At this moment, Cao Baiming and Mike had arrived at the executive offices of the Manchester United Football Club. The meeting was scheduled to begin in five minutes.
The sale of Manchester United had been finalized, with Mike emerging as the ultimate winner. All parties with vested interests were to attend this meeting today. They had long anticipated seeing the face of the mysterious backer.
Mike had not revealed his face to many people, and Cao Baiming was an even more unexpected presence. Their arrival together at the Manchester United meeting caught everyone completely off guard.
Although the scheduled time had not yet arrived, the meeting room was already nearly full. After all, this was a significant event concerning the ownership of a club, involving a colossal transaction of billions of pounds.
The entire club and its surroundings were swarmed with people, but anyone remotely connected to the media had been intercepted a hundred meters away. They were forbidden from approaching the club building, not even allowed to linger in the vicinity.
The participants in this transaction were almost all super-giants from around the world, and the senior management of Manchester United were all business magnates.
Everyone attending the meeting was dressed in formal and elegant suits. Even those who had little direct financial stake in today's transaction did their utmost to appear distinguished, adorning themselves with every possible display of wealth.
Their attire alone would not have cost less than hundreds of thousands, their watches no less than tens of millions, and their jewelry could easily run into the hundreds of millions.
In stark contrast, Cao Baiming and Mike, as they walked through the executive corridors of the club, were dressed simply, appearing out of place in the opulent surroundings.
Mike's identity was still largely unknown, so people around them whispered about who he was and why he was in this corridor.
Mike could clearly discern the mocking undertones in their gazes, the kind of look that comes from those at the top looking down on others. He had encountered it before and could recognize it instantly.
Cao Baiming observed this as well but said nothing.
When more people saw Cao Baiming, their surprise intensified. This was a club auction, and even the media were barred from this area. Why was a football player present in this building?
While he was no ordinary footballer, possibly the most famous and skilled player in the world today, Cao Baiming, how did that relate to his presence here?
No matter how great he was, he was still a player. How could a player be in such a solemn setting?
Finally, someone couldn't help but step forward, attempting to stop Cao Baiming.
The man who stepped forward was also a potential buyer of the club. He was Europe's largest nouveau riche, a business magnate who had amassed his fortune through resource sales, possessing billions of assets.
Those around him treated him with deference, appearing respectful. Perhaps he was the most influential person in the area, which explained why he alone had the audacity to directly confront Cao Baiming.
"Stop, stop, stop! What are you doing here, a player? Where are the security guards?" the man, who appeared to be in his early fifties, shouted.
Two slightly younger individuals behind him immediately stepped forward to support him.
Cao Baiming's eyes held no trace of panic, instead, he looked at the elder with curiosity. Mike, standing beside him, stepped forward and placed himself between Cao Baiming and the man.
"Mind your own business. Worry about yourself!"
Seeing Mike step up for him, Cao Baiming saved himself the effort and, without even glancing at the man, continued forward.
The business magnate, seeing himself utterly ignored, was furious, stamping his feet in anger. However, observing Cao Baiming heading towards the main conference hall, where even more formidable individuals resided, he felt helpless.
Most importantly, he couldn't understand what a football player was doing in such a place.
"Alright, alright, go ahead. You'll face the music soon enough."
Hearing the voice from behind him, Cao Baiming knew the man had backed down, but his words were quite unpleasant.
As Cao Baiming was about to turn back, Mike quickly stopped him.
"Don't get angry with this kind of person, or rather, let's suppress it for now. Causing trouble on such an important occasion today would be unwise. Let's buy the team first, otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain, and that would be disastrous."
Listening to Mike, Cao Baiming found some logic in his words and temporarily abandoned his thought of breaking the man's legs.
"Fine, fine. Let him walk on his own two legs a while longer. We can settle this after the meeting."
Taking a deep breath, the two continued forward.
The meeting was about to begin. Outside the room, people began filing into the most important conference hall, the venue where this multi-billion-pound transaction would be discussed today.
Upon entering, some inside cast curious glances, while others recognized Mike. However, they were puzzled as to why Cao Baiming had accompanied him.
Upon closer reflection, they realized that Cao Baiming was no longer just a simple player. While they didn't know how he had amassed his wealth, many had quietly observed that Cao Baiming's fortune had discreetly climbed into the top ten on the global rich list.
If Mike was Cao Baiming's manager, then perhaps the true backer behind this transaction was not Mike, but Cao Baiming.
Suddenly, everyone in the room felt an inexplicable sense of pressure, a fear emanating from the depths of their hearts.
A player was about to acquire this team. If he were to succeed, the thought of what that would entail was almost unimaginable.