Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Nuclear Submarine, It's Not Your Fault
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"Nuclear Submarine, it's not your fault."
"That bastard Ganna, did the Party send you?"
Ri Dong-hyeok's hand trembled as he grabbed my collar. He was putting on a threatening front, but I could tell he didn't really want to resort to violence.
There was no need to heighten his suspicions any further here.
I had to clear up the misunderstanding quickly.
The method was simple.
"That son of a bitch Kim Jeong-un."
"...!?"
It was proving my innocence with some trash talk. His eyes went wide in an instant, but that was just the beginning.
"That porky pig bastard who deserves to be fried alive. Slice up that flab of his belly fat, grill it sizzling on the hot plate, wrap it in a lettuce leaf, and chase it with soju—ahh~"
Ri Dong-hyeok was speechless for a while, probably because he'd never heard such harsh words before. For any North Korean, insulting the Dear Leader was more unforgivable than anything else.
Especially for this guy, who was of that pig's bloodline, he'd normally react more sensitively than anyone—
"That feels damn refreshing."
Instead, he clapped with a satisfied look on his face. He started walking slowly beside me and got into the real talk.
"I believe you. You're definitely not some Party spy."
He wasn't completely over his suspicions yet, but at least he knew I wasn't here to threaten him, so he opened up.
"I don't know how you figured it out, comrade, but yes. I'm from North Korea, and I'm that pig bastard's blood kin."
"Not pure blood, right?"
"Of course not. I've used my mother's surname, Ri, since I was a kid."
If he were pure blood, he wouldn't be here in the first place. He wouldn't have even thought of defecting with the lavish treatment he'd get, and the security would've been on another level—he couldn't have escaped like this.
"You know North Korea used to boast incredible baseball skills, right? Even though the gap is huge now."
"Of course. We're the same ancestors, after all."
The Korean Peninsula was originally one. North Korea inherited the legacy of Joseon, the baseball powerhouse, just like us. That's why they were the second-strongest after South Korea.
"Didn't you have those baseball dynasties over there too?"
"Of course. My mother was the 17th-generation descendant of the Deok-su Ri clan, the Chungmugong branch."
Just as Joseon in the real world had martial families that produced many generals, this world had baseball dynasties.
In the South, there were many power-focused dynasties—home run hitters for batters, fireball pitchers for pitchers—but in the North, there were more that honed precise techniques like contact and control.
"In North Korea, baseball was a beacon in our impoverished lives, our one hope. The world's poorest country, but we took pride in being top-tier in baseball."
"Then 'that incident' happened, right?"
"You know it well. Yes."
I've scraped the bottom of this game's story. I know pretty much all the lore. The trigger for North Korea's baseball plummeting to incomparable levels compared to the South: the leadership's 'Bloody Purge.'
"The people, who should only worship the Sun-like Leader, were going crazy for baseball players, hoarding cheer gifts and player jerseys. How could they not feel threatened?"
That purge wiped out over 90% of North Korea's baseball dynasties. The reason? 'Colluding with South Korean vultures to bring capitalist corruption into our sacred baseball and deceive the people!'
The remaining 10% survived by sensing the mood and groveling under the Leader's authority. Unfortunately, Ri Dong-hyeok's family was completely purged except for his mother.
After that, North Korean baseball hit a new turning point: baseball by the Kim family, for the Kim family.
After purging 90% of the dynasties, it was natural for centuries of accumulated talent to shatter.
The people, used to watching masterful games from those dynasties honing their skills for generations, now saw low-quality exhibition games. They didn't show it, but resentment built up.
"Do I have to spend my hard-earned blood money on this crap?"
"Kim, comrade, hold it in. There are ears everywhere."
As people stopped buying tickets for the crappy games, the domestic market shrank, and their already dismal skills declined further.
So the higher-ups made a decision.
To use South Korea.
When the inter-Korean summit happened, the North Korean Leader cut straight to it with the South Korean President.
"South Korea's baseball games were quite entertaining. We do baseball in North Korea too—how about our team joins your league?"
"Haha, that's an intriguing idea."
Peace initiatives with North Korea have always been a surefire campaign promise for presidents. Eager for a textbook-worthy achievement, the President approved the North Korean team's entry into the Korean league by executive order.
Now, Korea's baseball league runs with 19 South Korean teams and 1 North Korean team.
The team, named Burujae (武壘在依)—symbolizing firm defense of regime stability and autonomy—was born, commonly called the Pyongyang Blue Jays abroad.
As North Korea's sole pro team, its starters were essentially the national representatives.
"The higher-ups' scheme worked. They got into a globally watched league and made Baekdu Bloodline their star player."
"That Baekdu Bloodline—you mean your half-brothers?"
"Yes..."
Ri Dong-hyeok's half-blood Baekdu Bloodline was an A+ keyword, while pure Baekdu Bloodline was S-grade. But it wasn't S-grade because the Kim blood was inherently superior.
'What athletic talent would that flabby family have?'
This was a game world. Even a total normie could develop talent by pouring money into the best materials. But the efficiency was so abysmal that raising just two to S-grade potential cost 20 billion.
It took massive time and labor to source those materials. Other countries wouldn't attempt it without chaebol-level wealth, but North Korea was a different beast altogether.
A nation that could squeeze its people dry for regime maintenance and propaganda.
Thus, the Dear Leader's two precious sons became S-grade potential baseball players. Even the scraps left from that process made Ri Dong-hyeok A+ potential, so his talent was arguably greater.
Anyway, I'd face those two sons often in the domestic league or internationals, so I needed to remember them.
'Second son, Pyongyang Blue Jays' fixed leadoff hitter Kim Jeong-cheol.'
A speedy contact hitter with lightning legs and precise bat control.
When he got on base and stole successfully, North Korean fans would chant their cheer song about the Leader's 'Shrinking Earth Technique.'
'And the next Leader of North Korea, Pyongyang Blue Jays' cleanup hitter. Eldest son Kim Jeong-hong.'
He looked like a fat pig, but his dung power from that bulk was said to be as devastating as a Taepodong missile.
As the Leader's blood playing leadoff and cleanup for the nation's only pro team, their popularity was inevitable.
Of course, South Korean teams always brought their A-game against the North Korean team to avoid losses, so no championships yet. But the higher-ups, pleased with the propaganda value, invested in support players too.
Ri Dong-hyeok, the illegitimate son, was part of that project. He trained hard to become the Blue Jays' closer and support his brothers once he turned pro.
Until his mother overheard something shocking from the Leader's two sons.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The eldest son, tipped as the next Leader, Kim Jeong-hong, was lounging in the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. Then he heard his familiar younger brother's voice.
"Isn't that Brother Jeong-hong?"
"Ah, it's Jeong-cheol."
The close brothers chatted amiably.
The talk eventually turned to a hot topic among the people lately.
"Dong-hyeok, that bastard with the bitch mom—he's been pitching hard lately. Looks pretty good."
"What a joke. The moment his skills drop, he'll be tossed like used snot rag."
"Oh ho, really?"
"Yeah, Father himself said to use him as I please and dispose of him."
"Puhaha, Dong-hyeok that fool. What a hilarious situation, clueless about his future."
".........!!"
Dong-hyeok's mother nearly fainted.
Her family was wiped out in the purge, but her beauty spared her, forcing her into the Leader's harem. She planned suicide, but pregnancy with Dong-hyeok let her bury her bone-deep resentment and live on.
But to use her precious son as propaganda fodder and discard him? Horrified by the brothers' secret talk, Dong-hyeok's mother resolved to flee North Korea to the South.
"Mother, what's going on?!"
"Dong-hyeok, we have to run now. You'll die if you stay here!"
"What...?!"
He couldn't believe her at first, but with his sole pillar of support, he had no choice. Mother and son packed and defected, using illness as an excuse to bench themselves.
But the concubine of the Leader and her bastard drew attention. It didn't take long for their escape to be discovered.
Bang!
"Drag these filthy traitors before me at once!"
The People's Army scoured escape routes in rage at the Supreme Leader hurling his phone. Soon, they spotted mother and son crossing the Tumen River by boat.
"Ri Dong-hyeok, stop now if you don't want to die with your mother!"
"I'll surren..."
"No! Dong-hyeok, absolutely not!"
His mother stopped him from surrendering to save her life. She instinctively knew surrender meant no survival for her son.
"Sergeant Rim, the Leader said bring them any way, dead or alive, right?"
"Yes, as you said."
The soldiers opted to kill rather than persuade. Bullets rained over the Tumen River.
Bang! Bang!
Most whizzed by, but unluckily, a couple hit Ri Dong-hyeok's mother.
"Ugh..."
"...Mother!!"
Her condition was critical after prolonged defection weakening her body.
She sensed she wouldn't last.
She left Ri Dong-hyeok with two final wishes.
"Son, ugh... There's a statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, our ancestor, in Gwanghwamun Square. Go pay respects."
"Mother, Mother! Don't speak anymore!"
He tried staunching the gushing blood, but he felt her life fading.
With trembling hands, she pulled a baseball from her bosom and placed it in his.
"Dong-hyeok, remember? Ugh... our family motto."
"Urk, 'Rule the world with the people's sinker'..."
"Yes, Dong-hyeok. You can do it. Believe in yourself. That's Mother's final request..."
Slump—
Her hand, using its last strength to grip the sinker baseball in his, fell limp.
"Mother, Mooother...!!!"
Thus, only Ri Dong-hyeok's wails echoed over the Tumen River.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "That's what happened."
Ri Dong-hyeok spoke calmly, gazing at the baseball in his hand.
He must have felt all sorts of emotions reliving that painful memory. In this moment, the one I tapped into first was his thirst for revenge.
"Don't you want revenge? If you join a Korean league team, you'll face the Pyongyang Blue Jays someday."
"Maybe, but..."
Ri Dong-hyeok sank into thought again.
"What about my teammates? They'd have to play on the same team as the enemy Leader's son just for my personal goal."
"........."
"What's to guarantee they'd accept me without prejudice?"
"No guarantee."
"High school baseball's no different. I prefer wandering as a mercenary, unbound."
"I see. If that's how you feel, can't argue."
To this guy wrestling with his identity, I tossed one line.
"Being born isn't a sin, Ri Dong-hyeok."
".........!"
"Our team will be different from what you fear. I stake my name on it. If you're interested, come here this Saturday."
I scribbled the location, shoved the paper at him, and left.
"........."
Ri Dong-hyeok stood frozen, staring at the paper deep in thought. For a very long time.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ahh, I'm beat."
Friday's opening ceremony had the Blue founding announcement.
Saturday was a long trip to Gangwon for Hot Sand recruitment.
Sunday, I went to Cheonan for Ri Dong-hyeok.
'Will Ri Dong-hyeok bite...'
Convincing him was tough, and even if recruited, he's a problem child. Just when he starts meshing with the team, nationality issues make him ninja-vanish into seclusion.
'Not on my team. I'll handle it upfront.'
Our team, as latecomers, has to prioritize talent, so we'll have players of all nationalities and crazy concepts. Those who can't accept it? I'll judge them myself.
I was walking the hall, envisioning the team's future, when—
"Geum Seong-muk."
A girl with beige ponytail hair approached me.
I definitely knew her name.
"Olivia Ramsey?"
The chef girl I bumped into on the street, who said she was on Blue-White Chef. Wearing the same uniform meant...
"You're from our school?"
"That's what I should be asking."
She looked at me like I was ridiculous. Fair enough—I should've recognized the school's top celeb first.
If not for the baseball club founding assembly, this meeting would've been delayed. The school's biggest star seeking out the recent delinquent watchlist had all hallway eyes on us.
"...I need to talk. Follow me."
"Where?"
"Somewhere quiet."
"You sure? Going somewhere secluded with a guy like me."
".............."
Olivia fell silent at my words.
Then she shot back coolly.
"You know that?"
"What?"
"Chefs handle knives well."
"Ha, jeez."
Who warns off pervs like that?
What a bold girl.
"Alright, let's go."
Wonder what our chef girl has to say.