Chapter 36: An Invitation from the Elite

I’m terribly sorry, still working hard—sigh.

Without attending the so-called press conference, Mo Mo returned directly to his home, fully aware that he was being cornered.

But Mo Mo was not afraid, because he had Mino.

In the original timeline, when Juventus was relegated due to the club’s “phone gate” scandal, Mino used his methods to help Ibrahimović successfully escape the quagmire and extricate himself.

No matter what others said—whether Mino was greedy or had a bad reputation—one thing was undeniable: Mino was very responsible toward his players and a true professional when it came to transfers.

Unfortunately, Mo Mo still didn’t quite understand.

What is the most terrifying thing in this world?

The most terrifying things in this world are journalists and paparazzi.

At the printing press of the Munich Evening News, a newspaper was being printed with the headline:

“Mo Mo’s Heart Lies with the Big Clubs, Looking Forward to the Winter Transfer Window.”

They made a big fuss over Mo Mo’s refusal to attend the post-match press conference.

But would Mo Mo care? For a player, isn’t that quite normal?

Or did they think that Mo Mo’s previous urgent explanations meant he cared deeply?

Sometimes, when a matter is explained too much, one gets tired of explaining because everything has been made clear; it’s impossible to explain to everyone one by one.

Everyone has their own understanding. When Mo Mo dialed Mino’s number, Mino immediately took the lead.

“You brat! What on earth have you done? Do you know? Ferguson from Manchester United has been discussing your situation with me! Are you still sure you want to go to Porto?”

Seeing that these temptations held little sway over Mo Mo, Mino continued:

“He will have you and Rooney form the front line—a young football prodigy—and Beckham will play midfield, supplying ammo for you. What a formidable trident that is!”

Mino naturally understood Mo Mo’s desires; everyone’s first time is always exciting. He thought Mo Mo must be determined to win a Champions League trophy!

If that’s the case, with a giant like Manchester United offering a guaranteed starting spot, why not go to Manchester United?

“What?! You say ‘Once a Blue, always a Blue.’ Damn it, what’s that supposed to mean? Grow up!”

Mino’s every tactic was well known to Mo Mo, but Mo Mo had memories Mino could never imagine.

Though Ferguson might be great at coaching players, for next year’s Champions League—or even the past few years—he had little chance of winning.

“What? You ask which team will claim the Champions League title? Isn’t it obvious? Of course, it’s the team Mo Mo belongs to.”

And after losing to Arsenal and the infamous flying boot incident, Mo Mo had no interest in Manchester United and didn’t need Ferguson’s guidance—he knew his own path.

“No, Mino, I don’t need to go to Manchester United. I just want you to speak to the club’s management on my behalf.”

Mo Mo understood his own shortcomings. Negotiating with those ruthless club executives would leave him utterly stripped bare.

In this regard, Mino was an expert, skilled at dealing with clubs.

“Of course that’s no problem, but what exactly do you want me to say?”

Mino sounded relaxed; after all, bargaining without giving an inch was his favorite game.

“I’m only seventeen, right? Tell them I just want to play well for now. Next season, I want to transfer out. Don’t block me, or I’ll end up with nothing.”

Mino was stunned by Mo Mo’s words, then burst out laughing—this was right on the nail.

There might be blacklists or benching, but for Munich 1860, they were unwilling to do that to Mo Mo.

To them, an annual net salary of 100,000 euros was already a significant expense.

And Mo Mo was only seventeen, with a contract of about three years left. He could endure, but what about Munich 1860?

Remember, Munich 1860 was burdened with massive debt. When they bought Mo Mo, they hoped to flip him for a big profit.

With some maneuvering from Mino, Munich 1860 had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill.

At the same time, the management of Munich 1860 was troubled. Just the goal bonuses set for Mo Mo were enough to give them headaches.

They had no grand ambitions, only hoping to avoid relegation, attract investors, and repay debts.

Now, Munich 1860’s management was quite distressed! Mo Mo’s goal bonuses made them feel as if they couldn’t afford him.

Much like Frankfurt after relegation to the second division—one reason they didn’t play Yang Chen was his high appearance fee.

Meanwhile, they had received numerous offers: Bayern Munich, Porto, Paris Saint-Germain, Sunderland, and Manchester City.

Among these, Paris Saint-Germain’s offer was the highest at 10 million euros, followed by Bayern Munich’s 8 million, Manchester City’s 7 million, and Porto’s 6.88 million euros.

Actually, Munich 1860 didn’t mind selling Mo Mo to Paris Saint-Germain or even Bayern Munich—the higher the price, the better.

With their crushing debts nearly overwhelming them, they hoped to keep Mo Mo a bit longer to raise his value.

Then they received a new offer: Manchester United’s bid of 11 million euros, roughly over 9 million pounds.

Munich 1860’s eyes turned red with excitement, but how could they let Mo Mo leave without angering the fans?

The management had to worry about finances and countless other things, but the fans didn’t care about any of that. (Among the tragic representatives were Tony and Fran, as well as Saint-Casi, who would later be cast out by Real Madrid.)

So they had to change the narrative—it had to be Mo Mo insisting on leaving Munich 1860, not the club selling him.

But how to pull that off?

Just then, Mino’s call came through, a godsend to the exhausted Munich 1860 management.

Meanwhile, online forums back home erupted:

“Chinese Players Also Pursued by Top Clubs”

Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Arsenal, Porto, Sunderland—a whole list of clubs appeared in the thread.

The original poster had almost counted every club interested in or having made an offer for Mo Mo, stirring a huge wave of discussion.

But the core question remained: Is Mo Mo worth it? Or what qualifies Mo Mo?

Of course, there were some cheerleaders, but only a few. Most were eager to attack.