CH78

400 million dollars is worth about 500 billion won.

So, the price to acquire Manchester United is 500 billion won.

A smile played on my lips at that thought.

(Isn't that expensive?)

"…?"

(After looking into it, it's all because of real estate. In Italy or France, the stadiums are owned by the state. But in the UK, the clubs own the rights.)

So that means the real estate price is included in the value of the club.

But even with that, it's only 500 billion won?

(That's why London clubs are particularly expensive. They own prime real estate, so it makes sense. Let's see, purely in terms of investment value, Chelsea might be a better choice…)

Chelsea would later be bought by an oil tycoon.

I'd always wondered why Chelsea, when there were so many better teams, but maybe London's location played a big role.

(These days, the money is flowing into Italy. The English league has become a place where washed-up players gather… most of the capital is going after real estate.)

"So as time goes by, the prices will drop more?"

(Exactly. With Manchester's specific conditions, the price will likely drop by 100 million dollars in the next three years.)

But Manchester United will defy all these predictions and stand tall as the undisputed top club in the Premier League!

'If things go well… does that mean I could acquire Manchester United for just 350 billion won?'

The scene of Van Nistelrooy heading in a cross from Beckham.

Ah!

I still can't forget the football of that era.

Not just that.

Ronaldo, Rooney, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra… and even Park Ji-sung.

As a club that produced "The Captain," Manchester United holds a special place for us.

'And I could be the owner of such a Manchester United?'

Me?

Hehehe.

Maybe I was so happy that I couldn't help but imagine it.

I was holding the phone silently for a while when it happened.

(Mr. Park?)

"…"

(Mr. Park? Can you hear me?)

"Sorry, I was just lost in thought for a moment."

(Did you already sign the contract and complete the stadium expansion in your head?)

"You caught me."

Baker and I had a good laugh after that.

"Mr. Baker, I think I'll be keeping a close eye on the sports sector for a while."

(Hmm, sounds like you're telling me to study football too, huh?)

That's the good thing about working with sharp people.

"If it's too much, I can find someone else…"

(But working with me is still the best option, right?)

"Of course. I trust you 100%."

(I was feeling a bit starved for compliments, could you give me a little more?)

I like this kind of relaxed atmosphere.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Baker responded in a pleasant voice.

(Thanks to you, I'll probably be treated like a big shot in the sports world.)

"You don't like that?"

(It'll be fun.)

With that, we happily hung up the phone.

That dawn.

Maybe it was the afterglow of the call.

I lay in bed, but I couldn't fall asleep.

'Buying Manchester United…'

How much money will I need?

If I roughly calculate it, 350 billion won for the acquisition.

500 billion won for expanding the club.

500 billion won for investment in the youth team.

And for player transfers, it'll take about 1.5 trillion won.

'That alone is 6 trillion won.'

On top of that, if I buy a few satellite clubs (such as in Brazil, Serie B, Belgium, Portugal leagues, etc.) where the promising players can play, that'll cost another 3 trillion won.

With taxes and everything else included.

'It's going to cost around 10 trillion won.'

Of course, this assumes I'm planning to run the team seriously, like Mansour's "City Football Group."

Hmm.

'It's kind of ridiculous to know the successful model and not go for it just because it's expensive, right?'

If I'm going to start, it's much better to do it properly.

'But that's easier said than done… where am I going to get 10 trillion won?'

There's got to be a way.

A way to pull in a huge amount of money in a short time…

Wait.

'Didn't you say you were going to retire?'

Ugh, maybe it's because I haven't slept, but suddenly my head feels dizzy.

'Ji-hoon.'

How about you do just one more job before retiring?

Yeah, just earn the money for the Manchester United acquisition and then wash your hands of it all.

Or is it just a feeling?

It feels like I've made this kind of promise to myself before…

But once a train starts moving, there's no way to stop it.

The target amount is 10 trillion won!

'Looks like I won't be getting any sleep tonight.'

That's how I spent the entire night thinking about ways to make money.

***

Vroom!

We set off early in the morning.

Our destination was the headquarters of Weekly Manga.

As we drove, Cho Soo-deok kept glancing at me whenever we hit a red light.

"You should get some sleep."

"I can't sleep."

I was in a state of complete alertness.

It's like the feeling of playing in a pool made of energy drinks for an hour.

Far from being sleepy, I felt my condition improving more and more.

The reason was simple.

'Because I've figured out a way!'

Hehehe.

After parking, the first place I went was the office of Editor-in-Chief Kazuhiro.

Maybe it was because the recent serialization performance was so good.

It seemed Kazuhiro had taken over the president's office.

Buried in a pile of manuscripts, he stood up as soon as he saw me.

"Oh, Mr. CEO!"

"It's been a while."

"I heard from Mr. Akira. You met with him yesterday."

Kazuhiro made his way to the sofa in the middle of the room.

Then he gladly offered me the most prominent seat.

"Would you like some tea?"

"I'm fine."

Kazuhiro then looked over at Jo Soo-deok.

After confirming Jo shook his head, Kazuhiro cautiously took his seat.

Normally, we'd exchange pleasantries, but…

Today I was in a state of complete focus!

Naturally, I got straight to the point.

"I'm looking for someone."

"…Someone?"

His face seemed to ask, "Why come to me for this? I'm not a detective agency."

But he quickly changed his expression and said,

"You must be looking for someone related to this field?"

"I heard they published an amateur game magazine."

"You mean a doujinshi?"

"Yes. It was just handwritten, photocopied, and bound together. But apparently, it sold quite a bit."

"The content of the magazine was…?"

"I heard it was something like game strategies."

"Hmm, sir," he hesitated a little, "but…"

"…?"

"In Japan, there are cases where doujinshi sell well, but with only that kind of information, finding the person might take some time."

Since he knows my personality, he probably couldn't say no, so he just hinted that it would take time.

"But… it's an urgent matter, right?"

"…"

"Even if it's not urgent, I should handle it quickly for you, of course, of course. Haha."

The awkward laughter lasted only a moment.

"If you had more details, it might be easier. Like the name of the magazine…"

"I heard it was called Game Maniac (게임 광)."

"Game Maniac? Like someone crazy about games?"

I nodded.

"Could you find it within half a day?"

"Ha… half a day?"

"This person could definitely be an asset to Weekly Manga as well."

Maybe it was because he thought of Togashi Ken.

"I'll be back."

Without hesitation, the editor-in-chief stood up.

It took exactly half a day.

Panting, Kazuhiro came in, handing me a small booklet.

"Could you check if this is what you were looking for?"

On the cover, the title Game Maniac was written in large letters.

When I opened it, the pages were filled with clumsy handwriting.

It felt like looking at my brother's old design notebook.

No one had asked them to do this, but they had written everything purely out of their love for the subject.

Though it was still rough, the magazine was filled with energy and passion.

"'Xevious strategy guide' makes up most of this, huh."

It was an ordinary flight game, but there seemed to be a lot to cover in the guide.

Amazed by the sheer volume, I turned to the last page.

[First edition, first print.

Price: 500 yen.

Orders by mail only.

Phone inquiries…]

There was a phone number.

"Since the address is in Tokyo, this should be quick."

Then, I checked the contributor bio at the bottom of the page.

[Editing, publishing, and design all done by one person, Tajiri Satoshi!

As a kid, I spent my days running through the fields, obsessed with catching insects! Though I once dreamed of becoming an expert in insect breeding, after discovering Space Invaders, I threw myself into games. Now, I dream of becoming a game developer. But who knows? Maybe someday I'll go back to becoming the Fabre of Japan?]

Most people would probably laugh at this kind of bio.

But knowing the future, every word seemed incredibly meaningful to me.

Catching insects… the Fabre of Japan.

'He achieved his dream.'

***

Tajiri Satoshi checked the money in his bank account.

One million yen.

For someone who had just graduated from school, it was an unbelievable amount.

Who could have imagined that selling doujinshi would bring in this much profit?

'But it's still not enough.'

Tajiri's dream was to become a game developer.

To achieve that goal, he needed to buy Taisho's development tools as soon as possible.

But they were quite expensive.

Even if he somehow managed to get the equipment, that would just be the start… the road ahead was long.

'However…'

To be honest, Tajiri had confidence in himself.

For one reason.

'Because the concept is killer!'

Since elementary school, he had been fascinated by collecting and raising insects.

That's what he turned into a game.

Since he was making something he loved into a game, he enjoyed the entire planning process.

'This is going to be a hit!'

Of course, there had been some trial and error at first.

The original concept involved actually collecting insects like ladybugs, rhinoceros beetles, and mantises from the fields… and his friends all complained, saying it was gross…

In the process, Tajiri found a compromise.

The insects would still be insects, but they would be designed to look cuter.

'But they're still insects!'

When that still didn't receive good reactions, Tajiri came up with another compromise.

'If insects are a bit much… how about adding animals?'

Cats, raccoons, bears, and so on.

Maybe it was because the designs were now extremely cute, but the atmosphere started to change.

'Might as well add some dinosaurs too, right?'

Since he was at it, he decided to throw in some imaginary creatures as well.

As the character roster grew, Tajiri realized something.

'But how do you catch them?'

For insects, all you needed was a net.

But using a net to catch dinosaurs… that didn't seem quite right.

That's when he thought of the capsule.

Yes, you could throw a capsule to capture the creatures inside it.

With the concept decided, the game's title was set too.

'Capsule Monsters.'

Now, if he could just save another two million yen… he could create a 21st-century insect-catching game…

At that very moment.

Knock knock knock.

A knock echoed, as if telling him to snap out of his daydream.

"Are you in there?"

At this time… who could it be?

"Tajiri-san, are you inside?"

TL/n -

I know nothing about football 😅