8: Phoenix Training Center

Lin Feng exited the slightly dilapidated building of the City Hall, the land lease agreement he had just signed felt light in his hand, yet it weighed heavily in his heart.

Twelve acres of abandoned industrial land, a twenty-five-year lease, acquired at an almost symbolic low price – this meant that the future blueprint he had planned for Hartlepool United finally had its first solid cornerstone.

Earlier, in the City Hall, Lin Feng remained calm in front of those old fox-like officials.

He knew they were full of doubts, not understanding what background this young Easterner truly had, why he could so easily resolve the club's massive debts, and why he was so persistent about a piece of land that had been abandoned for years.

But he didn't need to explain; he only needed results. When the Mayor's old face, with a hint of inquiry and a trace of awe, shook his hand, Lin Feng knew he had initially won the respect of these local power brokers.

The dealings with the City Hall officials these past few days had not been in vain. He had given this future training base a name — “Phoenix Training Center”.

Hartlepool United, a team once on the brink of bankruptcy, also needed to be reborn from the ashes, like a Phoenix, to truly spread its wings and fly high.

This name lingered in his mind, bringing him a sense of mission. He wanted to make this place a cradle for future players in England, and even in European football.

However, the joy was only temporary.

Lin Feng's brows quickly furrowed again. A piece of land was just the beginning; transforming this wasteland into a base with modern training facilities capable of developing top players would require an investment of at least a million pounds.

And the club's account, after paying the five thousand pounds of “Vardy compensation” to Stocksbridge, only had a mere one million thirty-seven thousand pounds left. This amount was far from enough to even kickstart the first phase of the Phoenix Training Center.

Money! It was money again! Lin Feng felt a familiar pressure. He couldn't rely on the club's current revenue; the meager ticket sales and pitiful sponsorships were just a drop in the ocean and couldn't fill this hole.

He had to find a way to raise enough funds in a short period. This was not just a financial issue, but also a display of his foresight and courage as a transmigrator.

Back in the club chairman's office, Lin Feng sat in his chair. His thoughts sank into the World-Class Club Development Platform in his mind.

He needed a quick-in, quick-out profit plan, a plan that could quickly inject blood into the club.

“System, analyze the global financial market in the second half of 2006, and filter out investment targets with short-term high-return potential,” Lin Feng issued the command with his mind.

The Market Analysis Module quickly activated, and countless data streams flashed across Lin Feng's vision.

A moment later, the system provided suggestions: “Based on known market information and future trends in the second half of 2006, the following three stocks have higher short-term growth potential:

1. Nintendo: The Wii console is about to be released, with extremely high market expectations.

2. Nvidia: The G80 graphics card architecture is about to be released, which will bring technological breakthroughs.

3. Apple Inc.: The iPod series continues to sell well, and rumors about its smartphone have begun to ferment, with strong market confidence.”

Nintendo's Wii, Nvidia's G80, and the iPhone that was about to change the world! These were all popular products and epoch-making technologies that Lin Feng was familiar with from his previous life.

He immediately made a decision to allocate two hundred thousand pounds from the club's one million thirty-seven thousand pounds into short-term operations of these three stocks.

His goal was clear: within a month, he needed to turn these two hundred thousand into at least one million, to serve as the startup capital for the first phase of the Phoenix Training Center.

Risk? Of course there was, but from his perspective, possessing future information, this was not a risk at all, but a guaranteed return.

With the initial financial planning resolved, Lin Feng felt much lighter.

He thought of Old John and Vardy. These past few days, although Old John hadn't said anything, his attitude towards Vardy was subtly changing.

Lin Feng had stopped by the training ground several times, watching Vardy run and tackle on the field. That reckless fighting spirit, and the astonishing explosiveness he displayed in confrontations, even with crude technique, was enough to make him stand out in League Two.

Old John had also reported to him that while Vardy had a fiery temper, he executed training requirements meticulously and had an almost obsessive desire for victory and goals.

Old John began to arrange more tactical drills for Vardy, even personally guiding him on some positioning and shooting details, which pleased Lin Feng.

Next, Lin Feng called his secretary, Stone, in. “Stone, please gather all the detailed rule manuals for the English League Two, EFL Trophy, FA Cup, and League Cup for me. The more detailed, the better, especially regarding player registration, transfer windows, foreign player restrictions, and eligibility clauses for various cup competitions.”

He had to quickly familiarize himself with the football rules of this era, especially any potential loopholes and details that could be exploited.

Relying solely on the broad directions provided by the golden finger was not enough; the devil was often in the details.

He needed to understand the logic behind each rule to maximize the club's interests in the future and avoid unnecessary trouble.

For example, the registration age for youth players, youth training subsidy policies, restrictions on loan players, etc., all of these could become key to his future operations.

After Stone left, Lin Feng fell into deep thought again.

One Vardy might solve the problem of a weak attack, but to build a true dynasty, he needed more such “monstrous talents.”

Relying solely on the Player Radar to search one by one was too inefficient, and the system energy consumed also pained him.

He needed to establish his own, even if small, scouting network to unearth those buried talents.

The scouts he envisioned should not only focus on a player's current ability but also possess a unique vision, capable of discovering those “hidden gems” with S-level or A-level potential from lower Leagues, or even amateur Leagues.

This scouting team would be the cornerstone of his future construction of a top-tier powerhouse. Once this idea arose, it lingered in his mind.

Just as Lin Feng was racking his brains for the club's future, in the office of the Hartlepool Mail, Sophie Green had just received a rather surprising piece of news from an inside source at the City Hall — Hartlepool United had leased a considerable plot of abandoned industrial land at an extremely low price, preparing to build a new training base.

“Phoenix Training Center?” Sophie looked at the brief message from her source, reading out the name, a strange light flashing in her eyes.

Her slender fingertips tapped lightly on the desk, and Lin Feng's calm eyes came to mind.

This young Chinese owner truly acted with swiftness and determination.

Having resolved the debt crisis, he immediately began to improve the club's most fundamental infrastructure. This courage and execution power intensified her interest in Lin Feng.

She had initially thought Lin Feng was just a “sucker,” but now it seemed he was far more complex than he appeared.

It seemed her next in-depth report on Hartlepool United had a new angle.

She picked up a pen and wrote “Phoenix Training Center, dig deep into funding sources and future plans” in her notebook.

Days passed, and less than three weeks remained until the opening match of the new English League Two season — Hartlepool United's home game against arch-rival Darlington in the “A19 Derby.” The atmosphere on the training ground also grew increasingly tense as the Derby approached.

Under Old John's leadership, the players sweated it out, each one knowing that this match was not just the first game of the new season, but also a battle for honor against their sworn enemy.

Lin Feng's gaze also began to truly focus on the upcoming first test.

He knew that the outcome of this Derby would directly affect fan confidence, and even player morale.

What he wanted was not just a victory, but a victory that could ignite the entire Hartlepool.