After signing with AC Milan, I will be the king of football!

...

At the airport, he bought Cassano a set of clothes.

The little golden retriever regained its energy.

Cassano wasn’t someone who dwelt on things.

On the private plane, Cassano looked around and said, ”I always knew you were rich, but I didn’t realize you were this rich.”

”You see that I am rich, but you don’t see the hard work I put in to earn the money,”

Huang Kaiwen said.

”Then tell me about it.”

Cassano said.

”Cough cough, you wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”

Huang Kaiwen said, touching the back of his head to shift the topic.

Thinking about it,

it seemed that earning money wasn’t really hard for him.

Maybe that was the world of a genius. Even without trying to make money, it would automatically transfer into his bank account.

In the afternoon, they arrived at Sotheby’s Auction House.

Cassano was stunned.

He had been abandoned by his father as a child and lived in a basement with his mother.

He didn’t attend school much and often hung out in the streets.

Even so, he had heard of Sotheby’s Auction House.

In his mind, he never thought that a football player would have any connection with Sotheby’s Auction House.

”What are we doing here?”

Cassano asked quietly after sitting down.

”Of course, to attend an auction,”

Huang Kaiwen said.

”I mean, you want to bid on artwork? Those things are all scams! Look, they even auction off this kind of painting, with a starting price of 500,000 British Pounds. They must be crazy; I’ve never even heard of this person.”

Cassano complained.

”That Kevin is me,”

Huang Kaiwen said with a smile.

”What?!”

Cassano exclaimed, jumping up from his chair.

Noticing everyone looking, he quickly covered his mouth and sat down, asking, ”Your painting can sell for 500,000 British Pounds?”

”That’s the starting price,”

Huang Kaiwen said with a light smile.

Cassano would surely give him good publicity when they returned.

”Then why do you still play football? You could paint two of these a day, and in a little over a week you could make 15 million Euros, I’d retire and start painting if I were you,”

Cassano said excitedly, ”Master Antonio sounds so cool, maybe more girls would like me.”

”Auctions require paying taxes, and... no one can paint two pieces in one day,”

Huang Kaiwen corrected.

A painting, from conception to completion, takes a long time.

Some artists even measure the completion of a work in months or years.

It took him, Huang Kaiwen, almost a week to complete the piece ”A Small Tavern in Berlin.”

”Anyway, it’s a lot of money,”

Cassano muttered, ”Back when I used to hang out with them in the streets, they all said the things I painted on the walls had the elegance of Picasso’s ’Water Lilies,’ I should have stopped playing football and started painting.”

”’Water Lilies’ is by Monet,”

Huang Kaiwen reminded.

Cassano had no real talent, probably just flattered by those street punks.

And even with talent,

art needs promotion; without it, it’s hard to become famous.

A few minutes and a hammerfall later,

Cassano exclaimed again, ”1.5 million British Pounds, no robbery is this quick, you’re too incredible!”

Huang Kaiwen’s face warmed with the praise.

The buyer was someone he knew.

It was the mother of Kaka’s girlfriend, the owner of Valentino; there were benefits involved, as the high value of the Yellow Ball King’s works also benefitted the products he endorsed.

At least half of the people sitting here today were sponsors or shills invited by the young lady.

”Today’s final item for auction, still from Kevin, is the jersey Kevin wore during the 2005-2006 UEFA Champions League final, along with the gloves he wore and the ball used in the match, with a starting bid of one million British Pounds.”

The auctioneer introduced with a smile.

”These old rags are so expensive?”

Cassano exclaimed in a low voice.

”This isn’t expensive, there will be more expensive jerseys in the future.”

Huang Kaiwen said.

He remembered that Maradona’s ’Hand of God’ jersey had sold for nearly ten million dollars.

Although he hadn’t retired yet, these three items were indeed valuable and would continue to increase in value as his status in the soccer world rose.

Plus, there was the added value of belief.

Huang Kaiwen felt that selling them for twenty to thirty million shouldn’t be a problem.

”One million?”

The young lady disdainfully said, ”Today’s closing price can’t possibly be less than five million British Pounds.”

These three items had special significance, and she did not agree to let someone else buy them.

Later, the shills she invited would help buy them back.

Five minutes later, the bidding had exceeded seven million British Pounds.

Cassano was already staring blankly.

”Are they the ones you invited?”

Huang Kaiwen asked softly.

The young lady shook her head slightly and said, ”No, these two sides aren’t connected to us; they have been on the phone, likely agents of someone else.”

”Don’t get involved.”

Huang Kaiwen said while restraining the eager young lady.

With the auction house’s commission and taxes to pay, buying back the auctioned items would incur a significant loss. Now that there was a sucker willing to offer a high price, there was no need to buy it back ourselves.

The purpose of today’s auction was to generate hype, which had already been achieved.

”But... those three items are of special significance to you.”

The young lady said anxiously.

”It’s okay.”

Huang Kaiwen patted the young lady’s hand and said, ”I haven’t retired yet; there will be more valuable memorabilia. Let’s not get involved.”

Seeing Huang Kaiwen’s firm attitude, the young lady said no more and sat there pouting sulkily.

Eventually, the three items sold for a neat ten million British Pounds.

As they left, Cassano’s legs were trembling.

”I’m heading back to Madrid.”

Cassano said as they walked out.

”Alright, I’ll have someone book your ticket.”

Huang Kaiwen said.

Next, they were scheduled to fly to Milan City, which was not on the way.

Cassano nodded.

This ten million British Pounds made Cassano feel that playing soccer also had a bright future.

He wanted to go back and train hard.

Perhaps after retiring, he could also auction his match-worn jerseys to maintain a dignified life.

After parting with Cassano,

Huang Kaiwen and the young lady went to Savile Row to get measured.

”Can’t they just use our data?”

Huang Kaiwen asked while being fitted by the tailor.

”It’s better to get measured, as your body is always changing,”

The young lady said with a soothing smile.

Huang Kaiwen had nothing to say.

Latter, they had a meal with the sponsors and those who came to help.

By the time they flew back to Milan City, it was already night.

”Kevin, are you asleep? Do you need me to send you some player profiles concerning the transfer?”

Right after getting off the plane, Huang Kaiwen saw Capello’s message.

Having read Milan’s scouting reports all the way on the flight, Huang Kaiwen replied, ”No need, I think Hamburg’s Nigel De Jong, Porto’s Kepler Ferreira, and Braga’s Diego Costa are quite good.”