Three people wandered aimlessly on the street for a while, Kevin Systrom and Mike were still digesting the explosive reality that a 17-year-old child had nearly £2 million in savings.
Don't look at their company's valuation reaching $30 million, but this money is not in their pockets. Their bank cards have almost never had more than $1 million in deposits.
They are still holding on, waiting for the day when the company comes out, and then they may achieve financial freedom.
Maël accompanied them for a while on the street, and couldn't help but say, "How are you two considering it? Compared to those investment institutions and private equity firms, if I bring money in, it will definitely attract a batch of fans to register for your software in the short term."
"This is the user resource you need most now, and I can also take out $2.7 million to buy 9% of the shares."
"You must know that if this company has my share, I will spare no effort to help it promote, and look forward to it having a higher market value. We will definitely be able to achieve a win-win situation."
He couldn't spend any more time with these elites from Silicon Valley. He still had serious match tasks and extra training tasks to do next.
There are still 8 rounds left in this season's competition, and he must grit his teeth and sprint at this final moment! "We..."
Kevin Systrom was in a complicated mood, with a solemn expression: "We need a few days to consider. We will stay in Sheffield for these few days, and contact you at any time after we have considered it."
"Okay."
Maël looked at their appearance and could only put this matter aside for the time being, "Then I have to excuse myself, there are relatively heavy tasks in all aspects during the season."
Kevin Systrom was still a little dazed, nodding blankly, "You go ahead with your business first, Mike and I will discuss it carefully, and strive to give you an answer as soon as possible."
After Maël left, Mike swallowed and felt a burst of dry mouth: "Where did he get so much money?"
"I don't know." Kevin Systrom shook his head and said helplessly: "It makes me want to play football. I face the computer all day, my body is not good, and I don't earn as much money as a 17-year-old kid."
"Don't think like that."
Mike was actually very envious of Maël's life, but he still comforted him: "This is only temporary, stick to it for a few more years, we will definitely succeed, we must enter the core circle of Silicon Valley."
"Come on."
Kevin Systrom weakly clapped hands with him, and after walking a few steps, he said: "I actually thought about it just now, we should agree to him."
"Then why didn't you say it just now?" Mike looked puzzled, staring at him.
Kevin Systrom glanced at him speechlessly, not wanting to say anything, but looking at Mike's clear eyes, he sighed and said, "Don't we want face?"
After the 38th round of the EFL Championship on March 9th, the EFL Championship standings were basically finalized.
The teams competing for the promotion zone, the teams competing for the play-offs, and the relegation zone teams have all found their positions.
The first place is Queens Park Rangers, who have scored 88 points in the past 38 rounds, and have been occupying the top of the standings since the middle of the season.
The second place is Norwich, who have scored 85 points in 38 league rounds, and also started to exert their strength in the middle and late stages of the league.
The third place is naturally Sheffield United, who have been sitting in this position for some time. They have 84 points after a 4-game winning streak in March! Further down, the points are all below 80, and it has been basically confirmed that they have bid farewell to the competition for the promotion zone.
And if you carefully look through the data of the EFL Championship in recent years, people will find out.
This season's EFL Championship, whether from the average investment in the winter transfer window or from the simultaneous points of the top teams in the standings, is higher than usual! The two title-contending teams in the promotion zone are biting their rankings tightly, and there doesn't seem to be any moment of relaxation.
It's not that they don't want to, but Sheffield United in third place is chasing too fiercely, not giving them a chance to breathe!
This day in the evening, Norwich training base.
"Sigh"
Norwich coach Neil opened the data website, looked at the data chart of Sheffield United's recent record full of red, and couldn't fall asleep at all.
They had a relatively clear feeling of the pressure from Sheffield United during the winter window. He licked his face and begged the team owner again and again to make a final fight in the winter window and not waste the promotion opportunity.
The owner gritted his teeth and allocated him £15 million. He also recovered £4 million by selling players, and used all this money to buy and rent players.
This kind of investment is already top-notch in the EFL Championship, even higher than some Premier League teams.
They greatly strengthened the frontcourt with low scoring efficiency, increased the team's average number of goals per game, and reduced the draw rate.
It can be said that his signings were very successful.
The team can often achieve winning streaks, and their points continue to exceed 60+70+80+. If this were in previous years, it would definitely be at the level of aiming for the championship! Who knew that not only did they not narrow the gap with Queens Park Rangers too much, but they were also about to be crushed out of the promotion zone by Sheffield United behind them! Neil was dumbfounded.
He has been living in fear during this period, often waking up from nightmares in the middle of the night, as if he saw Gareth Speed running around the stadium celebrating the team's promotion, and Maël raising his hands to make a gesture of ruling the world, with a arrogant smile on his face.
He breathed a sigh of relief after waking up.
He could perhaps understand that Queen's Park Rangers, like them, felt the pressure from Sheffield United and were striving to sprint forward.
But he couldn't understand why Sheffield United was so difficult to deal with, why a small EFL Championship could also have the feeling of a Premier League's three or four-way rivalry?! "It's Maël."
Neil uttered the name of a Sheffield United player, or rather, the direct reason.
He closed his eyes with a bitter face, as if this name brought him infinite pain.
You should know that as the head coach of an EFL Championship promotion team, he is also a well-known figure in his hometown. If he were to go back to coach a lower-level team in his hometown, they would have to erect a statue for him outside the stadium.
He was not born to be a peipaoren, he also has lofty aspirations and ideals, fought for this position for a lifetime, and finally broke out among countless people.
He can control the locker room of an EFL Championship title-contending team, can immediately make adjustments to signings when the situation is not right, and quickly improve the team's strength and maintain competitiveness!
Neil really doesn't know what he hasn't done well enough, why the sudden emergence of a player would crush his hopes to dust.
"After this year..."
He took out his phone and sent a message to his wife, "I want to rest for a few years, I don't want to lead a team anymore, I'm too tired."
...
Late at night, a large bus slowly drove into the Queen's Park Rangers base. The players got off the bus and went to the parking lot, silent all the way, and drove away directly after getting in their cars.
They were miserably tied by Hull City in this game, ending the team's six-game winning streak, and their progress was slowed down.
If it weren't for the footsteps of the pursuers behind them that they could often hear, they probably wouldn't be so lost, and their nerves wouldn't be at the critical point of bearing high pressure all the time.
The current First Team coach, Warrock, and a group of assistant coaches got off the bus and went to the office to prepare for a post-match meeting.
Speaking of which, Warrock's coaching career is somewhat legendary. He took over a team that was waiting to be rebuilt, and last season was still facing severe relegation pressure.
After he came to the team, he overruled all opinions and used the 'madman' Taarabt, and gave him the core tactical position, building an offensive system around him! From relegation last season to sitting firmly at the top of the list for more than 130 days this season, he only took half a year! Originally, everything took a turn for the better! His story with Queen's Park Rangers is about to usher in a perfect ending, just like in fairy tales.
But... now it seems different, they have the possibility of a complete collapse at any time.
"Pa!" When going upstairs, Warrock was so distracted that he even forgot how many floors there were on the stairs he went up and down countless times every day, and took a step forward in advance, falling to the side.
"Careful!"
"Give him a hand!"
His assistant coaches quickly caught him, pulled him up, and prevented him from losing the demeanor and prestige he had accumulated this year.
Warrock lowered his head after getting up, his condition was not much better, and he continued to walk towards the conference room.
After walking a few steps, he turned his head and asked, "How many points does Sheffield United have? What about Norwich?"
First asking about Sheffield United, on the one hand, is because its recent momentum is indeed too strong, creating too much pressure for him.
On the other hand, Sheffield City is the hometown where Warrock was born and raised, and he has been a Sheffield United fan since he was a child.
After achieving success in his coaching career, he also coached this hometown team twice, and in 2005 he led the team to Promotion to the Super League, and had a widely circulated and praised honeymoon period.
It's just that later, with the failure to stay in the Premier League and a fierce conflict with the team's core player Sean, he was tragically fired by the team!
It can be said that he has the strongest bond with this team, and the experience of loving first and then hating makes him unable to forget it!
Warrock had long thought about being able to hold his head high this year, returning all the neglect and humiliation he had suffered before, and telling his hometown team - firing him was the biggest mistake they had ever made in their lives! This is also the source of his motivation.
This matter buried in his heart, coupled with his legendary traits when he coached Queen's Park Rangers, made him extremely eager for the championship, absolutely more eager than any coach in the EFL Championship.
"84 points, Norwich 85."
An assistant coach told him the news, he swallowed, and when he found that there were still 8 rounds in the league, he had an ominous premonition.
"Hu"
Looking at the assistant coach team in front of him with their heads down and heavy faces, Warrock exhaled a long breath and forced himself to cheer up. He couldn't really fall down, his position didn't allow him to do so.
"My life has experienced an incomparably long, incomparably tortuous, and incomparably scratching foreplay."
Warrock squeezed out a smile, standing here tiredly joking and mocking himself: "But it seems that no matter how much foreplay is laid out, it is not necessarily able to bring a better experience to my fans and myself."
At this moment, he also hoped to use this method to relieve the pressure on his companions.
"Haha..." Someone laughed dryly twice, and the laughter was a bit forced.
...
March 20th, Old Trafford Stadium, the FA Cup sixth round match kicked off here, the two sides are Manchester United and Arsenal.
After Arsenal was miserably tied by Leyton Orient in the last round, they regrouped and took it down five to zero at home in one fell swoop, breaking into the sixth round.
After being overturned by Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League last Wednesday, this cup competition has truly become the last place for Wenger to give Arsenal fans an explanation this season.
"Rooney!!"
In the 76th minute of the match, accompanied by the passionate English commentary of the on-site commentator, this stadium full of history erupted in a thunderous cheer, "Wow!!"
Rooney received Arsenal's headed clearance outside the penalty area and volleyed the ball directly into the net.
Almunia sighed at the ball, standing in place without making any save attempts; he had already become one of Arsenal's weaknesses.
"Two-nil! Ferguson's team has taken a two-nil lead! Valencia and Scholes are warming up; they are about to come on to control the tempo. Arsenal's situation is getting worse! The amazing Rooney, the amazing Fabio, they have become Manchester United's heroes. After eliminating their old rivals Arsenal, they will face no further difficulties in their FA Cup journey this season!!"
In the South Stand of the stadium, Arsenal's die-hard fans were ashen-faced, a deathly silence prevailing. They could only watch Manchester United fans celebrate to their hearts' content.
The last hope was shattered. The team would have no chance of winning any titles this season, and they had to accept ending up empty-handed.
"We need a title!"
One fan looked agitated, shouting towards the coach's bench with a bitter face, "Wenger! If you can't win a title, leave the team as soon as possible!"
His shout was particularly jarring in the silent Arsenal fan area, and it successfully stirred up the emotions of other Arsenal fans, who found a scapegoat to vent their grief.
"Arsène! Get out!!"
"Leave our team; look at what you've done to this place in recent years!"
"Leave!"
"We don't need you anymore, Frenchman!"
On the coach's bench, Wenger, already at his lowest emotional point, frowned and glanced towards the South Stand upon hearing the shouts, seeing countless figures pointing and gesticulating at him.
His mood worsened, and a sense of desolation welled up in his heart. He had to widen his eyes to stimulate his eyeballs, avoiding showing an even worse appearance.
Sir Ferguson also noticed this and glanced at Wenger, looking at the old man who had competed with him for more than a decade, and a few traces of sympathy arose in his heart.
Perhaps, when he retired, he would definitely help this old friend seek justice and speak up for him.
But now... he still regarded Wenger as an opponent, as his competitor.
He would only appear in front of the media as a victor, proudly raising his head and proclaiming Manchester United's victory.
"Beep! Beep! Beep—!"
The referee blew three long whistles, and the match officially ended, with Arsenal losing to Manchester United zero to two.
"Not feeling good, are you?"
During the post-match handshake with Wenger, Ferguson had a few thoughts of mocking his old rival, "Sell some more players; maybe, sooner or later, you'll have enough money to build the team of your dreams."
Wenger snorted coldly, his mouth moved but he didn't smile, "Take care of your own team; you don't need to worry about me."
"Can Maël be negotiated?" Ferguson suddenly switched the topic to this point, without any prior warning, very abruptly.
Wenger was about to turn and leave, but he suddenly turned back with a serious expression. Remembering Fabregas, he turned and walked away with a sense of frustration, leaving only one sentence: "That depends on your ability."
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