After leaving the club, Ray Kennedy poured out his grievance and anger to BBC Wales reporter Kath Carter outside the gates.
He believed Lynn had single-handedly destroyed all the hard work he had poured into the team.
Facing the cara, Kennedy almost looked ready to denounce Lynn through tears.
At the end, he left behind one final sentence:
"I will no longer serve as Swansea City's manager. The club has dismissed —no, I resigned myself!"
Ray Kennedy was gone.
He left behind a group of stunned reporters.
Three days after Swansea changed ownership, the internal reforms had already stirred up a bloody storm, leaving everyone chilled.
A large number of first-team regulars had left.
The manager had resigned.
What other madness could possibly happen next?
When BBC Wales sports reporter Kath Carter returned to the interview van, her beautiful eyes looked deeply at Swansea City Football Club.
She knew that, from this point onward, all attention would revolve around Swansea City.
Her own work would also unfold around it.
As the interview van drove away, she could not help opening the file of materials she had prepared before coming out today.
She brushed back the golden strands of hair that had fallen beside her cheek, her gaze fixed on the page containing information about Swansea City's owner, Lynn.
Her beautiful face was focused as she sank into a long silence.
...
At nearly noon, Lynn called Mo Yuan and Tony Benn to have lunch together.
Before getting into the car, Lynn told Tony Benn where they would be eating and asked him to drive behind them.
He had just driven his Bentley out of the club gates with Mo Yuan when he saw soone blocking the way.
"It's not so radical supporter, is it?"
Mo Yuan was about to call security.
Lynn waved his hand.
"Judging by the way he's dressed, he doesn't look like one."
The supporters and dia vans outside the club had already left.
Once the supporters' protest ended and the scene no longer looked so explosive, the dia had no need to go through the trouble of filming on-site footage anymore.
Lynn lowered the car window and saw a young man only a few years older than himself, carrying a casual briefcase slung across his body, walking up to the car.
The young man handed Lynn a business card and introduced himself.
"Hello, Mr. Lynn. I'm Walter Reilly, sports reporter for the South Wales Argus. Forgive the intrusion, but I'd like to interview you. I wonder when you might have ti?"
Lynn accepted the business card and answered with a question of his own.
"Have you had lunch?"
Reilly was caught off guard.
"No."
"Where were you planning to eat?"
"A small restaurant nearby, probably."
"Get into the car behind . Lunch is on ."
After saying that, Lynn raised the window and called Benn in the car behind.
"Boss, what is it?"
"There's a reporter beside my car. If he doesn't get into your car, ignore him. If he does, bring him along. We'll have lunch together."
"Understood."
Lynn started the Bentley.
Holding the business card Reilly had given him in his left hand, he drove rather slowly.
Only after seeing Reilly get into Benn's car through the rear-view mirror did he hand the card to Mo Yuan.
"Knowing more journalists will benefit us. My dad taught a lesson last night. It was very enlightening."
Mo Yuan smiled and said, "Then when will Uncle Lin give a lesson too?"
"After New Year, I told you to intern at my dad's company, but you refused. Weren't you just afraid of being managed?"
"That wasn't it. I was worried I'd make mistakes and cause trouble."
"You're not a god. Who doesn't make mistakes? From yesterday to today, I've made at least three."
"Hm?"
As Lynn drove, he said casually, "Arguing with the ITV Wales journalist. Clearing out the squad too broadly—it should have been done step by step. And not holding a personal press conference to formally announce my appointnt."
"If I had done that, I could have announced a lot of things publicly and made them easier for the outside world to accept, such as saying so pleasant words to cover and promote the internal squad clearout, while also publicly launching the club's welfare policies."
Mo Yuan nodded slightly.
"Yes. Looking back, so things were indeed not thought through carefully enough. But it's fine. They're all resolved now."
"That's why making mistakes is nothing. When doing things, never be afraid of making mistakes. Otherwise, if you're timid and hesitant, you'll never accomplish anything."
Lynn did not know whether he was saying those words for Mo Yuan's benefit or for his own.
Lynn and Benn's two cars drove west, arriving at a hillside farm by the sea. This was where they would have lunch.
After parking the cars and entering the farm restaurant, they chose a spot by the side where they could look out over the sea.
One table for four people was just right.
Reilly and Mo Yuan introduced themselves to each other and chatted casually, while Lynn ordered food directly.
Reilly smiled and asked, "Does Mr. Lynn usually co to places like this for als?"
Lynn turned his head toward the sea and said, "There's warm sunshine here, golden sand, blue seawater, and refreshing sea breeze. Sitting here with a crisp, refreshing beer and enjoying fresh grilled at in big mouthfuls—how many people dream of a wonderful scene like this?"
"This is the most beautiful part of Swansea. Rhossili Beach is a place many people plan vacations around, while I only need to drive less than thirty minutes to co here and enjoy it. Why wouldn't I?
Especially when it isn't expensive. Twenty pounds is enough to enjoy all this. I think that money is very well spent."
Reilly was not a Swansea local.
After graduating and coming to Swansea for work, he had only been here for two years.
Every day had passed in a rush of work, and he rarely had the leisure to truly discover Swansea's beauty.
One had to know that Swansea possessed a coastline ranked among the top ten in the world. Its seaside scenery was picturesque and distinctive.
Even many Hollywood stars had bought seaside mansions in Swansea.
Not to ntion the wealthy district in the city beside the River Tawe.
Those people truly knew how to enjoy life. A mansion and yacht were practically standard equipnt.
Step outside, board the yacht, follow the River Tawe south, and one could head straight out to sea.
Where the sea and sky t, there was a sense of harmony between man and nature.
Reilly could not help sighing.
"Of all the cities I've visited in Britain, Swansea feels like the most suitable place to live."
Lynn smiled without comnt, then looked at Reilly and asked, "You want to interview . First, let ask you this: what does Swansea City look like in your eyes? Of course, I an after I beca the club's owner."
Reilly thought briefly.
After hesitating for a mont, he said, "Chaos and fog. From yesterday to today, everything has been chaotic. The club seems to be moving toward collapse. But there's also a fog that people can't see through, and that is what makes it so fascinating."
"After all, Swansea are richer than before. As the owner, how will you spend money? After turning Swansea into ruins, how will you rebuild the team? This is a very challenging task."
"Will rebuilding a ho from the wreckage an rebirth, or will the club ultimately be swallowed by the flas of destruction and sink into darkness?"
"Everyone wants to know. Everyone is waiting and watching from afar."
Lynn nodded solemnly.
"You're right. Swansea are richer than before. That first of all ans Swansea must redefine themselves. For now, we already have financial resources that surpass First Division clubs. That ans our vision cannot remain in the Third Division. At the very least, our starting point should be the First Division. So…"
Reilly suddenly understood.
"So a large number of players were dismissed, and manager Ray Kennedy also left. They may have been excellent in the Third Division, but it would be almost impossible for them to establish themselves in the First Division."
Lynn snapped his fingers and nodded.
"Exactly."
Soon, a beautiful waitress in the restaurant brought over freshly grilled at and beer, and the four of them began eating.
As they ate and talked, Reilly essentially completed his interview with Lynn.
This was all first-hand material.
He could publish it in the newspaper.
For him, today's work had been completed beyond expectations. He might even receive praise from his superior after going back.
At the end of lunch, Lynn said to Reilly, "Walter, you're a decent person. I hope we can beco friends."
Reilly smiled at Lynn.
"I hope that next ti you co here for grilled at, you'll bring this friend along again. This place really is fantastic."
Lynn smiled.
"Next ti, I'll take you sowhere else. There are still many truly good restaurants in Swansea. I consider you a friend, so I can reveal one piece of news to you."
Reilly imdiately stopped moving and looked at Lynn seriously.
Lynn said solemnly, "Ray Kennedy has officially left his post. Swansea City's manager for next season has already been chosen, and the club has confird that he will take charge of the team next season."
Reilly's heart began pounding.
Perhaps news like this would not attract much attention across English football.
After all, Swansea changing managers was only a Third Division matter.
But in Wales, in Swansea, local supporters would naturally care.
Being able to obtain such explosive news in advance would undoubtedly cause newspaper sales to surge.
Then his superior would not rely praise him.
If he beca too excited, he might even give Reilly a passionate kiss—though Reilly did not like that old man with bad breath.
"Who is the new manager?"
Unable to keep calm, Reilly took the initiative and asked.
Lynn's expression did not change.
"."
"Hm? Ah!"
Reilly's mouth opened wide in shock.
Seeing his expression, Lynn burst into laughter.
Mo Yuan and Benn also could not hold back and laughed loudly.
Reilly thought he had been fooled and imdiately said angrily, "Mr. Lynn, this joke isn't funny at all."
Lynn shrugged.
"What I said is true. We were only amused by your reaction. You looked as if you'd seen a ghost."
Reilly asked uncertainly, "Really? You're going to manage the team?"
Lynn put away his smile and nodded solemnly.
'Whew.'
Reilly took a deep breath.
This piece of news really was explosive enough.
'Well then.'
At Swansea City, one wave had not yet settled before another rose.
If the supporters learned that this young man would personally take charge of the team as manager, would a new round of protests erupt?
...
After lunch, the four returned to the city.
They dropped Reilly off at a bus stop, while Lynn and the other two returned to the club to continue their afternoon work.
They had barely arrived back at the club and had not rested for more than a few minutes when Swansea City received many visitors.
It truly had the feeling of one act ending and another taking the stage.
The supporters' demonstration had only just co to an end.
Then the chairn or CEOs of seven Third Division clubs arrived together for visits.
Thirteen students from Liverpool John Moores University ca to apply for jobs.
And the ten reserve-team and youth-team players who had followed Howard and Freestone in rebelling that morning, only to be abandoned, had returned.
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