Mike, who had been drowsy, was now completely awake.
"What???"
"I I I am a football manager. I handle transfers between players and teams, not between teams... no, teams and players... still not right...!!"
"Alright, I understand what you mean. I trust you, the commission won't be less. Go prepare."
With that, Cao Baiming hung up the phone.
Not wanting to disturb Mike's rest, he figured Mike was indeed quite busy. Fortunately, he had severed ties with other players and now served him alone.
Listening to the beeping sound from the phone, Max knew his boss had hung up. This wasn't the first time; Cao Baiming always hung up without any prior warning.
Mike pondered for a long time...
The next day, the news continued to ferment, and the football world was once again in a fervent atmosphere. Not only were there Champions League knockout matches to look forward to, but also drama from Manchester United. It was pure bliss.
Cao Baiming thought about this matter carefully for a long time. Buying Manchester United was solely for Max, and this was just the beginning. The truly interesting part was probably yet to come.
Now, he was not just a club owner. Even in the future, under any circumstances, his primary identity would always be a football player, someone who played on the field.
As for Arsenal, he currently had no great interest.
Upon returning to team training, as expected, the news spread like wildfire. His teammates had already heard about it.
"Manchester City pulled off a stunning upset. They actually suppressed him completely. Cristiano Ronaldo is truly remarkable!"
"Don't just talk about Cristiano. The biggest contributor to this news becoming so explosive isn't him, but Max!" Nelson pointed at the most prominent figure on the news cover.
This person was indeed Max. Cristiano Ronaldo occupied less than a tenth of the space.
"Isn't that the lunatic who ran onto the pitch and was embarrassingly kicked out? I never thought he'd reach this point!" Henry chimed in.
As the hero who made Max leave the pitch in disgrace that day, Messi offered only a few brief comments.
The team's training continued. There were no Champions League matches the following week, so it was relatively easier. In the league, the remaining matches held little significance.
This could be said, given that the team had already secured the Premier League title ten rounds in advance.
However, the path to self-improvement was endless, with no conclusion. It was naturally impossible to stop here. Cao Baiming's goal was to continue chasing Messi's record for the most goals in a season.
On this basis, the ninety-one goals from the previous season were insignificant. As long as he broke the record this season, the previous year's record would naturally be surpassed, considering his goals in the Champions League as well.
In the upcoming matches, the only one that could be considered truly difficult was against Manchester City.
That would happen in two weeks, coinciding with the Champions League period. Whether Manchester City could successfully adjust their form by then would also impact their fate in the Champions League.
However, a four-goal deficit was not easily overcome, and even a formidable team like Manchester City might find it quite unrealistic.
During this period, Mike began to travel around, gathering information related to Manchester United, handling various procedural matters, and simultaneously preparing for the acquisition of the club.
He was also learning about what preparations were needed, as he was completely inexperienced in buying a club!
Meanwhile, Arsenal's unbeaten streak in the Premier League continued. It was easy to imagine that if this record could be maintained until the end of all the league matches in a season, a super, super, immensely great, and astounding achievement would await.
The news kept coming, and the chain reaction triggered by a "sponge" continued.
Manchester United's internal conflicts erupted, and the team entered a rather unfavorable state. However, the higher-ups were now in a delicate position, unwilling to offend anyone.
After all, the most talked-about figures were Max and Cristiano Ronaldo. One was a generational superstar, even a top-tier legend in history, while the other was one of the hottest rising stars in football today. Their sheer popularity made them untouchable.
Any intelligent person would recognize Max's potential commercial value. Regardless of his skill, keeping him in the team would undoubtedly be beneficial.
Manchester United had benefited immensely from this treasure in the past two months, making a fortune. And now, they had encountered a setback.
Cristiano Ronaldo had the world's best agent, Mendes, whose capabilities were unquestionable. Max's agent, on the other hand, was a secretary from his own company.
One was a seasoned professional, and the other was practically an amateur. How could they compete?
As the fans watched, thoughts began to form in their minds. They generally believed that if this conflict continued, Max, with his limited capabilities, would not be able to overcome Cristiano Ronaldo.
No matter how capable he was, his status was still a tier below someone like Cristiano Ronaldo. In fact, it was likely many tiers below, even if calling it a tier lower was being generous.
Ultimately, there was likely only one outcome: Max would be directly removed from Manchester United.
At this very moment, many clubs were already preparing. If such a situation were to occur, this treasure would instantly become the target of many teams and highly sought after!
Cao Baiming looked at these predictions and analyses, which seemed to make sense. However, they were not the truth.
As someone who had already seen several different futures, Cao Baiming naturally had the confidence to say this. He could already sense a general outline of the future, and perhaps in the near future, this feeling would be something everyone should possess.
Max would indeed win. He would drive Cristiano Ronaldo out of Manchester United. This was a highly probable outcome.
That guy would surely be triumphant, and the thought of his arrogant expression and dismissive gaze made Cao Baiming feel uncomfortable.
Go ahead and fight amongst yourselves. In the end, whoever successfully stays at Manchester United will become my prey, because Manchester United will be mine!
Cao Baiming's eyes flickered as he drained his wine in one gulp.