Of Course It Wasn't a Dream
“A-Are you... by any chance, thinking of joining the New York Lions?!”
This was the offer Vincent had delivered. A massive proposal from the prestigious American esports organization, the New York Lions, to buy out Team KL in its entirety!
Since the figure of $100 million had been floated even before they won the dungeon tournament, it wouldn't be surprising if the offer had gone up even further.
However, Vincent had already half-given up. Having gotten a feel for Tae-hyun's personality, he knew the man. Tae-hyun was not the type to abandon his teammates to join the New York Lions.
“Ah. No, it's not that.”
“I figured... Then perhaps somewhere else?”
“The offers from other places are all similar. I already rejected the ones that made concrete proposals, so there's no point in even discussing the ones that didn't. The reason I called you here, Vincent, was because I wanted to sign an agency contract with you.”
“!”
Tae-hyun continued speaking while Vincent was left speechless with shock.
“Up until now, I've been personally handling the sponsorships and advertisements for our team, but I've realized there's a limit to what I can do alone.”
It was only natural. Any other professional esports team would have an entire department dedicated to this! While it was true that a team cobbled together by amateurs had no coaches, managers, or front office, Tae-hyun's team was now the world champion. The fact that such a team was still operating on a wing and a prayer was mind-boggling in itself.
Every other team that had made it to the semifinals of this tournament possessed a robust corporate structure backing them.
Is he even human?
Vincent was astonished for an entirely different reason. If that was true, it meant Tae-hyun had been leading his teammates through the grueling tournament while simultaneously meeting sponsors and securing ad deals on the side. It wasn't as if the man had ten bodies...
“That's why I called you here—to hand things over to a professional. I think our guys are getting to the point where they need professional management regarding their contracts as well.”
An agent didn't just negotiate contracts between players and teams. In reality, they handled almost everything outside of the game itself. From managing advertisements and schedules to handling taxes and wealth management, the role of an agent was incredibly vast.
Tae-hyun could sense it. After this tournament, the status of Team KL's players was bound to skyrocket.
They had transformed from "a small amateur team led by the famous ranker Kim Tae-hyun" into "an undeniably powerhouse team that won the world championship."
Even now, several foreign corporations were beginning to send in advertisement and sponsorship proposals. Tae-hyun couldn't keep handling all of this himself like before! He needed an expert who could separate the wheat from the chaff and recommend the best deals.
And Tae-hyun trusted Vincent. The sheer persistence to keep visiting and working hard for players he hadn't even signed yet was not something just anyone could show.
Vincent was deeply moved. The sincerity he had shown Tae-hyun had finally paid off. Otherwise, there was no way Tae-hyun would speak to him like this.
“…I'd be lying if I said I hadn't hoped for this. I will do my absolute best, Player Kim Tae-hyun! I will prove my capabilities and ensure every player on Team KL is fully satisfied.”
Vincent extended his hand. Tae-hyun grasped it firmly.
The esports industry was both vast and incredibly small. The rumor that Vincent had signed Team KL spread to other agents in the blink of an eye.
“Team KL? I thought they weren't planning on getting an agent, but I guess they changed their minds!”
Not all players employed agents. In esports, players without agents actually outnumbered those with them. Unlike other industries, agents weren't considered an absolute necessity here. Usually, only a handful of top-tier star players signed with them. Thus, it hadn't been particularly strange that Tae-hyun didn't have one.
But now that the truth was out, other agents began to look on with greedy eyes. Jamie was one of them.
I'm far better than that hack Vincent.
It wasn't that Vincent lacked ability. Rather, Jamie simply viewed Vincent as far too soft. In Jamie's eyes, a contract was something meant to bleed the other party dry to the very marrow! Protecting a player's image, or striving for a mutually beneficial contract between the team and the player—such notions were useless. The only thing that mattered was money! An agent's job was to shake down the organization, threaten them, coax them, and exploit their weaknesses to squeeze out every last penny.
What did it matter if one had to walk a tightrope between legal and illegal in the process? There was a reason players flocked to Jamie Corporation.
“Player Kim Tae-hyun is staying at this hotel, correct?”
“I'm afraid we cannot disclose guest information.”
“Haha. I already know, so there's no need to play dumb. Just hand him this business card, and he'll know what to do.”
Jamie visited the lobby of the hotel where Tae-hyun's team was staying and handed over his business card. The moment Kim Tae-hyun sees my name, he'll recognize it instantly! Jamie's reputation was already legendary; there wasn't a soul in baseball or soccer who didn't know him. Kim Tae-hyun would undoubtedly know his name as well.
An agent's prestige depends on the caliber of players they manage. If I land Kim Tae-hyun, my dominance in esports will be set in stone!
If he could secure the absolute best player as his client, Jamie Corporation would easily secure the number one spot in the rapidly expanding esports market.
…But why hadn't he received a call yet?
Did the hotel staff fail to deliver it?
Jamie returned to the hotel. Then, he simply waited. It was a tedious chore, but compared to some of the things he had done, this was on the easier side.
“Player Kim Tae-hyun! Player Kim Tae-hyun!”
“?”
Just then, Tae-hyun came into view. Jamie quickly rushed over to him.
“I assume you received my business card? You must know my name. I am—”
“Who are you?”
“…Ah. My card…”
“Oh, that? I threw it away. Why would I contact someone when I don't even know whose card it is?”
“Jamie Corporation... I mean...”
How long had it been since he was treated with such utter disregard? Jamie was so flabbergasted he couldn't even form a sentence. Meanwhile, Tae-hyun called over the hotel security.
“This guy is acting a bit strange. Could you please escort him out?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Wait, hold on! Just a moment! Player Kim Tae-hyun!”
“Ugh...!”
Jamie covered his burning face. It had been a very long time since he had suffered such humiliation—not since he first started his business. To be treated like some sketchy, unheard-of swindler!
It seems Kim Tae-hyun has no intention of replacing Vincent.
Judging by his reaction, Tae-hyun clearly didn't know what kind of agent Jamie was. Vincent must have thoroughly brainwashed the naive young player! Such occurrences were common in the sports world. Because players spent all their time focused solely on their game, many of them remained completely ignorant of everything else.
Jamie shifted his strategy. He would target the other players first!
“Player Cain. Hello there.”
“Heh! How did you recognize me?”
Cain was startled. Outside of the game, only a very small number of people ever recognized him.
“I'm a huge fan of yours, Player Cain! Of course I'd recognize you!”
“Most of my fans don't even know what I look like... *sob*...”
“?”
“It's nothing. Anyway, would you like an autograph?”
“Oh, no, an autograph is fi—”
Scribble, scribble—
Without even listening, Cain whipped out a pen and scribbled his signature right onto Jamie's clothes. Jamie's face contorted. Do you have any idea how much this suit cost?!
Oblivious to Jamie's internal screaming, Cain was just thrilled to meet a fan and happily finished his signature. Lately, Cain had developed a massive addiction to giving out autographs to fans! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a serial signer.
And his handwriting is absolutely atrocious!
If it at least looked neat, it might have some value... but Cain's handwriting was the worst of the worst.
“Th-Thank you.”
Jamie maintained his composure. He was a professional among professionals! He had successfully managed all kinds of unruly, misbehaving athletes in his career. Compared to them, Cain's antics didn't even register as a nuisance.
“Player Cain. Actually, there is something I'd like to discuss with you.”
“Ah. Sorry, but no.”
“???”
“Kim Tae-hyun told me not to.”
“…?????”
Is Kim Tae-hyun your father or something? Jamie was utterly dumbfounded. For a player of Cain's caliber to be so...
“Now, Player Cain. I understand that Player Kim Tae-hyun is the team leader and the owner of the organization, but surely he can't dictate your every single move. If there's something you want to do, you have the right to make your own decisions.”
“Right?”
“Yes! Absolutely.”
“But I still can't. I'll get scolded.”
“…….”
“Ah. But don't go telling anyone else about this. It's embarrassing.”
Cain looked around warily and lowered his voice. It seemed he at least possessed enough self-awareness to feel embarrassed.
Tae-hyun had established a very simple set of rules for managing the team after arriving in the United States.
📋 TAE-HYUN'S TEAM MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
[To Cain]
"Cain. When you go outside, do not speak to any stranger for more than three minutes. If they ask you to go somewhere, refuse. If they ask to speak in private, refuse. Whatever it is, if the conversation feels like it's dragging on, just refuse!"
[To the rest of the team]
"As for the rest of you... well, I'm sure you'll manage just fine on your own."
“…….”
Cain was the only one singled out! No matter how Tae-hyun looked at it, Cain was by far the most likely to cause trouble.
“Player Cain. If you have any grievances with your current situation, you can discuss them with me.”
On second thought, this seemed like an excellent situation. Jamie realized this was his golden opportunity.
There's an Eastern proverb, isn't there? 'A chicken instead of a pheasant.'
Even if he couldn't poach Tae-hyun, what if he poached Cain? A player of Cain's caliber was highly sought after by prestigious teams. He was a dedicated, hardworking tank who was willing to sacrifice his own body for the team's victory! Furthermore, using Cain as a stepping stone, he might be able to sway Tae-hyun and the other players later on.
“I know Player Kim Tae-hyun's team is a great one, but it's not the only team in the world. And for a professional player, transferring to another team is a perfectly normal thing, isn't it?”
“Ah. So you came here to talk about team transfers?”
Cain asked. Jamie nodded.
“Yes. I am Jamie, the president of Jamie Corporation—”
“So you're not actually my fan?”
“Well, I am also a fan—”
Jamie sensed something was terribly wrong. Cain was staring at him with a deeply wounded, betrayed expression.
“HELP!! MURDER!! THIS MAN IS TRYING TO SWINDLE ME!!”
“?!?!?!?”
Jamie was horrified. This was a reaction he had never in his wildest dreams anticipated!
“What's going on? What happened?”
As a crowd began to gather, a panicked Jamie had no choice but to turn tail and run. Ever since getting entangled with Team KL, Jamie was suffering all kinds of bizarre misfortunes!
“Do you know someone named Jamie?”
“Ah. He's a prominent agent.”
“Your expression says otherwise, though.”
“Well... he's notoriously ruthless, so there are some nasty rumors surrounding him. They say he only cares about money and coldly discards players once their utility drops... But why do you ask about Jamie?”
“Oh. He came by the hotel, but I thought he was a solicitor and had him kicked out.”
“?!?!?!”
“Well, if he's that kind of person, then it worked out for the best. Anyway, let's organize our plans. You'll be handling all the incoming advertisement offers, and I don't intend to reject them all. However, since we can't personally appear in every single one, please focus on accepting ads that utilize Pan-On gameplay footage. Naturally, don't forget to consider the corporate image of the sponsors. For ads requiring our physical appearance, we'll only consider them if they send their staff to us and the shoot can be wrapped up in under two hours. Aside from ads, we won't be appearing on any broadcasts unless absolutely necessary. As for interviews, the ones during tournaments are more than enough.”
Vincent's jaw dropped. It was incredibly rare for a player signing their first contract to have everything so clearly and logically organized.
“Player Kim Tae-hyun, did you even need to hire me?”
“What are you talking about? You need to manage the others as well, not just me. Especially Cain—please keep a close eye on... I mean, manage him well.”
He was the most unstable element of them all! Tae-hyun was genuinely worried Cain would get scammed somewhere. Now that Cain was famous and loaded with money, he was bound to be the prime target for every swindler out there.