Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Low-Cost, High-Efficiency (1)
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[[Bolton Local] Owner Ma: 'Major changes ahead for the club.']
Jeong-woo's remarks on the radio had sparked a massive firestorm.
At first, only local media took notice, but it soon spread to outlets in the fan districts of Horichi, Weststern, and Kierley.
[[Horichi Daily] Owner Ma attempting new changes...?]
[[Weststern Daily] Owner Ma: 'I will keep Bolton here no matter what. That's my goal!']
And that wasn't all.
[[Kierley Daily] Owner Ma: 'Big signing incoming! Fans, just wait...!']
[[Blackroad Daily] League Two's Bolton Wanderers eyeing the top scorer...! Owner's bold ambitions!]
[[Panwars Daily] Bolton to ship out six players and bring in six new ones in the winter transfer window...?]
From the phrase "astonishing changes," speculation and embellishments branched out like tree limbs in every direction.
Amid the nonstop flood of articles, Jeong-woo maintained complete silence.
It wasn't as if they were wrong, exactly.
In truth, he was already putting his plans into action to bring about those astonishing changes.
* * *
Players who hoped to stay but ended up on the release list naturally grew resentful toward the club.
Especially if they had a solid standing within the team.
Bolton's winger, Falcon Jones, was one such player.
He had met with Jeong-woo several times, but far from resolving his grievances, they only piled up higher.
"I told you to be straight with me. Just what is the reason for releasing me?"
At the Bolton Training Center, Falcon Jones grumbled as he lounged across an incline bench.
Standing before him with a grave expression was his uncle and agent, Hoseb Vieira.
"And what did he say?"
At Hoseb's question, Jones let out a heavy sigh.
"He said my wages are too high compared to my performance. I mean, I was getting eight thousand pounds a week—about twelve million won—and they were even timing a renewal request because it wasn't enough... What the hell is this nonsense?"
"Hmm, I see."
"Do you think it makes sense for my treatment to change this drastically just because the owner swapped out?"
"No, it doesn't. You're an asset who deserves much better. Calling you Bolton's ace wouldn't be an overstatement."
Hoseb shook his head slowly, his mouth twisted downward.
Falcon Jones wrinkled his nose and chimed in.
"Yeah, exactly! This is wrong. Totally wrong!"
Soon, he added with clear dissatisfaction.
"Anyway, I made it crystal clear to the former owner. No transfer, period."
"Got it. I'll have a word myself."
Hoseb ruffled the bristling Jones's hair and exited the training center.
Click, click!
Outside the building, he flicked his Zippo lighter and lit a cigarette.
"Huuuuh—!"
It was a no-smoking area, but Hoseb couldn't care less.
A hint of irritation crept across his face.
Truth be told, though he hadn't told his nephew, Hoseb himself had already clashed with the owner twice.
It was over the release decision.
"Unnecessary for the team, my ass..."
The new owner was certainly more aggressive and uncompromising than the previous one.
Even while minding his manners, Jeong-woo stood firm like a rock.
He simply responded with that consistent, smiling face.
'Yes, no can do. You're already on the release list.'
'You're not in my plans.'
'If you agree to a renewal with a... 70% pay cut, we can take you off the list.'
'Ah, if your skills were top-notch, there wouldn't even be a pay-cut proposal... I'm sure you understand that as an agent. As you know, no society is as merit-based as football?'
He had even turned the tables, demanding that Hoseb convince his own client.
'Even if he stays, Jones won't even make the bench. So persuade him to transfer. There are already a few clubs showing interest, including in League Two.'
"Huuuuh—!"
Hoseb exhaled another plume of gray smoke through his flared nostrils.
His brow furrowed deeply.
"You think it's that easy?"
The problem was the offers.
'Four clubs made proposals... but all conditioned on halving his wages.'
The agent's commission was peanuts too.
In the end, money was why he aimed to keep Jones at Bolton.
His nephew, oblivious to his own level, was expecting a raise after staying put.
Hoseb knew it well.
His nephew's skills didn't match his wage level at all.
'He got lucky.'
It had only been possible because the previous owner was an utter fool.
One thing was clear: he and his nephew held the decision power.
'If we reject all offers, he stays on the team.'
The contract still had three years left.
Realistically, in his current form, securing a deal like Bolton's current one elsewhere seemed unlikely.
Only one conclusion.
'Staying put is the answer, no matter what.'
Even if it meant no bench spot, as the owner said, Hoseb was determined to keep his nephew.
Of course, as an agent, he planned to fulfill his duties.
'I need to shake the owner with some media play. Even with his poor form this season, Jones is a love-hate figure with the fans.'
Still, the irritation lingered.
'Damn owner.'
Tougher than expected.
* * *
Regarding the player releases, the Wanderers fans' boiling discontent didn't subside easily.
And Falcon Jones's agent poured fuel on the fire.
[Falcon Jones: 'I want to play for the club. But the owner just wants to get rid of me.']
[Falcon's Agent: 'The owner is treating a player who once devoted himself to the team like a used rag.']
Fans intoxicated by Falcon's past flashes of brilliance immediately erupted.
But the flames didn't spread as wildly as before.
The direct communication via local radio had somewhat cooled the fans' rage.
Especially those in Horichi and Bolton's core fan areas took a liking to the eloquent Jeong-woo.
- : At least give him credit for trying to communicate with us.
- : Thought he was just some brainless idiot, but listening to the radio on my way home last night flipped my view. Seems like he's actually using his head to save the team?
- : Might be worth watching a bit longer. He's only just become owner, and he says he'll prove it himself?
- : What the owner needs now is time. Plenty of time to criticize later. Honestly, I've hated this mob mentality from the start. Some were spewing straight-up racist crap. That's disgusting!
Even for a nation that lived and died by football, it was rare for an owner to communicate directly via radio.
Usually, it was just one-way announcements through press interviews.
Furthermore, during the broadcast, Jeong-woo announced plans to run random events alongside betting events starting from Round 28.
A good number of fans reacted positively.
* * *
A few days passed.
In Jeong-woo's office, now permeated with cigarette smoke.
Richard Geers and the marketing manager sat side by side on the guest sofa.
"Ahem."
The marketing manager rolled his eyes, carefully wafting away the hazy cigarette fog with his hand.
All the while, he kept stealing glances at his boss, the owner.
Jeong-woo sat not on the sofa but in the executive chair, his head buried in documents for quite some time.
Geers, watching the back of his head, had been murmuring to himself since earlier.
"The reaction in Horichi and Bolton's core fan districts is better than expected. Owner approval ratings have ticked up slightly too."
The approval ratings were hosted on the club website for anyone to vote.
This was at Jeong-woo's instruction.
To monitor public sentiment in real-time and adjust plans accordingly.
"Especially in Bolton and Horichi, approval has surged by over 10% each."
"That's a relief."
Jeong-woo smiled faintly, face still buried in the binder.
But Geers's next words quickly turned it to a sigh.
"Of course, Weststern, Blackroad, and Kierley dropped by 1% each, while Turton and Panwars fell 3% and 6%. Probably the impact of the Round 27 loss."
"Ha, that's a shame."
Areas without radio access showed declines.
After the Round 27 defeat dropping them to last place, it was inevitable.
'And it wasn't just any loss—it was a dismal performance in a dismal match.'
Jeong-woo nodded as he kept his eyes glued to the binder.
His concentration was fiercer than ever, carving deep furrows in his brow.
Geers, accustomed to the sight, freely rattled off other updates.
Ticket prices and ad revenue for the week.
Staff and players with contracts expiring in a year.
He didn't hold back advice on renewals either.
Jeong-woo had already sorted all this in his head.
Without lifting his eyes from the dense text, he let out a weary sigh.
'This damn habit.'
The compulsion to dive deep into work, endlessly probing.
Until issues resolved, his mind compulsively crammed in related info—a bad habit.
That's why stubble now sprouted unevenly.
The dark circles under his eyes had sagged to his cheeks.
At least there was good news.
Four of the six on the release list had left the team.
Jeong-woo's lips twitched upward.
'Sent those four off and pocketed about 600,000 pounds in transfer fees (roughly 940 million won).'
Factoring in what Bolton paid to acquire them, it was a net loss.
'About 200,000 pounds (310 million won) in the red.'
Financially a loss, but unavoidable.
'Brought them in above market value to begin with.'
Delay further, and their value would plummet more.
Anyway, funds for new signings were secured.
Meanwhile, post-nut clarity hit.
'In Football Manager games, selling one player nets 100 billion won easy...'
In League One, a 10 billion won player was an ace.
EPL scale would treat him like Paul Pogba level.
League levels created massive valuation gaps.
'Still, scraping together 940 million from four sales ain't bad.'
Thud!
Documents review done. Jeong-woo closed the binder and lifted his head.
His eyes sharpened with resolve.
"Now, let's focus on bringing in players."
Time to chain one reform after another.
It was then.
Drip—!
"Wha-what? O-Owner?"
The marketing manager jolted up in alarm, blurting out in shock.
"O-Owner, are you okay?"
Even the ever-kindly smiling Richard Geers widened his eyes and shouted this time.
Jeong-woo, mid-fierce gaze, furrowed one brow as something hot trickled down his philtrum.
He touched it with his right hand...
"Damn it."
A nosebleed.
The fruit of his labors.
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