Chapter 584 The Billionaires' Wager

Wembley Stadium.

Qi Sheng brought Jin Ying to watch the FA Cup Final, accompanied by the club’s Operations Director, Gallic, and Sporting Director, Edu.

They were in the VIP box with the best view.

He was having a pleasant conversation with Ah Bu, a Russian oligarch who was also a passionate football fan.

Curious about this new player who had suddenly appeared in the Premier League, Ah Bu had done some digging on Qi Sheng.

And what he found was a shock; Ah Bu was taken aback by Qi Sheng’s immense fortune.

Misha, one of the three giants in the European luxury goods scene, was a company under Qi Sheng’s name.

That company alone was enough to make Ah Bu take him seriously.

“Qi, who do you think will win between our two teams?”

Ah Bu was in a relatively good mood.

Although his Chelsea team hadn’t performed very well in the Champions League or the domestic league.

At least they had made it to the FA Cup Final, giving him a rare chance to take time off to watch a match.

“Arsenal, of course.”

Qi Sheng supported his own team without hesitation.

“Haha, Arsenal is invincible~”

Ah Bu couldn’t help but laugh and sing along, clearly getting the reference.

“Roman, there’s a saying back home: ‘You can hit a man, but don’t hit his face.’ Whatever Arsenal’s record was before, that had nothing to do with me.”

“But next season’s Premier League title is ours for the taking!”

Qi Sheng’s domineering declaration made Gallic and Edu break out in a cold sweat.

The Premier League title wasn’t that easy to win.

Besides, Arteta was still a rookie manager.

A rookie manager winning the Premier League in his first full season? What kind of joke was that?

“Oh?”

Ah Bu’s interest was piqued. “So how much are you planning to invest?”

“Two hundred million British Pounds, and that’s net transfer spending!”

Qi Sheng held up two fingers on his right hand.

“That’s no small sum.”

Ah Bu was a little surprised. His investment in Chelsea last season had been quite small, not as wild as when he first started.

To put it bluntly, Ah Bu had had his fun.

He’d won all there was to win: the league title, the Champions League, and the domestic cups.

“How about we make a bet on who wins next season’s Premier League title?”

“If my team wins it, you’ll sell me that yacht, the Solaris.”

Qi Sheng already owned one superyacht, but who would ever complain about having too many of those things!

Just look at Ah Bu. He already had seven yachts to his name and was still buying more.

Only the super-rich could afford such big toys.

Ordinary rich people didn’t even have the credentials to buy them.

“The Solaris?”

A flash of reluctance crossed Ah Bu’s face.

He had placed the order for it years in advance.

It also cost 500 million US Dollars and was scheduled for its official launch and delivery next year.

“And if you lose?”

What Ah Bu was reluctant to give up was the time he’d have to wait for another yacht to be delivered, not the price of the yacht itself.

“My yacht, the Nord, is worth 500 million US Dollars. If Chelsea wins the title, she’s yours.”

“But let’s up the stakes. Whoever loses has to sell their club and leave the Premier League for good!”

Qi Sheng added fuel to the fire with a chuckle, also because he didn’t want to see Ah Bu’s tragic end.

“Playing for such high stakes?”

Ah Bu was taken aback.

But he had indeed been eyeing the Nord, he just hadn’t expected Qi Sheng to be the one who bought it.

With Chelsea’s current squad, winning the league title would still be a serious struggle.

Qi Sheng’s wager had also ignited Ah Bu’s fighting spirit.

The Premier League had been too boring these past two years; only Manchester City was even remotely interesting.

“Qi, can we cancel the condition about leaving the Premier League?”

Ah Bu hesitated, but in the end, he couldn’t bear to give up Chelsea so easily.

“Alright.”

Qi Sheng thought for a moment and decided not to make things difficult for Ah Bu.

Anyone who had invested nearly twenty years into something would have feelings that were hard to let go of.

In a way, Ah Bu’s somber departure was the best possible ending to his story with Chelsea.

As for whether he himself would be targeted?

What a joke. With the system as his protection, he was the only one who could screw others over.

“Then it’s settled. If Chelsea wins the title, I’ll pay 500 million US Dollars to buy the Nord from you.”

Ah Bu’s face immediately lit up with a smile as he extended his hand to Qi Sheng.

“And if Arsenal wins the title, I will also pay 500 million US Dollars to buy your Solaris.”

Qi Sheng smiled and high-fived Ah Bu to seal the deal.

Next season’s Premier League was definitely going to be a must-watch.

It wasn’t just their two clubs; the oil-rich owners of Manchester City wouldn’t be skimping on their investments either.

If they won the Premier League title without any suspense, what would be the point?

What Qi Sheng wanted was to openly and decisively crush Ah Bu and the others to bring a precious Premier League title to the Arsenal fans!

Never mind Gallic and Edu; even Jin Ying was dumbfounded.

Bets between the super-rich easily involved hundreds of millions of US Dollars.

Combined with the transfer investments, it was already approaching one billion US Dollars.

“Qi, I will also prepare a net transfer budget of 200 million British Pounds for Chelsea.”

“As someone who’s been through it, let me give you some advice.”

“Don’t be stingy when buying players, and if the manager’s results aren’t good enough, just fire him.”

Ah Bu’s advice was genuinely well-intentioned; it was rare to find an opponent who could reignite his competitive spirit.

He didn’t want this game to be too easy for him to win.

“Don’t worry, Arsenal will absolutely be the Premier League champions next season!”

Qi Sheng was full of confidence. After all, he could cheat.

Even though Arteta was a rookie, that couldn’t stand against the system taking action.

In this match, Arteta was already a completely different manager.

Not only had his in-game management improved dramatically.

His pre-match tactical setup also stunned the players and coaching staff who were familiar with him.

Originally, Arteta’s coaching style was all about imitating Guardiola from Manchester City.

But before this final began, it was as if he had a sudden epiphany, making great strides in all aspects of his coaching.

Even if he were to go head-to-head with a top manager like Guardiola, Arteta wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.

A single Master-level Talent Recruitment Card had instantly transformed Arteta from a rookie into a top-tier manager.

As the owner of Chelsea, Ah Bu had been watching football for many years.

He could naturally judge a manager’s skill level from the small details.

This Arsenal squad was still inferior to Chelsea’s.

But Arteta’s tactical setup erased the gap between the two teams.

The scales of victory began to tip steadily in Arsenal’s favor.

Even when Chelsea scored first, Arteta showed no signs of panic.

Instead, he continuously directed his players, having them resolutely execute his tactical plan.

“Qi, Arteta really is quite good!”

Ah Bu commented with a relaxed smile on his face.

After all, Chelsea had scored first, and victory seemed to be in sight.

“Yes, Mikel is indeed very good.”

Qi Sheng couldn’t help but smile as he watched Aubameyang suddenly drive the ball into the penalty area and get brought down by Azpilicueta on the left side.

The referee decisively awarded a penalty, and after a VAR check, the original decision was upheld.

He then showed a yellow card to warn Azpilicueta.

Aubameyang took the penalty himself and scored, equalizing for Arsenal.

1-1.

“What is this dogshit football!”

Ah Bu’s face instantly darkened, and he couldn’t help but curse.

After a short halftime break, Arsenal came out more aggressive in the second half.

Chelsea, on the other hand, seemed particularly unable to adapt.

Ah Bu, who had been composed until now, suddenly stood up in agitation.

He watched as Arsenal’s right-back, Bellerin, initiated an attack from the right side of the center circle.

Lacazette received the ball on the right and made a diagonal pass, and Aubameyang drove into the left side of the penalty area.

He cut past Chelsea’s defender, Zuma, and smashed a left-footed shot into the net.

Arsenal took the lead, making the score 2-1.

“Fuck!”

Ah Bu completely lost his composure, letting out a string of curses.

How could he save face in front of a new friend after being played like this by a team that finished eighth in the Premier League?

“Marina, as soon as the match is over, tell Frank to get the hell out!”

Like a tyrant, Ah Bu unhesitatingly fired Chelsea’s club legend, Lampard.

It was his fault for losing to Arsenal, a team with a far inferior record.

Marina Granovskaya, the woman Ah Bu trusted most, silently nodded.

Whether Ah Bu was being angry or rational.

As long as it was a decision he made, Marina would always execute it without hesitation.

Originally, Ah Bu had held a glimmer of hope that Lampard could prove himself.

Then, in the 72nd minute, Kovacic tripped Zaka and received another yellow card.

Two yellows made a red. He was sent off, leaving Chelsea to fight on with only ten men.

Ah Bu could no longer maintain his composure and hurriedly prepared to leave.

“See you next season. Remember to get my Nord ready.”

“You too. Get my Solaris ready.”

Qi Sheng smiled and popped open a bottle of champagne, which made Ah Bu’s expression darken even further.

It had to be said, opportunities to see Ah Bu flustered were few and far between.

As the match drew to a close, Arsenal held on to their lead until the very end.

They had come from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1, lifting the club’s 14th FA Cup trophy!

“Cheers!”

The clinking of champagne glasses echoed throughout the VIP box.

Thinking about how the yacht Ah Bu had painstakingly commissioned would be delivered into his hands next year, Qi Sheng’s mood improved even more.

“My thanks to Ah Bu for the gift!”

Qi Sheng raised his glass, his smile somewhat punchable.

…

After the match, just as Lampard arrived at the press conference, he saw Marina waiting for him.

“Marina?”

Lampard had a bad feeling, and as it turned out, he was right.

“Frank, you’re fired. The severance pay will be deposited into your bank account. Thank you for your contributions to Chelsea.”

Marina crisply announced Lampard’s dismissal and then left to contact other potential candidates for the manager position.

“I…”

Lampard couldn’t help but give a bitter smile. He didn’t need to think to know it was Ah Bu’s decision.

When he got to the press conference, he saw Arteta, beaming as he was interviewed by reporters.

Meanwhile, he was being unceremoniously kicked out the door.

The stark contrast made it even harder for him to remain calm.

“For Arsenal to win this hard-fought FA Cup title, I must thank every fan, player, and member of the coaching staff, the club staff, the management, and most importantly, the support of our owner, Ms. Jin Ying.”

“I believe Arsenal will be even more competitive next season. As for transfers, I have no comment at this time.”

Having just won an FA Cup, Arteta had barely managed to build a foundation of trust with the fans.

As for transfers and signings, Arteta wouldn’t be involved.

Qi Sheng had already given the recruitment list to Jin Ying; he just needed to cook with the ingredients provided.

A truly top-tier manager had to have this ability.

And now, he had that ability.

The thought of all those red-hot star players who would be on the club’s roster next season…

It was harder to keep the corners of Arteta’s mouth down than it was to control an AK.

Not counting player sales, a net investment of 200 million British Pounds.

You tell me, how could they possibly lose?