Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Low-Cost, High-Efficiency (5)
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Derek Scott, his mentality shattered, left the office without even making excuses.
The moment he was gone, Jeong-woo pumped his fist into the air and let out a triumphant yell.
“Yes! That’s more like it! I knew it!”
His sharp instincts, that sixth sense of his, kept screaming at him.
These guys knew their tails were too obvious.
It didn’t help that the squad was packed with A Agency players—not just Bolton players.
There had been cases like that in the K-3 League, too.
‘They took a 150 billion hit. Fuck! No wonder their senses sharpened up.’
Doubt everything!
Anyway, shaking things up through the media had witnesses spilling their stories left and right in articles.
Just like Derek Scott had tried to spin positive PR about his management style before.
Through Richard Geers, he’d spread rumors using chatty acquaintances.
Word of mouth exaggerated the rumors even more as they spread.
The effect was immediate.
New articles were popping up even now.
Falcon Jones, a winger on the release list but stuck due to his hefty wages making a transfer tough right away, had jumped in.
In his interview, he was slamming Derek Scott.
“A little fuel like ‘at this point, the players are just victims played by schemes,’ and they’ll burn even brighter, huh? Heh heh heh.”
Jeong-woo’s upturned lips showed no sign of coming down.
Soon, he stood before the blinds, chuckling at the sunlight leaking through.
“I just tossed out the bait, and they snapped it right up.”
Even a simple bait had turned into a full-blown exposé war among themselves, handing over their own nooses.
Jeong-woo shoved one hand into his pants pocket, leaned casually against the desk, and reached for the intercom.
Riiing, riiiing!
After a few short rings, Executive Director Richard Geers’s voice came through the receiver.
(Yes, Owner.)
Jeong-woo narrowed his eyes, gazing past the blinds at the players training, and issued his orders.
“Contact the Club Financial Control Body and ask them to start an investigation. Against former manager Derek Scott and A Agency.”
He paused as he was about to hang up and added,
“Oh, and if any media interview requests come in, pass this along: ‘The players hurt by this agent and manager scheme are purely victims. We understand them.’”
(That’ll keep the media hounding just the manager and those A Agency bastards.)
Exactly.
Geers saw right through to the future.
Everything was burning bright.
* * *
It all proceeded smoothly.
The Club Financial Control Body handles investigations into illegal profits and financial irregularities targeting clubs or sports agents.
At Jeong-woo’s request, the CFCB launched a full investigation.
It wasn’t long before they uncovered evidence of shady dealings between Derek Scott and A Agency head Wayne James.
Account records showed they’d pocketed far more profit from player transfers than reported to the FA.
They even confirmed deposits into shell accounts.
The scandal hit official news feeds.
[[Bolton Local] Derek Scott Paid Extra Fees to A Agency on Player Signings...!]
“Heh heh heh.”
Jeong-woo scrolled through the article on his tablet PC, thoroughly satisfied.
[Derek Scott Indicted on Illegal Fee Charges!]
[A Agency Head Wayne James Indicted for Forged Documents and Money Laundering!]
[Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS): ‘A Agency Banned from Contracts with 3rd Tier or Higher Clubs for 5 Years per FA Request.’]
“These guys are totally done for. Ruined.”
Public reaction was boiling over.
- : Wow... Derek Scott, I always thought that hollow face looked shady, and turns out he’s a criminal...!
- : Everyone! A Agency is the biggest reason Bolton’s been struggling all this time!
- : No wonder. We were overpaying for players relative to their talent, and this is the inside story...
- : A Agency Gate. This is insane... Corruption like this in beautiful football culture? Sigh...!
- : A Agency’s been leeching off Bolton like a crime syndicate. And Derek Scott...! That bastard was the reason we got relegated from the Championship—why wasn’t he fired sooner? It all makes sense now! Honestly, he deserved to be sacked ten times over!
The blame for poor results aimed at the former owner and himself now shifted to A Agency and Derek Scott.
Wayne James was promptly fired from A Agency, of course.
Classic tail-cutting.
The agency claimed they knew nothing and washed their hands of it.
Not only that—they appealed the arbitration ruling, refusing to accept it.
“Bastards who’d miss fish bones in instant ramen.”
Justice might win eventually, but it’d be a long fight—he could guess that much.
“No quick compensation payout, huh.”
The day before, on Richard Geers’s advice, Jeong-woo had demanded compensation from A Agency.
A whopping 30 billion won equivalent.
“With 30 billion won, in League One terms, I could snag at least three top players. Heh heh.”
Of course, with the appeal ongoing, A Agency wasn’t about to pay up anytime soon.
Their legal team was countering that it was all Wayne James acting alone.
“This’ll sort itself out with time.”
For now, sending Derek Scott packing without penalty fees or paying out his remaining contract was success enough.
* * *
League Round 29.
Derek Scott was sacked, and the assistant coach stepped in as interim manager.
But...
Thud!
[GOOOOOOAL! Bristol Rovers!]
[They score a dramatic goal against Bolton in the 43rd minute of the second half!]
[Even without Derek Scott, Bolton’s still sticking to their three-back formation!]
“These fucking...!
Fucking!
Bastards!”
Nothing had changed.
Jeong-woo’s slicked-back hair, once so sharp, was now a bird’s nest from all the ruffling.
* * *
Three hours later.
Jeong-woo’s office.
Glance, glance.
Hee-won sat on the guest sofa, eating melon-flavored ice cream while furtively gauging the mood.
Jeong-woo sprawled in the top seat, ice pack on his forehead, utterly motionless.
It had been an hour already.
“Hey, you okay...?”
Hee-won was starting to get genuinely worried about Jeong-woo.
When he’d first stepped into the club, he’d had that sharp, stylish edge—but lately, he was reverting to his old self.
Still in a suit, sure, but...
“You think clothes follow you around or what?”
His tie hung half-loose.
Wrinked jacket.
Stubbly blackish beard sprouting.
Hair messed up every which way.
The suit looked downright thuggish.
‘Usually, people dress up to match the clothes...’
That’s when it happened.
“Argh, fuck!”
Jeong-woo burst out cursing like he was seizing.
For a split second, his whole body jerked up like a live fish.
“Whoa, you scared me, you prick!”
Hee-won, mid-bite of ice cream, clutched his chest where his heart had nearly dropped.
Jeong-woo tossed the melted ice pack onto the table with a thud and let out a heavy sigh.
“The players are a problem, but the manager’s the real issue.”
“Tell me about it.”
Hee-won muttered softly.
“That assistant coach, Spoon or whatever his name is—his tactics weren’t any different from Scott’s.”
“He’s been under Scott for years.”
“Then why not cut him loose too?”
Jeong-woo shook his head.
“Too risky right now. Until we bring in a new manager.”
Hee-won’s wrinkled face scrunched up even more as he asked worriedly,
“It’s not even end of season, we’re mid-table at best—no, bottom of the pack. Who’d even take the job?”
“I checked out a few unemployed managers through Geers... but same old story.”
Jeong-woo had pored over the tactical styles and past records of a few candidates Geers had shortlisted.
None of them cut it.
“Like you said, not end of season, mid-campaign, relegation fodder—no real talent’s available.”
Unfortunately, what Bolton needed now was a manager who could turn the team around immediately.
Jeong-woo pulled a cigarette from his pack and stuck it in his mouth.
Swipe.
Hee-won subtly scooted away.
Watching his friend, Jeong-woo smirked and asked,
“Know any cheap, skilled managers who listen well?”
It was half a lament.
Hee-won cut straight to reality.
“Nope. A cheap, skilled manager... coming to Bolton? If I were them, no way. Hell, they’d already be trusted elsewhere.”
Then, offhand, Hee-won added,
“Why not do it yourself? You’re the owner anyway. Just handle everything. Heh heh!”
It was just a joke to lighten the mood.
“...”
No response from Jeong-woo.
Hee-won glanced over, wondering if he’d offended him.
Luckily, he didn’t look upset.
Just lost in thought, like before.
“Hey! Don’t take it so seriously. A good manager’ll turn up.”
“...”
“Playing the thinker? Why the chin prop pose?”
Having caused the wound, Hee-won figured it was time for the balm—cracking jokes to shift the vibe.
As Hee-won mumbled and poured soju into an empty glass, raising it,
Clink!
Out of nowhere, Jeong-woo clinked his glass perfectly timed and said,
“Congrats.”
“Huh?”
Hee-won blinked, confused.
Jeong-woo threw back the soju and emphasized,
“On your promotion from U-21 coach to first-team assistant.”
“...?”
Hee-won didn’t react right away.
‘What the hell’s he saying?’
For a split second, his mind filled with question marks.
About ten seconds passed.
Spring!
Hee-won shot up like a coil and yelled,
“What?! For real? Really?!”
“You said handle it all.”
“Damn... you’re serious!”
Hee-won grabbed Jeong-woo’s hands like he might cry.
“My grandma was right!”
His cheeks flushed red.
He was about to become first-team assistant coach in EFL League One for the first time ever.
Nothing like a K-3 League gig.
His heart pounded wildly.
‘Honey! I’m first-team assistant now!’
He wanted to call his wife at home and brag right away.
His lovely daughter too.
But soon, Hee-won voiced a question.
“Wait, hold on. Then who’s the manager?”
The key question.
His life as assistant would depend on who it was.
Jeong-woo answered without hesitation.
“Might as well make my managerial debut too.”