At a well-known luxury restaurant in central Manchester, Ethan was led by a waiter to a private dining room. After knocking and entering, he discovered that David Beckham was not alone.
"Eric Cantona?" Ethan was slightly surprised.
Cantona was one of the greatest players in Manchester United's history.
"Hello, Mr. Yu. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Cantona said with a smile as he stepped forward to greet him.
Ethan glanced at Beckham, who had opened the door for him. Beckham merely shrugged, indicating that it was an ordinary lunch gathering.
Besides Cantona, Roy Keane and Gary Neville, two of Beckham's closest friends, were also present.
"Manchester United have already started preseason training, haven't they?" Ethan asked casually as he sat down.
"Yes, but those of us who played in the European Championship were given extra time before reporting back," Gary replied with a smile.
He was the most straightforward of the group.
"Ethan, stop saying 'Manchester United' as though you have nothing to do with us," Keane complained, pretending to be displeased. "Your Red Rebels have only just reached League Two. Are you already trying to distance yourself?"
"All right, I'll change the way I say it. But you seem unusually irritable today. Did you really visit a psychiatrist? And did you remember to take your medication?" Ethan teased.
Keane, who was sitting beside him, immediately grabbed his arm and glared as though he wanted to tear him apart.
"Damn it! If I find out who started that rumour, I'll make sure he regrets it!"
The media had recently published a story claiming that Roy Keane suffered from mental illness and had secretly visited a psychiatrist. The report immediately caused a sensation throughout England, especially in Manchester.
"There's no need to be angry. It could actually be useful," Ethan said with a laugh. "The next time someone annoys you on the pitch, just break his leg. Everyone will excuse you because you're supposedly unstable."
He leaned slightly away from Keane.
"Just remember to carry your medication. I'm beginning to feel unsafe."
Keane was left speechless.
When it came to verbal sparring, ten of him might not have been enough to match Ethan. After all, Ethan had once publicly humiliated Manchester United's former chairman and helped force him from power.
Although Edwards still owned shares in the club, Peter Kenyon had taken effective control.
Cantona watched from the side with some surprise.
He could tell that Ethan was close to Beckham and the others, but he did not yet understand why Beckham had invited Ethan to a meeting like this.
Beckham soon explained.
"First, I should thank you, Ethan."
He raised his glass, which contained only water.
Ethan lifted his own glass of beer and clinked it against Beckham's before draining it.
"It's nothing. Just buy me lunch a few more times."
Noticing Cantona's puzzled expression, Beckham smiled.
"Ethan is a good friend of Steve Jobs, Apple's chairman, and he is also one of the company's shareholders. Apple recently launched an MP3 player that has sold extremely well. They're preparing to enter the European market and want me to appear in an advertisement."
"Ethan helped arrange the opportunity."
Cantona immediately understood.
Then he quickly grasped the deeper issue.
At that time, football clubs paid relatively little attention to how players' image rights were managed. However, Manchester United were already the most commercially successful club in the world, so their players understood the importance of those rights.
The problem was that the club controlled most of them, while the players received only a small share.
Yet the club was earning money from their names and faces. The players naturally believed they deserved a greater portion.
For a global star such as Beckham, annual advertising income could be enormous, perhaps even greater than his salary.
"I've temporarily suspended the agreement, Ethan," Beckham said apologetically. "Please apologise to Mr. Jobs for me. I'm truly sorry, but I can't sign the contract at the moment."
Ethan looked at Beckham, then at Cantona, Keane, and Neville.
He immediately understood the real purpose of the lunch.
Clearly, Cantona and the others had been asked by the club to persuade Beckham.
Only a few days earlier, AC Milan had reportedly offered Beckham four times his current salary, which had made Manchester United extremely nervous.
At the same time, Beckham's relationship with the British media had deteriorated badly. A newspaper had even published an invasive photograph involving his young son on its front page, prompting Prime Minister Tony Blair to publicly condemn the media's behaviour.
Under those circumstances, Beckham's desire to leave Manchester United had become stronger than ever.
His decision to suspend the Apple advertisement was an obvious signal that he was seriously considering a transfer.
"David, I don't think you should move to Italy," Cantona said, becoming emotional. "In terms of strength, AC Milan are not better than Manchester United. Commercially, Manchester United are the biggest club in the world."
"I don't understand why you want to leave for Italy."
Cantona had watched Beckham and the others grow into first-team players and held an important place in their hearts.
Apart from Ferguson, perhaps only Cantona could question Beckham so directly.
Ferguson, however, would never have approached the matter in the same way. He would have been far more uncompromising.
Although Keane was captain, he said little.
Six months earlier, he had signed a new contract worth £52,000 per week. That was one of the main reasons Beckham felt dissatisfied.
Neville also remained silent.
He, too, believed he deserved a better contract.
Peter Kenyon's decision to involve Cantona had been extremely shrewd. At the very least, Beckham found it difficult to argue with him.
"Manchester United's position is clear," Cantona continued. "As long as you do not request a transfer, you will receive a new contract before Christmas."
By "you," Cantona clearly meant more than Beckham alone.
Neville was included, and once those two were settled, Giggs, Scholes, Phil Neville, and the others would probably follow.
"Peter Kenyon told me Manchester United cannot match AC Milan's offer. The highest the club can go is £70,000 per week."
"If that still isn't enough, the club will allow you to leave. Any team willing to pay £46 million can sign you."
"But within that wage structure, Manchester United consider you untouchable."
After speaking, Cantona rose from his seat and sighed.
"I don't want to see all of you separated because of money. I know the club has treated you unfairly in certain ways. I also know some of its decisions have left you disappointed."
"But don't forget that Manchester United developed you. Everything you have achieved began with this club."
He looked directly at Beckham.
"Think carefully, David. I'll be waiting for good news."
Cantona then apologised to Ethan and left.
Peter Kenyon had invited him specifically to persuade Beckham to stay.
After Cantona departed, the atmosphere inside the private room became awkward.
Keane could hardly say anything.
In an earlier media interview, he had already complained that some foreign players at Manchester United, including Stam, earned frighteningly high salaries, while homegrown stars such as Beckham continued to stay despite receiving offers of two or three times their current wages from foreign clubs.
Anyone could see what was happening.
Cantona understood it as well, but from his perspective, he simply did not want Beckham and the others to leave.
Giggs and Scholes were also being linked with clubs in Spain and Italy.
If Beckham departed, the entire core of Manchester United's squad might begin to fall apart.
Ethan knew what was supposed to happen in the future, but he could not guarantee that events would remain unchanged if Beckham left Manchester United now.
Given the current situation, the famous midfield four might easily break apart.
Manchester United could certainly receive enormous transfer fees for those players.
But at what cost?
"There's something I want to say, David. Do you want to hear it?" Ethan asked seriously.
Beckham looked at him.
He had always trusted Ethan and considered his views unusually insightful, so he nodded.
"This is not the right time for you to leave, and AC Milan are not the right destination."
"I respect Milan enormously, but purely from the perspective of your career, Cantona is right. Manchester United suit you better."
"Last season was Manchester United's peak, and it was also your peak. I know how disappointed you were not to win the World Player of the Year."
"But shouldn't that disappointment motivate you?"
Ethan continued calmly.
"If your goal is to achieve the greatest possible success, where are you more likely to do it? At Manchester United, in a system you understand and among teammates who understand you, or in another country where you would need to adapt to an entirely unfamiliar environment?"
The answer was obvious.
Moving abroad always brought the risk of failing to settle into a new team and culture.
English players, in particular, rarely succeeded overseas. Even Beckham's later move to Real Madrid could be viewed as a greater commercial success than a footballing one.
As Beckham's friend and as the owner of New Manchester United, Ethan did not want him to leave.
Such a move might create a chain reaction and trigger major changes throughout English football.
Some people might have argued that upheaval would benefit a small club such as New Manchester United by creating opportunities for them to rise.
But if football history changed too dramatically, Ethan would lose the greatest advantage he possessed.
Without his knowledge of what was supposed to happen, what could he rely on to guide New Manchester United through the divisions?
Naturally, Ethan kept that selfish concern to himself.
Instead, he gave Beckham a rational analysis of the situation.
He did not believe Beckham should leave, but he also advised him not to rush the negotiations with Manchester United.
Beckham should use the opportunity to demand better terms, especially a larger share of commercial income and control over his image rights.
The lunch lasted more than three hours before everyone finally left.
Ethan did not know what Beckham would decide, but he felt he had done everything he could.
If that still failed to persuade him, there was nothing more Ethan could do.
He was the owner of New Manchester United, and his attention had to remain on his own club.
He could not spend every day following Beckham around and begging him not to leave.
Ethan was no saint.
(To be continued.)