157. Recruitment offer
After regressing, I felt strange when I met people I knew in the past.
Because as time passed and we became intertwined and changed, we ended up with a relationship that was completely different from the past.
Before his return, Chairman Lee Geun-taek was a person who passed by so briefly that he was hardly remembered.
Kim Do-jun and I were also close friends, and although we only knew each other as schoolmates, we had never even played on the same team.
If I were to list all the changes in our relationship, I could probably talk all night.
But even as relationships changed, there were some things that remained the same.
In the end, Kim Do-jun, although in a different way than in the past, has come close to having the potential and ability to play in the first division. Ryu Jae-jun also has not shown much difference compared to his previous skills.
The skilled guys were still shining in the Hunter’s League.
Because I had those thoughts, there was one thing I wanted to see after returning.
The question was, what about Lee Hyeong-geun?
Lee Hyeong-geun, who rose to the position of LTD manager just before his return, what is he like now?
I was wondering about that.
In the past, I thought that Lee Hyung-geun was obsessed with improving performance by only focusing on immediate growth, even if it meant selling the player’s future.
“Director Lee Hyung-geun, I think I’ve seen you before in the third division. How have you been?”
It was something I didn’t mean to say, considering how he treated me before I returned, but I was curious.
When I asked that, Lee Hyeong-geun smiled brightly and said, thinking it was a positive sign.
“Ah. When we played together in the 3rd division before, our team lost and I thought our team was the problem, but when I looked at Lee Chang-hyun’s PER, I think it’s because he’s so great. I was shocked when we lost back then, but now I’m proud of what we did with PER. Haha.
Well, I’m still just a third-division league LTD manager.”
Lee Hyung-geun seemed more positive about asking about his well-being than the general manager who had approached him first, and he spoke coquettishly and flaunted his friendship.
‘Part 3… … Director.’
By this time before his return, Lee Hyeong-geun had almost reached the position of first division director.
Digging me up and making excuses that they know me best.
“By the way, Lee Chang-hyun. Today’s game was really great. There has never been a case of a team from the second division successfully advancing to the first division, but watching PER’s game today, I was just amazed.
It wouldn’t be a dream come true to see PER compete with our LTD for the championship trophy in Part 1. Haha.”
As the conversation seemed to be going in a good direction, Lee Hyeong-geun shrugged his shoulders while looking at the first division director Lee Jin-han and the general director.
As if he were someone who could be anything.
Yes. Lee Hyeong-geun was this kind of person.
Good at flattering, standing in line, and doing politics.
They used sweet talk to lure young Awakened people who were still ignorant of the world into becoming Hunters, and then when they were deemed useless, they were thrown out and no longer given a second thought.
‘… … and a guy who only gaslights players he thinks are okay, and pretends to be an excellent educator while being eager to exaggerate his achievements.’
I was reminded of Lee Hyeong-geun before his return, who would not let the game go and would gaslight it for not opening [Man-gae] as he said.
This guy. He doesn’t have any outstanding abilities as a manager. He doesn’t have any outstanding coaching skills. He doesn’t have any outstanding understanding of the Hunters League.
He threatened to throw me away, to kick me out and not let me play.
Why was I so scared back then?
‘If you take a step back and look at it this way, it’s such a small thing.’
He could have transferred to another team. He could have found another way.
What can a director like that say?
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Yes. Before the regression, if I hadn’t helped my team members grow with [Piercing Eyes], if Lee Hyeong-geun hadn’t embellished and intercepted that achievement.
Lee Hyung-geun should still remain as a third-division league manager. That’s because he was that kind of guy.
Before we met, I was honestly worried.
Without me. Even without the achievements I made at LTD before my return, and the fact that I helped my teammates and grew together with them, I wonder if Lee Hyung-geun would have been recognized for his outstanding abilities.
Actually, I guess I just didn’t notice.
“… … So, we at LTD would like to make a good proposal. It would be a collaboration between PER and LTD.
I found out that player and club owner Lee Chang-hyun seems to be quite attached to the team, but isn’t the ultimate goal to win? To help with that, we’re forming a partnership with LTD that allows for free trading every season without any recruiting costs…
Then, while maintaining Lee Chang-hyun’s PER, if Lee Chang-hyun feels a wall in his PER, which is unlikely, he can come to LTD and play… … .”
LTD must have thought that Lee Hyeong-geun and I were acquainted and friendly, because Lee Hyeong-geun continued talking as if he was selling a product.
I smiled and said this to Lee Hyeong-geun, who was talking so excitedly.
“That’s a good story.”
“As expected, you are a smart person. You see the value in this offer… … .”
Lee Hyeong-geun blushed.
Of course, I had no intention of accepting that offer.
“If you look at it from this point in time.”
“… … !”
I faced again something that had tormented me in the past. Something that had remained as a trauma, anxiety, and suffering to some extent without me knowing it.
“But, you know. It seems like there are still things you don’t know.”
In the past, I thought it was so huge that I couldn’t do anything about it. I just had to adapt.
“The first season I went to PER. PER was an unprecedented losing team in the 3rd division.”
After gaining experience and taking a step back,
“And the first season I went to PER. PER won the 3rd division.”
That it is not a problem at all.
It was only then that I realized that I was capable of much more than I thought.
“And the 2nd division promotion match, for 5 years no 3rd division team had been promoted to the 2nd division, but they succeeded in promotion by causing an upset.
“After advancing to the second division, we immediately won first place in the second division regular season. Even though the upper league is almost a separate game, we proved it right away.”
“… … .”
“Then the next step is obvious.”
Part 1 Promotion. And… …
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“… … 1st place in the first regular season.”
It was also the current LTD ranking.
Director Lee Jin-han of the 1st Division LTD, who was standing next to me, spoke quietly.
At those words, Lee Hyeong-geun’s eyes shook wildly.
“It would be nice if you could tell me instead.”
Yes, this is also a declaration of war. It was unexpected, but Chairman Lee Geun-taek helped us along the way, and the growth rate is faster than expected.
And as [Full Bloom]’s rank goes up, it’s weaker than before this time before the regression… …
‘Still, it doesn’t seem impossible.’
This practice match against LTD clearly showed the way.
Well, if you really don’t think it’ll work, there’s also the option of opening [Full Bloom].
Unlike before, the period of time it was left is different.
It’s this effective even before it’s opened. Even I can’t imagine where the peak will be when it’s opened.
“This season, our team. PER will be promoted to the first division. And we will finish the regular season in first place, no. We will finish the postseason in first place.
That’s enough for our team members. We have sponsors. We have players and sponsors.
So, I will not accept that offer.”
It’s time to move on.
Meeting the three directors of LTD again made it feel real.
The fact that I am standing in front of the door of this first part again.
With those last words, I left the LTD directors behind, dumbfounded and speechless.
***
“What did you say? Weren’t you the LTD directors?”
“That’s right. After you came in, all the players here kept talking about that.”
As soon as I went out, Kim Do-jun asked me a question.
Since it was an exclusive interview right after the game, everyone was focused on it, and since it was a team with the highest level of attention right now, and about to enter the international league, I was curious about what the three LTD managers and I talked about.
“What were the players outside talking about when they saw that?”
I became curious again.
How much of a gap is there between what is actually said and what is actually said?
“Well… … There were various stories, but there was even an absurd story that they were trying to recruit you from LTD.”
I was surprised because it was more accurate than I thought.
Was there a precedent like this in the past? Of course, I guess they expected LTD to flat out refuse to hire me, but the form was different.
‘Well, I guess it’s the same in the end since they’re just taking the best and running it at LTD.”
“LTD… … It’s definitely a prestigious team. If it was an offer from LTD, a first division team, and not a lower league team, I would have gone.”
Ryu Jae-jun interjected and said.
It seemed that he had not yet built up enough affection to remain loyal.
“If it’s LTD, money is money, but if you’re going to win next season too, you have to bow down and accept the offer.”
Even among the team members, Han Ji-soo, who was particularly realistic, seemed to think so without needing to say anything.
‘Well, even if you say that, Han Ji-soo. At first, he joined because they said he’d make a lot of money, and later when it came to renewing his contract, he wanted to stay, but he was afraid that they’d kick him out, so he said he’d follow the team rules.’
Anyway, he’s not a very honest guy.
“… … .”
Lee Yeon-ju didn’t say anything and just glanced at him.
It seems that he thought that if he received such an offer, he might just go ahead and do it.
I’m scared to ask.
‘Well, I think I would do the same thing if I were Lee Yeon-ju.’
I’m the one who gathered all of this. The director, the head coach, and the main order. I’m the center of the team.
If I, like you, give in to the LTD offer of money, fame, and the easiest way to win the next season, and go for PER, I’m afraid that the team will fall apart.
Of course I didn’t intend to do that.
If that were true, I wouldn’t have bothered to create my own team in the first place, and I wouldn’t have had to fight the difficult promotion battles.
All you have to do is accept an offer from a higher league and move to another team.
But strangely enough, I didn’t want to say it exactly as it was.
Everyone was cautious and couldn’t bring themselves to directly ask, “Chang-Hyeon, aren’t you changing teams?”
This situation was a little bit fun.
“It’s a recruitment offer… … I got a strange offer from LTD.”
“Huh?? What? Really?”
Kim Do-jun spoke so loudly that even people passing by could hear.
On the other hand, there were some who answered without a soul, perhaps because their thoughts were complicated.
“Oh really? That’s good.”
Although his words were very positive, Ryu Jae-jun had a puzzled expression on his face, perhaps because he had very complicated thoughts after seeing my play.
Suddenly, the mood turned sour, so I was going to say that there was such a story, but I didn’t agree to it…
“no!”
The one who showed the most extreme reaction was surprisingly Yoon Han-gyeol.
“Then I’ll have to change the fan cafe for PER Lee Chang-hyun that I created to LTD Player Lee Chang-hyun. Oh, is that okay? Anyway, we won’t be able to play together, and I won’t be able to coach him anymore. He has a lot to learn in the future, and if I drag him in and leave him like this, it’ll be like adopting a child and then sending him back to an orphanage… .”
Unlike usual, I was a little taken aback by the rapid-fire flow of words.
‘I never said I was going… … .’
And there’s something else that bothers me. A fan cafe for PER’s Lee Chang-hyun? You… … run something like that?
fantasy,
