Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 579 A great Chinese director made Crystal Palace "great for the first time"!
Before "Ball Lightning," the European rights to all of Wenjie's films, including those of Lu Kuan himself, were generally given to Luc Besson's EuropaCorp and the French company MK2, which had a huge influence on the Cannes Film Festival.

Collaborating with the former is like making connections with a local film industry force that's easy to work with;

The collaboration with the latter is partly due to MK2's huge influence in the art film market, where many Chinese directors such as Ang Lee and Jia Zhangke are loyal partners.

But the main reason is "when in Rome, do as the Romans do." To have a fair competitive environment in Cannes, one must adapt to their rules of the game.

It's not to say that befriending MK2 guarantees success at Cannes, but it's always good to be on good terms with local players.

But this time is different.

Unlike art films like *Whiplash*, or films with clear ethnic imprints and historical inclinations like *Tangshan* and *The Sky of History*—

These works belong to auteur films or serious historical themes, with a relatively fixed audience and a low market ceiling.

As a veteran company deeply involved in the distribution of art films, MK2 possesses a vast network of art film theater alliances and extensive connections at film festivals, ensuring that its films receive maximum exposure and long-term screenings among core film fans, thus realizing their cultural value.

However, the massive investment of $1.2 million in "Ball Lightning" made it a commercial blockbuster that had to maximize its global box office. Entrusting the lifeline of the three major European box office markets—Britain, France, and Germany—to a distributor focused on art films was nothing short of a gamble.

Mr. Lu himself needs to take full responsibility for this huge investment and must personally control the key aspects that most affect the returns, and thoroughly penetrate the niche markets in Europe.

Meanwhile, given the huge success of "Avatar" in mainland China, "Ball Lightning" clearly needs to find its way into other global markets and strive to achieve a breakthrough in the proportion of IMAX and other theaters.

Because the profitability of such visually driven hard science fiction blockbusters is extremely dependent on large-scale releases, the IMAX and Dolby Atmos versions of the film are the core of the experience and also the key to profits.

This is a distribution capability that neither MK2 nor EuropaCorp in France possesses outside their home country.

After gaining fame as the opening film at Cannes, and thanks to the international media present and previous global marketing efforts, "Ball Lightning" officially established its reputation, greatly facilitating the team's negotiations.

The film festival, which opened on the 12th, has not yet ended, but Wenjie has already reached a basic agreement with local French film distributors.

Thanks to his growing reputation as "Asia's next Akira Kurosawa" and his rave reviews at Cannes, the French distributor EMI showed great sincerity, offering terms almost on par with Hollywood blockbusters.

With the film's rarity and high quality, the Wenjie team successfully secured a minimum guarantee of $2000 million, far exceeding the level of typical imported films.

Considering that apart from Liam Neeson and Scarlett Johansson's cameo appearances, the film is almost entirely made up of Chinese actors, it can be said that EMI is entirely aiming for director Lu Kuan's personal appeal and influence.

The revenue-sharing plan is even more aggressive, with the production company receiving 50% of the box office revenue in France. If the total box office exceeds the extremely high threshold of 60 million euros, the production company's share will jump to 6000%, in order to incentivize the French side to invest maximum resources in the market push and avoid falling off the "profit cliff".

As recognition of the film's IMAX and top-notch visual effects, EMI promises to operate on a large-scale commercial opening model, guaranteeing more than 600 opening screens, fully covering mainstream commercial cinemas, and ensuring that all 25 IMAX theaters in France will give it at least 6 weeks of priority screenings.

At the same time, the French side pledged to invest no less than 1000 million euros in local marketing budget for saturation advertising through mass channels such as television and outdoor advertising.

These terms are entirely based on the commercial logic of "Ball Lightning" as a sci-fi blockbuster that must rely on the big screen, high ticket prices, and wide population coverage to make a profit. They demonstrate the French side's optimism about the film's market potential and its allocation of resources. Both parties expect the final box office in the French market to be around $9000 million.

On the 20th, the negotiating team arrived in Berlin. Constantin Film, which was introduced by Berlin Film Festival President Koslick and is also Germany's largest distribution company, proposed a very novel cooperation model:
Wenjie contributed the film's German-speaking copyright as equity, and the two parties jointly established a joint venture company dedicated to serving "Ball Lightning," continuing their deep partnership. Wenjie held a 70% stake, and all profits would be distributed between the two parties according to their shareholding ratio after Constantine recouped the distribution costs.

Considering the potential for future cooperation and the aim of thoroughly penetrating the niche European market through this issuance negotiation, Mr. Lu agreed to the condition.

As recognition of the Chinese director who has won the Golden Bear twice, Constantine promised 900 large-scale opening screens and guaranteed that the screening rate of the prime time slot at 8 pm on the first Friday would not be less than 40%.

In addition, they agreed to a key request from the Wenjie team:
The film will automatically have priority in developing derivative products such as art books and models in German-speaking regions, which lays an important foundation for future revenue streams beyond box office revenue.

France is the second largest market in Europe, and it is both business-friendly and artistically inclusive.
Germany is the third largest market in Europe, and science fiction fans, especially those who enjoy hard science fiction, are very receptive to it. The film's box office is estimated at around $1.8 million in these two markets.

At the end of May, the team arrived in London, which was also the most important stop on the trip.

As the largest market in Europe, the UK has the highest acceptance of special effects science fiction, and the previous plan estimated the UK market to be worth nearly $1.5 million.

However, distributors in the UK market don't have many options for the industry, as the market has been completely dominated by Hollywood.

In 2010, there were more than 90 film distribution companies in China, among which the branches of the six major Hollywood studios accounted for more than 80% of the market share. These companies dominated the distribution of mainstream commercial blockbusters with their strong capital, mature global distribution networks and brand effects.

Therefore, the main purpose of this trip is to find one or two Hollywood and the largest domestic distributors to work together, with the assistance and accompaniment of Harvey and Disney.

In May, the air in London is filled with the humidity of early summer.

On the evening of the 28th, the banquet hall of the Clareridge Hotel in the Mayfair district was brightly lit, with the crisp sound of champagne glasses clinking under the crystal chandeliers.

A small cocktail party hosted by Disney UK is taking place here, ostensibly to welcome Mr. Lu, who has just returned from Cannes, but in reality, it's a crucial negotiation platform for "Ball Lightning" to land in the UK market.

Harvey and Michael Mobbes, president of Disney UK, were the main accompaniments. The former flew in from the United States yesterday. Although he and Disney did not invest much cash in this film, they invested a lot of "emotional investment" in Mr. Lu.

An Lushan's influence in Hollywood is undeniable, and he also has considerable connections in Britain, maintaining close relationships with numerous British film investors, actors, and directors.

For example, Duchess Judi Dench, who won an Oscar for "Shakespeare in Love," Lewis, the Best Actor winner for "Gangs of New York," and Guy Ritchie, the director of "Snatch," the highest-grossing film in British film history.

The latter's other work, "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," was the source of inspiration for "Crazy Stone." Guy Ritchie's early films all had Harvey's approval and exploration.

Putting aside other things, take this year's Miramax and North American production, "The King's Speech," for example. This film is a typical "British gem":
British history, British director Tom Hooper, British screenwriter David Seidler, and a group of top British actors including Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, and others.

To paraphrase what An Lushan, the Jewish strategist, said on the plane, "For you, Mr. Lu, coming to England is like coming home!"
"I feel right at home! I truly do!" Boss Lu sipped champagne and made his way through the crowd at the party before finally sitting down at the table with his crony Harvey for a simple meal.

Harvey laughed triumphantly, his obese body trembling slightly: "You ran too fast last time. We played a few more games after the Victoria's Secret show. Aren't you disappointed?"

"Women can have fun anytime, but making money is more important," Boss Lu teased him with a smile. "Of course, it would be even better if you could have fun while making money, like when you're making a movie."

This refers to the Victoria's Secret Angels' owner, Epstein, and the silver handkerchief known as "The Birdcage," whom Harvey introduced to them during the filming of "Ball Lightning" in the US. (Chapter 558)
“Haha! Couldn’t be more right!” Harvey leaned forward, lowering his voice, “You and we Jews have the same thing flowing in your veins! Not in the blood, but that fucking innate sense and greed for money! It’s a talent! A gift from God!”

Is that what you call swearing?
“However…” Lu Kuan said calmly, “What about the more interesting parts you mentioned last time?”

"Heartless Chinese, Miranda Kerr, last year's most popular Victoria's Secret model, is still waiting for your attention! You've probably already forgotten about her?" Harvey chuckled in a low voice.

“I heard from her boss that this supermodel seems to be addicted to being with you once, and now she doesn’t do regular outdoor gigs anymore.”

He is unaware that this is because he promised her a cameo role in Iron Man 2, which he was saving for himself.

Mr. Lu shrugged helplessly: "Alright, but I don't have a very good impression of your country's 'fast food.' Chinese cuisine is much more profound and extensive."

“I agree.” Harvey raised his hand and laughed. “Otherwise, why would you have signed that ‘lifetime agency contract’ with Crystal so early?”

The Jewish An Lushan chuckled in a low voice, "Luckily you got back on track last time. I almost thought that pretty Chinese girl was going to reform you."

The ditch is cursing again.

If Boss Lu hadn't known that he wasn't deliberately mocking him, he would have loved to smear the glistening roasted foie gras, along with the bread slices soaked in sauce, onto the fat man's face.

You're also using laundry detergent that's now obsolete and can no longer be replaced, right?

After a few lighthearted words, the two got back to business. Harvey gestured to the distributors they had just finished discussing: "The UK's largest entertainment film distribution company is here too. The rest are just Fox, Warner Bros., and Paramount."

"We've just had a good chat. Are you interested now?"

Lu Kuan didn't like the "shit-flavored chocolate" white food. After trying a few dishes that were edible, he put down his knife and fork and pointed to the plate in front of him.

“Paramount is like this traditional haggis,” he said, referring to a famous Scottish dish. “It has a great reputation, a rich heritage, and is favored by old-fashioned gentlemen, but it’s not for us.”

“Warner…” He smiled slightly, glancing at another table, “is like this elaborately decorated beef and kidney pie. The crust is baked to a tempting golden brown, and it looks steaming hot, making it a show-stopping dish at any banquet. But if the kidneys inside aren’t prepared properly, they can easily have a fishy smell, and it can get greasy if you eat too much.”

“We don’t have much cooperation with Universal in North America. Their DC and Marvel in North America are also competitors. They demanded the rights to develop derivative products as soon as we met. We should give up as soon as possible.”

Harvey found it quite interesting and remarked on the Chinese director's familiarity with the West, saying that using food as a metaphor for the company was quite apt.

“Let me guess,” the Jewish An Lushan chuckled. “This English entertainment film distributor is pretty much just fish and chips, isn’t it?”

"Yes."

Given the level of the occasion today, this dish is naturally not served. Boss Lu paused for a moment and said, "In Chinese terms, this is called being down-to-earth and having a mass appeal. Although it can't support the global ambitions of this film, it can certainly help to make waves locally."

"In the end..."

The Chinese director, who had been thinking about the European distribution for a long time, forked his fork into the Wellington steak that the waiter had just brought.

"Looking at them all, Fox still has the most striking features."

He deftly sliced ​​open the puff pastry with a knife, revealing the tender, juicy beef tenderloin inside.

"The classic English puff pastry is a testament to its long-established presence in the UK, thanks to its well-established cinema and distribution network, which is reliable, solid, and widely accessible." He pointed to the golden crust encasing the beef.

“But the key is the filling and the cooking time.” Lu Kuan pointed his fork at the perfectly cooked center of the beef. “Murdoch’s News Corporation is like the finest filet mignon, providing far more nutrients and energy than others.”

"Our collaboration on Avatar was very successful this time, but since they brought their own media promotion resources, I'm afraid they'll have to negotiate some tougher terms."

Mr. Lu laughed and said, "Because Wenjie ripped Murdoch off a huge amount of money from IMAX revenue sharing in China, I guess he's holding a grudge right now."

“Haha! Fox is indeed a good fit, especially since Murdoch can help solve many local problems.” Harvey wholeheartedly agreed.

His influence in Britain was limited to the film industry, but Murdoch's influence has extended into the political sphere.

Earlier this month, the world-renowned general election in Taiwan resulted in a hung parliament, with no party winning an absolute majority.

In the days that followed, Labour's Gordon Brown, Conservative's David Cameron, and Liberal Democrat's Nick Clegg were engaged in tense coalition government negotiations.

At this crucial moment that will determine the future of Britain, media outlets owned by Murdoch, such as The Sun, The Times, and News of the World, have played an important role in shaping public opinion.

Among them, the World News is the newspaper involved in the phone hacking scandal.

“Then I’ll arrange an appointment for you with Ian George, the CEO of Fox in the UK and Ireland, tomorrow?” Harvey introduced him, “The person who came today is their vice president. This Ian George is a typical British media elite, very sharp-minded.”

"Otherwise, why do you think he didn't come in person today?"

"No rush. Let's talk to the local film and entertainment industry first, and let this elite figure out what's going on." Boss Lu smiled and glanced at his phone: "It's Friday today and Saturday tomorrow. Since we're already here, let's watch a Premier League match before we leave to kill some time."

"Haha! No problem!"

……

As it turns out, when a cunning and ruthless Jew works with a brilliant and capable Chinese man, they can be largely invincible.

In less than two days, with the global pre-premiere hype surrounding "Ball Lightning" and the announcement from the French and German partners, Fox UK's arrogant CEO Ian George proactively contacted Harvey.

Although his boss Murdoch indicated that he wanted to gain more from this collaboration, it is clear that apart from its overwhelming advantage in the media industry, Fox does not have a larger share of theatrical releases than Disney plus any other company.

The group met at a quiet restaurant.

"Lou, Harvey, is the Wellington steak to your liking?" Ian George asked in the manner of a typical English gentleman.

Mr. Lu and Harvey exchanged a glance, and the latter's smile puzzled the president of Fox UK.

What's so funny about steak?

“Perfect timing, Ian.” After a few pleasantries, Lu Kuan cut straight to the point. “We are all looking forward to Fox cooking this dish to perfection in the UK. Especially your media matrix, the ‘heat’ it can provide is unmatched by any other company.”

Ian George nodded confidently: “That’s precisely our core strength. Sky Sports, The Sun, The Times… we can orchestrate a comprehensive marketing campaign to make *Ball Lightning* the talk of the town in Britain by opening weekend.” He paused, then added cautiously, “Of course, given the unique value of Mr. Murdoch’s media resources, we might need to…”

Before Ian George could elaborate on the terms, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket.

He took out his phone with a slightly apologetic expression, glanced at the caller ID, and frowned almost imperceptibly.

“Sorry, it’s a troublesome acquaintance.” Ian George was about to hang up, but Harvey gestured for him to leave, and Lu Kuan also indicated that he didn’t mind.

He turned to the side and answered the phone.

“Simon… I’ve said it before, the independence of the press cannot be interfered with.” Ian George’s voice was low, but Lu Kuan and Harvey, who were sitting next to him, could clearly hear snippets of his conversation.

"...Your Crystal Palace FC's financial problems are an open secret. The financial section of The Sun has been quite restrained in its reporting...What? Bankruptcy administration? Has it come to this?"

“Simon, listen, at most I can advise the editors to avoid overly sensational language, but I can't retract the article or stop the reporting. That would severely damage our credibility. You desperately need to sell players to recoup your losses? I know, but that takes time, and negative news will scare away all potential buyers…”

"Yes, I understand your predicament, but this is your own business, Simon... Good luck."

Ian George hung up the phone, turned around helplessly, and shrugged at Lu Kuan and Harvey: "Sorry, it was Simon Jordan, the owner of Crystal Palace Football Club."

He looked up at Lu Kuan with a smile: "Lu, I've seen Maradona post a photo of you and me on Twitter. You must be a fan too, have you heard of this club?"

"Simon is about to collapse. The club is on the verge of bankruptcy and is under administration. Hopefully, we can let him off the hook and delete the negative information so that he can be successfully taken over and sold. It's a complete mess."

Ian George deliberately revealed more of his clients' private information in order to demonstrate News Corp's influence in the UK to the two men in front of him.

Anyone familiar with football knows that The Sun's reports on Premier League transfers are all nonsense, but when it comes to gossip about players and club owners, they're always absolutely true, with a near-perfect record.

“It’s a coincidence that Mrs. Lu also has this name.” Harvey naturally knew Ian George’s intention, so he treated it as casual conversation and didn’t respond to him. Instead, he cut in and said, “Don’t go out.”

Lu Kuan remained outwardly calm, simply nodding knowingly.

But in a sudden shift in his mind, he had some thoughts about "Crystal Palace FC," the name of his wife's club, which is commonly known as Crystal Palace by Chinese fans.

The key information that Ian George had just mentioned, such as "bankruptcy administration," "urgent need to sell," and "negative news scaring away buyers," flashed through his mind like lightning.

“Crystal Palace used to have two Chinese players, I’ve been following them.” He casually picked up his glass and asked in a conversational tone, “Is the situation that bad now?”

Crystal Palace has a long history with China, and it should be considered one of the first British teams that Chinese fans, apart from the big clubs, paid attention to.

In 1998, with the encouragement of then England national team manager Terry Venables, the recommendation of then national team manager Houghton, and the operation of Gaode Company, Fan Zhiyi and Sun Jihai joined Crystal Palace, which was then in the English First Division, becoming the first batch of Chinese professional players to join the English league through transfer. The total transfer fee at the time was about £100 million.

Later, Sun Jihai went to Manchester City, and Fan Zhiyi, nicknamed "General Fan", played more than 99 league games for Crystal Palace from 98 to 01, scoring 6 goals as a defender, and once served as the team captain.

Ian George, trying to salvage the professional atmosphere that had been interrupted by the phone call, explained in detail: "It was terrible. Simon Jordan was an ambitious guy, but the 2008 financial crisis destroyed his telecommunications business and cut off the club's funding."

"He overspent too much in his efforts to gain promotion to the Premier League, resulting in huge debts, reportedly exceeding £3000 million. The club is now a hot potato, and Selhurst Park stadium also needs a large sum of money for renovations."

The president of Fox England helplessly shrugged: "His only hope now is to find a buyer, otherwise once he officially enters bankruptcy administration, relegation and points deductions will be imminent, and the club will really be worthless."

“Okay, let’s continue talking about the distribution of ‘Ball Lightning’…” Mr. Lu seemed oblivious and returned to the main topic. The two sides had a fruitful discussion on IMAX screenings, revenue sharing details, and other issues.

At nine o'clock in the evening, Ian George said goodbye to Lu Kuan and Harvey at the restaurant entrance. The latter declined his invitation to sit in the bar, and turned to smile at the Jewish man:

"Harvey, do me a favor."

"Ok?"

“Find your local connections and inquire about Crystal Palace,” Mr. Lu said with a smile. “Since it’s already bankrupt and under administration, I don’t think it will cost much, maybe just ten or twenty million pounds. We can buy it for fun.”

"Buy a football team?" Xavi exclaimed in surprise. "The acquisition price isn't expensive, but running the team costs a fortune. Are you serious?"

"Besides, this is a team struggling in the second division. Are you still a rich man like Abramovich who's obsessed with football management? This is slower to recover than throwing money into the Thames!"

Sports and entertainment are closely linked. Many Hollywood billionaires in North America own shares in sports clubs, most notably the NBA and MLB. However, in the United States, a country considered a football wasteland, few choose to invest in football.

Kroenke, the owner of only one sports entertainment company, whose wife is an heiress to Walmart, is currently increasing her stake in Premier League club Arsenal.

“I have some similarities with Abu.”

The two returned to the hotel by car, and Lu Kuan continued, following up on the Chelsea owner he had mentioned: "He came from the Yeltsin era, so of course he understands the current situation in Russia very well."

After a certain emperor came to power in the millennium, he proposed a new "social contract" to the oligarchs who had seized huge amounts of national wealth through "shock therapy" during the Yeltsin era: you can keep your wealth, but you must stay away from politics and submit to the national interests of the Kremlin.

Violators such as Abramovich's early partner and political godfather Berezovsky, and Yukos oil tycoon Khodorkovsky, have all gone into exile or been imprisoned.

"He bought Chelsea to build himself a top-notch political shield and a fast track to integrate into the Western power structure. After all, football is the passport to British society and even European society, which can provide a protective umbrella for this mysterious oligarch with 'original sin' wealth."

"This high level of public exposure and public goodwill forms a protective shield. Any political purge from Russia, if it wants to touch him, must consider the huge public backlash it may trigger in British society."

He paused, then said, half-jokingly, half-truthfully, "You know, I now control a huge amount of public opinion resources, even more than Murdoch in the United States..."

This is certainly not entirely the truth.

To this day, the protective shield and talisman that the time traveler has erected for himself is already airtight. Otherwise, how could he be allowed to have such a large-scale industry, especially considering the public nature of some of the industries?

Of course, whether he harbors the utmost malice towards everyone, adds another title to himself like "Savior of Crystal Palace" and "Innovator of the Premier League," continues to cultivate his image as an international citizen, and pushes the card of relying on foreign powers to the extreme to further increase his leverage remains to be seen.

But this reasoning resonated deeply with Harvey, the wealthy Jewish man.

Their nation has existed for as long as it has wandered, and they are probably the ones who understand the principle of "being prepared for danger in times of peace" the most. Otherwise, why would they spare no effort to control the public opinion and financial lifeline of the United States, and why would Israel become "arrogant when it gains power" in later generations?

“I understand.” Harvey looked with some emotion at the Chinese director in the back seat of the car, who wouldn’t be in his early thirties for another two years. “Lu, you’re destined to become an oligarch too; this is necessary self-protection.”

Protect?

Perhaps for now.

Mr. Lu sneered inwardly, thinking that the day his "true colors" were exposed, Crystal Palace would also be seen as "Chelsea 2.0" and be devoured at the opportune moment.
After all, the robber logic of these Westerners will always exist.

But I'm not Abu, so it might not be so easy for me to take him down. Besides, at that time, Dongda University was probably strong enough to be his support.

“It’s not just that.” Lu Kuan looked at his Jewish glove. “Hollywood conquers the world with dollars and screens, that’s true.”

He was also generous in giving Harvey a lesson: "But for me, a Chinese director with yellow skin, it's about transforming myself from a cold, calculating capitalist and film director from the East into someone who loves their culture, respects their traditions, and is willing to take responsibility for them—"

"This trust and recognition is the most valuable soft power that cannot be bought with money when Wenjie conducts any business activities in Europe."

"Besides, Crystal Palace is still in the Championship, is it really that hard to get promoted?" The time traveler looked at Xavi with a mysterious expression: "Trust my judgment, I will make Crystal Palace great for the first time!"

Because it was never great...

Putting aside his mixed account of Harvey's claims, acquiring Crystal Palace and using his time-traveling foresight to win some lottery tickets that he already knew the bottom line would actually be a very cost-effective thing.

Whether it's the future distribution channels for films worldwide or the export of culture, the UK, as one of the top five box office markets globally, deserves significant investment.

Football is the fastest way to integrate into British society. Owning a century-old club gives the world and his films a sense of local identity more effectively than any advertisement.

This is similar to the later arrival of the golden age of Chinese football, when Xu Pi, Ma Yun, Zhang Jindong and others flocked to it. It was a guise and a sports and cultural brand to cover up some of their commercial operations.

……

As it turns out, you can get people to work even without money, but only if you can fool them first, like Boss Lu did.

Xavi made full use of his connections and influence in England to get a pretty good grasp of Crystal Palace's current situation.

It's fair to say that both owner Simon Jordan and the club itself are at their most dangerous juncture.

With debts reaching £30 million, the club was forced into bankruptcy administration in January 2010 and taken over by a third-party organization. If a buyer cannot be found soon, the club will not only face a penalty of having 10 league points deducted in the new season, but may also slide into the abyss of dissolution.
The competitive situation was equally bleak. The team had just narrowly avoided relegation in the Championship, key players were put up for sale, and morale was low. In the eyes of the football world in May 2010, this century-old club was a nearly sunken ship with its value at rock bottom.

Mr. Lu urgently assembled an acquisition team from both China and the United States and arrived in London. While finalizing the distribution details with Fox, they began negotiations that were "not tense."

This stems from the vast difference in their social standing.

One side is the trustee of a bankrupt club on the verge of dissolution, desperately seeking a lifeline;

The other party is a strategic acquirer with abundant funds, a complete plan, and scarce resources.

The Wenjie team didn't need to bid or compromise; they brought a comprehensive plan that would ensure the club's survival and future, as well as enough cash to pay off its core debts.

The trustee has almost no choice; negotiations are more like a formality to confirm details.

On the evening of May 22nd, after several rounds of negotiations, the acquisition team presented the final negotiation details to the boss, and the price left this richest man in China speechless...

"so cheap?"

He glanced with delight at Anna Huang, who had flown in from the United States to report on her recent work.

Listen to this! Is this even human language?!

The latter explained professionally: "£500 million to pay off the debts of the trustee AG&H, £200 million to handle football debts, £250 million as operating reserves, and the remainder for miscellaneous expenses. In addition, we have committed to an additional £500 million for player acquisitions over the next two seasons, and if that's included..."

"A total of £1550 million, this offer is enough to leave the trustee and the league officials speechless."

Although Simon Jordan owed a huge amount of debt, neither Chinese nor foreign laws stipulate that the acquiring party must acquire such "junk assets" in full; this has always been the case in the operation of bankruptcy administration projects.

Therefore, Wenjie bought the club from the trustee, not the owner himself, and he has lost control of the club's shares.

Mr. Lu was a little excited, feeling like a veteran football fan from his previous life was now playing a real-money simulation game called "Football Manager": "Hurry up and get started!"

Looking at Crystal Palace's first-team and youth academy rosters in his hand, he quickly identified a few players:
17-year-old Zaha, a future top-class winger of the Premier League level, the only Zaha King in London;

19-year-old winger and wing-back Moses will transfer to Chelsea in the future, where he will be transformed into an excellent wing-back by Conte and win the Premier League and Europa League.

There's also a slightly less promising 19-year-old academy graduate, Clyne, a future Liverpool right-back and England international.

Having successfully avoided relegation from the Championship this year, and aiming for promotion to the Premier League next year, which lottery ticket should we pick now...?

Aside from movies, Mr. Lu doesn't have many hobbies in life, and even doing laundry has been transformed by his wife.

Thus, this real-world "Football Manager" game became one of the few forms of leisure and entertainment for the wealthy man, who was now lounging on the sofa, browsing the Transfermarkt player database with great interest.

……

At the end of May, Liu Yifei, who was taking a break after finishing filming the first season of "The Book of Peace", received a phone call at her home in Wenyuhe Prefecture. Her husband mysteriously tricked her into a conversation, and the next day, full of anticipation, she boarded a private plane to London.

The dog solemnly said on the phone that it was a "Big Surprise" and that she would only know for sure when she got there, considering it a belated gift for her and the baby.

Xiao Liu is really looking forward to it.

(End of this chapter)