Granada TV was the largest local television station in Manchester. Although the BBC had moved part of its operations to Manchester in recent years, and Sky TV held a near-monopoly over Premier League broadcasts, Granada TV still maintained considerable influence in the city.
Manchester United's previous plan to launch its own subscription channel had been in cooperation with Granada TV. Recently, Liverpool had also been negotiating with Granada to set up their own subscription channel.
As a transmigrator, Ethan knew that these club-owned subscription channels were not especially profitable. They could only broadcast training sessions or interviews with stars. They simply could not secure the rights to live league matches, the content that truly attracted viewers, because those rights were controlled by major broadcasters.
Granada TV's Manchester studio was located on Water Street in the city centre, right next to the Marriott Hotel. It was a very famous luxury business hotel in Manchester, where all the rooms featured Granada TV programming as their theme, attracting countless Manchester celebrities.
Although it was in the city centre, where Manchester's roads were not particularly wide, there was no traffic congestion. The cars only moved a little more slowly, giving people time to take in some nearby landmarks along the way, such as the Opera House and the pedestrian street.
"Hey, I'm on my way. Stop rushing me, all right? Just wait for me at the entrance. I'll be there in five minutes!"
Ethan answered Scarlett's call with some amusement. This girl, hosting a programme for the first time, was even more nervous than he was.
Turning from Liverpool Road into Water Street, the perimeter wall of the Granada TV studio came into view.
When he arrived at the main gate, the security guard came out to ask a few questions. He had clearly been notified in advance and immediately let Ethan in, even kindly telling him where to park and where the filming location was.
By the time Ethan finished parking, Scarlett had already found him. She was accompanied by a bald, middle-aged man who, after introductions, turned out to be a well-known producer at Granada TV.
"Mr. Yu, would you like to change clothes?" the bald producer asked politely.
Ethan shook his head and declined. He had specifically worn a team outfit today, though it was different from the one worn by the players. His was a more casual version that Ethan had specially ordered from David Pace's garment factory.
"Then should we have the makeup artist prepare you?"
Ethan still shook his head in refusal. Although this was his first time appearing on television, he preferred to look more natural.
"It's all right, Mr. Producer. He's the kind of man who has very, very little of that 'star' aura!" Scarlett explained with a laugh from the side.
The producer stared at Ethan for a moment, then shook his head regretfully. "What a waste. With his looks, he could absolutely become an outstanding TV star. With a little polishing, he certainly wouldn't lose out to Beckham!"
Watching the producer leave, Ethan was caught between laughter and tears, while Scarlett made no attempt to hide her laughter. In return, she received a glare from Ethan.
Although it was a new programme, because it was a talk show, the set was very simple. There was no audience, only the two of them.
Scarlett had specially changed into a black professional outfit. Paired with her blonde hair, she looked strikingly beautiful. Together with the constant smile on her face, she gave off a very approachable air. Being on the recording set, Ethan could see that Scarlett worked very smoothly with the entire crew.
After a series of adjustments and preparations, the bald producer raised his hand. Scarlett, already seated steadily in the centre of the set, checked her appearance once more to make sure everything was fine before nodding.
"Some say that in the world of football, the players are the stars. They play breathtaking football on the pitch."
"And their various activities off the pitch capture the hearts of the fans. But in the world of football, there is another kind of person whose role in a club is no less important than that of the players or the manager, and that is the club owner. Please welcome the owner of New Manchester United, Mr. Ethan Yu!"
At that moment, a staff member nearby gave Ethan the signal. He immediately walked onto the set with a smile, waving to the cameras along the way like a star greeting fans below the stage.
Since it was a two-person talk show, Ethan sat facing Scarlett.
"Mr. Yu, first of all, as a Manchester United fan, why did you want to establish a football club in the first place?" Scarlett asked with a smile.
Hearing this, Ethan immediately chuckled. "No, you're mistaken. I'm no longer a Manchester United fan. At least, someone refuses to acknowledge it!"
Scarlett clearly had not expected Ethan to get straight to the point so bluntly. She was briefly startled, but quickly asked, "Are you referring to the Manchester United chairman, Mr. Edwards?"
"Exactly, him!" Ethan answered without hesitation. "I find it very strange. To be honest, I'm not very clear about Manchester United's management system, so today, I'd like to use this programme's production team to find out something. How can someone who pays his membership fees on time every year and orders several season tickets for Old Trafford every year suddenly stop being a Manchester United fan? Does that mean the people who buy tickets and pay membership fees are not actually Manchester United fans?"
"Perhaps Mr. Edwards believes it's because you've established a brand-new football club!"
"But does that have anything to do with whether I'm a Manchester United fan?" Ethan countered.
Scarlett was momentarily speechless. She really had not expected Ethan's words to be so sharp. Fortunately, Ethan quickly continued.
"I remember Mr. Edwards has always claimed that Manchester United is a formal public company. Then I'd like to ask him, why would he so arbitrarily judge that I'm not a Manchester United fan? What evidence does he have? Is it because I didn't pay my membership fees on time? In any case, I've decided to hand this matter over to my legal representative!"
Involving lawyers? Now, not only Scarlett, but all the staff on set were shocked!
"So, what do you think of Mr. Edwards' previous comments about New Manchester United?" Scarlett clearly heard the producer's request through her earpiece. They needed more sensational material.
"What is there to think? I think he's ignorant. I even suspect he's lost his senses from fooling around with that Maria Elvis. If he thinks New Manchester United is as vulnerable as he claims, then I hope The FA can arrange for us to face Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup. My team will use hard facts to show him who the real 'nouveau riche' is!"
"Do you really believe the Brazilian media rumours about Mr. Edwards soliciting prostitutes?" Scarlett threw out another sensitive topic.
Ethan looked at Scarlett meaningfully. She was clearly a little shy, but still maintained a composed front. He then laughed. Since he had decided to take part in this kind of programme, he had already prepared himself to deal with such situations.
"I'm not someone who relies on subjective judgment. I only believe in evidence. Since Mr. Edwards has denied it and said he would sue that woman, I think I should support him in standing up to prove his innocence. Also, as a member of the English football community, I really hope what Edwards says is true. Therefore, I call on all fans to help Mr. Edwards find that woman and bring them to court."
At this point, Ethan burst into laughter. "To stop Mr. Edwards from saying he has no money for a lawyer, I hereby announce that I've decided to pay out of my own pocket to help Mr. Edwards hire the best lawyer in Brazil to fight this lawsuit."
No one expected that Ethan, who had never appeared on a television programme before, would engage in such a blatant war of words with a Manchester United heavyweight in his first appearance. Although his words sounded as if he was indignantly helping Edwards, anyone could see that he was stirring up trouble and mocking Edwards with cold irony.
"Mr. Yu seems very concerned about Mr. Edwards' affairs. So, what do you think about Manchester United's loss to Vasco da Gama in the Club World Cup?"
"It's a pity. I suspect they were dragged down by Edwards' prostitution scandal!" Ethan chuckled.
Because he said it so suddenly and humorously, everyone on set, including Scarlett and the staff, could not help bursting into laughter.
"Vasco da Gama are a Brazilian powerhouse. Our team's Juninho came from that club. But as you've probably seen, Brazilian clubs are in chaos. Before the match, there were frequent reports of unpaid wages, and Corinthians players even threatened to go on strike. I think under these circumstances, Manchester United's unexpected loss can only be attributed to their lack of preparation for objective factors like Brazil's climate and pitches."
"So, you still favour Manchester United, then?"
Ethan recalled Manchester United's failure in the Club World Cup in his previous life. However, he had many good friends within the Manchester United squad, so naturally, he could not say anything discouraging at a time like this. He nodded and said, "If Manchester United can overcome these objective factors, they are still the favourites for the Club World Cup."
"And what about Ferguson? What do you think of Ferguson?"
"He is a very, very great manager. Other than that, I really can't think of any other adjective to describe him."
"And what about the fact that he wanted to join the Manchester United board but was rejected?"
Ethan smiled. "I think Sir Alex should feel fortunate and give up on that idea from now on. Because after joining the board, as the saying goes, the tallest trees catch the strongest winds. He might end up as 'unlucky' as Mr. Edwards, with some Maria suddenly popping up to leak information. That would truly be a grievance!"
Ethan placed special emphasis on the word "unlucky," highlighting its double meaning, which undoubtedly added to the humour of the statement. Everyone on set burst into laughter once again.
(To be continued.)