episode_0333

“Oh? It’s Ji Maeng-ho!”

At the shout of a reporter, the eyes of everyone gathered in the room turned towards the entrance. As the reporter had said, Ji Maeng-ho was walking in.

“You look like you’ve been through a lot. You seem more worn out than usual.”

“Look at those dark circles. Well, even Ji Maeng-ho must have had a hard time dealing with this incident.”

As the reporters muttered, Ji Maeng-ho did indeed look quite worn out. To strangers, it seemed as though he hadn’t slept a wink and had suffered greatly. Of course, the reporters’ speculation that he hadn’t slept was somewhat accurate. In reality, since coming out of the police station, he hadn’t been able to sleep a single breath.

“Damn, my head fucking hurts.”

However, the reason he couldn’t sleep was different from what the reporters thought. Since leaving the police station, women who were worried about Maeng-ho, starting from So-young and Joeun, had gradually gathered around him, leading to an impromptu party.

In other words, after leaving the police station, Maeng-ho had been too preoccupied with having sex to get any rest, so it was natural for his face to look worn out. But from the perspective of the reporters who didn’t know this fact, it was only natural to think that Ji Maeng-ho looked worn out due to mental distress.

“I need to finish this quickly and get some sleep.”

Unaware of what the reporters were thinking, Maeng-ho walked towards the prepared podium and began to speak.

“Hello. I am Ji Maeng-ho from AT Thunders. Firstly, I stand here before the press with deep regret over this unfortunate incident. Let me first explain the overview of the case and then take questions.”

At Ji Maeng-ho’s opening words, the press conference room began to fill with silence rather than the expected murmurs.

“Let me start by explaining how the incident unfolded. My close younger brother…”

“Player Im Jun-hoo?”

“Yes. Well, I think most of you are already aware from the news. Jun-hoo was there, yes. It was Jun-hoo. Anyway, let me continue. I heard that my younger brother was lending money to his girlfriend, and he asked me to lend him money.”

“It was indeed Im Jun-hoo.”

“Yes, Im Jun-hoo.”

Although the exact name of his brother had not been mentioned in the data yet, most people knew it was Im Jun-hoo based on the fact that he was with him at the police station and that there were no other first-team players who could be referred to as his close brother. However, as the name had not been officially disclosed, Maeng-ho went ahead and mentioned Jun-hoo’s name to the media.

Of course, such matters were not particularly important to Maeng-ho, so he continued reading the script provided by the club.

“I felt something was off and coincidentally received a message from that friend’s phone saying that if I granted one favor, they would give me money. It seemed strange to me that they would hand over such a large sum of money just for doing one favor. Subsequently, I followed the instructions to the meeting place. After hearing what they were discussing in the next room through the phone, I couldn’t bear it.”

Maeng-ho paused for a moment, scanning the reporters before staring into the red light of the camera and continuing.

“I overheard their conversation. They said that if I threw the first walk in the practice game, they would pay me 5 million won. I couldn’t tolerate it. After hearing that, I immediately entered the room, and there was a little argument.”

“What was the argument about?”

“Well, I will address that question after explaining the overview of the case.”

“Damn, this bastard is twisting the questions. Oh, where did I stop reading?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question while reading the script, Maeng-ho, who was on edge, swallowed the curse and composed himself again.

“He seems really angry, doesn’t he?”

“What happened there to make him look so pissed off?”

However, in the eyes of the reporters, even that fierce appearance seemed like an angry one due to the circumstances at that time.

“Hmm, hmm… And after a quarrel, the man who proposed match-fixing hit me first, and I, also angered by the match-fixing proposal, retaliated, escalating the situation. After that, both the man who proposed match-fixing and I went to the police station together, where he admitted his mistake without pressing charges, and it ended amicably. That’s all.”

“Hmm….”

After Jee Maeng-ho finished speaking, there was silence in the room for a while. The limited number of questions allocated to each person in this press conference room made everyone ponder what to ask. Eventually, breaking the silence, a reporter raised their hand and asked a question.

“Do you have any evidence to prove that what Player Jee Maeng-ho said is true?”

‘Oh, an expected question.’

In response to the reporter’s question, Jee Maeng-ho said,

“Yes. I have brought a recording file of the situation from that time with me. The player who made the proposal provided me with this file.”

“Revealing a recording file without the consent of the parties involved is illegal, do you know that?”

“Fortunately, he allowed me to make it public.”

“Oh!”

‘I don’t know why he allowed it either.’

There were many stories behind the scenes, but Maeng-ho had no way of knowing them all.

“Then I will reveal the recording.”

And so began the disclosure of the recording. Thanks to a good recorder, the voices of the two men conversing were clearly heard throughout the room.

– Wow, it was really a match-fixing proposal.

– It really happened. I had my doubts just from the interview, but now I understand.

– He’s a real man; he just took the hit.

– Just the savior of Korean baseball, Jee Maeng-ho G.O.A.T.

– Set a new record, prevent match-fixing. Just GOAT.

– This guy is simply baseball.

– Jeez, Maeng-ho must have been furious hahaha

– But he’s a real man; hearing the story, it seems like he just confronted the thug running the sports betting site head-on hahaha

– But with Maeng-ho’s physique, he won’t be easily defeated. There are rumors that he benches 700kg.

– Violence cannot be tolerated in any situation. Do you agree?

– Honestly, I understand Maeng-ho’s feelings, but violence doesn’t seem right.

– I agree. Such a player should be expelled.

– Seriously, looking at the posts and comments, they’re just cursing Maeng-ho. Did Maeng-ho get hit? Or was it someone else?

– Violence is a bit much, but honestly, I think he did the right thing. Whether it’s the one proposing or accepting match-fixing, they should all be gone.

– Wow, but what about the guy who got hit? Not pressing charges, revealing the recording, what’s going on?

– Maeng-ho seems to have gotten hit and snapped out of it hahaha

– Yeah, he got hit and seems to have come to his senses, starting a new life hahaha

– Instead of dialect, it’s a male voice, right?

– Yeah, it was Jun-hoo Lim who got hit, as mentioned in the official statement earlier.

– Wow, but Maeng-ho is a real man; it’s not easy to act like that when it’s not even your own business.

– What’s up with Jun-hoo? Hahaha, did this guy get scammed?

– Since when did you know?

– Just now.

– Yeah, Maeng-ho confirmed it officially hahaha

– Hahaha, but they seem quite close.

– They were teammates hahaha. Both were in the first team last year hahaha.

– Hahaha, that’s hilarious.

– But the tactics are really ruthless; introducing a girlfriend, swindling money, then giving money when short, and proposing match-fixing during a practice game. Honestly, even if it’s not the regular season and just a practice game, I’d hesitate too.

– That’s true hahaha. But if you keep doing that, you’ll end up getting involved with those thugs during the regular season.

– Jun-hoo handled it well. He could have been in trouble if he went alone.

-Why did you have to ask the fierce tiger to come with you? LOL

-Yeah, you could have just told the team, but you had to bring the fierce tiger with you. LOL

-But I always trusted Fierce Tiger’s character from the start. He even signs well.

-LOL Is assault a sign of good character?

-No, it just shows how serious he is about baseball.

-Those bastards are legends LOL. Players fight inside the stadium, citizens fight outside. Assault is just a daily thing LOL.

-Even if they get beaten up, manipulators are cheap, right?

The sound quality was clear enough for baseball fans watching the press conference live through internet sites and other means. The reactions of baseball fans who listened to the recording were divided into two main categories.

There were those who found Ji Maeng-ho’s assault satisfying and those who believed that assault should never be tolerated in any situation. Additionally, there were Thunderz fans who had believed in Ji Maeng-ho from the beginning. Among these responses, the prevailing opinion leaned towards finding the assault satisfying.

“So, Player Ji Maeng-ho, when you said you weren’t sorry in front of the reporters that day, were you sincere? You caused such a controversy.”

“I’m sorry… not. I’m not sorry at all. If faced with a similar situation, I would act the same way again. Of course, violence is bad. But I couldn’t stand by and watch an act that would ruin the sport I love.”

Underlying the satisfaction with the assault was a reason similar to Maeng-ho’s response just now. Fundamentally, the baseball fans forming such opinions were all people who loved baseball. Match-fixing shook the foundation of sports and was considered the most despicable act that could plague a league, as evidenced by the strong backlash from fans against match-fixing incidents in Korean professional baseball history.

And…

-Haha, I knew Maeng-ho would do that LOL

-For real, Maeng-ho wouldn’t tolerate that kind of thing with his temperament.

-He has a hot temper. It would have been better if someone reported it, but Maeng-ho is stubborn LOL

-Considering Ji Maeng-ho’s life, it’s understandable. Losing his parents in a car accident at a young age, he could have given up baseball, but choosing to endure bench life and continue playing baseball shows how much he loves the sport. It’s entirely plausible.

-I think I wouldn’t have been able to bear it in that situation either. Violence is bad, but I can understand where he’s coming from.

Given their familiarity with Ji Maeng-ho, baseball fans also understood his sentiments.

The reason was simple. Although Ji Maeng-ho had only debuted a year ago, he was already the league’s MVP and a superstar. Therefore, it was well-known that Ji Maeng-ho loved baseball so much that he didn’t give it up even after losing his parents in high school. Considering his actions on the field and his demeanor during interviews, it was subconsciously assumed that Ji Maeng-ho might react that way.

As the press conference was nearing its end amidst the favorable public opinion, Ji Maeng-ho was asked one final question.

“Player Ji Maeng-ho! Please say something to the baseball fans who were surprised by the news.”

“To the baseball fans who were shocked by the news, I first want to offer my apologies, and um… I have no words. I will respond through baseball.”

-Hahaha, there goes that line LOL

-Yeah, when controversy arises, respond through baseball LOL

-Maeng-ho seems like he would really respond through baseball if needed!

-Definitely!

-Definitely!

-I’m Ji Maeng-ho, and I appreciate your support, but I’ve quit Instagram because of you guys. Screw this. And the guy who sent me a dick pic, I’ll find him and kill him. Thank you for your support, I’m always grateful, and I’ll work even harder in the future. Look forward to the second half of the season. [9347 comments]

-You got it, Maeng-ho!

-I believed in Fierce Tiger. I shout it out loud. Go Maeng!

-Thank you for supporting Korean baseball today. Just GOAT.

– The Black Sheep Doubting the Guardian Deity Tiger?

– Just the Guardian Deity Tiger, protector of baseball. The unparalleled GOAT in the history of the Korean Peninsula.

– The unparalleled GOAT in the history of Korean insecticide, exterminating cockroach bastards.ㄷㄷ

……

– Knew this punk would be like this ㅉㅉ Acting like a scoundrel even at the baseball field.

– Still thinking like that?

– ㅉㅉ Calling it citizen assault, these bastards are just at the level of sh*ts. Permanently banning such individuals is the answer.

– Wow, the Guardian Deity Tiger protected Korean baseball, yet there are fools leaving comments like thisㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– Capture and preserve all the doubters of the Guardian Deity Tigerㅎㅎ