I AM the Football Star

Because the current public sentiment over there isn’t very good.

Sofia was too successful before, but she has been slow to accept offers from those Hollywood giants.

Now, those giants are manipulating things, preparing to give her a hard time.

They advocate freedom, but only if you first put on the shackles they’ve prepared for you; it’s extremely ironic.

However, Lu Yang didn’t expect that besides Sofia, there would also be some issues with the team.

Or rather, it’s over at Mr. Russell’s side.

"The situation is a bit troublesome now," Russell said with a worried face. "The new mayor of Rome’s ’Conquest’ took office and overturned the predecessor’s promises, demanding a huge relocation fee for us to continue construction."

"In Milan, it’s reached a stalemate, too many interest groups want to get involved, it’s no longer something we can decide on. This delay could drag on indefinitely, and we don’t know how long it will take to get the new stadium plan approved."

"Additionally, I’ve encountered some trouble with my business in Naples. Some... adversaries, are trying to make things difficult for me."

"People always have some unpleasant past. Now that I’ve become successful, some people from back then want a piece of the pie, maybe blinded by greed, but more likely someone is instigating them from behind."

Mr. Russell kept talking.

These things mostly have something to do with Lu Yang.

Because in the development of these recent real estate projects by Russell, a small portion, about over twenty percent, belongs to Lu Yang.

Lu Yang is to receive dividends.

This was the share Lu Yang originally allocated to Russell.

The outside world only sees Lu Yang’s publicly disclosed assets.

But actually, Mr. Russell’s share here is quite substantial as well.

This is the industry.

The budgets for these stadiums are in the five to six hundred million euros range.

Building them will earn a considerable amount.

After completion, the Russell Group can also gain some profits from them.

Including the supporting facilities around the stadium, the Russell Group also has land there, places where money can visibly be made.

The Russell Group is very strong, involved in the renovation and new construction plans of multiple stadiums in one go.

But now, several places are encountering difficulties.

As is well-known, as long as the cash flow remains uninterrupted, a company can manage ten or so real estate projects.

But if there’s a cash flow issue, just one project’s gap can cause all these projects to collapse like dominoes.

A part of this discussion belongs to Lu Yang’s partner’s content that he should know.

But another part was said by Russell in his capacity as the club chairman to Lu Yang, the player.

"To help the group overcome difficulties, we can’t afford anyone during this winter transfer window. And... during the summer transfer window, we need to start selling players on a large scale," Russell said. "Subsequently, I’ll carry out a series of leveraging operations through San Remo."

"I’m confident I can endure this tough time. With San Remo in place, I can last much longer than those people estimated. The one who remains shall be king, I will also make some arrangements targeting them during this period."

"Overall, if we lose this time, we’ll lose big. But if we win, we’ll win a lot as well!"

Regardless of winning or losing, it is no longer just a football club’s issue.

It’s about whether a major Italian real estate group will collapse or further transform into a European or even international consortium.

Russell hopes Lu Yang can cooperate with the team, even help the team. Of course, Russell also knows Lu Yang planned to leave after the end of this season. Last year they had already reached a consensus regarding this.

So this conversation today, Sotu is unaware of.

It’s a private discussion between Russell and Lu Yang.

This means it has nothing to do with the team’s results.

"If... everyone knows the Russell Group is not doing well, and San Remo must sell players, then... San Remo won’t be able to sell at an ideal price," Lu Yang said. "Most normal football transactions are no different from street deals. They won’t miss an opportunity to fleece you."

Russell frowned: "But I might not hold out until summer. I can’t borrow money anymore, those people have blocked my channels, I can’t get support from the banks I know."

Lu Yang said: "Don’t you have teammates?"

Russell laughed: "Of course I do, but... they are keen for me to borrow money from them, still what they want in return will certainly be far more than what they’re offering."

The practice of devouring allies without leaving a trace isn’t uncommon in business circles.

Allies can sometimes be even more frightening than opponents.

Russell doesn’t want to go through this ordeal only to find that the Russell Group is no longer under his control.

Lu Yang thought for a moment: "If... you don’t mind, I might be able to give you a little financial assistance."

Russell wasn’t surprised by this; he knows Lu Yang has a substantial amount of cash.

If his gap is two to three hundred million, he might only need fifty to sixty million in cash to hold out.

Russell can work wonders with even one dollar.

But first, he needs to have that one dollar.

"I won’t dilute your share too much," Russell said directly, "The core shares of Russell Group, I’m not touching them."

Lu Yang smiled: "I’m not interested in your real estate enterprise anyway. I just need a share that makes you feel safe, that’s sufficient. If you really manage to endure, you become a renowned European big boss, and I’m a small boss behind you, it sounds quite nice."