Chapter 16
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Travel Agency Chairman's Vault, Aston Villa
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[Blackburn Rovers sign 36-year-old Ian Wright.]
[Ian Wright: 'I'll spend my final career in Blackburn with my two sons.' Bold ambition.]
[Manchester City's two prospects, Shaun Wright and Bradley Wright brothers head to Blackburn. Total 1.5 million pounds.]
The pubs in Blackburn were stuffed with sports news and newspapers.
I quietly popped some beer and french fries into my mouth.
"Ugh, so salty-"
This pub made the only decent pub grub around, but even a few fries left my mouth flooded with vinegar and salt.
"That crazy Asian owner really tries everything."
"?"
My ears perked up at the voices of the white guys in the pub.
A quick glance showed a bunch of middle-aged men in their forties and fifties, faces red as strawberries, knocking back beers without any snacks while staring at Rovers news.
Two had our Rovers mufflers on, and the rest looked like local fans too.
"What era is this? Ian Wright's pushing forty soon."
"They signed his sons too. Turning it into a nursing home and daycare."
"Sherwood's gone, and that bearded guy who runs like a dog—what about him? His father-in-law's Scottish, so they're making stadium food from there too?"
Blackburn Rovers fans were chatting about every little thing I'd planned.
I kept my ears open and sipped my beer, but every other customer was talking football too.
"Ian Wright—think he can bag five goals?"
"Shit! He's an old man Arsenal dumped and West Ham couldn't even play."
"Even so, look at Kevin or Sutton now. Those guys haven't hit five either."
"Sigh, how'd our Rovers turn into attacking idiots who can't score ten goals a season?"
"If only we had Shearer..."
"Hey, James! Don't even mention that bastard's name!"
Come next season, we're definitely bringing in strikers—no question. I've been scouting the current EPL and even the Championship below it.
I've got a couple candidates in mind right now, and if we safely stay up this season, the scout team's ready to snag them.
"Oh, that Eastern guy Mr. Lee brought in this time."
"That dude's a beast. Stuck his head in and scored."
"I thought he was just a marketing player."
"Black, Asian, South American—doesn't matter as long as they score."
I couldn't help chuckling and ordered another beer.
EPL Round 24.
Away at Birmingham's Villa Park.
Blackburn Rovers vs. Aston Villa.
"Everyone ready?"
"Ah, Mr. Lee."
I stepped into the locker room before the match, and everyone greeted me warmly.
Especially Yoo Sung-chul, who welcomed me with a big smile, and the tall, striking black player Ian Wright coming in with him.
"Ian, give it your all."
"I just want to be a father my two sons won't be ashamed of."
Ian Wright addressed the whole team.
"We're all out here on this pitch for our families, aren't we? To show we're Premier Leaguers."
At that, everyone stood up, nodding with determined faces.
Ian was truly living up to his rep as the original 'Arsenal King' before Thierry Henry, boosting team morale big time.
Dalglish was grinning ear to ear without needing to say a word, and van Basten capped it off with a big shout.
"Let’s Go! Rovers!"
The fired-up Blackburn squad headed to the pitch.
After pumping up the players, I took my seat in the VIP box to watch the game when things suddenly got busy around me.
"You there, the Eastern gentleman."
"?"
Two guys in suits approached and asked for my ticket.
"Did you buy this seat yourself?"
"I'm here as Blackburn's COO. Problem?"
At that, their eyebrows twitched as they whispered to each other.
"Sorry for the intrusion. We're Aston Villa Limited's security team."
"The chairman's coming to the VIP seats. Please refrain from smoking—he really hates it."
"Got it."
Aston Villa's chairman must put a lot of stock in protocol, unlike Blackburn's Jack Walker or Fulham's Al-Fayed.
Moments later, as the game kicked off, an elderly man leaning on a cane descended with several security guards.
Doug Ellis, Aston Villa's chairman—white-haired, in his eighties, with piercing eyes and a prominent nose.
From what I knew, he'd made his millions in the travel agency business before becoming the club's owner.
He gazed contentedly at the Villa Park crowds, then glanced my way.
"You're the young Easterner running Rovers with Walker's shares?"
"Lee Dae-hyun. Call me Mr. Lee."
I offered my hand first.
But Doug Ellis barely glanced at me, gave my hand a quick shake, and stared straight at the pitch.
Grumpy old codger.
The game saw Ian Wright starting over Kevin Davies, dribbling aggressively and pushing forward.
Age hadn't dulled his vision—he was still picking out passes to Duff or Sutton up top when defenders closed in.
"That's it!"
Surrounded by defenders, he passed to Duff and immediately cut inside.
Away game or not, we went all-out attack, and boos rained down every time our players touched the ball.
"Ian Wright, you old fart, get lost!"
"Chris~ Chris~ Useless striker who can't score five in a season, Chris Sutton~"
"Taekwondo man incoming~ Eastern taekwondo guy~"
Villa fans had zero class.
Doug Ellis watching it all with an amused smile just made it more infuriating.
Then, amid the jeers, Duff broke through with a dribble and unleashed a ferocious shot at goal.
Thwack-
The powerful strike echoed all the way here, flying straight—Villa defender Southgate lunged desperately to clear, but it ricocheted awkwardly toward their own net.
"Gah?!"
Own goal?
Southgate's clearance backfired straight into his own goal, but Villa keeper Michael Oakes punched it away in a panic.
But Ian Wright was right there.
He calmly controlled the punched clearance and just nudged it.
And in it went, casually.
Rooooaaarrrrr!!!!
With cheers from the Blackburn away fans, Ian Wright opened his debut account.
I jumped up roaring too, then noticed Doug Ellis next to me.
Despite his age, he was gnawing his thumbnail and clicking his tongue.
"Tch-"
Halftime ended 1-0 to us, and the second half kicked off.
After midfield battles, Yoo Sung-chul subbed for Wilcox and took the armband from Ian Wright.
Tough day for Sung-chul, but back-to-back appearances.
As time ticked on, Ellis's voice suddenly came from beside me.
"How much did Jack Walker say he's selling for?"
"Pardon?"
"Rovers. You're trying to buy it."
Why bring that up now?
"We'll take on the £30 million debt first, then handle shares gradually."
"Jack Walker just flushed tens of millions down the toilet."
"..."
Doug Ellis sneered at Walker and kept going.
"We listed Villa on the LSE a couple years back. Valued at £126 million, and I own 47%."
"Impressive. Running a club like that shows real business acumen, Chairman."
"Heavy industry, department stores, football—it's all the same. Run it where the money is. Collecting deadweight players like Walker does is just burning cash."
"Huh."
"We made £13 million selling Dwight York to United this time, and £21 million in transfer profits this season alone. Walker knows how to buy but not sell. That's how you run a club."
This old guy's got real beef with Jack Walker?
"Blackburn's barely out of the drop zone, right? Relegate, and you'll be stuck with all that debt..."
Rooooaaarrrrr!!!
"Goal! Goal! GOAL!!!"
Chairman Ellis.
The very moment you said that, Blackburn Rovers scored their second.
Sub striker Ashley Ward, on for Sutton, slotted home a beauty. 2-0.
"Idiots. Not worth a bonus dime!"
Doug Ellis clenched his fist, cursing his own players.
But soon enough, the old man piped up again.
"Guys who can't even pass properly guzzling millions every year—I'd sell the lot if I could..."
"Wha—?!"
Another one.
Central midfielder David Dunn, paired with Gattuso, rifled in a thunderbolt from distance.
"Damn bastards, go die!"
The old man's got fire.
The game ended with Villa's Yoakim pulling one back late, but that was it—3-1 away win for Blackburn.
A precious road victory.
We settled into 15th, and I stood to offer Doug Ellis another handshake.
"Good game."
"Tch."
He wouldn't even meet my eyes, roughly grabbing my hand to leave, when I called after him.
"Chairman, if this season ends well, mind if Blackburn signs some Aston Villa players?"
"...?"
"After today's match, I saw you've got some real talent."
"Mr. Lee, not in front of the chairman."
"No, wait."
Ellis stopped his security and turned, chuckling.
"That confident you'll escape the drop?"
"If we play like today."
"Hahaha!"
Doug Ellis laughed heartily and made a circle with his fingers.
"Give the right price, and no one's unsellable."
Fans would riot, but as a businessman, Aston Villa's chairman just said: Pay the price, and anyone's for sale.