Free Web NovelHan Kyungyeong didn’t return to the hotel until just before midnight.
“Oh? You’re still up?”
He sat right down across from me when he saw me drinking alone.
“Had fun? I thought you weren’t coming back tonight.”
“I was going to, but I kept thinking about that traffic accident this morning. So I just came back.”
Well, after watching a massive bus charge straight at us, only someone with iron nerves could brush it off.
“But they said the police want both you and me to appear, right?”
“Yeah. Strange, isn’t it?”
“Hm. Is there even a reason? They seemed ready to close it as drunk driving.”
“That’s why I’ll refuse for now. If we wait, we’ll see what their real angle is.”
At this point, there was no reason for the police to summon me and Han Kyungyeong.
If they had another scheme, I needed to see their cards first.
While pouring himself a drink, Han said,
“Ah, right. According to Ailee, most of the club staff are Taylor’s people.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Chairman Peter gave him too much authority, and apparently Taylor was already a big shot in Leeds. So the staff were more afraid of him than the chairman.”
“Amusing.”
I chuckled at the thought of employees fearing a salaried president more than the actual owner.
“She said Taylor’s been stirring them up.”
“Stirring? With what? He’ll try anything.”
“Just desperation to survive. He ordered them to prepare a strike.”
“A strike? What bullshit.”
“Well, it works out. You were going to fire most of them anyway, right?”
The plan was to replace most of the board and staff anyway.
I smiled, raising my glass.
“They think we’re easy targets. Time to show them the world isn’t so forgiving.”
Han smiled too, clinking his glass against mine.
“Exactly. You and Chairman Peter are completely different men, but they’re diving in like moths to a flame.”
Our glasses rang sharply in the air.
It took several days to fully take over club management.
LK Law Firm handled everything. Once professional accountants tore through the books, the embezzlement turned out far worse than expected.
“Wow... no sense of moderation at all.”
Even Han hadn’t anticipated this scale. Reading the report, he clicked his tongue over and over.
“They got bolder. At first it was small enough to slip past. But when nothing happened, they escalated. More money, more people roped in—it was inevitable.”
“Forget firing. Half of them belong in prison. Taylor and most of the board included.”
“Let’s hear what they have to say first.”
I set down the documents from the accountants and the Black Bear branch and told Chief Ma,
“Bring them in one by one. Start with the head of administration.”
“Yes, boss.”
The head of administration entered, face pale and nervous.
“Sit down.”
Expressionless, I gestured to the chair.
He glanced anxiously at me, Han, and Chief Ma in turn before sitting.
“You’ve worked at the club for a long time.”
“Yes.”
After a short question about his record, I began pressing.
“So why did you do it? While the team’s finances collapsed, you stuffed your own pocket.”
“Th-that’s—”
“If it were a small amount, maybe. But this? Hard to excuse. Don’t you think? This much could put you in prison for years.”
I tossed him the file.
His face drained of blood as he read.
“I was wrong. Please, just once—”
“Words don’t fix this. Why should I forgive you?”
“It was all on President Taylor’s orders. I only did what he said...”
He quickly tried to hide behind Taylor’s name.
I clicked my tongue and shook my head.
“The choice was yours. You lived well enough on the stolen money, but now you dump it all on Taylor? That’s absurd. Get out. You have one week. Return every cent listed there, and I won’t press charges. That’s agreed with Chairman Peter too.”
He ended up groveling on the floor, but I ignored him. freewebnøvel.coɱ
He was dragged out by the guards.
The rest were much the same. Some blustered, but none could stand against the evidence.
Finally, President Taylor entered.
He didn’t look nervous at all.
Either fearless, or he had something to lean on.
He sat without being asked and spoke first.
“You think the club can run without us?”
So he planned to use a strike as his weapon.
I stayed silent, curious how far he’d go.
“More than half the staff will strike immediately. How will you handle pre-season matches?”
When I stayed quiet, Han scoffed.
“Are you threatening us?”
“This isn’t a threat. The strike begins tonight.”
“That’s a threat, idiot.”
Han laughed bitterly.
“Do you think I’m lying?”
He was even thicker-skinned than I expected.
“Go ahead. Strike.”
“What?”
“I said go ahead. Strike.”
“...What?”
“Do it. Strike, walk out, whatever you can. Try everything.”
I smirked at Taylor’s stunned face.
“I don’t know what gives you this confidence, but you’re a criminal.”
“...”
“Enough. I’ll see you at the police station.”
“You can’t do this to me in Leeds!”
“Anyone would think you were the mayor. Get out, Mr. Taylor.”
Not worth another word.
Shaking with rage, Taylor was ignored as I turned to Han.
“That’s about wrapped up, right?”
“Seems so. «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Just need to build a new board and shortlist transfers. But who’ll be the new president and director?”
“We’ll find them. Whoever it is, they’ll be better than the ‘former’ president. He was garbage.”
“...You’ll regret this.”
Invisible until now, Taylor finally stood, glaring before storming out.
“Wow. Even that’s a talent.”
“Let him be. Last desperate flailing. Not worth our time.”
After the executives, we called in the manager.
“Come in. Sit.”
“Why call me? Should I pack my bags too?”
He came in swinging, bristling.
“Haha. No need for hostility. Your contract runs until this season, right?”
“Yes.”
“For now, I won’t replace you. Too many staff are being swapped already. To change the entire coaching team as well would be a burden.”
“So, I’m on borrowed time?”
“Yes.”
At my blunt reply, David nodded.
“Fine. Until then, I’ll give it my all.”
“You’ve got full control of the coaching staff, correct?”
“Yes. Most of them are my picks.”
“And the players?”
“...The youth players will side with Taylor. Most were scouted by him.”
Since the key players had been sold, the squad was mostly young academy graduates.
“Hmm. Any players you want?”
“Want?”
“Yes. Anyone on the transfer market who could help immediately.”
“What’s the budget?”
“Didn’t you see the interview? Forget the money. Just make a list of players who can strengthen us right away. How long will it take?”
At my words, David looked doubtful, then answered,
“Three days.”
“Then I’ll see you in four. You may go.”
After sending him out, I sighed.
“I need to find someone fast. Do I really have to handle this too?”
Han chuckled like it was the funniest thing.
That smug face made me want to punch him.
“You knew. Company management is one thing, but running a club is another.”
“True. But who...”
I mulled for days, but never having dug deeply into football, I couldn’t say who’d fit.
“Maybe I should ask Ailee.”
I snorted.
“As if she’s any different from us.”
“Still, she probably knows more than we do.”
So he really liked Ailee, huh.
“You check separately. I’ll ask her.”
“Fine, fine.”
I shook my head and stood.
Han left with Ailee in another car, while I returned to the hotel.
That afternoon, negative articles about us flooded every local paper.
Until recently, the tone had been wait-and-see. Now it flipped overnight.
Taylor’s influence was clear.
Still, his power was limited to a small English town.
He just couldn’t let go.
“Send everything to the police.”
“Yes.”
After Chief Ma left, I browsed online for possible candidates for president and director.
Of course, nothing useful. You couldn’t pick like this.
On impulse, I called Hyunseong.
― Hey, Muhyuk.
“How are you?”
― Same old. Busy. The ventures I invested in are preparing for KOSDAQ listings one after another.
“Really? Good for you.”
― Thanks to you, things are going well.
His company invested in many startups. Some failed, but his success rate was better than most.
Especially hitting both of Korea’s future top portals was purely his and Kang Mijin’s skill.
“By the way, you like the Premier League, right?”
― Football?
“Yeah. I just bought Leeds United.”
― What?
For once, Hyunseong raised his voice.
“Damn, you scared me.”
― You really bought Leeds United?
“Yeah. It just happened, wasn’t even planned.”
― I’ve never once envied you, but this... I actually do.
I had never seen him react like this, in either lifetime.
Guess he really was a football nut.
“But it’s messy here...”
I explained the club’s situation. He understood instantly.
― Crazy bastards. No wonder they sold players as soon as the season ended.
“So, do you know anyone to recommend?”
― If it’s players or managers, maybe. Executives? No clue.
Fair enough. A regular fan wouldn’t know.
“Alright. I’ll see you in Korea.”
Just as I was about to hang up, he called out urgently.
― Hey! Hey! Muhyuk!
“Huh? What?”
― Aren’t you going to ask about transfers? I know players.
I burst into laughter.
