Becoming the Mets' Firefighter
"Selena, if you've got any questions, ask away."
"……?!"
This was what Lee Shin said after dropping the bomb of competition on the raid team and heading upstairs. At those words, Selena—who had been trailing after him with documents in hand as usual—swallowed hard.
Mind reading…?!
To the startled Selena, Lee Shin gave a little chuckle.
"You had a cappuccino at Charlie’s this morning and chicken noodle soup for lunch at the place right out front. In your spare time you probably listened to the front desk staff complain about what to do with that demon king. Right?"
"F*…… How the hell did you know?!"
"Eastern mystery."
"Whoa… the real Eastern mystery?!"
"Just kidding."
Of course he was teasing her. There was no such thing as Eastern mystery. He had simply noticed her fidgeting like a puppy that desperately needed to go outside and figured she had something on her mind. The rest—Charlie’s coffee, the chicken noodles, even the front desk complaints—was easy to deduce once he recalled Selena’s usual routes from his intern days.
The last part was the only real guess.
The front desk staff’s grievances.
Because Lee Shin only ever spoke with Selena, the employees naturally vented their frustrations to her. In the process, people had begun gathering around her.
It’s going exactly as planned.
Lee Shin smiled faintly and continued.
"Tick-tock. Time’s wasting. If you don’t ask quickly, we’re moving on."
"Just a second!"
Selena organized her thoughts and asked the question that weighed on her most.
"Are you really planning to give everyone a fair chance? From the starters all the way down to the second string?"
"You think I’m joking? I take responsibility for every word I speak."
"If you’re serious, this is going to cause massive problems!"
The raid team’s discontent was obvious, so they could set that aside. Lee Shin’s recent “trash” comment alone had already carried his relationship with the starters across the Rubicon.
The real issue came next.
"Organizing the squad is one thing, but we also have to consider the raid team’s morale. How exactly are you planning to run the next match?!"
"Oh, you’re pretty sharp. So what’s the biggest problem in your eyes, Selena?"
"Wages. The biggest problem is the wage system! Mr. Shin, you’re underestimating the American wage structure way too much!"
As expected from the capital of capitalism, America’s wage system was merciless.
There was an iron wall between the first and second teams, and another insurmountable barrier separating them from the prospects and candidates in the second string. Treatment differed drastically according to pay. While the first team enjoyed hotel-grade chefs preparing personalized meals from breakfast onward, the second team received buffet service and the second string usually survived on PB&J toast.
With no promotion and relegation system, motivation came through salary and perks. This could be you.
In that environment, throwing out the entire system and selecting people purely through competition?
Couldn’t he hear it? The sound of the raid team being completely demolished…!
Yet faced with Selena’s concerns, Lee Shin simply chuckled again.
"It seems you thought my calling them trash was a joke or an exaggeration. By my standards, the Mets raid team is already demolished."
"!!"
Some individuals possessed decent ability. Their potential and traits were fine.
But their mindset and work ethic… unfortunately, they fell short of even Korea’s League 2 guilds right now.
"This is just between us, so don’t repeat it anywhere. Most of the starters will probably be culled in the next match."
"Oh god……."
"It’s completely natural. Just like you feared, the starters will hold grudges. I gave them a clear standard called the ‘training log,’ but they’ll definitely complain and refuse to follow it."
"Probably. No—definitely."
"On the other hand, what about the second team or second string? Their thoughts will be completely different. To them, a guy like me is an opportunity."
"Don’t tell me… that comment about judging only by training, not ability…!"
It was real.
He wasn’t joking. He genuinely planned to clean house.
Cold sweat trickled down Selena’s spine.
"You’ll lose like that."
"When have we ever won? You’re not counting that one lucky victory against the Lions, are you? That was literally a miracle. They underestimated us, and we happened to catch them slipping. Remember this, Selena. Guild management cannot rely on luck or miracles."
"Then what should we be looking at?"
"Clear direction."
If they lacked work ethic, they needed competition at the very least. Even if they broke while fighting, it was better than rotting away in helpless lethargy.
"You have to strike the flint to produce a spark. The same goes for passion. We’ll generate that passion through unlimited competition. What the Mets Guild needs most right now isn’t money or results—it’s this very passion."
"So that’s why you filled the front office with fresh college graduates."
"People in their twenties who just entered society are at their most passionate."
Now that everything lay in ruins, they would use those ruins as fuel to ignite the flames of passion. That was the prescription Lee Shin had given the broken Mets Guild.
"Still, it’s too extreme. Everything else makes sense, but couldn’t we approach it a little more flexibly?"
"We could."
"Then…"
"But why should I?"
"……Excuse me?"
"Selena, who am I?"
"Well… Lee Shin…"
"Exactly. I’m Lee Shin."
"……!!"
Selena’s jaw dropped in a daze. Lee Shin grinned at her like a mischievous boy.
"Father of Lee’s Kids. Partner of the Mountain King, brother of Hwarang, drinking buddy of Ms. Mal-sook, the Demon King to the Princess, the baby of the Yongbungs and God of Gods! That’s me—Korea’s number one ranked player, the genius representative of Mir Guild, Lee Shin."
Why should he take things slow and careful? It wasn’t even his guild.
He had only accepted the consulting role because of the deal with MK and various other connections. Lee Shin was ultimately leaving.
Besides.
"I built a magnificent empire that can’t even be compared to this shithole guild. What do I possibly have to lose by worrying about their feelings?"
"Wow…"
"Well, being this extreme will earn me some hate, but what can those guys actually do even if they despise me?"
"You hear a lot of people say you’re obnoxious, don’t you, Mr. Shin?"
"Heh heh heh. Being a guild representative is a job where getting cursed at is part of the daily routine."
Lee Shin brimmed with self-confidence to the point it gave her goosebumps.
Was this what a true boss, a real leader, looked like?
Selena thought back on every leader she had ever worked with and finally understood just how loosely the Mets Guild had been run until now.
"Even after explaining it in this much detail, there’s actually an even bigger reason I’m handling the Mets Guild so roughly."
"Yes…?"
"That lesson comes next time!"
Right on cue, Choi Ji-min approached with brisk steps.
"Representative, the raid team’s Saber Mattress cleanup is complete. Simulations have been run according to the operation plan, the recruitment notice for new front office hires has been posted, and departmental instructions have been distributed."
"Whistle~ Excellent. And the ‘other side’ I asked you to watch?"
"I received contact from them as well. They’ve begun work."
"Hah, as expected of our ace, Ji-min. Have I told you I love you?"
"Thank you. Shall we depart immediately?"
"No reason to drag our feet. Let’s go right now."
"Understood. I’ll prepare at once and have the car waiting."
Choi Ji-min bowed and retraced her steps. Lee Shin jerked his chin at the still-dazed Selena.
"What are you doing? Get ready."
"Yes?"
A short while later, a convoy of vehicles pulled out of Mets Square Garden.
His beauty went beyond stealing the spotlight—it threatened to blind anyone who looked directly at him. It was so overwhelming that even the goddess of beauty might have said, Yeah, I’ll allow it. The destructive power of a fully dressed Lee Shin was immense.
His photo spread across SNS and Reddit at terrifying speed. People naturally learned that the man was the representative of Korea’s Mir Guild.
At this point, not many people connected Lee Shin to the Mets Guild. It made sense. He was the representative of Mir Guild, Korea’s number one team. Mir was currently a pioneer of global meta that drew attention not only in Korea but worldwide.
To predict that such a man would take on consulting work for the perennial last-place Mets Guild would require not reasoning but actual foresight.
And yet it had actually happened.
Working undercover, he had analyzed the guild’s ecosystem in just a few days. Then, before anyone could even scream, he had completely gutted the ruined front office. Rumors said the raid team had not escaped unscathed either.
He was overhauling the entire Mets Guild ecosystem from the ground up.
Naturally, the American community exploded like a volcano.
If the opposing side’s sentiment was roughly that, the expecting side had been captivated by Lee Shin’s dazzling track record.
What did it matter if he was a foreign representative? The Mets Guild couldn’t even see past its own nose right now. He was currently ranked first in the notoriously competitive and high-level Korean league. If the man who dominated the current meta was coming, they should be bowing in gratitude!
With both sides clashing so fiercely and drawing such explosive interest, ESPN decided to cover the matter in depth.
“The Amazing Mets have made a truly amazing choice. What do you all think?”
"Oh……."
"Hmm……."
"Viewers, you are currently watching salaried thieves who can only exchange glances. Then I’ll pick someone. Kevin."
"Damn, I’m first? Fine, I’ll speak. Personally, I like Mir Guild and I like Representative Lee Shin. I like Korea as a country too, and I’m not a racist."
"That’s a lot of disclaimers. So what’s your actual opinion?"
"This choice is bullshit. I don’t like it."
"Viewers, from here on these are Kevin’s personal opinions."
"Let’s be honest. Can the Mets Guild’s problems be fixed in a day or two? Fuck. Honestly, that place is a shithole. A stagnant, hopeless shithole that’s been rotting for decades."
Even Kevin had nothing to say about Lee Shin’s ability or achievements. There hadn’t been a guild or representative who produced such legendary results in the last twenty years.
What he disliked was a very realistic problem: time.
"If Lee Shin had come as the official representative of the Mets Guild, I would have applauded. I would have called it an excellent choice and danced with Barkley, who’s been glaring daggers at me since earlier. However…"
"You’re saying there isn’t enough realistic time, and even for Lee Shin, an interim representative position won’t accomplish anything?"
"If it only ended with accomplishing nothing, that would be fortunate. In the worst case, the guild could turn into complete rags."
It was reckless. It would have been better not to do it at all.
Kevin gave a negative verdict.
"That’s what he says. Now it’s time for Barkley, our resident Mets fan, to speak."
"First, I’d like to say the ‘shithole’ comment should be retracted. We can criticize our own team, but outsiders are not allowed to do so!"
"Pfft. I’ll apologize on Kevin’s behalf. Let’s get to the main point."
"Hmph. I do agree to some extent that it was an overly radical and reckless decision. And that the problems surrounding the Mets won’t be solved in a day or two."
But an unprecedented crisis required an unprecedented response.
"It was only a few days ago that we had a racism scandal involving the general manager, the representative, and even the raid team captain. It was an ugly, filthy incident."
"That’s true…"
"It’s hard for me to say this as a Mets fan, but at this point the current season is already over. We had to prepare for the future. Fortunately, owner MK understood that."
"We know. They acquired a Legendary weapon. They’re recruiting rankers. All sorts of rumors circulated."
"Whatever the case, the guild needed to take action at an organizational level. I see Representative Lee Shin as part of that action. Therefore, I consider it the best possible choice."
Simply cleaning up the festering front office was already a meaningful achievement. His reputation as the representative of Korea’s number one guild in tightening the raid team was also highly evaluated.
Above all, the reason Barkley rated Lee Shin so highly was that he had experience reviving a guild that had once been in a similar position to the Mets.
"He took Mir Guild, which had been stuck at the bottom of the 4th Division, and rebuilt it into the top of the league. If we can’t have expectations for Lee Shin, who on Earth can we expect anything from?"
Would this become the greatest blunder in history, or the beginning of a miracle?
Amid everyone’s expectations, Lee Shin’s name continued to echo across American television.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that same moment, in front of a shabby pawn shop in Washington.
Korean could be heard in a place that didn’t match the surroundings. And it was a rich, thick Busan dialect.
"Goddammit! Wasn’t it enough to wander all over North Korea and the eight provinces like a damn dog? Now it’s America? I’m losing my mind. Is this the right place?"
"It is. This is the only pawn shop around here."
"Boss, should we head in first?"
"Alright. I’ll go in first."
A massive shadow opened the door and stepped inside. The middle-aged man playing a card game on his phone behind the counter froze when he saw the entrance.
A white woman with brown hair and a bad attitude.
A man with a shaved head covered entirely in wolf tattoos.
And a pot-bellied, shaggy-haired man was now smiling right in front of his face.
"Excuse us. We’re looking for something related to a person like this."
Brother’s Service.
No—Brothers Outsourcing.
Jang Anton has appeared in the United States.