Outside the gates of Swansea City Football Club, supporter representatives Matthew Bode and Fred Davies, who had just finished negotiating with Lynn, were being interviewed by the South Wales Argus and BBC Wales.
They revealed the contents of their negotiation with Lynn to the dia.
Apart from expressing their personal opinion that the supporters should now calm down, restrain their emotions, and wait to see how the club's reforms unfolded, they also disclosed the benefit policy Lynn had promised:
For the next two seasons, Swansea City's ho league tickets would be completely free.
The reporter from the South Wales Argus was nad Walter Reilly.
He was a young journalist, and as he listened to Fred Davies describe the conversation with Lynn, he developed a strong curiosity toward him.
As a rich young man, Lynn already had an enviable background.
Yet over the past two months, he had beco the target of mockery from Fleet Street and football supporters across England.
That alone was dramatic enough.
But unexpectedly, Lynn had suddenly transford into the owner of Swansea City.
Could anything be more unbelievable than that?
Yes.
The large-scale supporter protest currently taking place at Swansea City, combined with the players' rebellion and the internal reforms spreading out from inside the club, made it look as if Swansea had changed owners overnight and then imdiately fallen into a state of collapse.
But now, the situation was improving.
The supporters had compromised.
Reilly could not help looking toward the protesting crowd.
Under the calming and persuasion of supporter representatives Cork, Reeves, and Smith, the vast majority of fans agreed to stop protesting against the club.
Especially after hearing that the club would make league tickets free for the next two seasons, the supporters seed to regard it as a victory won through their resistance.
The crowd began to disperse.
Everyone left feeling satisfied.
Although Reilly had not been in the profession for long, he was perceptive.
He keenly sensed Lynn's thods.
This man had almost made the supporters leaving in delight forget why they had co here to protest in the first place.
They clearly had not achieved their original goal, yet now they were leaving completely satisfied.
This man was not simple.
Walter Reilly wanted to understand Lynn further.
Just as the supporters began to disperse, the sixteen players led by Howard walked out.
Howard's hatred was overwhelming.
He walked straight up to the BBC reporter on site and spoke furiously into the cara.
"The club's new owner is a stupid donkey! He's an unreasonable bastard! He cleared out more than ten players from our first team in one go. So people gave in, but so of us said no to him!"
"We can no longer play for Swansea City. We're going elsewhere to find our own way."
"Swansea, goodbye!"
"Very soon, that man will regret this!"
"If one day the club needs us to co back, we will do so without hesitation. But as long as he remains here, we will never return!"
After Howard finished speaking, he turned and left.
The reporters were stunned.
The supporters nearby who had not yet left were also stunned.
So of them wanted to step forward and say a few words, but their friends pulled them back.
After all, a gentleman's agreent had already been reached.
The five respected supporter representatives had reached a temporary ceasefire with the club.
They would not interfere with or protest against the club's internal reforms.
There was no need to start trouble again at this mont.
Howard led the sixteen players away in anger.
They gathered at a nearby small pub to discuss what to do next.
The cruel side of reality now lay before them.
Among the sixteen players, only the six first-team regulars had any real chance of finding new clubs.
The other ten hot-headed players from the reserves and youth team, who had been incited into joining the rebellion, had no prospects at all.
Perhaps they had thought that by following their big brothers in rising up, wealth and glory would follow.
Instead, they had ended up holess.
Howard and the others did not have the ability to arrange futures for those ten players either, so they heartlessly left them to fend for themselves.
"We can only transfer away now. And since there's no transfer fee, we're free to join other clubs."
Jonathan Curtis said helplessly.
Howard then said to everyone, "We need to join the sa club together. When we return to Swansea and play against them, we'll make that man suffer! We'll make him regret it and kneel in front of all the supporters to admit he was wrong! When that ti cos, he'll definitely have no choice but to leave Swansea!"
Roger Freestone shook his head.
"No club can bring in all six of us at once. We were all first-team players at Swansea, but other clubs definitely won't have six starting places for all of us."
That was a very realistic concern.
Howard thought for a mont and felt Freestone's words made sense, so he suggested, "Then we split up. We only go to two clubs, and they have to be competitive. Three people to one team. Anyway, we're free agents now, so we have more options."
After so thought, the other five agreed to Howard's proposal.
....
At the sa ti, Lynn began the final negotiation of the day in the conference room.
David Livingstone, the reporter from ITV Wales, appeared before him.
Lynn personally poured him a glass of water. After setting the glass down, he said, "Mr. Journalist, I need to thank you. The inflammatory post you published on the supporters' forum made Swansea the focus of all England—no, of all British football—starting yesterday."
"People seem to have seen a revolution taking place here, with players rebelling and supporters forcing the club's hand."
"But what about now?"
"Now things are moving in the direction I expected."
"I should thank you. You made Swansea famous. This will make the dia pay even more attention to Swansea and bring us greater benefits."
David Livingstone truly had to admire Lynn's ability to handle matters.
To calm the incident so quickly—the young man had already shown ability and decisiveness that made Livingstone view him in a new light.
However, he still said with slight mockery, "Yes, the dia will pay attention to Swansea. They'll be waiting to see what kind of joke this club produces next."
Lynn walked behind him, bent down, and whispered beside his ear, "If I were you, I'd be very worried."
Livingstone frowned slightly.
There was doubt in his eyes, but he did not ask.
Lynn straightened and said calmly, "You are a football reporter for ITV Wales. To put it plainly, what you focus on is either Swansea City or Cardiff City."
"But now, so many dia outlets are paying attention to Swansea. Welsh dia. Fleet Street dia from London."
"Have you ever thought about this?"
"When the outside world is curious about what will happen next at Swansea, but you are always one step slower than other dia outlets in learning the situation, will your superior be satisfied with your work?"
"I'll tell you now. Tomorrow, Swansea will announce major news. Do you know what it is?"
"You don't."
"But if tonight, a BBC Wales reporter reveals the news first, and it is confird tomorrow, who will be responsible when ITV Wales is late to react?"
"The day after tomorrow, Swansea will announce another major piece of news. Do you want to know that one?"
"If the Western Mail reports it first and ITV Wales falls behind again, won't you be embarrassed at work?"
David Livingstone's expression shifted uncertainly.
He could guess what ga Lynn was playing.
To put it plainly, this was bribery.
He was using a special internal channel of information in exchange for a journalist's pen.
The dia could easily influence the public.
Otherwise, how had Livingstone incited Swansea supporters in the first place?
And if he wanted to obtain internal Swansea information—the first-hand, real information—then he would have to beco one of Lynn's dogs.
Livingstone, who had already been hostile toward Lynn from the beginning coldly said.
"People will only pay attention to how Swansea destroy themselves. No, how you personally destroy them! You want to be your slave? Dream on!"
Lynn smiled freely.
"We'll see. Safe travels. I won't see you out."
Livingstone left in anger.
This negotiation still ended unhappily.
It seed that Lynn and Livingstone were fundantally incompatible.
From their first eting to today, their two conversations had both failed to find common ground.
Lynn did not care either.
After all, ITV Wales was not the only dominant force in the dia.
He had no need to insist on turning hostility with Livingstone into friendship.
If he did insist on that, then his understanding of Lin Jiajie's guidance would be far too narrow.
...
The three morning negotiations were now over.
Lynn had just returned to his office when soone requested to see him.
It was the team's forr manager, Ray Kennedy.
Yesterday, he had been demoted to assistant coach.
After entering, Ray Kennedy exchanged a few polite words with Lynn.
This honest-looking middle-aged man was clearly suppressing anger and grievance.
"Boss, may I know the reason why I was demoted to assistant coach?"
Lynn nodded.
"Yes. Because we need a better manager."
Kennedy's breathing caught.
It was obvious that he felt as if he could not swallow that statent.
After a mont of silence, he asked in a low, suppressed voice, "May I know who the new manager is?"
"You'll know in a few days, Ray. There is no room to reverse this matter. You are no longer the team's manager. I hope you can be a good assistant coach, assist the new manager, and help rebuild a competitive team."
Lynn's tone when he said this was still sincere, completely from the heart.
Ray Kennedy had led the team for many years.
His understanding of Swansea was ticulous. He knew every blade of grass and every piece of wood at the club.
With him as assistant coach, the club could avoid many detours on the road of reform and improve work efficiency.
However, Lynn could also see the dissatisfaction in Kennedy's heart.
What happened next did not surprise Lynn at all.
Ray Kennedy suddenly stood up, pressed both hands on Lynn's desk, and roared at Lynn with eyes wide in fury.
"Rebuild a team? You ignorant brat who knows nothing about football just tore apart a squad that absolutely had the strength to challenge for promotion to the Second Division! And now you say you want to rebuild a team?"
"Do you know how many years of effort this squad cost the club and ?"
"Why should I stay and witness this ridiculous and pitiful farce?"
"You are killing Swansea!"
"You bastard!"
Lynn leaned back and spread his hands.
"It seems you've made your decision. You're leaving."
"I only want to tell you one thing. Last season, Swansea failed to win promotion. That is a fact."
"The strength you see in this team and the competitive team I want are two completely different concepts."
"Since we cannot understand each other, then let us part on good terms."
"Ray, good luck."
Kennedy turned and left.
Without looking back, he said, "Go to hell. No—go straight to damn hell!"
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