Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 26

< 025. Entering the Off-Season >

Grandfather’s appearance was a complete surprise to Johann.

As a child, Johann saw his grandfather as more tiger than person.

He could whine to his dad, but he wouldn’t dare whine to his grandfather.

“You’ve grown so much since I last saw you. It feels like only yesterday you were a tiny little thing, and now you’re taller than your old grandpa.”

“Ha, haha…”

His grandfather always warned him to stay focused, saying that if he didn’t commit to something, he’d end up doing only things he didn’t want to do later in life.

He said the world was a tough place and that laziness was a recipe for disaster.

As a child, Johann was simply scared of his grandfather, not the scary world he described.

And that hasn’t changed, even now.

“Hmm. We’re here.”

“Where is this…?”

Arriving back home, his grandfather didn’t even change his clothes before dragging Johann out again.

He wondered if they were going to train right away,

But the place they arrived at by car wasn’t a training ground; it was some kind of factory.

“You’re going to make him work? Johann?”

“Yes.”

“What if he gets hurt?”

“He won’t get hurt doing that for a few hours.”

On the way from the airport, Ban Seok-ho was shocked when his father said he was taking Johann to the factory.

He was surprised that his father would have him work at the factory for a day instead of training.

He tried to stop him, worried Johann might get hurt,

But Ban Gil-ryung was firm.

“More than kicking a ball one more time, we need to teach Johann how enjoyable it is to play soccer.”

“Well… it’s not like I haven’t tried that.”

“All you’ve done is show him soccer and force him to have fun kicking the ball.”

“…”

“This is a more certain method. He’s sixteen now, so it’s time for him to experience how hard people in the world live. This is a problem we need to address before teaching him more soccer skills. If he had other dreams besides soccer, it wouldn’t be a problem, would it? But that’s not the case with him, is it?”

From the moment he boarded the plane to England, Ban Gil-ryung had no intention of coaching Johann in soccer.

Ban Gil-ryung had watched all four of Johann’s games.

He realized Johann already knew everything he could teach him, at least in terms of soccer.

However, if there was anything left to teach him,

It was how difficult life outside the soccer field could be.

There are no easy jobs in the world.

Ban Gil-ryung wanted to show him that,

So he brought Johann to the factory.

“Johann, let Grandpa ask you just one thing.”

“Yes.”

“What is Johann’s dream?”

At his grandfather’s question, Johann thought of Coach Schmidt.

He thought the two of them were a bit similar, but how could they ask the same question?

“It’s okay. Grandpa knows everything, so tell me honestly.”

“…To do nothing and just live comfortably.”

“Yes. Good. That’s a good goal. In fact, everyone in the world lives with that goal. But, Johann.”

“Yes.”

“Everyone in the world wants to live comfortably, but have you ever wondered why they work and live with such deadpan faces?”

“…”

I don’t know.

I’ve never thought about the reason.

But, I’ve seen a lot of those people.

No, everyone I’ve seen has been like that.

School friends. They said they didn’t want to study, but they did.

Team players? They said training was hard, but they trained.

When I think about it, everyone says they don’t want to do it, but they do.

What’s the reason?

“Because you have to work to live comfortably. Everyone lives doing things they don’t want to do in order to do what they want to do. You can’t live in the world only doing what you want to do.”

It’s hard to understand.

Ban Gil-ryung saw Johann’s puzzled expression and pushed him forward.

“Let’s go in.”

“…!”

That’s how the unexpected experience of life on the job site began.

*

“Hoo…”

“Is it hard?”

“I feel like I’m going to die…”

“A man shouldn’t be so dramatic. Sit up straight! This old man is fine; how can a young guy like you act like he’s dying?”

Factory work was tough.

Machines running non-stop, and people moving even faster than the machines.

Johann, who had squeezed into that gap, was looking for a way to escape this place within 5 minutes of starting work.

However,

His grandfather rolled up his sleeves and worked alongside him, so he had to give up.

Johann,

While working, for the first time in his life, he thought he would rather play soccer.

“Ban Johann.”

“…Yes.”

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? That people who want to live comfortably live doing things they don’t want to do.”

“Yes…”

“Have you thought about the reason why?”

“I don’t really know…”

“Money. It’s money.”

Johann’s expression deflates at Ban Gil-ryung’s words.

He thought he was going to tell him some grand truth about life, but it’s just money.

However,

That was actually the truth.

“These days, the world is selling the right to not do annoying things. If you don’t want to cook, you go to a restaurant and pay to eat. If you don’t want to do laundry? You can pay to have it done at the laundromat.”

“…”

“If you don’t have money, you live doing annoying things yourself, and if you have a lot of money, you don’t have to do annoying things.”

Ban Gil-ryung, who runs a social enterprise and helps people in need, knew that better than anyone.

If you don’t have money, you live hard.

“Johann.”

“Yes.”

“Right now, your parents are feeding you, housing you, and clothing you. But when you become an adult, that’s all gone. Your dad hasn’t received a penny of allowance since he was 17. You too, you have to find your own way to live.”

I had never thought about that.

What should I do if I have to live without my parents’ help when I become an adult?

Well.

Whatever it is, I’ll have to earn money and live on my own.

“Here. Take it.”

“What is this?”

“What else? It’s your daily wage. The price for working today.”

Johann receives the envelope from his grandfather.

Looking inside the envelope, there are a few bills. Counting them, there are a total of 40 pounds (approximately 50 US dollars).

He worked hard for 4 hours and earned 50 dollars.

Ban Gil-ryung chuckled as he saw Johann’s disappointed expression.

“It’s 10 pounds an hour. I heard they usually work 6 hours a day here. So, if you work 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, you’d earn 300 pounds. That’s 1200 pounds a month. That’s about 2 million won in Korean money [approximately 1,500 US dollars].”

Working your butt off to earn 1,500 dollars a month.

“Johann, how much are you getting paid for playing soccer right now?”

“My dad manages all the money, so I don’t really know.”

“Aha. You should have been developing a sense of economics since you were young, but these days parents are too overprotective. Tsk tsk. I heard from your dad that your weekly wage is 1200 pounds.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. That means you can earn the amount of money you’d earn working in this factory for a month by kicking a ball for a week.”

I didn’t know at all.

Johann had no interest in money.

Contracts with the club and such were also all annoying things. And since Dad said he would take care of everything, I left it all to him.

Until now, I’ve been receiving 1200 pounds a week.

I receive every week the money that I can earn by working in this factory for a month, 6 hours a day.

“But that’s not the problem. The ones who earn well make hundreds of millions of won [tens of thousands of US dollars] every week. The money you can’t save in your entire life no matter how hard you work in this factory, you can earn in a week just by kicking a ball.”

Ban Gil-ryung sighed openly.

“You didn’t like it when Grandpa told you to play soccer since you were young, did you?”

“…”

“Grandpa has lived for decades, and I realized: if you have the ability, there’s nothing easier than kicking a ball and making money. Our Johann has that ability, so that’s why Grandpa did that.”

Ban Gil-ryung strokes Johann’s head.

“Think about it carefully. Are you going to play soccer moderately, retire around the age of 30, and live the rest of your life doing nothing and eating? Or are you going to work for the rest of your life until you become an old man?”

“…!”

“I’m not forcing you to play soccer. I’m not forcing you to like soccer either. It’s just a matter of you choosing.”

A day at the factory was like hell.

It’s an experience I don’t want to have again.

However, even if you work like that, you can’t earn enough money to live and eat for the rest of your life.

No, you can barely make a living if you work your whole life.

But, if you play soccer.

You can earn money that you can live on for the rest of your life.

That means you can buy the right to not do annoying things for the rest of your life.

Johann,

Suddenly, he thought that living as a soccer player wouldn’t be so bad.

ㆍㆍㆍ

June 28, 2027.

Two weeks before pre-season training.

“It’s going smoothly.”

Coach Schmidt nodded in satisfaction as he reviewed the progress he had received from the club.

The transfer negotiations were progressing smoothly.

Initially, Coach Schmidt’s top priority was four players.

All of them have responded positively.

If the specific details are agreed upon, they will be able to announce the official announcement next week and join the pre-season training.

The schedule for the practice matches to be played during the pre-season has also been confirmed.

Starting with the game against Cardiff City on July 17th,

Fulham on July 26th, Wolverhampton on August 4th.

After playing those 3 practice matches,

August 15th.

The 2027/28 season begins.

Accordingly, the pre-season training schedule has also been finalized.

Also, down to the detailed training sessions.

What tactics to focus on training for the next season.

What training to focus on for the players for that.

Coach Schmidt put his head together with the coaching staff and meticulously created sessions for each individual player included in the squad.

If the players faithfully follow those training sessions, he had no doubt that they would be able to show a much better performance next season than last season.

The month during the off-season, which was busier than during the season, was almost coming to an end.

Everything was going smoothly, and the next season was promising.

However, there was still one important thing left.

As important as negotiating with new players, or even more important.

Meetings with existing players remain.

And,

Among them, what Coach Schmidt is most concerned about is Johann.

‘Should I recruit that personal trainer first…’

He continued to receive news about Johann through Ban Seok-ho.

First of all, the surprising thing was that he had been consistently doing personal training.

At most once or twice a week.

He said that all he does is a few shooting practices.

But where is that?

I don’t know the details, but he said that he seems to have some will to play soccer.

Also,

He said that there is another change in Johann.

Surprisingly, Johann’s dream has changed.

No, to be exact, a few lines have been added to the front.

‘The original dream was…’

The dream that Johann revealed was to do nothing and live comfortably.

But,

The current changed dream is to make a lot of money and live comfortably doing nothing for the rest of my life.

‘That’s a good thing.’

It was a good thing that Johann had a goal-like goal.

And if that’s money, it’s even more welcome.

Because money was something the club could provide as much as possible.

“Looking at it this way, there are a lot of options.”

“The more options there are, the more actively he will run without settling for the basic salary.”

West Ham’s general manager, Jordan McCarthy, club owner Raheem McManaman, and coach Schmidt are talking about a contract.

This contract was the contract to be presented to Johann.

Usually, when signing a contract, players are often given options in addition to their basic salary.

For example, giving additional allowance if they score 10 or more goals in a season.

There were many such options in the new contract to be offered to Johann.

Incentives based on game appearances and playing time, incentives based on goals and assists above a certain standard, etc.

How much, if you add up all the option allowances, it’s almost similar to the basic salary.

“But, in addition to this, he may additionally request options. It might be a bit absurd…”

“Absurd options?”

“For example, there is an option that has already been verbally agreed upon. He said that if he records an offensive point in the game, he will be excused from training by that number.”

“What? Hahaha!”

General Manager McCarthy and club owner McManaman burst into laughter at Coach Schmidt’s words.

Exemption from training.

It definitely feels like he’s a young kid who hasn’t even been a pro for two months.

“No, instead of tempting him with such petty things. How about this.”

Club owner McManaman, who had been laughing for a while, said.

“For example, if he clears these options by more than 70 percent at the same time.”

“At the same time?”

“If he leads our team to victory.”

“If he leads us to victory?”

“Yes. If he leads West Ham to their first league title in history…”

Club owner McManaman offered quite a drastic condition.