruko blushed.
Gao Bo quickly glanced at Haruko's chest but immediately refocused. He was her boss, and inappropriate behavior would only bring trouble.
Seizing the moment, Kent broke free from Gao Bo's grip and roared:
"You're finished! Do you know who I am?!"
Before Kent could finish, Gao Bo turned, grabbed him again, and dragged him out of the locker room.
"Who is George?" Gao Bo asked, panting after hauling Kent's massive body.
"A player who joined last month. He's not in the squad today," Wrights replied.
"Good," Gao Bo said. Even if George had made the squad, he wouldn't play. Coaches must be free from external interference.
Gao Bo straightened his suit, smiled at his stunned players, and said:
"Great job in the first half. I'm proud of you all!"