Ch.315Huh? Something’s not right.

The scheduled interviews, the training videos always uploaded.

As always, public opinion saying it’s a tense match where no one knows who will win.

And fighters creating conflicts that don’t exist just to raise the stakes.

The most important thing in sports was attention.

It was natural to do your best to attract that attention.

But.

‘I want to do this a bit differently.’

Suddenly, I got tired of this “best practice.”

This isn’t my last fight either.

If we’re talking about unifying the heavyweight division completely.

How many more times will I have to do this same routine?

Constantly showing the same image over and over.

Giving my all on fight day, getting results, people going wild, and that’s it.

Of course, the most important thing was the performance during the fight.

Everything else was just a setup for that.

‘I’m bothered that the process is always the same.’

From an entertainment perspective, that didn’t seem entirely beneficial to me.

More provocative, more interesting.

To capture even more of people’s attention.

So what I came up with was.

“You want to pretend to party wildly?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Well… um… okay.”

The plan was to deliberately post about partying on social media.

I didn’t even need to actually party.

Leak rumors about being spotted at Hollywood casinos.

Actually visit once to be seen placing bets, and that’s it.

Rumors are terrifying things.

I only went once, but suddenly I was labeled a gambling addict.

People even started claiming they saw me at casinos I’d never visited.

Someone said they followed my betting strategy and made millions.

After about a week, rumors spread that I was blacklisted from Macau casinos.

After two weeks, people were saying I traveled daily just to gamble.

A perfect marketing effect created from a single photo.

“Young Boss, but doesn’t this kind of rumor seriously damage your image?”

To Jack, the manager of Drake Gym, I just shrugged.

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“May I ask why?”

“Because attacking me now means they’re not just attacking me.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

There were two reasons not to worry.

First, these were just rumors, different from reality.

Legal gambling wasn’t really controversial as long as it wasn’t right before a fight.

Second, my sponsors weren’t ordinary companies.

They were a parade of the world’s leading corporations.

Could anyone really criticize me without touching them?

Could they walk that fine line?

Not many media reporters had that skill.

‘The scary thing about these big corporations is that they don’t say anything to your face.’

Think you’re damaging their corporate image?

They just have their legal team send one email.

And the situation ends quickly.

So while many people would cover rumors about me,

they would never cross the line and would stop at exactly the right point.

‘Major media outlets have bigger stories to cover, so they won’t bother reporting that I gamble.’

Smaller outlets don’t have the power to take on my sponsors, so they can’t cover it properly.

In this strange boundary, I did everything I could.

“Get some really expensive liquor… some fancy whiskey.”

“Should I post a photo of me drinking too?”

“Not a bad idea, as long as you don’t go overboard.”

I pretended to drink.

Hanging out with women… I didn’t do that.

I perfectly captured the vibe of someone enjoying parties and entertainment.

Actually, I didn’t need to do most of this myself.

Because.

“Haha, I never thought I’d have this kind of experience.”

“Thank you for helping with this request.”

“Not at all. I’m actually glad you asked. To be Kim Donghu’s double not just in movies but in real life!”

“Still, you might get criticized for this.”

“Donghu Kim… don’t worry about it. When you played with my son… wearing that Batman costume and giving life advice… haha, I’m getting emotional just talking about it.”

Anyway, there was this service.

And it would be impolite to refuse such a request.

I had a body double.

I didn’t need to worry about appearances.

Most of the photos I posted showed someone wearing sunglasses and a mask.

All I needed was to give the impression that ‘Kim Donghu is partying in disguise.’

As the fight date got closer,

I increased the use of my double.

And during that time, I.

“Young Boss! Wait! I’m dying! You don’t need to push this hard!”

“No, I need to keep going in extreme conditions. Reduce the oxygen.”

“The oxygen is too low! You might feel fine now, but your brain can’t handle it!”

“Then I’ll just do it once, okay? So give me the oxygen mask back.”

“…Oxygen mask on, 10 consecutive sparring sessions… are you insane?”

I honed my body more meticulously.

++++++

Time passed quickly.

And as it did, people gradually lowered their expectations for Kim Donghu.

Honestly, this kind of act had been done before.

They thought I would do it to some extent and then properly return.

But what’s this?

[I thought Kim Donghu’s partying was WWE but damn]

-He’s actually serious about UFC

-He doesn’t even upload to Instagram anymore ffs

ㄴThought it was a prank

ㄴSeriously there’s no news at all

ㄴWasn’t fan love your thing Donghu?

[Donghu it’s too hard please stop now]

-You weren’t this kind of person

-You used to at least do monthly livestreams

-I know you don’t need to be like an idol

-Ah damn….

ㄴIs this what being trained feels like? It’s painful

ㄴMy head is getting hot

ㄴㄴWhat can you do about it lol? What can you actually do?

ㄴㄴI’m so angry I joined the Dong gallery… ㅠ

[The fact is Kim Donghu could retire now and live a golden life]

-Just do this much fan service and then cash out with this fight

-Even if people curse you after you say bye, who cares? Just live comfortably

ㄴHonestly true

ㄴThis is correct

ㄴIs this really how you set up your retirement?

[What we learn as time passes]

-Kim Donghu < This guy just doesn’t care about the fight

-There’s no news anymore, nothing gets posted

-But Zain Lance keeps doing interviews and posting training videos, it’s driving me crazy

ㄴFunny thing is the alcohol Kim Donghu posted on Instagram sold out

ㄴAnything he posts sells out

ㄴIs this right with 3 months left before the fight?

Fans were getting tired of the constant partying images.

[Everyone! We still need to believe in our Donghu!]

-Let’s all stay strong!

-He will win!

-Heave

-Ho

-Heave

-Ho

ㄴWhy do you think he covers his body in every photo?

ㄴSeriously true

ㄴHow bad must it be

ㄴHe even seems to have a belly now;

ㄴHeave ho or whatever, we’re all screwed

Even efforts to change the mood no longer worked.

This act only works once or twice.

When the person who should receive that support looks like a mess,

what is there left to believe in?

And so people’s expectations for Kim Donghu had almost completely disappeared.

This was evidence that Kim Donghu’s plan was proceeding perfectly.

In reality.

“Hahaha! He’s just scared, isn’t he? He’s just terrified!”

“Right, that seems to be it! He’s just tucked his tail between his legs.”

Zain Lance completely believed in Kim Donghu’s current behavior.

100% trust.

It was a judgment he could make precisely because he was an opponent.

A judgment he could make because he felt similar emotions in the same profession.

“He must be scared! Of me! Especially this, my left hand!”

“Haha, right. He just doesn’t see an angle, he has no counter-strategy so he’s given up and is just partying.”

“Is he planning to take a few hits and then forfeit? Then I should beat him up more before that.”

Zain Lance grinned from ear to ear.

His manager Bill also chimed in and enjoyed the moment.

With about 60 days until the fight,

not posting a single training video until now.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t posting—he couldn’t post.

And yet news of him partying still occasionally surfaced.

It was quite a ridiculous sight.

“But there’s a limit to avoiding, now he has to meet us no matter what?”

“Right, exactly!”

Bill nodded at Zain Lance’s words.

The press conference and face-off held 2-3 weeks before the fight.

This was something that absolutely couldn’t be avoided.

It was a mandatory event that he had to attend.

Just how damaged would he look then?

While imagining that pleasant moment.

Zain Lance continued his intense training.

Time passed quickly, and exactly three weeks before the fight.

“Before we begin the press conference, we’ll introduce the fighters.”

The day of the press conference had finally arrived.

+++++

Generally, press conferences are held twice:

once three weeks before the fight and once a week before.

But because there was also a UFC event, they agreed to just have one conference three weeks before.

So this was essentially the first and last press conference.

That’s why numerous cameras gathered.

Reporters also pondered what questions to ask.

And right then.

“Zain Lance is entering.”

Zain Lance entered the press conference room.

Camera flashes welcomed him incessantly.

“Thanks for the welcome. But besides me… isn’t some drunk pig supposed to be here today? When is he coming?”

Microphone work that hit hard right as he sat down.

That comment brought smiles to the reporters’ faces like a starting signal.

That was because Kim Donghu’s partying was an obvious fact.

Hahahahaha.

Amid that laughter.

“Donghu Kim is entering.”

The announcement that Kim Donghu was entering was heard.

As expected, Kim Donghu stumbled into the press conference room.

Starting with clumsy steps.

Very cloudy-looking eyes.

A stupid face that anyone could see was far from training.

Just as the reporters and Zain Lance were about to think “so the rumors were true,”

“Huh? Something’s strange.”

One reporter noticed something very odd.

While his face certainly looked like that of a degenerate gambling addict.

“…You’re right?”

It was suspicious how obviously he was trying to hide his body.

Was he trying to hide a belly? But.

When his clothes momentarily clung to his body due to the heat in the press room.

At that moment, the reporters could see.

“No way, his body… what? It’s insane! Did you just see that?”

A glimpse of a physique in a new prime

was revealed to the world for the first time.

And simultaneously, someone.

“….”

Lost their smile seeing that sight.

“…Fuck.”

They cursed quietly.