A little after ten the next morning, Ethan arrived in Arenys de Mar with Villas-Boas and Ramón.
It was a small coastal town more than forty kilometres north of Barcelona.
José Díaz had originally planned to arrange the meeting in Barcelona itself, but when Ethan learned that Cesc still had classes that afternoon, he suggested meeting in Arenys de Mar instead.
That immediately left a positive impression on Cesc.
It showed that Ethan was taking him seriously.
Arenys de Mar was a quiet seaside town.
Two major roads ran past it to the north and south, with a main road connecting them through the town centre.
Most of the local shops and businesses were concentrated along that route.
Near a junction in the southern part of town, overlooking the sea, Ethan waited inside a café built in the style of an old stone villa.
Not long afterwards, Cesc arrived.
He had just finished classes.
His build was still slender, but his eyes were sharp and alert.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Yu," he said, slightly out of breath.
Ethan smiled.
"Is your school far from here? Did you run all the way?"
Cesc nodded.
"It's a little far. I was worried about being late, so I hurried.
"I still ended up keeping you waiting."
"It's fine."
Ethan gestured for him to sit.
"Oh, and I've heard you prefer people to call you Cesc, right?"
"That's fine, Mr. Yu.
"It's what my friends call me."
Ethan remembered that the first time he had heard the name Fàbregas in his previous life had been during the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in Finland later that year.
Cesc had scored five goals and provided six assists in that tournament, winning both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot.
At the time, many reports had simply referred to him as Cesc.
It was only later that Ethan learned his full name was Francesc Fàbregas.
"Cesc, I'll be straightforward."
Ethan settled into his chair.
"Our club has been following you for quite some time.
"You know we're still in the First Division this season, but we've effectively secured promotion.
"So I can say with confidence that next season, New Manchester United will be a Premier League club."
The night before, Cesc had spent time researching New Manchester United online.
He had read about the club's history.
He knew why Ethan had founded it.
He knew how quickly it had climbed through English football.
Even though Ethan spoke about the achievement calmly, Cesc understood how extraordinary it was.
To build a club from nothing and take it from the tenth tier of English football to the Premier League in only a few years was almost impossible to imagine.
There must have been countless problems along the way.
Countless setbacks.
Yet Ethan spoke as though none of that mattered.
"I know a lot of clubs are interested in you," Ethan continued.
"You're extremely talented, so that's natural.
"Manchester United are interested.
"Arsenal are interested.
"And I'm sure some of those clubs will make you very attractive promises.
"They'll tell you what your future could look like.
"But if you're expecting me to promise you a starting place the moment you arrive, then I'm sorry.
"I won't do that."
Everyone at the table was surprised.
Cesc most of all.
If you won't promise me first-team football, why should I leave Barcelona for you?
Ethan seemed to understand exactly what he was thinking.
"Have you heard of Arjen Robben?"
Cesc nodded.
Of course he had.
Robben had been regarded as one of Europe's most exciting young talents even before joining New Manchester United.
When the transfer happened, PSV executive Frank Arnesen had spoken publicly about the deal.
There had been rumours that Ethan had paid Robben's representatives generously and offered the player a very large contract.
Because New Manchester United was privately owned, the exact financial details had never been disclosed.
As a result, speculation continued.
"Some people say I gave Robben an absurd contract," Ethan said.
"That's nonsense.
"Money can attract talented players.
"But I've never believed money alone should be the reason a young player chooses a club.
"What really convinced Arjen was our development plan for him.
"He was still very young.
"What he needed most was to improve."
Ethan paused.
"And if you look at what happened after he joined us, you'll notice something.
"Arjen did not immediately become an automatic starter.
"He didn't play every match.
"That wasn't because we didn't trust him.
"It was because playing him constantly at that age would not have been development.
"It would have been reckless.
"His body was still developing.
"Overusing him could have damaged his career before it had properly begun."
Cesc listened carefully.
"The same applies to Curtis.
"He's our vice-captain.
"He's already one of our most important players.
"But he still doesn't play every match.
"We monitor his workload.
"We limit how many games he can play over certain periods.
"We control how many consecutive matches he starts before he needs rest.
"All of that is planned around his long-term development.
"We have specialists whose job is to help us make those decisions properly."
By now, everyone understood Ethan's point.
He was telling Cesc that promises of immediate first-team football were not necessarily something to admire.
Even if a club genuinely kept such a promise, it might not be good for him.
He was only sixteen.
What mattered most was development.
Matches were necessary.
But so was restraint.
"In our current midfield," Ethan continued, "Juninho is our main organiser.
"We need another player who can eventually perform a similar role.
"Our scouts rate you extremely highly.
"They believe your ceiling could be at least as high as Juninho's."
He smiled slightly.
"But that's your future.
"Right now, you're still sixteen.
"You still have a great deal to learn."
Cesc did not object.
"At New Manchester United, every young player receives an individual development plan.
"Training.
"Physical development.
"Match exposure.
"Recovery.
"Technical work.
"Everything is monitored.
"Essien developed that way.
"Curtis developed that way.
"Others are still developing that way.
"Arjen.
"Cristiano.
"Messi.
"Ishmael.
"They're all improving, but none of them have been thrown into situations they're not ready for."
Ethan leaned forward slightly.
"When it comes to developing young players, I don't believe New Manchester United are inferior to any major club in Europe.
"We invest heavily in coaching, sports science, medical support, scouting, and education.
"But we're also not a club that develops young players merely to sell them later.
"Look at our season.
"We're still fighting for the First Division title.
"We're in the FA Cup final.
"We're in the UEFA Cup final.
"We could still win a treble."
He let that sink in.
"We believe in youth.
"But we also believe in winning."
That mattered.
Cesc understood immediately.
New Manchester United were not simply offering young players playing time because they had no alternative.
They were trusting young players while competing seriously for trophies.
Ethan continued.
"What we won't do is make you unrealistic promises just to convince you to sign.
"I've already spoken with José Mourinho.
"The only guarantee we're prepared to give you is this.
"If you join New Manchester United, we'll take responsibility for your development."
Cesc looked directly at him.
"You'll train with the first team.
"You'll begin as a squad player.
"You'll get opportunities when the staff believe you're ready.
"And we'll develop you the same way we've developed Arjen Robben, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Curtis Davies."
It was probably the most honest answer Cesc had received from any interested club.
There were no promises of an immediate starting position.
No promises that he would suddenly become the centre of the team.
Just a clear pathway.
Cesc had always been thoughtful.
He understood the logic.
Young players needed matches.
But they also needed careful management.
Manchester United could not realistically guarantee him a starting place.
Neither could Arsenal.
At most, they could promise him a professional contract, first-team training, and a pathway into the senior squad over the next two or three years.
Some smaller clubs might be willing to promise more immediate football.
But when it came to planning, development, and protecting young players, New Manchester United's reputation was already among the best in England.
Cesc remained silent.
Ethan recognised that as a positive sign.
He was thinking.
That meant there was still an opportunity.
"You don't have to believe everything I've told you today," Ethan said.
"That's fine.
"So I'd like to invite you, your family, and José to Manchester.
"Come and see Newton Heath yourself.
"Visit the training ground.
"See the new stadium under construction.
"Talk to our coaches.
"Look at how we work.
"Then make your own judgement."
Cesc immediately remembered what he had read the night before.
New Manchester United's new stadium project reportedly had a budget of around £250 million.
Enough money to buy an established Premier League club outright.
That alone showed Ethan's resources.
More importantly, it showed how serious he was about the club's future.
"I think you should go," Díaz said.
"Even if you ultimately decide not to join, you should see everything for yourself."
Cesc thought for a moment.
Then nodded.
"All right.
"I'm free tomorrow."
Ethan clapped his hands once.
"Perfect.
"We have a huge match tomorrow night.
"Portsmouth at Old Trafford.
"It could decide the First Division title.
"You should watch it in person."
That immediately caught Cesc's attention.
He felt a flicker of excitement.
"All right."
The matter was settled.
Ethan immediately called Manchester and asked club staff to arrange return flights for Cesc and Díaz.
Hotel rooms were booked as well.
They were small details.
But Cesc noticed them.
Everything had been arranged quickly and carefully.
It gave him a sense that Ethan genuinely valued his time.
That feeling was unfamiliar.
Barcelona had given him football.
Barcelona had given him development.
But recently, they had given him very little certainty.
The strongest thing keeping him there was the emotional attachment he had built since childhood.
Professional football, however, was not built on emotion alone.
Perhaps one day, if Cesc eventually faced Barcelona as an opponent, even that attachment would be tested.
...
Early the next morning, Cesc and Díaz flew to Manchester.
Cassell personally met them at the airport.
From there, he took them first to the new stadium construction site.
Then to Newton Heath.
Even coming from Barcelona, Cesc was impressed.
The scale of the stadium project surprised him.
The training base impressed him even more.
Everything appeared organised around football.
At lunchtime, Cesc had a brief conversation with Mourinho.
The manager spoke frankly about his development and what New Manchester United would expect from him.
Before they finished, Mourinho also invited him to attend that evening's match at Old Trafford.
Cesc accepted.
(To be continued.)