บท 293: Chapter 293: When Half-hearted Frights Backfire
The next day, Roman called me early in the morning.
— Charlie.
"Roman, what's going on this early?"
— There's nothing urgent, but I heard the news; you've acquired Leeds United. Your decisiveness is terrifying.
"Oh… has the news already spread over there?"
— Large media outlets in London report soccer news quickly.
It seemed that the article had already been published. I couldn't help but realize again just how passionately the UK loves soccer.
"What about you, Roman? How's the club acquisition going?"
— I'm in the final stages as well. As I mentioned earlier, I'm acquiring Chelsea. It's just a matter of signing now.
It's several years ahead of schedule, but in the end, Chelsea would be in Roman's hands.
— Starting this year, our teams will compete for the Premier League trophy. I'm looking forward to it. Ah, and I saw articles mentioning substantial transfer funds. Is that real?
"You've prepared a lot of money as well, right? Let's avoid competing for the same players. Their market value just keeps rising."
I heard a hearty laugh on the other end of the line.
— If we want the same players, then it's up to the players to choose. I'm confident.
"You're quite confident, aren't you?"
— When will you head to Korea?
"Probably soon?"
— Hmm…
It seemed Roman had something to say but was hesitating.
"If there's something to say, just say it."
— Please don't misunderstand what I'm about to tell you.
What could he be saying that needed such a disclaimer? I remained silent and waited for him to continue.
— Currently, I've heard from the UK police that they've begun an investigation against Charlie. They seem to be linking you with the traffic accident involving the son of The Sun's chairman, as well as a kidnapping, confinement, and assault case in Leeds.
"…"
— Our Intelligence Agency has determined that Murdoch is behind this. Didn't you suspect anything?
Suspect anything? It was suspicious enough that the police abruptly requested my appearance.
"There were indeed some strange aspects…"
I briefly recounted the incident about the bus that rushed at me and the subsequent police summons.
— They will try to involve you somehow. If Murdoch is moving, they'll apprehend Charlie and continue to release negative articles.
"Thank you for the heads up. I'll return the favor next time."
— Charlie, I hope you can leave the UK soon. But that's ultimately your decision. I wish you nothing but smooth sailing.
After ending the call with Roman, I summoned Manager Ma.
"I've heard the UK police have initiated an investigation against me."
"The UK police, you say?"
"Yes. Who was the person that extracted information regarding the protest ringleader last time?"
"It was a mercenary from the Black Bear UK branch."
"Send that person to Russia immediately."
We needed to eliminate as much evidence as possible. If there are no solid proofs, they couldn't tie me down.
"Boss, will you be staying in the UK?"
Manager Ma, who returned after delivering my instructions, inquired.
"If I start avoiding things like this, my freedom of movement will be severely limited. For now, I plan to stay."
"Understood. I'll make sure to prepare accordingly."
I nodded small. Even though a headache began early in the morning, I had already anticipated such variables.
"See? Half-hearted attempts to scare can lead to this."
In Korea or Russia, it would be easy to catch and kill without anyone noticing, but the fact that it was in the UK weighed on my mind.
And killing someone like Murdoch wouldn't be easy.
It's maddening. I clicked my tongue lightly and opened my mouth again.
"For now, call Alex."
Manager Ma bowed his head and exited the room. I grabbed the coffee cup in front of me and headed to the window for some deep thought.
I looked down at the busy people and cars moving around outside the window, lost in contemplation.
"What are you doing, Mu-hyeok?"
Han Gyeong-yeong entered and called out to me. I tore my gaze from the window and smiled at him.
"How did it go?"
I playfully asked Han Gyeong-yeong who hadn't returned to the hotel the previous night.
"It was just alright. But why so serious?"
"I thought Murdoch hadn't come to his senses yet."
I stepped back from the window and sat down. Han Gyeong-yeong followed and sat beside me.
"Murdoch? Why him?"
I briefly summarized the conversation I had with Roman that morning.
"Hmm… Then I should tell LK Law Firm to prepare as well. Just in case."
Hearing all the details made Han Gyeong-yeong serious too.
"You're not leaving the UK, are you?"
"If I were to run away over something like this, I wouldn't have started in the first place."
"I knew you'd say that. I'll prepare things on my end too."
With the influence Han Gyeong-yeong had, the UK police couldn't treat him lightly.
A moment of silence passed. To lighten the mood, I tossed a light joke.
"So, did Aili learn anything? Didn't she just goof off with romance?"
"You think I would do that, Boss? I heard the previous CEO, who got shoved aside by Taylor, was exceptional at his job. This might be a bit biased since he's Aili's father."
"So Aili's dad was the former CEO?"
I was completely unaware of that since it wasn't in the documents. When I asked again, Han Gyeong-yeong shrugged his shoulders lightly.
"Yeah. I didn't know this either. When he was in the second division, he managed the team despite lacking funds. But after moving into the first division, he got ousted by Taylor."
"Really? He's capable?"
"I'm not saying this just because he's her father, but he endured the dark times thanks to him."
"Set up a meeting. Let's meet and decide then."
"I was actually going to set it up today. Want to join?"
I nodded. Given the circumstances, I thought it was a great idea since I was already troubled by the executives.
"Alright. I'll note that down and reach out. Should we meet at this hotel in the evening?"
"Let's do that."
"Then I'll go in, reach out to everyone, and try to rest a bit."
Han Gyeong-yeong headed to his room, leaving me alone. While waiting, I downed several cups of coffee.
About an hour later, Alex arrived with Manager Ma.
"Did you call for me?"
"Take a seat."
As I gestured, Alex settled into a chair.
"What was I supposed to prepare?"
"Whenever you get a command, it can be executed immediately."
Alex answered confidently with a determined expression.
"Then let's proceed tonight."
"Tonight?"
"You must not let our connection be revealed. Not even a trace."
"No one will know of your existence, Boss. We've taken several steps down, so no matter how much they trace, the only name that will surface is mine."
"I can trust you, right?"
"Yes. Trust me."
He was moving even better than I anticipated. I nodded in satisfaction at his trustworthy demeanor.
"But Boss, Philip's movements seem suspicious."
"Suspicious?"
"Since you instructed to keep an eye on Philip, I've been observing. He's acting normally, but I confirmed he's persistently in touch with someone."
"Hmm…"
I closed my eyes in silence.
If Philip had developed resentment for being left out of this matter, our entire plan could fall apart.
That's why I had asked Alex to keep a close watch.
But I never expected he'd actually get caught.
"How strong is Philip's influence in the Black Bear UK branch?"
"Mercenaries operate based on money. Some were referred by Philip, but they ultimately won't move without orders from headquarters."
"… Let's meet with Philip once. Make sure to identify who he's contacting and who he's meeting with."
"Understood. Just leave it to me."
Alex didn't hide his ambitions at all. He was the type of person to seize opportunities.
People like Philip, who concealed their real intentions, were harder for me to deal with.
I preferred interacting with someone who openly expressed what they wanted.
"Carry out the tasks I assigned without Philip's knowledge. No, let's leak some misinformation to see if it diverts elsewhere."
"Understood."
Thanks to his experience in the intelligence agency, Alex understood my words without needing detailed instructions.
He'd manage without needing specifics about the plans.
"You can go now."
After sending Alex off, I gave separate instructions to Manager Ma.
"Have Philip come to see me tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Boss."
After wrapping up tasks, I felt a throbbing headache. I stood up and headed to my room.
"I have a bit of a headache. I'll rest, so please wake me up in the afternoon, Manager."
When I saw Manager Ma nodding, I stepped into my room.
I threw myself onto the bed and closed my eyes.
My mind was in disarray, but soon it went dark, and I slipped into sleep.
How much time passed? I felt a presence and unintentionally sat up.
"Are you alright, Boss? CEO Han asked me to wake you."
It was Manager Ma. Upon hearing that Han Gyeong-yeong was looking for me, I moved and sat on the edge of the bed.
Accepting the water handed to me by Manager Ma, who showed a worried expression, I gulped it down.
"How long has it been?"
"You've slept for about three hours."
Three hours? After checking the watch on my wrist, I shook my head and expelled the grogginess.
"Did you contact Philip?"
"Yes, I've arranged a meeting for tomorrow morning."
"Did he not have any questions?"
"Nothing at all."
"That's surprising. Let's head out for now."
Since I had only met Philip once, I hadn't sought him out after that. Any directives were handled through Alex.
By now, it would be reasonable for him to wonder why I'm looking for him, yet there are no inquiries…
What's his hidden motive? This is exactly why I dislike working with someone who hides their true intentions.
As I stepped out, I saw Han Gyeong-yeong waiting.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah. I passed out."
Han Gyeong-yeong chuckled as he offered me a cup of coffee.
"Have a drink."
"Thanks."
Accepting it, I sat down. Holding the warm cup in my hands, Han Gyeong-yeong spoke first.
"LK Law Firm is looking into things."
"Really?"
"They advised against complying with police summons. Apparently, it's a tactic. The plan is to force someone to show up and then create connections to unrelated matters because getting arrest warrants issued by a court isn't easy, so they use loopholes for that."
"So you're saying the bus incident was an attempt to frame us?"
"Probably?"
The previously strange bus incident suddenly made sense.
"Ha… this is ridiculous."
It wasn't even the CIA or other intelligence agencies making moves; it was just the police.
"Things like this are rare these days, so it feels refreshing."
"I've already contacted Washington."
"Why Washington?"
"To apply pressure by maneuvering politics."
Taking a moment to rest might have led to quite a bit of activity. Looking closely, Han Gyeong-yeong also had a workaholic tendency.
"You just said you were resting."
"I did rest. I just made a few calls. After all, we spent that much money, so we need to use it at times like this."
Han Gyeong-yeong, noticing my gaze, smiled as he lifted his coffee cup.
"You focus on wrapping up the soccer club. I'll handle this matter on my end."
His unexpected statement caught me off guard, and I blurted out in confusion.
"You?"
"Yeah, just leave it to me."
"Alright. Go for it."
It made sense that Han Gyeong-yeong would handle the legal side better while I took care of the illegal aspects.
After showing my acceptance, a satisfied Han Gyeong-yeong checked the time and then spoke.
"It's time. Shall we head down?"
Nodding, I stood up first.
Together with Han Gyeong-yeong, we headed down to the restaurant in the hotel.
In the distance, I spotted Aili's face, along with a man beside her.
Unlike the sharp-looking Aili, the man had a rugged face with a bushy beard.
"Aili!"
Han Gyeong-yeong waved cheerfully, and she smiled back, raising her hand.
"Dad, this is James Han."
"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Ellen White."
Aili's father stood up and extended his hand.
Han Gyeong-yeong shook it lightly.
"Mr. Ellen, I've heard a lot about you. My name is James Han. Please take care of me."
"You too, I look forward to working with you."
"And this is my friend Charlie."
After shaking hands with a somewhat awkward Ellen, we sat down.
"I saw you both in the newspaper. Is it true? Are you really investing that much money into the club?"
Ellen didn't hesitate to dive straight into the topic about the club.
"Yes. We plan to change everything completely."
The response spilled out from my mouth. Ellen turned her gaze toward me.
"That's why we need a club president and manager who can revamp the club according to our vision… You were the president who led Leeds through its dark times, correct?"
"That's all in the past now."
"I heard you were ousted from power due to internal political struggles. If we were to entrust the presidency to you, would you be able to handle it well?"
"Well, why would I need to be in that position? If you're just looking for a puppet to follow your orders, you've come to the wrong place."
Ellen firmly expressed her refusal.
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