The encounter between Lynn and Erin, the little princess of the Taylor family, had been rather memorable.
In the summer of 1996, after Lynn earned his first pot of gold through betting, he got carried away and dragged Mo Yuan—who was still a well-behaved kid back then—to the biggest nightclub in Swansea for a night of wild celebration.
After getting drunk, Lynn flirted with Erin.
Afterward, he was cornered in an alley outside the club.
At the time, Lynn had calmly spoke to Erin, "Let my friend go. You can do whatever you want with me."
Erin had only wanted to give Lynn a simple punishment for touching her sexy little backside.
She had not expected Lynn to automatically slip into the role of a man caught in a gangland showdown!
His righteous, fearless appearance had amused Erin, and after that, her "punishment" changed flavor.
She made Lynn act as her follower for a month.
Lynn, however, felt it was a wonderful job.
During that month, he accompanied Erin shopping, went on drives with her, watched movies, ate meals, and went clubbing together.
In the end, for reasons neither of them could quite explain, the two of them slept together once and entered a tacit relationship.
However, three years ago, after the Lin family helped the Taylor family successfully clean up their business and complete the transformation of their background, Lynn had openly pursued Erin.
His mother liked Erin very much too.
But Erin rejected him.
Lynn had been heartbroken for a while. Later, however, he gradually let it go.
Erin had her own life, and Lynn had his own life.
In reality, their paths did not cross that often.
Only, from time to time, they would relieve each other's loneliness and indulge in passion together.
That made the feelings between them even stranger.
The Taylor family's vast business empire needed someone to manage it.
Aside from handling the family business, Erin spent most of her free time sticking close to Lynn.
She did not need Lynn to do anything for her.
Quiet companionship and listening seemed to be completely enough for her.
...
After the car entered Denbighshire, they would soon leave Wales and enter England. Liverpool was no longer far away.
To break the quiet silence in the car, Lynn took the initiative to explain to Erin why he was going to Liverpool John Moores University.
"Football may seem like a simple sport in many people's eyes, but in reality, it isn't simple at all."
"Football is connected to science. Biomechanics, physiology, psychology, sociology, nutrition, physics, and so on."
"In the 1970s, South America and Eastern Europe were the first to attach importance to this kind of research and to the scientific application of it in football. That allowed them to reach a world-leading level in a short time. But in Britain, it never received the attention it deserved."
"It wasn't until the 1990s that Britain began to value this kind of research and application."
"It was also around that time that Liverpool John Moores University opened a bachelor's degree in Science and Football, and three years ago, they expanded the teaching program."
"In other words, right around now, a new generation of football science talent has just finished being cultivated. I need to get ahead of other clubs and recruit these people to build a brand-new training and rehabilitation centre for Swansea City."
Erin still said nothing.
Lynn was already used to it.
When the Ferrari drove into the alluring port city of Liverpool, it was only just past one in the afternoon.
Going to the university immediately was obviously not very suitable, so Lynn suggested that the two of them wander around Liverpool for a while.
Thus, Erin drove to St Johns Shopping Centre, the busiest shopping centre in Liverpool.
Lynn's visit to John Moores University today had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Of course, it was a decision made after he had reviewed Swansea City's existing infrastructure and staff list.
He was wearing casual clothes, which were not quite suitable for recruitment.
As an owner, he at least needed to look the part.
So, in the shopping centre, he had Erin choose an outfit for him.
A shirt, trousers, and leather shoes.
Lynn was completely refreshed, now looking like someone ready to handle serious business.
After that, he went to a barber and simply tidied up his hairstyle.
With a sharp, clean short haircut, Lynn looked especially energetic.
At four in the afternoon, the dazzling Ferrari drove into Liverpool John Moores University, located in the northern part of Liverpool.
It was now June.
August and September were graduation season for British universities, and students approaching graduation were naturally running around for work, sending out CVs, applying for jobs, attending internships and interviews.
They were so busy that it made people feel as if they had endless energy.
The Ferrari drew particular attention.
After Lynn and Erin got out of the car, they asked students for directions, then headed straight to the teaching building they wanted.
Lynn arrived inside the teaching building of the football and science program.
He waited quietly outside a lecture theatre.
When the bell rang to signal the end of class, the lecturer left the room.
Lynn then walked in with his head held high.
Inside the lecture theatre, there were more than fifty students packing up their books.
The room was full of noise.
Some students were chatting with one another about their plans after graduation.
Some were discussing academic matters.
Others were arranging where to go after class.
Naturally, there were also couples being all lovey-dovey.
When Lynn entered, only a few students in the front rows looked at him curiously.
They watched him until he reached the blackboard, picked up the eraser, and began wiping the board clean.
Only then did more people turn their eyes toward him.
"What's he doing?"
"A new cleaner? Dressed that neatly?"
"Or is he a student from another department?"
"What exactly is he trying to do?"
After Lynn cleaned one section of the blackboard, he clapped his hands, turned around, and cleared his throat into the microphone on the lectern.
"Cough, cough. Looks like the microphone works well. I'll take up three minutes of your time. If you're not interested in what I have to say, please at least don't talk. Thank you."
"Ah! I know who you are! You're that lunatic!"
Suddenly, a male student stood up, pointed at Lynn, and shouted.
That shout instantly made every student in the lecture theatre develop a strong interest in Lynn.
Among them, some naturally connected him to the hottest joke in English football over the past month and a half.
Lynn, the mentally ill fantasist, had left a deep impression on many people.
He could be considered a bizarre football addict.
With a smile on his face, Lynn spoke into the microphone.
"Please give me three minutes. My name is Lynn."
Lynn picked up the microphone, turned around, and wrote his name on the blackboard.
LYNN
He wrote it in English, which happened to be the same as his Chinese given name, Lin En.
But there was no surname.
Of course, he was Chinese.
Having an English name was only for the convenience of others when addressing him.
Why did he have to include a surname in English too?
He continued, "I am now the owner and manager of Swansea City Football Club."
He then wrote the name of Swansea City on the blackboard.
"Right now, my club needs to recruit football professionals. I know that all of you here have spent the past few years studying core football-and-science-related courses, including football and applied science, performance analysis in football, football biomechanics, football psychology training, football exercise physiology, acquisition of football skills, research project design, and so on."
"I believe there are talented people among you."
"Now, I am posting a recruitment notice here."
"I need professional and ambitious talent."
"If you want to work at Swansea City, go directly to Swansea City Football Club and apply."
"Lastly, I'll tell you the salary package. That's the most realistic part, isn't it?"
Lynn wrote a number on the blackboard.
60,000
"An annual salary of no less than sixty thousand pounds!"
"Supervisor-level positions will be no less than one hundred thousand pounds."
"In addition, the club will provide accommodation and meals."
"All right. Positions are limited. Don't miss a career opportunity that lets you have food, housing, and financial security the moment you step out of university."
"Goodbye."
Lynn had only taken two steps when he turned around and walked back to the blackboard.
Many students in the room looked completely confused, but some had already quickly written down the key information.
Lynn wrote another line on the blackboard.
Lin Investments.
"Fleet Street never revealed my real background. Lin Investments has registered capital of fifty million pounds. I personally have more than seventy million pounds in assets. So don't assume I'm just talking nonsense."
The lecture theatre fell completely silent.
The students looked at one another, then one after another took out their mobile phones, opened their laptops, passed the information to friends, or began trying to verify whether Lynn's words were true.
After Lynn left the lecture theatre, Erin smiled at him and said, "That last line really made you sound like a rich guy show-off."
Lynn shrugged and replied, "I am one. Why pretend otherwise? Instead of acting mysterious with them, it's better to be practical. Sometimes students like this are the dumbest. They swing back and forth between ideals and reality. In truth, they're like bears. Tell them I'm covered in honey, and they'll come running over on their own, sticking out their tongues and licking like crazy."
"That metaphor is disgusting."
"Thank you."
"Where to now?"
"Candlelit dinner?"
"Save your romance. If you have the guts, don't go back to Swansea tonight. I heard Liverpool's nightclubs are crazy, especially the girls. They're very open. Want to broaden your horizons?"
There was a trace of seductive charm in Erin's eyes, but Lynn remained firm and unmoved.
With a solemn expression, he said, "I'm a club owner now. I need to pay attention to my image. Nightclubs, places I never go to, are nothing more than drifting clouds to me. Everything is merely floating clouds."
Erin laughed and slapped Lynn on the backside from behind.
"Then who was the bastard grinding with a female university student in a nightclub two months ago?"
Lynn immediately started running forward.
With a stunned expression, he turned his head and asked Erin, "The girl that night was a university student? How come I didn't know? And how did you know? Seriously? I only danced with her innocently, and you still investigated her background?"
Erin raised her fist and "chased" Lynn, shouting recklessly across the campus.
"You two booked a room at my family's hotel, and you still have the nerve to say you only danced innocently? I don't want to randomly catch an STD!"
Lynn ran to the Ferrari in the car park.
Looking sincerely at Erin, who caught up while panting, he said, "Would you believe me if I said she and I only innocently slept together?"
Erin opened the Ferrari's door and sat inside, scoffing.
"Nonsense. Of course the two of you only innocently slept together. What else? Were you going to get married?"
Lynn spread his hands.
"Exactly. Very innocent."
Erin started the Ferrari.
They had come in a hurry and left in a hurry.
Just like that, they set off again on the journey back to Swansea.
When they were halfway through Powys, the sky was gradually darkening.
Lynn's phone rang, it was Mo Yuan calling.
Something had happened at the club.