Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Low-Cost, High-Efficiency (4)
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The next day.
Strange rumors began to slink through the club's corridors.
"Heard the news?"
Robertson, a front-office staffer now in his second year, glanced around from his mid-level chair before leaning back and rolling his eyes.
Botters, who had been buried in paperwork beside him, didn't lift his gaze from the stack of documents as he replied.
"What?"
"A Agency tried to peddle some overpriced new player to our owner. So to scrape together the cash, he took the lead in offloading our existing players."
"Really?"
Botters, who had seemed utterly uninterested, whipped his head around with eyes wide.
Robertson smugly added,
"That's what I heard. Everyone in this business knows our current guys' values got inflated to hell anyway. Can't sell 'em twice, so he bent over backward to dump them cheap—like wiping the owner's ass. All to fund that new signing."
"Where'd you hear that?"
Robertson leaned in close to Botters, covering his mouth with one hand.
"I've got a little connection with... well, you know. Anyway, keep it under wraps. Only telling you 'cause it's you."
A few hours later.
"Hey, listen."
Lunchtime.
In the smoking area after a meal, Botters lit a cigarette and casually broached the subject.
"Wanna hear a secret?"
The marketing manager, new to the team this season, asked with a frosty expression.
"What's up?"
Botters glanced around suspiciously before speaking.
His mouth had been itching since earlier, and he just had to vent, even if it was to a junior.
"This is just between us. Don't breathe a word anywhere."
"I swear, my lips are sealed."
Buoyed by the junior's trustworthy look, Botters whispered,
"A Agency teamed up with Bolton to... dump our existing players for peanuts...."
At the end, Botters put on a stern face as he warned,
"Don't tell a soul. Everyone'll know eventually, but for now, it's our little secret."
The junior boasted proudly,
"My lips are zipped tight."
* * *
The next day.
Falcon Jones, Bolton's winger on the release list, wore a subtly twitching expression.
'What the hell are those guys talking about...?'
He pressed himself against the wall by the half-open locker room corridor, holding his breath.
Through the door crack, an unbelievable conversation flowed between two people.
"This is just for you. You know I'm tight with the marketing folks, right? They told me the new owner's about to get duped again."
"Why? A Agency pushing another overpriced player?"
"Bingo."
"Where's the money coming from?"
"From selling off the existing players. Gonna shove a bunch of new ones—also A Agency guys—right into Bolton."
"Man, those leeches take the cake."
It was the moment when the skin under Falcon Jones's eyes began to quiver.
"The released guys are the only ones taking the hit. Their agents jacked up their values so much, other clubs are shying away."
"Isn't that why Falcon can't transfer?"
"Damn right. I'd have ditched the agent first."
The more he listened, the more cracks formed on Falcon's face.
'They're dumping me cheap now that they don't need me anymore...?'
Falcon's agent—and uncle—Hoseb Vieira was with A Agency.
'What the...'
His mind reeled in confusion.
* * *
One hour later.
A bizarre rumor circulated among the Wonderers.
- : Heard Bolton's in bed with A Agency for a big score?
: What're you talking about? Big score?
: Reason Bolton dumped all their existing A Agency players? To sign new ones. All A Agency too. Total roster rinse.
: My buddy works at A Agency—says it's legit. Y'know those old players sucked hard. So after a sit-down with A Agency, Bolton sold 'em cheap. Using that cash to ink new talent.
- : True partnership right there.
It wasn't bad news for the Wonderers.
Even if they were flops from A Agency, at least the club was finally pursuing signings.
"Keuugh."
Jeong-woo, scrolling tablet news on Bolton, let out admiring grunts.
"That's some skill if it's skill. How'd the rumor spread like this in less than a day?"
Jeong-woo looked up, beaming.
Across the table, white-haired Richard Geers stood straight with a benevolent smile.
"I have a good eye for people."
"Looks like I do too."
It was genuinely astonishing.
He'd figured it'd take at least a week, but the rumor blanketed everything in a single day.
Club internals, Bolton community sites—the works.
That's when it rang.
Riiing-riiiing-riiiing-!
The intercom buzzed, and Jeong-woo snatched it up like he'd been waiting.
"Yes. Got it."
(Owner, you've got an interview with Horichi Local in about five minutes.)
Jeong-woo's lips curled slyly.
"Timing's perfect."
Ending the call, Jeong-woo sprang up.
Straightening his clothes, he added to Geers,
"Shall we? Time to clean out the trash."
Geers followed with an amused grin, watching Jeong-woo prowl past like a predator spotting prey.
* * *
[[Horichi Local] Owner Ma: 'Manager discussed closely with A Agency and recommended several players to us. We're reviewing them...']
Current Bolton manager Derek Scott stared at the article, unable to hide his disbelief.
"What the fu—how's this guy who flipped the table on us spouting this crap!"
He'd heard from agency head Wayne James.
The new owner hadn't even glanced at their proposals.
James had warned further:
If Bolton kept purging A Agency players, he'd do business with another manager.
Meaning he'd cut ties with Scott.
"You rotten bastards...!"
Scott bellowed into the void, face flushed beet red.
He had more than one or two reasons to rage.
"That punk Falcon—what'd I ever do to him..."
From players facing release to those already gone, they'd all reached out to vent.
'I'm disappointed! Agency and Bolton colluded to ditch me?'
'You knew, Coach? No way you didn't! You brought me in!'
'This rumor... what is it? You and the agency kicking me out?'
Derek Scott had no clue.
Yet the owner gave an interview laced with nuance that made the rumors sound true.
Grit.
His teeth ground involuntarily.
Doubt crept in too.
"No way... those bastards didn't backstab me too, did they?"
Couldn't help suspecting with the owner's media play.
'No way he'd pull that on guts alone.'
Maybe some deal went down between hiMad Dog Wayne James back then.
James denied it, of course.
Scott had just called to complain, only for James to chew him out instead.
About how he managed players.
Overwhelmed by dark thoughts, Scott couldn't hold back and kicked open his office door.
'That rotten Eastern bastard...!'
* * *
Storming into the owner's office, Derek Scott lodged a fierce protest right away.
"What the hell is this? Huh?"
Jeong-woo, sprawled on the guest sofa slurping instant ramen—huff huff!—quirked one eyebrow mid-blow.
"What's that?"
"You think I don't know? You spread that weird-ass rumor!"
Scott probed just in case.
But Jeong-woo's face showed no flicker.
"What rumor?"
"That A Agency and Bolton are collaborating on a massive overhaul! And drew up a release list of six as sacrifices!"
"Oh, that~ Slurp slurp!"
Jeong-woo elegantly slurped noodles, mumbling.
"Mmmph! Mmmph mmmph!"
"What, what'd you say?"
"I never said that."
"That's just it—you're the one who started it!"
"Me? Why would I?"
"Well..."
Nothing came to mind.
Just a hunch.
From watching lately, Jeong-woo clearly disliked him, A Agency, and their players.
Hell, releases were proceeding at the owner's behest.
Staring at Jeong-woo's brazen face fueled his fury more.
'Th, th—this punk kid who hasn't even dried off yet...!'
Then Jeong-woo tilted his head lightly and asked,
"But why're you so worked up?"
"Huh...?"
Jeong-woo chuckled and continued,
"I mean, if it's just a baseless rumor like you say, why blow up at me like this?"
"..."
No comeback surfaced.
It hit too close to home.
This mess hadn't tanked his ties with A Agency—not yet.
Jeong-woo waggled the wooden chopsticks in his hand and posed another question.
"Oh yeah, speaking of... Bolton's got two of the coach's relatives on the roster, right? Saw they're A Agency too. That it?"
"Th, that's...!"
Derek jolted like a hammer to the skull.
Eyes bulging.
'How the hell do you know that?'
It wasn't noted in any paperwork.
No upside to disclosing family ties.
Jeong-woo eyed the flinching Derek Scott, lips drooping as he nodded.
"Knew you'd react like that."
He reached for the tablet on the sofa arm.
Tapped a few times, then furrowed his brow.
"Huh? What's this article?"
"Article... you mean?"
Wary of the inscrutable Jeong-woo, Scott shot back guardedly.
Jeong-woo drained the last broth—slurp—before going on.
"Whew. So many articles... Guess the coach hasn't earned much trust from the players?"
"...?"
What nonsense.
Then Jeong-woo beamed, rising from his seat.
"Wanna see?"
Step step—he approached and thrust the tablet forward.
Scott took it reflexively; his face drained white instantly.
[Owen Doyle: 'Last year's renewal—Derek Scott recommended A Agency to me. Signed with them, got better terms with the club... (excerpt) But suddenly this season, release notice. Feels like betrayal—they're using sales from me and others to bring in more A Agency guys for a rebuild...]
Next paragraph was key.
[A Agency and Derek Scott told me I'd make more money signing with them. Overheard talks between agent Wayne James and Derek Scott...
They discussed taking extra cash beyond the signing bonus from my deal...]
Owen Doyle had brushed it off then but now spilled everything in betrayal-fueled rage.
Worse: Kieren Dabs and other released players gave similar interviews.
'Th, those bastards...!'
Scott's heart pounded wildly.
Pupils shook like in an earthquake.
He glanced up nervously.
There stood Jeong-woo, slouched in rumpled suit, one step ahead.
Hands jammed in pockets, staring down at the rattled Scott.
"Uh, that... I mean."
Under the raptor's gaze piercing from a step away, Scott stammered.
No clue what to do.
Mind blank.
Jeong-woo flashed pearly whites at him.
"You're fired."
"..."
"See you in court, you bastard."
Have a great day~
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