New Employees With an Annual Salary of 1 Trillion Won - Chapter 169

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 169. Breaking Through Limits (4)

Strong winds of change blew through the Daehyeon Baseball Team.

The manager and all coaching staff were completely replaced, and construction was underway throughout the training ground to introduce new equipment.

The first-team players were anxious about these changes.

The second-team players who joined the training simply watched quietly and read the atmosphere.

Lee Hae-seong was no different.

Having barely managed to participate in first-team training, he was proceeding with training according to his usual routine.

A team staff member quietly called him over.

“Player Lee Hae-seong, the pitching coach is calling for you. Please go to the data analysis room.”

“Was there a place called the data analysis room?”

“It’s a newly created facility. It’s right next to the pitching training facility, so it should be easy to find.”

Lee Hae-seong headed to the data analysis room without much thought.

However, upon arriving at the data analysis room, he couldn’t close his mouth at the unfamiliar facilities and equipment.

“Player Lee Hae-seong will be conducting training here from now on.”

“Just for today?”

“No. You’ll be training here every day until spring camp.”

“But I don’t recognize any of you. Are you new coaches?”

The baseball team’s coaching staff had undergone a major overhaul.

So he couldn’t help but think the people in the data analysis room were new coaches.

But a completely different answer came from their mouths.

“No. We’re people from Neowiz.”

“Neowiz? You mean the game company that made soccer games?”

“We didn’t make soccer games ourselves, but if you mean a game company that provides soccer games, then yes.”

“Why would people from a game company be here?”

Lee Hae-seong was momentarily speechless.

Anxiety flashed through him that he might have been excluded from the winter training roster due to his lack of skill.

But the next words completely changed his thinking.

“Player Lee Hae-seong has been selected as the first subject for data analysis. All future training processes will be recorded as data. Based on that data, we plan to establish optimal training methods and improvement plans.”

“What kind of data will you collect?”

“We’ll explain everything step by step.”

The game company employees smiled, excited to show off their equipment.

“First, the camera here is a high-speed camera capable of shooting over 1,000 frames per second. It’s not currently commercialized – we imported a research model that exists in Japan.”

“What can you do with a high-speed camera?”

“We can visualize release points, arm angles, spin rates, and ball trajectories. Until now, coaches would tell you to adjust your arm angle based on intuition, but now we can know exactly how many degrees to adjust in which direction.”

Lee Hae-seong nodded.

He had also filmed his posture with a camcorder to correct his pitching form.

He felt that using a high-speed camera would allow for more accurate posture correction, which wasn’t bad.

“The next equipment consists of radar guns and ultrasonic sensors. This system can precisely measure velocity, spin rate, and exit angle, and analyze pitching efficiency.”

“Ultrasonic sensors? Aren’t those only used in hospitals?”

“Spin rates that can’t be perfectly captured even with high-speed cameras can be measured through ultrasonic sensors. This is cutting-edge equipment that hasn’t even been introduced in Major League yet.”

In fact, Major League Baseball still couldn’t accurately measure spin rates.

The world’s first system capable of accurately measuring spin rates had been introduced to the Daehyeon Baseball Team.

“But what are those clothes-like things?”

“Those are full-body 3D sensor suits and human body markers. They’re equipment used to analyze joint angles, load distribution, and balance.”

“Why is that necessary?”

“We can prevent injuries and accurately predict when fatigue accumulates. And this data will be applied to the game engine to be implemented and used as 3D pitching models.”

These were facilities and equipment that would only be used in science fiction comics.

For someone who had lived doing nothing but baseball for nearly 13 years, this was an extremely unfamiliar scene.

“Will this really be helpful?”

“It will definitely be helpful. By scientifically analyzing body structure, we can design customized training for each player.”

“I understand. If it can improve my skills, I’ll do anything. I’ll give it my best!”

Lee Hae-seong thus entered the first stage of data analysis training.

His pitching posture, swing angles, and even minute muscle movements were all recorded by sensors.

General Manager Kang Dong-ju watched Lee Hae-seong from a distance.

The Daehyeon Baseball Team Manager stood beside him, and the two were looking at the numbers appearing on screen while planning the next steps.

“The data analysis room seems to be running smoothly now. We just need to completely fill the coaching staff positions.”

“We’re recruiting coaching staff from Major League backgrounds. And we’re also proceeding with hiring professional trainers with doctoral degrees.”

“We need human engineering experts to design training without risk of injury.”

“But I’m a bit concerned. Since this method has never been attempted in domestic baseball, we might become the subject of gossip.”

The General Manager responded to the manager’s concern with a smile.

Although it had never been attempted in Korea, scientific training methods had already been widely adopted in the United States.

“These are methods already proven by results in America. Of course, our method is one step more advanced than Major League.”

“It would be fine if we produce results, but if we don’t achieve the desired performance, we might face ridicule.”

“We introduced a scientific system with a long-term plan. It doesn’t matter if our performance isn’t good for a year or two. And our performance won’t be so bad that we can’t make the postseason.”

The General Manager showed confidence.

This confidence didn’t come from changing training methods and replacing coaching staff.

After all, professional teams had a structure where they bought performance with money.

He could show such confidence because he had finished preparing to recruit major baseball players who became free agents this time.

“And did you get permission to install cameras in the stadium?”

“We’ve received full approval from the association. We can now secure data on all teams that play in our stadium.”

“Securing opponent data is as important as securing our own players’ data. Didn’t they say ‘know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated’?”

“But we’ve already spent close to half of a year’s team operating costs.”

The manager trembled at the enormous expense.

Being in a position responsible for the team’s finances, he couldn’t help but fear increased costs.

“You can continue using team operating funds the same way as now. The game company has agreed to cover all costs including the cameras installed in the stadium. And Tiger Fund will cover any insufficient costs, so don’t worry.”

“That’s a relief then.”

“And you know player recruitment should also be based on data, right?”

“I’ve given instructions to prioritize recruiting players with superior data. And we’ll proceed with recruiting high school and college baseball players the same way.”

Everything about the Daehyeon Baseball Team had changed scientifically.

While Lee Jung-hoo had conceived this plan, the General Manager also enjoyed the current situation.

“Please finish introducing all systems before the season starts.”

“I’ll do that.”

The General Manager looked at the data training room again.

A smile naturally formed as he watched Younger Brother, the younger brother of Branch Manager Lee Jung-hoo whom he trusted and relied on most, training diligently.

***

February had already arrived.

A UN meeting was held, and the core agenda of this meeting was, as expected, Iraq.

“The United States came out very strong. I especially didn’t expect Secretary Powell to bring out anthrax vials.”

“It seemed like they were trying that hard to gain justification for war with Iraq.”

“But France still opposed strongly. In the end, the resolution was scrapped.”

I was watching the live news broadcast together with the General Manager.

Through our information network, we were receiving meeting content one step faster than the news.

But it was also important to confirm how the world reacted through official reports.

“The resolution was scrapped, but oil prices are rising even more.”

“It means UN approval is meaningless. The market already sees that America will independently invade Iraq.”

America had failed to properly build justification.

However, America wasn’t a country that would pay attention to the UN.

Even if the resolution was scrapped, it posed no constraints for them.

Looking at the market made this fact even clearer.

Oil prices broke through $35 per barrel, and the upward trend showed no signs of stopping.

“You can tell just by looking at the money that’s come in. The money flowing into oil futures has tripled compared to usual. Not just us, but all of Wall Street is moving under the assumption that the Iraq War will definitely break out.”

“Now it’s a game of reading each other. Not everyone can make money, so victory or defeat will be determined by who moves first.”

“Are you confident?”

“I’m planning to exit safely even if it means taking a small loss. Of course, I’m not thinking of pulling out right now.”

The General Manager nodded in agreement.

Oil prices hadn’t reached their peak yet, so now was the time to hold on.

“Phew, but we’ve at least reached the final stage. Once the war breaks out, we just need to liquidate all profits and get out.”

“It’s not over yet. I plan to proceed with other investments as soon as we liquidate our profits.”

“Do you have other investment targets?”

“This time I’m thinking of investing in oil price declines.”

“Oil prices did move that way during the Gulf War too.”

Oil prices had soared due to the risk of war.

But ironically, when war actually begins, the market reacts as if the risk has been resolved.

Especially if the United States conquered Iraq in a short period, oil prices were bound to fall even more rapidly.

“I judge that oil prices will move the same way as during the Gulf War this time too.”

“So you’re saying to close positions at the peak and enter opposite positions.”

“We can’t be satisfied with just one round of profits from such a major event, can we?”

“I’ll have to postpone my return to the United States even further.”

I still couldn’t completely determine the market’s direction.

But I could predict the movement of the gears turning in my head, and based on this, I designed my investment strategy.

And the gears become more precise according to information.

To predict even detailed movements, more information was needed.

“From now on is important. We need more information to respond appropriately.”

“The amount of information Palantia is sending is gradually increasing. It seems the CIA is quite pleased with Carter Till.”

“It’s still not enough. We need to be able to access even more core information.”

“We’ll need to sign contracts with other government agencies beyond the CIA. Depending on how much Palantia performs in this war, the contract timing could be moved up.”

We needed to achieve definite results to enable expansion.

For this, I was developing one algorithm, and it would be possible to complete it just before the war started.

“We can achieve sufficient results with our current system alone. And if additional functions are added, we can definitely make our mark at the White House.”

“If the Branch Manager is that confident, we should move too. For contracts to be concluded smoothly, we need lubricant.”

“Are you thinking of taking on the role of lubricant, General Manager?”

“I’m still insufficient to be lubricant. To become lubricant that satisfies government agencies, shouldn’t it be someone at the Chairman’s level?”

The General Manager was thinking the same as me.

Another task was given to the Chairman remaining at US Headquarters.

…Could it be that the General Manager came over to Korea targeting exactly that?

I looked at the General Manager with suspicious eyes,

and he smiled subtly while slightly avoiding my gaze.

What did it matter who took on what work?

If Tiger Fund could achieve its greatest profits in history, even the Chairman couldn’t rest.

And the day when Tiger Fund would stand at the center of Wall Street was not far off.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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