Chapter 6

5 seconds later, the bulletin board is visible! Chapter 006

2. Have you ever seen such crazy bastards...! (1)

"Put Lee Kyunghoon in as the starter."

"......What?"

Park Chang-hwa, the head coach and the next appointed manager of the Buffaloes, asked in disbelief at the instruction from the team's manager, Yoo Kyung-ryong.

"Sir, what do you mean by that...?"

"Didn't you hear me? My ears are still fine, but yours seem to be going bad first."

Despite the jest from Yoo Kyung-ryong, who was his senior by ten years, had been his hitting coach, his manager as a player, and his manager as a coach, Park Chang-hwa could not laugh.

Park Chang-hwa did not point out the 'result' of Lee Kyunghoon being a starter.

However, he could not ignore the 'process' of Yoo Kyung-ryong instructing him to make Lee Kyunghoon a starter.

"Didn't you say you would give me full authority even before I officially take office?"

"Full authority? What full authority...? That means I would give you a certain amount of authority, not transfer all my authority to you."

"But...!"

"Didn't you enjoy it for the past few weeks? Full authority."

Despite Yoo Kyung-ryong's calm question,

Park Chang-hwa could not respond.

Thanks to Yoo Kyung-ryong's consideration for the next appointed manager, Park Chang-hwa had wielded almost the same authority as the manager over the past few weeks.

However,

"Even if he's just a figurehead, he's still the manager. Player selection is the manager's exclusive right. Would you, who are going to be the manager, ignore this?"

Yoo Kyung-ryong continued softly.

"Lee Kyunghoon did well yesterday. If we don't use him as a starter, I'll be the one to get criticized, not you. This is my last journey as an old mentor. If you can't sprinkle flowers, at least don't sprinkle shit."

"By the way, let's also have Moon Chang-joon manage his physical condition. It's almost July. If Moon Chang-joon collapses from the heat, we'll collapse too. We'll end up in last place. Do you want to take charge of a last-place team in your first year as a manager?"

It was a well-reasoned argument.

In the end, Park Chang-hwa acknowledged that Yoo Kyung-ryong was right.

"If that's what you think, sir... I'll do it."

However, Park Chang-hwa did not back down easily.

"But, sir. It was already decided that Lee Kyunghoon would be sent down to the second team in two days. I've already informed him."

"Hmm... So that's why you were so determined? ...Then, are you thinking of bringing Park Seung-jung up to the first team when you send Lee Kyunghoon down? Your nephew, I mean."

"......Yes."

The fact that Park Seung-jung, the Buffaloes' rookie catcher and top prospect, was the nephew of the head coach, Park Chang-hwa, was a secret known only to a few.

When Park Chang-hwa had harshly criticized Park Seung-jung when he announced that Lee Kyunghoon would be sent down to the second team, there was a reason for it.

He was like a thief whose feet were cold.

Yoo Kyung-ryong nodded, as if understanding.

"Park Seung-jung is a player with overflowing potential. If we think about the future of the Buffaloes, he's a player we must develop. ...Alright. Do it your way."

"Thank you, sir."

"However."

Yoo Kyung-ryong spoke firmly for the first time in this conversation.

"From the moment we decide to do this, we need to reassess."

"Then...?"

"If Lee Kyunghoon continues to perform like he did yesterday, don't send him down."

Park Chang-hwa answered without hesitation.

"Yes, I understand."

He was confident.

The impressive performance Lee Kyunghoon showed in yesterday's game was just a series of coincidences.

'Of course. How could a guy like Lee Kyunghoon have such skills... Yesterday was just a stroke of luck.'

What made Park Chang-hwa uneasy was not Lee Kyunghoon but Yoo Kyung-ryong.

'That guy, who was as weak as a sick chicken, suddenly got excited after watching yesterday's game. Could he be trying to make a last-ditch effort...?'

The rising tension made Park Chang-hwa's heart chill.

There was good news for Lee Kyunghoon, who had arrived at the team earlier than the other players.

He was informed that he would start in today's game against the Missiles.

'Getting a chance to play is definitely a good thing, but...'

An immense pressure, unlike anything he had ever felt before, accompanied it.

Now, Lee Kyunghoon had no place to retreat.

'...These are things I have to overcome.'

Reaffirming his resolve, Lee Kyunghoon recalled what had happened yesterday.

The moment he uncovered the secrets of the domestic baseball bulletin board with Kim Jin-soo's help.

When Lee Kyunghoon asked if Kim Jin-soo knew about the domestic baseball bulletin board, Kim Jin-soo was taken aback.

- S, Senior. Are you doing that?

Sensing something was off, Lee Kyunghoon immediately responded.

"Hey. I don't even know what it is. I just heard about it today."

- Yes... But, why are you interested in the baseball bulletin board?

Lee Kyunghoon made an excuse.

"It's the domestic baseball bulletin board. I just want to see how our game was received today."

- Well... Still, it's better not to go there if you can help it...

Feeling something was amiss, Lee Kyunghoon pressed on.

"Why? Is there a virus on the bulletin board?"

- Well... The community site where the baseball bulletin board is located is known for its poor quality.

"Is that so?"

The name 'domestic baseball bulletin board' sounded very wholesome.

Kim Jin-soo, who seemed genuinely troubled, said over the phone.

- I find it a bit difficult to explain directly. I'll send you a link. Read it and make your own judgment.

"Link?"

- Just a moment...

A few moments later.

It was a message from Kim Jin-soo.

- If you click on the link I sent, you can go directly to the NaeSaeWiki domestic baseball bulletin board page.

"NaeSaeWiki? What's that?"

- I'm active on the internet. It's like an online encyclopedia that users create themselves.

"Are you active there?"

- Yes.

"Wow... Impressive."

'I thought he was just a weird guy, but he has quite an intellectual hobby.'

At least, that's what Lee Kyunghoon thought.

Kim Jin-soo added.

- You might be shocked, so it's better to prepare yourself mentally.

"Whatever... Anyway, thanks."

After ending the call, Lee Kyunghoon clicked on the link attached to the message.

The internet browser application opened, and he accessed NaeSaeWiki.

'I didn't even need to turn on the computer.'

Thus, Lee Kyunghoon started reading the NaeSaeWiki page about the domestic baseball bulletin board.

A few minutes later.

The following words involuntarily escaped from Lee Kyunghoon's lips.

"Have you ever seen such crazy bastards...?"

Although it was awkward to know the reality of the domestic baseball bulletin board,

Lee Kyunghoon had no choice but to access it.

He realized that the posts he had seen were actual posts on the domestic baseball bulletin board.

'To be precise, the posts I didn't 'delete' were really on the domestic baseball bulletin board. That means... I saw the domestic baseball bulletin board a few seconds into the future.'

'This is such an absurd and ridiculous thought, but...'

What Lee Kyunghoon needed now was a smooth understanding and appropriate adaptation.

'No matter what, the help from the domestic baseball bulletin board guys is too advantageous to refuse.'

'...There's no choice.'

Thinking that not all users on the domestic baseball bulletin board could be so malicious, Lee Kyunghoon entered a state of mental victory.

And the game started.

However, what Lee Kyunghoon saw was not the domestic baseball bulletin board.

It was the comment section of the live text broadcast of Korean professional baseball on the country's largest portal site, Green Window.