A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 274

68. A Cup of Warm Cocoa (6)

The initial plan was for a month.

Working in the parking lot, that is.

-Hmm…….

John Rahma’s image within the team was so poor that it seemed an unavoidable choice.

He’s a good person. Kind, generous, and polite. He even willingly provides a ’24-hour chance’ for employees who have worked hard.

However, the fact remained that he didn’t really do anything within the team. The fact that he abandoned even assigned work to go catch alligators.

Having lived like that for quite some time, the team members reacted strangely.

At first glance, they created a ‘haha hoho’ friendly atmosphere, but upon closer inspection, they avoided getting involved in work at all costs.

-Ah, really? I appreciate you saying you’ll help with our work, but…….

-Haha, thank you for your concern! But right now, there’s nothing in particular I need to ask of you. Yes, I’ll definitely contact you next time!

Since the external audit recommended the abolition of the future strategy planning division, it was a natural reaction.

Anyway, so it was a month.

If he worked diligently in the parking lot for about a month, wouldn’t people’s perception of John Rahma change?

Wouldn’t he be able to gain recognition from Gregory Campbell of the stadium operations division and promote the next plan based on this?

That was what Jisub had originally intended, but-

Thanks to [Sunshine City Parking Management Service]’s negligence in system maintenance.

Thanks to the manager, who was pressured by the president, hesitating and failing to make a decision in time.

Jisub was facing Gregory Campbell’s pleased smile much sooner than he had anticipated.

“Please, have a seat! Oh, you must have suffered a lot in this rain!”

Along with a cup of cocoa that warmed his shivering body.

“I’m just so grateful.”

While Jisub took a sip of cocoa, Gregory Campbell repeatedly said, “Oh, God,” expressing his gratitude.

“If you two hadn’t shut down the parking lot system, a big accident would have happened. For a moment, I was sweating bullets…….”

“Haha, don’t mention it! We just did what we had to do.”

Since Jisub was quietly sipping his cocoa, it was John Rahma’s turn to puff out his chest and boast.

“It’s a ridiculous story, isn’t it? Making fans who came through this torrential rain wait endlessly for just a few parking fees! That’s really…….”

Suddenly at a loss for words, John Rahma stared blankly at the ceiling.

When Jisub quietly prompted ‘courtesy’ from the side, he snapped his fingers, saying, “Ah, that’s right!”

“That’s right, courtesy! It’s not courtesy to the fans who came all the way here!”

John Rahma puffed out hot air with a triumphant expression.

“So we took a firm stance. Shut down the system immediately! Raise the barriers! I, John Rahma Taylor, will take all the responsibility!!”

John Rahma clenched his fist and pounded his chest.

At his imposing appearance, Gregory Campbell nodded greatly in agreement.

“Excellent, Mr. Taylor! You made a truly excellent decision!”

Gregory Campbell gave him a thumbs up.

“This matter will be reported to the director of our stadium operations division, including [Sunshine]’s lax behavior, as well as your firm response.”

“Re, really?!”

John Rahma’s mouth was agape with joy at the news that it would be reported to the head of the division.

The next moment, John Rahma, who had been so happy, looked back at Jisub with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“Of course, our director will have a separate reward, but I would also like to personally express my gratitude to you two… Is there anything you need my help with?”

That’s what Gregory Campbell had said.

“He, help?”

John Rahma Taylor, who hadn’t thought this far, blinked his eyes.

Of course, the ‘Assistant Director’ sitting next to him seemed to have an answer ready for this.

“Actually, there was something I wanted to ask Campbell about.”

He put down the half-finished cocoa mug and said.

“Could you please promote our future strategy planning division to your fellow employees?”

* * *

That night, the opening game at Tropicana Field ended in a loss for the home team, the Tampa Bay Rays.

The starting pitcher collapsed with 6 runs in 3 innings, and they handed the victory to the opponent without even having a chance to do anything.

-Ah, Victor Johnson Jr.’s absence is really painful. If he had firmly held his position, we wouldn’t have lost so futilely!

-In the end, it seems that sending out too many starting pitchers last season was a mistake. Isn’t it a problem situation in the first place that we’re only looking at Victor Johnson?

The local radio station in St. Petersburg was full of voices criticizing the team’s actions.

However, in Jisub’s car, who was leaving work while listening to the radio, John Rahma’s humming filled the space.

“Oh, happy day! Hmm, hmm hmm~ Oh, happy day week! Hmm, hmm hmm~”

The team suffered a terrible defeat from the opening game, but the owner’s son was humming happily.

Jisub, who had been silently driving for a while, couldn’t help but say something.

“Hey, Rahma! ‘Oh Happy Day’ on a day like today is honestly crossing the line, isn’t it?”

“Huh? What is?”

“The team is in shambles; singing that song in this situation is a bit much.”

“Yeet?! Did we lose? Did we lose?”

Only then did John Rahma take out his cell phone and make a fuss about checking the score.

After checking the final score of the day on his phone, he coughed awkwardly.

“So, sorry, Kim.”

He bowed his head slightly.

“I was feeling so good today… I forgot to check the game results.”

“You got praised by Campbell?”

‘He’s really weak to praise,’ Jisub thought.

But unexpectedly, John Rahma lightly shook his head.

“No, that was definitely a good thing, but…….”

John Rahma’s lips curled up.

“Peter, was it? When I shouted ‘I’ll take all the responsibility!’ in front of that parking management employee… that was really great.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah, it’s almost the first time I’ve done that since elementary school? Shouting loudly in front of others.”

John Rahma stretched out with a refreshed expression.

Jisub, who checked his expression out of the corner of his eye, couldn’t help but smile bitterly inside.

‘Geez, when did you ever claim to have lived your life pointing out other people’s mistakes…….’

Considering John Rahma’s personality, it wasn’t unreasonable.

Would such a flexible personality have shouted loudly in front of others? He would have just kept it to himself.

If that’s the case, he thought that today’s experience would be quite special, but Jisub didn’t forget to give him timely advice.

“No matter how busy you are, you must check the game results. Isn’t that where the front office’s work begins?”

“Ah, yep, I’ll keep that in mind.”

John Rahma, who was nodding firmly, soon changed his expression and asked Jisub.

“But, Kim.”

“Yes.”

“What did you say to Campbell earlier……?”

“Campbell?”

“Yes, you said earlier, to tell your colleagues about the future strategy planning division.”

To be exact, he had said, ‘Please promote it’.

He will do his best to help with anything, so please feel free to contact him at any time.

In the early part of the season, there will always be one or two people short of hands, so in that case, please contact the future strategy planning division.

John Rahma seemed to find Jisub’s request a bit strange.

“No department wants to entrust work to our future strategy planning division… Didn’t you say that yesterday? That’s why we have to work in the parking lot.”

“Yes, I said that.”

Jisub nodded.

“But why did you say that earlier? I don’t think the situation has changed much in just one day…….”

“It has changed. It has changed a lot.”

There was a red light right in front of him.

Jisub stepped on the brake and continued.

“Rahma, did you know? Gregory Campbell has been working here at the Tampa Bay Rays for nearly 20 years.”

“Really? 20 years?”

John Rahma looked quite surprised.

“Wow, 20 years with our team is really amazing, isn’t it? Not many executives have been working for that long.”

The Tampa Bay Rays was an organization where all members were looking for a job change whenever they had a chance.

What does a person who has been working silently for nearly 20 years in such a place mean?

“Unlike other people, everyone will listen to Gregory Campbell’s recommendation because he has been working for a long time and has a lot of influence.”

Jisub continued.

“Of course, given our image so far, not everyone who receives a recommendation will contact us. But isn’t it the opening season now? Troubles and unexpected problems happen all the time… Then wouldn’t one or two departments think of us? The name of our future strategy planning division.”

“Th, then…….”

John Rahma tilted his head.

“From the beginning, did you ask Gregory Campbell for work with that in mind? If you get Campbell’s recognition, it will be possible to get work from other departments?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Jisub nodded and stepped on the accelerator of the car.

“Hehe, to be honest, I didn’t expect to meet Campbell so quickly.”

Jisub was concentrating on driving with a calm look, but John Rahma was just looking at Jisub with a curious look.

‘No, how did he know that?’

The fact that Gregory Campbell’s length of service was approaching 20 years.

The fact that he has a lot of popularity among the team members.

How could this person, who had been in and out of the team’s office like his own home since he was a child, know everything from the beginning?

“Kim, then…….”

Was he interested?

John Rahma opened his mouth again.

“What’s the plan for the future? If, as Kim said, there is a request for support from another department… What happens after that?”

“Well, what’s there? We work hard on the work that comes in.”

It was a slightly disappointing answer for John Rahma, but fortunately, there was more to it.

“The primary goal is to improve the reputation of the future strategy planning division by achieving our own results for each incoming project, to make everyone at the Tampa Bay Rays talk about us.”

“That’s the primary goal? Then is there a secondary goal?”

“Yes, if we only take on small tasks, there won’t be much development, so the secondary goal is to solve one thing that will help the team.”

Rescuing a player in a slump or mediating conflicts between coaching staff.

Jisub continued, recalling his KH Cannons days.

“If things go well, I think we can clear the third goal within this month.”

“Third? Is there a third goal?”

“Yes, while greeting the team members… there was one person I really wanted to meet.”

At John Rahma’s question, a meaningful smile appeared on Jisub’s lips.

“Rahma, don’t you know him well?”

Brian Span.

Jisub continued.

“I’m talking about the president of our Tampa Bay Rays.”