A tall, well-built young Englishman, dressed in a black suit with a red and green striped tie, a large trench coat over it, and polished leather shoes that shone brightly, stood with his hands in his coat pockets, looking around furtively like a thief, as if afraid he had come to the wrong place.
The old security guard at the entrance immediately noticed this suspicious character and was about to walk over and chase him away.
Recently, New Manchester United's youth team and reserve team had been performing quite well, especially the young players, who were full of energy. However, this had also led to an increase in suspicious people near the Newton Heath training base. Some were scouts from other clubs, while others were agents, but no matter who they were, the old security guard always turned them away.
Just as he was about to speak, Ethan walked over from the side, smiling as he stopped him, then walked up to the young man.
"Hello, friend. Are you a thief?" Ethan asked with a grin.
The other person was startled. He turned around, saw Ethan, and immediately rushed forward with a loud laugh, hugging him tightly and patting his back hard. "You almost scared me to death, Ethan! I've missed you so much!"
"Me too, Mark!" Ethan hugged Mark David tightly. They had not seen each other in a long time.
Although Ethan frequently travelled to the United States and had hired Mark David's brother, John, to work for him, Mark was usually at school whenever Ethan went to the US, which meant the two had not seen much of each other in more than two years.
"Why did you come back, Mark?" Ethan asked with a smile after Mark David let go.
David shook his head. "It was boring over in the US, so as soon as I had some free time, why wouldn't I rush back?"
After speaking, he surveyed the Newton Heath training base more openly than before. He found that the base was fantastic, completely different from when he had left. Everything was there. There were several training pitches, neatly separated and organized, a training building, an administrative building beside it, and a laboratory in the distance.
Oh my God, in less than three years, the entire training base had transformed into this!
David was dumbfounded and speechless!
"Let me see who's back?" Walsh saw the figures from a distance and wondered who it was. As he got closer, he realized it was Mark David who had returned, and immediately rushed over.
The two embraced, laughing happily.
"You're really something. You've been in America for so long, didn't call, and didn't even let us know you were coming back. I would have had Jim pick you up!" Walsh was the oldest among their close friends, so he had the most parental manner, caring deeply for his younger friends, just like an older brother in the family.
"I just got back. You see, I almost couldn't find the place. I was at the main gate just now, and I almost thought I had arrived at Manchester City's training base!" David said with an awkward laugh.
"Manchester City's training base is nowhere near as good as ours!" Walsh scoffed disdainfully.
Indeed, if only considering training facilities, New Manchester United could not compare with Manchester United or Arsenal, but compared with Manchester City, they were more than sufficient.
"I think so too. That's why I didn't make a move. If it really had been Manchester City's training base, I would have smashed the gate with a rock!" David exaggerated with a laugh.
Ethan listened from the side, shaking his head. "You've been studying in America for so long, but you still haven't learned John's composure."
To his surprise, as soon as David heard this, he immediately put his arm around Ethan's shoulder. "I'm telling you, Ethan, I'll never be as boring as my elder brother. Do you know what he likes watching most? Opera. My God, I've never understood what's so good about that. Is it as exciting as football?"
Walsh lightly tapped David on the head and teased, "You're still talking about football every three sentences!"
David accepted this compliment with pleasure, nodding readily. "Of course, but that football desert in America is no joke. Watching a match there just feels depressing. So I've decided that now I'm back, I'm not leaving. I'm staying in England!"
"Does your brother know?" Ethan naturally agreed with this. Who would want good friends to be so far away for no reason? It was better to get together often, chat, drink, and watch matches. That was what made life enjoyable.
"He knows. Although he wanted me to stay in America, I've graduated, and he feels he can't control me anymore, so he gave me freedom. If not, I can work for him. How about it, Ethan, will you hire me?"
Ethan looked at Walsh, shaking his head with a helpless smile. He really could not do anything about this guy.
"John is making all the decisions for the company. You should ask your elder brother. If he thinks you're capable, he'll hire you. If not, you can always do odd jobs, maybe sweep the floor, right, Andy?"
Walsh laughed and nodded in agreement, clearly one hundred percent in favour of Ethan's words.
"Hey, mate, I wasn't talking about your company. I was talking about the club!" David said with a serious expression.
Ethan was stunned and looked at Walsh, who was also a little surprised. "You want to come back and help the club?"
"Of course. I said years ago that I'd be back!" David felt there was nothing strange about it.
"But I heard John say that you graduated from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business in the US. Can we afford you?" Ethan chuckled slightly.
David saw Ethan and Walsh's expressions and looked helpless. "All right, I'll say it again. I'm serious, Ethan!"
At this, Ethan and Walsh both knew that David was not joking.
"Although my elder brother really wanted me to study finance with him, I secretly went and studied business marketing. You know I'm not interested in those number games. I prefer the back-and-forth of bargaining, just like football."
Ethan was not worried about David's ability. In fact, Stanford University's Graduate School of Business had very strict requirements for its graduates. Besides solid theoretical knowledge, they also had to have practical social experience. So David's graduation proved that his ability had met the professors' requirements.
"I just love football. I'm coming back to work for you. I can develop the club's commercial operations. I can help you find a whole bunch of sponsors. Do you know? I just went to City Ground, and it was terrible. There weren't even any advertising boards."
Ethan and Walsh exchanged glances, then smiled wryly at the same time.
"Mark, it's not that there are no advertising boards. It's that people aren't interested in sponsoring a League Two club!"
"Who says?" David immediately retorted. "We are the Red Rebels. Putting everything else aside, just based on our name and history, do you know how much advertising value there is?"
Ethan and Walsh were not experts in this area, so they naturally did not know how to refute him.
"All right, Ethan, I know what you're hesitating about. How about this? I'll make a deal with you. Give me a month, and I'll secure sponsorships for the second half of the season. If I succeed, you hire me, and I'll handle my brother myself. Is that okay?"
In this situation, could Ethan still refuse?
"All right, Mark, I'll give you a chance. Frankly, I don't doubt your ability, nor your passion for the team, even though you've been away for more than two years. I've decided to hire you!"
Mark David immediately let out a cheer and a strange cry.
In fact, Ethan had also been thinking recently about whether to establish a commercial development department for the club, because after being promoted to the professional league, New Manchester United's commercial development had not progressed much. This year's sponsorship was only the shirt sponsorship bought by a local Manchester brewery, the kit sponsor was Umbro, which Ethan had invested in, and then there were some scattered sponsorships. However, stadium advertising boards and other team sponsorships had never really materialized.
Now that Mark David was back, Ethan felt he should start building the commercial department as soon as possible. A club's commercial development was essential. Otherwise, relying solely on Ethan's capital injections was not a good long-term solution.
Additionally, appropriate commercial development was also a means of attracting and retaining supporters. For example, Manchester United released club magazines and related merchandise every year, attracting many members to buy them. This kind of commercial operation was very good, and supporters would not object to it.
"Don't say anything else. Let's go and eat together. My treat!" Ethan's suggestion immediately received unanimous cheers from Walsh and David. They even started calling people to book a place.
"Hey, Ethan, call your girlfriend out too. Mark hasn't met her yet!" Walsh suddenly said.
"How did you know she was back?" Ethan wondered whether there were no secrets left in this world.
Eva had arrived on a flight last night, so how did Walsh know? Had he been staking out Ethan's house?
Walsh saw Ethan's questioning gaze and chuckled. "You were late this morning, and you rarely used to be late!"
Ethan immediately understood. It seemed that every time Eva came back, he would be late in the morning, which was no big secret at the club.
"Oh, Ethan has a girlfriend?" David asked with a curious smile after hearing this.
"Yeah, and she's very beautiful. Ask him yourself!" Walsh pointed at Ethan, then started to book a place for dinner. He had deliberately chosen a place they usually would not splurge on, taking advantage of Ethan's treat to make him spend a little extra.
"You're really good at keeping secrets, Ethan!" David laughed and nudged Ethan, very happy for his good friend.
Ethan was on the phone and said, "I'll introduce you two in a bit!"
The three of them noisily got into their cars. Ethan drove Mark David, while Walsh, who had also bought a car, planned to go home and pick up his wife for dinner. Eva, who received Ethan's call while chatting with Victoria, simply invited the Beckhams to dinner as well, and they gladly accepted.
The gathering place was chosen near Faulkner Street, not far from Walsh's pub, and it was a place they all remembered fondly, so they were all very happy to eat there.
Before long, the Walshes also arrived, and the four of them chatted and laughed in the private room while waiting for the others.
Mark David went to the restroom, and when he returned, he mysteriously closed the door to the private room.
"Hey, lads, guess who I just ran into outside?" He looked as if the President of the United States had arrived.
"Who did you run into? Why are you so surprised?" Walsh scoffed at him dismissively.
"The Beckhams. They were with a fairy-like beauty, Hollywood's hottest actress right now, Eva. I didn't expect them to be eating at this restaurant too. Tsk, tsk, how great would it be if I could meet them!" David looked full of longing, as if it were an unattainable dream.
To his surprise, just as he finished speaking, the door to the private room was pulled open, and Eva and the Beckhams were standing outside, chatting and laughing.
He was stunned!
(To be continued.)