Chapter 787: Dream Start! Domain Skill: Stabilizer! Stepping Stone to Superstardom! Arsenal's Strategic Opportunity

Rain fell lightly on a winter night in London.

Wearing a crisp black Zegna suit, Wang Shuo stood before the black door of No. 10 Downing Street, still somewhat in disbelief. He hadn’t expected his first “assignment” to arrive so quickly after taking on the role of FIFA promotional ambassador. Even though he was used to all kinds of grand occasions, he still felt a bit nervous the moment he stood before the door of No. 10 Downing Street. This was a door that countless people could never open in their entire lifetimes!

Abramovich had invested frantically in the United Kingdom, bought Chelsea, and curried favor with the United Kingdom’s royal family as well as its political and business elites, all in the hope that one day he could open this door and become a guest of honor at No. 10 Downing Street. The number of times Beckham had entered this door in his life could probably be counted on one hand, and rumor had it that he had even faced quite a bit of discrimination. As for others, it went without saying.

But now, this very door had been effortlessly opened by Wang Shuo.

“Hello, Mr. Wang. Welcome to No. 10 Downing Street.”

The formally dressed guard stood at the entrance and gave a slight bow as he pulled open the world-famous black door for Wang Shuo.

The bitter cold outside was shut out by the black door; inside, it was incredibly warm. Soft lighting and gentle classical music infused every corner of the residence with a noble elegance. Just inside the door, the first things that caught his eye were the portraits of the Queen and the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The walls along the staircase were lined with portraits of successive Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, as well as annual group photos of the cabinet. This gave Wang Shuo a profound sense of historical weight.

A staff member smiled and guided him to the venue for the dinner banquet: the spacious Cabinet Room.

“Our Mr. Golden Ball has arrived. Welcome, welcome!”

As Wang Shuo stepped into the room, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom stepped forward to greet him with a smile. By his side were several cabinet members, London executives, and business leaders.

“Hello, Mr. Prime Minister. I am deeply honored to receive your invitation,” Wang Shuo said, shaking the Prime Minister’s hand politely.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom then introduced the people beside him to Wang Shuo. The scale of this dinner wasn’t particularly grand; it was more like a symposium, with only about fifty or sixty guests in attendance. Among them, three were people Wang Shuo had met before. One was the current chairman of The Football Association, David Bernstein. Hadn’t the previous chairman, David Triesman, stepped down to take the fall after their failed bid to host the 2018 World Cup? There was also the CEO of The Football Association, Alex Horne, as well as the CEO of the Premier League, Richard Scudamore.

Strictly speaking, these three and Wang Shuo were the only football industry insiders present. And Wang Shuo was the sole player. Though they had met before, they weren’t actually close, and their interactions mostly consisted of exchanging pleasantries. Wang Shuo had previously taken dedicated lessons in high-society etiquette, and after receiving the invitation, Shen Qinghe had even hired someone to give him a crash course over the past few days. He didn’t need to be absolutely flawless, but at the very least, he wouldn’t commit any faux pas.

Surprisingly, the person Wang Shuo ended up talking to the most was a middle-aged woman he had never met before. She introduced herself as Ms. Harris, the chairwoman of the United Kingdom’s largest youth sports charity. The theme of tonight’s dinner was the promotion of youth and street football, tied to a charitable football project from the government of the United Kingdom that called on more young people to participate in state-sponsored football and educational programs.

“Mr. Wang, the children at our organization all see you as an idol,” Ms. Harris said, her eyes shining with sincerity. “Especially in many impoverished communities, your story inspires countless children and gives them hope.”

She invited Wang Shuo to visit their organization whenever he had the time, to meet the children in person. Naturally, Wang Shuo did not refuse.

“Everyone!”

Seeing that the time was right, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom gently raised his glass and stood among the crowd to deliver a speech.

“We gather here tonight for a shared belief.

“That is, every child, regardless of whether they are born into wealth or poverty, should have the opportunity to discover their potential through sports, and through football.

“We are also incredibly fortunate to have invited a very special guest. Possessing not only extraordinary talent but also exceptional perseverance, he has reached the very pinnacle of world football.

“He is our Mr. Golden Ball, the FIFA Global Youth Football Promotional Ambassador, Mr. Wang Shuo!”

Amid the applause of the crowd, Wang Shuo smiled and raised his glass, acknowledging everyone and expressing his gratitude.

After that came various discussions, primarily revolving around the government’s promotion of youth football and the development of street football. Unfamiliar with these topics, Wang Shuo simply listened from the sidelines without participating.

His next private conversation with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom occurred when the latter expressed his hope that Wang Shuo would serve as the image ambassador for this project. Although dubbed an image ambassador, the reality was that they wanted to leverage Wang Shuo’s influence and title to endorse their policy.

However, since it was a charitable cause, Wang Shuo really had no problem with it. Besides, he had already discussed this with Shen Qinghe and his team members beforehand.

“It is my honor, Mr. Prime Minister!” Wang Shuo agreed on the spot.

After their chat, there was a special segment where Wang Shuo presented the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom with a number 9 Arsenal jersey. The Prime Minister had always proudly proclaimed himself to be an Aston Villa fan, yet he still gladly accepted the jersey.

Leaving No. 10 Downing Street and getting into the car to head home, Wang Shuo finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.