Chapter 560: Watching a Ball Game (Part 3)

“If you’re interested in Inter Milan, I can sell you a portion of the shares.”

“Oh?”

Qi Sheng was genuinely surprised.

He hadn’t expected that Zhang Kangyang didn’t just want to borrow money, but also wanted to bring him in as a shareholder.

“I either don’t get involved at all, or I take a direct, absolute controlling stake. Forget being a minority shareholder.”

The sheer dominance in Qi Sheng’s words left Zhang Kangyang speechless.

He’d seen his share of domineering people, but someone like Qi Sheng who wanted to hog everything for himself was a rare breed indeed.

Initially, Zhang Kangyang had planned to sell Qi Sheng about 5% of the shares.

Make Qi Sheng a minority shareholder, and then bring up the loan.

But Qi Sheng’s attitude was all or nothing—a complete buyout.

So what the hell was there left to discuss?

“Ahem… Chairman Qi, I know this is a bit forward, but we’re in desperate need of capital right now.”

“If you’d be willing to help us out, I can offer you ten percent interest.”

Zhang Kangyang hadn’t given up hope. After all, there was nothing to lose by being rejected.

“Ten percent interest?”

Qi Sheng didn’t turn him down immediately. He asked casually, “How much are you looking to borrow, President Zhang?”

“Not a lot. 300 million euros would be enough.”

Hearing that Qi Sheng hadn’t refused, Zhang Kangyang couldn’t help but state the figure excitedly.

“That’s true, it’s not much.”

Qi Sheng nodded. It was a far cry from the capital he’d raised to acquire the Richemont Group.

“However, I’m afraid my own funds are a bit tight at the moment. I don’t think I can help you with this, President Zhang.”

“Huh?”

Zhang Kangyang had actually thought Qi Sheng was going to lend him the money, not realizing he’d just been asking casually.

“Chairman Qi, I can go as high as a 12% annual interest rate. Could you please reconsider?”

Zhang Kangyang gritted his teeth and raised the offer again.

‘He wasn’t even sure if he could pay back a 12% annual interest rate.’

‘But without this life-saving cash…’

‘…all their previous investments would go down the drain.’

“12%?”

‘Zhang Kangyang must be truly desperate for cash,’ Qi Sheng mused.

‘With Inter Milan’s current profitability, they’d probably struggle to even cover the interest payments.’

“Alright.”

Zhang Kangyang thought he was hearing things. But seeing the smile on Qi Sheng’s face, he quickly bowed in excitement.

“Thank you, Chairman Qi…”

It was a shot in the dark, and he never expected to actually secure the funds from Qi Sheng.

With this life-saving money, Zhang Kangyang now had the confidence to make some big moves.

“Business is business. President Zhang, you’ll need to put up equity as collateral. If you can’t pay it back, I’ll take over Inter Milan directly.”

Qi Sheng was getting the unpleasantries out of the way upfront. He didn’t really care about the interest anyway.

“Of course.”

Zhang Kangyang naturally had no objections.

‘He would have proposed the same conditions if the roles were reversed.’

Playing on their home turf, Inter Milan was locked in a fierce battle with Juventus.

Watching the stars perform from the VIP box was truly a new experience for Qi Sheng.

Looking at Juventus’s number 7, Qi Sheng felt a wave of nostalgia.

‘The star he’d admired in his youth was now entering the twilight of his career.’

“If there’s a player you like, Chairman Qi, I’ll get you a signed jersey after the match.”

Zhang Kangyang joked, “And I guarantee it’s not some knock-off from an online influencer. Our staff will have it dry-cleaned and delivered to you personally.”

“I’ll take a game-worn jersey from Ronaldo. And get me one from Inter Milan signed by the whole team, too.”

Qi Sheng was now practically Inter Milan’s silent partner, his status akin to that of a Supreme Emperor.

Even Zhang Kangyang, the actual owner of Inter Milan, had to wait on him hand and foot.

If Zhang Kangyang couldn’t pay up, he’d have to pack his bags and get out.

“No problem. I’ll have Ronaldo come over after the game. You can get a photo with him.”

Zhang Kangyang promised, puffing out his chest. He had at least that much pull.

As for the match, it was one of Ronaldo’s last seasons at his peak.

You could say that Juventus only managed to clinch their ninth consecutive title because Ronaldo carried the whole team.

For now, Inter Milan was stuck in second place in Serie A.

Getting crushed 0-2 left Zhang Kangyang feeling a little embarrassed.

But that’s just how monstrous Juventus was at the time.

The Serie A titans, on the verge of their ninth consecutive title, could even go toe-to-toe with Bayern from the Bundesliga.

After the match, Ronaldo, who was in good spirits, signed his game-worn jersey and handed it to a staff member.

As a global superstar, Ronaldo had a fanbase of over 500 million.

Ronaldo wasn’t just a player; he was a businessman too.

He certainly wasn’t going to disrespect the owner of Inter Milan.

But when he saw Qi Sheng and Jenna, Ronaldo became even more enthusiastic.

They chatted for a good while, followed each other’s international social media accounts, and took a few photos before he left.

“Who said Ronaldo only knows how to play soccer? He’s clearly a smart guy.”

Qi Sheng shook his head with a smile, speaking with a touch of admiration.

He didn’t need much of an introduction. Just having Jenna standing by his side was the best proof of his status.

Putting aside her private life, Jenna was definitely the kind of woman who could boost a man’s ego.

Otherwise, the list of candidates for her boyfriend wouldn’t be endless.

After the match, Qi Sheng couldn’t refuse Zhang Kangyang’s enthusiastic invitation.

He ended up at Zhang Kangyang’s home in Milan for a sumptuous, authentic Italian dinner.

“You’ve gone to too much trouble, President Zhang.”

Qi Sheng could tell, of course.

This was the work of the head chef from Milan’s only three-star Michelin restaurant.

Zhang Kangyang had hired the chef to cook at his home specifically to show his respect and gratitude.

“You’re too kind.”

‘If Zhang Kangyang were married, he would have had his wife entertain Qi Sheng. He wouldn’t have hesitated for a second.’

‘If he failed to secure this loan, the career he was so proud of would face a devastating blow.’

‘Compared to his career, what was a woman?’

“Chairman Qi, why don’t you just stay here for the night? I have plenty of rooms, and it’ll save you the trouble of a hotel.”

Zhang Kangyang was too shy to say it outright, but he was clearly anxious about Qi Sheng’s promise.

“Sounds good.”

Qi Sheng didn’t stand on ceremony, simply picking a guest room and settling in with Reba and the others.

Normally, Qi Sheng wouldn’t have wanted to cause too much of a disturbance in someone else’s home.

But Jenna, having had a taste and wanting more, took the initiative the entire time.

She treated the place like a hotel, crying out loud without a single care.

This, however, was torture for Zhang Kangyang.

In his pursuit of Xie Qirun, he had carefully cultivated the image of a single man.

He had even deliberately hired a frumpy, heavyset, middle-aged woman as his housekeeper.

But it’s not like he was too old to get it up.

The thought of Qi Sheng in bed with Kendall Jenner, the hottest supermodel in Europe and America, made Zhang Kangyang grit his teeth. He pulled his housekeeper into his room.

He threw five thousand euros at her, turned off the lights, and pictured Jenna’s face.

Mmm…

‘Damn… that was actually pretty fucking great.’