As China's strength continues to improve, Traditional Chinese Medicine has been widely applied in sports medicine, gaining popularity among athletes worldwide.
Well-known is "cupping therapy"; former Real Madrid forward, Benzema, has posted photos of himself undergoing cupping numerous times, proving to be a loyal fan of this "mysterious Eastern secret art."
Neymar, from Manchester United, is also quite fascinated by it.
It was precisely because of this that, upon hearing about Traditional Chinese Medicine, he eagerly wanted to give it a try.
Neymar is not the first player to be curious about Traditional Chinese Medicine, nor will he be the last.
Gao Nuo's private villa.
"Qing Qing, I'm home!"
"Get the water bottle; I need to check it."
"I drank it all, don't worry. My leg doesn't hurt anymore today."
"The hawthorn brown sugar soup will be ready soon. I'll let it cool for you first."
Gao Nuo, who doesn't like brown sugar, chuckled awkwardly, "No rush. Let me show you Neymar's ankle. He wants to know if saffron and goji berry water is effective."
Taking Gao Nuo's phone, Wang Qing's expression changed slightly.
In the photo, Neymar's ankle was severely swollen and somewhat inverted.
"That's pretty serious. Can he still play with that?"
Gao Nuo replied casually, "These are minor injuries. It's just a bit swollen after training."
Wang Qing thought for a moment, "Tell him there's a method he can try. Even if it doesn't work, it won't affect his health."
"Mwah~, alright. I'm going to the backyard to kick the ball for a bit."
Being able to help his idol put Gao Nuo in a good mood.
On April 20, 2025, the FA Cup semi-final took place at Wembley Stadium, with Manchester United facing Tottenham.
In the other semi-final the day before, Sheffield United eliminated Manchester City in a penalty shootout, becoming the biggest dark horse of this year's competition.
Guardiola took full responsibility, for no other reason than this.
The intense battle against Manchester United three days prior had left his key players physically and mentally exhausted.
Facing Sheffield United, who were competing in the Championship this season, Guardiola decided to make some drastic changes.
With key players rested and some injuries within the squad, Manchester City's starting lineup was a major surprise.
Walker and Ake played as makeshift center-backs in the defense.
In midfield, Bernardo Silva and De Bruyne were both absent, with young Palmer and Ben Knight stepping in.
The forward line was relatively normal, with Grealish stepping up in an emergency to replace the injured Alvarez, flanked by Kaminski and Mahrez.
By the end of the match, a Manchester City midfield that had been overrun managed only 3 shots on target, while Sheffield United, relying on their defense, dragged the game into a penalty shootout.
The 34-year-old Mahrez was in poor form, experiencing a sharp decline this season, and it was his missed penalty that allowed Sheffield United to have the last laugh.
Manchester United and Tottenham became the biggest winners.
After receiving the news, objectively speaking, this semi-final became as important as a final.
Erik ten Hag ignored the threats from Manchester United CEO Arnold and kept Abraham on the bench.
As expected, Gao Nuo would start all upcoming matches.
9 PM China time.
Without FA Cup commentary duties, Zhan Jun comfortably settled on the sofa, waiting for the match to begin.
A table full of Chaoshan braised dishes, paired with small beers, perfectly embodied the spirit of a football fan.
This man, wearing glasses and with a shrewd appearance, is currently a famous commentator in China.
The once popular phrase, "No Zhan Jun, No Premier League," was the highest praise for his commentary.
His nickname, "Human Database," was also earned through meticulous data collection.
Such a moment of leisure was rare for Zhan Jun. He temporarily put aside his work, simply watching the screen as a fan of Gao Nuo.
In 2011, Zhan Jun was already a very famous commentator, and watching football on video websites was just starting to gain popularity.
Zhan Jun once stated that the era of paid content had not yet arrived, and he would try his best to continue serving only free platforms, for more viewers.
Because of this, Zhan Jun missed many high-profile matches and did not have the opportunity to commentate on them.
Now, paid football viewing has become a major and mature trend, but deep down, Zhan Jun still hopes to convey the charm of football to more people.
The 53-year-old Zhan Jun is in great shape, full of energy that rivals young people. As the match progressed, he would sometimes cheer loudly, and at other times sigh with a shake of his head.
"Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling~~~"
"Old Duan? What's up, you're not commentating today either?"
"Aren't you joking with me? There's no Bundesliga today either. I'm watching Gao Nuo."
"Oh, me too."
"Old Zhan, let me tell you something serious."
"Go on!"
"So many years have passed, and I still can't let go of football. For the past two years, I've only been able to watch games with viewers on TikTok, and it's been killing me."
"Then what? Do you want to come back and commentate again?"
"At this age, I want to be a bit reckless and do a free live broadcast program."
"Old Duan, wouldn't doing that disrupt the entire industry? Is it feasible?"
"No, it's a public welfare broadcast, non-profit!"
"Old Duan, just say what's on your mind. Are you calling me to discuss this?"
"Hehe, Old Zhan, you're the smartest. I want to invite you to collaborate with me!"
"Hold on a second, Manchester United is counter-attacking..."
The conversation paused temporarily, and Zhan Jun and Duan Xuan refocused their attention on the screen, holding their phones without speaking.
As a once-renowned commentator, Duan Xuan left his comfort zone to start a business. Although he gained more freedom, he drifted further and further away from the sports career he loved.
The voice of a commentator from a small station came from the screen, "Goal! In the 39th minute of the match, Gao Nuo scored a long-range shot, which is not common in his career..."
Gao Nuo, far away in London, broke the silence between the two with a goal.
"Old Duan, continue. What exactly is going on?"
"Sigh, I was just inspired by that kid who just scored."
"Gao Nuo?"
"Exactly. Old Zhan, do you know? That kid Gao Nuo has already donated to 23 football schools."
"I've heard about it, so? What are you thinking?"
"The football schools are there, but there aren't enough coaches. In some remote areas, conditions are tough, you know? I've been there; one coach is looking after 15 or 16 kids, and they simply can't handle it."
"Sigh, it's already very good. At least many children who love football have an extra path."
"Exactly. My live broadcasts are for these children. Just the two of us, or with volunteers, we can broadcast as many games as possible, but the focus should be on spreading football knowledge, history, and culture. I think you're the most suitable."
"Why not make videos? Isn't that more convenient?"
"Old Zhan! You're wrong about that. Do you think football schools don't have teaching videos? Kids need to feel the atmosphere of the game, feel the charm of football, and make them aspire to it. This isn't something that fast-food short videos can solve."
"Okay! I agree. Tell me how we're going to do it!"
"Don't worry, we'll only do matches around 7 PM, trying not to affect your work."
Duan Xuan paused, then continued.
"This definitely won't make money. We should be able to negotiate copyrights with major platforms. Anyway, we're non-profit, just for auxiliary teaching."
"Just say it directly."
"How about volunteer work?"
"These are minor matters. We need to plan this out properly!"
A few days later.
Gao Nuo, on the other side of the ocean, had no idea that his kind contributions and the innocent children in the football schools had reignited the passion of two 53-year-old men.
At this moment, all of Gao Nuo's attention was focused on the Champions League.
