Episode 123: The Sportswear Business
“Hyung, it’s already too late. They’re coming this way.”
“Oh no, they must have seen me. Well then, I’m off. Just say I went to the restroom for a bit.”
Kim Jung-oh, clearly harassed, fled the scene as soon as he finished speaking.
Park Sang-myeon, suddenly losing his target, looked around.
“Wasn’t Vice President Kim Jung-oh here just a moment ago? I’m sure I saw him.”
“Oh, he felt a bit unwell and went to the restroom for a moment.”
“Oh, I see.”
Park Sang-myeon looked slightly disappointed but soon regained his composure.
“Ah, isn’t this President Lee Chang-jin of Daese Industries?”
“Do you know me?”
“Of course. I read about you in the newspapers. President Lee Chang-jin, the pioneer of the Green Revolution. You’ve been making waves as a successful young entrepreneur lately. They say you have the Midas touch, always hitting the jackpot with your ventures, making investors very attentive. You’re also the top pick for Gangnam madams but are hard to catch, earning you the nickname ‘Slippery Eel’.”
“That’s quite embarrassing.”
“Well, isn’t it true? I only speak the facts. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Park Sang-myeon from the Korea Football Association. I have the honor of serving as the chairman.”
Lee Chang-jin, returning the handshake of the amicable man, introduced himself as well.
“I’m Lee Chang-jin of Daese Industries. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine, Chairman.”
“I’ve heard rumors about your explosive growth lately. How many subsidiaries do you have, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Ah, yes. Including construction, textiles, agriculture, and beer, plus chemicals, we have about five subsidiaries.”
“Wow, that’s quite a sizable group. Isn’t it time you considered starting a sports team?”
“A group? That’s too generous. We’re still just a small to medium-sized enterprise.”
“Haha, you’re too modest. The sports industry is quite a promising business model overseas. It’s great for boosting corporate unity and has excellent promotional effects. I think it’s high time you consider starting a football team.”
“Haha, we’re still too small to even think about it.”
“Oh, come on. You should consider starting a football team. The professional league will launch soon, and you won’t be able to do it later even if you want to. Starting now won’t be a losing business.”
Lee Chang-jin understood why Kim Jung-oh had fled. The man’s rapid speech made it impossible to interject. Lee glanced at Jin Seon-ah, but she was engrossed in conversation with a blue-eyed foreigner and couldn’t move.
Lee Chang-jin, struggling for a while, was eventually rescued by someone else.
“Chang-jin oppa? Long time no see. Are you attending this event too?”
He turned to see Nam Joo-hee. His face lit up at the sight of his savior.
“Oh, Joo-hee? How long has it been?”
“About a year, I think? I heard you were in the Middle East for a while. Must have been tough.”
“Not really tough. It was my choice.”
Nam Joo-hee’s enthusiastic approach disrupted the previous conversation.
Next to Nam Joo-hee, a smiling man appeared, looking pleased.
“Hey, focusing only on Joo-hee is a bit disappointing. Don’t you see me?”
“No way, Tae-hee? Nam Tae-hee?”
“Yeah, Chang-jin. It’s been a long time.”
Lee Chang-jin, smiling warmly, shook hands with Nam Tae-hee.
“How many years has it been? You haven’t changed a bit. It’s been almost 15 years since high school graduation, right?”
“You too. How come you haven’t changed at all? I’ve heard you’re doing great these days. The rumors are wild.”
“Oh, this is embarrassing. It’s not all my skill, just good luck.”
“Luck is also a skill. I heard you even gave Tae-kyung hyung a tough time? You sent him packing, thanks to you, I’m here.”
Lee Chang-jin muttered in response to Nam Tae-hee’s playful words.
“Haha. That’s nonsense. Competing with Taeyang Group? It just happened that way. By the way, are you done with your studies?”
“More or less. I’ve written my doctoral thesis, so I’ve done my part. Not sure if it’ll pass yet.”
“You’ve worked hard. Are you planning to get involved in the group management now?”
“I guess I’ll have to, but I need time to adapt and learn the ropes. Starting from scratch again is daunting. Honestly, I think I’m more suited to being a professor than managing a company.”
“Well, if you’ve studied that much, you’ll be good at management too.”
“I don’t know. I’m just doing my best because my father wants me to.”
Lee Chang-jin maintained a calm conversation but couldn’t suppress the feeling of contempt bubbling inside.
‘This snake. No interest in management? Not a chance.’
It was him. The one who drove him to ruin.
Nam Tae-hee. The future heir of Taeyang Group and known as the tyrant of the business world. The shock of discovering that the closure of his company was orchestrated by this guy was nothing short of devastating.
Nam Tae-hee smiled warmly, but Lee Chang-jin wasn’t fooled.
His words were smooth, but his eyes weren’t smiling.
Suppressing his rising nausea, Lee Chang-jin maintained his composure.
“I wish you the best. Oh, Chairman Park Sang-myeon is here too.”
Park Sang-myeon, who had been standing awkwardly nearby, finally smiled.
“Hello, Director Nam. Long time no see.”
“Oh, Chairman Park. I heard you’ve taken on the significant role of the Korea Football Association chairman. There’s high hope for your contribution to the development of Korean football.”
“Haha, thank you for your kind words.”
Nam Tae-hee, turning to Lee Chang-jin, asked for a moment.
“By the way, Chang-jin, do you have any more to discuss with the chairman? I have something to say as well.”
“No, we’re done. I’ll step back, so you two can talk.”
As Park Sang-myeon left, Nam Joo-hee asked Lee Chang-jin with curiosity.
“Oppa, were you schoolmates?”
“Yeah, we knew each other briefly in high school. Isn’t it strange not to know each other? He’s the second son of a conglomerate family. We weren’t that close, though.”
“Hmm, I see. Oppa doesn’t talk much about himself. Well, it’s odd for him to have close friends, isn’t it? Maybe subordinates, but not friends.”
Lee Chang-jin smiled faintly at her pointed remark.
“Haha, that’s true. By the way, did those two know each other from before?”
“No way. They just met recently.”
“Then?”
“Actually, the group is planning to start a football team. It’s my brother’s first business venture. Initially, they wanted to place him directly in the electronics division, but there was a lot of talk about how even the owner’s son shouldn’t just parachute in. They felt he needed some business performance first.”
“A football team? You mean a semi-professional team?”
“Yes.”
“Starting a semi-professional team to build business performance? Why sports, of all things? Seems a bit out of the blue.”
“They’re aiming for promotional effects. My brother was on the soccer team in the U.S. So he has an interest in sports marketing. He studied that too.”
“Theory and practice are different. Running a club isn’t that easy.”
“Well, they must have a solid plan. They’re thinking of recruiting Cha Geun-bum for the semi-professional team.”
“Cha Geun-bum?”
“Yes. Recruiting him as a founding member. Cha Geun-bum is a guaranteed box office draw in soccer. If he leads the team to victory, it will boost the company’s image.”
Lee Chang-jin felt a sense of novelty. Cha Geun-bum. Known as the “Brown Bomber,” he was famous for his career in the Bundesliga, being selected for the season’s best three times, and holding the foreign player scoring title for 13 years. He was once considered one of the greatest foreign players in Bundesliga history and later named the greatest Asian player in history by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and ESPN.
“That’s a good idea. But doesn’t Cha Geun-bum have strong intentions to go abroad? I heard he’s doing military service to reduce his service days.”
“Oh, you know well. But no matter how strong his intentions are, if the Football Association opposes, going abroad is impossible. Moreover, the national interest can easily override an individual’s desires. My brother is capable of doing that.”
“Okay. Why are you telling me such high-level information?”
“It’s a bit disheartening. A world-class player like Cha Geun-bum should contribute to soccer development by playing in a prestigious European club, not staying in a small pond like Korea. Using the team creation as leverage to hold him hostage is disheartening. Also…”
“Also?”
“My brother should learn that the world isn’t as easy as he thinks if he’s going to start a business. He needs to learn that theory and practice are different.”
Lee Chang-jin read pure malice in Nam Joo-hee’s eyes. Whether it was anger at not being able to become a successor because she was a woman or anger as a soccer person, he couldn’t tell. But one thing was clear: the siblings weren’t as close as they seemed.
As Lee Chang-jin contemplated how to use the information he received, Nam Joo-hee whispered.
“Oh dear, I must be going. Your girlfriend is glaring daggers this way. I’m scared, so I’ll leave.”
With quick steps, Nam Joo-hee left, and Jin Seon-ah returned.
Slightly out of breath, Jin Seon-ah asked, panting.
“You said you were talking to a senior, but you wandered off. Who was that?”
“Nam Joo-hee, the daughter of Chairman Nam of Taeyang Group. A university junior.”
“Oh, really? A junior? You seemed close.”
She looked back with a hint of jealousy.
Guessing her thoughts, Lee Chang-jin chuckled.
“Don’t worry. Seon-ah, she’s not my type. Are you jealous?”
“Who, who said I was jealous? I’m just curious.”
“Oh, come on. You know, I’m only for you. I’ve never seen anyone prettier than you. That’s why I’m so smitten.”
“How can you say such embarrassing things.”
She glanced around, embarrassed, as if someone might hear. Despite her blushing face, she seemed to enjoy it. Sensing her mood lighten, Lee Chang-jin spoke.
“Well, it’s true. By the way, Seon-ah, do you know any investors interested in the sports sector? Someone interested in starting a semi-professional team.”
“A club creation? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Yeah. I heard Taeyang Group is planning a semi-professional soccer team. I thought we might join in.”
It would be killing two birds with one stone—running a business and giving Nam Tae-hee a hard time.
With a brilliant idea in mind, Lee Chang-jin’s eyes sparkled as he spoke, leaving Jin Seon-ah puzzled.
“Join in? How?”
- To be continued in Episode 124 -
