Lee Shin writes on the whiteboard.
“Role of the League.”
“Just because they are divided into 3, 2, 1, you shouldn’t think of the leagues simply as levels or stages. Each league has its own role. You must not overlook this.”
Then?
“Do the lower league guilds, like yours truly or yours, have no role? Why would they not? Of course we do.”
Lee Shin scribbled on the whiteboard: “4, 5, Lower League, What is our role?” and turned around to speak.
“The role of the lower leagues is to reach out to people. If you think about it a little, this is obvious. The only strength lower leagues have compared to higher leagues is ‘accessibility,’ and this accessibility must be actively used.”
To exaggerate slightly, the standard for judging the success of a lower league guild could almost be based solely on how well they utilize this accessibility.
“But here’s the thing. Among the current lower league guilds, there are almost no guilds that properly utilize this accessibility. Don’t turn your heads—your guild is included in that too.
Strange, isn’t it? Why can’t they use the weapon that was handed to them?
…If you ask it like that, the representatives would answer: ‘That’s because you’re Lee Shin; it’s only possible for you!’”
The guild leaders nodded in agreement at the undeniably correct words.
So far, nothing Lee Shin had said was wrong.
Good accessibility—check.
Role of reaching out to the local community—check.
But ideals and reality are always different.
For lower league guilds with tight finances from raids alone, asking them to engage with neighbors, fans, and the local community was almost idealistic.
But Lee Shin thought differently. That was just an excuse.
“The part I find most frustrating with all of you is exactly what you just mentioned. Why do you think the only way to approach the community is through events like fan meetings or volunteer work?!”
“Then…”
“You must… write a drama!”
“…?!”
“Do you think I stood in front of the camera and did crazy things for no reason? Drama—this is extremely important. Underline it, give it five stars.”
Lee Shin’s answer: Drama.
“It’s easy to understand if you look at American pro wrestling. The battles in the ring, all the spectacular techniques and gestures, the signature moves. All of this is scripted performance.
Yet why is it successful? Because of the drama! Heroes, villains, disputes and conflicts, alliances and harmony—it’s all drama!!”
Fans watch the lower leagues not because of the skill.
They watch because it’s their neighbor, their local people, their local guild.
“Shall I put it bluntly? Perhaps the most important thing for lower league fans isn’t performance.”
“…!!”
“Honestly, right? Even if the results are good, the chances of promotion are tiny. And even if you come in first, if you don’t pass the dreaded promotion playoffs, you’re basically relegated.”
That’s why fans call it the “Wall of Tears” or the invisible “weight-class ceiling.”
The gap between League 3, which holds qualifying matches, and League 4, which does not, isn’t just difficult—it’s almost insurmountable.
Unless there’s a special incident, like being called “the eldest grandson of the LeeDo Group,” overcoming it is nearly impossible.
“In that case, let’s boldly leave impossible goals aside and create drama to at least satisfy the fans. Epic drama? No, blockbuster miniseries? No.
A daily drama featuring the son of our next-door neighbor’s mother’s friend, the protagonist being the niece of that uncle across the street—stories of our everyday lives!
This is what accessibility means.”
Do you understand?
“….”
“….”
Lee Shin’s monologue stopped.
At this point, the guild leaders’ expressions said it all—they were dumbfounded.
It was a very fresh idea, extremely risky, and yet astonishingly compelling.
“Finally, let’s test. The weapon of the lower league is…”
“Accessibility…”
“And the method used to utilize it is…”
“Drama…”
“That’s right! Now you’ve been taught everything.”
You are now ready to move on to the next stage.
Clap, clap. As expected, Chae Dong-ha, who had been waiting, rushed in and handed the guild leaders some documents.
It was a script written by Lee Shin himself.
“This is the drama we are going to make.”
Location: Busan.
Village: League 4
Villain: Mir Guild
Heroes: Various 4th Division League guilds
A peaceful village (League 4) is invaded by the villain (Mir Guild).
The village falls into chaos as the villain runs rampant.
Heroes (League 4) gather to save the village.
Will the heroes who set out on this journey be able to defeat the villain?
“Let’s make it stylish.”
Lee Shin waved the script and lifted the corner of his mouth.
________________________________________
A few days later, several League 4 guilds in Busan released a statement.
The two-page A4 statement can be summarized as:
[ We condemn the ‘Mir Guild,’ which has incited fandom and damaged the dignity of League 4. Therefore, we will never back down and will fight. ]
From now on, we will fight against that wicked villain (Mir Guild). Watch us.
Yes. This was ‘Chapter #1: Declaration of War.’
― “From now on, you representatives must actively confront me. Of course, the weight classes don’t match. But first, clash. Do you think we would have tussled with Kirin for no reason?”
― “Once you clash, the frame is set; once the frame is set, rivalry naturally forms. Stick close, persistently.”
But judging by results alone, the gap between the villain (Mir Guild) and the heroes (League 4 guilds) was like hitting a rock with an egg.
This is when the heroes’ special traits are necessary.
― “If you’re too overpowered, it’s no fun. So unite. Form alliances. First, the four of you here form an alliance, and ultimately gather all League 4 guilds in Busan except us.”
The heroes join forces to face the villain.
•
•
[ Bambada Guild forms a strategic alliance with Viche Guild ]
[ Haemosu Guild “Will temporarily forget old grudges.” Declares participation in the alliance ]
[ ‘Defeat Mir Guild’ – all League 4 guilds in Busan unite?! ]
•
•
This is ‘Chapter #2: Forming the Party.’
― “The key here is balance. It can’t be one-sided like before. There has to be some hope so other guilds will join.”
― “So we prepared. Ta-da! Lee Shin’s 3-year interest-free loan product. Just sign here and we’ll solve your current most pressing supply problems neatly.”
•
•
[ Bambada Guild moves more lightly! Records skyrocket. ]
[ All guilds shouting ‘Defeat Mir Guild’ changed. Change reflected in metrics ]
[ Secret? Information sharing and joint training! Achieves unprecedented alliance success! ]
•
•
Once visible results appear, other guilds will join.
Then the party grows, and the content expands.
‘Chapter #3: Alliance and Friendship,’ ‘Chapter #4: Emotional Resolution,’ etc., develop in small, detailed stories.
In the process, the line of fandom is subtly crossed.
― “Line? Unwritten rule? Don’t worry about that. Give legitimacy to the fans. Make them fight too.”
― “Blame everything on Mir Guild. Even if it rains tomorrow, blame Mir Guild. If a restaurant you randomly enter is bad, blame Mir Guild.”
― “This is a service. Use it to shift responsibility for poor results. Because everything is Mir Guild’s fault. All bad in the world is Mir Guild’s fault. We are the villains.”
•
•
[ “We can’t lose either!” Bambada Guild fandom Bamneoul declares war on Mir Guild fandom ‘Yongbung-i’ ]
[ Fandoms gradually join, forming the ‘Defeat Mir’ line ]
[ Mir Gallery named ‘Toegaeja’ interview: “We’re the villains? I like that?” ]
•
•
It doesn’t matter if it’s cowardly. Heroes have the justification to punish evil, and everything they do is framed as the villain’s fault.
Thus, the hero vs. villain final showdown reaches balance and the drama peaks.
― “I guarantee, after fierce back-and-forth battles and the league ends, we’ll all get what we want.”
League 4 will be a hit in its own right.
The representatives will maintain their positions and gain popularity.
Finally, Lee Shin will gain elite Yongbung-i united against external attacks.
― “I think this title is good.”
The Evil Empire
________________________________________
“Unbelievable… This actually worked?”
[The boring second half of the league, Busan is different?]
[The cheerful rebellion of Busan’s lower league: “Hey! Take a look!”]
Viewer ratings up 40%, season ticket sales increase, merchandise sales rise, etc. An article about all the League 4 guilds in Busan growing together.
Chae Dong-ha’s reaction, however, was more of bewilderment than admiration.
He had been closer than anyone to the whole situation. By his common sense, this shouldn’t have succeeded.
If a plan hastily thrown together while drinking soju in a chicken gizzard restaurant succeeds, the people who work diligently would look too pitiful!
“What did you say? You said the representatives would support it, but who would even watch a drama about the 4th division league? And yet, it worked? It was a total hit~!”
“The world has gone mad…”
“The world isn’t mad. It’s my talent. This astonLee Shingly brilliant, genius-level talent!”
Lee Shin laughed heartily, leaning back with his legs on the desk, full of swagger.
“The representatives who visited earlier sent their thanks. They said their situation improved thanks to us and promised to repay the favor.”
“Heheh!”
“The Mayor of Busan also contacted me personally yesterday. He said thank you for revitalizing Busan.”
“Hehehe!!”
“The Secretariat also seems to view this case positively. They asked if you could give a seminar lecture.”
“Hehehehe~!!”
Praise, recognition, thrill, novelty.
Lee Shin’s pride shot straight to the ceiling.
“How far was this all planned?”
“From start to finish.”
“Really?”
“I swear. The results came out even better than I imagined, but I had a rough idea it would turn out like this.”
From Chae Dong-ha or others’ perspective, planning for the lower league to hit it big through a drama might feel sensational. But for Lee Shin, a veteran closest to the source of the GM, it was as familiar as eating gimbap from his regular spot every day.
“Anyway, now that the league has seen success, all we need is a successful finish.”
Here, a “successful finish” doesn’t mean 1st place in League 4 or promotion. By now, nobody in the scene doubts that Mir Guild will take 1st place and get promoted next year.
What Chae Dong-ha meant by “finish” was whether they could carry the record-breaking race all the way through to Round 31.
“The start of a new legend, the New Generation, gets a lot of talk. That only means expectations are high, right?”
“What do you think?”
“If you mean the record-breaking race, it should be easy.”
“On what basis?”
“By the indicators and pace, there’s nothing to worry about.”
There’s no need to do better. Even maintaining the current state—or even if it slips a little—wouldn’t harm the record.
“Actually, I want to ask. From your tone, it seems you see it negatively.”
“Good observation. That’s right.”
Of course, Chae Dong-ha, the fans, the broadcasting world, and officials all were confident this unprecedented achievement would be fine.
But Lee Shin was not.
“It’s about time ‘that’ happens.”
And just as Lee Shin said, from the next round, Mir Guild’s indicators began to falter.
