Feifei, contact a company and see if they are interested in our chest advertisement.
Huh? The sun must be rising from the west; you're actually interested in this. Whose company?
Li Jianqin clearly didn't expect Huang Hao, who never paid attention to these things, to take charge of this matter.
Warrior.
Warrior? Why?
Apparently, this brand was not on Li Jianqin's negotiation list.
I've recently seen some news about it; it's showing signs of becoming popular in England and France. I want to support a national brand. I remember wearing Warrior shoes when I was a kid.
Oh, how much are you going to offer?
1 British Pound.
Huang Hao said it as if it were a very ordinary price.
What did you just say??? Li Jianqin slammed on the brakes, almost sending Huang Hao flying!
Sighing, Huang Hao said again:
1 British Pound.
Crazy, crazy, completely crazy!
Li Jianqin shook his head like a rattle drum, then stomped on the accelerator and sped towards the city.
Facing the unexpected windfall, Warrior, after repeated reviews and confirming that Li Jianqin was a legitimate person in charge of Cambridge United's external relations and not a fraud, very straightforwardly signed a one-year sponsorship contract. The contract amount was exactly the 1 British Pound agreed upon by Huang Hao. At the press conference held in China, Li Jianqin signed and took photos as the club representative, but from the photos, he seemed to be smiling a little reluctantly.
Although Cambridge United practically sold its chest advertisement for 0 British Pounds, the industry was in an uproar.
But on the internet, Huang Hao's move was like a bomb, making Cambridge United explode in popularity once again!
Awesome! I'm now a fan, Cambridge United is amazing!
Chief Huang Hao is the GOAT! Warrior is worth it!
From now on, Cambridge United is my home team, no one else matters!
Looking forward to seeing the co-branded team uniform, I must buy one to support it!
Such comments were ubiquitous online, and Cambridge United's official account's fan count surged to nearly 8 million in just two days!
Although Cambridge United is in the EFL Championship, its fan base and influence in China are already comparable to top European clubs!
Although this was not Huang Hao's original intention—he just wanted to simply support a national brand with integrity—he unexpectedly became a trending topic, earning the profound admiration of the business promotion manager. It was a happy accident.
After finishing several major tasks, Huang Hao chose to return to his hometown and peacefully spend two days with his family. Afterwards, the group reunited in Beijing and embarked on their journey to England once again.
Although the few days in China were not relaxing, even involving flying to three different places in one day, returning to a familiar environment made Huang Hao's thoughts clearer.
Especially after this confrontation with Wang Dong, he gained a clearer understanding of the current situation.
Since it's so scarce, he should continue doing what he's good at!
As June 30th drew nearer, who could guarantee that there wouldn't be a true destined player for Cambridge United among the free agents?
On the plane, looking at the sleeping Lin Kexin, Huang Hao showed a doting smile. Then he opened his laptop, which contained dozens of player profiles submitted by the scouting team during this period.
The plane flew steadily at an altitude of ten thousand meters, and as night fell, passengers gradually drifted into dreamland.
But in Huang Hao's seat, the faint glow of the laptop still flickered. Huang Hao was intently staring at a player's profile, his eyes gradually brightening.
In a daze, a familiar delicate fragrance wafted into Huang Hao's nose, making him greedily inhale a few more times before slowly opening his somewhat sore eyes.
What greeted his eyes was Lin Kexin's pretty face. She was leaning over the partition between their cabins, staring at him with her sparkling big eyes, a sweet smile on her face. Seeing Huang Hao wake up, her smile deepened.
My coach is working so hard!
Looking at Huang Hao's bloodshot eyes, Lin Kexin frowned slightly, feeling quite distressed. Huang Hao quickly rubbed his cheeks with both hands, then stretched vigorously backward, finally feeling a bit more relaxed.
Compared to the economy class during his study abroad days, first class was clearly much more comfortable, yet he still felt very tired.
Good morning, my beautiful princess.
While greeting her, Huang Hao took the opportunity to kiss Lin Kexin.
Oh my!
Caught off guard, Lin Kexin playfully pushed Huang Hao away, but quickly tilted her head back to look at the laptop in front of Huang Hao.
Mario Gotze? Coach, you fell asleep looking at him last night!
As Lin Kexin asked, Huang Hao looked at the report on the screen once more.
Then he nodded,
That's right, I even dreamt last night that he joined the team.
Hmph, am I less important than him! You didn't even dream of me!
Huang Hao's brain raced. Lin Kexin's words instantly triggered his survival instinct.
He still hadn't figured out why Lin Kexin, who had a sophisticated beauty when they first met, seemed to be acting more and more like a young girl. Do women have so many facets?
No, no, you are much more important than him. At least you are mine, and he, well, he's probably a long shot.
Upon hearing 'you are mine,' Lin Kexin's cheeks flushed, and she lost the urge to continue questioning who Huang Hao dreamt of.
He's that good!
That's right, at least for Cambridge United, he will be the cornerstone of the team!
Huang Hao nodded with great certainty.
Mario Gotze, 16 years old, German nationality.
Gotze, who emerged from Borussia Dortmund, has undeniable talent and is recognized by the industry as a rising star.
He has performed excellently representing the Germany U17 national youth team; clearly, Gotze is exactly Huang Hao's type!
However, the difficulty of signing him this time clearly made Huang Hao feel the pressure. How could a newly promoted EFL Championship team, with its meager facilities, impress him?
Lin Kexin saw Huang Hao's slightly pained expression and quickly comforted him:
Coach, believe in yourself, where there's a will, there's a way!
After speaking, she playfully made a cheering gesture.
Qiao Zhuoyan smiled and closed his laptop. Anyway, he couldn't contact the other party immediately, so he might as well relax and watch a movie with Lin Kexin. It's just that the first-class design isn't very user-friendly; why can't there be double seats!
Three hours later, the plane slowly landed at Heathrow Airport. This busiest airport in Europe was still bustling with people.
After sending Lin Kexin back to her apartment, Huang Hao did not linger. He immediately went to the office at the base and held a meeting with the scouting team.
On the plane, he had reviewed all the player reports submitted by the scouts one by one and circled his targets. Next up was the familiar battle to secure players.
Because Cambridge United performed excellently, many professors at Cambridge University also became fans of Huang Hao. Professor Schmidt, the head of the Engineering Department at Cambridge University, was one of them. With the help of Professor Schmidt, Cambridge United invited Gotze and his family to visit Cambridge University.
In the meeting room of St. John's College, Cambridge University, the Gotze family, Cambridge University, and Cambridge United discussed the possibility of Gotze joining Cambridge United.
Director Schmidt: "Thank you, Mr. Gotze, for taking the time to visit. Cambridge University has always been committed to combining academic excellence with practical innovation. We understand that your research direction at Borussia Dortmund University highly aligns with our 'Smart Materials and Systems Engineering Laboratory.' We are willing to offer you a lifelong professorship and support you in leading interdisciplinary projects, such as the 'Athlete Biomechanics Analysis' project in collaboration with the Alan Turing Institute.
Furthermore, Cambridge's collegiate system can provide comprehensive support for your family—Trinity College can arrange accommodation for your family, and if your son Mario enrolls, he will enjoy personalized supervision to ensure a balance between academics and training. Our alumni network, such as the founders of DeepMind, can also pave the way for his future cross-disciplinary ventures in technology."
Gotze's Father: "That sounds very appealing, but Mario's football career is our primary consideration…"
Huang Hao: "We fully understand! In fact, Cambridge United is launching a 'Youth Talent Program,' and Mario will be the absolute core. Specifically: we will emulate Borussia Dortmund's number 10 system but grant him greater freedom, and equip him with a data analysis team to optimize his running routes. And Gotze will be the core of our team building.
Gotze will sign a professional contract with us, not a youth training contract. And we guarantee his entry into the first team in the first year, with a guaranteed playing time of ≥ 60% (explicitly stated in the contract). At the same time, Cambridge United has a partnership with the Sports Science Department of Cambridge University. We will customize injury prevention training programs for Gotze and reasonably arrange his training and match schedule.
We will promote Gotze with the image of a 'scholar-athlete' to attract brand endorsements. We promise to invest 20% of the endorsement income into his personal technical training fund, and 50% will go to Gotze personally."
Professor Schmidt timely added: "Cambridge's academic atmosphere can compensate for the uncertainties of professional football. For example, engineering student Zheng Yichu simultaneously received an offer from Cambridge and a professional player contract. His case proves that we can balance both. If Mario chooses to retire in the future, Cambridge's diploma and alumni resources will be his 'second track.'"
Gotze's elderly father was visibly moved: "But England's youth training system is quite different from Germany's…"
Huang Hao: "We plan to reach a joint training agreement with Borussia Dortmund: summer training in Germany, and remote guidance from Borussia Dortmund's coaching staff during the season. His development trajectory will be similar to Shinji Kagawa, but we will avoid early transfer pressure."
Seeing that both sides had discussed almost everything, Professor Schmidt took out a contract, "This is our written proposal: your professorial annual salary will be 120,000 British Pounds + research funds; Mario's scholarship will cover all tuition fees, and the club will pay an 'academic performance bonus'—for example, an additional 50,000 Euros reward if his grades meet the standard each semester."
Huang Hao handed over a jersey: "If Gotze joins, he will wear the number 10 jersey. We will build it into 'Cambridge's Messi jersey'—this is not just a promise, but a belief."
Finally, Gotze and his family agreed to join Cambridge United. Huang Hao immediately arranged for Adams to fly to Borussia Dortmund to begin negotiations. With the player already agreeing, although Borussia Dortmund viewed the young academy player as their future, they ultimately agreed to sell Gotze to Cambridge United for 2 million British Pounds, to be paid in installments over three years.
Securing Gotze invigorated Huang Hao. Although 2 million British Pounds increased Cambridge United's debt, paying in installments significantly reduced the pressure.
Huang Hao then turned his gaze further afield to France.
Andre Ayew, his father is the famous Ghanaian Abedi Pelé. All four of Pelé's sons are involved in football; the difference is that the eldest two play in Ghana, while the third and fourth trained in Marseille from a young age.
Andre Ayew debuted for Marseille's first team in 2007 and appeared in the Champions League. However, due to age, squad, and other factors, Ayew was not on Marseille's roster for the new season, and Marseille preferred to loan him out.
Huang Hao once again dispatched Adams, and after negotiations, both parties reached an agreement. Also, at Andre's request, his younger brother Jordan was included. Finally, Cambridge United loaned Andre and Jordan for one year for 150,000 British Pounds, with an option to buy them permanently for 1.5 million British Pounds after one year.
Big profit, big profit! Huang Hao excitedly waved his fists. The midfield core was already secured, now it was time to see if they could find any hidden gems in the free market.