Chapter 325: Everyone Wants Tickets

Between Xiang-guo Temple and Jingling East Palace, there was a place called Football City.

As the name suggested, Football City was a venue specifically designed for football, though this particular field was prepared exclusively for the imperial family. Matches such as those between Great Song and the Liao Empire would generally be held here.

Additionally, there were competitions organized by the imperial family themselves.

Of course, matches of the eighteen clubs of the capital would occasionally be arranged by the imperial court to take place here as well.

After Grand Empress Dowager Cao expressed her desire to watch the match, Emperor Zhao Xu immediately arranged for this charity competition to be held at Football City. Naturally, Zhang Fei’s influence also played a role in this decision.

Emperor Zhao Xu’s trust in Zhang Fei now rivaled that which he placed in Wang Anshi.

Toward his own people, Emperor Zhao Xu was quite generous.

“You rascal!”

When Cao Ping saw Zhang Fei, he cursed through gritted teeth.

Zhang Fei bowed sheepishly, “This commoner greets Commissioner Cao.”

Cao Dongdong asked curiously, “Father, why are you scolding Zhang San?”

Cao Ping glanced at Cao Dongdong, “Go busy yourself first. I have some matters to discuss with Zhang San.”

“Oh.”

After Cao Dongdong left, Cao Ping said to Zhang Fei, “Actually, regarding the Imperial Treasury affair, you could have handled it better.”

Although the case ultimately did not implicate the General Police Bureau, it still gave Cao Ping quite a scare. The key issue was that the Procuratorate had not succeeded—if the Procuratorate had proceeded to prosecute the Imperial Treasury, he might have been dragged into it.

Cao Ping was very dissatisfied with Zhang Fei’s performance in this case.

Even if Lu Huiqing had approached you at the last minute, you could have delayed things, or at the very least given advance notice. There was no need to let me learn about it from the newspapers.

“Please don’t blame me, Commissioner Cao. This was my first time encountering such a situation, so I had no experience. Also…”

Zhang Fei hesitated, “There’s something I don’t know if I should say.”

Cao Ping wouldn’t fall for this act and snorted, “Is there anything you don’t dare to say?”

Zhang Fei smiled sheepishly, “I just feel that this lesson is also quite valuable for the police bureau.”

Cao Ping immediately understood what he wanted to say and replied, “You don’t need to worry about the complexities of court politics—of course it’s easy for you to talk when you’re not the one dealing with the consequences.”

Zhang Fei said, “But based on my understanding of the new public justice system, the decision of whether to prosecute lies with the Procuratorate, and how to render judgment lies with Kaifeng Prefecture, the Bureau of Records, the Court of Judicial Review, and so forth. Unlike before, when everything from investigation to judgment was handled by Kaifeng Prefecture, Commissioner Cao perhaps doesn’t need to worry so much about personal relationships.”

That’s right! With the Procuratorate above us, many things are beyond my control. Cao Ping pondered with furrowed brows for a long while, then said, “But ultimately, our General Police Bureau employs your law firm, so you have a responsibility to advise and strategize for us.”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Zhang Fei nodded repeatedly, “In the future, we will strengthen our cooperation with the General Police Bureau.”

Cao Ping nodded with slight satisfaction, then said, “By the way, you deliberately arranged for the Imperial Guards to compete against the police bureau, didn’t you?”

Zhang Fei chuckled, “You saw through it.”

Cao Ping said, “You’re quite the schemer. I heard that now all of the Three Military Divisions take this match very seriously. The Commander of the Cavalry and the other imperial guard commanders have put up hundreds of strings of cash to motivate those players, saying they must defeat our General Police Bureau.”

Zhang Fei asked, “What do you think?”

“What else can I think? Of course we can’t lose!”

Cao Ping suddenly spoke with excitement, “When the police bureau was established, it took away much authority from the Three Military Divisions. They’re very dissatisfied about this and want to use this opportunity to prove that the Three Military Divisions are stronger than our General Police Bureau. Now that His Majesty and the Grand Empress Dowager will both be watching, they’re giving it their all. But our police bureau can’t afford to lose either—how demoralizing would that be!”

This kind of passion was exactly what was needed. If there were no grudges involved, how boring would the match be! Zhang Fei nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, yes.”

Cao Ping suddenly glanced at him, “Hmph! This is exactly what you wanted, isn’t it?”

Zhang Fei chuckled, “When there’s mutual resentment, it needs to be vented to feel comfortable. If you keep it bottled up inside, first, it’s very uncomfortable, and second, resolving it on the playing field is at least better than all that scheming and plotting.”

Cao Ping asked again, “Since you created this football, tell me, which side is stronger?”

Zhang Fei replied, “In terms of overall strength, the opposing side is somewhat stronger. But Young Master and Little Ma’s ball skills surpass everyone else’s, so it’s about even. It will still depend on their performance on the field.”

Cao Ping nodded slightly, thinking that at least they wouldn’t lose too badly.

Zhang Fei continued, “By the way, Commissioner Cao, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

“What is it?” Cao Ping asked.

Zhang Fei said, “I want to establish a long-term partnership with the Three Military Divisions. First, to rent several of their training grounds to use as football fields. Second, I hope the Three Military Divisions can form football teams to participate in my football competitions.”

Cao Ping immediately replied, “I can’t make decisions on such matters.”

Zhang Fei said, “The Three Military Divisions are short on funds, aren’t they? This could bring them some income.”

Cao Ping wondered, “This new football isn’t much different from old football, and perhaps not even as entertaining. How much money could it make?”

Zhang Fei smiled, “Commissioner Cao, have you ever seen me make a losing deal?”

That’s right! This young man was quite shrewd – why would he engage in a losing business? After thinking for a moment, Cao Ping said, “How about this: first prove that people want to watch these matches, then I’ll discuss it with them.”

Zhang Fei nodded, “That’s fine.”

Cao Ping added, “By the way! You need to reserve fifty tickets for me.”

Although they were providing the venue, the ticketing rights were in Zhang Fei’s hands.

Zhang Fei said, “The young master already mentioned this to me.”

“He’s him, what does that have to do with me?” Cao Ping snorted.

You father and son are being too demanding – wanting a hundred tickets between you two. Zhang Fei didn’t dare agree easily, “Commissioner Cao, I still don’t know how many people this venue can accommodate after renovation. Besides, I need to plan for the future – I hope people from all walks of life will come watch. I need to use these tickets sparingly.”

After pondering briefly, Cao Ping said, “Just fifty tickets, delivered directly to me.”

Fifty tickets was actually quite a lot, but there was no choice – to develop this football enterprise, he couldn’t do without the Cao family’s help. Zhang Fei nodded, “Alright!”

After talking with Cao Ping, Zhang Fei went down to the middle of the field to direct the venue renovation work.

Since the current football field was only half the size of a football field, they needed to redraw the lines, rearrange the tables and chairs, and install goalposts.

Fortunately, this arena was large enough, and the seating consisted entirely of VIP boxes. After all, those who could watch games here were high officials and nobles. If these VIP boxes were dismantled, there would be quite a considerable number of seats, though the exact count was still unknown.

After arranging the work here, Zhang Fei hurried to a workshop in the western part of the city.

This workshop was for producing footballs.

Zhang Fei had already invested three hundred strings of cash to buy ninety percent of this workshop, while the original owner retained only ten percent.

Actually, Zhang Fei could have bought it outright – the workshop wasn’t worth three hundred strings. What he was really buying were the craftsmen. And since he lacked experience managing such workshops, he still needed the original owner to help oversee things.

“Zhang San, you’re here.”

A hunchbacked man came forward to greet him.

This man was named Liu Huai, the owner of this ball-making workshop. Ma Xiaoyi had introduced him to Zhang Fei. He had four or five apprentices, and his craftsmanship was excellent.

Zhang Fei smiled, “Uncle Liu, how are the balls coming along?”

Liu Huai said, “Zhang San, come with me, I’ll show you.”

Seeing his excited expression, Zhang Fei was also very expectant and followed him into a room.

Liu Huai rummaged through a large wooden chest for a while, then pulled out a grayish-brown leather ball. “Zhang San, look at this – I made it myself. It’s made from twelve pieces of cowhide with a double pig bladder, and I had Aunt Liu from Horse Market Street make it with internal stitching.”

Zhang Fei took it and examined it carefully. It was already very round, and the coarse thread that had previously been sewn on the outside was barely visible on this ball. He patted it a few times.

Thump, thump, thump!

“The elasticity is excellent.”

Zhang Fei exclaimed with delight.

This was now an inflated ball, though the inner bladder was made from animal bladders, and they used a type of bellows to pump air into it. Of course, this also meant that this ball were much smaller than future footballs. Zhang Fei had requested they make them as large as possible.

Large bladders were even harder to find, and since the new football matches were much more intense than previously, the quality requirements for the balls were also higher. They could only use two bladders of similar size that fitted together.

Zhang Fei asked Liu Huai again, “Uncle Liu, how many of these balls can be produced in a day?”

Liu Huai replied, “This requires extremely high craftsmanship, and cowhide and pig bladders this large are quite difficult to obtain. In a whole day, we can’t even finish making one.”

Zhang Fei said, “Then find a way. For example, use this cowhide specifically for matches, while the previous sheepskin balls can be sold to common people for playing. Money is no problem – hire more people for me.”

If money was no problem, then there was no problem. But Liu Huai still had a ten percent stake after all. “With our current scale, it should be enough to handle the matches.”

Zhang Fei asked with a smile, “What if we play over a hundred matches in a year? Could you handle that?”

“I couldn’t handle that.” Liu Huai shook his head repeatedly. “But could there really be that many matches in a year?”

Zhang Fei chuckled, “Whether there can be or not, you need to operate at that scale. I’m the one spending the money anyway, so what are you afraid of?”

Liu Huai said awkwardly, “I can’t just waste your money carelessly.”

Zhang Fei said, “As long as you can improve technology and increase production scale, don’t try to save money for me. Work your hardest.”

Liu Huai wiped his sweat while saying, “Alright, I’ll do my best, do my best.”

Bosses of this era were all the type who wouldn’t know how to spend money even if you gave it to them.

For example, Fan Li and Hou Donglai had both gone through this stage. After Zhang Fei took over, he would hire people on a large scale. Fortunately back then, Zhang Fei didn’t have much money either, but even at that scale, it made them feel anxious and uneasy, let alone Liu Huai now.

Afterward, Zhang Fei inspected the workshop once more, mainly to ensure there would be sufficient balls for the day’s match. After all, the current balls weren’t that reliable – they couldn’t have the embarrassing situation of running out of balls halfway through a game.

It wasn’t until evening that Zhang Fei returned home.

“Zhang San, you’re back.”

“You must be tired! Come wipe yourself off!”

“Are you thirsty? Have some tea. Or if you don’t want tea, how about some oranges? I’ll peel them for you.”

Zhang Fei stared blankly at Xu Zhiqian bustling about, then glanced at Gao Wenyin standing beside him. He rubbed his eyes hard, thinking to himself, I’m not seeing things – Gao Wenyin is standing right next to me.

He looked at Xu Zhiqian again. “Zhiqian, have you taken on another life-or-death case?”

Xu Zhiqian said, “No!”

“I don’t believe it.”

Zhang Fei shook his head.

Xu Zhiqian said, “Really, I haven’t. With so many people donating land recently, I’ve been busy with the charity’s accounts. Where would I find time to take on cases? Mogul Fan has been handling everything.”

Oh right! She had been busy with the charity’s accounts recently. Zhang Fei thought for a moment. “Let’s skip the oranges for now. You should explain things clearly first. If you don’t explain clearly, I really can’t eat these oranges.”

He had a deep understanding of Xu Zhiqian. When such attentive service appeared from her, the matter was definitely serious.

Xu Zhiqian bit her red lips lightly. “Actually… it’s really not a big deal.”

Zhang Fei said, “You’re already trying to play things down, which makes me even more worried!”

Xu Zhiqian glanced with her beautiful eyes, parted her red lips slightly, and mumbled unclearly, “I want a few tickets.”

“What did you say?” Zhang Fei looked at Xu Zhiqian in confusion.

Gao Wenyin really couldn’t stand watching anymore. She didn’t know why asking for just a few tickets was so hard to say. “Lady Xu just wants a few tickets to the charity match.”

Xu Zhiqian nodded like a pecking chicken.

Oh… so that’s what this was about. Zhang Fei asked, “What do you want tickets for?”

Xu Zhiqian said, “A few of my good sisters asked me to get some tickets for them.”

Zhang Fei chuckled, “Just tell them the match isn’t worth watching – it’s just a waste of time. Wouldn’t it be better to go swing on swings?”

Xu Zhiqian pouted slightly. “I did tell them that, but they keep pestering me for tickets. It’s so annoying.”

Speaking of this, her expression suddenly changed. “This is all your fault. It’s just a charity match, but look what you’ve done – you’ve got the whole city in an uproar.”

Zhang Fei exclaimed, “Zhiqian, with that attitude, do you think you can get tickets?”

Xu Zhiqian said, “What do you want?”

Zhang Fei smiled coldly, “Of course I’ll give you tickets. I want you to witness firsthand how glorious my football will be. I want you to feel ashamed of what you said before.”

Xu Zhiqian snorted, “What do I have to be ashamed of? I was looking out for you. If you succeed, I’ll be too happy to contain myself.”

Looking out for me again? Zhang Fei said glumly, “Now you’re just being unreasonable!”

Xu Zhiqian said, “That’s just the truth. But I still think this is only temporary – it’s just because you promoted it well. Once they see your new-style football, they’ll definitely be greatly disappointed.”

“Right, right, right!”

Zhang Fei nodded repeatedly, “Just keep that attitude – I like it.”

Xu Zhiqian said, “Fine, then we’ll see what happens.”

“Ahem, everyone’s here!”

Xu Zun walked in leisurely.

Zhang Fei said, “Father-in-law.”

“Father!”

“Benefactor Xu.”

The three juniors immediately bowed in greeting.

Xu Zun nodded, then looked at Zhang Fei. “When we eat later, we really need to have a good talk about how to establish this procuratorate. I’m really at my wit’s end right now.”

Zhang Fei said hurriedly, “Your son-in-law is truly ashamed – I’ve been busy with the charity match recently. Alright, let’s have a good talk tonight.”

Xu Zun nodded and coughed. “Speaking of which, about your charity match!”

Xu Zhiqian asked, “Is Father also here for tickets?”

Xu Zun blinked, “Are many people asking for tickets?”

Zhang Fei smiled, “Quite a few, but Father-in-law’s tickets will definitely be no problem.”

Xu Zun looked rather embarrassed, “Actually, I don’t want to trouble you, but it’s really because of my good friends!”

Xu Zhiqian wondered, “Father, why do so many people want to watch this charity match?”

Xu Zun was also somewhat puzzled as to why his friends were interested in this too. “I suppose they just want to join in the excitement, or maybe it’s because His Majesty and the Empress Dowager will both be attending.”

Xu Zhiqian immediately gave Zhang Fei a disdainful look. “So you invited His Majesty and the Empress Dowager – no wonder!”

Zhang Fei couldn’t be bothered to explain and just smiled, “Please keep that attitude.”