Chapter 316: Priceless Friendship
July is the height of summer.
The International Champions Cup China Station has already been promoted in full swing.
Real Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Take any football team at random, and there are tens of millions of fans in the country.
Especially Manchester United and Real Madrid, they have hundreds of millions of fans in China.
There are also many Arsenal fans in China.
The battle for the top four and the pursuit of the Champions League every year are also a joke that many fans like to make.
But this year's Arsenal can be said to be reborn from the ashes.
The ticket prices for this International Champions Cup are the most affordable in history.
Comet Sports, the organizer, was praised to the sky by countless fans.
There are only four levels, with prices ranging from 100, 300, 600, and 900.
This price is not too cost-effective.
Looking at those teams that come to China to make money, the most expensive tickets cost four or five thousand.
Comet Sports's move has truly won the favor of fans.
Arsenal, as a team wholly acquired by Comet Sports, has gained a large number of fans.
Juneyao Airlines, one of the event sponsors, also made a small profit.
Next to the ticket booking interface on the official website, there is also a Juneyao Airlines booking link.
Qi Sheng naturally would not do business at a loss.
After receiving the system reward in early July, Qi Sheng spent 10 billion to acquire 51% of Juneyao Airlines' shares, becoming the largest shareholder.
For Wang Han and others, it is also a rare opportunity to cash out.
As for losses, that is not the case.
After all, Juneyao Airlines is one of the top ten airlines in China. As long as it is managed properly, it will not have to worry about making money.
After successfully taking over Juneyao Airlines, Shengxuan Group also extended its tentacles into the travel field.
The original Juneyao Airlines brand was downgraded to a low-cost airline brand under the company.
The main brand was changed to Shengxuan Aviation.
Even a super-rich man like Abramovich became more enthusiastic after seeing the abilities of his new friend.
To some extent, Qi Sheng is the same oligarch as him.
It's just that he is a businessman who is very close to politicians.
But Qi Sheng’s identity and background are definitely extraordinary.
Otherwise, with such a huge family business, it is impossible for him not to attract the attention of evil wolves.
"Qi, your country's stadium is pretty good, much more beautiful than our Chelsea's Stamford Bridge."
Abu looked at the Phoenix Mountain Sports Park Stadium in front of him and praised it with envy in his eyes.
"Although the level of our country's football players is very low, the level of the field is still quite good."
Qi Sheng handed Abu a glass of red wine.
Sitting in Box No. 1, which has the best view and the most luxurious decoration, I chatted and laughed with Abu about interesting things happening around us.
At their level, their material needs have long been very indifferent.
As long as there is a price tag, there is nothing they can't afford.
Soon, the players slowly walked out from the entrance passage.
As many as 60,000 fans came to the Phoenix Mountain Sports Park Stadium.
The local fans alone are enough to easily absorb so many tickets.
As the organizer of the event, the opening match must of course be held in Chengdu.
As for the venue of the final, it will be at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing.
Tickets for the final battle at the Forbidden City were snapped up by countless fans.
No matter which team makes it to the finals, it will be enough for them to earn back the ticket price.
"Qi, do you want to make a bet? Which of our teams will win this game?"
Abramovich has been preparing for a long time and has bought a group of experienced and high-level players.
We have full confidence in this strong Chelsea team.
"What's the bet?"
Qi Sheng didn't have the heart to cheat Abu.
If Abu plays against this guy who has opened the third eye, he will only lose.
As for Arsenal's starting lineup, their future value will be no less than 60 million euros.
Especially Saka and Haaland, whose value is over 100 million euros.
Jin Ying often mentioned to him how excited Arteta was to see this group of players.
He even canceled his vacation to focus on studying tactics for next season.
Want to do something ambitious.
"I just bought a Boeing 787, worth about $250 million."
"If Arsenal win this game, the plane is yours."
Abramovich changed the subject: "If Chelsea wins, you need to give me a chance to buy shares in Misia."
"no problem."
Qi Sheng glanced at Abu with a hint of smile in his eyes.
As expected of a Russian oligarch, he has a keen sense of smell.
Misia, which is about to go public, is a hot commodity in the capital market.
Many people are optimistic about this rising star that has the potential to overthrow the dominance of the LVMH Group.
It’s because there are too many investors interested in Misia.
Misia didn't need any roadshow, its valuation was raised to 100 billion euros.
In recent years, Abramovich has also been transferring assets and changing investment tracks.
The net profit of the luxury goods industry has always been highly regarded by the outside world.
Given the size of Misia, it is no problem for it to achieve an annual net profit of 3 billion euros.
Abu raised his glass with a smile and clinked it with Qi Sheng.
He knew his little thoughts and he certainly couldn't hide them from this friend.
Even if he loses, Abu doesn't feel bad.
As long as he can invest in Misia, it will help him make money back sooner or later in the future.
…
The live broadcast room of Xingchen Video welcomed tens of millions of fans, and the barrage of comments was dense.
Even with simplified barrage turned on, it is still difficult to see clearly.
Comet Sports broadcasts all the matches of the International Champions Cup for free, and has attracted a new wave of users.
In addition, the golden pair of Zhan Jun and Zhang Lu also appeared in the live broadcast room.
"Good evening, fans. Thanks to Comet Sports and Star Video for sponsoring us, which allows us to welcome the peak showdown between the two Premier League giants on this wonderful night."
Zhan Jun said with a smile: "In this summer window, Arsenal and Chelsea's net transfer investment is as high as 300 million pounds. They are determined to win the Premier League championship next season. This match between the two teams is also related to the subsequent championship situation."
"Arsenal's head coach is still Arteta, and the formation is 4213."
"Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, left-back Theo Hernandez, centre-backs Gabriel and Saliba, right-back Ashraf."
"As for the midfield, Rice and Chuameni will form a double defensive midfielder, while Odegaard will be the attacking midfielder responsible for organizing the attack."
"Haaland is the center forward, and Martinelli and Saka are the two wingers."
"To be honest, Arsenal's players are very young, with an average age of less than 23 years old. They are all talented players with unlimited potential."
"It's hard to imagine how terrifying this team will be when they all grow up."
"There are also many outstanding players on the bench, including Ibrahimovic, Raya, Alvarez, Gvardiol, Camavinga and so on."
"Arsenal fans can rejoice, they have a bright future!"
Zhang Lu couldn't help but cough lightly when she saw Zhan Jun's straightforward praise.
"Chelsea's squad is also not bad, and their investment this season is no less than Arsenal's."
"Chelsea changed their coach this summer, with German Tuchel taking over."
"Chelsea's formation is 343, with Mendy as the goalkeeper and Ben White, Thiago Silva and Rudiger as the three central defenders."
“In midfield, Chilwell and Reece James play as wing-backs, with Kante and Jorginho as double defensive midfielders.”
"In terms of forward line, Lukaku will be the center forward, Sancho and Werner will be the left and right wingers."
"There are also Havertz, Grealish, Ziyech, Christensen, Alonso and other strong players on the bench."
"Head coach Tuchel is also a very capable young coach. Let's watch this powerful match together!"
…
Although this kind of warm-up match serves more of an inspection purpose.
But with the prize money of the International Champions Cup at hand, the teams certainly won’t take it lightly.
Even Real Madrid attaches great importance to the income from the International Champions Cup.
Inter Milan and AC Milan are already facing serious debt crisis.
I can't wait to lift the championship trophy in one fell swoop and win back the blood.
At the beginning, the offensive and defensive rhythm of the two teams was very fast.
From time to time, players would be brought down, and there was no intention of letting them go.
Tuchel put out this starting lineup that he was most satisfied with, also to satisfy Abramovich's favorite offensive football.
"Qi, I have a feeling that Chelsea will definitely score before the end of the first half."
Abramovich spoke in a relaxed tone, showing no sign of worrying that Chelsea would lose to Arsenal.
Last season, they were fourth and Arsenal were only eighth.
With the same investment, Chelsea should definitely win.
"Roman, a goal was indeed scored on the field, but unfortunately it was my team."
Qi Sheng laughed and clapped while teasing Abu.
"Shit!"
Abu's original smile also turned gloomy.
It was because the slap in the face came so quickly that he was not prepared at all.
Obviously, Chelsea was still in control of the situation.
But it was just a quick counterattack, Chuameni intercepted the ball and passed it to Rice.
Rice made a long pass to the right, breaking through Chelsea's defense.
The young Saka sped up and Chilwell couldn't catch up with him at all.
Looking at Rudiger rushing towards him, Saka smiled on his dark face.
Baring his big white teeth, he swept the ball across the penalty area.
The tall Haaland carried Ben White and completed a powerful shot.
Mendy had no reaction at all and could only watch the ball fly into the net.
The entire Phoenix Mountain Sports Park was boiling like an erupting volcano.
The atmosphere is in no way inferior to many famous European stadiums.
Haaland was also very excited. This was his first goal for Arsenal.
The team they are facing is a top team like Chelsea.
"A beautiful goal. Chelsea's centre-back Ben White was totally helpless."
"Haaland is very strong. If you let him charge, those who are stronger than him are not as fast as him, and those who are faster than him are not as strong as him. He is a real killer!"
Zhan Jun couldn't help but cheer and praised Haaland, whose talent was overflowing.
As an invited commentator, Zhan Jun naturally stands on Arsenal's side.
Tuchel held his head in his hands and quickly called Rudiger to keep close watch on Haaland.
In the entire Chelsea, only Rudiger's physique is not inferior to Haaland and can play a limiting role.
Chelsea failed to score a goal until the end of the first half.
Abu couldn't sit still anymore and winked at Maria, his secretary who had followed him for many years.
The latter left the box and came to the door of the locker room.
Gave Tuchel the order to win the game.
I heard that the bet between the two bosses was a private jet worth nearly 300 million US dollars.
Tuchel could only smile bitterly and nod.
Looking at Lukaku's mediocre performance in the first half, I made up my mind.
"In the second half, Werner played as a center forward, Havertz played as a front midfielder, and Grealish and Ziyech played as left and right wingers."
"Kante and Jorginho's double defensive midfielder remains unchanged, with Marcos Alonso and Azpilicueta as left and right backs."
"Rudiger is responsible for fighting with Haaland, while Thiago Silva and Kante should pay attention to the defense."
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
"As long as we can limit Haaland, we'll be halfway there!"
Tuchel made quick substitutions.
Since it's just a warm-up match, there is no limit on the number of substitutions.
When he came to the sidelines and saw Arsenal had also made substitutions, his mouth twitched.
Damn it, Arsenal actually replaced Odegaard and brought on Camavinga.
The three defensive midfielders are Camavinga, Rice and Chuameni.
The need to defend and counterattack was written on all the players' faces.
What made him even more depressed was that Haaland was replaced by Alvarez.
This kind of small and agile forward is the nightmare of tall defenders like Rudiger.
Arteta couldn't help but laugh secretly when he saw the depressed Tuchel.
It goes without saying that my arrangement must have caught the other party off guard.
After Alvarez came on, Martinelli and Saka in the frontcourt are both fast forwards.
Not to mention Rudiger, Thiago Silva also has a headache.
This kind of speed-type forward made it impossible for a veteran like him to keep up.
As for organization, Camavinga is not incapable.
What's more, there is the boss Qi Sheng who helps in cheating.
Short pass expert, long pass expert, ball control expert.
All three abilities were modified to 85.
In total, Qi Sheng spent 75 million, which is close to 10 million euros.
Camavinga's organizational ability is now no worse than Odegaard's, and he is a perfect hexagonal midfielder.
He can defend and organize, so it's not too much to sell him for 100 million pounds, right? "Qi, I want this Camavinga!"
As an old fan, Abramovich spotted the outstanding Camavinga at first sight.
He was just 18 years old, but he could play football quite well.
Buy it and it will last for at least ten years.
“Not for sale.”
Qi Sheng rejected Abu without even thinking about it.
"Fifty million."
Abu shook his red wine glass and said confidently: "I'm talking about British pounds."
Although it is said that he is stupid and rich, how can an experienced oligarch like Abramovich be really stupid?
Spending 50 million pounds to buy a young player is indeed a bit extravagant.
But nowadays the value of football players has increased so rapidly.
"If it's 100 million pounds, I can still consider it."
Qi Sheng doesn't mind selling Camavinga, but the prerequisite is that the price must be right.
Anyway, he can cheat, and there are plenty of players like him.
"Ahem, one hundred million pounds?"
Abu was drinking red wine elegantly. He choked and coughed a few times before looking at Qi Sheng in shock.
"It can attack and defend, but isn't it worth 100 million pounds?"
"But he's only 18!"
"It's worth the price because it's 18 years old. I can use it for ten years if I buy it."
"Uh... I'll think about it."
Abramovich is indeed rich, but he cannot spend money without restraint.
While he was still in deep thought, deafening cheers rang out from the stadium again.
For the sake of atmosphere, the door of the box was not completely closed.
Hearing the noise, Abu immediately came to his senses and looked at the TV in the box.
"Shit, fuck, damn Germans, they betrayed my trust!"
It’s no wonder that Abramovich was furious. With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, no one can remain calm.
Well, except Qi Sheng.
Alvarez on the court was sliding on his knees excitedly.
Through the replay, Abramovich saw the whole process of this goal.
After passing Jorginho, Camavinga decisively kicked the ball over the top.
The angle and strength are just right.
Alvarez received the pass from Camavinga with his super fast starting speed.
With a sudden stop, he dribbled past Rudiger.
Facing the attacking Mendy, he completed a light lob shot.
This goal alone is enough to prove Alvarez's worth.
At £15 million, it’s not too cost-effective.
With Arsenal scoring another goal, the game was completely clear.
The impatient Tuchel made frequent substitutions, but the effect was getting worse and worse.
Arteta, on the other hand, was very calm.
Replace Gabriel with the masked man Gvardiol.
Martinelli was replaced by Ibrahimovic as center forward.
Alvarez adjusted to the winger position and also performed well.
After goalkeeper Raya came on, Arsenal played more smoothly.
Compared with Ramsdale, Raya has better passing ability, which makes Arteta's eyes light up.
Near the end of the game, Arsenal launched a quick counterattack.
Saka dribbled past Marcos Alonso and passed the ball into the middle of the penalty area.
The tall and strong Ibrahimovic performed a stunning scorpion kick.
Even Qi Sheng, who had been very calm before, stood up and waved his fist.
As for Abu, his face had turned as black as charcoal.
It was he who proposed the bet. He originally wanted to take this opportunity to invest in Misia.
Now that the plane is gone, the opportunity to invest is gone too.
Thinking about missing out on billions of euros, Abramovich had the urge to feed Tuchel to the sharks.
"Roman, thank you for the plane."
Qi Sheng teased Abu with a smile.
"Maria, have someone ship that Boeing 787 to China. I, Roman Abrahimovich, keep my word!"
Although Abu was unhappy, he did not have any regrets at all.
If you lose, you lose. It’s no big deal.
With his wealth, at most he would feel a little distressed.
"Qi, I want that Camavinga, can you sell him to us in the winter window?"
Abu's abacus was pounding loudly.
If Camavinga can be bought, it will weaken Arsenal's strength in disguise.
Maybe Arsenal will lose the Premier League title because of this.
"Not this season, but I can sell it to you next season."
Qi Sheng shrugged: "I always have to consider the fans' feelings, but a transfer fee of 100 million pounds is the baseline."
"no problem."
Abu felt a little regretful, but he also understood Qi Sheng.
Even though he had been in charge of Chelsea for almost 20 years, he finally gained the recognition of those picky English people.
"Roman, on behalf of Misia, I welcome you to join us!"
Qi Sheng smiled and opened his arms to Abu, who looked shocked.
"Qi, what do you mean?"
Abu was a little bit unbelieving, fearing that he had misunderstood.
"I can give you up to 5% of the shares. According to Misia's valuation, it would cost almost 100 billion euros, provided you can afford it!"
Qi Sheng originally planned to use 20% of the shares for listing, and giving Abu 5% would not affect the overall situation.
"It's only 5 billion euros. I can still afford it!"
Abu said this with great enthusiasm and gave Qi Sheng a big hug.
"Qi, my investment in Misia is only a financial investment, and all voting rights are given to you."
"In addition, I will personally invest $100 million to modify the Boeing 787 and then hand it over to you."
Abu looked at Qi Sheng seriously.
"Although we are friends, I think friends should help each other instead of asking for things one-sidedly."
"This is a small gift from me, I hope you can accept it."
Qi Sheng smiled and nodded: "Of course, I believe that our friendship will last forever."
"This is the Purple Gold Card issued by our group. It has a spending limit of 10 million euros and is automatically refreshed every year."
"Your family can use this card to make purchases at any of Misia's brands."
“When staying at Banyan Tree and Four Seasons hotels, priority will be given to presidential suites.”
"In the future, we will open some Chinese restaurants in Europe, all of which will be included in the welfare content."
Since Abu is so generous, Qi Sheng naturally won't fail.
Originally, this card was customized for Abu by Qi Sheng.
As for the amount inside, it is not as high as he said.
But the amount of the credit limit is not just a matter of Qi Sheng's words.
"Thank you for the gift."
Abu took the bank card with a smile and put it very solemnly into his wallet.
An annual spending limit of 10 million euros is nothing to Abramovich.
But he was quite touched by the kindness.
With his current worth, it's hard to find someone he can talk to.
Qi Sheng’s wealth is not inferior to his own, in fact, it’s much more terrifying.
Abu would naturally not miss such a friend.
(End of this chapter)