Chapter 767 - 140: Last-Minute Equalizer! Sanction FIFA! Wang Shuo, What Do You Want? A Strong Backing to Remain Invincible!

"Negotiate, then. Offer some substantial compensation, use some tactics, and do some things to let the situation cool down gradually, but an apology is absolutely out of the question!"

It was only then that Valcke suddenly remembered the words Blatter had instructed them with before they left.

"Ask him what exactly he wants."

***

Arsenal ultimately secured a 3-0 victory over Everton at home, relying on a goal and an assist from Wang Shuo. The 125th-anniversary celebration was a complete success!

After the match, as the team captain, Wang Shuo led the players in a lap around the Emirates Stadium to thank the fans. The Arsenal supporters in attendance were extremely excited and thrilled.

Just as Wenger walked over to the visiting team’s bench to shake hands with Moyes and passed by the players’ tunnel, he happened to see CEO Gazidis waving at him.

"What is it?" Wenger was a smart man and faintly guessed what was going on.

"Do me a favor later and invite Wang Shuo up to the largest VIP box."

Wenger frowned. "Did you guys invite Valcke and Nichols?"

"We didn’t invite them; they reached out to us on their own initiative."

Wenger’s expression softened slightly.

"Blatter hopes to smooth over his relationship with Wang Shuo and wants the club to act as a middleman. We had no reason to refuse," Gazidis continued. In Arsenal’s history, no player had ever won the Golden Ball Award or the World Footballer of the Year. If Wang Shuo were to win it, it would absolutely be an incredibly great thing for Arsenal.

"What did you agree to?"

"Nothing, just agreed to arrange a meeting."

Wenger finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Blatter’s remarks were too disrespectful to Wang Shuo. Our player was insulted, and he deserves an apology from Blatter."

But looking at it now, Blatter didn’t seem to have any intention of apologizing.

"Given the usual style of Blatter and FIFA..." Gazidis hesitated, leaving the rest unsaid.

Wenger naturally understood. "Like I said, we will only arrange a meeting. Wang Shuo’s attitude will be decided by himself. We absolutely will not get involved, nor can we help FIFA coerce our player.

"You saw the match just now." Speaking up to this point, a knife-like sharpness flashed in the deeply sunken eyes on Wenger’s lined face. "The situation is looking great this season. I believe Wang Shuo can bring us the championship. You should understand what I mean!"

Gazidis was also taken aback by Wenger’s sudden declaration and immediately nodded in agreement. "Don’t worry, I know the limits."

***

After playing the match, Wang Shuo took a shower and changed his clothes. Once Wenger finished attending the press conference, he came over to call Wang Shuo out and explained the whole situation to him in detail. He also clearly stated on behalf of the club that they respected and supported Wang Shuo’s wishes.

"If you don’t want to meet them, then don’t go!"

However, to Wenger’s surprise, Wang Shuo chuckled softly. "Since they’re already here, it doesn’t hurt to meet them."

Wang Shuo’s reaction caught Wenger off guard. It seemed this hadn’t come as a surprise to the young captain at all. Wenger wondered what was going on.

Wang Shuo didn’t explain much; he simply went back to pack up his things and followed Wenger upstairs.

"Mr. Wang, so glad to meet you!" The moment Jerome Valcke saw Wang Shuo, his face filled with a professional smile, appearing exceptionally enthusiastic. Like Wenger, he was French, and upon meeting, they exchanged a round of pleasantries.

"Knowing that I was coming to attend Arsenal’s anniversary celebration, President Blatter specifically asked me to pass on his greetings to you. He has been deeply impressed by your performance this season."

"Is that so?" Wang Shuo asked mildly. His face revealed no readable expression, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

But with his very next sentence, Wang Shuo went straight for the jugular.

"So he also watches Arsenal matches. I thought he only paid attention to La Liga’s Bar?a and Real Madrid, and only knew Ronaldo and Messi." After saying that, Wang Shuo broke into a smile. However, his smile was brimming with sarcasm and mockery.

This caused Wenger, Gazidis, and the others around them to reveal a hint of surprise. They wondered when Wang Shuo had started speaking so sharply.

Further away, Henry, Bergkamp, and the rest secretly gave a thumbs-up. They thought this kid Wang Shuo was an absolute badass. To actually mock FIFA President Blatter right to the face of the FIFA Secretary General... Aside from being a badass, there was truly no other way to describe it.

Valcke and Nichols were extremely embarrassed, even feeling as though they wanted the ground to swallow them up. They had originally thought Wang Shuo was just a young twenty-one-year-old, yet they never expected him to be so articulate and razor-sharp with his words.

Nichols let out a cough and forced a hint of a smile. "Mr. Wang, regarding some of the rumors circulating outside right now, I feel it’s necessary to explain. Actually, those are all just some misunderstandings by the media. The President didn’t mean..."

"Misunderstandings?" Wang Shuo interrupted him rather brusquely.

"Yes, indeed, they are misunderstandings."

"Then why doesn’t he publicly clarify and retract the previous remarks that caused the misunderstanding?"

Wang Shuo’s tone was as calm as ever, but it was as sharp as a knife, ruthlessly dissecting the truth. It was true—if it was a misunderstanding, then he should retract it.

"Multiple media reporters reported on it simultaneously, and it was published in the newspapers. Given how closely President Blatter follows La Liga, I believe he must have seen those reports. If it was a misunderstanding, then why, after so many days have passed, have I not seen a single clarification?

"Allowing the media to freely interpret things incorrectly—is this a misunderstanding? Or should I say, was that his true goal all along?"

The air inside the VIP box seemed to freeze.