Football Dynasty

The referee's whistle stayed down by his side, no longer anywhere near his mouth, reinforcing the idea that no foul had been called. He made a pushing motion with his palms, then sharply pointed toward the ball, signaling: Focus there, not on me.

Even Neil Lennon, who only moments earlier had been writhing on the ground as if in agony, suddenly leapt to his feet with a near-Deadpool-like recovery and flashed a confident thumbs-up.

The sight stunned the Barcelona players, silencing their complaints before they could even form.

All eyes snapped back to the referee, waiting for a whistle that never came. His lips remained sealed, the whistle dangling untouched at his side. With a firm gesture, his palms pressed outward in dismissal before his finger stabbed toward the rolling ball.

The message was unmistakable: 'Play, don't argue.'

Or… Goal!!!

BOOM.

Instantly, every City player roared in ecstasy. They had stolen a goal from Barcelona—and who wouldn't be proud of such an achievement?

Richard immediately pumped his fist as he witnessed the bizarre goal unfold.

Even though the tackle had been brutal and dangerously reckless, seeing Neil Lennon walk away as if nothing had happened only reinforced the moment's irony—it had still allowed them to steal the one strike they so desperately needed.

He immediately turned to Stuart. "What about Manchester United?"

On the same day, but in a different match, City's cross-town rivals Manchester United were also fighting in the Champions League, facing AS Monaco at the Stade Louis II.

The result?

18' — Ludovic Giuly

21' — Costinha

Miserable. Oh, miserable Manchester United.

Richard nodded at this before glancing down at his watch.

"By the way, where's Marina? Is she still taking long to get here?" he muttered.

Before flying out for Manchester City's fixture in Spain, an unexpected request had landed on his desk—Jeff Bezos, the rising American entrepreneur and founder of a fledgling company called Amazon, had personally asked for a meeting with him.

Since it was for a future VIP, Richard immediately arranged his private jet to bring him here as quickly as possible.

In 1994, Richard had already made an investment in Jeff Bezos's Amazon, back when it was still operating out of a garage.

Originally, Richard had wanted to invest £2 million to acquire 25% of the company's stock. However, the company's market capitalization at the time was too small.

The £2 million he put in couldn't buy the entire stake he had hoped for, and in the end, it secured him only a 14.3% share. Beyond that, there was no possibility of purchasing more.

Richard looked toward the match. Even after the goal, the game was still in a stalemate. Without wasting time, he shifted his focus to the next meeting.

Opening his briefcase, he pulled out the latest data on Amazon.

Before Amazon officially launched as an online bookstore, its operations were surprisingly humble. Books were shipped from distributors but often repackaged inside Jeff Bezos's small warehouse, where Bezos and his staff personally packed orders and drove them to the post office. The company's bold slogan was: "Earth's Biggest Bookstore."

But once Amazon.com was launched, everything began to change.

1995 revenue: $511,000

1996 revenue: $15.7 million (a massive jump)

Customers by the end of 1996: around 180,000 accounts

Richard suddenly remembered his very first meeting with Bezos, when he had been asked to conduct a survey about the possibility of investing in the company.

Jeffrey Preston Bezos had once been a Wall Street investment banker and hedge fund vice president at D.E. Shaw.

"Why Amazon? Why online?" Richard couldn't help but ask.

"It's simple," Bezos replied confidently.

His inspiration for Amazon had come after reading a report that predicted internet usage would grow at an astonishing 2,300% per year. Seeing this, Bezos knew he wanted to build an online business that could scale with such explosive growth.

He had brainstormed a list of 20 potential internet ventures — from software to apparel — before finally choosing books because: the catalog was enormous, with millions of titles, the low price point made customers more willing to purchase online without seeing the product first.

No physical bookstore could ever stock such a vast selection — but Amazon could.

And for today's agenda, the reason why Bezos wanted to meet Richard is…

AMZN, listed on NASDAQ.

In addition, Amazon's performance is strong. According to the holding cost, it has risen by nearly 50% and has not been affected by the decline in technology stocks during this period.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

A knock suddenly came at the door.

'Talk about the devil...'

Richard paused for a moment, then glanced at the glass window.

"Stuart, they're here," he said quietly.

The door opened, and the room filled with the rustle of footsteps and the low murmur of voices. Richard rose from his chair, extending a firm handshake in greeting.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome," he began, his tone both warm and businesslike. "Please, have a seat. We have much to discuss."

Richard rose, and the first to step in was Marina Granovskaia, her presence sharp and commanding, yet carried with effortless grace.

"Richard," she said coolly, her voice firm but polite.

"Marina," Richard replied, nodding his head slightly as he shook her hand. "Always a pleasure. Thank you for joining us."

Behind her, another figure entered—taller, casual in demeanor yet unmistakably confident. Jeff Bezos followed, his eyes sharp with curiosity, scanning the room as though measuring every detail.

Richard greeted him next, firm handshake against firm handshake.

"Jeff," Richard said. "We've been looking forward to this."

"Likewise," Bezos answered with a grin. "I hear there are big ideas on the table."

"Ha, come in, come in," Richard added warmly, motioning toward the seats.

Public perception of Amazon at the time was mixed—neither entirely good nor entirely bad. Many analysts doubted the company's prospects. In fact, critics nicknamed it "Amazon.bomb" and raised concerns that giants like Barnes & Noble or Borders would eventually crush it. Customers, however, loved Amazon for its convenience and vast selection.

This was despite the fact that the website, by today's standards, was very basic: text-heavy, with simple search functions and no modern design. Bezos himself was still personally involved in day-to-day operations and interviews. The company culture remained scrappy, with employees working at makeshift desks built from doors laid across sawhorses.

To the outside world, Amazon was viewed as a newly public, fast-growing, but money-losing online bookstore.

"To change the culture—and how the company operates?" Richard couldn't help but ask.

"The plan for listing, naturally, must also be supported by building a strong company," Bezos replied. "That way, we can secure substantial fresh capital."

Richard leaned forward. "The problem is…?"

Bezos nodded. "The low price point makes customers more willing to purchase online without seeing the product first. So, I need a vast catalog—millions of titles. And for that, I need support."

"What kind of support?" Richard pressed.

"First, I need to move the office to Seattle."

"Seattle?" Richard was caught off guard. "Why?"

"Partly because of the tech talent there—Microsoft is nearby," Bezos explained calmly. "And also because of the proximity to Ingram Book Group's distribution center."

Richard absorbed the reasoning in silence. It wasn't just about logistics. Bezos was thinking ahead, about talent and infrastructure.

The early team—Shel Kaphan, Paul Davis, and a handful of engineers—was still essential, but Bezos knew he would need far more before it was too late.

Richard rubbed his chin, sinking into deep thought.

"Jeff… let me get this straight, all right?" he said carefully.

"All right," Bezos replied, watching him closely.

"Do you need funds?" Richard finally asked.

Bezos didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"How much are we talking about?" Richard pressed, almost testing him.

Bezos shook his head. His tone was steady, unwavering. "About a million. But I'll put it under the company structure later, so you'll know exactly where everything goes."

Richard leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. The number hung in the air like a challenge, heavy but full of promise.