Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 42

“Seeing you come so quickly, I assume the Dragons’ offer didn’t sit well with you?”

Before even properly sitting down, Jaguars Team Manager Jo Gwang-hoon raised his eyebrows and asked cautiously.

“It’s already publicly known that the Jaguars are receiving proper support from the parent company this year. As an agency, it’s important for us to hear various evaluations of our player in the market.”

Im Ye-ji’s expression was relaxed.

“Seriously. I’m telling you it’s not much.”

“If the amount is too insufficient, we have no choice. We’ll have to compare it with Major League offers.”

At the mention of Major League, Jo Gwang-hoon’s expression darkened rapidly.

“Let’s sit down and talk slowly.”

Jo Gwang-hoon swallowed dryly and said.

“So, what is the Jaguars’ offer?”

“Well… before that. What’s the probability of Na Jun-ho going to the Major League?”

“That depends on how much the Jaguars offer, doesn’t it?”

“Can I understand that to mean there’s a possibility of him staying in the country?”

“If it’s an attractive offer, maybe?”

As if relieved that there was still a chance to sign Na Jun-ho, Jo Gwang-hoon’s eyes sparkled.

“Both CEO Im and us are having a hard time negotiating in this cold winter. Let’s just end it without tiring each other out with pushing and pulling.”

“We’d be happy with that.”

“Okay. Then, I’ll match the total amount to 12 billion won [approximately $9 million USD].”

“What about the contract fee and annual salary ratio?”

“Why is that so important? Let’s talk about that later. The total amount you receive in the end is the most important thing, right?”

It was a negotiation method truly befitting Team Manager Jo Gwang-hoon.

It was a rather bewildering negotiation method, but it wasn’t wrong either.

“Then, how much is the option here?”

I asked Jo Gwang-hoon, ready to write.

After pondering for a moment, Jo Gwang-hoon slammed the table coolly and said.

“There are no options. Just full guarantee.”

I paused for a moment.

It was too unconventional.

It was the most competitive offer among the ones I had received so far.

The amount was the same as the Buffaloes, but the big difference was that the Jaguars guaranteed everything without options.

There had never been a time when such a large offer didn’t include any option clauses.

It was an offer that clearly showed how desperate the Jaguars were right now.

“The contract period is 4 years, right?”

“Of course.”

Jo Gwang-hoon looked at me with an expression that I was asking a pointless question and nodded.

It was such an unconventional offer that I asked the question out of suspicion that it might be a slave contract.

“And Jun-ho’s hometown is here. It would be good in many ways to live as a player where his parents are.”

“Hmm…”

It was the most attractive in terms of salary, and it even had the personal merit of being Na Jun-ho’s hometown team.

Excluding the Dragons, who were in a special situation, it was a much more attractive offer than the Buffaloes’ offer.

Jo Gwang-hoon’s face gradually smiled as he sensed the surprise in mine and Im Ye-ji’s expressions.

“Do you need anything else? I don’t think the Major League would guarantee this much right away?”

There was nothing to refute.

The Major League salary was higher, but that was only possible if you played full-time in the Major League.

“It seems like the Jaguars are aiming for a championship next year. It must have cost quite a bit to sign Lee Sang-hoon too.”

“Ah… well. We judged that next year is the right time to win the championship.”

Jo Gwang-hoon nodded as if it was nothing at my question, but his eyes were shaking violently.

To lie about something that would be exposed as early as this afternoon.

I turned my head slightly and burst into a smirk.

“Please add a few more options here.”

As expected, our CEO wouldn’t just let it go.

“Hey, CEO Im. This is enough, why are you trying to get more options? I can’t go any higher than this.”

Jo Gwang-hoon’s voice, slamming the table again, was filled with annoyance.

“You’re trying to sign the franchise star of the winning team. From the player’s perspective, they wouldn’t necessarily want to transfer if the conditions are similar.”

“Does that mean the Dragons offered this much?”

It was my turn to step in.

“Wouldn’t it be good for both sides in the long run to create motivation factors for the player?”

“Well. It might be, but…”

Seeing Jo Gwang-hoon trailing off, I saw a small opening.

“If we adjust the option conditions in a way that can improve performance, the club won’t lose out either.”

“Then let’s hear what the conditions are first. That doesn’t mean I’ll unconditionally put them in the clause. I’ll consider it.”

The team manager hurriedly waved both hands, looking back and forth between me and Im Ye-ji.

I talked about a few option clauses that I had prepared.

I took out one of the various scenarios I had been considering.

The option details I was going to present varied greatly depending on how the negotiation progressed.

There was also an option to present it with detailed indicators, but it didn’t seem appropriate to persuade Jo Gwang-hoon right now.

“For individual performance, it’s for achieving the title holder and league MVP [Most Valuable Player]. And for team performance, it’s based on the Jaguars’ regular season ranking. And of course, winning the Korean Series [championship series of the KBO] should be added separately.”

“Hmm…”

Jo Gwang-hoon, who heard my story, put his hand on his chin and fell into thought.

“The reason you’re signing Na Jun-ho isn’t just because you need a hitter. It’s because the team wants to win the championship. If Na Jun-ho meets those options, it means there’s a high probability that the team will win the championship.”

The conditions I presented were difficult to achieve, so they were not conditions that players preferred as option clauses.

For individual performance, you had to be the best in the league, and team performance was not something you could do alone.

The reason I presented it like this was because I judged that the guaranteed amount was already large enough, so the difficulty had to be increased to add options.

“How much are you thinking for the total option amount?”

“2 billion won [approximately $1.5 million USD].”

I threw it out without giving him a moment to rest, as I had prepared in advance.

“Oh ho. That’s not it.”

Jo Gwang-hoon slammed the table again.

“If you can buy a championship for 2 billion won, it would be a reasonable level.”

“…1 billion [approximately $750,000 USD].”

Jo Gwang-hoon, who had been contemplating, threw out a word and turned his gaze away.

“Then I’ll ask Na Jun-ho about it at this level.”

“The total amount is 13 billion won [approximately $9.75 million USD]. And he’s coming to his hometown team, so what else is there to think about?”

“It’s a good condition, so I’m sure there will be good results.”

Im Ye-ji smiled and got up from her seat.

“If you drag it out for too long, you won’t have a chance. We’re thinking of signing other players too.”

Jo Gwang-hoon threw out a word close to bluffing until the end.

“Of course. We’ll discuss it quickly and contact you.”

As Im Ye-ji’s expression turned relaxed, Jo Gwang-hoon’s complexion showed anxiety.

* * *

I dragged my tired body back home.

Perhaps because I had suddenly gone on a same-day long-distance business trip, it was difficult to handle my heavy body.

Traveling long distances was something I did often as a player, so it wasn’t hard.

What really exhausted me was negotiating with a high degree of concentration for several hours.

It wasn’t just about creating data to appeal to the player’s value, but also persuading the other party.

The other party’s situation and even their tendencies were different.

To get the desired result, I had to consider all of that and develop a strategy.

No wonder I was exhausted after doing this all day.

However, I felt energized thinking that the conditions were gradually improving.

I don’t know what the player himself wants yet, though.

I decided to meet Na Jun-ho directly tomorrow to hear his opinion.

For my head and body that had worked hard all day, I slumped comfortably in the chair.

Weeing-

Suddenly, my smartphone rang, and I saw that Im Ye-ji was calling.

It seemed that even a moment of rest was not allowed.

I straightened up and sat properly.

“Yes, CEO.”

-Hyun-woo. It looks like we’ll have to meet the Dragons tomorrow morning.

“The Dragons?”

-Both the Buffaloes and the Dragons have contacted us. They want to meet urgently.

In a situation where the fact that we met with the Jaguars was all over the community, there was no way other clubs wouldn’t know.

“Then who should we meet first?”

-I’ll meet the Buffaloes, and Hyun-woo can meet the Dragons.

The CEO goes to the nearby Buffaloes, and the employee goes to the distant Dragons.

I was resentful, but it would be funny to do the opposite.

Or perhaps Im Ye-ji judged that she should put more effort into the Buffaloes, who offered a higher total amount.

“Yes. I’ll go.”

-I’m planning to delay the appointment with Na Jun-ho only by a little bit. To match the time Hyun-woo arrives.

“I’ll contact you when I leave tomorrow.”

After finishing the call with Im Ye-ji, I slumped back comfortably.

I suddenly felt hungry thinking that I had to go on a long-distance business trip to a distant province tomorrow.

I opened the door and walked out.

To satisfy my hunger, I put a little cereal in milk and sat on the living room sofa.

“Hyung [older brother or close male friend]. You’re late today.”

It was Oh Seok-hoon, who had come up from exercising in the basement.

“I suddenly went to the provinces today.”

“It’s a mess out there. Is Jun-ho sunbae [senior colleague/player] going to the Jaguars?”

As expected, everyone knew.

“We just talked once.”

“It’s not decided yet?”

I nodded weakly.

“Sunbae [senior colleague/player] is here?”

Park Seong-ju, who had washed and dried his hair, walked into the living room.

I raised my hand to answer and naturally sat on the sofa and turned on the TV.

Sports news was playing.

-Another major contract has been made in the Major League. A 10-year contract for 300 million dollars…

“Wow. 10 years for a total of 300 million dollars, how much is that?”

Park Seong-ju, with his mouth wide open, couldn’t hide his surprise.

“It must be over 350 billion won [approximately $262.5 million USD]?”

“Heek. If it’s 350 billion won, how many zeros are there?”

Oh Seok-hoon was folding his fingers and counting.

“Should we also advance to the United States?”

It seemed like a bundle of money was drawn in Park Seong-ju’s eyes.

At that time,

“Ah!”

There’s no reason why we can’t do it.

Why didn’t I think of this?

“Sunbae [senior colleague/player], what’s wrong?”

“Of course! Something’s wrong.”

I smiled at Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-ju, who were looking at me in surprise.