Team Spirit

Chapter 176 I'm willing to buy blue if I have money, Invincible Real Madrid, Champagne Prince, Enmity with Moggi
Sky Sports: "New Premier League champions Norwich City strengthen their attack, aiming to avoid relegation! Dartford's talented striker joins the team for €10 million!"

Murray has transferred.

He played for Dartford for two or three seasons and won countless championships.

In terms of personal performance, this was also the peak he has reached since his debut.

It's time to realize my ambitions.

Dartford is a good club, but it can't give Murray the absolute starting position he wants.

Of course, Murray didn't hold a grudge because the team was always looking for a new club that could offer him a starting position, so that he could "marry off in style".

Murray clearly saw Holt's example as a cautionary tale.

In terms of individual ability, he and Holt are about equal. Holt is more well-rounded, while his own shooting skills are slightly better.

However, Holt, who had an earlier moment of brilliance, made a poor judgment in his choice of players and joined West Ham United, resulting in the Hammers falling apart and suffering a miserable relegation.

Although they made it into the promotion zone of League One this season, they ultimately suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the promotion play-offs and continued their decline.

Holt was sold to other teams early on, and after several moves, he was exhausted from adapting to the environment, locker room, team tactics, etc., so how could he perform at his true level?
Everyone knows who fared well and who fared poorly after leaving Dartford, and why they fared poorly.

Therefore, no one complained about leaving the team, because the team would make arrangements for them.

Norwich would be a great destination for Murray.

He was already interested in Crystal Palace's €6 million offer for him in the English League One, and they even asked him to cooperate and negotiate the price.

Fortunately, Murray didn't get involved, which allowed the newly promoted Premier League team to emerge.

……

Watford, northwest of London.

A youth training match between Watford U11 and Dartford U11 is about to conclude.

The scoreboard showed a bright red 13-0, making it seem like a basketball game.

Watford's youth academy suffered a brutal defeat.

Dartford's youth academy prodigy Sterling is unstoppable, scoring three goals and providing four assists.

They blew Watford's defensive midfielder Harry Kane apart.

Before the match was even over, Kane, who couldn't hold on and kept pushing forward, was substituted.

Ashley Young, returning home in triumph, frequently lamented that Dartford's youth academy is far from what it used to be, regressing as it ages.

His former youth coach, Lens, is now Watford's youth academy director.

His promotion was entirely due to Ashley Young's rise to prominence.

Although Ashley Young is just a minor figure in the Dartford legend, he did have his moments of glory.

The elimination of such a player by the youth training team is absolutely a dereliction of duty by the youth training director, who was subsequently dismissed.

Lens, having worked diligently in the youth academy for many years and possessing a keen eye for talent, had "give Ashley Young several opportunities to stay with the team," thus leading to his promotion and salary increase.

He was also behind this collaboration, trying to ride on the popularity of the green gun.

However, the scene was so ugly that he said a few words to the people around him with a livid face.

Ashley Young vaguely heard the word "expulsion" and was quite pleased.

After declining Coach Lens's dinner invitation, Ashley Young led the team back.

However, there was an extra little boy wearing a Watford jersey on the team bus.

“My name is Rahim Sterling. There’s a milk tea called Rahim Milk Tea in the Gun King Tea Girl shop, named after me. Can I have a drink?” Sterling said to the chubby boy.

The chubby boy shook his head: "No need, I can have diarrhea on my own."

Sterling, unconcerned with formalities, clung to the other man, saying, "I see you're even shorter than me; you'll never grow taller. If anyone bullies you when you get to Dartford, just say my name."

"You like playing as a striker? That's even better. You'll support me and pass the ball to me. I score goals like crazy, and I'll definitely give you a lot of assists."

"By the way, since you've acknowledged me as your elder brother..."

The chubby boy said, "I didn't acknowledge you as my older brother."

Sterling: "Don't worry about the details. Let me tell you about the history of this mountain."

"My older brother is Jamie Vardy, the future Dartford youth academy star."

"My eldest brother's eldest brother, that is, the big brother, is Amorim, the future core of Portugal's midfield."

"And my eldest brother is none other than Ashley Young, the Dartford legend who's leading the team today. You must train hard from now on and not disgrace our lineage!"

"By the way, what's your name again? Harry Potter?"

The chubby boy said, "My name is Harry Kane. Since you're calling me 'Big Brother,' what should I call Ashley Young?"

Sterling counted on his fingers: "Big brother, big brother, big brother!"

Ashley Young scratched his head. Had a hen gotten into the car? Why was it clucking so loudly?
Manchester, England.

Diego Forlán, ranked second among Manchester United's ten worst transfers of the new century, is saying his final goodbyes to the city.

He is leaving.

As a mediocre center, Diego Forlán's record this season is shockingly bad.

He scored four goals for Manchester United and only two goals in eleven appearances for the national team. His performance, both at club and national team level, was even worse than that of Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays as a winger.

While that kid's stats were mediocre, his performance on the field was outstanding. He attracted fans with flashy but unimportant tricks while winning the favor of the head coach with his sharp speed and excellent crosses, and was hailed as a rising star.

The key is that Ronaldo is improving very quickly, showing improvement in every monthly team test.

In contrast, players like Diego Forlán, who have already passed their developmental stage, consistently have poor skills.

Let alone competing with Van Nistelrooy and Eastwood for a starting position.

Even Dong Fangzhuo, a young player from the Chinese national team, has more potential than him.

Honestly, Fran himself was disheartened.

Maybe... he really is a fraud.

This time he is preparing to go to Spain.

It is said that Villarreal, nicknamed the "Yellow Submarine," is lacking a backup striker, which could give him another chance to compete in one of the top five European leagues.

If he can't even seize this opportunity, then he really will have no choice but to pack his bags and go back to South America.

"Are you really willing to leave like this?"

A used Mercedes blocked Fran's way.

The car door opens.

Lu Kai sat inside and invited Fran in.

This car was bought from Eastwood's dad's used car dealership. It wasn't expensive, but it had a high-end feel, making it quite suitable for business people.

Although Dartford was wealthy, Lu Kai did not indulge in pleasure.

Having gotten used to the 360-degree rotating zero-gravity seats and the voice control, Lu Kai sees all these "portable cars" as equally rubbish, regardless of their luxury.

Fran came in and asked, "What do you mean?"

Lu Kai bluntly stated, "If you leave, you'll truly be a fraud."

"Do you dare to stay in the Premier League?"

Fran guessed Lu Kai's intention: "You want to bring me in?"

Lu Kai nodded.

Fran frowned: "But Drogba and Gilardino... it seems the rumors are true, they're probably going to a big club."

"Datford's performance will inevitably collapse next season, and relegation would not be surprising."

"If I join you now, wouldn't that mean I'm leaving before dark?"

Lu Kai laughed and said, "So you don't dare?"

"Then Mr. Alfred's tactics were written in vain."

Lu Kai handed a piece of paper to Fran.

Fran was twenty-five years old and relatively mature. If you explained the facts and reasoning to him, he would naturally know how to make a choice.

Sure enough, Fran became more and more excited as he looked at it.

This tactic was clearly designed specifically to target his technical characteristics.

In such a system, he can naturally perform well.

This is far superior to Manchester United's tactics!

Ferguson: ? ? ?

“I’m willing to join Green Guns!” Diego Fran said firmly.

Dartford quickly completed the deal for Forlán with Manchester United.

Both sides were very happy.

Three million euros.

Manchester United suffered a significant loss with Forlán, but at least they got rid of a burden.

Villarreal didn't feel sorry when they learned about this. There are plenty of center forwards of Diego Forlán's caliber in Europe. They can just find someone else.

However, Manchester United also discussed another deal with Dartford – Lescott.

Compared to the lack of interest in the Diego Fran trade.

The Lescott deal captivated the entire British Empire.

After all, this is yet another "Ferdinand".

Two teams have already made offers: Everton and Manchester City.

The former has Rooney on their roster and can afford to pay him.

Manchester City, on the other hand, gave it their all.

This should be the biggest deal before the Thai and UAE consortiums get involved...if it goes through.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out.

Because their offers were all too low, only a mere ten million euros.

Any true expert knows how ridiculous this quote is.

Real Madrid, true to form, made an irresistible offer of 20 million euros in their first bid.

Lescott was also quite interested.

As a result, Bayern Munich followed up with a bid of 22 million euros.

Lescott was smitten again.

But then news broke that Chelsea's new manager, Mourinho, also seemed to have his eye on Lescott.

Lescott dismissed it dismissively.

The first two are both top clubs, so what is Chelsea that they dare to make an offer for the "new Ferdinand"?
Chelsea offered €30 million and gave Lescott double the salary of Real Madrid.

Lescott immediately stated that he was already used to everything in London and was willing to bring the London king genes from Dartford to the Blue Duke of London.

This is such a difficult choice.

Unexpectedly, Manchester United invited Lu Kai to a meeting to discuss the details of Lescott's transfer.

Lu Kai then casually took Diego Fran away.

Otherwise, a three million euro deal could be handled by Ten Hag alone; why would the big boss need to personally intervene? Is he really that free?

Soon, the matter of Lescott was settled.

Manchester Evening News: "€35 million, Lescott arrives in Manchester! The Red Devils form the strongest center-back partnership with two Ferdinands!"

Sky Sports: "The King Returns! Manchester United Strengthen Their Defense, Determined to Break the Unbeaten Reds!"

BBC: "English players should stay in England! Manchester United's righteous act of keeping Lescott and refusing to let star players leave! Maintaining the Premier League's competitiveness at all times!"

For Chelsea, Abramovich wanted to make further moves.

But Mourinho stopped him.

While Lescott is good, his performances at Porto, Carvalho and Ferreira, are equally impressive.

Porto also secretly contacted Mourinho, hoping he could buy as many of their players as possible to generate some profit for Porto.

After all, we Porto made money, so how could we not show some respect to you?
Even if you, Mr. Bird, are honest, we will at least remember your good deeds, and we will still line the streets to welcome you when you come back to visit your family.

But did Green Gun share any of the money he made with you?
Chelsea then countered with a two-on-one deal, acquiring Carvalho and Ferreira for 49 million euros, surpassing Essien's 45 million euros.

Of course, Essien is definitely more expensive per player, and Real Madrid has always spent a lot of money on player purchases.

But Chelsea's total expenditure is definitely more than Real Madrid's.

However, this summer, Real Madrid really got into a fierce battle with Chelsea.

Inspired by Inter Milan's trade-off strategy, Real Madrid traded €12 million plus midfielder Antonio Núñez for Michael Owen, one of only two Ballon d'Or winners in England.

The Galactic Empires are even more dazzling, reaching their peak in terms of star power and spectacle.

But Florentino is not someone who prioritizes commercial value over athletic performance.

They just haven't been able to find suitable replacements for the positions they want to fill.

For the defensive midfield position, they initially approached Vieira, but Arsenal insisted on a price of 40 million euros.

Meanwhile, the players and head coach kept putting on a show of reluctance to part ways, making things even more complicated.

Since the Red Gun is putting on such a hypocritical act, why not just go and steal the Green Gun's Essien?

Even with a higher price, Essien is still young, while Vieira is already old.

Real Madrid also has many requirements for the right-back position.

Salgado can no longer keep up with the team.

The products of their own youth training program are even less up to standard.

When they tried to sign Essien, they were surprised to find that Dartford had a tough guy who could play both right-back and center-back, with excellent defensive abilities.

It can perfectly fit the defensive tactics of Real Madrid when the left-back Carlos moves forward and the team temporarily switches to a three-center-back formation.

Although the opponent has low global recognition, he is quite well-known in England, having won numerous championships with Green Gunners, thus fulfilling Florentino's requirement of "not buying unknown players".

Most importantly, this person is extremely vicious, which is perfect for protecting Real Madrid's high-value attacking players.

Real Madrid then made another move.

A bid of 20 million euros for Michael Duff.

In fact, Duff's peak ability was only that of an average starter in one of the top five European leagues.

After being trained by Lu Kai, he may become a key player in a strong team.

However, his talent is limited, and all his "attribute points" are put into key attributes. He is very strong in his strengths, but his other attributes are really weak.

Lu Kai had tried to get him to play as a defensive midfielder and an attacking full-back in his early career, but unfortunately, neither of those attempts worked out.

He's a defensive full-back, with a tiny bit of passing ability.

Pure engineer.

These kinds of players are like consumables; they rely on bravery, stamina, and hard work to solidify the defense, but they are also prone to injury as a result.

Once injuries affect one's performance, especially speed and stamina, it can suddenly become unplayable.

Because they couldn't develop any other abilities, their skill level dropped significantly once the flowering period was over.

He is a typical "no work, no pay" type of player, and can't relax for even a day.

Some players have mastered a special skill, and even as they age and their physical abilities decline, they can still maintain their level and remain competitive for a long time.

Real Madrid may be Duff's only chance to join a top club in his lifetime.

After communicating with Duff, Dartford did not make things difficult for Real Madrid.

The final price was 21 million euros.

This small green gun has produced two students who went on to study at Tsinghua University, which makes one marvel at the high quality of its education.

Marca: "Violent Duff is coming! Real Madrid didn't buy a right-back for 21 million euros, but a bodyguard for seven superstars!"

AS: "With Duff and Essien, Real Madrid has completely solved its defensive problems! Florentino Pérez wants to make Real Madrid the strongest team in both attack and defense!"

In fact, Real Madrid's defensive actions went beyond that.

After missing out on Lescott, they turned their attention to another Premier League replacement and eventually bought Newcastle United centre-back Woodgate for €18 million.

They then spent another 25 million euros to bring in Roma center-back "The Rock" Samuel, with whom they had maintained contact.

They completely replaced the entire defensive line.

Such a lineup on paper is simply astonishing.

Before the new season has even started, Real Madrid has already topped the list of Champions League title predictions.

If this weren't the real world, but rather FIFA Soccer World or a terrible mobile game like Pro Evolution Soccer, then there's really no point in playing the new season.

Because Real Madrid's lineup is guaranteed to win.

But without Essien and Duff, this Real Madrid team failed to win any major trophies.

Even with the addition of Dartford's defensive duo, they might not be able to win many titles, let alone sweep them all.

But since we're talking about the Champions League, a question immediately comes to mind.

……

France Football: "The UEFA Cup winner is not eligible to play in the Champions League? There is a major flaw in UEFA's system! We suggest deducting their salary!"

Gazzetta dello Sport: "As one of the strongest teams last season, Dartford's failure to qualify for the Champions League will challenge UEFA's credibility!"

"The Voice of Green Guns": "A sage points to Lu! Lu Kai believes UEFA's current rules are unfair to Dartford and calls on British fans to boycott the new season's Champions League broadcasts!"

Sky Sports: "A referendum has been held in the UK on Lu Kai's call, with over 99 percent of fans saying they will not watch the Champions League next season!"

The current UEFA Cup winner will not qualify for next season's Champions League, let alone receive seeded status.

It's not really UEFA's fault for setting up the system; the chances of a second-tier team winning the UEFA Cup were just too slim, and nobody could have predicted it.

Domestic fans are more forward-thinking and have already discussed this issue extensively.

Many football experts have also come out to argue this point.

Some argue that European and American football emphasizes the spirit of contracts, and since the rules state it's not allowed, Dartford shouldn't be allowed to either. They should just stick to playing in the UEFA Cup next season and not have any unrealistic expectations.

In fact, the UEFA Cup is a "gift" to newly promoted Premier League teams, as it is a qualification that only the fifth or sixth-placed teams in the Premier League can obtain. How can you ask for more?
However, most normal people believe that problems should be solved, and UEFA should amend the rules to give the UEFA Cup winner a chance to compete in the Champions League.

However, the rule changes won't take effect until after the new year, so Dartford still won't be playing in the Champions League next season. But if they win another UEFA Cup, they can play in the Champions League the season after next.

Um... This isn't a charade; people genuinely think this way.

Ultimately, they still don't understand Europeans.

So when Lu Kai jumped out to incite fans to boycott the Champions League, domestic fans even worried that UEFA might turn around and ban Dartford.

After all, maintaining stability is the top priority for many things in Guo's country. Once things are stable, many issues can be dealt with gradually and thoroughly.

Of course, there are also cases where things stabilize and are left unresolved, but that's not a question of stabilization, it's a question of whether or not to address the issue.

Being cautious is generally a good approach, because many things become unclear when rushed, and one is too easily manipulated by others.

However, UEFA's response taught everyone a lesson.

In Europe and America, it's always been about who makes the most noise.

Dartford hadn't caused any trouble before, so UEFA was trying to brush it off.

As a result, Dartford took the initiative to speak out, which sparked public opinion, allowing UEFA to immediately push for related discussions. Otherwise, without public attention, why would Commissioners Smith and his team go to the trouble of helping you? Why would they forgo drinks to solve your practical problems?

I have no motivation!
You have to build me a stage and attract an audience. Even if I don't make money, at least I can get a few votes.

UEFA then acted swiftly, demonstrating to mainland Chinese fans what "seeking truth from facts," "handling special cases specially," and "flexible adaptation" truly mean.

In any case, there is no sense of contractual obligation.

UEFA has patched the Champions League format, allowing the UEFA Cup winner to qualify for a Champions League play-off, without affecting the Champions League qualification of their respective leagues.

Therefore, five Premier League teams will compete in the Champions League next season!
This is also the first time in Champions League history that five teams from the Premier League have participated, making it a golden age for the English Premier League.

British football has once again gained significant prestige.

UEFA did something it was supposed to do, and as a result, it received praise from all sides.

Some conspiracy theorists angrily denounced UEFA for arbitrarily changing rules and trampling on football law in order to appease the Chinese market.

Some people said that it's no wonder Lu Kai has suffered muscle strains every time Dartford wins the championship in recent years; it turns out he has a sugar daddy taking care of him.

Dartford must have bribed UEFA officials to get preferential treatment.

Such nonsense is a minority opinion in European football, but there is a group of people in China who believe it and even criticize Guo's fans, saying that Lu Kai has taken bribery to Europe and has completely disgraced the Chinese people!
Many unsuspecting viewers actually mistook Dartford for a "godfather team" because of this.

As a result, a news article by Lin Tao in Dongqiudi exposed the true colors of these people.

It turns out that the "football commentators" who published the article criticizing Lu Kai had recently gone to Tokyo to enjoy the cherry blossoms for Nikkei, wrote a diary entry, and each of them received a six-figure writing fee.

This funding, traced back further, originated from Meiguo International Development.

Dartford's influence has been further enhanced after securing Champions League qualification.

There has been a significant improvement, at least this summer.

In theory, using this as bait could retain any player.

But Lu Kai did not do that.

He simply spoke with Yaya Touré on the phone and expressed his hope that Touré would continue playing for the team for another season.

The call was from Yaya Toure. He had been approached by Barcelona, ​​who offered him a low price and a low salary, and wanted him to put pressure on Dartford, but Toure refused.

Touré wasn't stupid either.

Barcelona is currently pushing Motta to take over, and it's clear that Barcelona is using him as a substitute for Motta.

Not to mention that Mota's body is as solid as an iron tower, making it "impossible to get injured."

With such a calculating attitude, anyone with a sound mind wouldn't rush over there.

Fabregas: ? ? ?

“Even if you really had to go, it should be Barcelona sending a grand procession to invite you over,” Lu Kai even used a local saying.

Toure nodded, quite reassured by Lu Kai's promise.

One good thing about Dartford is that no matter how bad their relationship with any club is, they are always willing to trust them when a deal actually happens.

Look at Barcelona.

Lu Kai did not set up any obstacles for either Xiao Li or Valbuena.

If Barcelona feels there are obstacles, then it can only mean that their intentions are not sincere in Lu Kai's view.

Because Dartford qualified for the Champions League, some clubs became anxious at the time.

Especially the Italian ones.

They were thinking of bringing the wandering prince Gilardino home.

They were thinking of trying to appeal to Gilardino's emotions and get him to lower the price, but Dartford didn't expect to have a King in their hand.

For a time, Italian Serie A teams had no choice but to start making offers.

Juventus offered €15 million.

"This price is outrageous!" Jiang Mengyun was so angry she laughed.

You call him a prince, but you only give him 15 million euros.

It's worth noting that Gilardino's arrival cost five million pounds, equivalent to seven and a half million euros.

So, despite his five titles and four UEFA Cup victories, he's still not as valuable as Mutu last season?

To put it bluntly, Gilardino's current popularity is probably no less than Adriano's; he is Italy's most promising striker.

Juventus really can't seem to get enough of taking advantage.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Rafael van der Vaart parted ways at Ajax, and the club snagged him for a bargain at €16 million.

So now you want to snag a Gilardino at the same price?

But they forgot what Ajax's results were last season, and what Green Gun's results were last season.

"They must have secretly promised Gilardino a spot on the Italian national team." Lu Kai was all too familiar with Juventus' tactics.

Juventus is currently holding absolute power in the football world.

The Italian players they set their sights on will inevitably join them at low prices and will be forced to sign with their agencies.

If you don't cooperate, the mafia will come after you.

Although Bayern Munich also used national team quotas as a pretext to recruit players, their methods were not as unsavory or underhanded as these.

While Dartford does have its own agency, its main purpose is to help players plan for a healthier and longer career; players can also sign with outside agencies.

In a few years, the truth will come out.

Soon after, "The Voice of the Green Guns" officially announced Juventus' exit: "Datford closed its communication channels with Juventus before the end of this season. Those who disrespect the Green Guns and its players will be retaliated against tenfold!"

Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Manchester United, and other teams were all laughing.

Oh, so Juventus thinks they're so smart?

So you think you can use your power to bully others?
If the green gun isn't too difficult to handle, would we honestly make a deal with them?
It's unclear who's on the side of the tide. Juventus has been living too comfortably in Italy, dominating the game for too long and losing their ability to see the bigger picture.

If Dartford tries to cover up their mistakes this summer, they'll suffer the worst possible outcome—they could be completely wiped out or even bankrupted.

But Dartford opened the pot lid and invited everyone to taste it.

At this point, anyone who tries to break this pot is going against everyone.

If Dartford are truly angered, Dartford can simply sell the player to someone else.

While Juventus may be good for Gilardino, are Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich really that bad?
Even if Gilardino only goes to Italy, is Milan really incapable of having him?

Do I really have to change my clothes into a black and white striped prison shirt?

That doesn't make sense.

Dartford made an example of them, and other teams followed Dartford's rules.

Barcelona wants to bring champagne to Camp Nou for 22 million euros.

If the price weren't so low, Lu Kai would have been willing to send the person over there.

Of course, this is too low for Lu Kai.

In fact, this price has already exceeded that of Frey, the most expensive signing in Serie A last season.

Inter Milan quickly submitted an offer of 25 million euros.

Moratti still can't shake his hobby of collecting top strikers.

Despite Inter Milan already possessing numerous top strikers.

But AC Milan responded with 30 million euros, determined to win!
First, enhance their own strength.

Secondly, we cannot allow Inter Milan to continue strengthening their squad, thus weakening our opponents.

Thirdly, Gilardino has become the most popular young striker in Italy, and his commercial value is unparalleled.

Fourth, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been eyeing AC Milan's star player Andriy Shevchenko. Although he has not made a formal offer, he has been expressing his desire to bring Shevchenko to Stamford Bridge since last year.

If AC Milan didn't have the dignity of a top club, they would have succumbed to Abramovich's money long ago.

Even so, they couldn't help but be tempted by the salary offer Abu made to Shevchenko.

Who knows how long Shevchenko can hold on?
AC Milan's acquisition of Gilardino is seen as finding a successor to Shevchenko, in order to deal with unforeseen circumstances.

This move is definitely acceptable from the club's perspective.

But the paradox is that... modern teams only prepare early on if they place extreme importance on a particular position.

So you prepare a successor for your top star because you value him/her, but preparing a successor will make the top star feel unimportant.

Therefore, Shevchenko, who had never had any intention of joining Chelsea, had a slight change in mindset after learning about AC Milan's offer.

Of course, it's just a tiny bit.

As long as Gilardino doesn't come.

Shevchenko's feelings for Milan will never change.

After all, it was Milan that brought him everything he has now.

He's a person who knows how to be grateful and repay kindness... right?

Just when everyone thought the deal was done, something unexpected happened.

Sky Sports: "Chelsea make a surprising move, offering €35 million to bring Gilardino to Stamford Bridge!"

BBC: "Is Abramovich face-blind? Did he mistake Gilardino for Shevchenko in a huge offer?"

Gazzetta dello Sport: "Has Abramovich gone mad? He's offended Milan, so it's even less likely he'll get Shevchenko!"

The quote from Gazzetta dello Sport is exactly what Abramovich's assistant said when he learned that Abramovich was going to make an offer for Gilardino.

The same.

This was also Abu's exact words when he heard Lu Kai ask him to help raise the price during dinner with him.

But Lu Kai cut the steak with his knife and fork, put them down, and started eating with his chopsticks while saying, "You've talked to the AC Milan management about Shevchenko several times. If there were any results, they would have been forthcoming long ago."

"Western Europeans have been wearing long gowns for so long that they can't take them off all at once. They're embarrassed to take your money, and they even want to use your money to prove their integrity and that Serie A is still the world's number one league."

"As the victorious nation that received the worst treatment in history, our country has learned a lesson: what cannot be achieved on the battlefield cannot be achieved through negotiation."

Abu frowned: "You mean, I can only use force?"

Lu Kai nodded: "Since we can't reach an agreement, it means we haven't done enough. Showing goodwill is useless; it would only make us look like sycophants."

“They want Gilardino, so you want him too. They'll only let you go if they're willing to give you Shevchenko.”

Abramovich shook his head: "The Milanese aren't stupid. If that were the case, they would rather not have Gilardino than let Shevchenko go."

“Gilardino means far less to me than Shevchenko. I don’t really need to spend that much money to bring him to Stamford Bridge.”

After all, Abramovich himself didn't want him, and Mourinho's designated center forward wasn't Gilardino, so he had no reason to be taken advantage of.

Lu Kai: "So once the price is right, I will still go to Milan to negotiate. Gilardino will always belong to them."

Abramovich: "So all I did was help you drive up the price? And then I'd incur Milan's wrath for nothing?"

Lu Kai raised his glass: "You asked me before if I drink alcohol, and I said no, because I have a small appetite and if I drink alcohol, I won't be able to eat much of this good steak."

“Milan should get Gilardino, the bigger the entourage the better. The bigger the entourage, the more likely he is to truly replace Shevchenko.”

"When the conflict between the two becomes irreconcilable, or when Gilardino shows signs of replacing Shevchenko in terms of function, do you think Milan can still support your money?"

"They've wanted to sell Shevchenko to you for a long time, but they lack an excuse, an excuse to shut up the fans' complaints, and an excuse to keep their own clothes on."

"Once you eat Gilardino, whether they sell Shevchenko to you now or not, Shevchenko will eventually be yours!"

Abu laughed heartily, clearly delighted.

Thus, a bid of 35 million euros was made.

AC Milan gritted their teeth and agreed to pay 37 million euros.

Chelsea have turned around and spent 40 million euros!
AC Milan gritted their teeth and followed suit, offering 40 million euros.

No more were added because we really couldn't add any more.

Chelsea ended up asking for 45 million euros – since they weren't going to pay any money, they just went for the higher bid.

AC Milan then approached Dartford, stating that they genuinely could only afford 40 million euros.

I'm completely broke.

Seeing that he had indeed squeezed Milan dry, Lu Kai said, "Although Chelsea's price is higher, Milan, you are my good friend. I'll take a loss, forty million it is."

"After all, Gilardino himself prefers to return to Milan. But we can accept a loss, but our players cannot, especially regarding salaries and benefits..."

Milan immediately declared, "Top salary, top salary, of course it has to be the top salary!"
Gilardino was deeply moved upon learning of this, and his eyes were red from crying when he called via video call.

His year with the green gun was full of ups and downs, witnessing the coldness and warmth of human relationships and experiencing all kinds of situations, as if it were all a dream.

Unexpectedly, Captain Lu was truly open and honest with him, even sacrificing the team's interests for his own future, choosing to be "lower" in the team.

How can I ever repay such a great kindness?
"Captain Lu, I really, really... have no way to repay you!" Gilardino bowed repeatedly to Lu Kai, and might even kneel down.

It must have been Ashley Young who instilled in him the traditional Chinese culture, making him realize the great significance of kneeling in the East.

Lu Kai quickly stopped him: "Don't do that, Gilardino, this is what I should do. If you really want to repay this kindness, then remember to bring the good name of Dartford to the Italian football world as well."

"To make more clubs willing to buy our players, and to make more outstanding players willing to come to Green Gun for further training."

Gilardino nodded repeatedly.

Afterwards, he pondered how to bring the reputation of the Green Gun to Italy.

Spirit? Culture?
Too abstract.

"Learning to Strengthen the Team"? "Lu Kai's Quotations"?
The threshold is too high.

After much thought, only Dartford's tradition is both iconic and easy to replicate.

So, at the grand signing ceremony for Gilardino's move to AC Milan, before signing the papers, Gilardino pulled a bottle of champagne from his backpack.

"As everyone knows, Dartford has a tradition of celebrating with champagne after taking a three-goal lead in the first half," Gilardino said, holding a champagne bottle. "Now, I'm bringing that tradition to AC Milan."

"I hope we can win every game in the future with great success, leading 3-0 at halftime and popping champagne at halftime!"

boom!
Champagne gushed out.

The scene was in a state of excitement.

AC Milan fans chanted:

"3-0 at halftime, let's pop the champagne at break!"

Gilardino's nickname "Prince of Wanderers" was thus changed to the more elegant "Prince of Champagne," which resonated throughout the football world!

……

Gazzetta dello Sport: "The Champagne Prince has finally returned home; Dartford is AC Milan's forever friend!"

According to the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport: "Green Gun resisted the temptation of money, Lu Kai defied Abramovich's lavish spending, and Milan has welcomed a dream lineup: Kaká, Shevchenko, Pippo, and Gilardino!"

BBC: "Lu Kai's resistance to money-driven football demonstrates integrity; Abramovich says he had already prepared 50 million euros for Gilardino!"

Sky Sports: "The best club in football! Lu Kai says the deal with Milan was completed because of respect for Gilardino's personal wishes; a little sacrifice is nothing to send the player where he wants to go!"

Marca: "This shot was righteous and just! Juventus resorted to dirty tricks, and Lu Kai directly retaliated. Milan showed loyalty, and Lu Kai chose to give way!"

Bild: "The best way for the club and Lu Kai to make the deal is to be honest! Dartford has become the best springboard for players to go to big clubs!"

Gilardino's transfer brought a huge shock to Green Gunners both inside and outside the club, especially to the club itself.

The Marine Corps really didn't lie to everyone.

As long as everyone doesn't betray the team, the club will send you wherever you want to go, even if it means losing ten million euros.

If you don't have a destination in mind, the club will send you to the best team, the team that best suits you.

In short, if you follow Lu's lead, you're sure to stay on the right track!

Of course, even with "only" 40 million euros, Gilardino still became the most expensive player to sign in Serie A.

This is far higher than the 28 million euros Juventus paid for Emerson.

In fact, people believe that if Juventus had initially offered Gilardino 28 million euros... Inter Milan and AC Milan might not have followed suit given their determination.

Without AC Milan, Chelsea might not have made an offer.

Maybe the deal will be made right away.

Juventus suffered a double loss, losing both the Old Lady and their troops, and were used as a scapegoat by Lu Kai for no reason.

In response, Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi said: "Juventus never lets its opponents off the hook. Since Dartford doesn't want to be friends with Juventus, then if they meet in the Champions League, don't blame Juventus for being too ruthless!"

Suddenly, Dartford found another mortal enemy for themselves in Serie A.

In response to Moji's threat, Lu Kai jokingly said in an interview, "One phone call from me and Moji will kneel down!"

Juventus fans were immediately enraged and began to launch an online campaign against Lu Kai.

Moggi added ominously that he hoped Lu Kai wouldn't go to Italy next season, otherwise he would have to show him that Italy's security wasn't so good!

Even Ivanka quickly called Lu Kai to tell him not to continue provoking Moggi, as this man could actually do things that harm the players' physical and mental health.

It's not uncommon for the Mafia to use guns in the shadows.

After Ivanka hung up the phone, her father, Donald Thom, asked, "Why was Lu Kai's head bobbing when he was talking to you?"

Ivanka: "Lu Kai said he was getting ready for what might happen when playing away games in Italy, which is... dodging bullets."

Tang Nadou was very curious: "You can hide from this?"

Ivanka laughed and said, "You believe that? He was just joking. Let's not talk about that. How's the real estate project? Are you going to take it or not?"

Tang Nadou shook his head and sighed, "With the offer you've made, there's no profit at all... Okay, okay, I'll take it, but as we agreed before, next time you guys lift the trophy, I'll stand in the middle!"

Ivanka was overjoyed, gave her dad a kiss, turned and left, quickly booking her flight "back" to London.

"Girls grow up and leave home!" Tang Nadou swayed back and forth, playing with herself. "Speaking of which, can swaying like this really dodge bullets? Hey, I dodge, I dodge again, I dodge again... I can't hit you, I just can't hit you!"

(End of this chapter)