Chapter 34

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Translator: Silver Dragon

Chapter: 34

Chapter Title: The Club Owner Who Delivers on Every Request

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My father swept up the newspapers and handed them to me.

"Buying it with your money?"

"While competing in the bid with Hyeonkyung Industrial Development, I said I could cover that amount personally, and that's how it turned out."

"So you actually have the cash to put up?"

"Yes."

This, I could say with full confidence.

Over the years, whenever we sealed major deals within the group, I'd dipped into my personal funds to make it happen. And ever since my first regression, I'd put my future knowledge to full use and amassed more than enough for this.

"Then put in half. We're setting up Daeyang Sports as a new corporation this time and making it an independent subsidiary. We'll fold your British team under it later too."

This meant he'd let me fully command all the football clubs under the group's sports division.

"And about that guy Seol-ah brought home. I'm thinking of putting him to work at the company—handle him yourself."

"Me, training the prospective brother-in-law?"

"He seems like a decent fellow, but I can't vouch for his skills yet. Plus, those two are head over heels. We gotta build him up step by step."

My father had a hands-off policy when it came to his kids' love lives—he never interfered.

At least in our family, there was no such thing as marrying "beneath our station." My older brother had wed his wife from a banking family through an introduction too.

"Approve whatever he brings you. Now get going."

With his condition for football investments being that I'd mentor the prospective brother-in-law, I headed out right away.

I'd handle business in Korea until New Year's.

"Well, looking forward to working with you, Vice President."

"Ah, sure."

"Feel ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠free to drop the formalities. I'm just a year younger."

"Alright, then let's do that."

At Daeyang's Mugyo-dong headquarters, Daeyang Sports kicked off in a single office room with two staffers from the chairman's secretariat, a handful of computers, and me.

I booted up my computer first and laid out our priorities.

"First up, finalize the acquisition contract for Busan Zeus Royals. Purchase price: 18 billion won—9 billion from headquarters, 9 billion from my personal funds."

"Yes, Vice President."

While the computer loaded, I checked the stock prices online.

This was that Saemaul DataMan stock my brother Dae-chul had grilled me about—"Investing in some no-name mid-tier company?"

On top of that, I'd sprinkled some personal pocket money into internet and IT stocks. I'd sell off a portion to fund the Royals acquisition.

"You guys hustle too. DurumiNet, Hanara Telecom, NextGame..."

Speaking of which, I checked on Blackburn's situation too.

Not great, but Blackburn was definitely better off than last season's standings.

Once the Busan Zeus Royals deal wrapped and I'd handled Daeyang Group business, if Dalglish wanted any players, I'd approve transfers on the spot. All I could do was cheer them on.

Like that, I tackled tasks one by one—buying back group shares, football ventures—keeping insanely busy.

Amidst the flurry of camera ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shutters, I hoisted the flag of the new Busan Daeyang Royals high for the reporters.

By the way, that "Chairman Jang"—the one who'd bragged about loving football and having tons of development projects around Busan—didn't show his face once.

I'd at least expected a congratulatory wreath.

"First off, the existing front office and staff will stay on for two years. After that, we'll consider changes based on performance."

Post-acquisition layoffs weren't my style.

For now, get the systems running and complete the employment transfers. Then I set up a meeting with President Kim Se-han—and of course, brought my brother-in-law along.

"I've gone over this team top to bottom, and one thing's missing."

"What's that, Vice President?"

"No club house."

Kim Se-han nodded at the mention of a club house.

"The former chairman poured money into football investments, but he told them to handle training grounds and dorms on away trips. Right now, they long-term lease Donghwa University's sports field, and the dorms are rented factory housing from Zeus Group."

"That's the biggest issue with club owners running teams in Korea. They think grabbing a local multi-use stadium, hiring coaches and players, and slapping on uniforms makes a pro club."

Football starts that way, sure—but not for a professional outfit.

"Now that it's switched from Zeus to Daeyang, we'll relocate the player dorms. There's a shoe factory dorm for Daeyang employees—I'll lease one building there."

That site traced back to my mother's family shoe factory in Busan. It was where my father started his construction business after the Korean War.

The story of how Grandpa— the factory owner—noticed Dad during an expansion and introduced him to Mom? Total TMI.

"Brother-in-law. Architecture major, right?"

"Yes, Vice President."

"We're building a club house. Design it for me."

"!?"

I pulled out prepped blueprint materials and laid them before Kim Se-han and Sang-woo.

"These are the current club houses for Blackburn Rovers in England, plus Southampton, Fulham FC, Bolton Wanderers, and others—blueprints included. We'll reference them to start construction on Busan Daeyang Royals' club house."

Land from the group's logistics center complex, my brother's acquired department store, and adjacent plots.

"This massive project... me?"

"Can't handle it?"

"N-no! I'll reference them and whip something up."

Father said to raise the prospective son-in-law, so I tossed him a big one.

"President ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Kim, have the coaching staff work with Team Leader Kim Sang-woo here on the designs. List out needed training facilities and medical gear. We handle the club house design, but they pick the furniture."

"Yes, Club Owner."

"And winter training camp—where to?"

"We've always gone to Kagoshima in Japan, but this time budget issues..."

"Stick to Kagoshima then."

Why change now? In this weather, cheap spots mean vinyl greenhouse hell with heaters—no way.

"Thank you for handling this right away."

"Take Team Leader here along too."

"!"

"J-League sides often have compact soccer-specific stadiums with club houses. While you're there, tour Kyushu's pitches and facilities. I'll notify our Japan reps at HQ."

"Got it."

With that, we knocked out tasks one after another.

New uniforms and emblem needed rollout events pronto, plus training camp setup—most of it I greenlit personally.

Announced the Busan Daeyang Royals launch to local press, joined the grand reopening of my brother's acquired mall as "Daeyang Department Store Seomyeon Taehwa Branch," visited the shoe factory to ink OEM deals for brands like Nike and Adidas—tying in football gear sponsorships too.

And so dawned the new millennium in Korea.

I'd live through the 2000 millennium hype twice now. Smiling at my personal investments soaring from New Year's, when a call came from England.

Kenny Dalglish.

"Henning Berg? That treble squad defender from Man United?"

"He was originally on our Blackburn championship side in '94-'95 too. Hahaha—"

Henning Berg.

Norway's legendary defender, later one of their rare century-club members.

"Ferguson selling him off? That old codger holds a grudge against us."

"Surprisingly, we talked it through. 1 million pounds, and he's ours."

"Approve it immediately. Bring him in."

"Thanks, Mr. Lee."

Manchester United offices.

Ferguson passed Henning Berg's transfer request to CEO David Gill.

"Go on, ship him out."

"Fergie, Blackburn's climbing the table—no slouch anymore. Not that relegation scrappers squad from before."

"That's why we're sending him."

Ferguson grinned, pointing at the current standings.

"We've already played Blackburn home and away. First away leg, they pulled that cheap provocation-red-card ploy..."

"But we won 2-0 at Old Trafford after."

"Now, send Berg to their leaky defense with Leeds, Arsenal, and Chelsea still ahead."

"!"

Ferguson deliberately offloaded Henning Berg—who'd shone in last season's rotation but lost his starting spot this year.

If Blackburn tripped up those rivals even once, United ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could lock the title.

"That yapping Asian club owner rubs me wrong, but if they snag Arsenal and Leeds? My heartfelt thanks."

And so, in the winter window, Henning Berg returned to his parent club.