Chapter 57
Chapter 57
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Manchester is Blue (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
West Midlands, Birmingham.
Shearer Kane was a 19-year-old young man this year.
He was currently a starter for Tamworth FC, based in Birmingham.
To be precise, about a year ago, he had burst onto the scene and instantly captured the fans' hearts.
"Shearer! You're staying with the team, right? Come on!"
"I'd love for you to stay. Lead us to League Two!"
As he pulled up to the club entrance on his bike, fans swarmed him without fail.
Shearer Kane gave an awkward smile and got off his bike.
"Ah, yeah. Let me through first."
"Tell us straight! Say you'll stay!"
"My daughter's your biggest fan! So please, stay with the team! Yeah?"
What was different today was that most of the waiting crowd was pleading with him.
Thanks to security's intervention, Shearer Kane finally made it inside the club.
But his mind wasn't at ease.
He glanced back to see a kid who looked about seven, waving a placard.
[Don't go, Tamworth's King! Shearer Kane!]
The reason they were clinging to him like this was simple.
In the previous season, Shearer Kane had played 42 matches, scoring 38 goals and providing 17 assists—a monstrous tally.
The team had made it to the playoffs but heartbreakingly lost 1-0 in the final round.
Still, the interest in Kane was immense.
At just 19, he'd finished second in the scoring charts in the National League (fifth tier).
"Hey~ Tamworth's king has arrived."
"Should I bow?"
"Oh, stop it. You're embarrassing me."
As soon as Shearer Kane entered the locker rooMad Dog changed into his training kit, his teammates greeted him with bright smiles.
Kane waved them off, but he couldn't hide the grin tugging at his lips.
He felt some regret toward the fans, but honestly, he was hoping for a transfer too.
"Heard some scouts are coming for today's friendly?"
Shearer Kane had gotten the info from the club in advance.
Scouts from Mansfield Town in League Two, three teams from League One, and two from the Championship.
All there to give his skills a final check.
To see if he'd work against a League One side in the friendly.
'Of course it'll work. No way it won't.'
Unlike his shy expression, Kane's confidence was sky-high.
* * *
Clang-!
Shearer Kane scored in the 20th minute of the first half.
The goalkeeper couldn't even react to his left-footed shot from out front.
"Yes!"
Kane raised a clenched fist and let out a short roar.
First half, 37th minute.
From the right flank, Kane saw a teammate charging with the ball and sprinted toward the goalmouth.
Thwack-!
A low cross came flying in from the sideline right on cue.
Kane planted his front foot at the penalty spot and swung his other leg powerfully.
It just needed to connect, and it was a goal.
That's when—
"Ugh!"
A center-back chasing desperately from behind shoved him hard in the back.
Crash-!
Kane lost his balance and tumbled forward.
Clang-!
Even as his center of gravity crumbled, he somehow poked the ball in with his nose—no, his toe—and scored.
Heh-!
A grin spread across his face.
He glanced at the stands where the scouts sat, slumped from his fall. Every one of them had eyes gleaming.
Like they'd spotted prey they coveted.
Except for two men.
The two with black hair... were talking with very serious expressions.
Glancing at him now and then.
Then suddenly—
Heh-!
One of the black-haired East Asians flashed a white-toothed smile.
"..."
Something felt ominous.
* * *
"Wow, that kid's a real goal poacher."
Park Hee-won was right.
From the stands, Shearer Kane was exceptional—not just in finishing, but in positioning.
"He's got stamina to hold up play and the tenacity to chase every goal."
Hitting shots from awkward angles was a huge plus.
Of course, he had big flaws too.
"He doesn't drop deep in the attacking third at all."
And despite his innocent looks, he was greedy for goals.
Five times in the first half alone, even when there were better passes to teammates, Kane went for the shot himself.
"He's living up to the hype."
Park Hee-won glanced at Kane, then scowled even deeper.
"Hey, not sure we can snag him."
"Why?"
"Look at that."
Park Hee-won nodded toward the scouts from various clubs.
They were all on frantic phone calls.
"Yes, yes. Confirmed! We'll definitely sign him."
"It's just a friendly against a League One side, but he's already got two. Yes, the defenders can't handle Shearer Kane at all."
"Gaffer, how much should we offer? What? I think up to £200,000 would be fine."
Park Hee-won whispered.
"Hear that? £200,000."
"Hmm."
Ma Jeong-woo narrowed his eyes slightly.
Bolton's top player's market value was only around £400,000.
And this fifth-tier kid at £200,000?
Way too pricey.
Park Hee-won kept griping.
"Second in scoring charts or not, that's overkill. The league levels are worlds apart."
Fair point.
Lower leagues meant more goals for strikers.
Tactics were cruder, and teams played more offensively by default.
Still, the scouts were out in force for a simple reason.
'Precedents. Precedents.'
Ever since Jamie Vardy's potential exploded, hunting gems from the lower leagues had become trendy.
The problem? Most were duds.
Ma Jeong-woo crossed his arms and muttered.
"So a few years back, that scoring rate would've gotten £800,000 bids, but they all flopped, and prices tanked."
For reference, Jamie Vardy won the golden boot in the fifth tier and moved to a Championship side for £700,000.
Then Ma Jeong-woo looked back at Kane on the pitch.
Their eyes met right then.
'Look at this guy.'
In those innocent eyes, Ma Jeong-woo clearly saw burning ambition.
* * *
Time passed.
Final score against the League One side: 4-3.
Shearer Kane ran riot with four goals alone.
After showering and changing into street clothes in the locker room, he said early goodbyes to his teammates.
Then he headed straight for the manager's office.
A few scouts would be waiting there.
The club had already approved a transfer for a fair fee.
"Heh."
His heart raced even walking down the hall.
Only one league filled his mind.
'England Championship...!'
Plenty of players had jumped from fifth tier to second tier—or higher—in history.
Jamie Vardy, Dele Alli, and such.
Shearer Kane couldn't hide his excitement at walking the same path.
So,
Knock knock!
After knocking, he took a deep breath and opened the door.
His uncle-slash-agent was surely negotiating with the scouts already.
"Huh...?"
But when he stepped in, a dumb sound escaped his lips.
Unlike his imagination, only two men sat on the sofa.
The two black-haired guys from the stands earlier.
Just in case, Kane scanned the room.
But the only others were the manager and his agent.
"No, why...?"
No matter how he racked his brain, the situation didn't make sense.
Confused noises kept slipping out.
He glanced over—his uncle on the opposite sofa was deliberately looking away.
The manager rolled his eyes to the right the second their gazes met.
That's when—
"Nice to meet you, Kane."
The man who'd smiled at him earlier stood, flashing those white teeth again.
He stopped two steps away and stuck out his hand.
"I'm Ma Jeong-woo, Bolton's owner and manager."
Flinch.
Kane shuddered faintly.
For a split second, the man's eyes had flashed sharply.
He looked the no-nonsense type anyway.
'Dad said to watch out for guys like this...'
For a brief moment, he even doubted if this was really the owner.
Shearer Kane shook his hand almost reflexively.
But questions filled his head.
'No, why are only these guys here?'
* * *
Just 30 minutes earlier.
"Our Coventry City offers around £200,000."
Coventry City's chief scout was confident.
£200,000 would secure Shearer Kane easily.
Maybe the first time a fifth-tier player got such an offer from them.
The League Two and lower scouts panicked.
"£200,000...?"
"Damn it, we have to back off... We only prepped £100,000."
"£200,000 buys a decent striker even in League Two, ugh."
The Coventry chief smirked inwardly.
'Heh, that's why we're offering it. Now we'll talk privately, so scram.'
That's when—
"£400,000."
Ma Jeong-woo, who'd been silent, raised his hand and called out calmly.
Silence blanketed the room.
Coventry's scout broke it.
"£400,000...?"
He muttered in disbelief.
The League Two scouts quietly stood.
Whispering among themselves.
"£400,000 for a fifth-tier guy? That's a huge gamble, right?"
"Agreed."
Even Coventry's scout thought so.
Plus, he didn't have authority beyond £400,000.
The club would surely reject it.
The issue? The bidder was Bolton's owner. He was staring over like, 'Go on, top it! I'm the owner! Final say's mine. Not yours.'
'No, I came with discretion up to £300,000...'
The chief scout furrowed his brow.
Shearer Kane was great, but fifth-tier roots nagged at him.
Especially in front of Bolton's owner, he rationalized it unconsciously.
'That kid's no Jamie Vardy.'
Loads of goals didn't guarantee Championship success.
£200,000 was the line to bet on. Yet they'd doubled it right away.
Worse, glancing at the manager and agent opposite...
'It's over.'
Both had sparkling eyes fixed on Bolton's man.
* * *
Willingly offering £400,000—roughly ₩600 million—owed much to past projects.
'Merch sales raked in tens of billions of won, plus Owen Precise and others boosting jersey and goods revenue big time.'
Bolton's average attendance now topped 20,000 easily.
That stacked up to about £1 million (₩1.5 billion) in transfer budget.
And right now, £400,000 (₩600 million) went to one player.
"Hey, you sure? Isn't this overreaching? Staff will push back for sure."
Park Hee-won sidled up, whispering in Korean.
Scowling at Shearer Kane right in front of them.
"With that, we could snag a Championship player honestly."
But Ma Jeong-woo had no regrets.
He felt they had to grab him here.
"Where else do we find talent like that without this cash?"
He'd seen it clearly.
The kid was sharper and calmer in the box than anyone.
Defenders clinging or not.
Even losing balance, he zeroed in on goal gaps.
Plus powerful feet on both sides.
For a moment, Premier League's Harry Kane flashed in his mind.
"League level aside, that guy's the real deal."
"Yeah, but..."
"And the top-tier guys come with massive premiums. At this price?"
Ma Jeong-woo chuckled and shook his head.
"Impossible. They'd tack on at least another £100,000."
"We'll get flak for sure..."
"Name a time I didn't."
Above all, Bolton desperately needed a goal poacher like this.
Pax, Sensuous Rough—fast feet, but no finishing edge.
Of course, club agreement didn't mean a done deal.
If the player refused, it was dust.
Right now, Shearer Kane facing them looked displeased.
'Obvious. Championship promotion was in sight, and I snatched it away.'
He'd seen the ambition in those eyes earlier.
'This guy's hungry for higher. Much higher.'
If Kane rejected here, Championship offers would pour in.
Tomorrow even.
That's why £400,000 to his club.
Scoop everyone out.
Weekly wage offer would satisfy too.
Don't waver.
So before Kane could speak, Ma Jeong-woo struck critically.
"We're on the verge of partnering with Manchester City. Full deal soon. Using Bolton as a springboard to leapfrog—sounds good for you, no?"
He'd spotted it in Park Hee-won's scouting report.
The kid was a massive City fan.
He landed one more blow.
"Had dinner with Hoseb a few days back. Even hit a Korean sauna."
Ah! Sauna was BS, of course.