The next day, Mubarak was besieged by a large group of media outside Manchester City's office building, demanding that he explain what was going on with the attempted purchase of Chen Hero.

In addition to the reporters, there were also Manchester City fans, who held banners demanding that the club not sign Chen Hero. Because Chen Hero was their mortal enemy!

Seeing Mubarak appear, they began to shout: "No Chen Hero! We don't need Chen Hero! We have Agüero, he's the best!"

Mubarak smiled and waved to the Manchester City fans, indicating that he had heard them. Then he turned to the reporters and said: "Did you all see that? It's all rumors, all rumors. How could Manchester City buy Chen Hero? Sorry, we are not interested in him, no matter how good he is..."

After speaking, he turned and entered the building. The reporters wanted to rush in, but were blocked by four burly men, who stared blankly at the reporters.

The reporters immediately retreated knowingly.

Anyway, they had already received an official reply from Manchester City. They were not buying Chen Hero, so it seemed this should just be a rumor...

Maybe it was released by Chen Hero's agent, in order to drive up the price when negotiating a contract with Liverpool.

Yes, the truth must be like this... This kind of thing has happened too many times in the world of football, and reporters are used to it.

Manchester City, as a wealthy club, is quite suitable to play the role of a "stupid and rich" sucker.

Since the chairman of Manchester City himself has denied the news, let's go back and release this latest news!

※※※

While Mubarak was surrounded by reporters outside his club, almost the same thing was happening thirty-one miles away at Liverpool's Melwood training ground.

Liverpool's general manager, Niang, was blocked at the entrance by a large group of reporters and fans.

"You can't sell Hero, Lu!"

"Hero is truly not for sale!"

"You wouldn't really sell Hero, would you?"

Seeing him, the fans broke through the reporters and squeezed in front of Niang.

Unlike in Manchester, here the fans were the real protagonists.

Seeing the anxious and enthusiastic Liverpool fans, Niang waved his hand and said loudly: "Yes, I won't sell him! Hero is my brother, my friend! How could I betray my friend? Don't worry! I repeat again—Hero is not for sale at Liverpool!"

He emphasized the word "not for sale."

Those who were interested would naturally understand what he meant.

After speaking, he ignored the reporters and walked into the Melwood training base.

He didn't need to say anything to the reporters anymore. Everything he wanted to say was in his words, and he believed that the reporters who had been eavesdropping nearby would not miss anything.

※※※

Liverpool really wouldn't sell Chen Hero, but did Manchester City really not plan to buy Chen Hero?

Although he had denied the transfer rumors to the fans and reporters, Mubarak did not intend to give up on the acquisition.

The opinions of the fans?

He had never included the opinions of the fans in his considerations. For him, he only needed to be responsible to the Al Nahyan family who employed him. The fans were not his employers, so why should he care so much?

Not buy Chen Hero? Why should I be scared by a few fans?

He didn't even need to call the boss, Mansour, for instructions anymore. He could make this decision himself.

Buy, definitely buy, keep trying to buy!

He must bring Chen Hero to the Etihad Stadium, not only to fulfill the boss's instructions, but also to make a feat that would make him famous in history!

How could he easily give up on such a challenging thing?

But before continuing to act, he had to call Liverpool. He didn't want his offer to be leaked again by someone. That would make him very passive!

He picked up the phone, thought about it, and then dialed a number.

※※※

Niang, who had just arrived at his office and sat down, received a call from an unfamiliar number.

He waited for the phone to ring several times before answering it.

"Hello, Mr. Lu." There was a polite voice on the other end. "I am Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of Manchester City. I think we may have some misunderstandings?"

After listening to Mubarak's words, Niang realized that Manchester City was not just teasing them, but sincerely wanted to buy Chen Hero!

"Yes, that's right, we are genuinely interested in Hero. I think we can pay a sufficient transfer fee to buy him..." Mubarak said.

Although he understood Manchester City's intentions, Niang did not forgive them for this.

He snorted, "Really sincere?"

Hearing his rhetorical question, Mubarak was not angry, nor did he feel panicked. On the contrary, he was very happy.

Because if Niang was going to hang up the phone no matter how he explained, it would mean that the two sides could not talk at all.

Now, although Niang's reaction was not friendly, it made Mubarak realize that there was an opportunity to continue negotiations.

As a master in the business world, he understood the psychology of his negotiating opponent very well. Niang's performance now meant that the window had not been closed.

"If you are sincere, why is your offer only a mere fifty million pounds?"

Sure enough!

Hearing Niang's question, Mubarak laughed silently, a very obvious upward curve outlining his face.

You think the offer is too low? It doesn't matter, the last thing we at Manchester City lack is money!

"Fifty million pounds is just a test from us."

"Then have you gotten the answer you wanted now?" Niang asked calmly.

"I hope that next time when we make an offer, it won't be leaked by someone from your club again. You should know that our transaction is secret. Goodbye, Mr. Lu."

After speaking, Mubarak hung up the phone.

Niang didn't put the phone down, but stared at it.

Although Mubarak said "Mr." politely, Niang could hear the sense of superiority from the bottom of his heart.

Where did this sense of superiority come from?

Niang wondered in his heart. They were all working for others, so how could he feel superior as a servant? He couldn't understand.

※※※

Niang quickly figured it out.

Money.

It's money.

It was money that gave Mubarak this sense of superiority. It was like a nouveau riche feeling superior when he saw a poor man, because he had more money than the poor man, he could drive luxury cars, eat big meals, play with beautiful women, and even have so much money that he could use it to do many boring things. Then he would look at those poor people with pity, who could only struggle in the mud and never earn enough money in their lives to pay for his meal.

Seeing others living worse than himself, what a happy thing it was, what a superior thing it was!

Manchester City was richer than Liverpool, and Mubarak was richer than Niang, so he felt so superior—if you Liverpool want to buy Hero, just name a price, no matter how much money, we Manchester City can afford it!

Because this time, Manchester City offered a price of eighty million pounds.

It was still a secret offer, but seeing this offer, Niang understood where Mubarak's sense of superiority came from, and at the same time, he understood that Manchester City was determined to get Chen Hero this time, and they were determined to take Chen Hero away from Liverpool.

Humph!

Niang snorted.

It's just eighty million pounds, only ten million pounds higher than Chen Hero's original price. Did they really think we were poor people who had never seen money before?

Reject!

※※※

Mubarak was not surprised at all by Liverpool's reaction.

If eighty million pounds could take Chen Hero away from Liverpool, then Chen Hero would not be worth the effort to dig him from Liverpool to the Etihad.

He decided to make another offer.

Generally speaking, making a new offer so urgently would only let the other party know that he was eager to sign the player, so the other party could ask for a sky-high price.

But Mubarak was not afraid. If the other party just asked for a sky-high price, it would be easier for him. Because everything that could be solved with money was not a problem at all!

He even wanted to force Liverpool to only talk to them about money.

Although Niang clearly told him that Chen Hero was not for sale at Liverpool, Mubarak felt that the so-called not for sale was only because his offer was not high enough.

※※※

After both clubs denied the transfer rumors, the news about Manchester City wanting to buy Chen Hero quickly disappeared.

Everything seemed like nothing had happened.

It looked calm.

But was it really?

In fact, many people felt that things were not so simple. The sudden transfer rumors were shocking, and they were confirmed by the *Liverpool Echo*. The Liverpool club officials did not deny the matter either, their response was "Hero is not for sale" and "We will not sell Chen Hero," but they did not say "This matter does not exist at all, it is all nonsense!" Those subtle differences, those who were interested could naturally taste the meaning behind them.

※※※

Niang received another offer from Manchester City.

This time, the offer was directly raised to one hundred million pounds.

Niang held the fax and clicked his tongue.

"Oh... if the media knew about this offer, I don't know what kind of bloody storm it would cause..."

One hundred million pounds, what a sky-high price!

But did they think that they could settle us with so little money?

Naive!

Reject!

※※※

Niang and Mubarak were fighting fiercely, and Chen Hero was also affected by the transfer rumors.

To be honest, he really didn't know about this, and Decourra didn't deceive the media. Mubarak went directly to Liverpool, instead of going to Chen Hero first.

Perhaps he felt that the most difficult thing to deal with in this transfer was the club. As long as the offer could make the club agree, the player's side would definitely be a piece of cake.

At that time, he would offer a weekly salary of 300,000 pounds, and he didn't believe that Chen Hero wouldn't come!

It should be known that the current highest weekly salary was only 200,000 euros, which was far from 300,000 pounds.

Professional players, what do they play football for? Isn't it just to make money?

Who would disagree with money?

No one. Absolutely impossible!

So Mubarak felt that as long as he could get the club to agree, Chen Hero would be a piece of cake.

Even if he had some misunderstandings with Manchester City and the fans before, under the interests of money, what grudges couldn't be let go? Were there few examples of mutual flattery after being opponents and then becoming teammates?

But this time, Mubarak's experience didn't seem to work, neither for Liverpool, nor for Chen Hero...