Rebuilding the Theatre

Jin Taige and Woodward arrived in Boulogne, France, with a clear mission: to sign N'Golo Kanté, the defensive midfielder Jin Taige believed would be the cornerstone of Manchester United's midfield. However, instead of heading to the Boulogne club, they made their way to a quiet apartment in the suburbs.

Woodward was puzzled. "I thought we were going to the Boulogne club?"

Jin Taige shook his head. "Boulogne was relegated from Ligue 2 to the third division last season. Kanté's contract expired, and he's now a free agent."

Woodward's eyes lit up. "A free agent? That means no transfer fee. I like this!"

Jin Taige chuckled. "You and your love for saving money."

As they approached the modest apartment, Woodward couldn't help but comment on the surroundings. "This place is… not exactly luxurious."

Jin Taige nodded. "Kanté's living modestly. Ligue 2 wages aren't exactly Premier League-level."

They knocked on the door, and after a moment, a short, unassuming man opened it. "Can I help you?" he asked in French.

Jin Taige responded in broken French, "Hello, N'Golo Kanté. We're here to see you."

Kanté, surprised but polite, invited them in. He offered them coffee and sat down, clearly curious about the unexpected visitors.

Woodward, acting as the translator, explained their purpose. "Mr. Kanté, we're from Manchester United. We'd like to sign you."

Kanté's eyes widened. "Manchester United? Me?"

Jin Taige leaned forward, his tone earnest. "You're the missing piece in our midfield. Come to Manchester United, and I'll help you reach your full potential. Together, we'll win trophies."

Kanté was stunned. He had been considering an offer from Caen, a Ligue 2 club, but the chance to join a Premier League giant like Manchester United was too good to pass up. After an hour of discussion, Kanté signed the contract.

As they left the apartment, Jin Taige turned to Kanté. "Pack your bags. Your new life starts in Manchester."

Kanté smiled, still in disbelief. "Thank you, Coach. I won't let you down."

With Kanté secured, Jin Taige and Woodward headed to Le Havre, another French city, to sign Riyad Mahrez. Woodward, still recovering from the whirlwind pace of their trip, groaned. "My back can't keep up with your speed."

Jin Taige laughed. "We can't afford to waste time. What if someone else signs him first?"

At the Le Havre club, they met with the chairman, Sloka. Without hesitation, Sloka named his price. "€500,000."

Before Woodward could negotiate, Jin Taige agreed. "Deal."

The process was smooth. Mahrez, thrilled at the opportunity to join Manchester United, signed the contract without hesitation. Jin Taige patted him on the shoulder. "After Giggs retires next year, the left side of Manchester United will be yours."

As they left Le Havre, Woodward couldn't help but reflect on the trip. "Tiger, I have to admit, I underestimated you. The way you handle these negotiations—it's impressive."

Jin Taige smiled. "It's not about me, Ed. It's about the club. Manchester United deserves the best, and I'm here to make sure we get it."

Woodward nodded, a newfound respect in his eyes. "You've got a vision, Tiger. And I'm starting to believe in it."

XXXX

When leaving Le Havre Club the next day, the chairman of the club, Sloka, personally came to the hotel to bid farewell to Jin Taige and Woodward. Before leaving, Sloka held Jin Taige's hand and laughed, "Mr. Tiger, if there are any players in our team that you are interested in, feel free to tell me directly. The price is easy to negotiate."

Jin Taige responded politely, "If your team has any young talents, you can also recommend them to me at any time. As long as they are suitable for Manchester United, I will follow the old rules."

"No counter-offers, ha ha ha! I really like you!" Sloka laughed, his face beaming with enthusiasm.

In the car, Jin Taige expressed his disdain: "A club that only cares about money and neglects team management will never succeed."

Woodward pondered Jin Taige's words: "Tiger, are you sure this doesn't apply to Sanghuai?"

Jin Taige smiled, "Of course, the exception is the business executive who is willing to work closely with the head coach."

"That's fair," Woodward nodded with satisfaction. Suddenly, he remembered something, "Tiger, how did you know that Sloka's price for Mahrez is 500,000 euros?"

Jin Taige shrugged, "I told you, I am—"

"Don't say it's another revelation from your dreams!" Woodward interrupted, clearly dissatisfied. "Don't brush me off."

Jin Taige thought to himself: *If you ask me how I know the price, can I tell you it's from my past life memories?*

To satisfy Woodward's curiosity, Jin Taige pretended to be serious: "I've been following player transfer information for over a decade. For players from different periods, countries, and leagues, I can estimate their value fairly accurately."

Woodward wasn't convinced: "Even the best business executives can't be as precise as you. Do you have inside information?"

Jin Taige deliberately looked out the window, avoiding eye contact: "If I had inside information, would I need to work so hard to negotiate transfers?"

"Then what's your secret?"

"Because I'm a business genius."

"You're lying!" Woodward said with a look of disbelief. "You got it right this time, but if you can estimate another player's value accurately, I might believe you're a genius."

Jin Taige found it amusing. Based on his knowledge of future football, he could recall the transfer fees of most significant deals. Among his friends in the football community, he was known as the "football encyclopedia."

Jin Taige glanced at the two lists in his hand: "I'm not sure about the first one. The club is focused on developing him, so I doubt we can buy him. But the second player's transfer fee should be between 5 and 6 million euros, with 6 million being the maximum."

"Alright, let's make a bet. If you're right this time, I'll believe you."

"This is a rational judgment, not a guess."

"You're lying again."

Jin Taige and Woodward traveled directly from Le Havre to Lyon, France, with the goal of meeting the Ligue 1 giants. Woodward had a good relationship with Lyon's chairman, Olas, and the two had previously collaborated on commercial projects. When Jin Taige presented the list of players he wanted to buy, Olas exclaimed, "You want to buy Nabil Fekir and Anthony Martial?"

Jin Taige nodded.

Olas hesitated for a moment before responding, "Fekir is a young player we are developing. He is the future of Lyon. My friend Ed, I'm sorry, but Fekir is not for sale. As for Martial, the price is 6 million euros, non-negotiable."

"What! Are you serious?" Woodward asked, visibly shocked. He glanced at Jin Taige as if he had seen a ghost.

Jin Taige quickly explained to Olas, "Ed is just disappointed that Fekir isn't available. Please don't mind."

Woodward remained stunned, unable to speak for a while. Lyon's English translator relayed Jin Taige's words to Olas, who shook his head apologetically, "Ed, my old friend, we are building our team around Fekir for the next season. He will be the core of our midfield. Even if you offer a substantial amount, I cannot sell him to you. I'm sorry."

While Woodward was still in shock, Jin Taige agreed to Olas's 6 million euro price for Martial. Seeing Woodward's dazed expression, Olas tried to lighten the mood, "Dear friend, to make up for my refusal regarding Fekir, I will tell you this: Monaco offered to buy Martial yesterday, but I turned them down. Now, I am giving Martial to Manchester United. I hope this makes you feel better."

Jin Taige met with Martial, and the two discussed future plans. Martial asked cautiously, "Mr. Tag, you're not buying me just to put me in the youth team, are you? Monaco promised me a spot as a substitute in Ligue 1."

Jin Taige thought to himself: *Martial has a strong personality, but that's good. A talented player should care about his future.*

With that in mind, Jin Taige assured him, "In the new Premier League season, you will be a rotation player in our attack. We have league and cup matches, so you won't lack playing time. I have high hopes for your future."

"That's good to hear," Martial said, finally signing the contract with satisfaction.

Martial's transfer was completed for 6 million euros, leaving Jin Taige with 32.7 million euros in available transfer funds.

On the way out of Lyon, Woodward looked at Jin Taige with newfound respect: "Tiger, if the opportunity arises, would you consider working with me as a business executive?"

Jin Taige smiled, "I prefer being a head coach. Besides, I'm just good at estimating player values."

"My God, what kind of genius head coach has the club signed?" Woodward muttered, covering his head in disbelief.

Jin Taige remained silent, smiling mysteriously.

"Mr. Business Wizard, where are we heading next?" Woodward asked, now fully on board with Jin Taige's plans.

"To Rennes. I want to sign a future World Footballer," Jin Taige said calmly.

With this move, Jin Taige had signed ten players. Among them, Martial's 6 million euro transfer fee was the highest so far.

Jin Taige knew that, in the future, Martial would move to Monaco, become a key player, and eventually be bought by Manchester United for 58 million pounds under Van Gaal. In his first season, Martial would become a crucial player for the team. However, under Mourinho's management, Martial's performance would decline due to tactical incompatibility. Jin Taige believed this was not Martial's fault but rather a mismatch with Mourinho's system. He was confident that, given the right environment, Martial could become the next Thierry Henry.

Signing Martial made Jin Taige very happy. Now, he was on his way to Rennes, telling Woodward he wanted to sign a future World Footballer.

Woodward was completely convinced by Jin Taige's valuation skills. After arriving in Rennes, they negotiated directly with the club and signed the future star, Ousmane Dembélé, for a termination fee of 1 million euros.

When Jin Taige told Dembélé, "You will become a World Footballer in the future," Dembélé thought it was just polite praise.

But Jin Taige knew that, in the future, Dembélé would shine at Borussia Dortmund, contributing 10 goals and 21 assists in the 2016-2017 season. Barcelona would later sign him for 150 million euros, with their president calling him "the future of world football."

After signing Dembélé, Woodward reviewed the transfer list: "Tiger, out of your 15-player list, only Lewandowski, Isco, and Fekir remain unsigned. We've signed 11 players so far. The last target is in Brazil. Can we take a break? I'm exhausted."

Jin Taige's transfer plan was nearly complete. His only regret was failing to sign Lewandowski. With Van Persie aging, Jin Taige needed a reliable striker. He wasn't fully confident in Chicharito or Welbeck, and Martial was still too young. Jin Taige agreed to Woodward's suggestion of a day off.

Woodward was thrilled. He took Jin Taige to the nearby city of Istres to meet his old friend, the chairman of Istres Club.

While Woodward chatted with his friend, Jin Taige wandered around the club's training ground, where a trial match for young players was underway. One player, a young African defender, caught his attention. The player demonstrated excellent defensive skills and precise long passes.

The two coaches discussing the players spoke in English: "That defender has good positioning and a sharp tackle, but he's too thin."

"Yes, if he bulks up, he could be a great defender. We could recruit him into the youth team and see how he develops."

"Agreed. What's his name?"

"Naby Keita."

"What!" Jin Taige nearly shouted. This is Naby Keita? No wonder he looked familiar.

Jin Taige knew Keita's future well. After making his mark at Red Bull Salzburg, Keita would join RB Leipzig for 15 million euros and eventually become one of the world's top midfielders. Liverpool would later sign him for 60 million euros in 2017.

Jin Taige quickly called Woodward over: "I need you to translate for me."

Within five minutes, Jin Taige negotiated a transfer agreement with Keita. Woodward's team prepared the contract, and Keita signed a youth team deal on the spot. Jin Taige arranged for Keita to be taken to Manchester and settled in.

Signing Keita for free left Jin Taige with 32.7 million euros in transfer funds.

Woodward, stunned by Jin Taige's swift actions, was about to ask about Keita when Jin Taige's phone rang. After answering, Jin Taige excitedly said, "We need to go back to Le Havre now."

"What? We just left there!" Woodward exclaimed, nearly fainting.

"There's a future transfer king there, and I'm going to buy him for a bargain price!" Jin Taige declared..