As it was already July, the French World Cup was reaching its climax, but the number of match days was gradually decreasing, so bar business rose and fell.
Of course, during the World Cup, even at its worst, business was still much better than usual.
Sometimes, Ethan felt that English fans no longer came to the bar just to drink and talk about football. They treated the bar more as a way to spice up life and as an affordable form of entertainment.
Since the establishment of New Manchester United, Walsh had changed the bar's name to Red Rebels. On the day of the name change, he proudly invited Bruce, Keane, Giggs, and others, then publicly announced that this was the first fan bar in New Manchester United's history. At the same time, the first fan organization of New Manchester United, Red Rebels, was formed that night.
Ethan walked into the bar and immediately started greeting people.
"Where is Andy?" he asked the bartender after finally reaching the counter.
"In the box," the bartender pointed toward it.
Ethan nodded and pointed at Curtis. "A large beer for me, and a juice for him, thanks." Then he led the way to the box.
After knocking a few times, Walsh opened the door. Besides him, Mark David and Steve Bruce were also inside.
"Haha, what a coincidence, everyone is here!" Ethan walked in and quietly caught Walsh's signal.
"I was bored at home, and they called to invite me, so I came to sit for a bit," Bruce, who rarely went to bars, explained. As for Mark David hanging around bars all day, they were used to it.
"It is good to come to the bar more often, a change of pace," Ethan sat down with a smile, then looked at David. "Mark, I heard you are going to study in the United States?"
"Yes. My brother works at a securities company there. He helped me get into a prestigious university. He wants me to go and improve my investment knowledge." Mark David looked around the box reluctantly. He was almost more familiar with this place than his own home.
"When are you leaving?" Ethan asked with concern.
"In a few days. But to be honest, I really do not want to leave." David sounded reluctant.
Walsh came over and slapped him on the shoulder, then sat on the sofa. "It is okay. You are not leaving forever. Besides, you really should learn more while you are still young. Look at your older brother. He is doing well in the US at such a young age. I heard the company he works for is one of the top firms on Wall Street."
"My brother likes that stuff. He studies the stock market, futures, venture capital, and so on all day. It overwhelms me. I have no interest in any of it." David pulled a bitter face, then picked up his glass and took a few big sips.
"So what do you like?" Bruce asked with a smile.
"Football," David answered as a matter of course.
"But can you make a living from football?" Walsh almost smacked him in the face.
"So I did not refuse to study in the United States, did I?" David muttered.
Everyone could not help laughing at his reluctant look.
"How about this, Mark, I will go to the United States with you in a few days," Ethan suddenly said.
"Why are you going too?" David asked in surprise.
Not only him, everyone present was surprised. They had never heard Ethan mention it before.
"Well, I have thought about it. The inheritance my parents left me, the insurance payout, and the money from selling the shop are enough to run the club for a few years. But I do not want to just sit and eat through it, so I plan to invest."
No one, including Walsh, knew how much money Ethan had. The only thing they knew was that he invested 300,000 pounds when he founded the club.
But that money had almost been spent, so Ethan preparing for a rainy day was understandable. After all, it is impossible to make money from football.
"Investment? Then my brother is the most suitable person for you. But, what do you plan to invest in?"
Ethan smiled. "I have been studying this for a long time. After Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he stabilized the company's decline. I think the next step will be Apple making a big splash. I am very optimistic about the stock."
Everyone knew the name Apple, but it was hard to expect a group of fans who had little interest beyond football to grasp what Steve Jobs meant to Apple.
Of course, it was even more impossible for Ethan to tell them directly that a 1,000-dollar investment in Apple in 1998 would become 30,000 dollars by 2008, a thirtyfold increase. If he did, the whole world would know he had come from another time.
However, what Ethan valued most was obviously not just Apple's stock. He could make money from it, but not huge sums. What he valued more was Google, which was about to be established and was recruiting its first venture capital. The company had struggled to find investors at the beginning. If he seized this opportunity, he would surely make a lot.
Of course, Ethan had other plans, such as the Asian financial crisis in 1998 and the Russian ruble crisis on September 2. In just one day, the ruble depreciated by 70 percent. These advance pieces of news were enough for Ethan to take advantage and make a fortune.
There is no other way. If you want to run a club with any comfort, you cannot talk in mere millions. Just look at Chelsea and Manchester City in later years. Which of their owners did not casually throw around hundreds of millions?
As a transmigrator, Ethan would not be the kind of person who spends a lot to do small things. But at the very least, he had to have enough money. Once he ran out, let alone titles, he might not even be able to keep a single player.
"Okay, I will talk to my brother and ask him to stay a few more days. Then we can go together." With such an ideal excuse, David would not let it go.
"Then we have to wait until at least early August," Bruce thought for a moment and suggested.
"I thought so too. By then, the warm-up matches will be over and the league will not have started. Most matters will be planned. Staying a few days should not affect club operations."
Once you become a boss, it is impossible to walk away like before. Unless Ethan were as rich as Abramovich, then he could sail a yacht and enjoy the happiness of having two wives with supermodel looks.
"However, I think there is one most important thing we must do now," Ethan suddenly smiled mysteriously.
"What?" Bruce did not notice anything unusual.
At some point, Walsh had fetched a file bag, brought it over, and handed it to Ethan.
Ethan took out a contract and handed it to Bruce. "Of course, we have to finalize our head coach first."
David was surprised, then burst into laughter. Curtis was excited. This was clearly his first time witnessing a head coach signing.
"We are a small club and cannot offer a high salary. We can only offer a monthly salary of 500 pounds. As for the contract length, fill it in yourself. As long as you like," Ethan, who had been smiling, gradually grew serious.
"Steve, I sincerely hope you can become our head coach and lead our young team to create a legend of our own."
"Yes, Steve, promise us," Walsh added.
"Sign it, do not hesitate, Steve," David even wanted to grab Bruce's hand and sign for him.
Curtis looked nervous. Watching Bruce, he worried Bruce would refuse.
A monthly salary of 500 pounds was not high, but for a newly established amateur club it could definitely be considered generous. Even at some third-tier professional clubs, many head coaches might not get that much.
Bruce looked up at Ethan, then shook his head, scaring everyone into thinking he was going to refuse.
But he said, "As far as I know, the club is not well off. You spent 80,000 pounds on Messi's treatment, and you have to arrange home matches and league events, which will cost more. You are offering me 500 pounds a month. Is that not adding insult to injury?"
"Do not worry, Steve. I may not be good at other things, but I can do accounting. I have worked as a cashier in my father's supermarket since I was a child. I can manage the books properly," Ethan was very happy to hear something promising.
"Forget the salary. I will take the 1 pound out of obligation. Spend the rest where it is needed."
Bruce's proposal was immediately cheered and supported by Walsh, David, and Curtis, but Ethan clearly disagreed.
"No. Friends are friends, but we are talking about work, Steve. You work for the club, and the club pays your salary. That is natural. It is not just you. In a few days, I will also consider paying Andy, because this is work. It has nothing to do with personal relationships, friendship, or morality."
"Of course, Steve, I know you have great ambition and real ability, but you lack experience. I believe in the near future higher-level teams will extend an olive branch to you. I can guarantee on my character that I will not set obstacles for you, just as I will never forget the help you gave us and the club when we were in our most difficult times. I am even willing to write this clause into the contract."
Walsh and David were not usually schemers. When Ethan said this, they immediately understood. The reason Bruce only wanted a symbolic 1 pound was that he did not want New Manchester United to make things difficult if a team invited him in the future, leading to an unhappy parting and ending even the friendship.
Ethan's assurance was clearly to remove Bruce's concerns.
"Okay, since you put it that way, I have no choice but to agree. Let us sign for two years for now. What do you think?" Bruce asked with a smile.
Ethan had no problem with that.
Watching Bruce carefully sign his name on the contract Ethan had already signed, Ethan could finally put down the big stone that had been hanging in his heart these days.
(To be continued.)