Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Social Life-Type Striker
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Manchester United had achieved the feat of advancing to the FA Cup quarterfinals, but few fans were paying attention to that result.
A new star's birth.
And of all places, in Manchester United, another golden prospect from the '13 class had emerged.
The post-match MOM interview began.
The star was, of course, Lucas Cruijdt, who notched a brace in the 2-0 win.
He wasn't particularly famous even in youth ranks, so curiosity was high.
Fans tuned in hoping for info on him, but disappointingly, they learned little about Lucas himself.
"Nice to meet you, Lucas!"
"Nice to meet you too!"
No matter how shy you are, few could hide their excitement in this situation.
"You put on an incredible performance today! Debuting in a tough match and leading the team to victory with a brace! How are you feeling, and how did you pull it off?"
The reporter's first question after greetings.
This answer would shape his image among fans.
Would he show the ego of a top striker? His usual calm, shy self? Or calculated praise like Ban Yeager for a polished image?
Everyone anticipated what he'd say and how he'd come across.
Lucas poured out his honest feelings without hesitation.
"Whoa... I never imagined, but Yeager's on another level!!!"
"Pardon?!"
"I want to quickly develop the skills to link up with Yeager. I'm dying to know what countless paths he's seeing out there. All I know is how frustrating it must be for him running the games."
"Wow... Such immense trust in Ban Yeager..."
"Um... So about your debut goal..."
"Ah! Yeager's pass was pure art! It carried a strong message! Like he was telling me to show the whole stadium who I am—it was perfectly tailored for me."
"I see..."
"And the second goal? Yeager basically did it all! I was actually dropping back for a 2v1, but he yelled, 'Run!' I bolted without a second thought, and boom! The tastiest pass was waiting right there."
The excited Lucas Cruijdt began lavishing praise on Ban Yeager's play.
His shy nature had kept him quiet for so long, but now it all burst out in an endless stream.
He filled the airtime himself, no need for the reporter's prompts.
In the end, Lucas Cruijdt's MOM interview consisted solely of respect for Ban Yeager.
Ban Yerin's insistence on Lucas Cruijdt's Korean dual citizenship wasn't fully accepted even by the end of the seminar.
The broadcast ended just like that.
Two hours later, Korean sports media was flooded with Lucas Cruijdt info.
His dual citizenship revelation sparked brief articles on potential naturalization for Korea.
But soccer fans' reactions were cold.
To anyone who knew soccer, choosing Korea over England was absurd.
The brief Lucas Cruijdt naturalization buzz died down in a day.
Two days after the Fulham match.
I welcomed a special guest from Korea all the way to Manchester.
"Ban Yeager!"
"Director, great to see you!"
Lee Daeyong, the executive director, had traveled far to see me.
After a quick catch-up, we got straight to business.
"I'll cut to the chase since you're busy."
"Perfect."
"First, here are two immediate weaknesses of Chairman Chung Mong-goo."
I showed him the video of the K-League threats and the ledger of U-17 national team fixers.
The video was secretly filmed by Yer in my room that day.
The ledger? I recalled it from five years in the future when it'd leak.
Time had passed by then, and my World Cup heroics swept it under; but dropped at the right time, it'd be a solid weapon.
"How did you get this..."
"I'm not asking you to 100% believe it now. Just see how they react if we use it."
Even if it wasn't the real leak, matching the contents exactly would make them think it was and respond accordingly.
But to convince Lee Daeyong for the long game, blind faith wasn't enough.
The real sweetener came next.
"Heard the recent Lucas Cruijdt naturalization rumors?"
"Yes. Absurd, but... you don't mean..."
"I'm the one who brought him to the first team. We're tight—he even asked me seriously if competing for Korea's starting striker spot would be tough."
"Then..."
"Timing's adjustable, of course. It'd be our achievement, Director."
Tempting already, but I drove it home.
"How about Lucas and I both become Oseong Group joint ambassadors?"