Chapter 677 - 127: Remaking Arsenal! The Curse of the Number 9 Jersey! Record Signing Fee and World’s Highest Salary

Chelsea was the shrewdest of all. They already had Cech, yet they casually picked up an even younger Courtois as a backup.

The Blue Army wouldn’t have to worry about their goalkeeper situation for years to come.

And back in the day, Real Madrid’s 30-million-euro signing of Pepe from Porto was a deal that made them the laughingstock of the entire European Football Scene.

...

The day after arriving in London, Wang Shuo quietly began his search for a house.

Accompanied by Shen Qinghe and Thomas Essien, he met with a real estate agent and began touring properties in the North London area.

First, they took a look around Hertfordshire.

Stars from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur loved living in this area; Beckham’s famous "Bekingham Palace" was located here back in the day.

But he had to admit, it felt very rural.

Totteridge, where Wenger lived, was decent, but Wang Shuo didn’t want to live too close to him.

Finally, they checked out Hampstead.

Apparently, the novel *The Chronicles of Narnia* was written on Hampstead Heath.

From here, you could also see the London skyline in the distance, and the scenery was gorgeous.

This was especially true when Wang Shuo and his group arrived on Wennington Road, north of Kenwood House and just off the northern side of Hampstead Heath.

Due to the effects of the subprime mortgage crisis and the European debt crisis, quite a few mansions in this wealthy neighborhood were listed for sale.

What really caught Wang Shuo’s eye was 9 Wennington Road.

Because Wang Shuo’s jersey number was 9.

’Wearing the number 9 jersey and living at number 9... wouldn’t that be interesting?’

Hampstead was already one of the most expensive areas in the United Kingdom in terms of property value. And Wennington Road? It was the most expensive street in both Hampstead and the entire country.

It was about a 20-minute drive from the Colney Training Base, all on main roads.

In contrast, it was only 6 kilometers to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

The entire rectangular plot was 2.5 acres. In the center stood a two-and-a-half-story traditional English red-brick building, already eighty or ninety years old. It had over 800 square meters of floor space and six rooms. In the front were a courtyard and a parking area, and in the back was a large garden.

"To be honest, this place is really nice!"

The more he saw, the more satisfied he felt. He looked over at Shen Qinghe and found she was already diligently asking about all the details of the house, including what procedures and permits were needed for renovation, who the neighbors were, and so on.

"What do you think?" Wang Shuo waited until she had gathered the information, then asked with a smile.

"It’s nice, but it’s expensive. Plus, it’ll cost a good bit more to renovate and redecorate."

"Are there any restrictions?"

"It’s a listed building, which means it’s historically protected. The overall frame and style can’t be changed, and it has to remain consistent with the surrounding architecture. The interior, however, can be modernized."

"Roughly how much?" Wang Shuo asked with great interest.

’The main thing is that it’s huge.’

"He said the owner has had it on the market for a while, and with the real estate market being so sluggish, the asking price is this," Shen Qinghe explained, holding up five fingers. "But he said it’s negotiable."

"What do you think?" Wang Shuo trusted Shen Qinghe’s judgment.

"I think it’s definitely going to appreciate in value, and right now, loan interest rates are practically zero."

"The rent would be about 25,000 to 30,000 British Pounds a month, which comes out to over three hundred thousand a year. Buying it would cost around four to five million British Pounds."

’In other words, a little over ten years of rent could buy the whole house.’

’That’s a pretty good deal.’

’Then again, you have to pay monthly taxes on property in the United Kingdom, which is another expense.’

’But if it’s really going to appreciate, then buying is definitely the way to go.’

Wang Shuo did some quick math in his head. With a take-home pay of 300,000 British Pounds a week, he could earn enough for the house in two months at most.

With that thought, he hesitated no longer.

"Buy it!"

"Getting a loan is the smart move!" Shen Qinghe said with a smile, giving him a thumbs-up.

"I’ll follow your lead!"

"Alrighty then! Congratulations on becoming a London property owner, General Manager Wang."

"I’ll set aside a room for you and get you a Porsche to make it convenient for you to get to school and the office, Assistant Shen."

"Thank you, General Manager Wang."

"You’re welcome!"

Watching the two of them go back and forth, Thomas Essien couldn’t help but laugh.

Still, with Wang Shuo’s current financial standing, buying a house in London was a piece of cake.

As for the rest of his money, Wang Shuo entrusted it all to Shen Qinghe to manage and invest back in their home country.

Most of it went into stocks of internet companies, some blue-chip stocks, and future-oriented industries, as well as things like gold and government bonds.

Wang Shuo didn’t understand any of it, but he trusted Shen Qinghe’s judgment.

Oh, right—Shen Qinghe’s father also supposedly ran an investment firm and dabbled in real estate.

...

When the appointed time with Arsenal arrived, the Gunners sent a car to the hotel to pick up Wang Shuo.

This time, it was a public appearance.

As soon as he arrived at the hospital, he saw that a large crowd of reporters and fans had already gathered. Many hospital patients had also come over to see what was happening.

The moment they saw Wang Shuo, everyone erupted in cheers.

"Wang, welcome to London!"

"Welcome to Arsenal!"

"Lead us to a championship!"

"I’m a big fan, Wang!"

"You’re the best!"

Wang Shuo smiled and waved to the fans.

Then, a small, unexpected incident occurred.

A young patient broke through the security cordon and rushed up to Wang Shuo. Wang Shuo bent down, scooped the child up, and not only posed for a photo with him but also signed an autograph.

This was Wang Shuo’s first autograph since landing in the Premier League!

For their part, Arsenal was taking Wang Shuo’s medical examination extremely seriously.

Both of the team doctors, Ian Beasley and Gary O’Driscoll, were present.