Chapter 51: A Net Worth of Two Hundred Million

Finding someone to do business with is surprisingly difficult!

This was the only thought in Mo Mo's mind at the moment. Wasn't it said that people back then were simple-minded and easily fooled? Wasn't this supposed to be the paradise for cults, scams, and pyramid schemes?

"Then how do you want me to prove that I am Mo Mo?"

Mo Mo felt a bit frustrated. The video capabilities of computers back then were quite—well, you had to have a webcam first. As for video calls on mobile phones? That was just a pipe dream; technology hadn't reached that level yet.

This question clearly stumped Guo Xiaojun as well. Mo Mo was inwardly complaining, why was it so hard to find a talented person?

"Just tell me what kind of project you plan to collaborate on! But let's get this straight: I don't have any money."

Guo Xiaojun typed on his computer. Regardless, he didn't believe Mo Mo would actually want to work with him. Even though he was the moderator of Mo Mo's fan forum, he had never had any direct contact with Mo Mo before!

"I want to start a, um, Qidian Chinese Network! It's for writing novels."

Mo Mo thought to himself that this wasn't a difficult task, so why be coy about it?

"Qidian Chinese Network?! Are you kidding? Qidian Chinese Network already exists!"

(Qidian Chinese Network was founded in May 2002.)

While Mo Mo was stunned, Guo Xiaojun didn't stop.

"Although I don't know if you're joking, I just want to say that this industry is very chaotic right now. It's better not to wade into these waters easily."

Mo Mo's eyes lit up. That was true! In 2002, the industry had just emerged and was a complete mess, with a feeling of "the emperor takes turns sitting on the throne, and today it’s my turn."

If he were to rush into starting a website now, first, there were no good writers; second, some professional aspects were too hard to grasp; and besides, there was no one to help!

"Alright! You make a lot of sense. So tell me, what should I do?"

Mo Mo felt a bit flustered. He had always thought these things were simple—just come up with an idea, have some money, and turn the idea into text. Now, he realized there were so many problems. If it were going to be like this, he might as well just stick to playing football!

"In my opinion, opening an English school to tutor people might have more potential."

Mo Mo's eyes brightened. A talent! Was this the beginning of a *Chinese Partners* scenario? Well, in fact, having an idea is nothing; the real success lies in executing it well.

"That's a good idea, but I think it's even less reliable than starting a Qidian Chinese Network. I think we could choose to invest in Qidian instead."

Just as Mo Mo was excitedly sketching out a blueprint for the future, Mino walked over. Mo Mo turned his head, his expression becoming strange. Mino’s face was flushed with an intense, almost unnatural red. He looked as if he were drunk, with a frightening glow in his eyes.

"Mino? Mino? What's wrong with you?"

Mo Mo looked at the scene in astonishment, unable to understand what was happening with Mino.

"Do you, do you know?! A club has offered a transfer fee of 24 million euros for you!"

24 million euros! Was the world crazy? Who would pay that much for Mo Mo?

"Mino! Are you drunk? I'm in the middle of talking business!"

Mo Mo waved his hand in front of Mino's eyes. It was undeniable that Mino looked truly intoxicated.

"No! I'm not drunk! You brat! Chelsea Football Club has officially made a 24 million euro bid for you!"

Mo Mo stared at Mino with wide eyes. How was this possible? Chelsea?

"Abramovich has taken over Chelsea! He really is a generous tycoon."

Seeing that Mo Mo seemed indifferent—or at least not entirely moved—by the sudden doubling of his market value, Mo Mo was indeed slightly surprised, but this wasn't the reaction Mino wanted to see.

"Do you know how much the signing bonus is? Just by signing, you get a one-million-euro bonus, which is equivalent to your current annual salary!"

"Do you know what your salary is? You're currently on 100,000 euros a year after taxes, and he's tripling it!"

Seeing Mo Mo's apathy, Mino looked like a cat with its fur standing on end, shouting, "You brat! Can you at least react? Don't you have any thoughts at all?"

Mo Mo glanced at Mino, seemingly having an epiphany, and turned back to type on his computer.

"Hey, watch this. I've found a way to prove who I am. Chelsea, Abramovich has taken over, and they've made a 24 million euro bid. It should be in the news tomorrow."

Ignoring Guo Xiaojun's reaction, Mino was absolutely livid!

"You brat! Didn't you get any calls?"

Speaking of calls, Mo Mo stood up and started rummaging around. To avoid being harassed by phone calls, he had set his phone to silent. When he finally found it, the screen was flooded with missed call notifications and text messages.

He also saw messages canceling his vacation and demanding he return to the club immediately. It was easy to imagine that the club was salivating over this massive sum of money. This was enough for them to make up their minds to sell Mo Mo! As for the fans? Sell him first, talk later! Money is what matters!

Seeing that the whole world seemed to think he was definitely going to Chelsea, Mo Mo turned to Mino and said, "Mino, I don't want to go to Chelsea!"

(That nouveau riche team is a mess right now!)

Mo Mo could clearly see Mino's expression stiffen. He turned, his face full of question marks, looking at Mo Mo as if he hadn't heard clearly.

In truth, Mo Mo didn't know how to explain it. It was only just over 20 million euros! Later on, a young Cristiano Ronaldo would be worth over a hundred million. He wasn't even worth a fifth of that! Was it really worth getting this excited over? Besides, Mo Mo had absolutely no interest in Chelsea. A team thrown together at the last minute would never achieve anything great.

(It was indeed true at the time; Chelsea spent a fortune but almost got relegated.)

The next day:

"Chelsea offers 20 million euros for Mo Mo; 1860 Munich has accepted the bid."

"Chinese rising star Mo Mo becomes Chelsea's new target."

"Mo Mo blinded by money, looking to transfer to Chelsea."

"Abramovich splashes the cash, Mo Mo steps up—money, money, money!"

When Mo Mo saw these reports, he just gave a casual laugh. Well! These unethical people—did I ever say I wanted to go to Chelsea?

At the same time, Hao Haidong, seeing the news, slammed the table, his face turning red. It was unclear whether he was angry at the newspapers' wild reporting or at Mo Mo's "greed."