Chapter 54: Unexpected Gifts
In the English Championship, Millwall doesn't have much recognition, and the sponsorship fees are pitifully low. However, with Sky Sports' huge success in broadcasting the Premier League, the brand value of the Premier League has soon become apparent. If Millwall can get promoted to the Premier League, while the sponsorship fees may not see a dramatic increase, every little bit helps; after all, money is money, and you can never have too much of it.
In the upcoming months, advertisements in the stadium will enter a new round of sponsorship recruitment. Aldrich plans to have Adam handle these negotiations, a task that naturally falls under the club CEO's responsibilities.
Seeing Heisenberg leave, Barnett approached with a friendly arm wrapped around Aldrich, smiling mysteriously. "Follow me, I've got a gift for you."
Aldrich could only chuckle helplessly as he followed him to a corner of the lobby. Barnett took a folder from his assistant and opened it in front of Aldrich.
Upon closer inspection, the documents inside resembled a developer's brochure for a residential project.
"I bought a plot of land on the southern bank of the Thames, to the east of Millwall Club, intending to develop it into a residential area with eighty units. It's a gift for you."
Aldrich furrowed his brow and stared at Barnett. "Why are you giving this to me?"
The land prices in East London hadn't skyrocketed into the stratosphere yet. The previous budget for Millwall's new stadium was around £15 million for both land and construction. Aldrich estimated that the development cost of this residential project wouldn't exceed £10 million.
Barnett tossed the folder behind him without a care, not bothering to check if his assistant caught it, and wrapped his arm around Aldrich again, cheerfully saying, "No reason, just something you deserve. By the way, my company: I own 51% of the shares, you have 30%, and Andrew has 19%. Don't spill that to anyone else; otherwise, better watch your back—you might end up being kidnapped. I live in a mansion, I can't let you look poor. Now that you're working, you'll need to network. If you make some new friends, don't hesitate to give them a place; it's not a huge deal."
"Aldrich sighed with a wry smile, 'These past few years, I've been away and know nothing about your company. How can this possibly be something I deserve?'"
In Western interpersonal relationships—even among family members—the distribution of assets is quite clear-cut. Aldrich didn't place much importance on wealth. With over £3 million in his personal account, he felt he had more than enough for his lifetime, plus the club was operating well; as long as they managed it right, making profit wouldn't be too difficult.
Barnett squinted and smiled, "Haha, remember when you said the Premier League broadcasting rights would definitely be profitable, especially for Sky? That's when I invested in Murdoch's company. Ha, that American is dying to buy his shares back from me now. That idiot, I'm not selling!"
Aldrich was taken aback. He had no idea about all this. Hearing it now left him dumbfounded.
Murdoch had a huge influence in the UK, holding rights to "The Sun," "The Times," and "The News of the World," but his biggest flop during the late 1980s and early 1990s was Sky.
Year after year, it suffered losses amounting to millions of pounds.
Before the Premier League was established, there was quite an uproar when Premier League clubs broke away from the Football Association's dominance. Aldrich had casually mentioned this during a chat with Barnett once.
"That's just his nature; he is reluctant to say much about things he doesn't understand, but when it comes to what he does know, he talks endlessly."
From the twenty-two clubs rising up under the Big Five to the Football Association's poor strategies, along with the BBC and ITV's complacency, Sky Sports suddenly rose, colluding with the Premier League to ensure it was formed, confidently predicting a brand-new era ahead.
Barnett had invested in Sky Sports back in '91. He hit the timing right—before Murdoch quietly negotiated with the Premier League—while Sky was still suffering massive losses. That American thought the British would happily spend on American entertainment programs; he couldn't have been more wrong. The programs that British people were willing to pay for ranked number one: football, number two: football, and number three: football.
When Murdoch was feeling dejected, Barnett's investment only accounted for a small percentage of Sky, yet it made Murdoch regret losing out in just two short years after securing the broadcasting rights for the Premier League.
Once Sky won the rights, their income ballooned immensely: bags upon bags of cash and checks flooded into the company every day. Within a year, Sky turned around, raking in over £40 million in profit from a prior loss of millions!
Barnett was ecstatic, predicting that this summer, once the Premier League season concluded, he would be able to clear up the bank loan used for his initial investment in Sky just from dividends, effectively making a fortune for owning a percentage of the company in less than four years.
"This investment idea was inspired by a few offhand remarks from his beloved younger brother. Barnett has not only a brotherly affection for Aldrich but also a deep admiration for him."
Even though Barnett had made a great deal, Murdoch was no ordinary man. He was a media mogul; in Barnett's words, he was just a "big idiot." It was merely the arrogance inherent in British culture, a way to boast and show off; in terms of real ability, very few self-made billionaires in Britain could compare to Murdoch.
"Alright then, I'll accept this gift."
"Aldrich wasn't pretentious either. Barnett, with a beaming smile, raised an eyebrow and said, 'I won't bother you any longer. That pretty girl over there has been staring at you, hehe. Among the three of us, you're definitely the most popular with the ladies.'"
"Feel free to be jealous; it's just that I'm better-looking than you."
"Hahaha, then go enjoy your luck with the ladies."
Barnett laughed as he walked away.
Aldrich stood there with his champagne, secretly chuckling. Melanie Chisholm, who had been watching him from a distance, immediately approached and playfully stuck out her tongue. "Aren't you a football coach?"
"What's there to doubt?"
Aldrich responded, exasperated but amused.
"Well then, it was nice meeting you, Aldrich."
Melanie looked like she was about to leave. The other members of the Spice Girls hovered by the door, all of them gazing knowingly at Aldrich.
Aldrich took the opportunity to formally shake her hand again and smiled, "Same here, goodbye."
As Melanie turned with a cheerful smile and rejoined her companions, they began teasing her.
Aldrich smiled at the alluring silhouette of the Spice Girls as they departed. Melanie casting a shy yet charming glance back at him before she exited left a lingering impression on him.
With FIFA Match Day upon him, Aldrich gave his team two days off. He changed into casual clothes and strolled along Bond Street in West London, a fashionable street where every square inch is precious, filled with boutiques from internationally renowned brands—places that ordinary folks rarely reach.
Dressed in sportswear and wearing a backward cap, Aldrich stood out amidst the sea of well-dressed suits on that bustling street.
Holding a cup of juice casually, Aldrich scanned the street, thinking about buying a new phone.
A few years back, the mobile phones were clunky and bulky, but with Motorola's successful entry into the German market in the 1990s, the standards for phone design had evolved into something sleek and compact.
Initially, Aldrich had little interest in lugging around a large phone, but at a family gathering yesterday, he noticed several female guests holding small, stylish mobile phones, making him realize that phones were no longer cumbersome.
This wasn't about keeping up with trends; it was just about convenience for work.
Britain had never nurtured a world-class phone brand, leaving the domestic market dominated by foreign products. Aldrich casually wandered into a mobile phone store and unexpectedly spotted two familiar figures.
The two were carefully testing out phones as they spoke with a salesperson.
"What a coincidence," Aldrich commented with a smile as he approached their side.
Both women turned to look at Aldrich in unison.
Victoria sized up Aldrich with curiosity, while Melanie's eyes sparkled with surprise. Once she took in Aldrich's casual look, she teased, "Aldrich, are you lost? Aren't you supposed to be at the training ground, Coach?"
Aldrich shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm on break today, out shopping to relax. No need to dress formally; comfort is key."
"Ha, that makes sense. Are you buying a phone too?"
"Yeah."
Aldrich glanced at the display and randomly pointed to a black phone on the counter. "I'll take this one. If it works fine, just ring me up."
As soon as Aldrich finished speaking, he pulled out his wallet, took out his bank card to pay, and tipped the salesperson ten pounds.
The salesperson was slightly taken aback. This customer in sportswear had come in, finalized everything in no more than a minute—this was the quickest and most comfortable deal she'd ever made.
Aldrich wasn't particularly keen on the new phones; he just needed one for convenience and had no inclination to try out different options.
He wouldn't bother pulling it out again if it didn't break.
Noticing the dazed expression on the girls beside him, Aldrich smiled at the salesperson. "By the way, add their two phones to my bill as well."
"Melanie said in surprise, 'No! This is too expensive!'"
Several hundred pounds for a phone was still a luxury for them as rising stars.
Aldrich turned to Melanie for three seconds, and after she closed her lips, he nodded seriously, "Alright, then. I guess you two should buy your own."
Melanie was left speechless, asking in return, "Why didn't you insist? I might have agreed."
Aldrich blinked. "How many times should I insist?"
"Once!"
Victoria chimed in, trying to stifle her laughter before Melanie could respond.
Aldrich made a troubled expression. "Fine, I'll insist once. Ladies, buying you a phone is no big deal for me. Don't think too much about it; it's just a gift between friends. Otherwise, if you ever send me a Ferrari one day, I'll happily accept it."
Melanie and Victoria couldn't help but laugh, graciously accepting Aldrich's gift.
As Aldrich walked out of the store with his phone, he heard Melanie shout from behind, "Aldrich, you big liar!"
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