Chapter 22
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Season's End: Back in Korea
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The England Premier League season had come to an end.
"We finished 12th in the final standings."
"Manager, you really worked hard."
Kenny exchanged handshakes with a beaming smile on his face.
I shook hands with Kenny Dalglish, his chief coach Brian Kidd, Ian Porterfield, Marco van Basten, and the rest of the coaching staff, encouraging them for smoothly wrapping up the season.
Then it was time for a modest end-of-season gathering with the players.
"You all did great. Blackburn Rovers escaped the relegation zone, and that's something we all achieved together."
Starting with captain Jason Wilcox, everyone clapped for me.
"Look forward to your relegation-escape bonuses. I'm giving everyone four weeks of vacation. Let's gear up for next season."
"Mr. Lee, we'll see you next season too, right?"
"Of course!"
After settling the bonus payments, the next place I headed was Jack Walker.
Ever since taking over conditional operations for that initial 10 pounds, I'd felt even more swagger in my step.
"Chairman, it's me."
"The savior of Blackburn is here! Hahaha!"
He looked even more gaunt than last time, but Jack Walker laughed heartily without a hint of it, gripping my hand tightly.
"What a meaningful season. I never imagined Ian Wright would spread his wings of revival on our team, and that Korean Rio you brought in..."
"Yoo Sung-chul."
"Right, that lad left quite an impression too."
Linda Mattiessen, who was pushing Jack Walker's wheelchair, gave a reluctant nod of acknowledgment.
"Linda, bring that over."
"Yes, Father."
Linda Mattiessen brought two envelopes.
Jack picked them up and showed them to me.
"One's a penalty fee in case your words last winter were just hot air, plus a compensation claim for the Rovers fans."
But he tore it up right in front of me and offered the other envelope.
"This is the loan guarantee you first handed me, along with my additional shares."
"!"
"Take over officially. I'll pass it on through debt inheritance."
It was 39% of his existing 41% stake.
"With this, you're the sole majority shareholder. The moment I go, Rovers will automatically be yours to run... cough cough!"
"Chairman."
"Father."
Jack reached out to wave us off and took hold of both my hand and Linda's.
"Linda, I'll tell your brothers and your husband too. Respect Mr. Lee and help him run the club."
"Father..."
"And Lee. You work well with my kids too—they'll share the remaining stake and stadium ownership."
With 70% of Jack Walker's shares now under my control, I was the overwhelming majority shareholder. Team operations were fully mine.
"I don't know how many more years I've got, but I sure want to see Rovers add some trophies before then."
"I'll make it happen."
And with that, I wrapped up our farewell and the handover of Blackburn ownership.
"I'm off to the Channel Islands for some rest. Gotta spend my twilight years gazing at the sea."
"See you next season, Chairman."
As I finished my goodbyes and headed out, Linda walked me to the door.
"You'll run the club, but the stadium ownership is still ours."
"!"
"Ewood Park, Rovers' home ground, is a brand-new stadium, only four years old, built on land owned by Father's Walker Foundation. If you want control of stadium operations later, you'll have to negotiate with us."
"I'd be delighted. I'm always open to it."
The stadium was tied up with the city government and the Walker family foundation's real estate, so that made sense.
I couldn't acquire it right away anyway. Once the IMF bailout wrapped up, I could snap up a few stadiums like Ewood Park, but this was just the transition period.
"Honestly, Father was sunk in despair and falling apart, but Rovers got him smiling again. I'll give you that."
"See you after vacation."
The players and coaches were off on vacation, and I prepared to head back to Korea ahead of next season.
[Congrats to Korean Football Hero Yoo Sung-chul on Settling into the Premier League!]
[Well Done, Yoo Sung-chul! Taegeukgi Planted in England!]
[Welcome Home Ceremony for Blackburn Rovers' Yoo Sung-chul!]
Reporters and soccer fans had gathered, hanging up banners so cheesy it was cringeworthy.
I slipped out through the VIP lounge ahead of time, but Yoo Sung-chul, who'd come with me, was breaking out in cold sweats and couldn't bring himself to go.
"Go on. You're the star here."
"Uh... Vice Chairman, facing that crowd alone for interviews is a bit much."
"You've become Korea's soccer hero. You've gotta."
I gave Yoo Sung-chul a shove on the back and quietly made my exit.
Tonight's news would be wall-to-wall Yoo Sung-chul, and tomorrow's papers would gush about national pride, the best ever, hope for the 2002 World Cup—you name it.
I climbed into the car with the waiting Daeyang Group secretary office staff.
"Great work, Vice Chairman."
"Director Han came personally."
After I'd handled the restructuring and moved to Daeyang Global as vice chairman, Father had split the policy office from the secretary office.
"The Chairman's waiting at Hanyoung Hotel."
"Hanyoung Hotel? The one by Gyeongbok Palace?"
"Yes, that's it."
When I'd called from England, he'd said, "When you get back, we'll grab a meal sometime." That was an invite to Hanyoung Hotel?
"Jongno hotels don't have many great spots, but for hotel food, it's Sogongdong or Myeongdong."
"Hahaha, the Chairman said bring you straight over."
"Guests there? Business?"
"Yes."
Of course.
He'd summoned me for business the moment I landed, before I could even get home and soak my feet in hot water.
If it was near Gyeongbok Palace in Jongno, that put Hyeonkyung Group, SW Group, HK Group, and Taehyeon Group headquarters in play. One of them?
The secretary office guided me to Hanyoung Hotel, where the staff ushered me in like royalty.
The spacious restaurant, lit by an impressive chandelier, had just one table occupied.
"Chairman, I've brought him."
"Ah, there you are."
Father hurried to the entrance and patted my back.
He glanced at the seated guests and whispered.
"You put Daeyang on the map with soccer, you rascal. Never thought you'd pull it off."
"Soccer doesn't make money right away, but it builds name value."
"Heh heh, exactly. So your old man got another proposal."
"?"
Father suddenly grabbed me and called out to the others.
"Yoo Chairman, mind if I step out and chat with my boy for a sec?"
"Go ahead. We'll wait for the food."
Then he dragged me to the lounge outside the restaurant.
Father offered me a cigarette.
"Light up."
"Aw, come on, in front of you?"
"Quit messing around. Take it."
His personality was out in full force the second we stepped away.
Still, since he'd offered, I took one and lit his too.
So what was this? Father-son smoke break? That Yoo Chairman from earlier...
"POSCO Group's Yoo Jeong-gyu Chairman, right?"
"Spot on. The current POSCO boss."
"Wasn't the mobile carrier stake buyout from POSCO all wrapped up? Any tweaks?"
"Beyond that, POSTIL under POSCO's lining up a Europe steel export plan through Daeyang Global's trade routes. Big scale—1.4 billion dollars in supply contracts."
"Whoa."
Business talk. But he'd called fresh-off-the-plane me instead of brother Dae-chul.
"The guy's also president of the pro soccer league. He insisted on meeting the second you got back—something about that Blackburn team you bought."
"Soccer-related?"
"Yeah."
Something clicked in my head.
"Not about the Korean soccer league, is it?"
"Bingo."
...K-League stuff.
Should I take a guess?
Yoo Chairman would probably praise me: "Operating a club in the Premier League, Europe's top league—great results, bringing in a Korean player, putting Korea on the map," something like that.
"Vice Chairman Lee, bringing in a Korean player to the Premier League—Europe's top league—operating the club yourself and posting great results. Truly impressive work."
"Ha, haha..."
Dead on prediction.
POSCO Group's Yoo Chairman kept smiling, hammering home that he was speaking "not as group chairman, but as pro soccer league president."
"With the World Cup three years out, public interest is sky-high. Korea's soccer scene's working hard too."
"Yes, I respect that."
"Which is why—I've talked it over with Chairman Lee here, but I'd like your take, Vice Chairman. Ever thought about running a K-League team?"
Ah, got it.
A Korean running a Korean league team? Sure, if I've got the bandwidth.
But why did this feel like a hard sell to create a team from scratch or take over a bankrupt club?
"Tell me straight—what do you need from me?"
"K-League's in crisis. This forex meltdown's bankrupting parent companies left and right—teams are dropping out."
"Which one?"
"Zeus Group's Busan Zeus Royals. Up for sale after this season."
"..."
No. 2 chaebol Zeus Group was starting to crack, and with their heavy sports investments, the teams were first to go one by one.
"Truth be told, since I took over as president, I've been running two clubs in the K-League: Jeonnam and Pohang. Hyeonkyung Group's got Ulsan and Jeonbuk. Samsung's Suwon barely needs mentioning."
"So you want Daeyang to take Busan?"
"At least hear me out. Zeus Group's Kim Woo-dae Chairman said he'll decide after this season."
"Know for now," my foot. After this season, starting 2000, Zeus would dump all their sports teams—so be their top acquisition pick.
"Yoo Chairman. Just one question."
"Go ahead."
"Is Daeyang the only one?"
"Ha, haha. No. As league president, I've pitched it to every soccer-interested company out there. Tough times—they're all balking..."
Makes sense. Even our parent company's reeling from restructuring.
"But I figured Daeyang— with Vice Chairman Lee Dae-hyun, who's run a big European league club—might be different."
I shot Father a quiet glance.
The man who'd ranted that soccer was a money pit, "tribe squabblers," blowing his top at the idea of running a team... now just clearing his throat awkwardly.
"Especially with Daeyang Construction handling the 2002 World Cup stadium builds."
"If we pass, any other company lined up for Busan?"
Yoo Chairman flashed a bitter smile and hacked at his steak in frustration.
"Gotta lean on connections above the league—the Korea Football Association. FA Chairman Jang Jun-mo's Hyeonkyung family, so expect them to move."
"Mm."
"Rumor is Chairman Jang's cousin, 'Jang Mong-gyu' of 'Hyeonkyung Industrial Development,' is interested..."
"We'll acquire it."
"!?"
"Huh?"
"What? No?"
Truth be told? I was meh.
But industrial development who? Soccer fan trigger pulled instantly.
"If Busan Zeus Royals is truly up for sale, we'll jump in as top priority. I stake my name on it."
"Ha, hahaha!"
This?
Call it a grand decision for Korean soccer.