A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 268

67. My Precious Baby (5)

The next day, afternoon.

John Llama Taylor was at his family home on the outskirts of St. Petersburg.

He was there to report on the completion of the special mission assigned by his father, team owner Jeffrey Taylor: selling 50 season tickets.

“This is… amazing.”

Jeffrey Taylor’s chief of staff, Hendrick Morton.

The middle-aged man, whom John Llama called “Uncle Hendrick,” exclaimed as he reviewed the season ticket contracts.

“Exactly 52 tickets… It’s impressive that you exceeded the chairman’s goal, but it’s truly amazing that you achieved this result in just four days.”

“Excellent, Mr. Taylor.”

“I believed in you, Mr. Taylor.”

Hendrick showered him with lavish praise, but John Llama simply shook his head.

“No, Uncle. The one who’s amazing isn’t me, but Kim here.”

John Llama pointed to Ji-seop.

“Kim did all the work! I just drove him around. Even people who were dead set against buying season tickets would change their minds after just a few words from Kim… Wow! I regret not recording it. If I had, you would have seen how amazing Kim is!”

“Haha, is that so?”

Hendrick turned to Ji-seop and nodded lightly.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, Mr. Taylor and I have been relieved of a great deal of worry.”

“It’s nothing, don’t mention it.”

Ji-seop waved his hand.

“I didn’t do it alone. Some season ticket buyers opened their wallets simply because they wanted to help Mr. Taylor.”

“Hey, Kim! That was just Harrison! Only four out of 52 tickets…”

The two continued to talk.

Hendrick Morton put an end to the situation.

“Alright, alright. At least it’s clear that the two of you have been working well together.”

With that, he tucked the contract file submitted by John Llama under his arm.

“Mr. Taylor, shall we go report now? The chairman has been waiting since earlier.”

Hendrick’s gaze turned to Ji-seop.

“Mr. Kim? Would you mind waiting here for a moment? As a rule, the chairman’s study is off-limits to anyone other than family members…”

“Ah, I see.”

As Ji-seop took a step back, John Llama quickly interjected.

“I’m sorry, Kim. My father can be a bit picky.”

It seemed to mean that it was something he couldn’t help.

“Just trust me! I’ll make sure to emphasize how amazing Kim is to my father!”

John Llama clenched his fists at Ji-seop, then followed Hendrick up the stairs.

A moment later, when they reached the hallway leading to the study.

“John.”

Hendrick Morton, who had been treating him formally as “Mr. Taylor” in front of others, now called John Llama by his name in a friendly tone as soon as Ji-seop was out of sight.

This was possible because Hendrick was an old friend of the team owner.

“Yes, Uncle.”

John Llama didn’t seem unfamiliar with the situation.

“What’s wrong?”

“Before you go to see your father, can you promise me one thing?”

“A promise?”

John Llama blinked.

“What’s with the sudden…”

The next moment, a shadow fell over his otherwise carefree face.

“Was it Kim? The Asian man you brought… Don’t mention him in front of your father.”

“Do you understand? Let’s report to your father that you did everything from start to finish in selling the season tickets.”

* * *

John Llama stopped walking.

“What do you mean by that?”

He looked unconvinced.

“Don’t mention Kim… Are you telling me to lie to my father?”

“I’m not saying this for my own benefit. I’m saying it for your father’s sake, and for yours.”

“I can’t do that for anyone’s sake. I hate lying.”

John Llama took a firm stance, but all that came back was a deflating sound from Uncle Hendrick.

“Kid, you’re kidding me. You’ve been lying about selling season tickets with your own power all this time.”

“Th, that’s…”

John Llama couldn’t speak properly, having been hit where it hurt.

Hendrick put his arm around John Llama’s shoulder.

“Your father is very happy.”

He continued.

“He was happy when you asked for a car, but he’s even happier now. He said he knew you could do it, that you’re a guy who can get things done… He’s been calling the directors since this morning.”

“To a father who is so happy, to a father who is so pleased, there’s no need to reveal the truth and disappoint him.”

Hendrick Morton seemed to want to say that.

“You know it too. Your father hasn’t had much to smile about lately. The team’s performance is sluggish, the number of spectators keeps decreasing, and the construction of the new stadium keeps being delayed…”

Hendrick sighed briefly.

“At times like this, shouldn’t you at least make your father happy? You can compensate that friend Kim later. Besides, strictly speaking…”

It was at this moment that a slightly unexpected story came out of Hendrick Morton’s mouth.

“You could have achieved the goal of selling 50 season tickets without his help.”

“……Excuse me?”

John Llama asked again.

“What are you talking about?”

* * *

John Llama learned the meaning of the story that he could have sold 50 season tickets without Ji-seop’s help immediately after meeting his father and finishing the report.

“Oh, is that right? Our Llama sold 52 season tickets? In just four days! Hahaha!”

Jeffrey Taylor, the team owner, threw his head back and laughed as he checked the contract.

After enjoying it for a while, he handed the contract to Hendrick Morton and said one word.

“Hendrick, so what does that make it?”

The team owner moved his fingers, looking at the ceiling as if trying to remember.

“This season, our John sold 99 season tickets, right?”

“That’s right. That’s what it is.”

As Hendrick nodded, the team owner hit his knee as if he regretted it.

“Oh, you!”

The father looked at his only son with loving eyes.

“Why didn’t you sell just one more? Then you could have filled exactly 100 tickets.”

“Excuse me?”

John Llama tilted his head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. The contract I brought was clearly for 52 season tickets…”

“That’s right, what you brought today is 52 tickets.”

Jeffrey Taylor smiled.

“But there were more contracts that arrived in your name before that.”

“Excuse me?”

“What’s the point of saying more? Come and check it out. If you see the signature, you’ll know who it is.”

John Llama hesitated and reached out to take the contract his father handed him.

When he checked the name on the contract, John Llama’s eyes widened.

“Mr. David Merrifield for two tickets, Benjamin Oznovich for four tickets, Patrick Shulser for one ticket? Th, then this is…”

They were John Llama’s acquaintances.

There were names of colleagues who went around hunting alligators with him, and names of people who helped them.

There were also employees who moved to other teams after receiving a ’24-hour bonus’ from John Llama, and a Major League player who extended his active career thanks to his arrangement.

Everyone bought Tampa Bay Rays season tickets for John Llama Taylor, who was known as a pushover in the industry.

The number of season tickets sold in that way was 47.

“Your popularity is no joke, huh?”

Jeffrey Taylor said.

“The person in charge was so surprised that it was a mess. Suddenly, season ticket contracts flew in your name.”

“I, I see…”

John Llama was staring at the contract with a rather moved expression.

John Llama knows his personality. A soft personality with no substance to use as medicine [unable to be helped].

He thought everyone was trying to take advantage of him, but there were people who reached out to him like this.

But almost at the same time, a question arose in his head.

“How did this happen?”

John Llama scratched the back of his head.

“It’s not like my father asked me to sell season tickets for a day or two, so why is everyone like this only this time…”

There was no such help before.

Most people didn’t answer the phone, and even if they did, they gave a lukewarm response.

In the end, he had no choice but to buy season tickets with his own money.

But why was it different this time?

Jeffrey Taylor smiled as he saw his son’s reaction.

“Oh, you! Don’t you know that?”

The team owner said.

“The rumor has spread.”

“A rumor?”

“Think about your actions so far. Huh? You don’t use your brain, and then you get caught by bad guys and get backstabbed… You can’t help someone like that even if you want to.”

Gulp.

John Llama swallowed hard.

“But it was different this time, wasn’t it? Of course, I got mad at you, but after that, you got it right. You took care of the necessary equipment first, and then you went after the easiest customers one by one…”

The rumor spread.

The Tampa Bay team owner’s incompetent son finally came to his senses.

He’s driving around in a car and selling season tickets to customers.

Even acquaintances who had been watching silently heard the rumor and willingly lent a helping hand.

Jeffrey Taylor, who had said this far, leaned toward his son.

“Okay, let me ask you one thing while I’m at it.”

“Yes?”

“What’s with the sudden change of heart?”

The team owner seemed puzzled.

“It was only a few days ago that you were caught buying season tickets with your own money. But in those few days, you’ve changed so much… What was the occasion?”

“Ah, th, that?”

At that moment, what came into John Llama’s view was ‘Uncle Hendrick’s’ earnest expression.

No, it would be more appropriate to say it was a lip shape rather than an expression.

Standing behind his father, team owner Jeffrey Taylor, he was mouthing something toward John Llama.

‘Fi-fty-one! Fi-fty-one!’

John Llama could easily understand what that meant.

47 season tickets purchased by acquaintances, and 4 season tickets received from Mr. Harrison. A total of 51 tickets.

The story that this mission could have been achieved without Ji-seop’s help. So, don’t mention Ji-seop’s existence to his father.

“…….”

To be honest, John Llama was a little moved at this time.

It had been a long time since he had heard his father’s praise.

He couldn’t even remember when he last heard his father’s praise.

If he closed his eyes and followed Uncle Hendrick’s advice, he could hear that rewarding praise a little more.

Even if he caused another accident in the future, he might be able to get through it with this.

‘B, but…’

John Llama turned his gaze away from Hendrick.

He was clearly grateful to the Asian man who had worked hard to help him.

It was also because he couldn’t easily abandon someone who had been a source of strength in difficult times.

But there was another reason that was a little more decisive.

‘I want to hear praise next time, too.’

He wanted to feel the feeling of standing proudly in front of his father once again.

He wanted to receive the unwavering trust and support of his acquaintances once again.

By accumulating praise little by little, he wanted to hear the words ‘a man worthy of inheriting Tampa Bay’ someday.

If so,

To do that,

What should I do now?

“……Father.”

John Llama made up his mind.

He called out to the team owner.

“There is someone I would like you to meet.”