Although Huang Hao occasionally went to Chinatown for a taste of home when he missed his hometown cuisine, he had never set foot in a place like an underground bar.
These bars are a mixed bag and generally only cater to regulars; outsiders can't get in without someone bringing them, otherwise Bennett and his group wouldn't have gone to the trouble of running from the North District to the city center to meet.
At this moment, when Huang Hao was at a loss, he suddenly thought of Li Jianqin, his roommate at Cambridge University.
Li Jianqin was from Hong Kong and, according to him, a third-generation rich kid. After defeating his numerous brothers and cousins, his father sent him to Cambridge to study so he could take over the family business after graduation. However, once Li arrived in Cambridge, he wasn't very diligent in his studies, but he was a regular at bars; there wasn't a bar he hadn't been to.
So Huang Hao found Li Jianqin's phone number in his contacts and dialed it. "Oh my! Isn't this the famous Cambridge United Head Coach!"
"Hahaha, Coach Sir, are you recruiting me to play for the team? I heard you need a defender!"
After graduating, Li Jianqin stayed in London to learn and gain experience at his family's branch office.
Although he was a die-hard Tottenham fan, Cambridge wasn't far from London, so he naturally knew the news of Huang Hao becoming Cambridge United's Head Coach.
"Haha, get lost! Don't even think about playing. But the team still needs a major shareholder. How about it, interested in buying in? I estimate a million pounds would be enough!"
"Are you interested, Young Master Li?" Huang Hao didn't miss the chance to tease Li Jianqin, as their relationship was quite close during their time abroad. Without Huang Hao's help, it would have been tough for Li Jianqin to graduate.
Li Jianqin was indeed choked, silent for a moment, then he said faintly:
"Huang Hao, if I really become a major shareholder, the first person I'd fire is you, because I'm not as foolish as your current boss. But I'd leave you a position cleaning toilets, after all, we're good buddies."
"Alright, alright, let's talk about serious matters first. Maybe if you don't help me, I won't even wait until you invest before I get fired."
Huang Hao smiled awkwardly and got to the point.
"Holy crap, that serious! What happened?"
When Li Jianqin heard Huang Hao say that, he stopped joking.
So, Huang Hao told Li Jianqin about his suspicions and also revealed the bar's secret. As expected, Li Jianqin, the old fox, was a regular there, so there was no difficulty at all. "I told you to hang out with me back then, and now you can't get in and you think of me, right!"
The two agreed to meet in Chinatown the day before Cambridge United's next match against Kidderminster, with Li Jianqin taking Huang Hao to the underground bar.
The League schedule in England's lower divisions is very tight, with a match roughly every four days. Soon, Cambridge United was to host Kidderminster at home.
The opponent's strength was not very strong, so Huang Hao directly handed over the pre-match tactical deployment to Assistant Coach Darren, while he himself went to Chinatown to meet Li Jianqin and stake out for Bennett's arrival.
As dusk fell, strings of red lanterns lit up, giving Huang Hao the illusion that it was Chinese New Year.
The distinctly Chinese archways and ubiquitous Chinese characters made Huang Hao feel especially at home every time he came here.
Li Jianqin was very punctual today. After a brief exchange of greetings, Li Jianqin led Huang Hao, turning left and right, until they arrived at an alley with not many people.
Huang Hao was a bit impressed with Bennett. How did he, a foreigner, discover such a place!
If it weren't for Li Jianqin, even if Huang Hao were beaten to death, he wouldn't have found this underground bar.
There was no shop sign whatsoever, and in front of a somewhat dim staircase sat a burly man in black with a fierce face.
People who arrived did not show any special identification; as long as they passed in front of the strong man, and he nodded slightly, it was considered validated.
Huang Hao looked surprised. It seemed like being a bouncer was not very friendly to people with face blindness.
Li Jianqin led Huang Hao forward and skillfully handed the strong man a pack of cigarettes. The strong man lightly lifted his hat to show thanks, clearly very familiar with Li Jianqin.
With Li Jianqin's presence, Huang Hao moved freely here. This bar was not large; besides the second floor, there was also a somewhat cramped mezzanine.
Huang Hao and Li Jianqin decisively chose the mezzanine, as it offered the best view and was less likely to be noticed.
At nine o'clock in the evening, just as Huang Hao was feeling a little sleepy, Iliat and Brophy appeared before him.
Huang Hao instantly perked up, staring intently at the two who had just entered.
To his surprise, Bennett did not appear.
And these two didn't seem to be in a hurry either, finding an inconspicuous spot near a corner and sitting down.
About 15 minutes later, a rather attractive woman appeared from the stairwell.
"Oh, wow? This girl is good!"
Li Jianqin's lustful eyes instantly spotted his prey.
"Damn it! Control yourself! Don't forget I have serious business today!"
Huang Hao knew Li Jianqin well and quickly lowered his voice to remind him.
After sizing up the room, the woman walked straight towards Iliat and the other man.
The woman and the two men were clearly very familiar with each other; the three of them didn't exchange many pleasantries.
The woman quickly took out two envelopes from her bag and handed them to Iliat and Brophy. The two opened the envelopes, glanced inside, and seemed very satisfied, nodding their heads. It appeared this woman was the one they were doing business with; it was unclear why Bennett hadn't come.
At this point, the woman took out paper and a pen, wrote down what the two men said, and at the same time, carefully instructed them, looking very serious.
Soon, the three finished their conversation. The woman left first, while Iliat and Brophy continued drinking and chatting.
"Feifei, go follow this woman and see where she goes!"
In a moment of urgency, Huang Hao blurted out Li Jianqin's nickname, instructing him to get up and follow the woman, as he would attract the players' attention if he went downstairs.
"Holy crap, this is exciting, making me feel like 007. Remember to pay me!"
Li Jianqin joked as he set off.
"Alright, you! When I play against Tottenham in the future, I'll get you autographs!"
Huang Hao offered a condition that Li Jianqin couldn't refuse, although he didn't know when Cambridge United would ever have the chance to face Tottenham on the field.
About half an hour later, Li Jianqin returned to the bar. Iliat and Brophy had already left by then.
"You didn't take that woman home, did you? You took so long!"
"Pfft, that little bit of time isn't enough, is it? You know my fighting power. She was picked up by car as soon as she left. I wanted to take her, but I didn't have the chance!"
Li Jianqin had a regretful expression.
"Did you get a good look at the person who picked her up?" Huang Hao eagerly pressed.
"Are you seriously treating me like 007? Besides, all foreigners look the same, how could I see clearly!"
Li Jianqin's answer greatly disappointed Huang Hao; the clue had just been broken.
"Sigh, it seems I came for nothing."
"I say, Big Coach, you really underestimate me! What do you think I went to do? Don't you think that if I, Young Master Li, want to know someone, I need to follow them myself!"
"Tell me! Tell me!"
Huang Hao's eyes immediately lit up when he heard that. This should be solid, otherwise Li Jianqin wouldn't be so smug.
"We've agreed, I want autographs from Keane and Defoe!"
"Holy crap! Alright, alright, I'll get you Tottenham's whole family! Just tell me quickly!"
Huang Hao punched Li Jianqin and promised him everything under the sun.
"You guessed right, that girl is Bennett's wife. I didn't expect that guy to have such a beautiful wife. The bar owner said she comes almost every week, and Bennett rarely shows up in person."
This guy is cunning enough to remotely control his wife to make the connection.
This matter basically had a lead.
The bets of several people were all executed through Bennett's wife. The content she recorded just now was probably the betting details for the next match.
When Huang Hao thought that his own team was being secretly manipulated by a few people, he wished he could fire them immediately!
He angrily clenched his fists. Li Jianqin, who was beside him, clearly didn't expect him to be so angry and quickly comforted him:
"Alright, alright, I bet often too, it's completely normal in England. How about this, for the next match, I'll bet on you to win, so give it your all!"
"That's different, Feifei, they are professional players."
"It seems the waters of Cambridge United are indeed very deep. Fine, then we'll see who is tougher!"
Huang Hao clearly emphasized the last few words. It seemed he had already made his choice.