"You can't be serious, can you?" Suarez asked, bewildered.
Before Cao Baiming could reply, Neymar beside him directly interrupted, slapping him hard on the forehead.
"Of course, I'm serious. Otherwise, why would I have you travel so far? We flew all the way here. If it were just a joke, why go through all this trouble?"
Messi nodded gently beside him, clearly satisfied with the current situation.
"That's right. Let me make things even clearer. Haven't I just bought a team? I want to build them into an unprecedented Super Galactic Warship. And you don't need to worry about funds; there's more than enough money. This is just the first step in building this Galactic Warship."
"It would be perfect if you guys could join the team. Besides, it's been about half a month already. Apart from the top management construction, there's been preliminary progress in player and coach selection."
As he spoke, Cao Baiming took out a stack of white papers from his bag. This stack was held together by a folder, and upon opening it, a list greeted their eyes.
The names on this list represented the achievements of the past half-month. Cao Baiming was well aware that every name written on it was a person who had confirmed their intention to join the team.
Beyond that, the names on the second page were those who had made breakthrough progress. Although not yet confirmed, they were almost certainly going to join in the near future.
As Cao Baiming handed these two pages to each of them, all three, including Messi, wore expressions of astonishment.
They recognized every single name on these papers; they were all top-tier players. The second page even listed several renowned and highly respected head coaches, as well as players who were currently considered world-class.
When they saw Guardiola's name, they managed to control their expressions. However, upon seeing Arteta's name, Messi was the first to react, spitting out a mouthful of black tea he had just taken.
The other two beside him did the same.
The list of head coaches only contained two names. Guardiola was one whose negotiations were going relatively smoothly. Besides him, Cao Baiming had a backup candidate: Arteta.
The reason for choosing him as a backup for Guardiola was his familiarity with the latest tactical system. Furthermore, Arteta was someone he knew, and Messi was also quite familiar with him. He had always been a relatively obedient coach.
The reactions of everyone were within Cao Baiming's expectations. After their emotions settled down, they continued to read. Next on the list were the players who were about to join the team, key figures in the dream team Cao Baiming intended to build.
These names were arranged in order of negotiation progress and importance.
This list contained even more astonishing names, one top superstar after another gathered in this small area.
Besides Zidane, Ronaldo, De Bruyne, Kante, and others, Neymar himself saw his teammate at Paris Saint-Germain, Verratti, on this list.
Neymar had always admired Verratti the most in Paris Saint-Germain. He had immense respect for Verratti's football skills and football IQ.
At this moment, a strange expression suddenly appeared on Neymar's face.
"He actually spoke so much to you privately? I didn't even know!"
Cao Baiming smiled gently. "It's okay. None of these things are finalized yet. He probably isn't sure himself. Like you, he's still wondering if this is real."
The group thought about it carefully. They were currently most concerned about whether things could proceed as smoothly as Cao Baiming had described.
With Messi's guarantee, they trusted Cao Baiming's character. He wouldn't say such things just to deceive them.
Therefore, these matters were indeed true. They were now only wondering if the future could truly match the scene and expectation written on Cao Baiming's paper. Was it just an expectation, or would it become reality in the near future?
For a moment, all three fell into deep thought. Cao Baiming remained silent, not wanting to disturb their contemplation.
The expressions on each of their faces were solemn and serious, deeply engrossed in thought.
Their thoughts were exactly as he had predicted. Messi was wondering if he could win another Champions League trophy within these short years.
Moreover, Messi was currently a free agent, having not yet reached an agreement with any team, giving him more freedom of choice. He was contemplating whether joining Manchester United under Cao Baiming could help him achieve his future goals.
For Neymar, the situation was actually simpler.
Currently at Paris Saint-Germain, his influence wasn't high. He had to endure the coach's displeasure and Mbappé's arrogance. He himself longed to leave.
Now, with such a good opportunity, with almost the same, or even higher, salary as before, and moving to a team with more potential, was this truly something to consider? What was he even thinking about?
The club's management was trying every means to make him leave, and he was still contemplating whether to go. How ridiculous!
After much thought, Neymar quickly made a quiet decision. A determination formed in his heart. This determination was to do whatever it took to leave Paris Saint-Germain as soon as possible and join the team under Cao Baiming.
Suarez's current situation was somewhat similar to Neymar's. He was now almost unable to secure a starting position in his team, and his salary had also dropped significantly from his peak.