The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 172: Shocking Headlines

Chapter 172: Shocking Headlines The next morning, Aldrich got up early. He gently moved Melanie's arm, which was resting on his chest, aside and tiptoed out of bed. After closing the bedroom door quietly behind him, he spent twenty minutes working out in the gym. Following that, he took a quick shower, went downstairs to make breakfast, and after eating, left a note before driving to Andrew's company. He sent Andrew a text on the way, but received no reply—most likely he was still asleep.

Andrew's company was located in a business district in West London. He rented an entire floor of an office building. The interior was decorated just like any other regular workplace, but his meeting room and office were surprisingly large. His office had a serious and formal décor, while the meeting room was much more relaxed, featuring a bar, a sofa, a sound system, and a television—overall, it felt comfortable and inviting.

Once Alderich arrived, a pretty secretary led him to the meeting room. Aldrich told her to treat him casually since he wasn't a stranger, and asked for the day's newspapers.

Before long, the secretary returned with a stack of newspapers and placed them on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

The wide range of newspapers was overwhelming. Aldrich sat quietly on the sofa, quickly leafing through them. Most of the news was skimmed over in mere moments before leaving it aside to grab another.

Mainstream outlets naturally focused on the previous day's English Premier League match, where Manchester United had suffered a humiliating defeat at home.

The headlines were certainly shocking.

Phrases like "Old Trafford Devastated," "The Fall of the Red Devils," and "The Rampant Lions Conquer the Dream Theater" were among them, clearly knocking Manchester United while praising Millwall.

Aldrich read with a sense of disinterest, but a few tabloids, as expected, printed a piece of news that frustrated him.

"United's New Star Captivated by Rampant Lions' Young Manager, Comes to Join!"

The accompanying photo showed him sitting across from Beckham in a restaurant, with the two Spice Girls beside them.

As a port city, Liverpool was brimming with news. The paparazzi, once getting a scoop, often sold it among their peers. After all, news couldn't be buried for too long, and such speculative stories couldn't really be considered exclusive or sensational.

However, a writer who got a hold of a mundane story could spin it into something sensationalized with a powerful pen.

Beckham met Aldrich in Liverpool on the day after the match; what exactly happened didn't matter.

It was all about adding some enticing words to stir up public interest.

"Perhaps after witnessing Hall's team destroy his own, Beckham is already considering leaving Manchester United. The crushing defeat against Millwall doesn't seem to have dampened his spirits; it appears his heart is no longer with Manchester United."

For the past year, media speculation about conflicts between Aldrich and Beckham often floated around, but now they suggested that the two had cleared the air, even sitting together to discuss a shared future...

In some entertainment sections, the same story appeared, with mostly similar images but altered content—romanticized portrayals of "Golden Boy and Girl" with Aldrich and Beckham becoming brothers-in-law. Ridiculously, there were even congratulatory messages at the end.

Aldrich looked expressionless as he tossed the newspaper into the trash can.

From now on, whenever Victoria and Beckham were in social situations outside of work, he would make a point to keep his distance.

As for how Beckham would be punished by Ferguson after such news surfaced, it was no longer of concern to Aldrich.

Andrew didn't show up at the office until ten in the morning. Upon entering, he directly said, "I'm packing my bags at home; I'm flying to Brazil this afternoon. I've successfully arranged Rivaldo's transfer there, and have made some contacts who want to build stable relations in Europe. I'm looking for a larger development in South America, so I'm going to collaborate on opening an agency there. Do you have any suggestions?"

When discussing business, Andrew didn't waste a single breath on trivialities.

After thinking for a moment, Aldrich replied, "The transfer models in South America and Europe are vastly different. Since you're going there to set up a company, just try to keep a low profile. The way agencies handle player ownership in South America complicates transfer dealings, so if you're moving players to Europe, it's best to avoid disputes."

Andrew nodded in agreement, realizing just how astonishing the South American transfer system was.

In Europe, player ownership only resides with clubs.

But in South America, ownership can lie with agents or agencies. When European teams want to sign a player, negotiations shift from club-to-club interactions to dealings with agents or agencies.

Complexity aside, the potential gains were immense.

In places like Brazil or Argentina, buying out a player's rights for a few thousand pounds was commonplace, and once that player made a name for themselves, flipping them could yield profits in the millions—profits that could be a hundredfold or more.

Andrew waved at Aldrich, and the two left the meeting room, heading instead to his office.

Inside the office, Andrew used a key to unlock the drawer of his desk and pulled out a document to hand to Aldrich. He stated, "Since the inception of my company, you've had me