George Ince shook hands with Huang Hao, bowed slightly, and said, "Mr. Huang Hao, everyone in Cambridge knows you. I am George Ince, you can call me George. I am here to apply to be your butler. First, please allow me to introduce myself."
Huang Hao smiled and nodded. In Europe, there are professional institutions that train butlers. Although most people do not need the services of a butler, this profession still exists among the upper classes of society.
Butlers are not nannies; they don't do physical labor. They are more about having a sense of ownership, managing the employer's home in an orderly manner.
And these are things that someone like Huang Hao cannot do himself.
For example, if he has to go play an away game, who will take care of his two pet dogs at home?
Another example: sometimes he wants to invite people over for dinner at home, but he always either eats hotpot or orders takeout. How can that work? After all, the current Huang Hao is not the poor boy he once was. If he had a butler, Huang Hao wouldn't have to worry about these things.
Of course, the role and responsibilities of a butler are not limited to this.
George Ince introduced his background, which Huang Hao already knew from his material, and knew much more than what he said.
After all, Huang Hao, as the owner of Cambridge United, already has a net worth of over 50 million pounds, and it will certainly be more in the future.
When hiring a butler, he must thoroughly check the applicant's background. Otherwise, if he lets a wolf into the house, the consequences would be unimaginable.
George Ince is 47 years old this year, but his appearance doesn't show that he's almost fifty; he's very well-maintained. From his consistently calm demeanor, well-controlled speaking pace, and refined vocabulary, it's clear he is highly cultivated, having received a good education and at least three years of professional butler training.
He lives locally in Cambridge and already has grandchildren. Not counting his siblings, his own family has over 10 members. He has two sons, both of whom are married and established in stable professions, belonging to the middle class in Cambridge.
Perhaps those who don't understand might wonder why George would take on the role of a butler.
But in reality, the butler profession, in terms of status and income, is at least upper-middle class. Since Huang Hao only has one property to manage in Cambridge, when discussing salary, Huang Hao offered George Ince an annual salary of 40,000 pounds, which is not low by UK income standards.
Moreover, being generous, he also included a series of benefits, such as insurance and bonuses.
George Ince did not show excessive surprise at Huang Hao's generosity, only a polite smile and a thank you.
There was no rush to sign the contract. George Ince wanted to first familiarize himself with the situation at Lynn's home, make a checklist for his work, and then allocate his time and work content.
Huang Hao, however, asked with interest, "Do you play chess?"
George Ince smiled and said, "Chess? Yes, I do."
Of course, it was international chess.
Huang Hao, still in his pajamas, told him, "Play a few games of chess with me first, and let me think about what to eat for lunch."
George Ince hesitated, glancing at the mess in the pet paradise, and said, "But I think cleaning should be the top priority."
Huang Hao laughed heartily, "My life is quite casual, and I hope you won't be so rigid."
George Ince smiled and walked into the villa with Huang Hao. The two sat opposite each other on the balcony next to the top-floor sunroom and began to play chess. George Ince had also brewed a pot of herbal tea earlier. They drank tea and played chess, occasionally turning their heads to admire the scenery outside. From the top floor of Huang Hao's home, one could vaguely see the Gothic architecture of Cambridge University in the distance. Although somewhat blurry due to the distance, it possessed a different kind of beauty.
Huang Hao hadn't enjoyed such leisurely and relaxed moments of tea, chess, and scenery appreciation in a long time. With a butler, his quality of life would surely improve significantly, which put him in a very good mood.
Mid-week, rumors ran rampant in Europe. The shocking battle between Swansea and Manchester United shook Europe, and highlights of the match were repeatedly broadcast across Europe, bringing Cambridge United a new wave of attention and increased visibility.
Of course, there were also rumors of Cambridge United's star players being targeted by various strong teams in Europe.
Huang Hao paid little attention to these. He continued to lead the team's training as usual. Before the weekend arrived, Cambridge United announced a contract extension.
When Swansea announced the contract extension on their official website, BBC prominently reported the news of Swansea's official announcement.
"Lewandowski extends contract for 3 years, 65,000 pounds per week!"
Sky Sports reported: Cambridge United's boldness in spending is no less than that of European giants!
The Daily Telegraph raised a question: Although 50,000 pounds is a high salary, it is still low compared to Manchester City.
Because discussing the past is not realistic, based on the financial income standards for this season, Cambridge United's financial income will experience explosive growth this season. Premier League broadcasting, and Europe, although incomparable to the Champions League, offer sufficiently attractive income for small teams. In addition, as the leading club in Cambridgeshire, Cambridge United's sponsorship income is also not low. Once Cambridge United has effectively secured qualification for Europe next season, more sponsors are willing to collaborate with them, and existing clients want to increase their sponsorship fees.
To ensure they remain competitive against European giants on the big stage for the long term, securing their core players is a primary task. Only by demonstrating concrete actions to retain their core players can Cambridge United show sponsors that they maintain a high level of competitiveness, encouraging them to invest more in sponsorship.
On Friday, Cambridge United's official website followed up with another contract extension announcement.
Van Dijk, following Lewandowski, also signed a new five-year contract!
His weekly salary is 55,000 pounds!
The two core players who extended their contracts later expressed their loyalty to the team and their positive outlook for the future in interviews!
At the pre-match press conference on Saturday, Huang Hao also expressed his joy at the contract extensions of the team's two core players.
"It can be said that their professional careers started at Cambridge United. They are true Cambridge natives, and their contract extensions demonstrate their loyalty. The negotiations went very smoothly, without any obstacles, which makes us even more confident about the future!"
However, at the pre-match press conference, Daniel Taylor, a reporter from The Guardian, asked a question that many Cambridge United fans were concerned about.
"Will Mahrez extend his contract? Rumors say Real Madrid president Florentino is very keen to bring him to the Bernabeu, to have him succeed superstar Figo within the next two years. Many other teams have also expressed strong interest in him, but there has been no news about his contract extension for too long. Does this mean that Cambridge United's contract extension with Mahrez has encountered obstacles?"
Because Vardy just extended his contract last summer, Mahrez has become the player with the most uncertain future among the team's main attacking force.
Huang Hao replied with a relaxed expression, "Our negotiations with Mahrez are ongoing, and so far, everything is going smoothly. It's just that we need to consider our own wallets, as the team's current wage bill is already substantial. Every contract extension is an effort for the club's development for at least the next three years. We need to consider everything comprehensively and not just act on impulse, otherwise, the club will face immense financial pressure."
Huang Hao's words sounded normal, but upon closer thought, they were unsettling.
Does this imply that Cambridge United's stance on Mahrez has changed? He is a star player nurtured by Huang Hao, and one could say he is also a Cambridge native. Furthermore, because he joined the club at a younger age, he should be given even more importance.
However, the team's progress on contract extensions is slow due to economic factors, or rather, there's no news, meaning no progress at all. What exactly is happening behind the scenes?
Even Mahrez's agent only keeps saying that negotiations with Cambridge United are ongoing and everything is going smoothly.
But no specific details of the negotiations have been released, such as the bottom lines of both parties, or what stage the talks have reached. There's no news. Without concrete information, this only fuels outside speculation.
As for the pursuit of Mahrez by other top European clubs, it's not just talk. If Mahrez still hasn't extended his contract by summer, another battle to retain him will begin.
This summer, given Mahrez's performance in the Premier League so far, even without any team or individual honors, for a player of his age, his minimum starting price will be 15 million pounds!
And this amount, even ordinary wealthy clubs can manage to pay if they grit their teeth.
On Sunday, Huang Hao led his team to Portsmouth. As this was the trophy Cambridge United was most likely to win, Huang Hao visited Portsmouth in a formal suit, bringing a semi-first-team squad to Portsmouth's home ground.
Upon Cambridge United's arrival in Portsmouth, it was no surprise to find light rain falling from the sky.
They had checked the weather forecast before coming, and it predicted showers in Portsmouth today, so it was not surprising at all. Just like how British people carry an umbrella even on a sunny day, it's normal for it to rain a few times a day.
When Huang Hao walked into Fratton Park, he was greeted by endless obscenities.
Huang Hao sat on the bench, looking at the empty home team bench. To be honest, this feeling was a first.
The current coach of Portsmouth is Avram Grant, a somewhat legendary coach. In July 2007, Grant was initially invited by Abramovich to serve as Chelsea's director of football. Unexpectedly, in September, Mourinho suddenly announced his resignation. Under Zahavi's strong recommendation, the "obedient" Grant became the team's interim coach. Although he did not have a UEFA coaching license, Grant achieved three runner-up finishes at the end of the season: in the League, League Cup, and Champions League. Especially the Champions League, which was an achievement Mourinho had not managed at Chelsea. However, driven by the desire for a Champions League title, Abramovich still fired Grant and pursued Carlo Ancelotti instead.
When both teams' players walked out of the tunnel onto the pitch, the atmosphere at Portsmouth's home ground immediately changed. The cheers were deafening, and the scene was electrifying.
"Welcome to Fratton Park! The FA Cup quarter-finals are kicking off today, with Cambridge United challenging Portsmouth. Cambridge United has fielded a mixed lineup of starters and reserves today, while Portsmouth has put out their strongest lineup, giving their all in this match. Drawing Cambridge United is a good thing for them; Cambridge United is clearly stronger, but compared to the other teams in the quarter-finals, Cambridge United is relatively weaker.
Let's look at today's starting lineups for both teams.
Portsmouth's starting 4-2-3-1:
Goalkeeper: James.
Defenders: Brown, Hreidarsson, Smith, Belhadj.
Midfielders: Diarra, Sweeney, Boateng, O'Hara, Kanu.
Forward: Utaka.
Cambridge United's starting 3-5-2:
Goalkeeper: Pantilimon.
Defenders: Sun Jihai, Vida, Van Dijk.
Midfielders: M'Vila, O'Connor, Ayu, Smith, Tadić.
Forwards: Vardy, Little Ayu.
Once the match began, every time a Cambridge United player had possession, the stadium erupted in loud boos from Portsmouth fans, who tried to use this intimidation to disrupt the Cambridge United players' performance.
For the first 10 minutes of the match, everything seemed normal. Cambridge United created two shooting opportunities. Little Ayu's header went wide, and Tadić's shot from outside the box, though on target, was easily collected by the opposing goalkeeper, James.
After 10 minutes of play, the style of the game suddenly changed.
Portsmouth not only actively increased the pace of the game but also started using aggressive pressing and dirty tactics to deal with Cambridge United.
Especially Boateng, who played as a defensive midfielder today. Despite his small stature, he was full of malice.
Within 10 minutes, he fouled Ayu twice in a row, but immediately after each foul, he would friendly help Ayu up and proactively signal to the referee that it was not intentional.
Ayu was frustrated by the opponent's fouls.
Not only that, but other players on the field also faced fierce challenges from the entire Portsmouth team.
Portsmouth's overall defensive line was relatively deep, which somewhat nullified the speed advantage of Little Ayu and Smith. Attempting to control the ball in place and dribble would be met with aggressive physical challenges from Portsmouth players.
After 30 minutes of the first half, Cambridge United had only 3 shots, 2 in the first 10 minutes, and only one shot in the subsequent 20 minutes.
Huang Hao watched from the sidelines with some helplessness. Portsmouth's rough playing style was not surprising, but Cambridge United's lack of physicality in the midfield and attack, or rather, being clearly disadvantaged after repeated fierce challenges from the opponent, was something Huang Hao had not expected.