Usually, contract renewals for ordinary players were handled entirely by the sporting director.
In the case of key players, the chairman might get involved as well, but it was rare for the club owner to manage it personally.
And for Mansour, the deputy prime minister of an entire nation, to fly in himself for a player's contract renewal was unquestionably astonishing.
But what was even more surprising was that, despite the contract nearing its expiry, he had not pressured Ho-young at all.
Just as he had promised before, he had created the best possible environment so Ho-young could focus only on football.
That was why he had arranged to meet him alone today, without Lucci.
He wanted to cast aside all the calculated matters and have an honest conversation.
Because before Ho-young was a player under contract at his club, he had been his football idol.
He was treating him not as an owner, but as a simple fan.
And he was trying to win him over.
Asking him to stay with his team.
But it was not only Mansour.
Bzzzz.
A phone call from Madrid, Spain.
It was Chairman Calderón.
'So now that the time has come, he's calling me himself.'
As Ho-young's contract neared its end, Real Madrid had already submitted a figure to bring him back, and Manchester City had no choice but to accept under the buyback clause.
All that remained was Ho-young's decision.
But Ho-young did not answer the call.
'Calderón.'
He had almost no desire to return to the Real Madrid where Calderón was.
Even if he did go back, it was obvious he would be used politically.
He had not the slightest intention of fattening that man's wallet through his own sacrifice.
As long as Calderón, who treated players like merchandise, remained there, he had no intention of returning.
'Now isn't the time to go back.'
If Calderón were to show genuine sincerity, things might be different, but for now he wanted to hear Mansour out first.
So he slipped the phone back into his pocket.
It was at that very moment that Mansour began to speak.
"Is that a call you can ignore?"
"For now, yes."
"I don't know who it was, but thank you for being considerate."
Having more or less understood the situation, Mansour continued calmly.
"I'll say it again, thank you for helping make Manchester City such a great club."
It was purely heartfelt.
This season, Manchester City had made an enormous financial profit thanks to Ho-young.
Not only from prize money and broadcasting rights, but also from the rise in club value driven by the sales of Ho-young's shirts.
But Mansour had an even grander dream than that.
From this point on, he was speaking not as a personal fan, but as the club owner.
"Would you not like to build the best club in the world with us next year?"
A one-year extension.
The dream of turning Manchester City into the best club in the world.
Ho-young found himself standing at a major crossroads.
All that remained was his choice.
Ho-young opened his mouth.
"I suppose this summer transfer window is going to be busy. Could I see the club's shortlist?"
Madrid, Spain.
A furious voice burst out from the president's office at the Santiago Bernabéu.
"Unbelievable!"
It was Calderón's voice.
He was furious about the reply Ho-young had just sent.
[I have an important appointment, so I'll contact you separately later.]
"How dare he!"
What appointment could possibly be more important than speaking with him, to send a reply like that?
Calderón felt insulted.
At the same time, anxiety crept in.
'Could it be that at this point he's going to Manchester City...?'
If, by any chance, he lost Ho-young now, it would be over.
He had always believed that would never happen, but now it seemed the impossible was becoming reality.
'Why?'
He had kept in touch consistently even while Ho-young was away at Manchester City.
Up until then, he had definitely given off the impression that he would return.
'And now this?'
He had even said they would pay him more than Manchester City in wages, yet there had been no response.
It was the same when he tried calling Lucci.
No matter what he said, Lucci replied, "No matter what you say to me, it won't change anything. The decision rests with Ho-young," and refused even to negotiate a renewal.
"Damn it."
The club's situation was already bad enough as it was.
No trophies.
Most of the financial problems had been resolved, but from the fans' point of view, results were what mattered most.
Because of that, Calderón's approval rating was collapsing.
The dominant opinion was that if they had not sent Ho-young to City, they could have challenged for five trophies or more.
He had a bad feeling.
"No, that can't be."
Calderón forced himself to deny it.
He kept telling himself that Ho-young would return no matter what.
He clasped his hands and prayed for it over and over.
And then, a little while later.
Bang!
As he waited for a reply from Ho-young while checking the overseas headlines, Calderón slammed his desk hard.
[
[This morning, Ho-young visited the Etihad Stadium. Although there was no official schedule, speculation is spreading that the reason for the visit was contract renewal.]
"Urgh."
After reading the article, Calderón's face turned red, and he could no longer control his emotions.
'Damn it. I was too complacent.'
The Sun was a tabloid with very poor credibility, but when it came to players' private lives, it was second to none.
In other words, there was a high chance that article was true.
Growing desperate, Calderón finally picked up the office phone.
"Book a flight to Manchester immediately!"
The flight to Manchester took off that same afternoon.
Manchester, England.
Chairman Calderón and several club officials went to Ho-young's house with pale faces.
Since they were uninvited guests who had shown up without any appointment, they had to wait nearby for some time until he responded to their contact.
They could hardly storm into the Etihad Stadium with their heads held high.
They met Ho-young after he returned home, thirty minutes later.
It would have been natural for him to be flustered by the sudden visit, but Ho-young soon spoke with a calm expression.
"I was just about to contact you."
"You say that as though you knew I would come. May I come inside?"
"I would like to speak with you alone."
"Very well."
And so, the two of them began their final discussion.
Inside the living room.
It was Ho-young who spoke first.
"Has the club's situation improved at all?"
"Your contribution was immense. You can come back with peace of mind now. Everyone will welcome your return."
"That's good to hear. I was worried there might be people who would oppose my return."
"Haha. You worry too much."
Calderón gave a faint smile.
'Just as I thought, Ho-young has no choice but to return to Real Madrid.'
Perhaps he had worried for nothing.
Things seemed likely to go more smoothly than he had expected.
But then.
The reply that came back was something he had never anticipated.
"But I'm not going."
"...?!"
"I don't think it's time to go back yet."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said. I'm staying here this season."
"No, but why all of a sudden...?"
"There is nothing in this world that happens all of a sudden."
"..."
Calderón was so taken aback that he could not speak for a while.
He had never imagined Ho-young would be this direct.
The back of his neck went cold.
He wanted to get up and storm out immediately.
As the chairman of a giant club like Real Madrid, his pride would not allow him to beg a player.
But.
"Don't do this, take some time and think it over..."
Calderón cast aside his pride and pleaded earnestly.
If he lost Ho-young while trying to save face, then he would not be able to keep his position as chairman either.
No, that was not even the real problem.
He might even be forced to step down.
But.
"I've already thought about it enough. I'm going to renew with Manchester City."
Ho-young remained completely firm.
It was also the moment Calderón's attitude changed sharply.
"You ungrateful bastard! Who do you think raised you all this time!"
Calderón shot to his feet and jabbed a finger in Ho-young's face.
Ho-young did not stay silent and answered back at once.
"The one who raised me was not you, it was Real Madrid."
"Y-you...!"
Calderón, who had stood up abruptly, clutched the back of his neck and sat back down.
Because it was not wrong.
"Are you planning to betray all the effort the club has poured into you? Do you have no loyalty at all?"
"I do have loyalty to the club. I simply have none whatsoever to you."
"Aaah..."
Calderón ground his teeth, then forced his voice down and continued.
"...Are you trying to make a fool of me right now?"
"I'm not in the mood for games."
"Ugh, ugh..."
And then came the finishing blow.
"We're done here, so please leave my house now."
With that one sentence, Ho-young conveyed exactly how he felt.
The conversation ended there.
And the article related to it came out the very next day.
[
[Ho-young, I no longer want to be Calderón's political sacrificial lamb. I only want to focus on football.]
[At the press conference, Ho-young said, "I do feel sorry toward my former teammates. But if we all do our best in our respective places, I believe we will meet again someday. And I still maintain good relationships with them. A few of them have already left me messages saying they will support me to the end," and gave a moving interview.]
[Manchester City's owner, Mansour, "I will show the world why I bought Manchester City, together with Ho-young."]
As soon as Ho-young's renewal with Manchester City was confirmed, explosive reactions followed.
Manchester City's fans ran out into the streets and shouted with joy as soon as the news broke, while their rivals in the Premier League naturally groaned in despair.
And it was not only England that reacted.
Madrid, Spain.
Real Madrid fans could not hide their shock.
Their reactions were split between those saddened by Ho-young's decision to stay and those who blamed Calderón.
Meanwhile, Barcelona fans were in a full-blown festive mood.
And so, Ho-young's choice was throwing the football world into turmoil.
Moreover, it even affected the upcoming FIFA presidential election.
"This is driving me mad."
FIFA vice president Chung Mong-joon was suffering from a headache no less severe than Chairman Calderón's.
It was because of Ho-young's decision to stay.
'If Ho-young sides with Mansour, we'll be at a huge disadvantage.'
That was understandable, because Mansour had recently aligned himself with AFC president Bin Hammam's camp.
In other words, they would be handing over the powerful publicity card named Ho-young to their rivals.
'It can't be helped.'
He had not wanted to use this method, but he had no choice.
If he wanted to take on Bin Hammam and Blatter, he had to use every method available.
So vice president Chung Mong-joon urgently contacted the Korea Football Association.
The recipient was the 52nd president of the Korea Football Association, Chung Hyun-kyu.
Chung Mong-joon spoke to Chung Hyun-kyu, his younger cousin and the chairman of a major conglomerate, in a commanding tone.
"Call him up during this A-match period no matter what. Starting with the China match."
"Who are you talking about all of a sudden, hyungnim?"
"Ho-young. Call him up for every single A-match in pre-season."
One hour later, Manchester, England.
After receiving contact from the Korea Football Association regarding the call-up, Ho-young let out a hollow laugh.
'So this is how they're going to pressure me.'
In other words, the message from KFA president Chung Hyun-kyu was simple.
Either make time and actively help with FIFA vice president Chung Mong-joon's election campaign, or waste that time playing in A-matches instead.
He had to choose one of the two.
Even if he wanted to refuse the call-up, rejecting an international summons without valid reason would deal a serious blow to his career.
In other words, if he did not want to waste time and stamina in the off-season, then he was being told to follow vice president Chung Mong-joon's wishes.
It was a form of blackmail through power.
'So it comes to this in the end.'
A political tool.
As the best footballer in the world, it was a fate he could never completely avoid.
But Ho-young had a plan of his own.
'I won't let them push me around like this.'
He knew very well how vicious the powerful figures controlling the football world could be.
Once he started being dragged around by them, it would be hard to escape that pit.
Therefore.
'I have to settle this here.'
Ho-young accepted the call-up.
He had already wanted to test the talent of transcendental ball sense, so in a way, it might be a chance to kill two birds with one stone.
A chance to settle things cleanly with those trying to obstruct his brilliant future.
Ho-young decided to act immediately.
(To be continued.)