The Preseason Final

Four hundred thousand a year might be an unbelievable number for many people, but for Lin Qi, it's probably the money he could earn in three to five days or a week—a slightly modest way of putting it.

In reality, a small fluctuation in the Financial Market can generate profits exceeding this figure, but one should always be humble.

He just didn't realize that Kane's pride wasn't because he could only see so much money. Perhaps his position didn't allow him to see much higher, but even so, it was extremely difficult for a professional club to maintain a healthy financial situation, let alone make a profit.

Many large professional clubs are burning through money every year. The managers, chairmen, and investors of these big clubs are not actually interested in the sport itself, but in the added value that comes with it.

They may indeed be making money, but that money comes from other sources. For example, many Board of Directors members of large clubs run businesses related to sporting goods to varying degrees, which is quite common.

Consumers' blind following leads them to prioritize "what celebrities are wearing" over "what they need" when choosing products. This phenomenon exists not only in sports but also in the fashion industry.

This has led to many products becoming collectibles after they are sold, because these products are not the most suitable for people.

Another possibility is that the club's chairman or shareholder may have just discovered Gold Mine in his remote mountain village and become rich overnight.

It's not easy for these nouveau riche to squeeze into Upper Class. They need to adorn themselves with something to make themselves look no different from the others around them, rather than appearing out of place like typical nouveau riche.

Without discussing the motives of these individuals in running the clubs and their methods of making money, the larger the club, the more difficult it is to achieve profitability.

"That's fantastic! It shows you're doing an excellent job as club manager. I feel completely at ease entrusting the club to you!" Lin Qi didn't show any disdain for the 400,000; it was money, and he liked any kind of money.

Then, he remembered something else, "I remember you didn't renew your contract with the club, right?"

This statement startled Kane, who then became nervous, because he had indeed not renewed his contract with the club.

He had been working for the club with passion and enthusiasm, and the United Sports Association would give him the minimum subsidy. Lin Qi did not think about this after he acquired the club. It wasn't until Vera called him before he left the Federal.

The phone call discussed the club's financial situation, specifically the monthly salary paid to Kane, which is now subject to potential disputes due to the termination of the employment relationship.

Is it a salary expense, a necessary expense for the club, or something else entirely?

This concerns tax filing, and Lin Qi had originally planned to talk to Kane about it, but he was too busy at the time and forgot about it, so much so that he only remembered it now when he saw Kane.

Kane was very nervous, and Coach Manson, who was sitting next to him, also sat up a little straighter, as he was also becoming a bit nervous.

He and Kane work well together. Kane is a very pure club manager. He is the kind of passionate middle-aged man who is seen by others as a bit silly, a bit stupid, and a bit idealistic. Moreover, he is very knowledgeable.

This almost fulfills all club coaches' "desire" for a manager. They dislike the more professional business operations officers who are ruthless and treat the club, players, and team as a business, lacking humanity and seeing everything as tied to money.

If Lin Qi were to replace Kane, it could be a major blow to Manson, who was just beginning to make his mark in the professional coaching world, and could potentially impact his future coaching career.

"Relax, I won't fire you!" Lin Qi noticed their unusual behavior and reassured them. "The company's Steward told me that Kane didn't renew his contract with the club, so we have to pay extra taxes on your salary..."

Policies vary slightly from place to place, but overall, people encourage capitalists to employ more workers, which will create more jobs and thus increase the overall income and happiness of the population.

Therefore, the portion of the salary paid will be deducted from the profit figure that needs to be reported for tax purposes. To put it simply, if a company earns 100 yuan a year, and 20 yuan is used for salary payments, then the tax they pay will be calculated by subtracting the 20 yuan paid for salaries from the 100 yuan profit, which is 80 yuan, and then making the relevant adjustments accordingly, instead of 100 yuan.

However, due to the issues between the club and Kane, they couldn't prove that the money was for salary payments, so they still had to pay taxes on this expense, although not much. This might be why Lin Qi forgot about it; the tax payable was so small that he hardly remembered it.

Hearing this, Kane finally caught his breath. "Do we need to sign a supplementary contract?"

Lin Qi nodded slightly, "Of course..."

Actually, he had another idea, but now was not the right time to say it.

Shortly after, the bus stopped outside the hotel. Only a few female team members were waiting there, while the male team members were making their final preparations and relaxing.

Since there's no need to buy star players, the club has redirected that expense to physiotherapists to ensure that these athletes, who have made it into professional Rugby through reckless tackles, can go further.

They will help the athletes get their bodies in shape so they can prepare for tomorrow's competition.

"All the female team members are here?" Lin Qi asked curiously, it seemed so.

Manson and Kane exchanged a glance, and Kane explained, "We're playing in unfamiliar territory. Although some fans have come along, we're still outnumbered, so..."

Lin Qi nodded before he could finish speaking, "I understand, you two can decide this yourselves..."

In the end, the female Captain watched Lin Qi leave with great disappointment, accompanied by the manager. She had thought this was a good opportunity.

"Not everyone buys into this!" That's what Coach Manson said to the female Captain as he left.

In reality, Lin Qi's club wasn't as "clean" as he perceived it to be; it was rife with dirty tricks and infighting. However, both Kane and Manson were able to handle these situations well, which is why Lin Qi was unaware of them.

But not knowing doesn't mean it doesn't exist. For example, her ex-boyfriend had an affair with the vice- Captain of the male team under her scheme, and they were both expelled.

Although there is no clear evidence that she orchestrated all of this, everyone knows who did it. Under these circumstances, she was still able to become the female Captain. Besides her ability to win over team members who seemed to have all their brains spent on their breasts, she was also very enthusiastic about the Feminism Movement. So...

The next day, the preseason finals began, and the local mayor learned of Lin Qi's arrival and specially invited him to go to the best stand in the stadium.

Benlit, as a highly commercialized city, has Ball Field that are quite different from Ball Field in other places. Large, well-known Ball Field are designed to provide a better experience for everyone, whether spectators or athletes.

Benlit's Ball Field also has this feature, but it has a few more things, such as a huge VIP stand in the best viewing position, and multiple cameras pointing at this stand, broadcasting what is happening in the stand to the Ball Field's big screen.

The purpose of this is because celebrities often come here to watch some flashy exhibition matches. The audience isn't here to watch the matches; they're here to see the celebrities...

The match was scheduled for 3 p. m., and the Ball Field was already packed with spectators, which surprised everyone.

As the fans had mostly entered the stadium, a familiar voice came through the commentator's loudspeaker. "I didn't expect so many people to come this year. I thought there would only be three or five hundred people watching the game at most..."

In an effort to create a certain impact, Benlett's mayor spent a lot of money to invite the very famous commentators from the Super Bowl, known by fans as the "Three Bastards," to provide commentary.

Their style was unique, cheeky, sometimes sarcastic, and sometimes humorous, which fans loved during that period.

Commentator Two: "Maybe the locals never watch Rugby, so they don't know that we don't even recognize the preseason as a formal competition!"

One of the commentators made a subtle satire of certain things, which people could hear was a bit of a dig at the locals, but more so at the mayor of Benlett. Laughter immediately erupted in the audience, and some locals laughed as well.

Before the team entered the field, the team staff came in first and began to give a serious commentary, followed by the team.

Commentator One: "Interstellar Club has had a very good year; they might even win the preseason championship..."

Commentator Two: "Sorry, as I just said, I don't consider the preseason a formal competition..."

Commentator Three: "Bullshit, so why are we sitting here commentating on this game that isn't even a game?"

Commentator Two: "Because they offered so much, we couldn't refuse!"

The game hadn't even started yet, and the fans were already laughing everywhere. It was quite amusing, even though they could be quite sarcastic. But as long as they weren't talking about themselves, it was still entertaining.

Commentator Three: "Look, the person who gives money is here. Should we stand up and explain the following passage to express our gratitude for having a job?"

Commentator Two: "Of course, otherwise you might not get the final payment..."

A sharp farting sound came from the loudspeaker, which amplified their sarcastic and humorous effect, making some people laugh hysterically. At the same time, everyone's attention was focused on the VIP stands.