Money Keeps Piling Up No Matter How Much I Spend

Chapter 94

Translator: DreamscribeCurrently, professional baseball teams operating in South Korea are incurring hundreds of billions of won in losses every year for large corporations.

That’s why, from time to time, some companies cut their losses and walk away from their baseball teams.

However, despite that, many conglomerates still continue to run baseball teams.

“They see it as an intangible value that can’t be seen with the eyes. Since baseball is the most popular sport in our country, the promotional effect is naturally tremendous.”

Just last year, a whopping 8.4 million spectators visited the baseball stadiums.

In addition, based on fans who watch on TV and various statistics, it is known that over 10 million people in our country prefer baseball.

In other words, that promotional effect cannot be ignored.

“You can use the baseball team as a means to enhance brand image, strengthen the internal cohesion of employees, and it even counts as social contribution. That’s why some companies continue to maintain their teams despite hundreds of billions in losses.”

Some say it’s just because it’s the hobby of the company chairman, but that’s only half right.

If you maintain the team and then suddenly disband it, you could suffer a backlash in terms of public image. Rather than spending on other marketing efforts, it’s better to aim for promotional effects through team operation.

Of course, the team owner’s personal feelings, such as a fondness for sports, are involved to some extent.

However, I don’t even have a team I root for, nor do I particularly enjoy baseball.

“So, even if we buy a baseball team for marketing, we can never turn a profit?”

“There probably isn’t a single team that’s turned a profit. Instead, they say the losses have decreased compared to before. As baseball’s popularity continues to rise, so do the advertising revenues attached to it. That said, it’s still not enough to completely cover the losses......”

“Right. From the start, it’s not about making money from the team itself. As you said, Vice President, it’s about aiming for the marketing effect.”

If you asked whether that’s really effective, experts would say it's more effective than people think. Especially in the case of Kangseong, whenever a new product is launched, they bombard the baseball games with all sorts of advertisements.

The same goes for other companies.

“So, what should we put in?”

“We have plenty. Netflix, PicPic, KW Exchange, Kwangwoon Securities, and more. Especially the new delivery platform launching together with Kangseong Mart. For us, it will be a very effective marketing tool.”

“That’s good too. But hey, Vice President.”

“Yes?”

“You’re quite passionate today, aren’t you?”

“Is... that so?”

“Yeah. Are you, by any chance, a fan of the NX Rangers?”

“!?”

Hyung saw right through him very sharply.

“Was it that obvious?”

“A guy who usually speaks as calmly as a quiet sea no matter what happens, suddenly gets excited and talks like this, of course it’s obvious. So this is why people say their personalities change once they become baseball fans. Don’t tell me you also scream and curse at every game?”

“Not, not to that extent.”

“Judging by your face, I think you do?”

“.......”

The Vice President, a man who looked like he’d never curse in his life, cursing out loud?

Hard to imagine.

Baseball really must be a frightening sport.

I heard Lee Hye-rin ssi likes baseball too.

Could that angelic person also be...?

“Well, that works out. I’ve actually been quite curious myself.”

“About what?”

“Which team CEO Jung Jin-ho supports.”

“I don’t really have one.”

“Th-then you don’t watch baseball much either?”

“I watch it occasionally.”

“Then why the baseball team.......”

“Yeah, I thought you wanted to buy the team because you like watching baseball, Jin-ho. That’s why I agreed to the acquisition, thinking you should do what you want.”

“As Vice President said, we need to focus on marketing. We need to promote everything from KW Exchange to the new platform launching to compete with Lupang.”

Though I said that, to be honest, I had never once thought about acquiring a baseball team.

“But if we really do end up acquiring a team, I might try to get into the hobby.”

At those words, the Vice President’s face lit up brightly.

It was like seeing the expression of a seasoned player who had just encountered a lost newbie in a game.

“Then, Chairman, you should enjoy the hobby with me.”

“Ugh. I haven’t really watched baseball myself.”

“I’ll guide you through it. It’s easier than you think.”

“What if I get so pissed off at baseball that I want to flip the whole team?”

“That’s exactly the kind of thrill baseball gives you. Don’t they say it contains all the joys and sorrows of life?”

They say having fried chicken and beer while watching baseball is unbelievably good.

Later on, it might be fun to go watch a game with the employees.

“But Vice President.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Is it really that hard to make money from a baseball team?”

“Well... Even if you manage to earn some revenue from ads, uniforms, and merchandise, team operations cost hundreds of billions of won every year. Unless the team becomes insanely good and turns into Korea’s most popular club, it’s going to be tough to turn a profit.”

“I see......”

Then maybe my gut feeling was right in telling me to buy a team purely for marketing.

“Ah! But there is one possibility. During the draft or through free agency, we could sign players cheaply, raise their value, and then sell them at a high price. If we include the various additional revenues and trade fees, even if we can’t turn a profit, we could at least minimize the losses.”

“But is that even realistic?”

“It’s not easy. If we could raise one really good player and send them to Japan or the U.S., that would be ideal, but it’s pretty difficult. Producing star players is a challenge in itself.”

“More importantly, none of this matters unless we actually acquire a team first, right? Are we negotiating?”

Just like hyung said.

All of this can wait until after we buy the team.

“We are in contact. The other shareholders are willing to sell, but the problem is the largest shareholder, former CEO Yang Chang-seok. He’s currently under prosecution for embezzlement, but he doesn’t seem willing to give up his shares.”

“Is he just negotiating, or is he flat-out refusing?”

“Looks like he wants to negotiate.”

Both I and hyung frowned deeply.

“Tsk. I heard that Rangers team is known for barely supporting the players.”

“Yes. Other teams provide drinks and snacks, but this team doesn’t do that. And if a player’s salary goes up even slightly, they sell them off immediately. They’re notorious for never signing star players.”

“Then do they at least scout talented rookies and train them?”

“No. They just try to cut costs as much as possible.”

“Then why are you supporting such a team?”

“Good question. But once you get attached, it’s hard to let go. Haha. And our fanbase is the smallest in the league. Sadly.”

Maybe that’s why the opportunity to acquire the team came up.

The problem was that the CEO holding the largest stake was stubbornly clinging on.

It seemed like he was just trying to squeeze out more money somehow.

“I’ll try to negotiate the best deal possible on that front.”

“Yeah. Don’t give that thief more than he deserves.”

“Yes.”

Just as we wrapped up the conversation and were heading out.

I suddenly remembered something the Vice President said.

Buying players cheap and selling them high...

Isn’t that just like stock trading?

***

“Who's acquiring what?”

“Kwangwoon has entered the bid to acquire the Rangers team.”

“What? All of a sudden?”

Chairman Kang Sung-ho tilted his head.

“Does that chairman even like baseball?”

“From what I hear, it’s being led by CEO Jung Jin-ho.”

“CEO Jung? That’s surprising. I’ve never heard he liked baseball.”

“Maybe he’s aiming for the marketing and promotional value?”

“Well, that could be it, but is buying a baseball team really necessary? Maybe it’s just a personal hobby. He’s rich, after all. Having one expensive hobby like that wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

Come to think of it, he didn’t even know what kind of hobbies Jung Jin-ho enjoyed.

It was because whenever they met, they always talked only about work.

He thought he was starting to understand Jung Jin-ho a bit, but in truth, he wasn’t.

'So he had a hobby like that.'

“Hmph. Maybe I should visit a baseball stadium for the first time in a while.”

“But Chairman, don’t you dislike baseball?”

“That’s right. I’ve said it a few times before, haven’t I? Honestly, I don’t like the idea of pouring money into sports.”

However, unlike Kang Sung-ho, his late father was a sports fanatic.

So he created teams in various sports and continuously invested in them.

If he were to cut that off now, it felt like being unfilial, so he let it be.

“Still, in the case of baseball, the marketing and promotional impact is far greater than other sports. Even if you get rid of everything else, you must keep baseball to the end.”

“How’s our team doing right now?”

“......No. It looks like they won’t even make the postseason.”

“Tsk. This is why I hate baseball. If they were good, that’d be something. And weirdly enough, whenever I go to watch in person, they always lose.”

He never really liked baseball to begin with and had no affection for professional teams, but if Jung Jin-ho’s hobby was baseball, then Kang Sung-ho was also willing to try enjoying it.

“So, is the acquisition going well?”

“Not really. The current CEO who got caught for embezzlement is holding out to the end, so it seems there are many difficulties. At this rate, the acquisition might fail, and they’ll just bring in another sponsor like with NX and only take over the name.”

“That bastard who got arrested is really greedy.”

“Exactly. Even though he’s already been caught for embezzlement, now that someone wants to buy his shares, he’s trying to squeeze out the highest price possible.”

Kang Sung-ho furrowed his brows.

He didn’t like the guy.

And to think he was getting in the way when Jung Jin-ho just wanted to take a break from work and enjoy a hobby.

“Find out who’s in charge of the investigation. A guy like that probably has more than just one or two crimes. Dig deeper and try to increase his sentence as much as possible. Make him cough up his shares even if we have to force him.”

Kangseong always denied it.

But the legal network connected to Kangseong was vast.

Especially since there were many family-to-family ties, the term “Kangseong Republic” hadn’t come out of nowhere.

Even if that power wasn’t what it used to be.

They could still easily crush one guy trying to get in the way of Jung Jin-ho’s hobby.

***

The KBO was having a major headache over the current Rangers situation.

Team money embezzlement!

Was that even something that made sense?

For a long time, fans had joked that with the Rangers’ poor support for players and terrible training facilities, someone must be pocketing all the money behind the scenes.

But it turned out that wasn’t a joke, it was real.

Because of that, suspicions about the transparency of the team were exploding.

The only saving grace was that the other major corporate-owned teams knew it was a money-losing business to begin with, and didn’t even have money to embezzle.

“But Kwangwoon?”

“Yes. Kwangwoon has apparently succeeded in acquiring the shares.”

“What? How? That slippery bastard should’ve been holding out to the end, no?”

KBO Commissioner Jin Goo-hyun had hoped the Rangers would be sold to another team.

But the guy who got arrested was so stubborn that he thought the deal would fall apart, yet it seemed Kwangwoon had pulled it off in the end.

“From what I hear... the prosecution put heavy pressure on him.”

“The prosecution? Kwangwoon’s connected to the prosecutors too?”

“I’m not sure about that, but apparently, the prosecutors even created a new investigation team and started digging up not just the embezzlement, but other charges too. His sentence kept increasing, so in the end, he surrendered.”

Having been in the baseball world his whole life, he’d heard this kind of thing from time to time at his level.

The current administration was said to be supporting Kwangwoon as much as possible.

But he never imagined even the prosecution would step in to help them.

So this is the power of a conglomerate.

“Wait a minute. Then could it be... the Rangers CEO got arrested for embezzlement because......”

“It’s possible that Kwangwoon set the stage in advance to acquire the Rangers. Honestly, there aren’t many other teams available for acquisition right now.”

“Maybe the chairman of Kwangwoon is a Rangers fan?”

“That also seems highly likely.”

They were going so crazy over baseball that it made him furious to the point of crushing the entire team.

If you have enough money and connections, even something like that is possible.

Still, regardless of how it happened, it was a good thing for the KBO.

If a corporation heavily invests in a team and improves its quality, then the viewers who watch baseball will naturally enjoy it more.

“The only thing left now is our KBO’s approval, but...”

“What’s there to think about? We’re more than happy to welcome them with open arms. They’re the kind of people who’d crush an entire company just to get a baseball team. Do you want to end up like that too?”

“N-no, sir.”

“Then grant the approval as politely as possible. Say we look forward to significant investment going forward.”

“Yes, sir.”

Baseball.

It truly is a terrifying sport.

That conglomerate basically swept away the whole club out of frustration, just because the team was doing poorly and they wanted to take charge.

In the end, it seemed that former CEO just got greedy and picked the wrong opponent.

***

The acquisition, which we thought would be difficult, ended more easily than expected.

For reasons unknown, under sudden and widespread pressure from the prosecution, the former CEO handed over all his shares to us and washed his hands of the team.

And at a cheaper price than expected, at that.

“The team’s currently in last place, and the facilities and player salaries are all quite low. But with a bit of support, the team can definitely be rebuilt.”

The team’s condition was worse than I had imagined.

There were repairs needed in many areas, and overall morale within the team was low.

Plus, since it was the bottom-ranked team, players didn’t prefer coming here.

“But Manager Lee, you seem to be in a good mood?”

“Huh? Oh. It’s just... there’s something weirdly emotional about this, you know? It’s amazing that the company I work for bought the team I’ve been cheering for. I really hope they do well. Our Rangers... I mean, now it’s Kwangwoon Prime. I really hope our Kwangwoon does well.”

The existing name, Rangers, was removed, and the team was renamed to Kwangwoon Prime.

“Please pass on all matters related to the baseball team to the Vice President. He probably knows more about this than I do.”

“The Vice President?”

“Oh. You didn’t know? He was also a Rangers fan.”

“Gasp. I thought he never watched baseball.”

“Exactly.”

Just as I smiled and was about to send Lee Hye-rin to the Vice President.

“......?”

Suddenly, I felt a jolt run through my body like an electric current.

“Hold on a second.”

“Yes?”

“Let me see the documents you’re holding.”

“Ah, sure!”

I looked through the documents that Hye-rin handed me.

Various materials related to the team.

The fact that I just felt that sensation meant that there was something here I needed to see.

And sure enough.

“Draft list?”

“Ah. To recruit players, you absolutely have to go through the draft. You select them from this list. Otherwise, you can bring in free agents or foreign players, depending on the rules.”

In short, to someone like me who knows nothing about baseball, even looking at these profiles wouldn’t help me know who the good players are.

And yet, my intuition was going absolutely wild in response to this list.

Thinking it might be something, I opened the draft list.

“......!”

Then, the names on the list began to emit light, each one glowing in a different color.

*****

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