A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 13

5. Let’s Work Together (1)

It was Chairman Joo Young-eun of KH Group.

The one who summoned Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo.

“We just finished talking a little while ago.”

It was past 9 PM.

Chairman’s office at KH Group headquarters.

After the usual greetings, Chairman Joo Young-eun spoke first.

“Chief Director Choi Jong-gyu will be going to Youngsan High School as the chairman of the board. President Jo Sang-ik will be going to the Geumhwa History Foundation… No, it’s better if I just show you this.”

Chairman Joo Young-eun slid a piece of A4 paper across the table.

Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo smiled wryly as he took the paper.

‘Everyone… is leaving like this.’

The paper was filled with names that Vice Chairman Park was familiar with.

The people who had built KH Group together with the late Chairman Joo Tae-san.

They were now retiring from the front lines of management and effectively entering retirement.

The vacancies they left would be filled with new faces selected by Chairman Joo Young-eun.

“…….”

He had always known that this day would come, but now that it was a reality, he felt bitter and empty.

Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo silently scanned the destinations of his former colleagues, his lips tightly shut.

Then, Vice Chairman Park’s ear caught a ‘tap, tap’ sound from somewhere.

“Huh?”

Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo raised his head.

It was at this moment that words he didn’t expect to say came out of his mouth.

“Young-eun!!!”

Not ‘Chairman’.

“Are you biting your nails again? How many times has your uncle told you that it’ll bring bad luck…?”

Chairman Joo Young-eun, who had her thumb in her mouth, blinked.

She seemed a little embarrassed, but the person who was really embarrassed at this moment was Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo.

‘Oh, no…’

It was an old habit that had popped out at an unexpected moment.

Back when Vice Chairman Park was a young man in his 30s, and Chairman Joo Young-eun was just a little girl entering school.

Vice Chairman Park used to scold young Joo Young-eun, who kept biting her nails, saying that it would bring bad luck.

But that was a long time ago.

“Ch, Chairman, th, that is…”

Scolding the chairman of a large corporation, who was old enough to know better, for ‘biting her nails’.

Vice Chairman Park scratched the back of his neck with a troubled expression, but a strange smile was already forming on Chairman Joo Young-eun’s face.

“To the Vice Chairman…”

Chairman Joo Young-eun changed her title.

“Am I still a child to my uncle?”

“Wh, what are you talking about.”

Perhaps it was because of the title ‘uncle’, or perhaps it was because he was too embarrassed.

Vice Chairman Park was lowering his voice without realizing it.

“I swear that’s not it. I told your father many times when he was alive. That you, Young-eun, were a prodigy. That you would lead KH Group well.”

After saying this, Vice Chairman Park felt a pang in his heart.

“The reason I haven’t stepped down until now, even though I knew that…”

“I know.”

Chairman Joo Young-eun cut him off.

“It must have been because of your promise to my father.”

Top 10 in the business world.

It was at this moment that Chairman Joo Young-eun’s tone became a little dry.

“But let me make it clear here. I have no intention of entrusting KH Group’s entry into the top 10 to my uncle.”

“…….”

Vice Chairman Park’s eyes wavered.

“Is it because of the situation in Russia? I’ve said it several times, but if it’s about the risks there, I…”

“The Russian line issue is also a factor. But that’s not all.”

Chairman Joo Young-eun continued in a more resolute tone than ever before.

“That’s my role, Uncle.”

“Your… role?”

“To be in the top 10 in the business world, to go to the Blue House [South Korean equivalent of the White House] and get a meal from the President… Do you think I only made that promise with my uncle?”

Chairman Joo looked at Vice Chairman Park.

“That’s an important promise to me too. A promise I want to achieve solely with my own strength, a promise I don’t want to give to anyone else. Even if it means…”

Chairman Joo’s gaze turned to her thumb.

“Even if it means feuding forever with the only person who can tell me not to bite my nails…”

“…….”

Although he didn’t show it, Vice Chairman Park was inwardly surprised at this moment.

It wasn’t that he was surprised by Chairman Joo Young-eun’s resolute appearance.

She was the one who had turned all the KH Group executives to her side. It would be ridiculous to be surprised by something like that.

What surprised Vice Chairman Park at this moment was that he was accepting this situation so comfortably.

‘I guess I can finally… let go a little now.’

The promise with the late Chairman Joo Tae-san.

It had been the driving force that had moved Park Hong-joo until now, but it was also a huge burden.

But now that there was someone to take his place, he thought he could step down with peace of mind.

It was only at this moment that Vice Chairman Park began to think about ‘retirement’, but Chairman Joo Young-eun’s thoughts seemed to be a little different.

“Please accept this.”

Chairman Joo Young-eun took out a small pouch from her desk drawer and handed it over.

Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo’s face was filled with questions as he received the pouch.

“What is this…?”

“Open it.”

Chairman Joo Young-eun said.

“It’s something my father never let go of until the moment he passed away.”

“Your father?”

Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo tilted his head and opened the pouch.

A moment later, a golden ring came into his view.

But the shape was somehow familiar.

“Wait a minute, this is…”

“That’s right.”

Chairman Joo Young-eun nodded.

“The symbol of my father’s over-excitement.”

Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo couldn’t help but laugh at Chairman Joo’s words.

“Yeah, he was really over the top.”

The ring was a sample of the ‘KH Cannons Championship Ring’ that was made in 1996 under the direction of the late Chairman Joo Tae-san.

At the time, the KH Cannons had advanced to the fall baseball season for the first time since its founding.

Chairman Joo Tae-san, who was very excited about this fact, had ordered the production of the championship ring even before the playoffs had begun.

Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo tried to dissuade him, saying, ‘It’s too early’ and ‘We can make the ring after we win’, but Chairman Joo Tae-san insisted on making it, saying, ‘I can smell victory’.

Of course, before this ring even arrived to Chairman Joo Tae-san, the KH Cannons had suffered the bitterness of defeat.

“I teased him so much about being ‘a symbol of over-excitement’ that I thought he had thrown it away a long time ago… So he had been keeping it all this time?”

Chairman Joo Young-eun gave a bitter smile at Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo’s question.

“I thought so too… But one day, when I went to the hospital room, he was holding it in his hand.”

She said there were no special words.

There was no request to pay attention to the baseball team, and there was no request to win the championship someday.

He was just holding this ring in his hand, staring blankly out the window.

“Actually… that’s why I was going to keep it a secret until the end. That my father had a lot of attachment to the baseball team.”

It was Chairman Joo Young-eun’s confession.

“The baseball team doesn’t help with the group’s operations, and it just makes us get unnecessary criticism… Above all, I wasn’t confident that I could take care of the baseball team as diligently as my father did, so I was planning to sell it off at the right time.”

“But?”

Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo said, raising the ring.

“Why are you showing this to me now?”

“Because I found someone to take care of the baseball team in my father’s place.”

Chairman Joo Young-eun smiled slightly.

“I thought our Vice Chairman was about to retire and rest… But after seeing you today, you look like you’re in great shape?”

“…….”

“It was clearly an ordinary infield ground ball, but you were gritting your teeth and running to get a safe call… Watching that, I made up my mind.”

“So what you’re saying is…”

“Yes.”

Chairman Joo Young-eun nodded.

“Please take care of the baseball team, Uncle.”

And if possible.

“That wish that my father had in his heart but never said out loud… I hope you can fulfill it for me.”

“Your father’s last wish…”

Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo stared blankly at the ring placed on his palm.

It was right after that that he clenched the ring in his hand.

* * *

Three days later.

Jisup, who had returned to [Superstar Baseball], was sitting in front of the counseling room computer.

“Hmm…”

Jisup was staring at the computer monitor screen with a serious expression.

After a long time of deliberation, he clicked the mouse button, and a booing sound flowed out through the speakers.

[YOU LOSE! TRY AGAIN!]

A message announcing Jisup’s defeat.

As Jisup groaned and tore at his hair after confirming the message, CEO Oh Soo-man, who was sitting next to him sipping mixed coffee, opened his mouth.

“Jisup.”

“Yes?”

“Why don’t you just play another game?”

CEO Oh Soo-man smiled bitterly.

“I’ve been watching you since earlier… Hehe, I think you’re the worst internet poker player I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“…….”

“Isn’t gaming just for fun anyway? Why are you tearing at your hair while doing it? There are many other fun things to do.”

CEO Oh Soo-man probably didn’t mean anything by it, but his words were like thorns, pricking Jisup’s heart.

The internet poker game that Jisup was playing right now was not just a simple pastime.

‘To participate in the professional poker league next year, I need to achieve at least platinum rank on this site…’

It was an unexpected obstacle.

Because Jisup had a record of winning every time he played poker with his teammates during his time in the American Independent League.

Of course, it was also thanks to his ability to read the other person’s mind, but he basically thought he had a decent talent for playing poker.

There were too many experts on the internet poker site, and Jisup’s level was only falling further and further behind as he participated in the games.

‘Damn it, this is going to be a problem…’

Of course, there were also rumors that there was a special program in the United States that trains professional poker players.

However, there were also stories that it would cost thousands of dollars just to participate in that program.

At this rate, he had no idea how much initial investment would be required, or how much time it would take to become a professional poker player.

‘Ah, I’m going crazy. Really…’

Cracks were beginning to appear in the plan that he thought was perfect.

Just as he was racking his brains to somehow prevent those cracks,

Brrr- Brrr- Brrrrr-

A phone call came to Jisup’s cell phone, which was placed on the computer desk.

“Hmm?”

Jisup tilted his head as he picked up his phone and checked the caller.

It was someone he didn’t expect to call.