In the fall, New York's parks are beautiful and poignant. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Many business elites in New York have experienced the financial crisis of '08, and in the past two years, they have felt lost and depressed. They can often be seen in the park. Designer suits seem to have not been washed for a long time, ties are tied haphazardly with or without wearing, and hair is not combed - they meet without words, as if their eyes convey something similar to that of the Masonic code - in fact, they look at each other negatively.

Zhang Lihua, a Chinese living in the United States who has worked at Goldman Sachs for many years and has three years of self-operated business management experience, is also part of this group. However, his sitting posture and his clothes were not as unruly as most bankrupts, and he sat cross-legged on the grass, smoking a "limited edition Yellow Crane Tower" sent from China, the Armani suit ironed perfectly, and his shoes and hairstyle reflected hope in the warm sun. Yes, he is not completely bankrupt yet. He was thinking about a very important issue and preparing to make a very important decision.

Mr. Zhang Lihua secretly took a stake of 13 million euros in Premier League powerhouse Newcastle United three years ago – just returning from League One this month. The team's owner, Mike Ashley, once invited Zhang Lihua to tea for the first time. It is said that Mike once participated in the business of Goldman Sachs under Mr. Zhang's line.

This time, Zhang Lihua received an annual dividend of three million euros and got an unexpected job opportunity from the mouth of the big boss Mike.

"Oh, Zhang, have you ever obtained a FIFA A-level coaching qualification?"

“What？ No, are you joking with me? I did have an MBA from Stanford and an MA in psychology from Harvard. Football, I love it, but you know, I was born in Liaoning, China, and I have a lot of friends who play there, but very few of them play in Asia. So, my dad took football off my dream list at a very young age. However, I know who you are, and you must have something to ask me for advice on, right? ”

"Haha! Zhang, you know I'm not interested in football, as a businessman, like any business, football is just a tool for me to make money. But...... Uh-huh," Ashley paused, then added, "The soccer team's earnings need results to sustain it." I don't really like the situation this team is in. ”

"A slice of Manchester United, Arsenal? Seize the Chinese market? What do you mean...... But I'm just an ordinary shareholder, living on year-end dividends. ”

"Nope. You're not ordinary. The team's results are not guaranteed, so I need to be in terms of marketing, and to put it bluntly, I want to add a little bit of internationalism to him. So what is international? I can feel the potential of the Chinese market, just the Chinese fan market, oh! You know, the basketball team in Houston has a big guy with a big board head, what a cute cash cow he is? I also need to build a tree in the football industry that attracts the attention of the world. Your identity ......"

"You mean?"

"You know what I'm trying to say. You know what I'm going to do. Searching for a Chinese star is harder than digging up dinosaur fossils. Otherwise, I'd be willing to pay for it. The so-called scarcity is expensive, and what is more scarce than Chinese stars is Chinese coaches. Think about it, if you will, you will be the only football star among 1.4 billion people. You can't deny the influence of football coaches. That Portuguese defines a lot. In short, I will give you my full support. Your skin color, your Chinese level, and your hidden identity can all be cashed into banknotes! Now or in the near future, the color of your skin, your nationality will be a symbol of wealth! You can imagine how cool it must have been, and I'm not exaggerating, Mister. ”

"Mike, you...... All I can say is that your perspective is unique. ”

"Friend, you know. Fans all over the world have the opportunity to watch a crazy Premier League match in the evening. The wealth created here is immeasurable! If you were you, you would have the same idea as me. Unless you're born right with money. However, who are the biggest consumers of this era? It's you and your country, China! Zhang, you can't not understand the Chinese market, otherwise you wouldn't invest all your assets in real estate in Chinese mainland. When it comes to football, you at least know more about the market than I do. Besides, you have two surnames, and your full name is Lihua Zhang Aixin Jueluo. I've heard that the Aisin Jueluo family is equivalent to the Windsor family. If you can, I would like you to be the sports director and ......"

“What？ I heard you right, the athletic director and what? Do you think I feel like someone stealing the limelight with Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola? ”

"I'll arrange for someone to make up the exam for you. It's just a coaching certificate. Ashley shook the ash of his cigarette, his cigar in his mouth, and spoke in a tone full of conceit.

He paused slightly, paid attention to Zhang Lihua's expression a little, and then accentuated his tone:

"Listen, I'll give you the right to manipulate transfers and £50 million a year in the summer transfer market. You can also consider investing more, and I can consider cashing out 35% of your shares. Before you retake your coaching certificate, you should learn about the latest version of Football-Manager, 2011. Listen to your former boss, you're an FM enthusiast and even made your own database of legendary stars. Well, Chris Hughes has decided to resign, and I'll be cashing out most of the team's players before next season. In fact, you should be happy to experience what it's like to brag in front of the media in a trench coat and smoke a cigar. I think you need to change your identity and experience the imperial scenery that your ancestors had. Soccer, TMD soccer, the game of 22 monkeys competing for the same ball and then dancing under the noses of tens of thousands of people! My young, handsome, sagacious Aisin Jueluo, can you say that you are not interested? ”

…………

The day of Ashley's yacht party was November 21, 2010, half a month ago. Zhang Lihua can't forget the weird conversation with Ashley. How do you express your feelings? Ashley is like a genius and a devil, because of that guy, he has a different understanding of football. Because of that guy, he is about to change his career from a professional investor to become a football coach.

In fact, as a post-70s social elite, Zhang Lihua has long been tired of the tricks of immersing himself in the capitalist society. The madness of money spilling over yachts and helicopters is a manifestation of the emptiness of the hearts of the vast majority of capitalists. Eight years ago, he dreamed of being officially listed on the Forbes list. After 08, he also returned to China three times and visited many business stars and Internet tycoons in Chinese mainland in a very low-key way.

Wealth and vanity made him reflect, or rather, think about things outside of wealth and influence.

A wealthy Chinese-American businessman who really loves football once talked to him about his dreams at a drinking party.

It was a "fan king" born in Hong Kong in the 60s of the last century, who claimed that the most comfortable job he had ever experienced as a child was to wear a South China jersey and pick up the ball for the Asian football king Wan Zhiqiang on the sidelines. In this regard, the fan king also said with emotion: "Kicking the wave is very powerful and closed. I'm young, I wear a jersey, and the whole department is a big guy, huh? It's cooler to kick the waves than to rub them. Do you believe it or not? ”

Yes, how good it must be to play football - you can find everything you can aspire to as a man on the green field! Honor, teamwork, war, and confrontation, those things are the most primitive desires of human nature. People are always competing, competition is to win, and even if it is a failure, there should be a team to carry it together. Shouting and roaring with buddies, that's what football is all about.

Yes, "Kicking the waves, it's really cooler than kneading the waves, I agree." ”

"I want to play too. But my dad threw my sneakers, and all football-related activities were forbidden. If I hadn't been admitted to Tsinghua University, I wouldn't have been able to watch Wanda's game in '99. ”

Zhang Lihua recalled his childhood dream at the reception, he said that he also took the train to Dalian People's Stadium to cheer for the Wanda team, and even went to Manchester to cheer for Sun Jihai in 04. Now, his father has returned to the west to see Kangxi, and everything he was tired of when he was young - all kinds of dust and everything in this world, he has practiced, but he has a strange confusion about his dreams.

Autumn in New York, the sky is charming. The charming sky is like a slightly cool veil on everyone's soft heart, and it feels comfortable.

Two former business partners, now bankrupt, smoke with him in the park. Every time I smoke a cigarette, someone sighs: "Life is a piece of, if there is no dream." What is a dream, a dream is something that cannot be realized when you are a teenager. ”

A fat guy in a Puma tracksuit, taking off his shoes, holding a fallen leaf between his stinking feet, and stuffing Japanese sushi into his mouth, said: "Zhang, if I were you, I would not hesitate to conquer England." You should take your dreams and conquer all of London BZ. Of course, if you don't mind, I'm willing to be your assistant at a monthly salary of $3,000. Just like in the bank before. You know, anytime you need an American hair dryer to puff up your soft, swashy heart. ”

The fat guy then said, "Don't you think life is a miracle? I remember Parker Riley saying that a man can only show that he is qualified to assert his power in front of BZ if he has been a coach and has been successful. You'll have to prove your strength and blow up all the British tintins. ”

"Holy! Hima, I can't refuse your suggestion. So be it. Congratulations on landing a job as an assistant coach with a salary of $1,000 a month, provided I pass Blatter's exam. ”

Zhang Lihua, a 31-year-old Chinese living in the United States, meditated cross-legged for half an hour under a maple tree in a New York park, and when he got up, Fei Mo, who had been clamoring beside him, had finished three boxes of Nagoya sushi. Both of them were smiling, smelling the strange aromas and foot odor in the park, and feeling the wonder of life.

So, Mike Ashley sent a helicopter to take MrZhang to the shareholders' meeting in London. Mike announced on the spot that the 2010-11 Premier League season had been confirmed, with the manager of Newcastle United having been confirmed, and Mr Zhang would officially sign an eight-year contract.

Eight years, what is that concept? But all the shareholders agreed with the big boss Mike's proposal, anyway, Mike wanted to do whatever he wanted.

It has long been said that it doesn't matter if Newcastle is a leash dog in the dugout. That's not to imply that the team is stronger than Barcelona, but to show how light the position is.

In other words, Zhang Lihua really went to the Premier League to be a football coach, but how did he get the FIFA A-level qualification certificate through the coaching qualification certificate?