After Huang Hao returned to China, he happened to see news of Sun Jihai returning to his alma mater for training during his holiday, and a bold idea emerged in his mind.
"Brother Sun, I came here for two reasons: first, to meet my idol, and second, to discuss something with you."
"We're all young people, just call me Brother Hai. And don't use 'you' (formal), it sounds awkward, hahaha!"
Sun Jihai's 'big brother' demeanor made him very approachable.
"Alright, Brother Hai!"
Huang Hao responded with a smile.
"Xiao Hao, I've been following you too; you're very good! This young man has a future, and in China, you're considered the number one!"
Unexpectedly, Sun Jihai praised him first, which made Huang Hao a little embarrassed. "Brother Hai, I just happened to catch a good opportunity; I was lucky."
"Three consecutive promotions in three years—that's not something you can achieve with just luck. You don't need to be so modest."
"Reaching the EFL Championship will be a true test for you."
Sun Jihai, who had personally fought on the field, clearly had a lot of say in this regard.
"Indeed, I've already experienced difficulties in transfers."
Thinking back to how he hadn't even signed a single player yet, Huang Hao replied with a bitter smile. "It's alright, everything is difficult at the beginning. Grit your teeth and get through it, and everything will get better."
"Keep it up, young man! You'll be fine; didn't you defeat Manchester City last season?"
"I heard the Qataris are going to take over Manchester City?!"
Sun Jihai had clearly been following Cambridge United even before Huang Hao arrived.
"Hahaha, those are just some petty tricks that can't be taken seriously. They might work once or twice, but they probably won't be effective in the EFL Championship."
Huang Hao was not being modest; their previous wins were due to taking opponents by surprise. Now that Cambridge United had joined the English Championship League, opponents would clearly take them more seriously.
"Yes, teams in the EFL Championship focus more on confrontation and demand a lot of physical strength; it's not something that can be solved by willpower alone."
Huang Hao firmly kept the elder's words in mind. After all, his experience in the EFL Championship was almost zero, and he had only played against EFL Championship teams a few times.
"Brother Hai, besides seeking your advice, I also want to talk to you about youth training."
Huang Hao stated the purpose of his visit.
"Youth training? Are you asking me to go to England to help you with youth training, hahahaha? I'm not old enough to retire yet!"
Apparently, Sun Jihai didn't think Huang Hao would come up with such an outlandish idea.
"Hahaha, Brother Hai, I wouldn't dare to be so presumptuous. I know my own limits. Brother Hai can still contribute to Chinese football for several more years!"
"You know, it's almost impossible for adult players to enter the English League right now."
Sun Jihai roughly guessed Huang Hao's thoughts and listened intently as he continued.
"I feel that it's very difficult for Chinese football players to go abroad now. Since we have this opportunity with Cambridge United, I want Cambridge United to become a bridgehead for Chinese players to enter Europe, absorbing excellent young players to join Cambridge United."
Sun Jihai re-examined Huang Hao. This young man was much more mature and farsighted than he had imagined.
"You should know that youth training might not show results for three to five years, and you might even be criticized. As for established players, some things are already basically set."
What Sun Jihai said was true. After all, before becoming a giant club, anything related to Chinese players could be misinterpreted as a means of hype.
"Brother Hai, within three to five years, or even ten years or more, I will not sell Cambridge United."
"So, I have enough time to wait. I believe that, even by the laws of probability, we will eventually have our own Hidetoshi Nakata and Park Ji-sung."
Sun Jihai nodded in agreement, prompting Huang Hao to elaborate on his specific plans.
"Cambridge United currently has about 3 million pounds in debt, which can be repaid next season if all goes well."
"So currently, I can't open football schools or similar institutions in China. Moreover, I'm very concerned about such schools having too many shortcuts outside of the field."
"Brother Hai, you are a senior I greatly respect. I have two immature ideas here: First, Brother Hai's contract with Manchester City has expired. I wonder what your plans are? However, I hope Brother Hai can come to our Cambridge United. On one hand, Cambridge United's defenders are very young and need an experienced veteran to guide them. On the other hand, I also want to expand our influence in China through Brother Hai."
"Second, as China's most successful football player, I hope to use Brother Hai's appeal to attract a large number of talented players to play or train at Cambridge United."
"The expenses in England will be jointly borne by the club and the parents. If a family's financial situation is not good, the club can cover all the costs."
"As long as they train hard at Cambridge United and perform well, I can give them the opportunity to join the first team."
"You know, England's youth training system and atmosphere are far superior to China's. I will accelerate the team's youth training construction as soon as Cambridge United's finances improve. And I don't mind if some people use Cambridge United as a springboard to Europe; I welcome as many of those people as possible."
"I hope that in ten years, or even sooner, Cambridge United will become a major contributor to the national team."
"Huang Hao, you make me admire you greatly."
"May our cooperation be pleasant!"
Sun Jihai stood up again and extended his right hand to Huang Hao.
After ending his trip to Dalian, Huang Hao, who had hit it off with Sun Jihai, originally planned to return to Guangzhou. Before leaving, he received a call from Li Jianqin.
Li Jianqin didn't say much on the phone, only telling Huang Hao to come to Beijing immediately, as there was a big deal.
So, Huang Hao arrived in Beijing late at night. Considering that Li Jianqin was definitely not alone at this time, he wisely chose not to disturb him.
After informing Lin Kexin that he was safe, he fell into a deep sleep. What a busy day! Meeting the parents, going to Dalian, and then arriving in Beijing overnight—this vacation was more tiring than work!
The next morning, Li Jianqin burst into Huang Hao's room, excitedly dragged him to breakfast, and then got into his rented Mercedes, driving towards the outskirts of the capital.
"I say, can you describe the big deal you mentioned now?"
Huang Hao closed his eyes, gently rubbing his temples with both hands, clearly not fully recovered from yesterday's exhaustion.
"Huang Hao! If this deal goes through, we'll earn at least 100 million!"
Li Jianqin couldn't hide his excitement, speaking with a triumphant expression.
"100 million? How much did he drink yesterday?!"
Huang Hao clearly didn't quite believe Li Jianqin, his intuition telling him that this guy was unreliable.
"That might even be an underestimate! You'll know when we get there!"
"You'll know when we get there, they're definitely like this!"
With that, Li Jianqin proudly gave a thumbs-up.
Unfortunately, Ouyang Bing hadn't come along. Seeing Li Jianqin so excited, Huang Hao didn't say much, quietly closing his eyes and dozing off.
After more than an hour, the car stopped in front of an ancient and elegant teahouse. A beautiful girl in a Chinese cheongsam politely led the two inside.
The uniform red sandalwood tables and chairs, the rattan tea tables exuding the scent of the wild, and the ink wash landscape paintings hanging on the walls—everything showcased the owner's taste.
But Huang Hao didn't feel comfortable, always feeling that the owner here had a hint of pretentious elegance.
The group stepped onto the somewhat heavy solid wood stairs and arrived on the second floor, where they saw a middle-aged man in a Tang suit, appearing to be around 50 years old, washing tea. Hearing the sound of footsteps, the man slightly raised his head, and upon seeing Li Jianqin and Huang Hao, he immediately stood up to greet them, accompanied by a hearty laugh.
"Welcome, welcome!"
The man extended his right hand to Huang Hao, who quickly took two steps forward to grasp the other's hand, which had a firm grip.
"This must be Head Coach Huang! Truly young and promising!"
The man looked at Li Jianqin while praising Huang Hao, clearly an experienced person.
"That's right, that's right, Wang Dong, this is our Chairman and Head Coach of Cambridge United, Huang Hao." Li Jianqin quickly introduced him.
"Mr. Huang, to achieve so much at such a young age, it's truly commendable!"
Huang Hao smiled and nodded, expressing his gratitude to Wang Dong.
"Thank you, Wang Dong, it's a pleasure to meet you. Jianqin said you might be interested in cooperating with us."
"Come, come, please take a seat first and taste the Jiulong Ke Dahongpao I just had someone bring back from the south."
The tea leaves on the tea table were coarse and dark, unadorned, and showed no unique features. But the three words 'Jiulong Ke' alone were enough to prove its value. Since Wang Dong specifically mentioned these three words, he was clearly worried that the two young men in front of him wouldn't recognize good quality.
"Emmm, good tea, good tea!"
Li Jianqin eagerly picked up the purple clay teacup in front of him and took a sip with a knowledgeable air.
Huang Hao glanced at Li Jianqin with a hint of disdain, thinking, 'This guy's flattery is absolutely deafening!'
Despite his disdain, he still had to try it. Why wouldn't he drink something given for free!
So, Huang Hao also picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip.
The taste was mellow and smooth upon entry, but other than that... he didn't feel much.
Sigh! He still had a gap compared to high-end people!
"Thank you, Wang Dong. Do you have any suggestions for our team?"
Wang Dong laughed heartily,
"Mr. Huang, you're too polite! I wouldn't dare to give suggestions! I have an idea for cooperation; what do you think?"
"Please speak."
Huang Hao thought, 'Finally, we're getting to the point. Dealing with rich people is really tiring.'
"We plan to invest in your club. I've had people look into Cambridge United. Everyone believes it has great development potential under your leadership, Mr. Huang."
Acquisition? Huang Hao looked sideways at Li Jianqin, who clearly knew about this matter and nodded slightly, signaling Huang Hao to listen.
"My subordinates also contacted professional overseas agencies to assess the value of Cambridge United. They gave a valuation of 30 million pounds."
"So, I am prepared to pay 20 million pounds. I hope to acquire 51% of your club's shares."
Huang Hao wasn't overly excited, and he completely understood what Li Jianqin meant by the 'big deal' worth 100 million.
"Our 51% stake should only require 16 million pounds, Wang Dong. You're offering too much."
"Hahaha, Mr. Huang, we businessmen understand the rules. The extra is what everyone deserves."
"And Mr. Huang, rest assured, you will still be the Head Coach of the team. We believe you are absolutely the best choice for Cambridge United's Head Coach."
Wang Dong was very confident. He concluded that earning 200 million at just over thirty years old would definitely be an incredible achievement for the two young men in front of him. They had no reason to refuse.
"Additionally, we will prepare another 20 million pounds to buy players for Cambridge United to strengthen the team. As far as I know, Mr. Huang's team hasn't made any new signings yet, and time is a bit tight!"
Seeing that Huang Hao did not respond, Wang Dong chose to raise the stakes. 20 million pounds, even if it couldn't buy top superstars, could almost certainly buy 2-3 near-first-tier players from the Premier League. Huang Hao once again took a sip of the expensive oolong tea in front of him. Then he slowly leaned back in his chair, allowing his body to relax slightly.
"Wang Dong, your price is truly sincere, making it difficult for us to refuse."
Upon hearing this, Wang Dong was about to proudly say 'pleasant cooperation,' but then he heard Huang Hao's next addition,
"But, for greenhorns like us, if you suddenly ask us to drink such expensive tea, we really aren't used to it."
As an old hand, Wang Dong immediately understood Huang Hao's refusal, and the smile on his lips abruptly stopped.
"Thank you for your kindness, and I apologize, Mr. Wang, but I'm afraid this cooperation will disappoint you."
Li Jianqin looked surprised, even lightly nudging Huang Hao with his hand, but the other remained unmoved.
"Three years ago, when we were almost penniless, we didn't meet a benefactor like you."
"It was our lovely domestic netizens who, without hesitation, used 1,000, 2,000, and simply kept us alive."
"Now, behind us, there are over 30,000 Chinese members, and Cambridge United is also their pride. So, Wang Dong, I want them to show off for a few more years."
With that, Huang Hao grinned.
"Young man, don't speak too impulsively. Some things, you need to consider carefully."
Wang Dong, with a cold expression, seemed to want to make one last attempt.
"As far as I know, you only have a few million in your account right now, and you're already operating precariously. How will you establish yourselves?"
"Without my 20 million, you might not even be able to buy a single player! How will you avoid relegation? With your sixty thousand plus members?! Ridiculous!"
Once Wang Dong showed his true colors, Huang Hao actually felt much more comfortable.
"Wang Dong, thank you for your concern. From the day I took over Cambridge United, some people thought Cambridge United was finished."
"It's been like this every year; every year, we all thought we were definitely getting relegated. As a result, we've now actually been promoted to the EFL Championship."
"Isn't that infuriating?"
Huang Hao was determined to tease this Wang Dong.
"So, Wang Dong, don't worry. I'll try my best to keep Cambridge United in the EFL Championship at the end of this season."
"But now that you mention it, I am indeed a bit anxious, so I won't waste your time. I'll go back and prepare for the match!"
With that, Huang Hao got up to leave, but after two steps, he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something.
He suddenly turned around and looked at Wang Dong.
"Oh, by the way, Wang Dong, I forgot to tell you something."
"Cambridge United hasn't spent much money in the transfer market for three years, no choice, we're used to being poor."
After saying this, Huang Hao did not linger and left the teahouse.
Li Jianqin nodded, apologizing to Wang Dong, while chasing after Huang Hao and grabbing him.
"Crazy Huang, you're really crazy! Two hundred million, brother!"
"Jianqin, are you short on money?"
Huang Hao's question stunned Li Jianqin. He immediately retorted:
"It's not about being short on money! It's two hundred million!"
"If you're not short on money, why are you in such a hurry to cash out? Do you want to sleep with the money?"
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about those two hundred million for now. What about the other 20 million? 20 million for you to buy, buy, buy in the transfer market, isn't that cool?"
Huang Hao looked at Li Jianqin, thinking if all rich second-generation heirs were like this.
"Jianqin, if you trust me, don't dwell on it anymore."
"Do you know what 51% means? It means we won't be in charge anymore. How much do you think capital's words can be trusted?"
This time, Li Jianqin did not continue to argue, but clearly, he hadn't fully gotten over it, and started the car somewhat dejectedly.
"Alright, Jianqin, let me ask you one more question: if we reach the Premier League, how much will the team's valuation increase?"
Seeing Li Jianqin in low spirits, Huang Hao continued.
"Crazy Huang, I have to say, you really have something. Getting to the EFL Championship, I already thought you were amazing."
"The Premier League, I think we should just dream about it."
Huang Hao was a bit helpless and could only shake his head,
"Jianqin, in three years at most, I'll make you kneel and sing 'Conquer'."
"Hahahahahahaha, alright, let's see who kneels!"
Li Jianqin finally cheered up a bit.
"Oh, by the way, how are the sponsorship talks going?"
Huang Hao wanted to change the subject so Li Jianqin wouldn't keep thinking about the 200 million.
"Several sports brands are interested in sponsoring the chest advertisement. They gave a quote of about 500,000 pounds. After all, we're only in the EFL Championship, and our exposure in China is still a bit low."