Free Web NovelThe reason Leeds United, despite qualifying several times for the Champions League, being a top-tier Premier League club, and boasting a large fanbase, could not escape deficits was because there were too many thieves.
“······Is this true?”
Peter’s hands trembled as he gripped the document, his entire body shaking.
“People are easy to deceive, but documents are not. Chairman, that is the truth.”
“How on earth did you obtain this material that even I did not know about?”
Whether it was disbelief or denial, Peter’s hands shook as his eyes filled with doubt.
“We thoroughly investigate every company or person we intend to invest in, down to the last speck of dust. But this is the first time we’ve seen this much dirt.”
“······.”
“The club doesn’t lack money. It’s overflowing with wage thieves and unnecessary leaks. Do you happen to know how much it costs annually to maintain the goldfish tank in the chairman’s office?”
“What do you mean by that?”
It seemed Peter had little to no interest in the club’s finances, only attachment to the team itself.
But that could not be an excuse.
“Two hundred fifty thousand pounds annually, just for goldfish maintenance, Chairman.” freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
“······What.”
“You want to trust your staff, but that’s the reality. And beyond that······.”
I handed him another file. Inside it was a neatly organized record of every act of tax evasion and illegality committed by the club.
Seeing it, Peter was struck speechless, as though shocked to the core.
‘So he really didn’t know.’
I sighed deeply and said,
“At first, I thought you must have been involved in this systematic wrongdoing that went on for so long.”
“N-no. I had no idea······.”
“Of course, I no longer think that. Having met you directly, I can see you’re a fan who loves the club. Such a man would never intentionally ruin the team.”
“······.”
That was why he had completely trusted the executives and left the operation of the club in their hands, but ironically, that had been the path to the team’s downfall.
“But even so, that does not absolve you. You cannot be free of all responsibility. You must at least bear some of it.”
In Britain, tax evasion was a serious crime. Whether he was involved directly or not didn’t matter.
To the public, Peter was the owner of the club. He would face sanctions regardless.
“I originally planned to expose this in the press, but seeing you, I don’t think that’s necessary anymore.”
“No! Absolutely not in the papers······.”
“But the crimes of embezzlement must be reported.”
Peter’s face grew paler and paler. He was picturing the disgrace of a prestigious club being branded a tax-evading team.
“······Then the papers will definitely run it.”
“But leaving a festering wound like this unattended will only make it explode even bigger later.”
The sooner you lanced rot, the better. If it was going to burst anyway, sooner was best.
“······.”
“As I said earlier, there are too many people in the club stealing wages without capability.”
“Th-they······.”
Peter opened his mouth slightly, then closed it again. But I already knew what he wanted to say.
“You mean to say the ordinary staff aren’t involved, right?”
Peter gave a faint nod.
“If even one among them had any conscience, if just one had told you the truth, things would have been different. Leeds, a club of such prestige, would not have been reduced to this dire financial state.”
Peter’s naïve way of seeing the world was infuriating.
“You can continue trusting the staff if you wish. But if I take over the club, I’ll hire competent people, not keep useless ones out of sentiment.”
“······.”
“Chairman, if you refuse my offer to purchase the club, I will hand over all the materials I possess to newspapers, broadcasters, and the police.”
“Are you threatening me right now?”
Peter glared at me, his face white as chalk.
“I believe the rightful owner of this club should be someone more fitting. An incompetent but devoted fan, or someone capable, with enough money to make this team stronger. Which suits the role of owner better······.”
I let the words trail off deliberately.
Sometimes leaving a sentence unfinished conveyed more than completing it.
Peter seemed to understand my meaning.
Though he looked naïve, he was a man who ran large businesses in Leeds.
He already knew he could not stop the bankruptcy of the club with his own strength.
Which meant he also knew there was no answer except to hand over his shares under good terms.
“······What are the conditions?”
“I will buy all of your shares, and those of others, for ten million pounds.”
“What an absurd amount······.”
Peter’s face was etched with shock at the outrageous sum. But he hadn’t heard the end yet.
“In return, I will take on all of the club’s debts. No—more precisely, I will pay them off in full.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. But the shares of others must be brought to ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) me directly by you. That is my condition.”
“They······.”
Peter hesitated, his lips parting, but I cut him off firmly.
“I don’t want anyone else interfering in the club. I hate it when someone with a pitiful stake meddles in everything.”
Not that I wanted to pay even a single pound, but if time dragged on, acquiring the club before the next season would become difficult.
I had Peter’s weakness in hand, but finding leverage on others would take too long.
Besides, with the debt assumption, if I offered them some money, they would likely hand over their shares.
Peter also seemed to realize that this negotiation caused him no real loss, as he was now visibly deliberating.
“He’ll sell without a second thought,” Han Kyungyeong muttered in Korean beside me.
Instead of answering, I tilted one corner of my mouth.
“Very well. I’ll hand it over. But promise me one thing. That you’ll truly make Leeds—our club—the greatest club.”
“Of course. No matter the cost, I will make it so. Isn’t that right, James?”
“Of course! That goes without saying.”
At Han Kyungyeong’s response, Peter finally smiled.
“Good. I’ll persuade the other shareholders and contact you again.”
“I’d appreciate it if you did that as quickly as possible.”
“Yes, I’ll be in touch within a few days.”
He rose from his seat and extended his hand.
“Let’s save the drinks for after the contract is signed. We’ll toast with the past and future of Leeds United as our side dish.”
Peter stared at my outstretched hand for a moment, then grasped it firmly.
“Good. When it comes to Leeds’ history, I know it all.”
The frail man was gone, replaced by a Peter who laughed heartily. I smiled as well.
“Then I’ll wait for your good news.”
Han Kyungyeong also stood, shook Peter’s hand, and turned with me.
As we opened the meeting room door, President Neil Taylor and the executives stood outside, faces tight with anxiety.
Their eyes burned with hostility toward me. I gave a mocking grin and jerked my chin toward the chairman’s office.
“The discussion is over. Go in.”
Taylor’s face twisted like a demon’s mask, teeth grinding audibly. It was quite amusing.
“Let’s go, hyung.”
Together with Han Kyungyeong, I passed them and walked out of the clubhouse.
“The facilities are really shabby.”
“Right? Being a top Premier League club, I expected grandeur, but this······.”
Han Kyungyeong looked around the clubhouse and the practice grounds, shaking his head in visible disappointment.
I patted his shoulder.
“Well, we’ll just change it all. Let’s go.”
* * *
“What do you mean? Who is that man, that I should be told to stand down?”
― Murdoch.
“What are you saying? I was threatened in London, and now you tell me to sit quietly?”
Loud voices rang continuously through Rupert Murdoch’s London mansion.
He was so enraged that veins bulged on his forehead.
“Is this why I supported you? Do you want me to stand on the same side as the other media?”
― ······Murdoch. Watch your tongue.
“Is it about money? Then I’ll give more. No, I’ll use every ounce of my power to support you. Convince the president immediately or deal with it yourselves······.”
His tone was so overbearing that the man on the other end of the receiver finally snapped, his voice icy.
― Do I look like your subordinate?
Murdoch fell silent for a moment, calming himself.
“That’s not what I meant. I’m only asking you, as your friend and strong supporter—Rupert Murdoch.”
― That man is still useful. And he’s not someone who can be disposed of so easily. Do not ruin things with reckless vengeance. Control yourself.
“······You were the ones who first told me. That behind James Han there was another man named Charlie. That’s why I began my investigation. But now you change your words?”
The man on the line said nothing.
“Tell me. Who exactly is that man, that you’re blocking me?”
― I’ve warned you. Rash actions could ruin everything. Keep that in mind.
With that, the call ended.
Enraged at being hung up on, Murdoch hurled the phone.
The shattering sound drew his secretary rushing in.
She stopped at the doorway, frozen at the sight of the broken telephone on the floor and her furious boss trembling with rage.
Murdoch’s bloodshot eyes snapped toward her.
“Why are you standing there?”
“N-nothing, sir.”
“What time is Director Cahill arriving?”
“I was informed he’ll arrive in an hour.”
“Clean this up.”
He ordered the secretary to clear the mess and strode out of the room, his face cold as ice.
* * *
After leaving Leeds United’s clubhouse, Han Kyungyeong and I arrived at our reserved hotel.
We finished a simple meal at the restaurant and went up to our suite, where we began discussing the day over whiskey.
Han Kyungyeong swirled the glass full of ice and whiskey, saying,
“Doesn’t it look like Neil Taylor was the one skimming?”
“Given the circumstances, if not the owner then it had to be the president. Taylor handled all the finances.”
“What nerve he must have had.”
In Korea, embezzlement and tax evasion weren’t treated as such heavy crimes. Or rather, they were, but punishments were light.
But in Britain, punishments were anything but light.
“He probably only painted rosy futures. Two consecutive years in the Champions League, the chairman passionately attached to the club, always willing to raise money. Meanwhile, he had no interest in finances. Couldn’t have asked for a better environment to embezzle.”
“Chairman Peter······ what should I say. How did such a man become one of Leeds’ top businessmen? Can you understand it, hyung?”
“His love for the team might have blinded him.”
In England, football was life itself. People threw themselves fanatically into the teams they supported.
“Well, once we take over, we’ll just replace everything anyway.”
After several rounds of drinks, when the mood had loosened, I teased,
“By the way, hyung. You seemed interested in that woman, Ailee?”
“She’s pretty, isn’t she? That’s why I asked for her number. Don’t you think she’s pretty?”
His cheeky reply made me laugh.
“She is pretty.”
“If you like her, just go for it.”
“You’ve grown bold, hyung. That’s not the man I first met.”
I remembered the old Han Kyungyeong, trembling with no confidence. That man was long gone.
“And you? No women?”
“No one’s caught my eye yet.”
“Not picky, are you? A guy like you should be swarmed by women. Rich, handsome, got it all. God really is unfair.”
“You’re so lame.”
We kept chatting and laughing, our voices filling the suite.
“Boss.”
At that moment, Manager Ma called out. Both Han Kyungyeong and I turned.
“Fans of Leeds have gathered in front of the hotel.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. They’re shouting they won’t let their club be sold to American capital.”
For this to happen right after word of the takeover got out. Look at this—it’s turning interesting.
