Chapter 292: Do Everything You Can

Han Gyeong-yeong returned to the hotel just before midnight.

"Huh? You're still awake?"

Seeing me sipping alcohol alone, he wasted no time before sitting in front of me.

"Did you have fun? I thought you wouldn't come back."

"I almost didn't, but I couldn't shake off the memory of that traffic accident this morning. So, I came back instead."

I couldn't blame him. Witnessing a large bus barreling down the road since morning would be enough to rattle anyone's nerves.

"But didn't the police ask both of us to report?"

"Yeah. Isn't that strange?"

"Hmm. Is there really a need to summon us? They seemed to be wrapping up the case as a DUI incident."

"That's why I'm thinking of refusing for now. I'll wait to see what they're up to before deciding how to respond."

At this point, there was no reason for the police to call Han Gyeong-yeong in.

If there was some ulterior motive behind their request, I needed to get a read on their game plan ahead of time.

Han Gyeong-yeong poured more liquor into his glass and said,

"Oh! Right. Aili mentioned that most of the club staff are aligned with President Taylor, you know?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. President Peter has given a lot of authority to him, and it seems like he's been around Leeds for a while. Maybe that's why the staff fears President Taylor more than President Peter."

"That's interesting."

I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of staff being more frightened of their paycheck than the actual owner of the club.

"I heard President Taylor is inciting the staff."

"Inciting? How so? This just gets weirder by the minute."

"It's desperation, really. They've issued orders to start preparing for a strike."

"A strike? Seriously?"

"That's what they say. And isn't that just great? Looks like a lot of positions are on the chopping block anyways?"

The management was, of course, already looking to overhaul most of the staff under their directive.

I extended my glass with a grin.

"Seems like they think we're pushovers. We need to show them that the world isn't that easy to navigate."

Han Gyeong-yeong raised his glass in agreement, laughing.

"Right? You and Peter are complete opposites. It's hilarious to see them flounder in such ignorance, like moths to a flame."

Our glasses clinked cheerfully in the air.

Taking complete control of the club's management would take days.

LK Law Firm handled everything. After a thorough audit by the accountants, it turned out there was more embezzlement than we had anticipated.

"Wow… Some people really don't know when to stop."

Han Gyeong-yeong seemed just as astonished as I was, shaking his head at the figures compiled by the accounting team.

"Their confidence skyrocketed. At first, they probably thought minimal amounts would suffice. Even if caught, they could sweep it under the rug. But how could this slip through? As the amounts grew larger, so did the number of people involved."

"Forget about dismissing them, most of these guys should be locked up in jail. That includes President Taylor, not to mention most of the board members."

"Let's hear them out first."

I placed the documents collected by the accounting team and Black Bear's branch on the table, speaking to Manager Ma.

"Call them in one by one, starting with the head of the administrative team."

"Yes, Boss."

The head of the administrative team walked in, displaying a face unmistakably marked with tension.

"Please, take a seat."

I offered him a chair without any expression.

He glanced anxiously between me, Han Gyeong-yeong, and Manager Ma before finally sitting.

"You've been with the club for a long time now."

"Yes."

After briefly inquiring about his background, I started applying the pressure.

"But why? I've seen signs that the team's finances are in disarray while you've been using your pocket for your own benefit."

"T-That's…"

"If it were just a small sum, I could overlook it, but this amount is hard to ignore, isn't it? At this point, you might as well plan for a nice long vacation in prison."

I tossed the documents toward the head of the administrative team.

As he picked them up and began inspecting, his face turned pale.

"I'm sorry! Just this once…"

"This isn't something that can be brushed off with a few words. Why should I forgive you?"

"I-I swear, everything was directed by President Taylor! I was simply following his orders…"

He began throwing President Taylor's name around frantically in hopes of saving himself.

I clicked my tongue, shaking my head.

"The choice was yours to make. You've been living comfortably off the money you've embezzled at his behest, and now you want to blame him? Just get out. I'll give you a week. Repay that exact amount found in the documents, and I won't press charges. This arrangement was approved by former President Peter."

The head of the administrative team crawled out of the chair, begging, but I ignored him.

Ultimately, he was dragged out by security.

The subsequent cases flew by in a similar manner. While there were a few individuals who tried to put up a fight, they crumbled before the irrefutable evidence presented.

Finally, President Taylor entered.

President Taylor showed no signs of nervousness whatsoever.

Was he unfazed or simply confident in his position?

Without me asking him to sit, he plopped down and immediately spoke up.

"Do you really think the club would run smoothly without us?"

Was he planning to use the strike as a bargaining chip for negotiation with us?

I stayed silent, curious to see how far he would go.

"Over half of the club staff will strike starting tonight. Do you think you can manage the upcoming preseason schedule like that?"

Hearing him out with no response seemed to reveal just how absurd he found the situation, prompting Han Gyeong-yeong to take the floor.

"Is that a threat?"

"It's not a threat! I'm telling you this is happening starting tonight!"

"That's exactly a threat. You've got to be kidding me."

Han Gyeong-yeong chuckled incredulously.

"Does that sound unbelievable?"

I had anticipated his audacity but found his confidence even more staggering.

"Go ahead. Strike."

"Huh?"

"I said, go ahead. Strike."

"…What?"

"Do it. Whether it's striking or whatever else you have in mind. Just do everything you can."

I chuckled at Taylor, who wore an expression of utter disbelief.

"I'm really curious what gives you this level of confidence, but remember you're still a criminal."

"…"

"Now, let's meet at the police station."

"You can't treat me this way in Leeds!"

"As if you were the mayor of Leeds. Enough of this. Get out, Mr. Taylor."

I had no interest in hearing more.

Even if Taylor was shaking with despair, I chose to ignore him and turned to Han Gyeong-yeong.

"That should wrap things up, right?"

"Probably. Now we just need to assemble a new board and scout potential players. I wonder if there's anyone decent among potential new managers?"

"We'll have to find out. No matter who we bring in, they'll certainly do better than the 'former' president. He was that awful."

"…You'll see. I'm going to make you regret this decision."

Treated like a ghost, Taylor shot us a glare before hurrying out the door.

"Wow. That's a skill in itself."

"Just leave him. It's his last desperate attempt. There's no need to waste time on clowns like him."

After finishing the meeting with the management, I called in the coach.

"Welcome. Please, take a seat."

"What's this about? Do I pack up my things?"

He responded instantly with an aggressive stance.

"Haha. Why so hostile? We're just confirming that your contract runs until the end of this season, right?"

"That's correct."

"Hmm… I don't plan on changing coaches just yet. The majority of the staff will be replaced, but it'd be a hassle to change everything, including the coaching staff."

"Is it temporary?"

"Yeah."

His firm affirmation elicited a nod from David.

"Alright. I'll do my best until it's time to step down."

"You have control over the coaching staff, right?"

"Yes. Most were selected directly by me."

"And the players?"

"…The youth team members will be sticking with President Taylor. Most of them were discovered by him, after all."

Given that most of the key players had already been sold, it was mainly younger players with youth team backgrounds remaining on the roster.

"Hmm. Do you have any players in mind?"

"Players you want?"

"Yeah. Any players who could be signed immediately and contribute to the team?"

"What's the transfer budget?"

"Haven't you seen the interview? Don't worry about the money. Just list the players who would help the team's strength right away. How long will it take?"

David looked somewhat skeptical in response to my assurance about not worrying over funds.

"It'll take about three days."

"Then let's reconvene in three days. You're dismissed for now."

After sending David off, I sighed deeply.

"I really need to find more hands. Do I really have to handle all this myself?"

Han Gyeong-yeong chuckled at my predicament.

"I told you. Running a company is one thing, but managing a club is an entirely different ball game."

"That's true. Who should we bring in…"

I thought it over for several days, but having never delved deeply into soccer, I had no clear idea of who would fit in the club's culture.

"Hmm… Should I ask Aili?"

I smirked at the thought.

"Do you really think she'll be different from us?"

"She'll probably know more than we do."

Aili seemed to have made an impression on him somehow.

"You look for others. I'll ask Aili."

"Sounds good. Go with that."

Shaking my head, I stood up from my seat.

Han Gyeong-yeong took a different car from the parking lot to meet Aili, while I returned to the hotel.

That afternoon, a barrage of negative articles about us flooded the local news.

It was a stark contrast to the previous atmosphere of wait-and-see. In an instant, the narrative had shifted to negativity.

There was no doubt that President Taylor's influence had grown significantly.

Still, such influence wouldn't pierce through a small English town.

I had thought about waiting a few days, but it seemed like they were still grasping at straws.

"Just hand over all the documents to the police."

"Understood."

Once Manager Ma left, I dug around online to find a suitable new president and director.

Of course, there was no way a perfect candidate would just be sitting there. What could I even figure out by searching like this?

In a moment of impulse, I dialed Hyeon-seong's number.

"Oh, Mu-hyeok!"

"How have you been?"

"Not much. Just busy, as some of the venture companies I invested in are gearing up for their listings on the KOSDAQ, so it's a bit chaotic."

"Is that so? Good for you."

"Thanks to all that, things are going well."

Hyeon-seong's company had invested in many venture firms. Some had failed, but overall, the success rate was higher than average.

Especially since both of Korea's major portal companies owe their success to Hyeon-seong and Kang Mi-jin's efforts.

"By the way, you said you liked the English Premier League, right?"

"Soccer?"

"Yeah. I just acquired a soccer club, Leeds United."

"What?"

Hyeon-seong's voice rose in surprise.

"You scared me there."

"You really mean Leeds United?"

"Yeah. Somehow, I ended up acquiring this club I never planned on."

"I've never found myself envious of you before, but now I think I am a bit."

Hyeon-seong's reaction was refreshingly different from those I had encountered before in both lives.

So he really did have a passion for soccer, huh?

"But things are a bit complicated here…"

I proceeded to explain the situation with the club. I was amazed at how quickly Hyeon-seong grasped the context of it all, like a true fan.

"Those crazy fools! No wonder they sold off their players right after the season ended."

"So, do you have anyone you'd recommend?"

"I might know some players and coaches, but I'm quite out of the loop with management."

It's true; it must be difficult for a casual soccer fan to decipher the back-end of club management.

"Got it. I'll visit Korea and instead, let's meet then."

Just as I was about to end the call, Hyeon-seong called out to me urgently.

"Hey! Hey! Mu-hyeok!"

"Huh? What is it?"

"Aren't you going to ask about players? I know a few!"

I broke into laughter, appreciating his genuine enthusiasm.