Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 206

206> How to Be Good at Baseball (5)

I met with the three parents again, along with Jung In-gyu.

I carefully began to speak.

“Have your children received the injection you mentioned last time, even once?”

“Not yet. We’re planning to get it soon…”

“Then, could you tell me more about that injection?”

Everyone hesitated for a moment. Then, the parent sitting in the middle spoke with a worried expression.

“…Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know for sure yet. I contacted you to find out for sure.”

“What are you curious about?”

“About how many players in that academy have received the injection?”

“As far as I know, almost everyone gets it. You can’t receive training if you don’t get it.”

So, it’s practically mandatory.

“What does the academy say about the injection?”

“They said it’s like a common supplement. But since it’s an injection, the effects will be much better than taking something orally.”

“Were there any cases where people actually saw results after getting it?”

“Of course. There’s a pitcher at the academy who increased his velocity by 10 km/h [approximately 6.2 mph] in just a few weeks. You were a baseball player, so you know how big of a number 10 km/h is for a pitcher, especially in just a few weeks.”

A 10 km/h increase in velocity.

I thought it was just nonsense, but it was actually happening somewhere…

It was a reality I didn’t want to believe.

I turned to look at Jung In-gyu’s expression, and it seemed like he was feeling the same way I was.

“Do you really think that’s possible?”

“There’s actually a kid like that among my teammates. How can I not believe it when there’s a player right in front of me who has seen such results?”

“Didn’t they say there could be problems?”

“They said there wouldn’t be any problems. They also said it wouldn’t be considered doping.”

“But how can such an injection not be considered doping?”

“The academy said it’s impossible to get caught… Would they really lie about that?”

From the expressions of the three, I could feel their inner thoughts, wondering if that could really be the case.

Sigh… Frustration washed over me.

How can they believe that’s possible?

“Did you check the ingredients?”

“The ingredients?”

“Athletes have to be careful even when taking a cold medicine. Even everyday medications can contain banned substances. But it doesn’t make sense to get an injection without finding out what’s in it.”

“Well, everyone else around us is getting it… Wouldn’t it be okay?”

“What if that injection contains ingredients that could cause problems for your children’s future as players?”

“…”

The parents’ expressions darkened instantly when the topic of their children came up.

“Didn’t you feel uneasy at all?”

I asked, looking at the mother who had this information in her information window: -!@x$ Is it right to get this injection? I’m worried.

Based on the information window’s content that she was worried, it seemed like she already knew it was a banned substance.

“Of course, I was uneasy. They charge too much, so it seems like a scam.”

“The cost…?”

She was uneasy not because it seemed like a banned substance, but because it seemed like a scam?

“The cost itself is expensive, and they tell us to get it multiple times. I wondered if it was the right thing to do.”

“Then you could just go to another academy, right?”

“That’s true, but… it’s better to get training at a place where the effects are good, even if it costs a little more. The draft is coming up soon, so it’s better to support them until then, even if it’s financially difficult. If they don’t get drafted and go to college, we’ll have to support them for several more years. It’s similar if we just pay it all now.”

Yeah, from a parent’s perspective, they’d want to do anything for their children if it’s good for them.

“I went to the academy you mentioned and talked to the representative, and there are definitely suspicious aspects.”

“…”

At my words, the three mothers stopped all their actions almost simultaneously.

“Of course, nothing has been confirmed yet. But in my opinion, it’s definitely not a normal situation.”

“What makes you say that…?”

“It seems likely that the injection they’re offering contains banned substances. There’s no other way to explain the current situation.”

“B, banned… substances?”

The three mothers were so surprised that they even stuttered.

“As I said, it’s not 100% certain yet. I’m just making a guess. But the truth is that there’s a very high possibility that my guess is correct.”

“Th, then what should we do now?”

“I’m going to formally request an investigation. It would be a great help if you could tell me exactly what you’ve experienced.”

The word ‘investigation’ brought a sense of tension to their faces.

The three looked at each other and hesitated.

Then, the mother on the left carefully spoke.

“Would it be okay if we thought about it a little?”

“Is there any reason why?”

Is there a reason to hesitate?

It seems like the three players haven’t taken the drug yet, so there shouldn’t be any burden.

“My son will have to live as a baseball player in the future, so I wonder if we really have to step forward and report it… We might receive disadvantages.”

The mother sitting in the middle said with a worried expression.

Then, the other two mothers nodded in agreement.

“You’re not reporting to the baseball world. It’s just the director of a baseball academy. You won’t receive any disadvantages.”

“But I heard that person knows the president of the professional baseball league.”

“Lee Han-seung knows the president?”

She probably meant that they were close, not just acquaintances, right?

But I couldn’t even guess what kind of relationship they had.

As far as I knew, they weren’t even distant relatives.

“He said that he was his coach when he was a player, so they have a close relationship. They often have meals together.”

“Sigh… Is that what he says?”

A sigh escaped my lips.

I turned to look at Jung In-gyu, and he was also chuckling in disbelief.

“Ma’am, do you know what kind of player Lee Han-seung was during his playing days?”

“Yes…?”

“The president wasn’t the type to be close with players when he was a coach. And Lee Han-seung wasn’t even a first-string player [a starting player].”

“Even so, won’t my son receive some disadvantages? Whistleblowers have no problems when the issue breaks out and the media is interested, but they eventually receive disadvantages when things quiet down.”

Hmm… That’s not wrong.

I could fully understand that they were worried.

Then, I have no choice but to use a sure method.

“If you receive any disadvantages, our agency will step in to help. Even the baseball association won’t be able to take our agency lightly now.”

I looked at the eyes of the three mothers in turn and said with emphasis.

* * *

That night, I met Lee Soo-min at a familiar cafe.

After exchanging simple greetings, we moved on to the story about this case.

“Hyun-woo, have you ever heard of anything similar to this happening before?”

“No. This is the first time I’ve experienced something like this. Of course, I’ve never heard of it either.”

There have been a few cases where players have turned to illegal drugs due to personal misconduct, but this was probably the first time someone who was supposed to be training players was forcing students to take illegal drugs.

“But is it right to report this case?”

Lee Soo-min looked at me with a worried expression.

“Is there a problem?”

“I’m wondering what’s right for the baseball world. Not long ago, there was a case where Choi Jung-hwan received an offer to fix a game, even if he didn’t actually do it, and now there’s a case of illegal drugs.”

“Hmm…”

“The baseball world is just starting to quiet down, so I don’t think it would be good to create another noisy incident with things outside of baseball.”

“Rotten parts must be cut off as soon as possible. If we avoid it now because we want to avoid it right now, it may rot completely later and become impossible to recover.”

“Hmm…”

“It’s not something we can just cover up and move on. It’s a problem that depends on the future of the baseball world.”

“…You’re right, Hyun-woo.”

Only after hearing my answer did a faint smile appear on Lee Soo-min’s face.

Shortly after, a familiar, rugged man approached.

Even though I already knew who he was and had some acquaintance with him, I still felt intimidated by his aura.

“Hyun-woo, it’s been a while.”

“Detective Yang, how have you been?”

It had been quite a while since I had last seen him after meeting him when Choi Jung-hwan received the offer to fix a game.

I shook hands with Detective Yang Dong-soo.

As expected, I couldn’t see the information window because he wasn’t a baseball official.

“I’ve been well. Thanks to you, I had some good things happen.”

“Don’t tell me, did you get promoted?”

“Yes. Please call me Inspector now.”

“Oh, congratulations, Inspector Yang.”

“Thank you.”

Yang Dong-soo gave an uncharacteristically shy smile.

After briefly sharing updates, we delved into the main topic.

Since I had already conveyed the relevant information, we were able to move on to the important story right away.

“We tried to gather as much evidence as possible. But since we can’t conduct an investigation, there were limitations.”

“Even this is good intelligence. Did you get the consent of the parents who will testify?”

“Yes, I did. They will cooperate as soon as the investigation begins.”

“Very good.”

Yang Dong-soo raised the corners of his mouth as if satisfied.

“And can you make sure that their personal information is never disclosed? They’re very worried that they might receive disadvantages later.”

“Of course. We will manage it thoroughly so that it is never disclosed to the outside. Don’t worry.”

“Thank you.”

I felt a little more relieved after hearing Yang Dong-soo’s firm words.

“Have you seen the drugs directly?”

“I haven’t seen them directly. But there was a suspicious place.”

I handed him a roughly drawn internal map.

Yang Dong-soo nodded, asked a few more questions, and then got up from his seat.

“Then I’ll contact you as soon as I’m ready.”

Yang Dong-soo slightly bowed his head towards us and walked out quickly.

And I also got up from my seat and headed to the accommodation.

And late at night, I was able to receive a call from Yang Dong-soo.

-We plan to search the academy tomorrow morning at the opening time.

Hoo- It’s tomorrow.

I won’t be able to get a good night’s sleep.