บท 294: Chapter 294: Taylor, You Must Be Killed
You don't like scarecrows?"
"No. If you need a figurehead with just a name, and the owner wants to operate the team however they please, wouldn't it be better to put someone else in my place?"
Aili seemed to be caught off guard by Ellen's response, glancing anxiously at Han Gyeong-yeong.
"I might not know much about other English folks, but Leeds United fans are exceptionally stubborn. I paid off the club's debts with my own money and took over in a legitimate way. But what kind of logic is it to say I can't run the club as I see fit?"
"Of course, I can't completely ignore the owner's influence. It's an undeniable fact that you own the club, but it's also true that the club exists because of the fans."
British people take pride in their clubs as much as they love football.
Other football fans, not just Leeds United supporters, probably share these sentiments too.
Roman would likely be scratching his head over this too. Just as the thought of Roman fighting for the championship trophy crossed my mind, I opened my mouth again.
"So, if it's not me, can you make Leeds into one cohesive team?"
"Well, I can't guarantee that. Everyone has different views, right? I can't satisfy everyone, but I can at least ensure the fans take pride in the club and that the players want to play for it."
Ellen spoke honestly, and affection for Leeds shone brightly in his eyes. I found his confident demeanor intriguing.
"I like that confident spirit. Ellen, do you know what the current atmosphere at the club is like?"
"I have a rough idea. Taylor incited most of the staff to go on strike, and I've heard even youth players coming up through the ranks have been slacking off."
"You say you have a rough idea, but it seems you know everything. Can you organize that? I'm prepared to cut out anything that hinders the club. If that happens, you'll definitely take on the role of the villain. So feel free to fill that position with someone from your side. Of course, I'll provide you with all the information on the existing members' corrupt activities."
He hesitated, clearly struggling to respond. Most of the staff and players were people Ellen knew.
Even if it was for the club, it wouldn't sit comfortably for him to step into the role of the villain.
"Can you not do it?"
I asked Ellen once more. He shook his head vigorously in response.
"No, it's not that I can't overhaul the structure. It's just that Taylor isn't an easy opponent to take lightly. I've been pondering how to deal with him."
"What kind of person is Taylor that everyone is so cautious around him?"
I couldn't fathom why both Ellen and the club staff seemed so afraid of Taylor.
After all, it was unreasonable to be scared of a gang that had only recently disbanded. Did Ellen catch the disbelief on my face? He seemed a bit embarrassed.
"You might find it hard to understand, but not everything is governed by the law, is it? Sometimes a fist speaks louder than the law. There isn't a single person in Leeds relying on the former gang leader who has not received help from Taylor's father."
I glanced at Aili to gauge the truth in Ellen's words. Her face remained impassive, suggesting she was already aware of this story.
"Taylor will be caught."
"The police won't even be able to arrest him. Not in Leeds, at least."
"I handed over evidence of tax evasion, embezzlement, and several other crimes to the police station. Yet here we are, and no arrest has been made?"
"He'll find a way to slip past justice. Did I not know his corruption? Ultimately I was the one ousted…"
Ellen smiled bitterly, and as I caught a glimpse of that sad smile, I finally understood Taylor's earlier words.
'So was that why he daringly shouted at me in Leeds?'
The last image of Taylor glaring at me with a wild look flashed through my mind.
"We only need to deal with Taylor, right?"
"What exactly have you heard until now?"
"I understand everything. That's why I'm asking. Is it just Taylor that we need to eliminate?"
"Well… if that happens, then the others won't pose a problem."
I need to kill Taylor.
It was amusing to think I had been pondering over something so trivial. I shrugged it off and said casually
"Understood. Then I'll take care of Taylor. You can handle the rest."
Seeing Ellen's shocked expression, I continued
"You said you didn't want a scarecrow? Having a puppet boss may make things easier, but the person I need isn't just a dog waiting for commands. I need someone who will take charge of the team. I'll give you considerable autonomy, but don't forget that with great power comes great responsibility. What will you do? Will you accept the position of boss, or will you go back as you came?"
I couldn't remain focused on the football club forever. Leeds United was merely a club I took over for fun, to gamble against Roman.
Right now, Leeds needed a competent individual who could assemble a good team and excellent coaching staff if sufficient funds were provided.
And the person who matched all these criteria was Ellen standing before me.
"What on earth do you see in me…?"
I smiled as he appeared so bewildered he could barely form a sentence.
"After all this time, taking a team that had fallen from the Premier League back up to regain their place in the league is proof enough of your capability."
Ellen, who sighed softly, soon replied
"I understand. If you trust me with this, I will make sure to build a strong team."
Satisfied with his resolute words, I nodded and stood up first.
I extended my hand towards him and offered a gentle smile.
"I look forward to working with you, Ellen."
"The pleasure is mine."
Ellen took my hand, his face now much brighter than before.
Once the heavy topics had passed, Han Gyeong-yeong spoke up to lighten the mood
"Ellen, can I ask you one thing?"
At Han Gyeong-yeong's question, Ellen turned his head.
"What… is it?"
"I've been observing closely, and I just can't wrap my head around it. Are you really Aili's father? The two of you look completely different."
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurd expressions on Ellen's and Aili's faces, as Ellen rubbed his forehead in disbelief.
Thanks to Han Gyeong-yeong's playful nature, the atmosphere became much lighter.
"I'll take my leave now, then. Enjoy your meal."
After Ellen and Aili finished their meals, Han Gyeong-yeong exited the restaurant first.
"Murdoch hasn't made contact, has he?"
I asked Manager Ma as soon as we stepped into the elevator, having spent longer than expected in the restaurant.
"No. I asked him to get in touch, but I haven't received any response."
"Tell Alex to execute it as planned. If he doesn't want contact, we need to ensure he does."
I should've seized the opportunity when he had it. I let out a bitter laugh as I watched the elevator numbers rise quickly.
Soon, the cheerful ding signal of our arrival echoed, prompting me to step out.
* * *
"What… is happening here?"
"I'm so sorry."
"How could this happen…"
Murdoch looked stunned, staggering back into a chair after the shocking news.
His secretary tried to support him, but Murdoch brushed her off with a face full of anger.
"The police have already been dispatched."
"Is… is everyone okay?"
"Your eldest son has suffered gunshot wounds. Tonight will be critical."
"Didn't I insist on enhanced security? Why was it not enforced?"
Following the meeting with Kim Mu-hyeok, Murdoch had increaed the security for his family significantly.
This wasn't the only troublesome matter on his mind.
"Has Philip contacted you?"
"No. He hasn't reached out since his last message last week."
"You said there were no moves. So why is this happening all of a sudden? We must arrest that bastard immediately!"
Murdoch shouted, slamming his arm down on the chair's armrest.
"No matter how much we investigate, nothing connects. Even with the information Philip provided, we can't link him. Maybe once the police have him in custody, we might have a chance…"
"My son… my firstborn who is set to take over the media empire could die, and this is when you're quibbling?"
Nothing was going according to plan. With frustration building, Murdoch shot up from his seat.
"I'll just call the Prime Minister myself."
Holding the phone in front of his distraught secretary, Murdoch attempted to dial. But the call wouldn't connect.
"Why isn't he answering?"
He bit his lip, dialing again and again, but the other party never picked up.
Throwing the phone down roughly, he slumped back into his chair and asked weakly
"What's Kim Mu-hyeok doing?"
"Aside from the football club acquisition, he hasn't shown any unusual moves. He hasn't responded to the police's request for questioning either. However, it seems the LK law firm is thoroughly probing various matters."
"…"
"What should we do? Should we proceed as planned?"
"What? Are you joking?"
At his sharp response, the secretary fell silent. Murdoch clicked his tongue, rubbing his forehead as he sighed heavily.
"Say an article hits the press about Kim Mu-hyeok. Who comes next? Hi second, his third, or maybe even me?"
Murdoch wasn't naïve.
The reason he had been adamant about avoiding any engagement with Kim back in Washington was the same reason why the Prime Minister was avoiding his calls now—because of one individual.
"What the hell is this man's identity?"
No matter how many journalists he employs or how much money he throws around, he couldn't unearth anything about Kim Mu-hyeok.
The more he dug, the more elusive this man became.
Since inheriting a small media outlet from his father in his childhood, he had built an empire that encompassed the entire English-speaking world while amassing numerous enemies along the way.
But Kim Mu-hyeok was an entirely diferent breed of adversary.
He had seen dangerous gangs in the UK during the 70s and the ruthless mafia in New York in the 80s, but none had posed a real threat to him like Kim Mu-hyeok did.
"Get in touch with Kim Mu-hyeok. Arrange a meeting gain."
"Understood."
"And… I want every piece of information related to Kim Mu-hyeok brought to me. Don' leave a single copy behind."
"…Yes."
After the bowing secretary left, Murdoch let out a deep sigh.
"Damn… how did it come to this?"
A deep shadow loomed over Murdoch's face as he sank into deep thought.
* * *
Arriving in the suite, I looked out at the night view while sipping on my drink.
"Boss."
Manager Ma entered after knocking and bowed his head. The awaited news came from his lips.
"Murdoch has reached out to discuss a meeting. What should we do?"
"Sounds urgent. Alex must have handled things well."
"It seems so. He has always been a reliable friend."
"You usually praise him? What a surprise."
I turned to look at him in surprise at his unexpected words, but Manager Ma only nodded and remained silent.
"Boring guy."
I lightly teased and took my seat.
"Where does he want to meet?"
"He suggested the same place as our last meeting."
I set my drink down, pondering over it.
'When I push, I need to push all the way, right?'
Inside the quiet room, the sound of me drumming my fingers on the armrest echoed for quite some time.
I eventually stopped my hand and spoke up
"If he wants to meet, tell him to come here. I'll be meeting with Philip in the morning, so this evening works for me."
"Understood."
"Oh, Manager Ma."
I called out to him just as he was about to leave.
"Have they caught Taylor yet?"
"No. Despite handing over all materials to the police, there haven't been any movements yet."
If what Ellen said was true, the police could be dragging out the situation to avoid taking action.
The longer the delay stretched on, the more effort it would take to normalize the club.
"That's enough. If we keep relying on the police, we could be waiting forever. I need to kill Taylor. As for how…"
I had to use the gang for anyone related to the gang.
As if reading my thoughts, Manager Ma quietly added
"If Ellen's words are true, he might be someone very connected to a gang. Even if they've disbanded, their roots don't just vanish."
Where there is light, there is darkness.
You can never eliminate darkness completely. If you attempt to eradicate it, they'll just hide deeper in the shadows.
"Though they may appear disbanded, I'm sure they're lurking even deeper now. Identify the opposing forces and promise sufficient compensation. We need to set a price on Taylor's head."
"Understood."
"It should be framed as an incident that arose from a conflict between gangs."
I watched Manager Ma bow his head and exit before picking up my drink again.
The liquor slid down my throat smoothly today.
The next day, Philip arrived early in the morning.
"Long time no see."
"Yes, it's been a while."
I took a sip of the black tea prepared by Manager Ma and began to speak.
"But Philip, what's going on here?"
I set my cup down and glared at Philip with cold eyes. Startled, he gulped as he met my chilling gaze.
"Boss, what do you mean…?"
"Have you been well compensated? I already know you've sold my information somewhere."
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