Ethan deliberately paused and watched as Mendes searched his memory.
"Who are you talking about?" Mendes finally asked, unable to identify the player.
Even someone with an exceptional memory could not be expected to remember every first-team and academy player at every club. That would require a computer, not a human being.
"Cristiano Ronaldo," Ethan replied. "He's still in Sporting Lisbon's academy, but the club already has very high expectations for him.
"I rate him even more highly. I want him at New Manchester United. He's a genius."
Mendes had heard Mourinho praise Ethan's ability to identify players and greatly admired his eye for talent.
Even so, could a youngster he had barely heard of truly be as exceptional as Ethan claimed?
"Mr. Yu, Sporting Lisbon are one of the biggest clubs in Portugal," Mendes said with a wry smile. "I'm afraid it would be extremely difficult to persuade the player to leave them for New Manchester United."
Although football was becoming increasingly driven by money, it remained deeply traditional in many respects.
New Manchester United played in England's third tier, while Sporting Lisbon were one of the leading clubs in Portugal's top flight.
The difference in status between the two clubs was obvious.
Judging by Ethan's description, Cristiano Ronaldo was also one of Sporting's most highly valued prospects.
Even if the player were willing to move, persuading the club to release him would undoubtedly require a substantial fee.
Mendes had heard that Ethan usually recruited players at remarkably low prices, which led him to assume that he would once again expect a bargain.
Ethan merely shook his head and smiled.
"Jorge, this is where your ability comes in.
"He isn't playing first-team football at Sporting, but that doesn't mean there wouldn't be a place for him at New Manchester United.
"If you can persuade him to come to Manchester, I guarantee you'll be rewarded properly. I never disappoint my friends."
Mendes was tempted.
Ethan was a world-famous billionaire. If he promised a commission, it would certainly not be insignificant.
The real question was whether Sporting Lisbon could be persuaded to sell.
"Mr. Yu, I would be very willing to help, but negotiating with Sporting will be extremely difficult.
"They are the strongest team in Portugal this season and have an excellent chance of winning the title..."
"£5 million, Jorge," Ethan interrupted directly.
"I'm willing to pay that much for him.
"If you can bring him here, I'll pay it.
"And if you negotiate the transfer fee below £5 million, I'll give you the entire difference as a bonus, in addition to your regular commission."
Mendes stared at him in surprise.
No one had ever discussed a transaction with him so openly before.
Even so, he could not deny how attractive the proposal was.
He understood the Portuguese market well enough to recognise the potential profit in such a deal.
As a transmigrator, Ethan knew that signing Cristiano Ronaldo for £5 million would be an extraordinary bargain.
Manchester United would pay more than twice that amount for him in 2003.
Ethan also felt that although New Manchester United currently had four wingers, Ribéry was not yet ready to shoulder a major role.
If Ronaldo arrived, he could compete with Hleb, Wright-Phillips, and Malouda.
Given the number of matches in English football, Ethan had no concern about finding enough playing time for him.
More importantly, he knew that the coming summer represented the best opportunity to sign Ronaldo.
If they missed it, the price would rise dramatically.
"All right, Mr. Yu," Mendes said with a smile. "I'll give your proposal serious consideration."
The incentive Ethan had offered was simply too large to ignore.
Mendes had no reason to refuse, so he decided to try.
...
After Mendes left, Mourinho looked at Ethan with a helpless smile.
"Boss, did something happen to you today?"
"What do you mean?" Ethan asked, puzzled.
"£5 million for a player who hasn't even made a competitive first-team appearance?
"Even if he's one of Sporting's leading prospects, surely he doesn't need to cost that much."
Mourinho understood the Portuguese market far better than most and believed Ethan's offer was excessive.
Ethan shook his head with a smile.
"I understand the market, José.
"But more importantly, I understand that he is different."
Mourinho still looked unconvinced.
"Is he really as good as you claim?"
"Perhaps he won't produce anything extraordinary in the next year or two," Ethan replied.
"But I guarantee that within a few years, he'll become one of the best players on the planet.
"He'll win the World Player of the Year award and become the most valuable footballer in the world.
"When that happens, you'll look back and realise how cheap £5 million really was."
Mourinho was amused by Ethan's confidence, but he still considered the price too high.
Ethan knew it was probably around £1 million more than necessary.
However, the additional amount was the bait.
If he wanted Mendes to devote all his energy and connections to the deal, he had to give him enough incentive to fight for it.
New Manchester United could approach Sporting Lisbon directly, but the Portuguese club might not even take them seriously.
Mendes, with his extensive relationships throughout Portuguese football, would use every possible route to complete the transfer because the financial reward was so attractive.
That was why people who refused to spend money at the right moment could never build anything truly great.
Ethan was not miserly.
He had simply never encountered a player of Cristiano Ronaldo's calibre before.
He had also invested heavily in Kaká and Messi.
The club had spent considerable sums supporting Messi over the years, while Ethan had personally covered the cost of Kaká's surgery.
"All right, I trust your judgment," Mourinho said.
"But if he arrives, you still don't interfere with any decisions concerning the team."
Mourinho had previously discussed the squad's options on the wings with Ethan.
He did not believe adding another talented winger would be a problem.
"Of course, José. You know I never interfere with your work," Ethan replied with a laugh.
The two continued discussing the squad's development.
New Manchester United's first team was currently well balanced.
Although most of the squad was young, players such as Juninho, Senna, Malouda, Drogba, and Hleb were older and more composed.
Combined with Mourinho's excellent control of the dressing room, the team possessed tremendous unity.
New Manchester United were competing on four fronts, League Two, the FA Cup, the League Cup, and the Football League Trophy, yet their form remained excellent.
They continued to lead the league, had reached the third round of the FA Cup, and had advanced to the Northern Section final of the Football League Trophy.
After the difficulties of the previous season, Mourinho was now enjoying a true breakthrough campaign.
Following the victory over Reading, New Manchester United had defeated several strong opponents in succession and opened a 7-point lead over Brentford.
Their next fixture would be a crucial away match against those same title rivals.
"The squad is in excellent condition," Mourinho said.
"My plan is to collect as many league points as possible during this period.
"After that, I want to focus fully on the League Cup.
"You know that winning it would qualify us for the UEFA Cup."
A cunning smile appeared on his face.
Ethan had already guessed what he was thinking.
"That's quite a dream, José," he said, smiling and shaking his head.
"But I like it. Tell me what you need."
Mourinho shook his head.
"You've already done more than enough, Boss.
"But I want us to keep every member of the current first-team squad.
"A lot of clubs are interested in our players, and that concerns me."
When a team performed well, its players naturally attracted attention, especially those producing the best individual displays.
Pretending otherwise would have been false modesty.
But that attention also created problems, particularly when it came from clubs in higher divisions.
That was one of the greatest difficulties faced by successful lower-league teams.
"Don't worry, José," Ethan said confidently.
"No one will take any of our players during the winter transfer window.
"That's my promise."
Under the players' existing contracts, no one could leave unless he was willing to force a confrontation with the club.
...
There was little further negotiation over Mourinho's contract.
The two sides soon held a press conference and announced a five-year extension.
Mourinho would receive the highest managerial salary of any club outside the Premier League, and his wages would exceed those of every player in the squad.
The afternoon after the extension was announced, New Manchester United travelled to Griffin Park in London to face Brentford.
Mourinho selected his strongest available lineup.
Drogba, who had been in excellent form, continued at centre-forward.
Wright-Phillips and Hleb started on the wings.
Juninho, Senna, and Essien formed the midfield.
The back four consisted of Evra, Terry, Curtis, and Touré, with Čech in goal.
Apart from Abidal, who was suspended for accumulated yellow cards, it was New Manchester United's strongest side of the season.
Mourinho wanted to create a more comfortable league position before turning his attention toward the League Cup, so he demanded nothing less than victory.
Brentford had clearly identified New Manchester United's left flank as a potential weakness.
From the opening minute, they attacked Evra relentlessly.
However, the Frenchman had left behind much of his former reputation as a full-back who was strong going forward but vulnerable defensively.
He completed the tasks Mourinho had assigned him and defended the left side well.
There were still occasional mistakes, but his improvement was enormous.
Watching from the stands, Ethan felt extremely satisfied.
He knew how hard Evra had worked on his defending, and seeing that effort rewarded pleased him greatly.
Brentford failed to break through New Manchester United's left flank.
Instead, their own left side was torn apart by the Red Rebels' attack from the right.
Hleb repeatedly caused problems and delivered two crosses from the byline, allowing Drogba and Wright-Phillips to score.
Those two goals earned New Manchester United a valuable away victory and extended their lead over Brentford to 10 points.
After returning to Manchester, Ethan instructed the club's executives to begin meeting with the players' agents to discuss new contracts.
Before long, however, a fax arrived that left him deeply frustrated.
(To be continued.)