Chapter 289: Is the Club Yours?

“How many showed up?”

“Looks like around a hundred.”

Hearing that fans had gathered, I merely laughed. As I chuckled, Han Gyeong-yeong’s face turned serious.

“We shouldn’t take this lightly. If the football enthusiasts oppose it, the owner will definitely have a hard time passing on their shares.”

Han Gyeong-yeong was right.

If the fans took a stand, even Chairman Peter, one of them, would have difficulty transferring ownership.

But since he had no other choice, the club would eventually be in my hands.

The critical issue was identifying who instigated and led this protest.

“By the way, news travels fast. It’s only been a few hours since negotiating with the club, and they’ve already found out where we’re staying and arrived here.”

“Yeah. What do we do? Call the police?”

I shook my head at Han Gyeong-yeong’s suggestion. Calling the police could escalate the situation.

“Is it really necessary? Let’s go out and see for ourselves.”

I set down my glass and stood up.

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Relax. We have our security team and hotel security on standby. If we’re going to be scared over something like this, we might as well not do anything at all. Right, Manager Ma?”

“That’s correct. I’ll inform the security team.”

Reluctantly glancing between Han Gyeong-yeong and me, he finally stood up as well.

Together, we left the suite and took the elevator down.

When we reached the first floor and stepped into the lobby, the shouting from outside was already audible.

“Those voices are loud enough to raise the dead.”

Han Gyeong-yeong muttered quietly, eliciting a chuckle from me.

As we exited the hotel’s main entrance, the demonstrators came into view.

― We oppose the sale of Leeds United!

― We do not want a new owner!

― We do not want an Asian!

Contrary to Manager Ma’s report, there was a far larger crowd gathered.

This is why protests are daunting. It’s easy to be swept along by the atmosphere.

While gathering ten people is tough, it only takes an instant for ten to become a hundred, and a hundred to become a thousand.

“Let’s see what they’re saying.”

I walked slowly toward them. As I moved, the security team quickly surrounded me, keeping an eye on the surroundings.

It seemed that they noticed our arrival, and they began to shout even louder.

― Get out of Leeds now!

I halted a little ahead, keeping some distance from them.

“Prepare a platform or something. Oh, and a microphone too.”

“Understood.”

Manager Ma instructed his subordinate, and with the hotel’s assistance, a small podium and microphone were set up.

I ascended the podium first, followed by Han Gyeong-yeong and Manager Ma.

With three of us up there, the podium was nearly full. Given the short notice, it was to be expected.

Tapping the prepared microphone, I spoke.

“Can you all hear me?”

The raucous noise surged as the crowd was continuously growing. It looked like there were at least three hundred people present now.

I even spotted some children among the throng.

For them, the club named Leeds United was everything.

“Let’s hear your reasons. Why do you oppose our takeover? Is there anyone who would speak for the group?”

At my question, the gaze of those at the front shifted toward one individual.

‘Looks like that fellow is the leader of the protest.’

I directed my gaze at him and reiterated, “Is there anyone willing to take the mic?”

Seeing my look, he cleared his throat a couple of times and raised his hand.

“I will speak!”

“Pass the microphone to him.”

On my order, one of the security personnel handed him a microphone.

I addressed the man who received the mic.

“Tell us why you came here tonight. What are you unhappy about, and what do you want us to do? Just speak your mind.”

As soon as I finished my query, the man raised his voice into the microphone.

“Get out of Leeds! We don’t want a foreigner as the owner of Leeds!”

“This isn’t how conversations work.”

“We don’t want to talk. Just get out!”

The man’s insistence was met with supportive cries from the crowd, revealing the protest was indeed planned.

“You don’t want to converse, simply demand we leave? Why should we comply? Do you own any shares in the club? Are all of you club shareholders?”

“…”

The man fell silent at the inconvenient question. I raised an eyebrow at him, smirking.

“So, does that mean you’re not a shareholder? In that case, you’re merely a ‘true Leeds fan.’ But how do you know what it takes to operate a club? Demanding we leave without a conversation is absurd!”

“Our stance is straightforward! We cannot hand our Leeds over to foreigners!”

The man merely regurgitated the same line like a parrot.

“So what’s your actual reason?”

“The club is ours.”

“Why is the club yours? What did you do when the club was struggling financially? Isn’t it still an issue now? Do you even know how much revenue was generated from season ticket sales last year? And what’s the average attendance at the home matches?”

Leeds United was among the top-tier clubs, but in terms of season ticket sales and attendance, it ranked among the lower tiers.

That said, it didn’t mean the fan base was small. In terms of fans, it rivaled Manchester United, the most popular club in the Premier League.

However, the inability of management drove fans away from the stadium.

“That’s…”

“There have been times when even the Championship clubs had higher attendance than yours. So, let’s ask, what have you done for the club? What will you do? Anyone can claim to be a fan, but while professing your love for the club, what did you do until the club faced bankruptcy?”

I provocatively mocked him to stir the crowd.

“Take it easy. You might end up killing someone.”

Han Gyeong-yeong spoke with worry as he realized my intentions.

“What right do you have to say that to us! You’re nothing but a nobody! Get lost, yellow monkey!”

As if others were provoked, someone other than the man with the microphone made a racist remark.

Han Gyeong-yeong frowned. Sensing our silence, the man grew bolder, continuing his tirade.

“A rich yellow monkey thinks he can take over our club? Nonsense! Isn’t that right? No way we’ll accept that!”

Though he lacked a microphone, his voice echoed through the crowd.

A few nodded in agreement, but most grimaced at the man’s words.

“He’s a racist. Report him.”

“What? Report me? Go ahead! You think we’ll let you off the hook?”

“‘We’? You made the racist comment; why are you using ‘we’? Hilarious. Grab that guy and turn him into the police. No leniency. No deals either.”

In the UK and throughout Europe, racism ran rampant.

Just because individuals held such views didn’t mean the state would condone them.

While actual imprisonment was rare, the fines were severe—far too hefty for an average person to afford.

There was absolutely no reason to engage in a war of words with such scum. I’d simply show them that life is a game of survival.

The man, caught by the security team, screamed for help, but nobody came to his aid.

It was a glaring moment when the protestors’ flaw of being easily swept away but personally responsible was exposed.

“Let go! Let me go!”

Ignoring the man being dragged away, I turned to the man with the microphone.

“Seems like our conversation drifted off-topic for a moment. Please tell me, what qualifications do you have to recognize our legitimate attempt to take over the club?”

“Football clubs aren’t merely run on money.”

“If not money, then what?”

There’s no such thing as something that cannot be financed. I shot back with a mocking grin.

“A club exists and operates because of fans! Do you really think it can survive without us?”

As the ruckus continued, more people were beginning to gather around.

Not only protestors, but regular residents were also showing up. It was now my turn to share my vision with them.

“Fans? Sure, I get that having fans means a club exists. But I won’t let a prestigious club like Leeds sit idle as a minor club in Leeds. I plan to make it the club with the most fans in the world.”

“Anyone can talk.”

The man with the microphone scoffed sarcastically.

This must have been their reaction to be slightly challenged. Should I scratch their pride a little more?

“You all know about Manchester United, right?”

Mentioning Manchester United,

this club was undeniable for Leeds fans.

The murmuring of the crowd grew louder. Their faces flushed with anger, and the man’s chance to speak diminished accordingly.

“That team has many fans worldwide. What does Leeds lack compared to Manchester?”

Soon, the crowd erupted in fervent shouts.

“Comparing our team to Manchester is outrageous!”

“How dare you compare our team to that? You want to die?”

The atmosphere became increasingly heated. Suddenly, a man stepped forward, snatched the microphone from the previous speaker, and proclaimed.

“Alright! Let’s hear how you plan to change our team if you become its owners.”

“No… What…”

The original speaker faltered as the new one continued,

“Peter! Let’s hear what you have to say.”

“Harry, you think negotiating with them is worthwhile?”

“Let’s at least listen!”

The opinions of the gathered fans were diverging. Witnessing the situation unfold as I had hoped brought a smile to my face.

More Leeds citizens joined later than the original protestors.

The momentum had inevitably shifted to the man who had just stepped up, Harry.

“Now, tell us how you plan to convince us. Make it clear enough for us to understand. If you spout nonsense, we won’t hold back either.”

Taking over the initiative, Harry asked with a fierce look. I looked unfazed and shot back a question instead.

“What kind of team do you aspire to have?”

Though I asked, no one responded.

“Do you want to win the Champions League? Or do you want to be a strong club?”

Looking at the sea of people, I spoke again.

“The way we plan to operate the club is simple. We’ll bring in the best players and coaches for plenty of money. Whatever it takes. One hundred million pounds? Two hundred million pounds? Feel free to name a price.”

Mentioning absurd figures, Peterson seized the moment to speak to Harry.

“See? Why would you even consider talking to such a madman? We simply need to stop their takeover.”

“…”

The outrageous sum seemed hard to grasp, and Harry nodded slightly in agreement.

“Does it sound like a lie? Want to laugh? I’ll assume you don’t know who’s standing beside you. Few can match this man’s wealth globally. He’s the one proposing to take over the club. He’s determined to make Leeds a powerhouse.”

As I looked to the side, Han Gyeong-yeong wore an awkward smile.

“Do you have a player you desire? I’ll get them for you, no matter the cost. Just tell me. If the fans want it, I’ll surely make it happen.”

The two hundred million pounds I mentioned was indeed a sum that could acquire several of the most expensive players currently in the market.

“Moreover, any fans visiting the club would know about its poor facilities. I plan to completely overhaul the stadium we currently use as our home ground.”

The bombshell I dropped sparked excitement among the fans.

Though uncertain, they began to cheer out names of players they wanted.

“Once the takeover is confirmed, we’ll hold a vote in the local paper. I promise to bring in a player chosen through your participation by any means necessary.”

Those who gathered to denounce us began to cheer instead.

These were genuine fans who loved football and the club Leeds.

While my mouth formed a gentle smile at such fans, my eyes remained fixed on the man named Peterson, devoid of emotion.