After taking his son to Manchester, Jorge lived with Messi for three days, then entrusted his son to Levi and returned to Argentina to complete the formalities for moving his family to the UK.
Since David Pace's company was there to assist them, the formalities shouldn't be difficult.
Although Messi lived in Manchester by himself, under Levi's arrangement, he stayed with the enthusiastic fat driver Jim. Jim's wife happened to be a middle school teacher, so she quickly helped Messi complete the enrollment formalities, just waiting for school to start.
While taking advantage of the holiday, Jim's wife, who was free, acted as Messi's English teacher, teaching him daily spoken language and helping him adjust to life in Manchester. This indirectly helped Levi save some costs.
Since Fat Jim had no time for work, Andy Walsh asked Bruce to lend them a car.
The legendary star's car was also very simple, a black Volkswagen, fitting Bruce's calm and understated style.
"Well, you really should buy a car for yourself with the money and get a driver's license. That'd be cool!" Levi said emotionally, sitting in the passenger seat.
A car is like a man's second wife. Few men can resist the temptation of a car, and Levi was no exception.
"You don't count on star players, but you could consider becoming a movie star. It's also very profitable. Oh, I heard a well-known pornographic director in Spain is currently recruiting a male actor of Oriental descent. You could give it a try," Walsh teased Levi.
The latter now had little money on hand and also needed to feed the club.
"Relax, relax. When we upgrade to the Premier League and become giants, those sponsors will drive Lamborghini and Porsche one by one to bribe me," Levi responded cheekily.
Walsh didn't bother to argue and could only hit back, "Before those sponsors bribe you, you better find an opportunity to talk to the travel agency first and solve the problem of our team's bus. My big boss!"
A local Manchester travel agency was interested in cooperating with New Manchester United. They would provide the bus for the team's competitions, but in exchange, the bus would display the travel agency's logo and advertisements, and the Manchester United players had to make a promotional advertisement for them.
Levi supported this proposal because it was the first sponsorship New Manchester United had received and met an urgent need. However, there were still some details to negotiate, but the problem wasn't significant.
Sometimes Levi found it strange. Playing football in a foreign country had a different atmosphere. For example, David Pace and the owner of the travel agency were all Manchester United fans and supported New Manchester United, so they did everything they could to help the team.
This might be why so many low-level clubs in England could survive for a long time!
The black Volkswagen slowly drove into Oxford Street, known as Manchester's busiest street, with famous universities on both sides, making the street lively and scholarly.
The Royal Manchester Hospital, diagonally opposite the University of Manchester, is the best hospital in Manchester.
The three entered the hospital and asked the front desk for Professor Derek Wright's office. The front desk staff called and then directed them to a separate office building behind the outpatient building.
Bruce had praised the diet nutrition expert, and Levi expected him to be older. However, the young man in front of Levi was about the same age as him, healthy but with tanned skin, making him look particularly dark against his white coat.
"Hello, Professor Wright, my name is Levi!" Levi introduced Andy Walsh and Messi.
"Just call me Derek. Steve called me, and as a Manchester United fan, I support and admire Mr. Levi's move. So I'm a New Manchester United fan too," Derek Wright said casually and amiably.
"Let me see," Levi leaned over, allowing Derek to examine Messi directly. Derek observed for a while and frowned, "Uh ... he's much shorter than his peers, and as you mentioned before, he has relied on growth hormone injections for a long time to keep growing. So, in my opinion, the situation is very serious."
"I know, that's why we came to you, hoping you could help us find a cure, and see if traditional growth hormone injections combined with diet therapy can promote his growth," Levi said, comforting Messi with a hand on his shoulder, feeling Messi tremble slightly.
For an eleven-year-old boy, having such a condition was overwhelming, but Messi had shown extraordinary patience to persist this far.
"It's a good idea, but I'm specialized in diet. For his condition, we need an expert. He's upstairs. I'll take you there. We are all the best orthopedic specialists in Manchester. Professor Earl, who is also a senior professor at the University of Manchester, is an authority in orthopedics."
Under Derek's guidance, Levi, Walsh, and Messi went upstairs and met Professor Fryer, who was over fifty and surrounded by several students.
It was clear they had already been informed, so Professor Fryer promptly arranged a comprehensive examination for Messi in this office building, using the growth and test data Levi provided for over a year.
The final conclusion was the same as Messi's tests in Argentina, but the specific treatment plan was still under discussion.
However, regardless of the treatment plan, it was certain that medical expenses would be high.
This was a significant problem!
"Levi, there's something I've been holding in for days," Walsh said, standing in the corridor.
Levi didn't know what he wanted to say; he was just concerned about why Messi hadn't returned from the test yet.
"Is Lionel Messi really worth it?"
"What do you mean, Andy?" Levi found it strange. Walsh had always been kind to Messi. Why did it seem like he had issues with him now?
"I'm not against Messi, nor is it any other problem. But I just heard from Derek that if we use the latest treatments and add dietary aids as you suggested, the minimum monthly cost is over £2,000. Plus, due to hospital regulations, we have to pay for the next three years upfront."
"We now have less than £150,000 in the club account, which means we have to spend half of it at once on Messi's treatment, and that's not counting other costs. Is it worth it?" Walsh seemed a bit agitated.
Levi thought Walsh was worried about money, so he smiled, "Whether it's worth it or not, I'm optimistic about Messi's talent. He's also willing to play for our club, so we naturally have to bear the medical expenses."
Once the World Cup concluded and he redeemed the prize, he'd have more than £30 million. By then, Messi's medical expenses wouldn't be a problem at all.
Of course, none of this could be shared with Walsh. Otherwise, why not just give up on everything?
"If we were a big club, that's fine, but we can't even protect ourselves now!"
Levi still smiled, patted Walsh's shoulder, and said, "Whether we are today's amateur club or a giant in the future, we must always treat our players with care and love. If we abandoned Messi because of his illness, how are we different from those Manchester United directors? What's the point of establishing New Manchester United?"
Seeing Walsh wanted to argue, Levi, worried Messi might overhear, quickly stopped him, "Andy, there's a saying: problems solvable by money aren't real problems. Don't worry about the money; I'll think of a way. Just don't mention it in front of Messi!"
Walsh knew Levi's thoughts and that he wouldn't change his decision easily, so he nodded in agreement.
As soon as they reached a consensus, Messi came around the corner.
"Leo, you're back!" Levi greeted with a smile, "Everything okay?"
Messi gritted his teeth and nodded. "Yes, everything's fine!"
"Great, let's go back first. After Derek and Professor Fryer finalize a practical medical plan, we'll come back!"
"Okay," Messi nodded obediently.
From start to finish, Messi didn't ask about medical costs, and Levi and Walsh didn't mention them. The three walked silently to the parking lot.
Messi, deliberately falling behind, looked at Levi and Walsh ahead, chatting and laughing as if they had no troubles. His nose tingled, and his eyes grew moist.
Messi's treatment plan came out soon, aligning with Derek's earlier proposal, with some appropriate improvements from Professor Fryer.
On the day of receiving the reply, Levi transferred nearly £80,000 for Messi's medical expenses for the next three years to the Royal Bank account. Messi began receiving joint treatment from Professor Fryer and Derek the next day.
However, the events at the Royal Hospital remained unspoken. These are future matters. Levi had no time to dwell on them as he was too busy. After Messi's situation, he welcomed Curtis's parents.