章 52: The Unexpected Party
Aldrich's sharp post-match interview quickly became a sensational topic the following day, suggesting that Millwall would seek revenge against Newcastle United in the next season. Kevin Keegan, of course, scoffed at the idea, believing that a seasoned team like Newcastle would never stoop to compare itself with Millwall. They had met twice in cup matches, and he thought Millwall had simply been lucky, riding the coattails of Newcastle's fame to boost their own recognition.
As March rolled in, Millwall was lagging significantly behind their pursuers on the league table. This allowed Aldrich some leeway in his team lineup, enabling him to maintain a regular starting eleven while providing four to six opportunities for the substitutes to gain valuable experience.
In mid-March, Aldrich returned home from work as usual, only to find the parking lot brimming with extravagant cars.
He sighed helplessly, thinking, "Another party at home."
This luxurious villa often hosted gatherings, whether Arthur was inviting old neighbors for a cheerful reunion or holding parties under various pretenses, such as someone's birthday or anniversary.
It wasn't that Aldrich was antisocial, but sometimes after a long day, he just wanted to soak in a nice bath and relax. Instead, he found himself unprepared for these surprise parties, which forced him to muster up some energy.
Standing at the front door, Aldrich thought to himself, "Maybe it's time to move out and live alone."
He tidied his suit, forced a smile, and stepped into the lobby. The living room was packed with people. Aldrich scanned the crowd of handsome men and beautiful women, concluding that today's gathering was of considerable status.
Not only were the guests dressed elegantly, but the men displayed gentlemanly behavior while the women went out of their way to exude grace. This was certainly not the usual loud and rowdy affair when Arthur invited the neighbors over, where lively antics often filled the villa.
Aldrich caught sight of Ross and whispered, "What's today's occasion?"
Ross adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and replied earnestly, "Mr. Hall just made a lucrative deal, so he's hosting a banquet for several business associates and some big shots from Barclays Bank."
"Mr. Hall" was none other than Aldrich's older brother, Barnett.
After grabbing a plate and some food to curb his hunger, Aldrich leaned against the staircase with a glass of champagne in hand, idly watching the scene unfold around him.
He truly hadn't expected Barnett to be able to invite such prominent figures from Barclays Bank.
While Aldrich wasn't particularly savvy about the world of capitalism, he remembered that after the turn of the millennium, Barclays Bank had sponsored the Premier League, and he had done a little research into its background— a staggering total asset of over a trillion pounds!
Now that was what you called a consortium.
Therefore, it was evident that Barnett must have secured the presence of someone significant from Barclays Bank, rather than just a low-level employee, which was enough to surprise Aldrich.
Eavesdropping on snippets of conversation around him, Aldrich began to understand what Ross meant about Barnett making a profit. Just recently, Mexico had experienced a financial crisis, and Barnett had seized the opportunity to make a fortune.
Suddenly, a delightful smile crept onto Aldrich's face.
He spotted a familiar stranger.
A woman in a tight-fitting black dress that accentuated her slender figure stood across the room, deftly fending off advances from an eager man.
Aldrich took a sip of champagne and chuckled to himself, "Future Mrs. Beckham, looking like a startled little child right now."
He didn't know why Victoria was at his home, but he took joy in watching her anxious movements.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?"
A young and attractive woman appeared beside him, her deep brown hair flowing gracefully. With a curvaceous figure that Aldrich admired, she wore a similar black dress, making her quite a sight to behold.
Following her mischievous gaze, Aldrich saw that she was indeed looking at Victoria. He shrugged and said, "Yeah, she really is."
He inwardly scoffed and thought, "Just wonder if she'll still be smiling ten years from now."
After marrying Beckham, as his fame grew, she mostly appeared in public with an icy demeanor, prompting the UK media to ridicule that Beckham married a wife who rarely smiled.
"Do you like her?"
The girl playfully winked, but Aldrich, startled, quickly waved his hands and said, "No, no, no! She's a thorny rose. Like her? I'd rather be killed than endure her torment."
"Huh? Then why were you staring at her?"
"Don't you think she looks like a penguin that has left Antarctica? She doesn't know where to put her hands, and she seems scared of choking on her own words. She doesn't look bad when she smiles, but it's pretty ridiculous."
Aldrich spoke casually, seemingly unfazed by the idea that his teasing might be ungracious.
"Oh, I will definitely tell her what you said."
"Wait, who are you?"
"Melanie Chisholm. That one over there is my good friend, Victoria. We're in the same group, the Spice Girls. You probably haven't heard of us yet since we haven't officially debuted."
Aldrich's embarrassment flashed by in an instant when he realized he had just teased Victoria, completely unaware of who was lurking next to him.
Shaking hands with her, Aldrich smiled and said, "Aldrich Hall, I'm a football coach."
"A football coach? Hmm, you look so young, I assume you're just an average coach, right? I'm a Liverpool fan, born in Liverpool. I only watch Liverpool's matches; it's strange, you're just a coach, so how can you be at a party like this?"
Melanie looked him over curiously, shaking her head in confusion.
Aldrich shrugged without offering an explanation. Melanie continued, "Did you know Victoria before?"
"Nope."
"Then why do you look like you're afraid of her?"
"Afraid? That's a joke. I just know how glitzy she'll become after gaining fame, turning into a nuisance. I don't know about other men, but I really can't stand that kind of woman."
Melanie's eyes widened, her look of incredulity almost comical, and she asked, "How do you know she will definitely become famous? If she becomes famous, then I should be famous too. We're in the same group."
Aldrich raised his chin confidently and declared, "Oh, I know for sure because I'm from the future."
Melanie almost burst out laughing, glaring at Aldrich with a playful accusation. "That claim is so cheesy."
Aldrich raised his hands in feigned innocence and said, "I'm just speaking the truth."
"Ha ha ha! Alright, Aldrich from the future, if you really are from the future, then tell me what the weather will be like tomorrow?"
Aldrich raised an eyebrow and replied, "It's going to rain in Manchester tomorrow!"
"Well, I was born in Liverpool, and it rains three or four times in a single day in that dreadful place called Manchester. Looks like you might only be able to fool children."
Finishing her thought, Melanie lowered her head, chuckling softly, suddenly feeling that this handsome guy beside her was quite interesting.
At that moment, all the guests in the lobby turned their attention toward the stairs. Aldrich raised his head as well, seeing Barnett and several other well-dressed men come down, all wearing smiles as if they'd had a great discussion upstairs.
Melanie looked curiously at the men, but she caught Aldrich muttering softly to himself, "Don't see me, don't see me, don't see me…"
But it was a lost cause as Barnett immediately spotted him and cheerfully beckoned, "Aldrich! There you are! Come over, I want to introduce you to some friends."
Aldrich sighed inwardly, thinking, "Brother, I have no interest in your friends, especially since they're all men!"
Melanie's eyes widened in surprise, not understanding who this guy was.
Aldrich managed a reluctant smile for Melanie and said, "He's my older brother. This is my home."
"Aren't you a football coach?"
"Is that a conflict?"
"Uh…"
Aldrich laughed apologetically before heading toward Barnett.
As he walked away, Victoria approached Melanie and curiously asked, "Who was that man you were chatting with just now?"
"He's that gentleman's brother."
"Mr. Hall?"
"Is that really Mr. Hall? I thought the Hall family was quite wealthy. Why is Aldrich still a football coach? He couldn't be making much money."
Confused, Melanie thought that even top coaches didn't earn much in a year, and the Hall family was well-off; it didn't make sense for one of their direct descendants to go into football coaching.
He truly was an oddball!
The Spice Girls were in the early stages of preparing to debut; for these girls in their early twenties, such a party belonged to high society. Their manager had brought them along to take a chance at meeting influential people, which could only help their careers, and they were just socializing normally.
Barnett led Aldrich to a quieter corner, enthusiastically introducing him, "Aldrich, this is Mr. Bishopp from Barclays Bank. Mr. Bishopp, this is my brother Aldrich, whom I just mentioned."
"Hello."
Aldrich shook hands with Mr. Bishopp, exchanged pleasantries, and then fell silent. Mr. Bishopp appeared to be in his early forties, courteous and amiable, observing Aldrich with interest but unable to discern what remarkable qualities Barnett had praised him for.
Barnett's family had made numerous investments in Asia, and upon Barnett's urging, Aldrich felt compelled to share a few thoughts on the topic.
Surprisingly, this impressed Mr. Bishopp greatly.
Certain Southeast Asian countries are experiencing continued economic overheating and a growing bubble. There may not be significant short-term effects, but it is worrisome in the long run. Speaking of which, big brother, I think we can withdraw all our family's investments in Southeast Asia before the end of next year. We should have made quite a bit of profit anyway.
Barnett immediately summoned his assistant to jot down the details after hearing this.
Profit was guaranteed; a few years ago, the real estate and stock markets over there were worth next to nothing, yet due to economic growth over the years, their investments had reaped substantial returns.
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