"Yes, I do indeed plan to acquire Arsenal. Currently, my team has had multiple contacts with the Arsenal board, and progress is going very smoothly."
Facing the reporters on Fleet Street, Gilbert publicly acknowledged his plan for the first time.
As expected, Gilbert's straightforward admission caused an immediate uproar among the Fleet Street reporters.
In an instant, countless microphones were thrust toward Gilbert's face. Questions came like a tidal wave, threatening to overwhelm him.
Fortunately, the security team was very effective and quickly separated the reporters.
Then Ivanka clapped her hands, signaling the reporters to quiet down: "Director Gilbert has just finished a long flight and will only answer two questions. Whoever is called, please ask your question."
When facing someone of Gilbert's stature, the reporters on Fleet Street showed good manners and quickly quieted down.
Gilbert had Ivanka select a reporter. She chose a blonde woman with large waves of hair. The other reporters cursed under their breath; this journalist worked for The Sun, notorious for sensationalizing celebrity gossip.
The blonde reporter beamed: "Hello, Director Gilbert. Recently, the triple edition cover girl, Jilly Hazel, publicly confessed her love for you. What is your response to this?"
Gilbert was momentarily stunned—he had expected a football-related question!
"What is a triple edition cover girl? And who is Jilly Hazel?" Gilbert admitted he didn't know.
The female reporter tried to explain, but Ivanka indicated that the first question's time was up. The reporter was frustrated but dared not push further.
Her colleagues' glares were almost capable of burning her alive, yet she didn't care.
After all, being a Sun reporter required that level of resolve.
Ivanka then pointed to a reporter who finally asked a football-related question. Marshall from Sky Sports spoke:
"Director Gilbert, are you acquiring Arsenal for profit, or do you truly love the sport? Will you increase spending in the transfer market?"
"That's not really one question," Gilbert said to Marshall, making him slightly embarrassed.
Still, Gilbert proceeded to answer: "I know many people treat football clubs as profit projects, but I'm different.
Here, I also promise that if I take over Arsenal, in addition to funding the new stadium, I will provide no less than £200 million per year for transfers."
"Whoa!" The reporters were stunned by this answer.
Previously, when Abramovich sought to acquire Chelsea, he publicly pledged at least £200 million annually for transfers. Now here was another figure.
If both succeeded in taking over Premier League clubs, it would undoubtedly alter the landscape of English and European football.
After answering the reporters, Gilbert, protected by his bodyguards, left by car for his hotel.
On the way, Gilbert discussed the interview with Ivanka: "This sends a positive signal. With financial leverage, I'm sure the loyal fans will support us."
"What use are the fans?" Ivanka asked, puzzled. "Fans don't represent the club's position."
"True, but they create public opinion space for us," Gilbert explained. "The foundation of a club is its fans. If we gain their support, everything we do afterward will proceed smoothly."
Ivanka half-understood, sensing Gilbert was employing a novel tactic.
In reality, it wasn't novel: winning the people's hearts means gaining power, and the same applies to football clubs.
As expected, by the time Gilbert arrived at the hotel, the British media were in an uproar.
This was Gilbert's first public acknowledgment of his Arsenal acquisition plan. Previously, most Arsenal fans opposed the takeover.
But after hearing Gilbert personally commit to £200 million for transfers, many fans had to admit they were tempted.
Arsenal was very wealthy, not just ordinarily wealthy.
But with numerous shareholders demanding annual dividends and a new stadium under construction, visible spending in the transfer market had been limited.
If Gilbert took over Arsenal, what kind of lineup would Professor Wenger assemble? Would he emulate Real Madrid's policy of acquiring a superstar each year? Fans began to speculate eagerly.
However, the key factor was the interviews with football dignitaries. Professor Wenger, when approached by reporters, smiled broadly.
"I've already heard about this," Wenger said, his facial lines betraying his joy. "I think it's a wise acquisition, and I hope the board seriously considers it."
Faced with £200 million and the stadium funding, Professor Wenger, as some might say, made a shameful compromise.
There was no alternative—Gilbert's offer was simply too generous.
Arsenal's emerging French star, Thierry Henry, also expressed support for the takeover.
"I really enjoy Gilbert's films. If he joins the club, I can teach him how to play football."
Other Arsenal players likewise shared their views, affirming that the takeover would not affect the team's performance, with their goal remaining to win titles.
The Sun loved to stir things up. The newspaper continued to sensationalize the fabricated romance between Jilly Hazel and Gilbert.
The paper even dug into supposed connections between Gilbert and famous British actresses such as Rachel Weisz and Catherine Zeta-Jones, exaggerating details to create a love-hate triangle.
This storyline would probably delight the writers of romantic idol dramas.
Other media were much more professional. Sky Sports produced a special program, inviting several football commentators to discuss the matter.
Everyone agreed that Gilbert's involvement would change the existing structure of football. Along with Abramovich, the football world might be entering a crazy era of money-fueled transfers.
"In this scenario, player values will rise extremely quickly, potentially reaching absurd numbers. Teams with poor financial situations may be unable to compete in the transfer market or retain their youth academy stars," a commentator said.
The host then asked, "When do you think Gilbert will stop spending money during transfer windows?"
"That I cannot judge. Gilbert hasn't officially taken over Arsenal yet, but for a top-ten billionaire, this kind of spending is nothing," the commentator replied.
The discussion on Sky Sports excited most Arsenal fans, while supporters of other clubs felt threatened and began urging their own teams to increase investment.
In short, even before Gilbert and Abramovich officially entered the Premier League, the league was already ablaze with competition.
Wenger's old rival, Sir Alex Ferguson, was also interviewed. The Scottish veteran angrily said, "Football cannot be measured by money."
However, according to insiders, upon learning of Gilbert's interview, Ferguson immediately called the Manchester United board to demand increased spending in the transfer market.
The Scottish veteran's instincts were sharp; he realized the football world was changing, and Manchester United needed sufficient preparation.
Meanwhile, gossip reporters approached Jilly Hazel, who had been rumored to be linked to Gilbert, asking her feelings about him.
The rumor had been hyped by The Sun. Hazel may or may not have been aware beforehand.
However, she handled the question well: "I really admire Director Gilbert. I enjoy his films very much, especially his Lord of the Rings series."
She didn't claim any personal relationship, simply saying she was a fan—hardly controversial!
Jilly Hazel was only eighteen this year, and she had a bit of savvy. She knew that playing along with Gilbert would increase her popularity.
If Gilbert were in his fifties or sixties, she might have been criticized as shameless.
But Gilbert was only thirty-four this year, not yet even celebrating his birthday, so a talented, capable, and handsome young director could naturally attract admiration from women.
This was called admiration, not shamelessness.
Without The Sun, Hazel and Gilbert likely would have had no connection at all.
After a day of rest at the hotel, Gilbert felt refreshed.
Ivanka discussed work arrangements with him. The match would take place at Arsenal's Highbury home stadium in a few days, where he would appear with Arsenal executives.
Before that, Gilbert needed to attend a talk show on ITV with Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise.
The format was similar to North American talk shows: the host and several guests sitting on a sofa chatting.
When asked about the inspiration for the collaboration, Gilbert said, "After seeing a few counterfeit money cases, I got the idea to create this script. From the very beginning of writing, I pictured Hanks and Cruise, so it made sense to invite them to star in the film."
"And what about you two?" the host asked.
Tom Hanks replied, "Oh, I remember it was an afternoon when Gilbert suddenly called me about a project. We'd worked together on Saving Private Ryan. You know, he said Cruise would be involved, and I agreed immediately."
Tom Cruise then revealed a bit of insider information: "Gilbert first spoke to me about the project. He said if Hanks didn't agree, we would shoot another project instead."
"Oh!" the host exclaimed in surprise. "So you had a backup plan from the start?"
"Oh?" Tom Hanks looked at Gilbert in surprise. "There was a backup project I didn't know about?"
Gilbert smiled: "Indeed. At the time, three images were sent, and one of them was for this backup project."
"Oh my," both the host and the live audience expressed amazement.
The host continued: "Although we're excited for The False, I'm even more curious about this backup project. What is it?"
"Nothing much, just a story about a father and daughter in a post-apocalyptic world. Maybe I'll share it with you all in the future," Gilbert said, without revealing further details.
.....
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