Capítulo 503: Chapter 503: Have We Grown Distant?
I observed Rooney's actions with keen interest.
The fierce expression I knew so well from him was on full display.
Good thing I set up the smokescreen earlier; it amplified the effect with just a little provocation.
I sowed a hint of doubt and deliberately mentioned the offer Paul had made in front of Rooney.
"What? Fired? Rooney, you can't be serious…"
"Don't think just because I'm young I don't know anything. I get it. I'm not that naïve either. You know that, Uncle?"
Rooney cut Paul off sharply.
"Rooney! What are you talking about? They're lying to you to sign you for cheap. You don't trust me? I'm just trying to…"
"Uncle, don't use 'for my sake' to deceive me. We have a business relationship, after all."
Those were icy words. Paul seemed stunned, unable to respond.
"I trusted you and handed over my contract. Just be honest with me. Have you taken money from the club without my knowledge?"
"…"
"…Can't answer that, can you? Uncle, this really is a firing."
Once trust between a player and an agent is broken, working together becomes impossible.
Players focus on their games, relying on their agents to handle everything else.
"Rooney, unilaterally terminating a contract means you'll face penalties. It's not that simple."
Paul, who had been quietly observing Rooney, spoke with an emotionless tone.
Removing the mask of 'caring for Rooney,' he smiled slightly as he spoke.
"I'll be suing you. Nobody will take you on as a client after this."
"Paul!"
Rooney raised his voice.
"I was the one who raised you, you know. I also sent you to Everton, and I decide your worth. So you want to fire me? Go ahead, give it a try."
Paul finished speaking and turned his head towards me.
"And you better be prepared too. Let's see how you sign players after turning me into your enemy."
I couldn't help but smile at Paul. It's been a while since I heard words like these. Avoiding a coming battle wasn't an option.
"Prepared? I'm not sure how influential you really are in the UK football scene, but it seems you don't know who you're dealing with either. You actually think you can beat me?"
"What?"
Paul's expression twisted into a snarl. I ignored him and asked Rooney.
"Are you planning to terminate your agent contract with him?"
Rooney, biting his lips, nodded.
"Rooney, even if you don't join our team, I'll take responsibility for any lawsuit regarding the termination. Whatever he does, it won't hurt you. So go ahead and do what you want."
I had created this chaos. It was right for me to resolve it.
Rooney nodded weakly. He seemed frightened by the situation, being still so young.
I turned back to Paul and spoke again.
"Now you need to leave. You have no reason to stay any longer. You'll be contacted regarding the contract termination soon."
"…Just wait and see. You'll regret this."
Paul bit his lip hard. I gave him a cool smile.
"We'll see who ends up regretting this. I'll dig up every illegal thing you've done and sue you for it, so good luck with that."
"What?"
"You seem to like the law; let's see how well you fare with the law you love so much. I'm looking forward to it."
I ended my statement and exchanged glances with Manager Ma.
Manager Ma, who had been standing by the door, approached and said,
"Please leave."
"Profit!"
Under the intimidating presence of Manager Ma, Paul shot me a glare before turning and leaving the room.
"Manager, please contact the law firm to prepare for Rooney's lawsuit. Also, look into that person a bit more, if you can."
"Understood."
Manager Ma nodded and walked back toward the door, while I turned to Ellen.
"That person seems to be quite famous, huh?"
"Yes. He used to be a well-known player and had significant influence in the Football Association of the UK."
"I see. That's why he acts so high-handedly."
"In the UK, it's hard to ignore the influence of the Football Association. That's likely why he feels that way."
He had a lot to lose. It would hurt even more when he loses power.
I nodded and spoke to Rooney.
"Rooney, don't worry about anything. If you need a different agent, feel free to find one. If not, we'll help find one for you."
"…Thank you."
"Shall we wrap up the conversation we were having? I heard you want to come to Leeds. What do you say? Will you join our team, Rooney?"
"Yes. I want to."
Rooney nodded. This time he turned to Ellen.
"Ellen, please handle the negotiations with Everton directly. Paul will likely obstruct the process, perhaps by demanding an absurd transfer fee or something like that."
"Huff… Understood."
"Oh, please set the maximum transfer fee at 30 million pounds."
"What? 30 million pounds?"
Ellen exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise, while Rooney's eyes also grew round.
"That may seem like a big amount right now. But Rooney, you are an excellent player worth that much."
In his previous life, Rooney's transfer fee from Everton to Man U was about 27 million pounds.
Of course, many players had higher transfer fees recorded.
But for a promising teen, that was indeed a large amount. It's doubtful for another teenager to break this record even after a decade.
"I'll trust the boss's negotiation skills."
"30 million pounds… Understood."
"If you can lower that amount, please do so; add any deductions into Rooney's salary."
After speaking to Ellen, I turned to Rooney.
"Once the negotiations with Everton are finalized, your weekly wage will be set at £80,000. It's a significant amount, but if our team's salary structure becomes unbalanced, that might be an issue. However, if you grow and show your skills, naturally, your salary will increase. The ace player should be treated as such."
In fact, £80,000 wasn't a small sum. Knowing that, Rooney spoke resolutely.
"Thank you. I'll give my all for the team. I didn't expect such favorable treatment."
Knowing he would become a legendary player brought me joy at his words.
The more Rooney had a good impression of Leeds, the better.
"The best way to demonstrate respect for a player is through transfer fees and salaries. We want to show you that respect, Rooney. So please work well with us."
I stood up and extended my hand to Rooney.
Rooney also jumped up from his seat and shook my hand.
"Now, I will take my leave. You can discuss the details with Ellen. I will arrange for an agent, and they will contact you."
Before I turned my back, I looked at Rooney one last time.
"Oh, and… I know it's a strange thing to mention on a first meeting, but start taking care of your hair from now on."
"What?"
Rooney looked up at me, dumbfounded, while fiddling with his hair.
It was thinner than during his prime, but even now, he had a bit of a receding hairline.
"It's better to manage hair loss before it starts. Do your best to delay it and figure it out now."
"…"
Perhaps he felt some truth in that; Rooney nodded with a pale face.
I smiled and turned away.
I handed over everything related to Rooney to the law firm. Now, as his legal representative, they would shake Paul down.
They were a big law firm in America, known as the land of lawsuits, so they should handle it well.
To fight against such people, I would need someone on a similar level, but could Paul manage that?
Just hours before my departure, a call came in.
— Mu-hyeok.
It was the President of Russia.
"It's been a while. President. "
— Why so formal between us? You're making me feel a bit neglected.
"I guess it's because it's been a while. We've grown a bit distant, haven't we?"
When I joked, he let out a soft sigh.
— Ah… I must have been quite neglected. I've thought deeply after hearing the report from the administrative director regarding our friendship and the Siloviki purge. No matter how much I think about it, our friendship seems more important. So don't mind it.
I couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you."
— I'll be signing the contract soon. I've dealt with all those who opposed it, so don't worry.
It was a simple matter, possible once the President made up his mind.
Voices of dissent arose because he hadn't made his thoughts clear.
"Thanks again. I made it too complicated for something so simple. You know that by bringing Yukos to me, it eases the pressure from both the U.S. and Western Europe, right? Now is the time to look outward rather than inward. With the economic growth rate already ramping up, no one can be your competitor at this time. If foreign investors were to pull out now, it would be a burden in itself."
The Russian economic growth rate was being boosted by natural resources.
The prices of oil and natural gas were on the rise.
He hadn't earned that, but there was no need to embarrass him by stating it outright.
"The President who revived the economy that had collapsed during Yeltsin's era. That's something to be proud of. Who would dare question your authority?"
— Haha, you always give me such nice compliments.
"Because it's the truth."
At that moment, the door opened, and Myeong-su popped his head in.
He pointed to his phone, and Myeong-su nodded before closing the door again.
— When will you come to Russia? I hope you can stop here on your way back from the U.S.
"Hmm…"
— Is it hard? Didn't they say this trip to America is a good thing for us? Did Medvedev speak any untruths?
I needed a moment to gather my thoughts, so I paused in thought before speaking.
"No, it's not bad to go to Russia. I will explain the details in person."
— I look forward to it. I always anticipate the gifts you give me.
"Yes. I'll be there soon. Before that, please wrap up this contract cleanly."
I could hear a quiet chuckle from the other end of the line.
— It seems like you were really neglected. I've given all the directives already. Everyone who opposed me has been dismissed. The Yukos executives have agreed to follow our decision, and James must have been contacted by now.
Checking the time, I nodded at his statement.
"Thank you. I need to prepare to depart for the U.S. now. I'll reach out again soon."
— Go ahead. Next time, let's discuss things face to face.
The call ended, followed by the ringing of the bell. It was Han Gyeong-yeong.
"Hey, Hyung. I've received word that we're passing on our terms."
– What? You think you know better than me, who's in Moscow? I was just so excited to get the good news that I called right away.
"I just got in touch too. The President called me directly. If he seems down, tell him not to be. "
– Really? I was visited personally by Medvedev. He actually apologized, saying they were sorry for everything. I must say, money is truly powerful. He even apologized to the administrative director himself.
Han Gyeong-yeong seemed to be in a good mood. He had suffered during this ordeal, so that was understandable.
"We can accept it just as we proposed. We do need a complete overhaul of the management, but… It feels awkward to handle it personally. Is there a good candidate?"
I naturally intended to put a Russian in charge, but I couldn't just blindly trust someone to handle it.
— Hmm… How about appointing a capable member of Jungwoo Chemical as the Vice Chairman and send that person to Russia to wield real power? We could have Medvedev recommend someone as merely a figurehead.
That thought aligned with mine. Honestly, there wasn't a better method available.
"Alright. Let's do that. Contact Chairman Kim for a candidate list. Then, let's meet up and interview them. Simultaneously, we need to start development on the oil fields in Siberia, so request experts for that as well."
— Okay. Understood. I'm going to take a real break for a few months after this is over.
"Sure, do that. I have to hang up now as I need to head out. I'll call when I arrive in America."
After finishing the call with Han Gyeong-yeong, I exited the room.
Myeong-su was already finished with all preparations and was waiting.
"Why are you in such a rush? Let's get going before the others start to worry."
I nodded and left the hotel alongside Myeong-su.
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