Chapter 7

Ruan Huan felt that this guy was too excited and almost slapped him to wake him up.

Does he not consider the cost and risk at all?

"Thirty million pounds!" Ruan Huan poured a bucket of cold water on the enthusiastic Sun Yue.

He currently only had three hundred million RMB, which was roughly equivalent to thirty million pounds.

Sun Yue was stunned. Thirty million pounds, what team can you buy with that?

Even the most lowly Premier League team costs more than that!

On one side are the high-end, prestigious teams like Manchester United and Chelsea, and on the other side are the down-and-out teams.

Good heavens, the gap is too big!

"Don't be discouraged, don't lose heart!" Ruan Huan walked over and patted Sun Yue on the shoulder, "You should know, turning a thirty million pound team into a top-tier powerhouse is where our skills come in. What's so great about acquiring Manchester United? Isn't it just about having more money? Relying on money is being a nouveau riche, we don't do things that lack technical content."

Sun Yue thought about it and found it reasonable. There's fun in challenges!

If Young Master Huan says he wants to play, it has to be fun.

"Besides, this is the budget for acquiring the team. We still have a transfer budget, what's there to fear?"

Ruan Huan's words piqued Sun Yue's interest, "Young Master Huan, I wonder how much the transfer budget is?"

"I'm not sure about that yet!" Ruan Huan shook his head, "But I want to bring in a superstar to make a name for us, to let those Europeans know that we are the ancestors of football, and in modern professional football, we are still their ancestors!"

Ruan Huan spoke with confidence, and Sun Yue also felt excited, nodding heavily, "Alright, Young Master Huan, I'll follow you!"

Zhang Ning, who had been silently watching all this, suddenly felt that the world was so dark, and another good young man had been dragged into the abyss of decadence by this playboy.

"Alright, follow me, and I guarantee you won't lose out!"

Ruan Huan made the decision, "Triple the salary, and when we get to England, I'll arrange a house and a car for you. As long as you do well, I'll definitely give you a raise."

Everyone present was immediately stunned. The benefits were too good!

Triple the salary, free trip abroad, a house and a car, oh my God, such a big pie, why didn't it fall on our heads? It's a waste for this intern to get it!

Although the others didn't receive Ruan Huan's favor, when they heard that Ruan Huan was treating everyone to lunch at Longhai Hotel, they all turned their regret into joy, lavishly praising Ruan Huan, hoping that this generous young master would come every day.

After sending everyone away, Ruan Huan, Zhang Ning, and Sun Yue held a meeting directly in the HR department's conference room.

"Actually, I considered acquiring a top-tier powerhouse, but then I thought, it's not worth it."

Sun Yue was a bit puzzled, "Young Master Huan, what do you mean?"

"Think about it, if acquiring Manchester United costs 1.5 billion pounds, but if I don't acquire Manchester United and use that money to buy a lower-tier team, I can spend 100 million pounds in the transfer market each year for 15 years. I don't believe I can't turn a team into a powerhouse in 15 years."

In Ruan Huan's previous life, he was very puzzled about why no tycoon had acquired Manchester United.

For example, the Qatar Investment Authority, even they backed out due to the price.

Now, thinking about it carefully, the cost is hard to control. Instead of spending the money on Manchester United, it's better to use it on other teams, and by spending money every year, you can create a buzz, attract media attention, and draw fans.

Of course, Manchester United itself has strong profitability, but how much can it earn in a year?

Either continue to invest heavily in transfers, or adopt a healthy financial policy, which will lead to a decline in the team's competitiveness.

Therefore, Manchester United is hard to sell because it's not cost-effective.

"I understand, Young Master Huan!" Sun Yue finally understood.

Zhang Ning looked at Ruan Huan with some surprise. The more she interacted with him, the less she could see through him.

If you say he's a wastrel, sometimes he's frighteningly shrewd.

But if you say he's shrewd, sometimes he seems to spend money recklessly.

What kind of person is he, really?

"Don't look at me with that infatuated gaze, I'm worried you'll fall in love with me and can't get out of it!" Ruan Huan smiled at Zhang Ning.

Zhang Ning's face turned red, and she turned away without speaking.

Sun Yue wanted to laugh but didn't dare to, guessing what the relationship between Young Master Huan and Miss Zhang was.

...

...

Kash Harris, the chairman of Seymour Pierce Investment Bank in the City of London, is also one of the two most famous investment advisors in European professional sports, the other being the heir of the Rothschild family, Little Rothschild.

In the early years of the century, it was the most sought-after period for Premier League teams, and Kash Harris almost participated in all the transactions of Premier League teams, such as Roman Abramovich's acquisition of Chelsea, the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's acquisition of Manchester City, and the subsequent sale of Manchester City.

Almost all the popular Premier League team transactions had Kash Harris's involvement.

However, in recent years, with the arrival of the economic crisis, the enthusiasm for investing in the Premier League has rapidly waned, even the oil-rich Middle East has lost its initial enthusiasm for investing in football.

On the other hand, although the Premier League's broadcast fees have been rising, the operating conditions of Premier League teams have been deteriorating, with heavy debts, making it the most indebted league in Europe, further scaring off potential investors.

Therefore, although he holds agency letters for five or six Premier League teams and authorization for several lower-tier English professional teams, Kash Harris is still helpless because he can't sell any of them.

China is undoubtedly the country that has performed the most outstandingly in the global economic crisis.

Kash Harris has more than once turned his attention to China, even inviting some Chinese tycoons to participate in football investment forums in the UK, and making multiple trips to China for promotion, but the results have been inconclusive.

Perhaps, the people of this country have no interest in football, they only think about one thing: making money.

And football has never been a profitable business!

Just as Kash Harris was feeling disheartened, he received a call from China.

So, this afternoon, he appeared at Heathrow Airport in southwest London, waiting for the plane from China.

His Chinese friend told him that the person interested in investing in football this time is Ruan Huan, the only son of a Chinese hidden super tycoon, and as long as this deal is successful, the reward will certainly not be lacking.

This made him excited.

"Boss, they're out!" Kash Harris's assistant gently tugged at his sleeve.

Harris woke up and looked towards the gate, where the crowd of passengers had already emerged.

"Hold up the sign, I heard there are four of them."

Kash Harris instructed, and the assistant immediately held up the sign prepared earlier, with the two Chinese characters awkwardly written on it.

Ruan Huan!

"Young Master Huan."

As soon as Ruan Huan walked out of the gate, Sun Yue saw the sign in the crowd and reminded him, so he pulled Zhang Ning's hand and walked towards the two people holding the sign high.

Three people came to London with Ruan Huan, in addition to Zhang Ning and Sun Yue, there was another one found by his grandfather Yang Baoping, said to be a top-notch bodyguard from Zhongnanhai, named Long Wu, but this guy was obsessed with mobile games, looking like a young man in his early twenties, addicted to mobile games.

Have you ever seen a bodyguard obsessed with mobile games?

In short, Sun Yue was very不服气 (unconvinced) about Long Wu.

"Hello, are you Mr. Harris?" Zhang Ning, who had the best English among the four, served as the translator.

It's funny, among the four, Zhang Ning had the best English, Sun Yue was average, Ruan Huan was poor, and Long Wu couldn't speak a word of English.

Such a combination trying to make it in Britain would be a laughingstock.

"Young Master Ruan, hello, I am Kash Harris!" To his surprise, Kash Harris greeted Ruan Huan in Chinese.

"You can speak Chinese?" Ruan Huan immediately liked this chubby investment advisor.

Kash Harris chuckled, "If you want to do business with the Chinese, you have to learn Chinese."

"Very well said!" Ruan Huan shook his hand vigorously, finding the chubby guy more and more likable.

He then turned his head and winked at Zhang Ning.

Look, girl, you said that not speaking fluent English wouldn't work abroad, see, I don't speak fluent English, but I still get along well!

The truly awesome people are not those who learn English to do business with the British, but those who make the British learn Chinese to do business with us!

Zhang Ning felt helpless, always feeling embarrassed in front of Ruan Huan.

The four left Heathrow Airport, and a driver was already waiting outside with a stretched Bentley.

"Young Master Ruan, we have already booked a hotel for you in London, as per your request, two double luxury rooms."

After getting in the car, the Bentley immediately left Heathrow Airport, and Harris continued to chat with Ruan Huan.

However, he was puzzled, why did three men and one woman need two double rooms?

"Thank you, Mr. Harris!" Ruan Huan thanked him with a smile.

From Heathrow Airport to Hyde Park, the group mostly discussed the scenery. Ruan Huan and Kash Harris talked more about what interesting places there were in London, and didn't mention the acquisition of football teams at all.

Kash Harris was helpless but didn't dare to offend this young master, who was said to be incredibly wealthy, and could only accompany him enthusiastically, answering all kinds of questions from Ruan Huan.

Finally, they arrived at the hotel, checked in, and had a luxurious dinner.

In the end, it was Kash Harris who couldn't hold back first.

After returning to the room, he presented an investment report and got straight to the point.

"Young Master Ruan, this is a detailed introduction to the Premier League teams I currently have. You can take a look and see if you're interested."

Ruan Huan took the investment report, glanced through it, and handed it to Zhang Ning.

Zhang Ning read it very carefully and seriously, as she was now Ruan Huan's personal secretary.

"If I'm not mistaken, Liverpool, Blackburn, and Everton are all in the northern part of England, which is relatively economically underdeveloped, right?" Zhang Ning shook her head in rejection.

The most economically developed region in England is around London, in the south of England, while the northern cities were industrial cities that have mostly declined in recent years, including Manchester, where Manchester United and Manchester City are located.

The relatively underdeveloped economy and low per capita income make it difficult for these cities' teams to form a good business model. For example, Liverpool, although a top-tier Premier League team, mostly relies on the owner's financial support to survive.

Kash Harris also knew the problem, the economy is the inherent disadvantage of these professional teams.

"Newcastle and West Ham United are not bad." Kash Harris continued to promote.

Newcastle is a core city in northern England, and West Ham United is located in London, but in the eastern part of London.

Zhang Ning smiled, but shook her head again.

Her smile was beautiful and charming, but in Kash Harris's eyes, it was merciless.

"Newcastle is indeed good, but do you think a newly promoted Premier League team, without stars, without valuable assets, and with a financial hole of nearly 100 million pounds, can be sold for 300 million pounds?"

Seeing that Kash Harris didn't respond, Zhang Ning continued, "As for West Ham United, located in the poor eastern part of London, the purpose of the London Olympics was to develop the east, but it has nothing to do with West Ham United. The Olympic Park is a distance from West Ham United's home ground, Upton Park. I don't see how West Ham United can be valued at 250 million pounds."

Kash Harris listened to Zhang Ning's analysis, wiping his forehead, realizing he was sweating.

This beautiful and charming Eastern woman was clearly well-prepared.

The reason these teams of Kash Harris's couldn't be sold was not without cause. Either the asking price was too high, or they were in relatively underdeveloped regions, making it hard for investors to be interested.

In such a situation, it was really hard to sell.

After all, every transaction involves hundreds of millions of pounds, who would dare to be careless?

"Mr. Harris." Ruan Huan spoke up when the time was right, "Don't doubt my sincerity in investing in a football team, but don't doubt my intelligence either. I want high-quality assets, not the leftovers that others have picked over."

"Do you understand what I mean?" Ruan Huan stared at Harris, speaking clearly.

"I understand, of course I understand!" Kash Harris knew that there were other investment advisors in the City of London, and if he upset the young master, there would be other choices, so he had to quickly come up with something that interested Ruan Huan.

Racking his brains, he thought of a team that was both good and cheap.

"Young Master Ruan, I actually have another team for sale, but this team... is a bit low in the league."