14: Fierce away game

The news of Hartlepool United's last-minute away victory against Rochdale quietly swept through the lower-tier English Football League circles.

Media reports were no longer as overwhelming as after the derby, but Jamie Vardy’s name, especially his astonishing last-minute goal, still caught the eye of some scouts and journalists who followed lower-tier Leagues.

The term “last-minute hero” began to form a faint connection with the somewhat unfamiliar name, Jamie Vardy.

In the club office, John Stone’s face showed a hint of fatigue, yet his excitement was undeniable.

He reported the direct benefits of this victory to Lin Feng.

“Boss, by advancing in the League Cup, we will receive approximately 25,000 pounds in prize money, plus a share of the away ticket sales.

Although not a huge amount, for our current situation, it is still a considerable income.”

Lin Feng nodded slightly; this amount of money was merely a drop in the bucket for his ambitious business empire plans.

However, he knew that the club’s reputation and the players’ value were quietly accumulating through these victories.

Accumulating small amounts to achieve a large total, and gathering grains of sand to form a pagoda, was one of the principles he believed in.

His fingers tapped lightly on the smooth office desk, and his gaze turned to the holographic interface in his mind that only he could see.

The Player Radar module of the World-Class Club Development Platform emitted a faint, ethereal blue glow.

He had expended 5 units of system energy, a greater investment than when he previously searched for Vardy.

This time, his search scope had expanded from England to parts of the entire European continent.

His goal was clear: to find young “prodigies” who, in the summer of 2006, were inexpensive, even unnoticed, but would shine brightly in the coming years, or at least play important roles in the team’s promotion process.

On the interface, countless player profiles flashed like shooting stars, and the system performed high-speed filtering based on parameters Lin Feng had set, such as potential value, age, and estimated transfer cost.

Soon, four names, shimmering with different lights, were locked by the system and displayed in highlighted form before Lin Feng.

The first name was Kasper Schmeichel.

A barely noticeable curve appeared at the corner of Lin Feng’s mouth.

This son of Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was currently languishing in Manchester City’s youth team, with almost no first-team appearances.

The system assessed his potential as A+ class, his current market value as extremely low, and estimated that a loan would not be difficult.

The second name was Danny Simpson.

A right-back from Manchester United’s youth academy, he also wasn’t getting opportunities in the first team and was seeking a loan for development.

The system assessed his potential as A class, with both offensive and defensive capabilities, and a high likelihood of a loan.

The third name made Lin Feng’s eyes light up: Gylfi Sigurðsson.

A sixteen-year-old from Iceland, currently playing for Reading’s youth team, he possessed exquisite technique, a stunning long-range shot, and excellent set-piece ability.

The system assessed his potential as S- class, but due to his nationality and age, he was almost unnoticed at the moment, with an estimated transfer fee under one hundred thousand pounds.

The fourth name was Robert Snodgrass.

A young winger for Livingston in the Scottish First Division, he had excellent technique, balanced left-foot ability, and sharp breakthroughs.

Livingston had been relegated due to financial problems and was eager to sell players for funds.

The system assessed his potential as A class, with an estimated transfer fee not exceeding fifty thousand pounds.

Each of these four players was like a pearl covered in dust, waiting to be discovered.

Lin Feng was very satisfied with the system’s filtering results.

He wrote down these four names, then called in Old John Mcdonald and John Stone.

When Old John saw the list Lin Feng handed him, his face was filled with confusion.

He had heard of Kasper Schmeichel, after all, his father’s fame was too great.

But was a goalkeeper who had spent years in the reserves really better than the current Konstantopoulos?

Danny Simpson, from Manchester United’s youth academy, sounded good, but there were countless disillusioned players from elite youth systems.

Gylfi Sigurðsson, a sixteen-year-old Icelandic boy?

This was simply a joke!

Robert Snodgrass, a player from the Scottish League, could he establish himself in the English League Two?

“Boss, these players… with all due respect, they are either too young or unknown.

Do we really need them?”

Old John asked cautiously, fearing that his doubts might anger the unfathomable young boss.

Lin Feng’s face remained calm and unperturbed.

“John, trust my judgment.”

His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

“They possess unique potential that aligns with our team’s future tactical needs.

Mr. Stone, please contact their respective clubs as soon as possible to understand their transfer or loan intentions.

I will give you a rough psychological price.”

Old John and John Stone exchanged glances, both seeing helplessness and a hint of awe in each other’s eyes.

They knew that once this boss made a decision, he would not easily change it.

Meanwhile, Sophie Green’s in-depth report on Hartlepool United, titled “Northern Storm: Hartlepool United – From Near Death to Miracle,” was published on the front page of the sports section of the Hartlepool Mail.

The article detailed the team’s stunning performance in the derby and Jamie Vardy’s dreamlike rise.

She also boldly speculated about Lin Feng’s mysterious background and possible “secret weapons,” attracting the attention of local fans and some smaller media outlets.

Lin Feng did not pay attention to these reports; his focus was partly on the club’s player acquisitions, and partly quietly shifted to the volatile international financial markets.

In his mind, “future information” about the global economic trends in the second half of 2006 surged like a tide.

Nintendo’s Wii game console was about to be released at the end of the year, and its revolutionary motion-sensing control design was sure to ignite the market.

Nvidia’s G80 architecture graphics card was also on the verge of release, which would once again solidify its dominant position in the graphics field.

And far across the ocean, Apple, although the iPhone had not yet been released, its strong iPod sales and rumors about a mysterious new product had already caused its stock price to surge.

A confident smile appeared at the corner of Lin Feng’s mouth.

Football was just the first step in his plan to build a vast business empire.

Using these “information asymmetries,” he would accumulate the first, and most important, pot of gold for Hartlepool United and for himself.

He opened his computer, skillfully operated the stock trading software, and began to build positions in batches.

All of this proceeded silently.

He knew that the real storm was just beginning to brew.

And his gaze had already penetrated the mist before him, seeing that glittering future.

The next League match was an away game against Swindon Town.

And the upcoming EFL Trophy.

Lin Feng knew that the team’s progress could not stop.

Every point, every victory, was a bargaining chip for him to contend with stronger opponents in the future.