Be Careful What You Wish For
Tae-hyun’s prediction hit the nail on the head. No matter how saintly a person might be, they are bound to snap when someone crosses the line. Beijing Fighters had crossed that line. Even if the team’s atmosphere was in shambles and they desperately needed a scapegoat, the coach was still human. There was no way he would sit back and take the blame indefinitely. No matter how massive a conglomerate Beijing Fighters’ parent company was, and even if Sabet was just an individual, he was still a veteran coach with an illustrious career.
[Exclusive] Former Coach Sabet Speaks Out: "I practically couldn't do anything. Most of my authority had been stripped away..."
Sabet: "I know they want to make me the scapegoat, but isn't this going too far?"
Former Coach Sabet Exposes Internal Factionalism and Power Struggles Within Beijing Fighters...
"Wow... things must be absolute chaos over there."
"I'm so glad I'm not a fan of that team."
"Right? I'm glad my parents aren't fans of them either."
"? Aren't your parents fans of Team KL?"
"They said our team wins too overwhelmingly, so they've been watching second-division matches instead for some actual suspense..."
"......"
Unlike Tae-hyun and Lee Da-bi’s relaxed reactions, the fans and the Chinese community were absolutely burning up. Whether the coach did well or not, whether the players did well or not... In an already chaotic situation, this kind of public infighting was bound to drag the team down even further.
"Beijing Fighters is barely holding onto the middle of the pack right now, right? Surely they won't get relegated to the second division after the season ends."
"Oh, come on. No way. By the way, how do you think this fight will end?"
"I think it'll be a lose-lose battle for both sides. With the coach exposing everything like this, Beijing Fighters is bound to take a massive hit. And honestly, his claims seem pretty credible. No wonder they used such absurd tactics."
From minor micromanagement from the higher-ups to forcing certain players onto the starting roster, firing the coach Sabet had personally brought in, and changing match tactics on a whim... Once everything was leaked, the fans exploded in a second wave of fury.
"If Beijing Fighters takes a hit, isn't that ultimately a good thing for Coach Sabet?" Lee Da-bi asked.
"No. Unfortunately, the coach is bound to suffer damage as well. Teams are naturally wary of hiring a coach who left his previous team after causing such a massive public scene. Regardless of his actual skill, the moment that kind of noise is attached to your name, finding a new job becomes incredibly difficult."
Lee Da-bi nodded at Tae-hyun’s words. It was a harsh reality. No matter how innocent the employee was, the high-ranking executives of major corporations preferred highly skilled, drama-free talent. They wouldn't go out of their way to hire someone with a tarnished reputation.
"Still, he probably doesn't have to worry too much. He's a capable man, so even if he can't land a job at a top-tier gaming team, there will definitely be places calling for him."
"I suppose that's true."
"???"
Upon arriving at the LK Galaxy headquarters, Tae-hyun was utterly bewildered. There was a very familiar face waiting for him—someone he had recently seen at the charity auction.
"It's been a while, Player Kim Tae-hyun."
I don't think it's been that long, though...?
Tae-hyun was puzzled, but he politely took the outstretched hand and shook it.
"Hello, President Yoon."
"Hahaha. Yes. I watched your last match with great pleasure. Thank you so much for coming here today to coach LK Galaxy. I know you must be incredibly busy carrying the weight of Korean esports on your shoulders."
"Ah, yes."
"By the way, I hear you have a very special relationship with Chairman Yoo. Is that correct?"
"We are close."
"Oho... Chairman Yoo and I have also been close since way back, calling each other 'brother' and 'little brother'."
If Chairman Yoo had heard this, he would have gone, "???? Since when were we that close?"
Since LK Group was always lagging behind Yuseong Group, President Yoon of LK Electronics secretly harbored intense jealousy whenever he saw Chairman Yoo.
"Is that so?"
"Hearing that you're close with Chairman Yoo makes you feel like family. Do you mind if I call you Tae-hyun?"
"Ah... yes. Sure, go ahead."
Chairman Yoo usually called him "this punk" or "that bastard," so "Tae-hyun" was an incredibly polite title in comparison.
But I don't think I've ever heard his name mentioned before? Tae-hyun thought skeptically.
Chairman Yoo, who could now be considered a hardcore Pan-On addict, would drag any friend he had into the game like a water ghost dragging its victims down. Yet, Tae-hyun had no recollection of ever seeing President Yoon in Chairman Yoo's party.
Well, I suppose some friends just hate Pan-On.
"Hahaha. Tae-hyun. Hehehe..."
"???"
Why is this guy looking at me so suspiciously? Specifically, he had the exact same look in his eyes as Cain when he was plotting something foolish.
"Anything interesting happening lately?"
"Yes. Nothing that would particularly interest you, Chairman... Ah, actually, this is a very minor matter."
"If it's minor, don't bother telling me."
"It's related to Pan-On..."
"Then you should have said so! How is that minor?"
As Chairman Yoo glared, the secretary quickly bowed his head.
"It's about LK Galaxy. It seems their parent company is suddenly pouring quite a bit of investment into them."
"Really? What are they thinking? Those guys never cared about esports before."
Chairman Yoo was puzzled. A few years ago, even Chairman Yoo would have asked, "Why waste money on esports?" But not now. Now, his mindset had completely shifted to: "If you're not spending money on esports, where else would you even spend it?!"
"Perhaps they changed their minds after seeing the massive success of Yuseong Gaming?"
"That... is highly likely."
Initially, even within the conglomerate, people had whispered, "Why are we suddenly reviving the gaming team?" and "Did the Chairman eat something bad?" But all those doubts had vanished.
Ranked #1 in most successful promotional campaigns!
Ranked #1 in esports digital marketing!
Ranked #1 in overseas corporate brand awareness!
These were the stellar results achieved by Yuseong Gaming. Promoting Yuseong Group heavily in North America and Europe, the gaming team had become the golden child of the conglomerate.
— As expected of the Chairman. He has incredible foresight.
— Some insolent bastard spread a rumor that the Chairman only created Yuseong Gaming because he got addicted to Pan-On, but there's no way! What kind of man is our Chairman? Of course he had a grand plan!
No wonder other conglomerates, who had previously pulled out of esports, were now sniffing around the second division with renewed interest!
However, Chairman Yoo scoffed.
"Isn't LK Galaxy in the second division? They should talk after they actually promote to the first division."
Arrogant! But Chairman Yoo had every right to be arrogant. Yuseong Gaming was firmly established as the undisputed number two team, second only to Team KL. If you're guaranteed second place in the first division, you're allowed to be arrogant, honestly!
"It seems they are aiming for promotion to the first division in the next league after this one ends."
"Tell them I wish them the best of luck. But that fellow is missing one crucial thing."
"?"
"You can't run an esports business purely for the money. You need genuine affection and passion! If you only look at the numbers, you'll hit rock bottom again, just like last time."
Chairman Yoo sneered at President Yoon. Jumping in solely for profit without any real interest would only lead to another bitter defeat!
Yuseong Gaming used to be right at the bottom too, Chairman... The secretary recalled the past but kept his mouth shut.
"So, how exactly are they investing? I don't expect much, but I am curious."
"They brought in Kim Tae-hyun as a coach..."
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Hearing that, Chairman Yoo choked on his saliva and began coughing violently. How on earth did they manage that?!
Did they take him hostage or something?!
"W-Why is the President here?"
"Do you think he heard us badmouthing him? You bastard... did you report us?"
"Senior, am I insane?! Why would I report that? We'd all get fired together!"
The LK Galaxy operations team was in utter chaos. They knew Tae-hyun was coming to coach... But then, out of nowhere, President Yoon had shown up an hour early, acting all friendly.
"When is Player Kim Tae-hyun arriving?"
"He's coming soon?"
"Haha, well, it would be rude of me to just leave. I should stay and see his face. Don't mind me, just carry on with your work, haha."
And with that, he had plonked himself down in the middle of the room.
Of course, with the actual power-holder of the parent company and heir to the conglomerate sitting right there, very few people had the guts to say, "Ah, yes, we'll just go about our business, haha."
"President, here is the advertising performance report for this quarter."
"Give it to me later."
"President, the gaming team improvement proposal..."
"Later."
"President, this is the unreleased highlight reel from our last match. Would you like to watch it?"
"Hey, you idiot! Why are you showing him that? Do you think he'd care about—"
"I-I'm sorry..."
"I haven't seen that one yet. Let's watch it now."
"!!?!"
While the gaming team staff and the President's entourage were practically filming a sitcom in the background, Tae-hyun had called the players over and was pointing out their flaws one by one.
"So, your problem is that you hesitate when transitioning from this skill to the next, which delays your timing by a beat. I think this is due to a lack of practice and confidence. Even if it's a combo rarely used in actual combat, delaying like this makes it pointless. You need to steadily increase your practice volume."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"And as for you... let's see. Can you show me your equipment stats? Your gear stats don't seem to fit PVP. No matter how rare or precious the gear is from completing a difficult quest, there's no need to wear it if it doesn't suit your build. You should prepare a separate set of gear specifically for PVP. For you, it's better to focus on physical defense right now. You don't need to worry too much about magic defense. Looking at the second-division matches, physical defense will be much more critical than magic defense."
Tae-hyun's smooth, eloquent way of speaking had a way of mesmerizing anyone who listened. Even if an ordinary person had said it, they would have been swayed, but this was Kim Tae-hyun! Tae-hyun's name carried immense authority.
Even if Tae-hyun joked, "If you want to win a tournament, join a team with a general manager who does all your chores so you don't have to lift a finger at home," they would take it completely seriously and go, "Whoa, really?"
The analysts and coaches from the strategy team were also standing nearby, taking notes on everything. His analysis was several times sharper and more precise than theirs!
— But if Player Kim Tae-hyun comes in and analyzes everything like this, aren't we going to get chewed out? For getting paid and doing nothing?
— Come on. The general manager has a conscience. Would he expect that level of capability from us for our salary? We're working exactly as much as we're paid. Honestly, we're lucky it's Kim Tae-hyun! If he has a conscience, he won't compare us to him!
Tae-hyun finished his detailed explanations for each player.
"Any questions?"
"Uh, Player Kim Tae-hyun."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Are we... not doing any of that hell training?"
"???"
Tae-hyun tilted his head in confusion.
"I've never done anything like that?"
"Oh, but we saw the Team KL videos... so we figured you did that kind of training, and we were bracing ourselves."
"Ah."
Tae-hyun realized what they were talking about. They must have watched the video of him dragging Cain around for a mob-pulling hunt!
"That's, well... not something I should subject another team's players to."
"No, it's fine! We are fully prepared!"
"That's right! As long as we can improve our skills, we are ready for any training, no matter how grueling!"
The LK Galaxy players shouted with fiery determination. They genuinely wanted to achieve great results and fulfill their fans' wishes. They would promote to the first division, no matter what!
Of course, that was their desire, but they had no idea what that "training" actually entailed. Lee Da-bi, flustered, tried to step in and stop them.
"Everyone, I think you should think this over one more time..."
"No, Da-bi. If they want it that badly, I should help them. After all, I came here to help."
"Tae-hyun...!"
What are you going to do if a post titled 'Exposing the Horrific Training Conditions of Team KL' pops up on the community boards?!