"Hey, Mike, what's up?"
A voice quickly came from the other end of the phone.
"Boss, did you watch the news today?"
"News?"
Cao Baiming looked confused, unable to fathom why the other person was speaking this way. Was there something interesting in the news?
"The match just finished, I haven't had time to watch the news."
"I think you should take a look now, because there's something that interests you. You won't believe it, the person you've been looking for has actually shown himself!"
"Manchester United received new information earlier, saying a mysterious person had contacted them, and it was only announced today that this person was Max!"
"Is it the Max we're looking for?"
"Absolutely. It's public knowledge today, and there's a photo that matches the description you gave me exactly. But you should really see it for yourself."
"Damn, this guy really has some nerve!"
And the opposing team happened to be Manchester United. It was too much of a coincidence that this news broke out at this time. It was probably Max's own idea.
The next match was against Manchester United. Was he trying to target me?
Max had revealed himself at this moment. Weren't we looking for him before? If I go to the Manchester United club now, won't it be a sure bet to find him?
As soon as he thought of this, he asked over the phone, and Mike was already on his way to the Manchester United club.
Mike's efficiency was indeed astonishing, truly a good manager.
Not only was he adept at controlling public opinion and experienced in club salary negotiations, but he also handled miscellaneous tasks without any hesitation.
This guy dared to target me, and even dared to show himself. He probably didn't know what awaited him.
"You don't need to worry too much. As soon as you see him, stop him and take him somewhere to wait for me. I'll be there soon!"
With that, Cao Baiming hung up the phone, confident that Mike would do as he was told.
At this moment, Cao Baiming sat in his car, his hands on the steering wheel, but his mind was filled with Max's arrogant and disgusting face.
No matter what state he was in when he arrived, he would probably be too injured to play when he left.
Dare to join Manchester United? I'll make sure he's injured for his first season, believe it or not!
Thinking about what he could do to Max when he saw him later, his mood instantly improved considerably.
Five minutes later, Mike's car pulled up outside the Manchester United stadium. The entire perimeter of the stadium came into view, with a vast open square ahead.
Normally, when a match was held, this square would be packed with people, even overflowing. But tonight, under the twilight, it was very quiet, with only the two tall, bright yellow streetlights shining.
As expected, a few minutes later, Max's figure appeared near the stadium entrance.
There wasn't a soul around him. No teammates, no familiar faces, he was all alone. This matched what Cao Baiming had described earlier: this person was a complete loner.
He walked straight out of the training ground towards his car, with no bodyguards whatsoever. Seeing this, Mike quickly walked over.
The parking spot was dimly lit. Max was taking his car key out of his pocket, about to press the unlock button on his Mercedes, when he suddenly felt a presence approaching from behind.
Instantly, the hairs on his body stood on end. He instinctively turned his head to look behind him.
At that moment, a large hand lunged towards his neck. Since he had confirmed it was him, Mike had no intention of being polite.
He grabbed Max by the neck and dragged him to the corner of a nearby building, where there were no people around, and no chance of encountering any staff or players leaving the club.
Although Max was in good health, Mike was not a delicate person. With just one arm, he practically lifted Max and walked several meters. 138 Reading Network
Arriving at this spot, Mike remembered that he had a series of questions he wanted to ask him.
More accurately, his boss, Cao Baiming, had questions for this person.
The most important thing now was to ask him about the phone and whether he was involved. Although Mike asked, in fact, he, like everyone else, already knew very well.
All the evidence found through various channels pointed to him regarding the phone; there was no longer any suspense.
But to his surprise, Max, with a look of disdain, directly admitted it.
"That's right, it was me."
Seeing the expression on his face, Mike wished he could knock him unconscious right then and there. However, Cao Baiming had not given such orders, at least not until he arrived.
After a moment of thought, Mike took him to a coffee shop about a twenty-minute drive from the stadium.
Both of them rode in Mike's car, while Max's car remained near the stadium, not having been driven again.
The reason for driving such a long distance was to avoid running into anyone they knew. If they had encountered any new friends from Manchester United just now, things might have become more complicated and troublesome.
This coffee shop was not expensive, and at this time, there were very few people inside, only a scattered few.
Max knew that although Mike appeared to be forcibly taking him, he wouldn't be able to stop him if he truly resisted.
The reason he was so cooperative was quite simple: their objectives were actually completely aligned. He also wanted to meet Cao Baiming in person at this time.
They found a corner seat by a window. Other patrons were quite far away from this spot, making it a relatively secluded location. After they were seated, Mike took out his phone from his chest pocket.
The first number in his phone's contact list was Cao Baiming's. He dialed it directly.
"Where are you?"
Before Mike could speak, Cao Baiming asked proactively.