Chapter 4

You received ten million won, right?

"Will such a world really come?"

As we all know, such a world will come.

Football has become an international business that generates enormous wealth.

Neymar's transfer fee is close to 300 billion, and Messi receives an annual salary of 130 billion.

Of course, advertising revenue and royalty income are more than the annual salary.

Manchester United earns over 1 trillion won a year from shirt sponsorship, and the EPL sells broadcasting rights worth tens of trillions of dollars around the world.

"You may not believe it, but the chances of it happening are high. The oil tycoons in the Middle East are already sniffing around and showing keen interest in European football clubs. The football club itself will become a brand that generates global revenue."

Kevin Kim's office was filled with original copies of economic magazines such as Forbes, Fortune, The Economist, and Business Week.

This may be the source of his global perspective.

"Football in the coming 21st century is a global business. Football will soon become money. There may come a day when a single player can generate sales equivalent to that of a mid-sized company."

I nodded silently.

Because he knew his vision would become reality.

***

I returned to school late in the afternoon.

My bag was full of British football magazines that Kevin Kim had packed for me.

"The best way for soccer players to study English is through soccer magazines."

Both Seungjin Kim and Kevin Kim took great care of me just because I was a soccer player.

It was really reassuring to have two elite students from S University volunteer to be my sponsors.

"Geonwoo! Where have you been and why are you back now!?"

"Is the news real!? Congratulations!"

When I entered the classroom, there was chaos over the news of my participation in the World Cup.

Everyone thought I had been to the Football Association.

I didn't really say anything to the kids.

We'll find out when the news comes out tomorrow anyway.

I packed my bag and went to the soccer club room, and coach Ji Young-man came rushing in out of breath.

"Geonwoo! You! Where have you been!? If you go somewhere, you should contact me. Contact me! I was worried."

"sorry."

"Congratulations, Kim Gun-woo! You are truly my treasure."

I almost replied, 'I guess so.'

The amount of money you took from me must be treasure.

To be precise, the goose that lays golden eggs.

"Did you come back from the Football Association? Who called you?"

"No, I didn't go there. I just made a phone call."

"Then where did you go?"

"It's a hospital."

Jiyoung's expression distorted.

As if I had chewed on a bug.

The kind-hearted director's face disappeared and the face of a vicious conman was briefly revealed.

"…Why the hospital? Dr. Moon?"

"No. It's Seoul Oseong Hospital."

[Moon Jeong-hyeong, Orthopedic Surgery Clinic] Director Moon Ik-seong was a friend of Ji Young-man and managed all of the Myeongseong High School players.

This guy was a fraud wearing a doctor's gown who conspired with Jiyoungman to make a diagnosis.

If the competition was urgent, they would say it was okay even if they had an injury, but if a problem arose later, they would avoid the issue by using difficult technical terms.

They are the scum that even gave young players with injuries the so-called cannon shot (Depomedrol, a strong anesthetic, has a good temporary effect but if abused, it destroys cartilage) and made them play.

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Ji Young-man was receiving a 15% commission for each patient he supplied to Moon Ik-seong, but I only found out about this 10 years after I graduated.

"Seoul Oseong Hospital… Without telling me? Why?"

"My knees hurt. I told you before the spring competition."

"Yeah. But why did you go to a different hospital instead of our designated one?"

The good vibes have now disappeared from Jiyoung's face.

His cell phone kept ringing in his pants.

"Director, answer the phone first. It keeps ringing."

"Ah… okay."

Only Jiyoung answered the phone.

Listening to the conversation, it seems that the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation is only now notifying us.

"Okay… Ah… Okay, I understand."

Jiyoungman just hung up the phone and looked at me blankly.

For a moment, anger, disappointment, irritation and suspicion swirled in his eyes.

The embarrassment of having been reassured that he was completely controlling and deceiving me, only to find out that wasn't the case.

"What are you doing, Kim Gun-woo?"

"What is it?"

"How dare you do something like this without consulting me, the director? I'm the only one who's being treated like an idiot, Geonwoo."

Only Jiyoung raised her voice.

It looks like a fist could fly at any moment.

"I'm sorry, coach. My knee hurt so much. Dr. Moon kept saying I was fine. I wanted to check my condition at a higher level hospital. I decided to give up the World Cup based on the doctor's diagnosis."

I shrugged, pretending to be sorry.

BAM-!!

Jiyoungman pushed me into the metal cabinet.

"Hey! You! The director is funny!?"

"What's wrong, Director?"

"I told you this kid is good at soccer, but he ignores the coach and ruins the team spirit! You arrogant kid! Is this all you're good for!?"

I looked closely into Jiyoung's eyes.

A truly hurt look in your eyes.

Experiencing it again like this, I realized that this guy really was the best villain.

If I had become an actor, I would have been successful.

"I'm sorry if you felt offended. I will take responsibility and leave the team."

"… what?"

"The doctor told me to stay out of the game for at least three months and rehabilitate. I can't participate in team training anyway… He said I'm ruining the team atmosphere. I'll just leave the team."

"What…what did you say!?"

"I'll go, Director."

"Gunwoo! Gunwoo!!"

I got out of the soccer club.

I wanted to beat that disgusting bastard to death right then and there, but I held back for now.

Because it took a few more steps to completely destroy the bastard.

"I'll give you my life for now."

***

When I returned home in the evening, my father came running to me.

"Youngman called me. He said he was sorry for what he said to you. He cried and said he owed me a death penalty."

"is it so?"

This guy's only son.

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I would like to give him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

really.

"So why did you do that?"

"What?"

"You should have consulted with the coach first and then gone to the hospital. If the player makes decisions and moves on his own, what does that make the coach?"

I wasn't mad at Jiyoungman either, but I got mad at my father for the first time today.

"Hey, you idiot! Is that something you should say to your son!? Even in this situation, you're taking the director's side!?"

"You woman! What do you know about soccer!? A soccer team is basically an organization. An organization! So what does it mean… You follow the coach like a father and…"

"father…"

"huh?"

"How much did you get paid by Director Ji Young-man three years ago?"

"Wh… What are you talking about!?"

My father's acting skills were poor compared to Ji Young-man's.

It's already all revealed on his face.

So, you get hit every day.

"When I was in middle school, Jiyoungman came to me and gave me money. That's why I ended up going to Myeongseong High School."

"That… that's not it. It's because Young-man is so refreshing and good at it. I trust his leadership."

"You received ten million won, right?"

"… Ugh. I didn't want to take it, but they just forced it in, so I had no choice…"

"No! What the!? This guy! Where did all that money go!?"

"Go! Stay still!"

As Mom smashed her back, Dad shook her off and ran into the bedroom.

This damn corner of the house.

I stopped them both and told them the truth.

"Jiyoung took advantage of the fact that she brought me to Myeongseong High School and received 30 million won per person from other parents. Did you know that?"

As someone who was the ace of middle school, if I entered Myeongseong High School, the college admission rate of children in the same grade would increase significantly, so it was an attractive offer to parents of children who were soccer players.

Jiyoung used that to take hundreds of millions of won from the parents of children in our grade alone.

"Is that… real?"

"Father, Jiyoung is a conman. Don't meet him again. Don't contact him. And give back the money I received. It could cause problems later."

"No… money… why…"

"Father, I will earn 1 billion, 10 billion, 100 billion from soccer. So don't make a mess of my surroundings. Do you want my soccer career to be ruined because of you?"

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Then, from now on, don't ask for drinks or meals from soccer officials. From now on, I will personally manage and decide all matters related to soccer."

"… son."

My words shocked not only my father but also my mother.

I tried to solve it step by step, but my emotions became intense without me knowing it.

Is it because I met the elite from S University this morning?

I was annoyed by my father's petty, short-sighted, naive, and even stupid attitude.

In my previous life, I left all my money management to my father.

"If an athlete gets a taste for money, it's a big problem. Athletes should focus solely on their sport."

I believe all this nonsense without question.

In the end, my father believed the scammer's words and invested in the wrong place, losing all of his professional contract money and even going into debt.

My father was so shocked that he closed down his newspaper distribution center and started drinking alcohol until he passed away from acute liver cancer.

That was the beginning of the downfall of our family, but I'll tell you that story later.

Anyway, while we're on the subject, let's hammer home the point.

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"I met two people who said they would help me today. They are both socially elite and soccer enthusiasts. I decided to give up the World Cup national team after consulting with that doctor. From now on, I will work with them to create my soccer career path. They have a clear vision for the future and a wealth of connections. They will be a great help to me."

The faces of my parents looking at each other became blank.