Though they were already among the wealthiest people in the world, in front of Cao Baiming, they were like mere trifles. Ultimately, poverty limited their imagination. When you have money, you can do whatever you want!
After a rough calculation, to pay each of them such a substantial salary would cost at least a few billion.
Thinking of this, Cao Baiming did not hesitate to open his futures trading software again. Besides that, he needed to buy a few lottery tickets too.
However, lottery tickets couldn't be used carelessly. While this method was effective, if he kept winning prizes, the outside world would surely become suspicious. Using it only once a year would suffice.
He placed an order on the futures trading platform and then navigated to the lottery ticket website. Relying on a faint memory from his time in the temporal bubble, Cao Baiming entered his desired numbers into the input field on the website.
In about a few hours, this grand prize would be announced. This number wouldn't be the highest winning combination; it would only yield around 47 million, but that was enough. After all, one shouldn't be too greedy.
On the way back, Cao Baiming shifted his focus back to his team. With the league already underway, there wasn't much to worry about on that front.
The perilous actions had indeed caused some momentary stress, but it was just a fleeting concern. Ultimately, the outcome was satisfactory.
The fans got what they desired, Guardiola got what he personally wanted, and at the same time, the team delivered a strong performance. They were currently at the top of the Premier League standings, also boasting the highest goal difference.
Cao Baiming believed that this record, set by his new team, would likely hold for some time, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Indeed, even with the current strength of Nottingham Forest, Cao Baiming himself wasn't entirely confident he could surpass Manchester United in terms of points.
The team still needed time to gel, and his own abilities weren't yet strong enough to single-handedly carry any team to victory.
Given the unpredictability of the sport, it was always better to have more talented and exceptionally skilled players on the roster to ensure stability.
As Cao Baiming drove back to the club, the external discussions did not cease; instead, they intensified and became even more fervent.
This was because, not long ago, in La Liga, on the other side of the globe, Barcelona had just concluded their first match of the new season.
This was a crucial period when the top five leagues were gradually kicking off, and the Premier League was not the only one in action!
Barcelona had almost faded from the memories of fans. Now, they were experiencing a resurgence in popularity by riding on the coattails of the fervor surrounding Cao Baiming's newly formed Manchester United.
Laporta probably never imagined that the next opportunity for a club turnaround would come by leveraging Manchester United's popularity!
The stadium for this match was packed with fans, which was an uncommon sight for Barcelona previously. However, most of these fans had come to witness a spectacle. They hoped to see how this depleted Barcelona, in contrast to the seemingly assembled "Dream Team" of Manchester United, would perform like clowns.
In reality, these fans got their wish. Barcelona had poured all their effort into proving they were not clowns, but in the end, they could only manage a 0-0 draw.
What mattered wasn't that they failed to score or the awkward draw, but that their opponent was a team on the verge of relegation, Espanyol.
On one hand, Manchester United was creating a sensation with a dominant 5-0 victory over West Ham United. On the other hand, Barcelona, in their very first match of the new season, had settled for an embarrassing 0-0 draw against Espanyol.
Naturally, the fans were eager to capitalize on this situation. It was time for creative commentary!
This time, there would be no holding back! After all, in the previous season, Barcelona had managed to secure a top-three finish in the league standings. However, with this new season's performance, fans now had ample justification to criticize them, especially since Cao Baiming had provided an even more compelling reason.
Many fans began to vehemently express their opinions online, claiming that Barcelona had completely relocated and rebranded as Manchester United, now playing in the Premier League.
As a Barcelona native, whether a fan or part of the club, such remarks were undeniably unacceptable and deeply hurtful.
But what could they do? All they could do was try to prove themselves in the next match. However, would it really be that easy?
Cao Baiming was not particularly concerned about such news. What did Barcelona's situation have to do with him?
What truly mattered was another match scheduled for that afternoon: Arsenal's away fixture against the "Yellow Submarine," Newcastle United!
This match was not only of great interest to Cao Baiming but also to the entire football world. This was because both teams were considered strong contenders in the Premier League, and Arsenal, in particular, was already a name frequently discussed in public opinion.
The stadium tickets were gone in an instant, selling out in less than 10 seconds. At this point, the players should have already arrived near the club. The match was just one hour away from commencing.
Cao Baiming glanced at his watch. In about an hour, he would arrive at the club.
The lineup Arsenal was fielding for this match consisted mostly of his former teammates. Now, without Cao Baiming and Messi by their side, they were experiencing a profound sense of helplessness.
The match was imminent, and this was even the first game of the new season, yet there was no trace of excitement in their veins or on their faces.
Even they themselves felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness, a lack of confidence.
This feeling was even shared by the King of Football, Henry.
Arteta was doing his utmost to boost the team's morale, but the players were only now recalling that it had always been Cao Baiming who used to do this.
While Henry was now the captain, a revered figure of the King of Football caliber, his charisma and leadership skills paled in comparison to Cao Baiming's.
Most importantly, everyone was aware that he was likely to leave Arsenal permanently at the end of this season, perhaps even retire from the sport altogether.