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Chapter 41
Chapter 41
The chairman of Nixon Sports and owner of the Daejeon Volcanoes, Lee Daejin, called a family meeting and summoned his eldest daughter, Lee Sieun, and his younger daughter, Lee Siha, to the chairman’s office.
Of course, the “family meeting” was just a formality; in reality, it was a time to evaluate the performance of the businesses managed by Sieun and Siha.
In simpler terms, it was an opportunity to say, “Look at what I’ve achieved! Didn’t I do well? So, I’ll take over Nixon Sports!”
From the moment they entered the chairman’s office, both Lee Sieun and Lee Siha glared at each other with fierce determination.
“Shall we start with our eldest daughter?” Lee Daejin asked.
At his words, the eldest daughter, Lee Sieun, confidently began to report on this quarter’s performance.
“The tennis division is currently in an excellent situation. Sales, operating profit, and net profit are all showing a steady upward trend. In particular, our new product lineup is receiving high praise in the ‘global market.’ We are also receiving positive evaluations from the … sector.”
Lee Daejin nodded in satisfaction with a pleased smile.
Hearing that all indicators were trending upwards left him with no reason to be unhappy. Most importantly, the fact that they were doing well in the global market was what pleased him the most.
‘There’s a limit to relying solely on the domestic market…’One of Lee Daejin’s business philosophies was to always aim for the global market.
With his positive evaluation, Lee Sieun sneered slightly at her younger sister, Lee Siha.
“Our second daughter took on a challenging sector. How’s it going?” he asked.
Lee Siha flinched slightly before answering.
“Nixon Baseball has announced its first lineup, the CTH lineup, and is currently accepting pre-orders. This is also true for the global market. We are now in the final stage before launching.”
Hearing her brief report, Lee Daejin nodded with a somewhat regretful expression.
“I see… Baseball has been a dying sector, so you must have put a lot of preparation into it. But you do understand that hard work alone isn’t enough, right?”
With a bitter smile, Lee Siha nodded.
“How are the pre-orders? Are they doing well?” he asked.
“…They’re still quite low at the moment,” she admitted.
“That’s why I questioned why you would invest in a failed business… Wouldn’t it be better to join your sister now? I could create a position for you,” Sieun said.
Her words sounded like those of a caring older sister, but her exaggerated tone and expression made it obvious that she wasn’t being sincere.
Slightly biting her lip, Siha continued speaking.
“However, this was within our expectations. We haven’t done any promotions yet. We’ve finished contracting our promotional model, and once the athlete’s schedule clears up, we’ll start filming. I’m confident the situation will improve then.”
“Is that so? If you’re placing that much hope on the promotional model, they must be quite a remarkable athlete?” he asked.
“Yes. Although he is still a high school player, we made a three-year, 1 billion won investment with an eye on the future.”
At that moment, Lee Sieun widened her eyes and raised her voice.
“What? Are you crazy? Instead of choosing already famous athletes, you signed a high school baseball player… for 1 billion won?”
Just as Sieun was about to scold Siha, thinking this was completely unreasonable, Lee Daejin suddenly interjected.
“Wait!”
He raised his voice, his eyes sparkling.
“By any chance, what’s the name of that high school athlete…?”
“Huh…? It’s… Cha, Cha Taehyun. He’s fairly popular—”
The moment she mentioned Cha Taehyun’s name, Lee Daejin broke into a broad smile and raised his voice.
“Cha Taehyun! Of course, I know him! You mean Cha Taehyun from Hyuksan High School, right?”
“Uh… Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hahaha! Well done, Siha! Very well done!”
“Huh?”
“Three years for 1 billion won? You’re a genius investor! I can’t believe I have such a talented daughter!”
‘What the… Who on earth is this Cha Taehyun to make him so happy…?’
Nixon Sports ranks first or second in the sports industry in terms of sales. Their promotional models are usually renowned athletes that anyone would recognize. But now, he was getting excited over an unknown high school baseball player?
Sieun shook her head, unable to comprehend the situation, while Daejin went over to Siha’s side, laughing heartily.
“Hahaha! With this, Nixon Baseball is definitely worth reviving! I’ll invest more funds!”
“F-Father? What are you talking about? Nixon Baseball has long been forgotten. A large investment at this point would be a waste of money!”
Sieun’s argument was entirely rational, but Daejin ignored her, laughing and patting his second daughter on the shoulder.
“By the way, Siha, when is the promotional shoot with Cha Taehyun scheduled?”
“We plan to do it as soon as the ongoing Baseball World Cup ends.”
Hearing her answer, Daejin suddenly made a surprising remark.
“Is that so? Then I’ll join you. I’ve wanted to treat him to a meal for a while now.”
While it was puzzling why he wanted to arrange a meal, it was a purely personal request that had nothing to do with business. Normally, someone with Siha’s personality would have refused, but…
“That’s okay, right?”
Daejin’s face was full of anticipation. The kind of expression that suggested something terrible would happen if she declined…
In the end, Siha had to nod.
“Yes, I’ll inform him.”
—
As Siha left the chairman’s office, a smile spread across her face.
Truthfully, pre-orders had been sluggish, and she hadn’t achieved any clear results, so she had braced herself for some criticism. Instead, her father promised to make an additional investment.
‘It’s all thanks to him, really…’
She thought she should express her gratitude once today’s match was over.
At that moment, Sieun, who was leaning against the wall and looking at her phone, spoke up.
“Hmm… Cha Taehyun, huh… I really don’t get it. I looked him up, and he’s not that famous, not even a pro yet. Most importantly, his visuals are rather lacking.”
Siha scoffed and immediately retorted.
“Maybe your standards are just too high? I think he looks fine.”
“Seems like you’re smitten, little sister. Given your status, many better men would line up for you. Why settle for this kind of man and waste 1 billion won?”
“I’m not wasting money on him; I’m investing in his potential success.”
“Oh, really? Because otherwise, this deal makes no sense. But I’ll respect that. It could just be a peculiar taste.”
“Well… I won’t completely deny it. To be honest, I like him more than my own sister.”
“What…?”
Stunned by her words, Sieun froze, while Siha simply bowed and walked away.
‘Was I too harsh?’
She felt she might have gone too far, but something about Sieun’s demeaning remarks had infuriated her.
“Whatever… It’s her fault for being more bothersome than him.”
Siha pulled out her phone as she walked.
She saw that today’s match had ended. It was a bit early, but…
‘It should be fine, right?’
She wanted to relieve the stress caused by her sister as soon as possible. Even a simple business-related conversation with him over text was always pleasant.
[Congratulations on your victory today, Cha Taehyun. Do you have a moment to chat?]
[Thanks. Chat? Sure. I’m on the bus back, so I’ve got nothing else to do.]
With a bright smile, Siha began typing.
[Thanks to you, things went well for me today.]
[Because of me?]
[Yes. I managed to make a good impression on my father.]
[I’m not sure what happened, but that’s great.]
[It is. Thank you so much. By the way… Could you come a bit earlier on the day of the promotional shoot?]
[I don’t mind, but why? Did the schedule change?]
[Uh… The chairman really wants to treat you to a meal.]
[Really? Well, I’m down for a free meal. But wouldn’t it be better to eat after the shoot?]
[Oh, I made a mistake. I just wanted to show my appreciation.]
[Show appreciation? Well, I’m grateful, whatever it is.]
“Alright. Since Father will be there, it’s better to put some effort into this. This much… should be considered part of work. Now, let’s see… What’s a watch brand that men like these days…?”
—
Meanwhile, the Japanese national team was holding a strategy meeting in preparation for their upcoming match against Korea.
Everyone focused on the screen showing Cha Taehyun’s batting highlights.
“Cha Taehyun… Right-handed pitcher and batter, 187 cm. A key player for Korea, known for his outstanding contact and power… Ryuji, what do you think? Can you handle him?”
Yamada Ryuji, already hailed as Japan’s top prospect and enjoying popularity comparable to professional players, looked at the screen for a moment before nodding.
“He’s definitely a good player. However… he’s not exactly threatening.”
The coach nodded in satisfaction and asked.
“Do you think our pitchers can contain him?”
“I agree with your assessment,” Ryuji replied.
“Good. Then, I don’t think
we need to worry about giving up big scores… Can you hit Kim Sinhwa’s or Kim Changhyun’s pitches?”
Smiling slightly, Ryuji asked back.
“What do you think, Coach?”
“Of course, you’ll blast it out of the park.”
“I think so too,” Ryuji said confidently.
“Excellent. So, for the first match, do you plan to pitch or hit?”
He was asking whether Ryuji would take the mound or the batter’s box against Korea. Ryuji pondered for a moment, then smiled as if he had a fun idea.
“We’ll face Korea in the finals regardless of whether we win or lose the first match. So… I’ll play as a batter in the first match. Then, in the finals, I’ll surprise them by revealing the pitching skills I’ve kept hidden… How does that sound?”
“Hahahaha!! Indeed! I can already picture Korea’s shocked faces when you take the mound!”
The coach burst into laughter, and Ryuji smirked as well.
—
“Hey, Taehyun. Is Yamada Ryuji any good?” Yoobin asked.
“Well… he is. He hits well, and he can pitch too,” Taehyun replied.
“What? He’s a dual-player? I thought he didn’t have any pitching records?”
“Oh.”
Taehyun answered carelessly, feeling annoyed by Yoobin’s persistent questions.
Right now, Yamada Ryuji wasn’t supposed to stand out as a dual-player.
Actually, Yamada wasn’t supposed to be a monstrous prospect at all.
He had a peculiar career path: he joined the pros with decent stats, played for about four years, and then belatedly discovered his pitching talent, switching to both pitching and batting.
In any case, he managed to reach the Major League as a dual-player, so he was quite a formidable player.
Besides, since he was set as Lee Jiho’s rival, it was only natural that he would be strong.
As for why he’s appearing now as a monster prospect at this stage… I have no clue. Maybe it’s similar to how Jintaehyun or Kim Sinhwa suddenly popped up.
Whoever sent me to this world probably didn’t want me to have an easy path.
If Yamada Ryuji has blossomed into his talent this early, then…
“It might actually be a tough match,” Taehyun muttered.
“Huh?” Yoobin asked.
“The match against Japan. Ryuji is really skilled.”
Yoobin gave Taehyun a surprised look.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you show this much respect for someone. Well, he did look impressive in the videos.”
“Yeah. I’m not entirely sure, but he might also pitch well,” Taehyun continued.
“Really? Has someone finally appeared who can beat Cha Taehyun?” Yoobin teased.
It was just some light provocation.
“No, they haven’t,” Taehyun replied coldly.
That crossed a line.
“Haha! So he’s not better than you, Taehyun?” Yoobin laughed.
“Of course. No matter how good Ryuji is, he won’t win the Major League MVP.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Just some thoughts.”
—
As the Super Round of the U18 Baseball World Cup progressed, the official YouTube live broadcast started.
As a result, both Japanese and Korean viewers shared the same chatroom, which became chaotic even before the match began. Japanese netizens, ordinary Japanese citizens, Koreans interested in the Korea-Japan rivalry, and more filled the chat.
TL Note:
We’ve just been flush with translator notes as of late, haven’t we? This will probably be the last for a while, just wanted to let everyone know we’ve hit 100 early access chapters for this novel. That’s always a nice milestone to hit, very satisfying. If you want to check that out feel free to click here, but even if you don’t thanks for reading this far. Glad you’ve stuck with me.