Lee Shin shamelessly pointed out the team's sensitive issues and boldly named his salary.

Director Park Sang-hyuk looked troubled.

Manager Bang Jin-ho had a similarly pained expression.

But they didn’t realize something.

Lee Shin was actually trying to be generous to the MBS team.

'A salary of one hundred million won for me is practically volunteer work.'

Lee Shin was thinking something that would leave the two of them speechless if they heard it.

"Lee Shin, could you give us some more time to think it over?"

Director Park Sang-hyuk asked. Lee Shin nodded.

"Understood."

For now, the negotiation ended like that.

As he stood up, Lee Shin tilted his head in confusion.

'I'm only asking for one hundred million won, so why are they hesitating?'

Lee Shin found it amusing how even showing kindness wasn't easy.

"Even though times are better than before, paying a coach one hundred million won…."

Director Park Sang-hyuk sighed.

Manager Bang Jin-ho also looked displeased as he spoke.

"The problem is, that kid is rich."

"Why is that a problem?"

"His family is ridiculously wealthy, and he’s made a lot of money himself. That guy isn’t greedy for money—he genuinely believes his value is one hundred million."

"Sigh… If we were signing him as a player, one hundred million wouldn't feel like a waste."

If Lee Shin could return as a player, they would be willing to pay three hundred million instead of just one.

But since he only asked for one hundred million, it was clear he still couldn’t make a full comeback.

"But he did say himself that it would be a player-coach contract. He might return in the first half of next year. Honestly, his wrist seemed better than what was reported in the media."

"Hmm…."

"And while his flashy control, multitasking, and hand speed got all the attention, Lee Shin was also an outstanding strategist. That sharp tactical instinct will serve him well as a coach."

Director Park Sang-hyuk nodded.

"Since you’re recommending him so strongly, I'll consider it positively. But that’s not the real issue right now."

"Yes, dealing with Shin Ji-ho comes first."

Lee Shin’s guess had been spot on. Shin Ji-ho was a headache.

But there was something Lee Shin didn’t know.

The reason Shin Ji-ho had changed from a mere grumbler to a full-blown troublemaker was entirely because of Lee Shin.

Last year, in the latter half of the individual league.

Shin Ji-ho suffered a crushing 0-3 defeat in the semifinals against Lee Shin, getting completely obliterated.

It was such a devastating loss that the team even considered giving him a six-day vacation to recover his mental state.

But before he could even process the defeat, Lee Shin was suddenly attacked and forced to forfeit, allowing Shin Ji-ho to advance to the finals by default.

A finals match between Shin Ji-ho and the eternal second-place finisher, Hwang Byeong-cheol.

Shin Ji-ho had reached the finals despite losing, thanks to Lee Shin’s unexpected withdrawal.

The final match, held under the jeers of netizens, ended with Hwang Byeong-cheol’s victory.

The nation was in shock over the loss of a national hero, and in response, the internet was flooded with ridicule aimed at both Shin Ji-ho and Hwang Byeong-cheol.

Conspiracy theories even spread, suggesting that Lee Shin’s injury had been orchestrated by the two of them.

That was when Shin Ji-ho started to go astray. He became a rebel who constantly complained and created tension within the team.

But what could they do?

Like him or not, he was still the team’s ace, and Manager Bang Jin-ho had personally trained him like his own child.

"Still, asking for three hundred million won… Does Shin Ji-ho really think he’s on the same level as Lee Shin at his peak?"

Director Park Sang-hyuk groaned.

Before enlisting in the Air Force pro team, Lee Shin had been earning four hundred seventy million won per year. With his constant individual league victories and a ninety percent win rate in the pro league, he had more than justified that salary.

However, Shin Ji-ho had only managed to be the runner-up in the individual league with a 67% win rate in the pro league.

Of course, that was an excellent record with significant contributions to the team, but it wasn’t enough to justify demanding three hundred million won.

"I'll do my best to persuade him."

"I'll leave that to you, Manager Bang."

As soon as the first round of negotiations ended and Lee Shin stepped out of the MBS broadcasting station, he headed to a nearby real estate agency.

"I’d like to find an officetel."

"Oh? Aren’t you the pro gamer Lee Shin?"

The middle-aged real estate agent recognized him at a glance.

Lee Shin nodded and said, "The bigger, the better. Fully furnished, and as soon as possible—if I can move in tomorrow, that would be ideal."

Whether he would join the MBS team was still uncertain, but regardless, he had already decided to live in this area.

"Oh, oh wow, you seem to be in quite a hurry."

"I don’t want to waste time. Money isn’t an issue, so please take care of it. I prefer a lease."

"Ah, I see. I happen to have a few great listings. Let’s take a look."

In the heart of Mok-dong.

That day, Lee Shin toured several officetels with the agent before making his decision.

A private area of 28 pyeong.

Three rooms, two bathrooms.

Fully furnished. It was an excessively large space for a single person.

"This looks good."

"Does it? The lease price here is five hundred fifty million won, but as you can see, it's vacant, so you can move in anytime."

"Let’s do it. Can we finalize it right away?"

"Ah, yes, yes."

The real estate agent immediately called the owner.

Just like that, Lee Shin signed the contract and then called a moving service.

The next day, his father and mother were utterly dumbfounded as they watched the moving service workers carrying his belongings out of his room.

"Shin, what is going on?"

His mother asked urgently, but Lee Shin simply shrugged.

"I told you, I’m moving out."

"You didn’t even tell us where you’re going beforehand…."

"I’m moving to Mok-dong. I’ll keep in touch."

And with that, Lee Shin left home. He no longer had any lingering attachments to the house or his family.

He decided to use the three rooms as a bedroom, a gaming room, and a dressing room.

'This is great.'

The clean, uncluttered space, with nothing but the essentials, was exactly to his liking. This vast house was now his own domain, where no one could interfere.

As soon as the internet was installed, he immediately launched his game.

Space Craft.

The game he had been dying to play. His right hand trembled slightly as he gripped the mouse.

His old ID, Kaiser, was too famous. He had no choice but to create a new one.

-Player_SIN, welcome to the world of Space Craft.

With his new ID created, he entered online mode and started playing against other users.

Since it was an unknown ID with no match history, it was difficult to get paired with high-level players ranked B or above.

However, by chance, he managed to match against an A-rank player, and finally, Lee Shin was able to play the game he had longed for.

It had been a long time.

Yet, miraculously, his hands remembered everything.

Hotkeys, controls, strategies—his mind might have been slow to recall them, but his hands executed them flawlessly.

He felt like crying.

He loved this game. It was driving him crazy.

-Aprilist: You’re really good. Want to play a rematch?

The A-rank player acknowledged his defeat and asked. Lee Shin gladly accepted.

He won the next match, and the one after that.

After suffering ten consecutive losses, Aprilist finally left in tears.

Lee Shin smiled.

His sense for the game was coming back.