บท 10: Chapter 10: The Showdown of the Rich Second Generation
"Master Yang Huan, it's done. £15 million, and the contract will be signed in two days!"
As soon as Cash Harris stepped out of the Liebherr company headquarters and got into his car, he immediately called Yang Huan to claim credit.
"Good job, Cash. I'll make sure you get every penny of that £2 million consultant fee!"
On the other end of the phone, Yang Huan was strolling through Harrods, the famous luxury department store in London, and couldn't stop smiling after hearing the news.
Sealing the deal for Southampton at £15 million was an investment too good to pass up. It was an absolute steal.
"Thank you, Master Huan!" Cash Harris was equally thrilled. After all, earning £2 million in just one day was no small feat.
Who in the entire London financial district could boast such an achievement?
This was shaping up to be legendary!
"Cash, I need you to do one more thing for me." Yang Huan suddenly thought of something.
"Whatever Master Huan needs, just say the word," Cash Harris responded respectfully. The money hadn't been transferred yet, so he remained very deferential.
Yang Huan chuckled. "I'm really unhappy with Southampton's current head coach, Alan Pardew. I did some research on him, and it turns out this guy is a total jinx. I don't like him, and I want him fired."
Zhang Ning and Sun Yue, who were next to him, both shook their heads in disbelief. That had to be one of the most ridiculous reasons ever for firing someone.
You could only imagine how Cash Harris felt on the other end of the line. After all, Alan Pardew was one of England's most well-known young managers. The fact that he was even willing to coach Yang Huan's League One team was already a blessing, and here Yang Huan was, calling him a jinx?
But in fairness, Pardew's track record wasn't exactly stellar. He led West Ham United, and the Hammers got relegated. Then he took charge of Charlton, and they suffered multiple relegations. Now, here he was coaching Southampton in League One, and the Saints had also been relegated.
When you think about it, he really did seem to be a bit of a jinx.
"Does Master Huan have anyone in mind as a replacement?" Cash Harris asked, forcing a polite smile.
Yang Huan thought for a moment. He had a few good candidates in mind, but he wasn't going to reveal them just yet. "Not for now. I need you to scout around for me. I only have one requirement—their playing style must not be conservative. I want a manager who focuses on relentless attacking and scoring goals like crazy. If they're not a world-class coach, I'm not interested."
"That's... going to be tough!" Cash Harris chuckled awkwardly. A manager who focuses on attacking football and is a world-class coach? Those were in short supply.
"I'll pay you £50,000. If the person you recommend gets the job, you'll get that as a consultant fee."
Right now, Yang Huan didn't have the connections or network he needed. His only advantage was his wealth.
So, he was planning to use money to pave the way.
"Alright, no problem. I'll do my best!" Cash Harris promised immediately.
"Alright, no problem. I'll do my best!" Cash Harris quickly made the promise.
After Yang Huan hung up the phone, Zhang Ning, who was walking beside him, made a slight pout. "You come across as too much of a rich, nouveau riche type. Even if you have a lot of money, there's no need to spend it like that, right?"
"I actually think it's great!" Yang Huan replied nonchalantly. "In a capitalist society, money can buy everything."
"See, here I am shopping with you while Cash Harris is out there running around for me. Why?"
"Because I have money!"
Zhang Ning shook her head. "But don't you think spending money like that is wasteful?"
Yang Huan chuckled and shook his head.
"We just have different views on money!"
No kidding! Zhang Ning muttered to herself. You're a super-rich second-generation heir, while I come from an ordinary family. How could it be the same?
"By the way, are you worried about me?" Yang Huan turned his head, glancing at her with a teasing look.
Zhang Ning was startled, her eyes flickering. "Worried? No way! It just doesn't sit right with me, that's all."
"Oh, that's good then." Yang Huan nodded.
"If you fell for me so easily, it would be too boring, no challenge at all."
Watching Yang Huan walk ahead, Zhang Ning pretended to throw a punch at his back.
Like you? Keep dreaming!
"Make way, make way!"
A group of burly men in black suits and sunglasses approached from behind, pushing people aside as they cleared a path for someone important, moving aggressively.
When they reached Sun Yue and Zhang Ning, two of the men in black pushed them aside without warning.
Fortunately, Yang Huan reacted quickly, grabbing Zhang Ning in time, but Sun Yue wasn't so lucky and got shoved to the ground.
"Whoa, who's that? His entourage is even bigger than mine!"
As Yang Huan held Zhang Ning, he saw a British youth, in his twenties, walking past, with a scantily clad, curvaceous woman on his arm. The young man turned and glanced at him, his eyes full of a sneering, contemptuous look.
Yang Huan had seen this kind of look often in his previous life, but now, very few people dared to look at him like that.
How arrogant!
"Who's that guy? So aggressive!" Sun Yue got up from the ground, fuming with anger.
"Probably some rich second-generation heir from Britain," Zhang Ning said as she glanced at Yang Huan.
Yang Huan didn't like the sound of that. "Just because he's a British rich kid, he thinks he's tough? He's never seen what a real Chinese rich kid can do."
"Long Wu."
Long Wu, who was casually playing with his phone nearby, looked up in confusion at Yang Huan.
"What's going on with you? You didn't even react when someone got close. And you're supposed to be a Zhongnanhai bodyguard? You're embarrassing us all the way in the UK!" Yang Huan scolded.
Long Wu, however, remained calm. "Young Master Huan, my job is to protect your safety. As for others..."
Zhang Ning and Sun Yue exchanged bitter smiles. Apparently, they weren't within his scope of protection.
"That's nonsense. Zhang Ning is my woman, which makes her your future mistress. Sun Yue is my trusted assistant. Who said they're not under your protection?"
"Oh." Long Wu seemed to have only now fully grasped his responsibilities.
"But, Young Master Huan, something's off."
"What's off?"
"My initial order was to protect only you, but now it's three people. This..." He looked up at Yang Huan with a grin, "…is gonna cost extra."
Zhang Ning was speechless. Could it be that every person around this rich playboy was money-hungry?
"No problem!" Yang Huan responded without hesitation.
"Stop playing phone games. I'll get you some better ones to play all night long another day. Right now, go get revenge! I can't let people take advantage of me and just walk away like that. If word gets out, where's my face gonna go?"
"Okay!" Long Wu quickly put away his phone.
"Show some presence, bring out your fierce side," Yang Huan instructed.
Long Wu looked puzzled. "Young Master, how do I act fierce?"
"Tell them to get lost!" Yang Huan said.
"Young Master, how do you say that in English?"
Yang Huan was momentarily stumped and turned to Zhang Ning. "How do you say it in English?"
Zhang Ning, exasperated, replied, "Get out!"
"That doesn't sound imposing enough!"
Yang Huan frowned. "It needs more power, something fierce, maybe with a bit of cursing."
Zhang Ning, a beautiful woman of grace, didn't usually curse, but since Yang Huan insisted, she reluctantly muttered, "You **** off!"
Yang Huan didn't understand most of it, but he knew the word "f**k," and that was enough to please him. "Yeah, that'll work!"
Long Wu, who wasn't good with languages, repeated the phrase several times until he got it, though still with a heavy Chinese accent.
"Young Master, they've got seven or eight guys, and we've only got one Long Wu. Can he handle it?" Sun Yue asked with concern as they followed Long Wu.
This young man, who was always absorbed in his phone games, could he really take on seven or eight people?
"Don't worry. His name is Long Wu. In the ranks of Zhongnanhai bodyguards, there are only four people better than him. Taking out seven or eight guys? That's as easy as having a meal." Yang Huan had full confidence in Long Wu.
In his memory, he had witnessed how formidable Zhongnanhai bodyguards were, and many of them weren't as skilled as Long Wu.
Not far ahead, a crowd had gathered, forming a circle. Onlookers were watching from all levels, and many reporters were present as well.
The rich British kid who had passed by earlier stood out in the crowd. He was surrounded by seven or eight black-suited bodyguards, making him and the flamboyant British woman at his side the center of attention.
"Hey!" Long Wu walked up and lightly tapped the shoulder of the nearest bodyguard.
"F**k off!" the bodyguard turned around, cursing.
"Damn, he stole my line!" Long Wu grabbed the bodyguard's shoulder with force, and before the man could react, he was lifted and thrown aside.
When Yang Huan, Zhang Ning, and Sun Yue caught up, they witnessed Long Wu tossing each of the British kid's bodyguards one by one, as if he were throwing away ping pong balls, not massive men weighing over 100 kilograms.
"This..." Sun Yue was dumbfounded. Was this the true strength of a Zhongnanhai bodyguard?
The rich British kid hadn't even had time to react when he felt a sudden force behind him. His suit was grabbed, and he was lifted and thrown backward, crashing onto one of his bodyguards, tumbling painfully.
Only then did the entire crowd notice what had happened. The previously arrogant rich kid had been taught a lesson, and the place buzzed with astonishment.
The crowd erupted in discussion, with all eyes on the newly arrived Yang Huan and the elegantly approaching Zhang Ning.
"Who is that? Where are they from?"
"Seems like they're Asians. Are they Chinese?"
"That bodyguard is amazing! Looks like he knows some Chinese kung fu!"
"I was already sick of that guy earlier. He deserved it!"
"And that Eastern beauty... she's stunning!"
The audience murmured, their attention completely drawn to Yang Huan and his group.
As Yang Huan passed by the British kid, he shot him a contemptuous glance before walking forward.
Without hesitation, Yang Huan made his way to the seat the British kid had been in and sat down confidently. He made a dismissive hand gesture at the dazed British woman, signaling her to leave. Yang Huan never had the habit of hitting women.
As for the British woman, she was dressed far too provocatively for Yang Huan's taste.
Not his type—she was just in the way.
She quickly fled without a second thought.
"Zhang Ning, come, sit!" Yang Huan gestured for Zhang Ning to join him at his side.
The British rich kid finally got up. His forehead, which had struck the floor earlier, was visibly swollen and bruised.
"F**k..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a sharp pain in his cheek.
With a resounding slap, the martial youth Long Wu had hit him hard across the face.
"You..."
Another slap followed, this time on the other cheek.
The British kid clutched his stinging face, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
His bodyguards, who had been so aggressive earlier, were now huddled behind him, too scared to make a move.
A true expert can be recognized instantly.
"You f**k off!" Long Wu finally delivered the line he had practiced for so long, albeit with a thick Chinese accent.
Then, without looking back, he returned to stand behind Yang Huan.
Humiliated and aching, the British rich kid, though seething with hatred, didn't dare linger. He hurried off, but not before throwing out a parting threat, as is customary for those who suffer defeat.
"What did he say?" Yang Huan hadn't caught it and turned to Zhang Ning.
"He said, 'Watch your back!'" Zhang Ning replied, a bit worried, given that this wasn't their home turf.
"Pfft, no creativity at all. Can't he come up with something fresh?" Yang Huan scoffed, clearly unbothered by the threat. If that pathetic rich kid could actually do anything to him, he wouldn't have been beaten like a dog just now. People like him usually just put up a front.
Shifting his attention, Yang Huan finally realized that they were at a car launch event.
In the middle of the crowd, on the stage, sat a hardtop sports car that looked like a work of art.
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