Seeing William's sharp look, the butler immediately responded, "Of course, whether or not to see them is entirely your decision. As the most distinguished guest of the Four Seasons Hotel, as long as it's within the law, the hotel will fully support any decision you make."
William walked over to the window and looked down. He saw a large crowd of Chelsea fans gathered outside, already numbering more than a hundred, with more arriving in the distance.
"They're here because of today's newspaper?" William turned to the butler.
"Yes, sir. The fan representatives have spoken with us, and they want to know what your plans are," the butler hesitated for a moment before biting the bullet. "The main issue seems to be the speculation about changing the coach."
"Hah, these people really move fast. The paper's been out for less than two hours, and they're already at my door," William scoffed. "Looks like someone doesn't want me to have it too easy. Can you help me with something, David?"
"Of course, sir. Anything you need, I'll take care of it," the butler, David, replied confidently. He knew William wasn't the type to ask him to do anything inappropriate, so he didn't hesitate to agree.
"Don't worry, it's nothing difficult. I want you to arrange for the fans to choose ten representatives and wait for me in the conference room. Then, find a fast food place and make sure every Chelsea fan who came today gets a hot coffee and a burger. Understand?"
"No problem, sir. Actually, the hotel can handle the coffee and food ourselves. Even if a thousand fans show up, we can manage everything within half an hour. But the cost might be three or four times higher than using a fast food chain."
"Do I look like someone who cares about a few thousand pounds, David?" William said with a grin.
"Understood, sir. I'll make the arrangements immediately. I'll inform you when everything is ready. Enjoy your meal, Mr. Devonshire, Mrs. Lina."
Once the butler left, Lina sighed and scolded William. "Look at the mess you've made. Now everyone's watching and laughing at us."
"It's a good thing, Mom. A very good thing. Who says we're the only ones who can put on a show? I'll watch a show, too. If someone doesn't want me to have it easy in this league, then they won't have it easy either. Hmph, we'll see. Money may not solve everything, but it can solve most things.
"Don't worry, Mom. The fans will be easy to deal with. I refuse to believe that if I throw a hundred million pounds into the team this year, the fans will still have complaints. Even if we don't do well this season, I'm planning to use this opportunity to massively renovate the stadium and its facilities.
"What do you think about building a five-star hotel next to the stadium? The Four Seasons is great, but it's not our own. Plus, this is a perfect time for construction, with costs several times lower than they'll be in a few years, maybe even half."
"Whatever. I only care about the team. Leave the rest to you," Lina responded without lifting her head. She knew her limits. Despite her claims that the team was hers, she admitted she didn't have the ability to manage everything. "But with such a big move, are you sure you'll have enough funds?"
William smiled proudly. "No worries, Mom. The cash I have on hand is enough to buy all the London teams five times over and still have some left."
Lina looked at her confident son, a smile spreading across her face. William only ever let his guard down like this in front of her.
Twenty minutes later, after finishing breakfast with his mother, William heard faint cheers. He stood up and walked to the window, where he saw a group of hotel staff distributing food and coffee to the fans gathered about fifty meters away from the hotel.
Being treated to food from the Four Seasons Hotel might not be a huge deal, but it was certainly a step above fast food. The most important part was that William was footing the bill, and everyone got something. If they weren't full, they could even ask for seconds—though no one could get more than two servings.
Opening the window, William smiled as he listened to the fans chanting, "Long live Devonshire!" A few minutes later, the hotel butler, David, knocked and entered, saying, "Sir, the fan representatives are waiting for you in the conference room. Shall I escort you now?"
"That quick?" William glanced at his casual attire. "Let them enjoy some food for a bit longer. I'm going to change."
"Very well, sir."
Half an hour later, dressed smartly, William entered the conference room. The fan representatives, who had been waiting for some time, immediately stood up. A few familiar faces even clapped. One older man with graying hair called out, "Hey, William, remember me?"
"Of course, Mr. Swagger." William walked over and shook the man's hand. "Sorry, sir, but you know I'm not one for hugs. How have you been? Still no word from your son Bob?"
Swagger shook his head. "Let's not talk about that bum. I haven't seen him in almost five years." He patted William on the shoulder. "I never thought I'd see the day that someone from our neighborhood would become England's richest man and buy Chelsea. Tell me, William, did you really buy Chelsea as a birthday gift for your mom?"
William shrugged. "You know how it is. Maybe it's because football stole my mother's love from me. It made me feel like football was her real child. So, I never had much affection for the sport. In a way, you could say I'm Chelsea's natural enemy."
"Haha! Is that true?" Everyone burst out laughing at this unexpected story.
"Yep. You don't know," said Kent, a middle-aged man who had lived on the same street as William. "I remember when William was about 13 or 14, he once came to my bar looking for Lina because he hadn't eaten dinner. But after only a few words, Lina gave him £5 and sent him away. William was so mad, he didn't talk to her for a week. Since then, Lina stopped coming to the bar to watch games."
"Oh, God, that actually happened?" Everyone looked at William, waiting for him to confirm.
"That's because I won first place in an archery competition, and Lina completely forgot. After watching the game, she didn't even ask me about it when she got home. So, I decided I wouldn't talk to her for a week. She misunderstood, though, but at the time, I was happy to let her stop going to the bar to watch football."
"Speaking of archery, William, why didn't you join the English archery team? With your skills, winning an Olympic gold medal would be a breeze."
"Well, I just don't have the time. Plus, archery doesn't interest me much anymore. As you know, once you've mastered something, your interest fades. Competing without real opponents isn't very exciting."
"FK!" a young man blurted out. Seeing everyone's disapproving looks, he quickly explained, "Sorry, William. I didn't mean any offense. It's just... why is there such a huge gap between people? If I had your skills, I'd have girls from the nightclubs lining up to throw themselves at me."
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