Chapter 52

Audrich's post-match interview, filled with hidden daggers, was widely publicized the next day as Millwall's declaration of revenge against Newcastle United for the next season.

Kevin Keegan naturally scoffed at it, believing that the seasoned Newcastle United would not deign to be mentioned in the same breath as Millwall. The two encounters with Millwall in the cup were mere strokes of luck for Millwall, which instead helped to boost its fame through Newcastle United's reputation.

In March, with a large gap between Millwall and the teams chasing them in the league table, Audrich had more flexibility in his team selection, ensuring that the first team played one match a week while the reserves had four to six matches for training.

Mid-March, Audrich returned home from work as usual, but found the parking lot crowded with dazzling luxury cars.

He sighed helplessly: there was another party at home.

In this luxurious villa, parties were held every now and then. Sometimes Arthur invited old neighbors to gather, and sometimes they were cleverly themed, such as birthdays or anniversaries.

It wasn't that Audrich was antisocial, but sometimes he returned home with a tired body, wanting nothing more than a comfortable bath and rest. The sudden attack of a party left him unprepared and forced to muster his spirits.

Walking to the front door, Audrich thought to himself: it was time to move out and live alone.

He tidied up his suit, forced a smile, and walked into the hall. The living room was packed with people, and after observing the handsome men and beautiful women moving through the hall, Audrich concluded: today's party was of high caliber.

Not only were the guests well-dressed, but the men also exhibited gentlemanly manners, and the women exuded elegance.

It was nothing like the loud and boisterous gatherings when Arthur invited old neighbors, who would even jump around in the villa.

Audrich grabbed Ross and asked in a low voice, "What's today?"

Ross pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and said seriously, "Mr. Hall just made a fortune and is hosting a banquet, inviting many business partners and a few big shots from Barclays Bank."

The "Mr. Hall" Ross referred to was Audrich's older brother, Barnett.

At the dining table, he casually picked some food to fill his stomach, then held a glass of champagne and leaned against the stairs, one hand in his pocket and the other holding the glass, idly observing the scene at home.

He never thought Barnett could invite big shots from Barclays Bank.

Originally, Audrich didn't know much about the capitalist world, but after Barclays Bank sponsored the Premier League in the new millennium, he had learned a bit about its background. The description of Barclays Bank was unforgettable: total assets over a trillion pounds!

That was what a real conglomerate looked like.

So, for Barnett to be able to invite people from the Barclays conglomerate, it was clearly not something a small employee could represent, which was enough to surprise Audrich.

Occasionally hearing the words of the guests, Audrich roughly understood what it meant for Barnett to have made a fortune.

Not long ago, Mexico experienced a financial crisis, and Barnett took advantage of the situation to make a fortune.

Suddenly, Audrich's lips curled into a beautiful arc.

He saw a familiar stranger.

A woman in a tight black dress stood in the distance, dealing with a man who was flirting with her.

Audrich took a sip of champagne and chuckled to himself: the future Mrs. Beckham looked like a frightened child now.

He didn't know why Victoria was at home, but he found it quite pleasant to observe her uneasy movements.

"She's very beautiful, isn't she?" a young and attractive woman appeared beside him, with long, dark brown hair and a curvaceous figure that Audrich would appreciate. She was also wearing a black dress, looking very pleasing to the eye.

Audrich followed her mischievous gaze and saw that it was indeed Victoria, whom he had been staring at. He shrugged and said, "Yes, she is beautiful."

He thought to himself: I wonder if she will still be smiling in ten years.

He remembered that after marrying Beckham, as Beckham's fame grew, she mostly appeared in public with a cool demeanor, and the British media joked that Beckham had married a wife who never smiled.

"Do you like her?"

The girl playfully blinked, and Audrich waved his hands in surprise, "No, no, no, she's a rose with thorns. Liking her? I'd rather be killed than tortured by her."

"Hmm? Then why were you staring at her?"

"Doesn't she look like a penguin that has left the South Pole? She doesn't know where to put her hands, and she talks as if she's afraid of choking on her own saliva. Her smile, though not ugly, is quite amusing."

Audrich spoke confidently, not feeling that teasing others was a loss of dignity.

"Ha, I'll tell her what you said."

"Eh? Who are you?"

"Melanie Chisholm. That's my good friend, Victoria. We're in the same group, the Spice Girls. You probably haven't heard of us; we haven't officially debuted yet."

The awkward look on Audrich's face quickly disappeared. He had just been teasing Victoria, and he didn't expect someone to be lurking nearby.

Facing the outstretched hand, Audrich also extended his hand and lightly shook it, smiling, "Audrich Hall, I'm a football coach."

"Football coach? Uh, you look so young, you must be a regular coach, right? I like Liverpool; I was born in Liverpool. I only watch Liverpool matches. Uh, strange, how can you come to this party if you're just a coach?"

Melanie Chisholm sized up Audrich and shook her head in confusion.

Audrich shrugged and didn't explain. Melanie then asked, "Have you met Victoria before?"

"No."

"Then why do you seem afraid of her?"

"Afraid? Ha, I just know what she's like after becoming famous, how she can be a real troublemaker. I don't know about other men, but I find her very annoying."

Melanie's eyes widened in disbelief, and her surprised expression was even a bit cute. She asked, "How do you know she will become famous? If she becomes famous, then I should also become famous, as we're in the same group."

Audrich raised his head confidently, "Of course I know, because I'm from the future."

Pfft!

Melanie almost burst out laughing, giving Audrich a reproachful look, "That's such an old line."

Audrich raised his hands innocently, "I'm telling the truth."

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, okay, Audrich from the future. If you're from the future, then tell me, what will the weather be like tomorrow?"

Audrich raised an eyebrow, "It will rain in Manchester tomorrow!"

Melanie raised her fist in mock anger, "I was born in Liverpool. It's common for Manchester to have three or four rains a day. Looks like you can only fool kids."

Saying that, Melanie lowered her head and smiled, suddenly finding the man beside her quite interesting.

At that moment, all the guests in the hall focused their attention on the stairs. Audrich looked up and saw Barnett in a suit and several other well-dressed men coming down the stairs, all with smiles on their faces, as if they had had a very pleasant conversation upstairs.

Melanie curiously watched the men, but her ears picked up Audrich's low mutter, "Can't see me, can't see me, can't see me..."

But he was standing right by the stairs, and Barnett immediately saw him, waving happily, "Audrich, you're here. Come over, I'll introduce you to some friends."

Audrich sighed inwardly: my brother, I have no interest in your friends, especially not all males!

Melanie's eyes widened, not understanding who this man beside her was.

Audrich smiled bitterly at Melanie, "He's my brother, and this is my home."

"Aren't you a football coach?"

"Is there a conflict?"

"Uh..."

Audrich smiled apologetically and then walked towards Barnett.

After he left, Victoria walked up to Melanie and asked curiously, "Who was the man you were talking to just now?"

"He's Mr. Hall's brother."

"Mr. Hall?"

"Is that Mr. Hall? No way, isn't the Hall family very wealthy? Why does Audrich have to be a football coach? That doesn't pay much."

Melanie was puzzled. Even top coaches didn't earn millions of pounds a year, and the Hall family was a large and influential one. Why would a direct descendant not go into business but become a football coach?

He's really an oddball!

The Spice Girls were preparing for their debut. In the eyes of these girls who were just turning twenty, such a party belonged to the upper class. Their agent had them come to try their luck, to meet influential people, which would be beneficial for their careers. Besides, they weren't selling anything; it was just normal socializing.

Audrich was taken to a quiet place by Barnett, who introduced him enthusiastically, "Audrich, this is Mr. Bishap from Barclays Bank. Mr. Bishap, this is my brother, Audrich, whom I mentioned earlier."

"Hello."

Audrich shook hands with the man and exchanged pleasantries, then remained silent. Bishap, who looked to be in his early forties, was polite and gentle. He observed Audrich with interest but couldn't figure out what qualities made Barnett speak so highly of him.

The Hall family had many investments in Asia, and when the topic came up, Audrich, urged by Barnett's gaze, had to speak casually about it.

But it left a deep impression on Bishap.

"The economies of some Southeast Asian countries are overheating, and the economic bubble is expanding. In the short term, it might not have a significant impact, but in the long run, it's worrying. By the way, brother, I think we should withdraw all our investments in Southeast Asia by the end of next year. We've already made a good profit."

Barnett immediately called his assistant to note it down.

Making a profit was a certainty. A few years ago, the real estate and stock markets in those regions were worth little, but with economic growth, their investments had already yielded high returns.