Series: The All-Rounder Employee Becomes a Legend
Chapter: 26
Title: The Reason I Have to Be Number One
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After Taeseok's presentation ended, a round of applause followed.
The seamless connection between the project screen and Taeseok's briefing had captivated the audience.
Of course, Taeseok wasn't the only one who did well.
There were many teams.
One team of four to five people performed a skit, while another created a lighthearted presentation by dubbing over an animation.
However, even they couldn't compare to Taeseok.
Taeseok's PT skillfully drew everyone's attention, focusing their gazes as he presented the superiority of OLED, El Sung Group's core business, and the path forward. His peers, the senior mentors, and the instructors all seemed to agree that Taeseok's presentation was the best.
Was that why? Hyeonsu praised him.
“Taeseok, you did a really great job.”
“Really? Was it good?”
“Yeah. It was amazing! Weren't you nervous?”
“Well, I wasn't that nervous…”
Jinyoung praised him too.
"I bet you're going to get first place."
"Thanks for saying so."
"You're amazing for a first-timer."
"Not really, people were just being generous.
Hearing his colleague's words, Taeseok thought to himself.
‘It's not my first time. That's why it was possible.’
As it turned out, Taeseok had done many things on construction sites since he was young.
He had led over 600 workers in morning exercises.
He had argued fiercely with strangers over the scope of construction work and persuaded them.
There was even a time he'd chased someone for two days to collect unpaid wages.
Was that why?
He always had confidence.
A belief that he could do anything.
And a sense of responsibility, combined with diligence.
Was that all?
He even had a rational mindset of never taking a loss and always getting his due.
Compared to him, it was true that his peers were lacking in social experience.
They'll grow, too.
In a way, he was lucky.
The relationships he'd built with various people since he was young were a great help in situations like this.
But he was worried.
‘I've been able to stay ahead so far, but will that be possible in the real world, outside the training center?’
It probably wouldn't be.
The people he'd encountered from large corporations were all strong-willed.
And they seemed smart. How did he know? Because he had worked under people like that.
Of course, they were human too. There were individual differences. But he wouldn't have such a one-sided advantage.
They would grow quickly.
Why? Why was that?
Taeseok thought for a moment. And he reached a conclusion.
The next session. Because of that…
Because of school and regional connections…
『Meeting with the Seniors』
A precious two hours were given for this.
The seniors would generously guide their juniors.
And this session would be the starting point for an invisible bond of trust to form between the seniors and juniors.
They were assistant managers with three to five years of experience at El Sung Group.
Their purpose was to meet the new employees currently in training.
Of course, not everyone comes. There's a quota (TO).
So the company controls it, assigning a minimum of one to a maximum of three people per university.
Despite that, about 120 of them had gathered.
These seniors called out to their university juniors gathered in the auditorium.
“Seoun University, raise your hands!”
“Yes!”
“Let's meet in Lecture Hall 101.”
The new employees were excited.
“Goyeon University!”
“Yes!”
“Come to Lecture Hall 102.”
Seniors from each university called for their juniors.
“Harvard! To Lecture Hall 109.”
“Oxford! To Lecture Hall 111.”
Every one of them, people who were walking the path he desired to be on.
Watching his peers leave one by one at the call of their seniors, what was Taeseok thinking?
He shook his head.
He felt defeated. He was lonely.
Because until the very last of his peers had left, his name was never called.
Seeing Taeseok left alone, Senior Mentor Kim Minseong spoke to him.
“Why the long face?”
“Huh?”
“Why? Because you're the only one without a senior?”
“No, that's not it. I'm fine.”
“You should know yourself that your school isn't everything, right?”
“Yes. I know, but I just feel a little down.”
“Follow me.”
“Huh?”
“I said, follow me. I'll be your senior for today.”
“Thank you.”
Taeseok thought Assistant Manager Kim Minseong was cool.
How many people could actually say something like that?
But it was strange.
The place Assistant Manager Kim Minseong took him was none other than the bathhouse.
He asked Taeseok, who had a puzzled look on his face.
“Did you know?”
“Know what?”
“That no matter where you're assigned in El Sung Group, there's always a bathhouse or a swimming pool.”
“Ah… I didn't know.”
“Let's take a bath.”
“Huh?”
“Why? What else are we going to do for two hours?”
“…But, isn't taking a bath a bit much?”
“What do you mean? Get in.”
“Yes.”
The bathhouse. As expected, it was empty.
But strangely, the bathhouse also had a swimming pool attached.
So he asked.
“That's unusual. The factory last time also had a swimming pool attached to the bathhouse…”
“Any El Sung Group building over a certain size has a bathhouse and swimming pool like this.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. They say the first chairman loved water. Well, I like swimming and coming to the bathhouse, so I get it. Do you like to swim?”
“I can, but just a little.”
“Then how about a race?”
“A race?”
“Yeah. A 50-meter race to see who gets there first.”
"Sure, why not?"
Swimming was good for his back pain.
Taeseok cut through the 50 meters with a backstroke, assessing his own body.
‘It doesn't seem to hurt too much.’
A fairly fast speed.
But the senior was a better swimmer.
A firm and well-built physique.
Of course, Taeseok was no slouch either.
He looked at Taeseok and commented.
“Nice body.”
“You're in great shape too.”
“I'm getting older now, so I have to take care of it.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. You think sales is easy? There are so many drinking parties for entertaining clients.”
“Ah… I see.”
“Taeseok, since it's just the two of us, I'll speak casually.”
“Yes."
Even as he answered, he couldn't help but wonder.
'Weren't you already speaking casually...?'
“Have you decided on your job assignment?”
The senior asked Taeseok, who was lost in his own thoughts.
Job assignment? Taeseok answered cautiously.
“I haven't decided yet.”
“Then come to sales!”
“Sales?”
“Yeah. In sales, your school doesn't matter. It doesn't matter where you graduated from or what you did before. You just have to work hard. As long as you handle yourself well.”
Kim Minseong didn't want Taeseok to walk a rough path.
This place might have the atmosphere of a greenhouse for raising delicate flowers, but the real world was different.
No matter how smart or outstanding a new employee was, once they were assigned to an actual department, they'd become a fool who knew nothing. They were made to be that way.
Every department was like that, except for sales.
That's why he wanted to bring him in.
Watching his PT, he thought that if he brought this kid over and passed on his know-how, he could help him earn tens of thousands a month, or if he did well, even hundreds of thousands a year.
That's why he said it.
It was by no means an empty promise.
But the kid absolutely would not give him the answer he wanted.
“I'm sorry. I'd like to take more time to decide.”
So he grew impatient.
“Why?!”
“Huh?”
“You'll be 100 percent successful if you come! Do you look down on sales?”
Kim Minseong said with a frown.
“No. I respect it. Watching you, sir, you're rational, your words are concise, and you're exactly the kind of person I want to be.”
“Then, why?”
“I'm sorry. I wasn't being honest. I'm aiming for something higher.”
“Something higher?”
“Yes. The Strategic Planning Office.”
“…”
Assistant Manager Kim Minseong was left speechless by Taeseok's words. A moment of silence.
The one to break it was, of course, the senior.
“Hey! Kim Taeseok!”
“Yes?”
“I was like that when I was a new employee, too. I went through that struggle.”
“…”
“But do you know? Your academic background! If other people find out, how do you think they'll react?”
“…”
“Don't be ridiculous. Don't even think about the Strategic Planning Office. That's reality. Got it?”
“…”
Taeseok didn't answer. He knew what the man was trying to say.
He knew better than anyone that the advice was for his own good.
It was true.
Before joining this company, Taeseok hadn't lived a proper life.
At least in the country of South Korea, he was as good as defeated from the start.
No matter how hard he tried, the fact that he had a degree from the academic credit bank system couldn't be erased.
No, maybe it could change if he took the CSAT again and re-enrolled in a university. But that would mean wasting another four years.
He didn't want that.
Even if he made that choice, would he be able to get into a large corporation like this again? That was also doubtful.
But he was being told to give up without even trying?
Taeseok clenched his fists.
‘I'm sorry, but you're wrong, sir!’
The words rose to the tip of his tongue.
But he didn't say them out loud.
The senior had advised him for his own sake.
So he softened his words.
“I'll consider it.”
“Good. The world isn't an easy place. The more you succeed, the more you'll be met with envy and jealousy. A place like sales, where people live on their own merits, would be better for you. Understand?”
“Yes. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you.”
“Good.”
Taeseok listened to the senior's life story as they sweated in the sauna.
The senior turned over the hourglass. Five minutes.
He placed a wet towel on his head in the dry sauna and continued speaking.
“I’m a former officer. Commissioned after college. It’s a program where you serve for three years after graduating. I went to Hanjin University in Daejeon and majored in Physical Education.”
“Ah… I see.”
“When I was discharged as a first lieutenant and entered this training center, I didn’t have any seniors to guide me, just like you.”
“…”
“And while I wasn’t number one like you, I was ranked pretty high.”
“Ah…”
“After four weeks, I finished with the fourth-highest score.”
“You did? And did you apply to the Sales department?”
“No, I applied for the Strategic Planning Office, just like you.”
“Ah…”
“And I wasted a year. They rotated me through six different departments. Sales, Accounting, IT, and so on. And I thought I did a pretty good job.”
“Yes. I’m sure you did. You’re very smart.”
“But it wasn’t enough. In the end, I was rejected from the Strategic Planning Office. Do you know why?”
“Um. I’m not sure.”
“My academic background. It’s because I went to a university outside of Seoul. That’s why I didn’t make it. It’s tough if you’re not from an ‘In-Seoul’ university, preferably Seoul University. Either that or you have to have graduated from a prestigious university overseas.”
“…”
“Now you see why I told you to go into sales, right? You get it?”
“Yes. I understand what you’re saying.”
“Good. That’s our two hours. The ‘Talk with a Senior’ is over.”
“Thank you.”
The sand in the hourglass ran out.
The five minutes were up, and the senior walked out.
Taeseok shook his head.
‘Is it really impossible? Should I take his advice?’
No.
Taeseok believed nothing was impossible.
What was so important about academic background? Wasn’t individual ability what mattered?
Even the famous Bill Gates didn’t graduate from college.
Bill Gates was a Harvard dropout, wasn’t he? Even so, that still means he only has a high school diploma.
Steve Jobs only had a high school diploma too.
So did President Lincoln.
Right. Academic background isn’t important.
Taeseok clenched his fists, steeling his resolve.
‘I can do it. I just have to be the one to break that prejudice. He may have given in, but I won’t. I refuse.’
Even if it was a treacherous path.
Even if it meant walking on a path of thorns, he didn’t believe it was a road he could never travel.
If his senior couldn’t make it even though he did well, Taeseok thought, then he just had to do even better.
He just had to work harder than him.
Just then, it responded.
[Hidden Quest: Achieve 1st Place in the New Employee Training Program]
A god has responded to your will. Achieve 1st place in the new employee training program and heal your own back.
[Reward for Achieving 1st Place – Elixir (An all-purpose potion that can cure any illness)]
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