Chapter 144 A Gift Worth Millions, Manchester City Boss Splurges!
In Munich, outside a mansion on Sophie Street, Guardiola parked the car.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Ms. Sofia!"
On the street outside the mansion stood a woman in her mid-twenties, dressed in a black business suit.
The woman adjusted her black-framed glasses and reached out her hand politely.
"No worries, I just arrived too. And who might this be?"
She noticed the young man next to Guardiola and found his face somewhat familiar, raising her eyebrows in curiosity.
"This is my son, Linquan. Let me introduce you, this is our real estate consultant, Ms. Sofia!"
Linquan politely shook hands with her.
Sofia stared at his face for a moment and then widened her eyes suddenly.
"Are you the Linquan from the newspaper?"
Seeing her reaction, Linquan knew he had been recognized.
But such things were unavoidable, as his fame in Germany was growing.
The fact that she didn't recognize him at first sight indicated that she probably wasn't much into football.
"Yes, Ms. Sofia, can we start looking at the houses now?"
Linquan didn't want to waste time on trivial matters; he just wanted to get down to business.
"Of course, follow me!"
Guardiola had his eyes on two houses.
One was located in downtown Munich, while the other was in the southern suburbs.
The downtown one was chosen for its convenience in commuting and schooling for their children.
The suburban house was meant for weekends or holidays to relax and enjoy the countryside scenery.
Munich was not far from the Alps, and according to Guardiola, the suburban house had a view of the Alps just by looking up.
If they had spare time, the family could even drive there for some skiing or ice skating.
The house on Sophie Street was a luxurious mansion with three floors and six bedrooms, covering an area of about 450 square meters.
The layout was well-designed, with good lighting and spacious rooms.
In addition to bedrooms for each family member, there were two studies, a storage room, and an activity room.
There were also front and back yards, a terrace, a basement, and a garage.
What attracted Linquan and Guardiola the most was the large backyard.
"This backyard is almost the size of half a football field!"
"Yeah, roughly. Put up a goalpost and change the lawn, and it can be used as a mini football field!"
"If you can convince Sera not to turn this into a swimming pool!"
Guardiola was speechless at Linquan's remark.
Although he wasn't henpecked, he wasn't sure if he could fully convince his wife.
"I see the front yard seems nice too. Why don't you help me persuade Sera to put the swimming pool there?"
Linquan rolled his eyes. Who puts a swimming pool in the front yard?
Isn't the front yard supposed to have flowers and grass?
After viewing the house on Sophie Street, Linquan and Guardiola thought it was nice, but after asking about the price, Linquan fell silent.
The price was outrageous at 7.5 million euros.
"Ahem, let's go check out the estate in the suburbs first!"
Guardiola also felt it was a bit too expensive. Even though he could afford it, he felt it would empty his savings.
However, if they really liked it, they had to buy it.
For people like them with a family to support, having no house was not an option.
And with the current good economy in Germany, house prices were still rising.
Buying here could also be considered an investment. After his contract with Bayern ended, he could sell it. Maybe he'd make a profit then.
Sofia didn't show any impatience upon hearing Guardiola's request; instead, she immediately drove them to the suburban estate.
The estate was located in a small village in the south of Munich and looked very luxurious from the outside.
The village was situated at the foot of the northern foothills of the Alps, surrounded by vast grasslands and low rolling mountains.
From afar, there were many flocks of sheep leisurely grazing, resembling a beautiful landscape painting.
The scenery here was really nice, and the air was fresh.
Linquan took a deep breath, feeling somewhat relieved and relaxed, as if he had unloaded all his stress.
Guardiola's eyes were indeed sharp; he also liked this place.
He just didn't know the price. But since it wasn't in the city center, land prices shouldn't be as high. Hopefully, it wouldn't be more expensive than the mansion on Sophie Street.
In addition to the luxurious mansion that Guardiola was interested in, there were also many traditional-style old manors in the village.
The people living here were probably all well-off.
There weren't many people living here, and it was quiet, giving off a feeling of a peaceful utopia.
Linquan figured out why Guardiola liked this place. He enjoyed peace and quiet, and this atmosphere was just right for him.
"The area of this estate is about 135,000 square meters, and the indoor area is about 1,000 square meters. If you want to buy it, you may need to hire professional housekeepers and butlers to maintain it."
Linquan was shocked by the numbers she mentioned!
How many square meters?
135,000?
That's the size of 20 football fields! It's big enough for horse racing!
He suddenly became worried again; this price might not be cheaper than the mansion on Sophie Street.
At first, Guardiola didn't take Sofia's words seriously. This estate was just a bit larger in space outside the house; there was no need to hire a butler or anything.
Their family of six could handle it themselves!
But after spending three and a half hours touring the entire estate, Guardiola changed his mind.
Yes, hiring someone was a must!
With such a large estate, without hiring someone, even just cleaning would exhaust them.
"What's the price of this estate?"
After Guardiola and Linquan finished viewing the entire estate and were very satisfied with it, Guardiola asked about the price.
The hardware conditions, natural scenery, and living environment here were much better than those in the city center.
If the price was right, Guardiola would definitely buy it.
"5.5 million euros. If you buy both, we can give you a discount. Together, they'll cost you 12.9 million euros. How about it?"
A discount of a hundred thousand euros? That's hardly a discount!
Guardiola seemed tempted, eager to buy it right away.
Linquan saw that it wasn't going to be that easy. The negotiation hadn't even started, and Guardiola had already decided?
"Ahem, Ms. Sofia, can you make it a bit cheaper?"
Faced with Linquan's bargaining, Sofia maintained her professional smile and said gently:
"This is already the discounted price. The properties we have are all high-quality boutique real estates, and this price is not expensive."
Seeing this, Linquan hinted:
"But with such a high price, even if it's a boutique, it might not be easy to sell, right?"
A price of five or six million euros isn't something many people can afford.
It's only affordable for wealthy businessmen and top football stars.
Seeing Sofia not denying his words, Linquan confirmed his guess was correct.
So he had a clue in mind:
"Ms. Sofia should know what my father does for a living, right?"
Conducting a basic investigation on one's clients is a basic professional quality that a good real estate consultant should possess.
So faced with Linquan's question, Sofia nodded, indicating she knew who Guardiola was.
"Since you know who he is, then you should know he will be in charge of Bayern next season.
For clubs like Bayern, there may be major moves in the summer transfer window, and it is very likely that they will bring in some top-level stars from other clubs.
After these stars come to Bayern, will they need to buy a house to settle down? At this time, if someone could introduce them to your company..."
Linquan stopped here, as he believed the other party's intelligence would allow them to understand the significant benefits of establishing a good relationship with Guardiola.
Top-level football stars are wealthy individuals, and luxury homes and cars are almost standard for them.
Acquiring such high-quality clients would be a dream come true for them.
However, getting in touch with these individuals is not easy; without referrals, it's challenging to connect with them.
Realizing this, Sofia immediately changed her tone:
"Mr. Guardiola, out of respect and admiration for you, we are willing to offer an additional discount on top of the original discount. Both houses will total 12 million euros for you. What do you think?"
Guardiola was already considering spending 13 million euros, let alone getting a million euros off.
Linquan, with his eloquence, managed to save himself a million euros with just a few words.
So he immediately decided to buy the two houses.
The three of them then drove back to Sofia's company to prepare to sign the contract.
Upon arriving at the company, Guardiola and Sofia went to get the contract.
Linquan sat bored on the sofa in the reception room, playing with his phone.
"Lin?"
At that moment, a surprised and slightly delighted voice came from beside him.
Linquan looked up and saw a man in a suit and tie with a typical Middle Eastern appearance.
The man seemed somewhat familiar, but Linquan couldn't remember where he had seen him before.
"Hehe, I'm Mansour. We met in Qatar before, don't you remember?"
Upon hearing the man's introduction, Linquan immediately recognized him.
So he was the owner of Manchester City! During a friendly match between Spain and Uruguay, the two had indeed crossed paths.
After that match, Mansour, as a sponsor, had presented valuable gifts to the Spanish players, and Linquan had received a precious watch.
However, it was too flashy, so he hadn't worn it much.
"Mansour, nice to meet you here!"
The man was generous, and Manchester City had interacted with him before.
Linquan didn't reject this wealthy man from the Middle East; on the contrary, he felt some goodwill towards him.
Who wouldn't like a boss who demands little and pays well?
"Hehe, I'm also glad to see you here. Your performance in the Bundesliga is excellent. I'm your loyal fan!"
Mansour seemed like an ordinary fan, his eyes shining when he saw his favorite player, completely unlike a billionaire tycoon.
This contrast surprised Linquan, but he quickly responded:
"Really? It's an honor to have a fan like you!"
"Hehe, Lin, can you sign an autograph for me? I really like the number ten jersey you wore at Werder Bremen!"
Mansour took a green jersey from his assistant, and sure enough, it was the one Linquan had worn at Werder Bremen.
Wow!
Seeing this scene, Linquan was shocked.
He had thought Mansour's claim of being his fan was just a polite remark, but it turned out to be true!
If he didn't genuinely like him, why would he carry his jersey with him?
He had to sign it!
Even if Mansour wasn't Mansour and was just an ordinary fan, Linquan couldn't refuse his request.
He took the jersey from Mansour's hand, earnestly wrote his name on it, and then returned it to Mansour.
"Thank you, Lin. You've given me a gift, so I can't be empty-handed."
Mansour beckoned to his assistant, who handed him a set of car keys.
"There's a decent car outside, consider it a gift from me to you. I hope you like it!"
Linquan didn't recognize the car brand on the keys, but Mansour's car couldn't be an ordinary one.
This thing must be expensive.
But he didn't have a driver's license, nor did he know how to drive!
"Um, Mr. Mansour, you're too kind. I don't have a driver's license, nor do I know how to drive. How about we forget about this gift?"
No merit, no reward. He had only signed an autograph for the other party; taking a luxury car from them made Linquan feel uncomfortable, so he chose to refuse.
Mansour was taken aback for a moment, not expecting Linquan to not even have a driver's license.
But upon further thought, he immediately understood.
Linquan wasn't even 18 yet. According to the laws of various European countries, he indeed didn't qualify for a driver's license.
Blame it on Linquan's outstanding performance; subconsciously, people overlooked his age.
Mansour had made the same mistake now.
"Sorry, I didn't do my research beforehand. How about we pick a different gift!"
At this point, Guardiola and Sofia happened to come out.
Seeing Sofia holding the contract, Mansour understood that Linquan and Guardiola had come here to buy a house.
So he spoke up:
"Miss, just put the houses Mr. Lin is interested in on my tab!"
Sofia certainly recognized him; he was a wealthy tycoon from the Middle East.
His UAE consortium had many business dealings in Germany, and they had cooperated with her company many times.
It could be said that a significant reason for the rise in house prices in Germany recently was attributed to the Middle Eastern consortium's speculation.
"Okay, Mr. Mansour!"
Before Linquan could agree, Sofia agreed on his behalf.
"I won't disturb you then. Enjoy your time in Munich!"
Mansour waved to Linquan and Guardiola, then left with his assistant.
Guardiola was stunned: what happened in the five minutes he wasn't there? Why would the owner of Manchester City give Linquan a house worth millions?
(End of this chapter)