On this day, Cao Baiming arrived at the club's headquarters as scheduled. Just as he reached the entrance of the main building, a call came in. The caller ID displayed a name that was none other than Messi, the person Cao Baiming had been thinking about.
It was time for Messi to proactively meet him. Two days had passed since their last conversation, and the words spoken back then must have stirred some emotions in Messi. At this very moment, he should have made his final decision.
Cao Baiming answered the phone, and sure enough, what Messi spoke about was exactly as he had imagined.
Cao Baiming's meeting with the club's higher-ups today had been arranged in advance. However, the executives were unaware that Cao Baiming intended to leave the team this time, and no one could stop him.
Messi's arrival was another bombshell. Everyone believed Messi to be a sure bet; even if Cao Baiming couldn't stay, they still had Messi.
But these executives would never have anticipated that these two would arrive together. They certainly wouldn't have expected it. If both Messi and Cao Baiming requested to leave the team on the same day, the Arsenal higher-ups would be unable to handle it.
Thinking of this, Cao Baiming suddenly felt a bit sorry for Arteta. He wondered if his little heart could handle it. Henry's thoughts, at this moment, were still in flux.
As someone who had essentially grown up at Arsenal, his connection with the club was more than just a matter of interest; it was a matter of sentiment.
After all, before his successful return, the team he represented was Arsenal, and it was during their most dominant period, the Arsenal team led by Wenger that consecutively won several Champions League titles.
If Henry ultimately decided to stay, it wouldn't surprise Cao Baiming. In fact, it was a rather predictable outcome.
The meaning expressed by Messi on the phone was not entirely clear, but he indicated he would be arriving at the stadium today for a final negotiation.
However, judging by his tone, it was almost certain that Messi no longer wished to stay.
If Cao Baiming was leaving, why would Messi stay? He had come here for Cao Baiming, a fact he knew even if outsiders didn't.
To wait for Messi's arrival, Cao Baiming sat downstairs for a while. After about ten minutes, he saw a familiar figure appear.
Messi was not late. He arrived precisely fifteen minutes after their phone call, as stated.
Their eyes met for an instant. At that moment, they both noticed each other and immediately had their next plan in mind.
In any case, the club's higher-ups hadn't set a specific time for the meeting. So, as long as they arrived today, any time would do, and there was no need to consider them. As for those supremely arrogant individuals, they would never imagine that someone could defy their expectations and do something like this.
After Cao Baiming and Messi met, they had a brief conversation about transfers. From it, Cao Baiming learned that Messi had a sliver of interest in the Manchester United team he was building.
Only a sliver of interest, but it was enough. It was more than enough, exceeding expectations!
Cao Baiming's lips curved upwards slightly, his expression revealing an unbidden confidence. Seeing Cao Baiming's expression, Messi looked puzzled. He didn't understand where his confidence stemmed from, as he hadn't given any definitive answers.
Cao Baiming's demeanor clearly suggested, "I've seen through you. You will join my team in the near future, no doubt about it."
He seemed to be seeing the future, but who knew if Cao Baiming truly could? This was the source of his confidence.
Entering the club building, the sudden coolness was a welcome relief from the central air conditioning. The cool air instantly invigorated them.
They were likely on the second floor, nearing their destination.
Cao Baiming walked ahead, with Messi following closely behind. They had already decided to go to the offices of the club's higher-ups together. Even if the executives wanted to resolve this privately, Cao Baiming would not agree. If possible, he wouldn't mind holding a small meeting.
For the team, they would prefer players to have private, one-on-one discussions with the club about sensitive topics like transfers. However, with Cao Baiming and Messi arriving together, they were completely at a loss.
When they saw the two of them simultaneously appear at the doorway, all the club executives were stunned. They stood frozen, unsure of what to say.
Seeing their dumbfounded expressions, Cao Baiming couldn't help but speak directly, stating the purpose of their visit.
They had come all this way specifically for the meeting that had been discussed earlier. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss Zhang Hui's matter. Regarding Messi, Cao Baiming spoke for him directly, stating that Messi was also here to discuss the same matter, with the exact same objective.
Faced with the simultaneous arrival of these two top superstars, the club's owner panicked. He had never expected this and had never encountered such a situation. However, asking them to temporarily excuse themselves was out of the question.
After all, when they had previously proposed a salary reduction to Messi, they had asked him to keep it a secret. If Messi and Cao Baiming arrived together, did it mean Cao Baiming had told Messi about their discussion?
In that case, Messi would know that only he was facing a salary cut, and he would surely feel imbalanced.
Instantly, the club's owner panicked, and everyone else panicked. But at this moment, they couldn't show their panic, because doing so would only make the situation worse.
"Since you're here, find a place to sit down quickly. We'll bring you coffee soon, and we can have a brief chat about this matter. We are also prepared, and you'll see our sincerity!!"