After the birthday party ended, Maria and Leo Lin took a walk through the back garden, with Rascal following behind them.
Leo Lin had given him that name. His name was Rascal, and his nickname was Stingy Guy.
Stingy Guy was currently trailing behind Leo Lin, waiting for the chance to pee on his shoes and prove that his nickname suited him perfectly.
Not far away, behind a window, Pep Guardiola held a glass of red wine and watched the sweet young couple, lost in thought.
Suddenly, a hand landed on his left shoulder. Barnett stood there, holding a glass of milk. Whenever Delores was around, she restricted his alcohol intake.
"I can guarantee you on my character for the rest of my life that your daughter is incredibly lucky to have found Leo Lin."
"I'm not talking about whether they're a good match, or who's more high class, who has a higher market value, or who comes from a better background."
"What I mean is, in this day and age, where else are you going to find a young man like Lin? Responsible, outstanding in his field, neither arrogant nor servile, and sincere with people."
"Where do you find someone like that, Guardiola?"
Barnett patted Guardiola on the shoulder, and Guardiola nodded. Just from Leo Lin's performances on the pitch, he could already get a good sense of what kind of person he was.
A player who took responsibility on the pitch, who did not fear difficulty, and who could always erupt with extraordinary fighting spirit even in adversity would not be a weakling in real life either.
"I know. Actually, I admire him quite a bit. He'll be someone Maria can rely on."
"But as a father, I didn't expect this day to come so quickly. Maybe I still haven't prepared myself to accept my daughter leaving me."
Barnett laughed despite himself. He had not expected Guardiola to have already thought that far ahead.
"She hasn't left you yet, Guardiola. This is only the beginning. They still have a long road ahead of them, just like you and your wife, and me and Delores."
"But you know what? Because we're here, I think Lin and Maria's future will only get better."
"The two of us should join forces and create more opportunities for them, a better life for them. We have that ability."
Guardiola looked at Barnett in front of him, and a strange feeling came over him.
For the first time, he felt that this bastard in front of him was actually rather charming.
"Come on, have a few more drinks with me. Today is a good day." Guardiola put an arm around Barnett.
"But you're drinking milk, and I'm having beer. If I drink one glass of beer, you have to drink three glasses of milk."
"Hey, who calculates it like that? One and a half glasses at most."
"Then two."
"Deal."
...
Seeing Leo Lin's life off the pitch become richer, especially now that he had Maria by his side, Barnett could clearly feel that Leo Lin's condition was getting better and better.
Not on the pitch, but off it.
At the same time, Barnett was thinking about something. He always felt that his working relationship with Leo Lin was not as deep as their emotional bond, and he believed that he and Leo Lin could develop a deeper, more successful partnership.
Barnett had been thinking about it ever since his youngest son repeatedly came to the house to cause trouble and was driven away by Leo Lin.
Perhaps he should have his agency form a certain kind of partnership with Leo Lin, allowing Leo Lin to begin taking his first step into the agency.
At the very least, he wanted some board members in the agency to know Leo Lin's name, and to understand that he intended to give Leo Lin a higher position within the company.
Barnett was already 67 years old, and he had far more to think about than most adults.
His youngest son was unlikely to amount to much, at least for now.
His eldest daughter had a good personality and was very kind, but precisely because of that, she had become indecisive. That kind of personality would not allow her to step forward when the agency needed her.
So on December 31, while Maria was watching a movie at Leo Lin's home, Barnett arrived with dinner. He had already spoken to Leo Lin on the phone earlier.
Delores and Maria quickly started chatting, and Barnett did not have to wait long.
After training ended at the club, Leo Lin returned home with Rodri a little after four. Laura also arrived at Leo Lin's place, and the group began another small dinner gathering.
Leo Lin did not eat too much. He had already eaten a little at the club after four.
Leo Lin had always followed the habit of eating smaller meals more frequently. More meals, with less food at each one, made digestion easier and helped support his physical development.
"Have you ever considered taking a position at my agency?"
Barnett saw Leo Lin suddenly stop cutting his steak and quickly continued.
"You don't need to do anything extra. You'd just hold a title. We could also use your name to attract more young players to work with our agency."
"You know, your appeal in English football is far too strong right now. Countless young players see you as their role model. They'll definitely want to sign with my agency, just like you did."
Although Barnett phrased it gently, Leo Lin refused immediately. His reason for refusing was nothing else. He knew exactly why Barnett wanted him to start entering his agency.
After dinner, Rodri and Laura went home, while Maria and Delores went out onto the balcony for some fresh air. Only Leo Lin and Barnett were left sitting in the living room.
"Barnett, I may be misunderstanding what you mean, but if I'm not, then I think you should be looking at your eldest daughter or your youngest son."
"This is an agency. An agency worth hundreds of billions. You have to think carefully about what you're doing."
Barnett looked at Leo Lin. From Leo Lin's reaction, he knew he absolutely had not chosen the wrong person.
"Of course I know. I built this economic empire with my own hands. Of course I know what I'm doing."
"Lin, I trust you. I trust you completely. That is exactly why I need you."
"I'm already 67. I have many capable assistants, but assistants are still only assistants."
"And then there are those old foxes on the board. None of them are good people. If they ever get the chance, they'll kick out the successor I appoint and take my life's work for themselves. That is not what I want to see."
"I know you don't want to get involved in these things. You also don't want to see me possibly entrust my life's work to you one day in the future."
"But I want you to understand. I admire you. I recognize you. We are family."
"And because of that, don't draw such a clear line between us. At the very least, you can come in first. While I can still work for a few more years, I'll start separating out some important powers and concentrating them in the hands of people I trust. At least that way, my economic empire won't collapse overnight."
Barnett looked at Leo Lin. After a long moment, Leo Lin nodded.
"I think I should spend more time with Gitana. One day, your economic empire will need him."
Barnett smiled.
"Then it's settled. I'll establish a brand-new department called the Barnett Agency Supervision and Regulatory Department. It will be independent of every other department."
"You'll serve as Honorary Minister. I'll also appoint an Executive Minister, the person I trust most. The two of you will be jointly responsible for the department's operation."
"You won't need to inspect anything yourself, but your position will be equal to the Executive Minister's. This department will be responsible for supervising the internal operations of every department in my agency, including the Finance Department, Management Department, Public Relations Department, and other important departments. It will examine whether their systems, reporting structures, and internal relationships are reasonable, and punish any violations."
"As for salary, we pay annually. I'll also pay you at the same level as the Executive Minister."
Leo Lin smiled when he heard that and waved it off.
"Forget the salary. I won't be doing anything anyway."
"Just remember to bring two extra grilled ribs when you come to my house at night. That'll be enough."
Barnett burst into laughter. His affection for the young man in front of him grew even stronger.
Barnett laughed, but the heads of the other departments in his agency could not laugh at all.
Everyone understood why Barnett had created this department, and the England Economic Daily quickly published the news.
"Breaking News!
Barnett's Economic Empire Establishes a New Supervisory Department, Appointing Barnett's Personal Assistant Lucia as Executive Minister and Liverpool Midfielder Lin as Honorary Minister!"
...
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