Darkstone Code

Chapter 1080 - 1078: Club Development

Upon entering the office, Lynch took off his coat and handed it to Anna. Dressed in casual clothes, he walked behind the desk and sat in the manager’s seat of the club.

Kane glanced at Anna, who was brewing coffee. He sat where guests usually sat, feeling a bit awkward and uneasy, as it had been a long time since he last met Lynch.

"Actually..." He prepared for a moment, "the situation isn’t as sudden as it seems."

"You may not know, Mr. Lynch, but our club has already entered the secondary league. Although we’re ranked toward the bottom, for the entire rugby industry, we have already created a miracle."

"From amateur to the third league, then the second league, and now the first league, we’ve climbed four levels in four years. Many clubs desire this kind of success, so they..."

Kane’s hands on the table turned over helplessly, showing his palms. "They contacted him."

He was talking about the coach, and by not mentioning his name, it showed Kane’s inner frustration.

"The contract we signed with him was set to expire this year. He didn’t renew it; instead, he moved to another club."

"The other side offered him some great perks: a higher salary, more authority, a better platform, and something we can’t currently give him..."

"The chance to reach the super league!"

Perhaps that last reason was the real motivation for the coach’s departure. When he came, he told Lynch that he wanted to prove his coaching ability in the professional league and to tell those who doubted him to damn themselves!

He made it, and now it’s the highlight of his life. If he can help another club successfully reach the super league, he will undoubtedly become synonymous with "success."

As for why not here, it’s quite simple.

To play in the super league, the highest level of the Federation’s rugby league, you need at least three to five star players; otherwise, you can’t even get in.

Stars not only mean higher prices but their higher prices also prove they have stronger abilities.

Being daring and aggressive might still be possible in lower or secondary leagues, but in the super league, or vying to get into it, it’s basically impossible.

So why would he still stay here?

The club manager who recruited him said he could decide who to buy and who to let go, and he could form a team based on his own ideas, as long as the club doesn’t go bankrupt.

This proposal won him over. If everything could go according to his plan, once they successfully reach the super league, those who had doubted or attacked him would become a laughing stock, mere background to his rise to the top, even marked with shame.

Lynch nodded after listening, "So what about our new coach?"

"He’s helping our boys adjust tactics..."

Kane then introduced the new coach. This coach retired from the super league because he was getting a bit older and didn’t have the same drive.

In simple terms, he just wanted to find a place to retire. He signed a two-plus-three agreement with the club, which gave both sides a chance to understand each other.

"Our current style of play isn’t quite suitable for the secondary league—too rough, too wild. This isn’t the lower leagues; the referees and related organizations provide greater protection for athletes here."

"The moves and tactics we could use in the lower leagues can’t be used here anymore. What seemed reasonable to us could be deemed unreasonable."

"Therefore, we need to change our style of play and might buy two or three stars..."

Lynch has always opposed buying stars, and Kane braced himself to mention it. He was ready to be reprimanded by Lynch.

From the beginning, talking about buying star players always displeased Lynch, which made Kane instinctively think Lynch wasn’t interested in stars.

Now he no longer doubts whether Lynch has money. Lynch could buy the whole all-star team, so the only explanation is he doesn’t like stars; that’s the only way Kane can think about it.

But surprisingly, Lynch didn’t object this time, "Okay, you and the coach decide, but there’s one requirement: there must be value."

"I don’t want to buy some superstar at the end of their career. They won’t bring anything positive to our team. We need young, strong, top-notch ones, three or four, or four or five. Once the budget is done, give it to me, and I’ll sign off."

Kane’s eyes widened as he looked at Lynch, "Mr. Lynch, aren’t you..."

"I just don’t want to use stars in the lower leagues. If we rely on stars to win from the beginning, the team can’t develop a thirst for victory."

"Everyone would think the stars are the key, and thus the team’s results wouldn’t feel connected to them. That’s not a healthy way to grow."

"You’ve done well now, so strengthening the team a bit is perfectly fine!"

Kane was overjoyed, "That’s great; it’s just the winter break now, so we can start immediately."

He cautiously probed, "Mr. Lynch, what’s your rough budget?"

Lynch thought for a moment, "Is twenty million enough?"

"That’s more than enough!"

Afterward, Kane took Lynch on a tour around the club. The club, now built away from the city, benefited from cheaper land prices and more fully developed buildings.

There were various other unused sports facilities, but they had already been constructed.

They first met the women’s rugby team members. Honestly, Kane had an eye for talent, which pleased Lynch greatly.

Even in the dead of winter, the girls wore the gear reserved for official matches during practice.

When they ran, some sounds would pop into Lynch’s mind—

duang...

Duang...

Duang.duang...

A kind of bounciness.

The women’s professional rugby players had also been swapped out. Kane mentioned the previous captain and vice-captain were involved in improper relationships at the club, and some other girls were also out of hand.

Ultimately, they sacked many male and female team members. If Lynch had read the Sabin Daily or House of Rugby magazine, he’d know about these events.

The situation wasn’t minor; it was a downside exposed in developing women’s sports.

This time, Kane strictly managed the athletes, vowing to dismiss and hold accountable anyone who crossed the line, regardless of who they were.

"Next, get the other sports up and running. Golf is a promising direction, and especially bowling!"

As Lynch walked, he laid out the future development plans, "The President loves bowling. If all goes well, a professional bowling league will emerge soon, and I hope we can participate and play a significant role."

Kane was taken aback and quickly nodded, "I understand..."

Lynch shook his head and looked at him, "You don’t understand. Place an ad in some newspapers and magazines. We will organize a high-level bowling competition, with a champion prize of one hundred thousand dollars, fifty thousand for second place, and thirty thousand for third place, open to the entire Federation."

"No entry fees; they handle their own travel and accommodation. Pick suitable people and sign them."

"Prepare a proposal and budget, and give it to me when it’s ready; I’ll sign it."

Though there’s no such idiom in this world, truth remains truth everywhere.

Just like how former Presidents all loved golf, leading to unprecedented growth in golfing, with numerous amateur and professional leagues flourishing.

A President once loved polo, and it thrived too, but subsequent Presidents weren’t so "high-brow," and polo gradually fell into obscurity again.

The current President loves bowling, which means soon opportunists will try to gain his attention or friendship through bowling.

Even if it doesn’t reach that point, for Lynch, it’s merely tens of thousands of expenses.

Lynch stayed at the club until about four or five in the afternoon before leaving. Kane did an excellent job, and Lynch was very satisfied with his work, with no adjustments needed for now.

Back at home, the somewhat desolate villa, though frequently maintained, was never as comfortable as the one in Bupen.

After all, this was just a small city, whereas Bupen was an "international metropolis."

More and more foreigners appeared in Bupen, giving its residents an inexplicable sense of pride, as if they were somehow different from those in other cities.

"What are we doing tomorrow?"

Sitting on the sofa, watching some mundane content on local TV, Lynch casually asked.

Anna took out her little notebook, "We still need to stay here for about three to four days, and then you’ll need to go to the capital; the Governor wants to discuss something with you..."

This time Lynch returned not just to support Catherine. He’d previously discussed with the Governor about creating a pillar industry to fill the local economic gap.

Previously, the timing wasn’t right, but now there were no issues. Lynch had several factories waiting to be built. As long as the Governor could provide enough support, Lynch didn’t mind leading everyone to joint prosperity.

The next day, they continued with donation ceremonies at various schools, but in the evening, the Green brothers came to visit him.

Lynch now seldom visited Sabin City, but no one dared to forget him. The Green brothers were well-known figures in Sabin City, and even the mayor might not intimidate them.

Yet towards Lynch, their "Guardian," they naturally felt a kind of awe!

Not just because of the money!