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Chapter 342: Family Ties and Hidden Ambitions

In the VIP box, Aldrich's two brothers were present, accompanied by a man in his thirties, who, while looking ordinary, exuded an air of reliability and calmness.

Dressed sharply in a suit, Barnett stood among the three, hands in pockets as he overlooked the pitch. Every so often, he shared a brief exchange with the man beside him.

"Barnett, I admit this cousin of ours is a genius, but looking at his track record, the advice he provides might be quite limited," Andrew remarked.

Barnett chuckled softly at the comment.

Andrew then turned to the man, saying, "Blaise, don't underestimate Aldrich's ability to surprise. He doesn't easily offer advice, but once he does, there's only one thing for you to do: remember every word he says and execute it perfectly. In the end, you'll reap unexpected rewards."

Blaise shrugged noncommittally and asked, "Even if his advice could impact your entire life? Would you still follow it without question?"

Barnett turned to Blaise and playfully wrapped an arm around him, laughing, "Then you should definitely do as he says! It will undoubtedly change your life drastically."

Blaise smiled wryly, "Do you follow every piece of advice he gives?"

Barnett replied, "I wish he'd give me a suggestion every day; I'd become the world's richest man in no time."

Andrew burst into laughter, and soon the three exited the box.

Back in the locker room, Aldrich praised the team's performance in the second half. Although Ronaldinho and Van Nistelrooy hadn't directly contributed any notable stats, their defensive efforts were commendable, warranting Aldrich's recognition.

Upon arriving at the post-match press conference, Ferguson had already left, expressing disappointment in the match's outcome. He believed that the strength of Manchester United and Millwall was comparable and that Manchester United should have had the upper hand, even though they played away, at least deserving a draw; however, luck hadn't favored them.

He consistently viewed Gronkjaer's winning goal as a fluke.

In response to reporters' inquiries about Ferguson's comments, Aldrich maintained a calm demeanor, stating, "He's not wrong; the two teams don't differ much in strength. The key lies in execution on the day. We limited Beckham, Giggs, and Scholes for the majority of the match, which is why we won. Preventing Manchester United from scoring more was primarily a defensive achievement. Offensively, Millwall didn't perform exceptionally well today; I'm not entirely satisfied. Our two goals came from a set-piece and individual brilliance. This group of core players hasn't yet reached my expectations—they still have potential to unlock, and I anticipate they will hit their peak in two to three years."

"How are Pirlo and Larsson's injuries? Will they affect the team's upcoming matches?" David Miller posed a worried question.

After letting go of Ballack in the summer, any injury to Pirlo in that crucial position would have a detrimental impact on Millwall's offense.

While there was still Frank Lampard in the squad, his performances over the past two years hadn't left a lasting impression, leading many football professionals discussing what position suited him best.

Millwall's midfield operated in a well-organized fashion, with each player assigned specific roles—defensive midfield, deep-lying playmaker, and attacking playmaker.

Lampard seemed capable of playing in various positions, but his execution in all of them felt lackluster; he embodied the idea of being a jack of all trades but master of none.

"According to the team doctor's preliminary diagnosis, both could be sidelined for at least a month. We'll know more after further check-ups. Losing these two will undoubtedly be a blow for Millwall, but that's football—no club is immune from injuries to key players. A mature team, especially a strong one, should approach such situations with composure. As the head coach, I will do my best to compensate for the dip in strength caused by these absences. Millwall will overcome this challenge."

After the match, Aldrich had calmed down. When players got injured, he might initially feel anger or worry, but once the facts were immutable, he shifted his perspective: this was just another challenge for him.

What top manager hasn't faced the predicament of significant injuries to key players? If you can steer your team through difficult times, you're a dragon, but if you can't, you're just a pile of mud.

With many of Millwall's key players leaving this summer and two more players injured at the start of the new season, Aldridge secretly feels that this situation is more exciting than before, but there are also some concerns because his goal is the league championship.

After concluding the press conference, Aldrich drove away from the club, heading to the airport to pick up Melanie. The Spice Girls were set to continue their North American tour, and she had stolen two days off to return to London to be with Aldrich.

On the way to the airport, Aldridge got a call from Barnett.

"Eat? Can we have another day?"

"Just today, I need to talk about something important."

"Do you need to keep it secret?"

"What's the meaning?"

"I'm going to pick up my girlfriend; can she come too?"

"Melanie? No problem, take her with you."

After hanging up the phone, Aldrich was curious about what important matter his eldest brother wanted to see him.

If it were a business matter, he wasn't particularly interested, mainly because he didn't have much to contribute.

He had already said everything that needed to be said—Barnett just had to recognize the mainstream direction and trends, so he could seize opportunities in the internet market. Once the market matured and the company went public, becoming wildly rich would be a piece of cake. Besides, he was already a billionaire.

Aldrich currently had nearly ten million pounds in his private account. Over the past two years, Barnett had deposited the company dividends into his account, and he genuinely wasn't very concerned about the worth of his shares in the company. Millwall was his personal asset, and its estimated value had already surpassed two hundred million pounds.

Outside the airport, he spotted Melanie waiting by the street, carrying a casual bag, dressed in a refreshing white sundress, her sunglasses concealing her face. As Aldrich parked the car by the curb, she opened the door and jumped in, stating matter-of-factly, "Victoria says thank you."

"What for?"

Aldrich started the car and drove toward the restaurant to meet Barnett.

"For speaking up for Beckham."

Aldrich shook his head, "It has nothing to do with personal relationships; I was merely expressing my opinion. If it were anyone else, I'd say the same."

He believed in making judgements based on the situation, allowing the public to be lenient toward Beckham was not about whose face to save, just like he wouldn't gloss over Beckham's red card.

The retaliatory tackle leading to the red card was not in dispute, but how one viewed it was another matter. Elevating it to the level of national villain was indeed excessive.

"In any case, she appreciates you. Where are we headed?"

"Barnett invited me for dinner."

Melanie suddenly seemed disinterested. She had only taken two days off and was looking forward to spending quality time alone with Aldrich.

Aldrich flashed her an apologetic smile, "He mentioned he had something important to discuss."

Melanie smiled back, "I understand, let's go. Let's see what delicious food they have."

Once inside the restaurant's private room, Aldrich soon realized that tonight's dinner was not just a gathering with Barnett. Andrew was also present, along with a man he didn't know.

As Barnett pulled out a chair for Melanie with a warm smile, he remarked, "I'm astonished by the reach you have in America."

After Melanie sat down, she asked curiously: "Did you go to the concert too?"

Barnett shook his head, "I'm too busy for that at the moment, but I promise I'll be there to cheer you on next time."

He wasn't just complimenting Melanie either; the buzz created by the Spice Girls' push into North America had been impossible to ignore, with concert tickets selling out quickly.

Aldrich extended his right hand to shake the unfamiliar man's hand, saying, "Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Aldrich Hall, and this is my girlfriend Melanie Chisholm."

The man, however, didn't shake his hand. Instead, he opened his arms and shared a quick hug with Aldrich.

He laughed, "No, we've met before. The last time was fifteen years ago. You were, uh, about six or seven at the time—around this tall," he said, gesturing with his hand for height.

Aldrich stared in astonishment, asking, "Really? Fifteen years ago? I can't quite recall that."

After ruminating briefly, Aldrich realized that although he had crossed over at age ten, the earlier memories remained intact. It was normal not to remember events from so long ago.

Andrew chuckled from the side, "Aldrich, this is our cousin Blaise Hall. Before he became the mayor, he used to visit our home every year, but you were never around. Who would have known you'd be gone for almost ten months each year?"

Aldrich suddenly understood, "So you're the son of Uncle Brook! I've often heard Arthur mention you guys."

Brooke and Arthur are brothers, but when Brooke pursued his current wife and moved to another county in his youth, their relationship became more distant. Perhaps it was due to Arthur's family becoming increasingly wealthy.

Arthur makes it a point to visit Brooke several times a year. Occasionally, Aldrich would hear him mention Uncle Brooke and his son Blaise.

Now it all made sense.

They all took their seats, with Melanie on Aldrich's left and Blaise opposite him. Before the food arrived, Aldrich and Blaise engaged in conversation, gradually becoming familiar with each other.

This thirty-something cousin was truly impressive, serving as a public officer and the mayor in Kent County, as well as being a member of the Conservative Party—albeit at a somewhat lower rank.

Aldrich admired his cousin's sincerity; without Aldrich's foresight, he probably would not have reached Blaise's current level of achievement.

But Blaise seemed equally impressed by Aldrich's success. Arthur's three children—truly a remarkable trio, their business thriving—who wouldn't envy that?

As dinner commenced, Aldrich was discussing which dishes were particularly delicious with Melanie when he suddenly turned to Barnett, asking, "Didn't you say you needed to talk to me?"

Barnett picked up his napkin to wipe his mouth, saying sternly, "Blaise no longer wants to be mayor."

Aldrich looked at his cousin in surprise, "Isn't being a mayor a good thing? Are you considering a career change? Going into business?"

Blaise smiled and shook his head.

Barnett continued, "What I mean is, he's looking to advance further politically; the position of mayor is a bit low for him."

Aldrich was puzzled, responding, "But I'm not a politician, and I don't know any big names in politics. I can't really help."

After he said this, he paused, deep in thought.

It seemed he was beginning to piece something together...