The Greatest Manager of All time

There was an unspoken rule in Britain when judging whether a Chinese restaurant was authentic: look at the customers.

If most of them were foreigners, then the place definitely was not authentic!

For example, the Imperial Garden Chinese restaurant Lynn often visited in Swansea had many foreign customers, so it was easy to understand why Mo Yuan complained endlessly about the Chinese food there.

At this hour, it was already hard to tell what kind of customers made up the main clientele of this Lao Shu Ren Chinese restaurant near Liverpool's Chinatown. Even so, Lynn smiled expectantly and ordered several Sichuan dishes.

Since his mood had improved, he naturally felt like chatting.

He smiled at Whelan and said, "Even the name of this restaurant feels very Chinese."

Rona Whelan looked around the restaurant and said, "I just think the décor has a lot of Chinese elements."

That was true. The interior had a very retro Chinese style, the kind that could give someone a feeling of returning home. But Lynn was someone who had come back from 2016, so he shook his head and said, "It seems most people's impression of China is still trapped in the misconception that Chinese style means the colors and architecture of the Forbidden City. In reality, modern China, especially the big cities, basically isn't much different from international cities in Europe or America. The architectural styles are all more or less the same."

Whelan rested her chin on one hand. "I'll go to China someday if I get the chance. So what's special about the name of this restaurant?"

Lynn smiled. "Chinese is vast and profound. It carries a lot of meaning. There are often words that sound the same but are written differently, or homophones used as hidden meanings. This restaurant is called Lao Shu Ren. Most Chinese people's first impression when seeing it would be: this is a restaurant owned by someone from Sichuan, or a Sichuan restaurant. But the middle character, Shu, sounds like another word meaning 'familiar.' Read it another way, and it becomes old acquaintance, which is also a common Chinese expression meaning a friend you know well. So the name is interesting. It shows the restaurant's style, but it also carries a good meaning — hoping customers will come back often, and after a few visits, become old friends. Hehe."

Rona Whelan listened to the twists and turns and felt her brain was not quite keeping up. After thinking about it for a while, she gave up on completely understanding the meaning and sighed. "I tried learning Chinese before, but it was too hard."

Lynn took a sip of the tea the waiter had brought over. It tasted like tea from a Chinese street-side diner. After all, in this kind of restaurant, the average spending per person was less than twenty pounds. It was impossible for them to serve Longjing or Biluochun.

He put down the cup and smiled as he stared at Whelan.

Whelan felt a chill from his stare. "Hey, are you misunderstanding something?"

Lynn shook his head. "I'm not misunderstanding anything. There's no such thing as free kindness. Someone suddenly showing favor is either after treachery or theft. Tell me, what exactly do you want from me?"

Whelan sighed. "I just want to be friends with you."

Lynn shook his head. "Hypocritical. We don't share a social circle. Our lives don't intersect. And this isn't love at first sight. You don't look like the type of person who warmly tries to befriend anyone she meets. If I weren't Swansea's owner and manager, would you still want to be friends with me, Rona Whelan?"

Whelan realized she had completely lost to Lynn. His forceful, sharp manner placed tremendous pressure on her.

She sighed again and said helplessly, "Fine. I just want to make an investment."

Lynn narrowed his eyes until they were almost slits. After thinking for a moment, he said, "You think I have great potential? That I'll bring you huge returns in the future?"

Whelan glanced at him with some disdain. "I'm diversifying my investments. Raise a whole flock of chickens first, then see which one lays eggs in the future."

"If you raise roosters expecting them to lay eggs, that isn't investment. That's brain damage. Also, you're making this sound far too simple. Although I'll thank you for treating me to supper, I, Lynn, am not someone who can be bought with one late-night meal. On the contrary, Whelan, how much are you worth? A house? A nice car? Or a designer handbag?"

Whelan looked displeased. Her tone turned unhappy. "Saying that hurts a person's self-respect, especially when that person is a woman."

Lynn shrugged and smiled. "I'm just telling the truth. Since you say you're making an investment, then you must hope I succeed, and that my club succeeds. That way, you'll have special access to information for a long time, and you may even become Swansea's intelligence specialist. But what about the other way around? Do you know what I need?"

Rona Whelan was not stupid either. She said bluntly, "Money, victory, and mercy from Fleet Street."

Snap.

Lynn snapped his fingers and said with high spirits, "Looks like you're not stupid after all! A football club is a bottomless investment pit. You could call it a bad industry. Making money from it is harder than climbing to heaven. Although revenue grows day by day, costs also rise rapidly. If I want to make money to support the club, then first, the club must become a brand. The foundation of a brand is recognition and good reputation. Like McDonald's or Coca-Cola.

"If seven out of ten football fans hear the name Swansea and ask, 'What the hell is that?' then Swansea can't become a brand. Without brand effect, it's very hard to create real benefits.

"But at the same time, the complicated part of football is performance fluctuation. Fleet Street devours people without spitting out the bones. Beckham, loved by millions, still hasn't been forgiven by the majority of the public and the media. Even though after marriage, he returned to the spotlight and his career continued rising, can you imagine how much pressure and suffering he endured two years ago? Extreme supporters sent him death threats. Groups of people went to his house to abuse him and even threw stones through his windows. And a large part of that was incited by the media! Hehe, one thing you said is right. I need mercy from Fleet Street!"

Whelan laughed. Because her face was thin, her smile looked especially bright.

"Looks like you're not stupid either. Lynn, let me give you a suggestion. You should understand the arrogance buried in British bones. So you should make use of the virtue Westerners think Easterners possess: humility."

Lynn laughed loudly. "No! I admit the arrogance you mentioned. But what you call humility actually means asking me to be lowly! To bend myself and flatter you British people, as if I've become your pet dog. If you tell me to bark twice, I have to obediently go woof woof. If you're unhappy and hit me twice, I still have to wag my tail and beg for your forgiveness. Fuck your arrogance, and fuck the humility you demand! I refuse!"

Whelan heard the F-word from Lynn's mouth and frowned slightly. "Then you'll never get the mercy you want!"

"Yes. There are many things in this world that people want but will never obtain in their entire lives! I knew that a long time ago. I want the whole world to worship me. I won't get it. I want every beautiful woman to kneel beside me and wait for my favor. I won't get it. I want Tony Blair to bring his security detail to respectfully invite me to 10 Downing Street for tea tomorrow, only for me to look at my schedule and say: get lost, I'm going to the swimming pool to swim a thousand meters. These things, I won't get! But not getting those things doesn't matter! What matters is when something I can't obtain obstructs and affects my life. Then, if I can't get it, I'll destroy it!"

Lynn expressed his position with such dramatic emotion that he was practically at an award-winning actor's level.

Whelan stared at him, stunned, then did not know whether to laugh or cry.

She said, "I really surrender to you! You want to go against Fleet Street? Please, have you thought about what happens if today's situation continues long term? Every press conference, no reporter asks you a question. Of course, Welsh reporters are another matter. But Fleet Street — that's the uncrowned king!"

Lynn instantly became very calm.

He picked up his tea and slowly drank half a cup. Then he poured more for himself and said casually, "I've thought about it. So this problem has to be solved. I know that if I sit on stage and no reporters ask questions, once is fine, twice is fine, but if it keeps happening long term, I'll be sitting up there like a clown, laughed at and mocked by everyone. Of course this problem has to be solved. Otherwise, why would I be sitting here having supper with you?"

Whelan looked at Lynn as he finished pouring tea and sat upright again. From the sudden calmness of his expression, she noticed the cold light in his eyes.

Only at this moment did Rona Whelan truly stop underestimating this man.

At first, she had thought she was the one drawing closer to Lynn as an early investment. She did not dare say that Swansea would certainly shine under Lynn's leadership, but as long as Swansea achieved even a little success, Lynn would become the center of the topic!

What could not be ignored was that, not across Europe, but just in Britain alone, there were more than five hundred thousand Chinese people.

In Fleet Street's own home, London, the Chinese population exceeded one hundred thousand!

If only twenty percent of those people were willing to pay attention to a Chinese man who had become a star in British society, then newspaper sales and subscriptions would rise rapidly!

There was no doubt about it. The three most popular sports in Britain were: first, football; second, football; third, still football.

When Beckham could gain the support of forty million British people, the effect he created shook the whole world!

Was Beckham the best footballer?

No.

Was Beckham the most handsome?

Everyone had different tastes, so there were many opinions.

But all of this was Fleet Street's work!

Likewise, when Fleet Street aimed its guns at Beckham, what happened to him made people sigh.

God or demon — it could change in an instant.

Although Lynn certainly could not become a star like Beckham, as long as he first gained the attention of the Chinese community in British society, that meant he had tremendous market potential.

That was the fundamental reason Whelan had approached Lynn.

And Lynn was simply going with the current, using Whelan's desire to get close to him to do things that benefited himself.

Mutual exploitation.

No, perhaps it should be phrased more nicely:

Friendly cooperation and mutual benefit.

To confirm her own thoughts, Whelan hesitated before asking, "Your idea is?"

Lynn waved his right hand through the air and sneered. "Rona Whelan, the way you're pretending to be confused right now makes you look like a complete idiot! Must we spell everything out clearly? Fine, I'll tell you.

"We can become friends. Since we're friends, you'll pray, bless, and support me, hoping everything goes smoothly for me at Swansea and that I'm invincible on the pitch. As your friend, I will consider the fact that your profession is journalism. When my club has something major to announce, I'll call you or send you a message. Or when I become the focus, I'll give you the chance to interview me one-on-one. That includes my players. As long as it is within my authority, I'll do it.

"And as my friend, you will fully support me within the scope of your work. Whoever wants to throw dirty water on Swansea behind our backs, whoever mutters in their sleep about wanting to ruin my reputation — you have an obligation to find out clearly. Then you find writers to clarify things for me and the club. Don't let the newspapers carry only one-sided voices. Let our—no, let your British public hear more voices. This is not an era where fascism should exist!

"In short, you are my friend, and I am your friend. If I do well, you will do well too. If I don't do well, I'll make sure you don't do well either! You're a smart person. You surely know I enjoy socializing. You are not my only friend. At the same time, I might make some bad friends too. When I'm hurt, maybe they'll be willing to take a knife for me."

After Lynn finished speaking, he took cigarettes and a lighter from his suit pocket. He lit one, exhaled a mouthful of smoke, then once again turned his gaze toward Rona Whelan, who was staring at him in shock.

Whelan felt a little panicked.

The situation was completely outside her expectations and control.

Lynn was far stronger and more scheming than she had imagined.

Only now did she understand.

Today, she had delivered herself to his door!

Why?

Because she had been greedy!

When everyone else had ignored Lynn, she thought that offering help in his hour of need would make Lynn grateful.

She was wrong!

Half a year ago, Lynn had already completely distrusted reporters. Even with Carter, Lynn had never revealed the slightest sensitive information about the club.

Whelan remained silent.

After finishing one cigarette, Lynn suddenly smiled again. "Rona Whelan, this is a very realistic world, and also a world filled with danger at every step. Every opportunity comes with risk. Did you think pies would just fall from the sky? Or did you think I was too simple? Right now, I only want to know your answer. Can we be friends?"

Lynn's double-meaning question made Rona Whelan's scalp tingle.

After a long while, she finally made a difficult decision in her heart and gave Lynn a bitter smile.

"Being friends with you will definitely make me suffer."

"But perhaps I'll also make you very happy! Hehe, perfect timing. The dishes are here. Let's eat."

Lynn chuckled as he picked up his chopsticks. He personally took the rice bowl from the waiter's hand.

The waiter brought out two dishes at once.

After tasting the tender, spicy, fragrant kou shui chicken, Lynn immediately gave a thumbs-up and said, "This is the most authentic Sichuan food I've ever eaten in Britain!"

The tiger-skin peppers were also good, and the boiled lamb came in a huge portion.

Whelan watched Lynn move his chopsticks rapidly, happily enjoying the food.

But in her heart, countless mixed feelings surged.