Series: The All-Rounder Employee Becomes a Legend
Chapter: 31
Title: Your Job Has Been Decided
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The next day.
All three of them went to the hospital together.
His mother, dressed in comfortable sneakers and a tracksuit instead of a wheelchair.
The middle-aged man walked beside her, arm in arm.
The elevator was crowded, so they took the emergency stairs. As Kang Hyejung waited in front of the doctor's office, a smile graced her face.
Seeing her bright expression, the middle-aged man, Kim Hanul, asked.
“Are you okay climbing the stairs? Does it not hurt?”
“Yes. I'm fine.”
“How can this be happening? I'm not dreaming, am I?”
“Let's see the doctor first. We don't know anything for sure yet.”
“Yes. You're right.”
Still, they had to get a check-up, just in case.
The result?
Professor Kim Jeonghwan's face was filled with nothing but bewilderment.
Just yesterday, he had been telling her to get her affairs in order, to wrap things up... all sorts of things.
‘This can't be explained scientifically. How could it disappear in a single day? Is there something I don't know?’
He wasn't just the best in South Korea, he was one of the best in the world.
One of the world's leading authorities on breast cancer.
It wasn't as if they had done targeted therapy... yet the cancer cells had vanished completely.
He looked up related cases and finally managed to speak.
“In well-known cases, like common lymphoma, if you treat ten people, about nine of them will see their symptoms improve.”
But he knew.
‘This isn't lymphoma. This case doesn't fit.’
So he changed the subject.
“There are still many fields humanity has yet to research. Triple-negative breast cancer is one such case. Please look at the screen here.”
The results of the full-body scan.
“The picture on the left is from a week ago, and the one on the right is from today. You can see the clear difference, right?”
“……”
“The cancer cells are all gone. They've vanished without a trace. Of course, we'll have to do a biopsy and monitor your progress, but compared to a week ago when we diagnosed you with terminal cancer, it's safe to say you're now a healthy person.”
“Doctor... thank you.”
“For now, I'll look into more clinical results from around the world. As far as I know, there has never been a case like this. It's truly a rare case. Congratulations. You should be able to live a normal life starting today.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“Still, for the time being, please visit once a week.”
“Yes.”
* * *
Three days passed.
Taeseok was at home, spending time with his family.
His mother began to tackle the household chores she hadn't been able to touch, one by one.
He felt a little guilty.
‘Maybe I should have tidied up a bit?’
It was time for the job placement announcements.
Finally, a text message arrived.
[Hello. This is the El Sung Group HR Team. Mr. Kim Taeseok, you have passed the first round for your application to the Strategic Planning Office. There will be a special interview conducted by the Head of Planning. Please visit the HR Team on the 2nd floor of the El Sung main building by 14:00 on Tuesday, July 17th. Note: Please bring your employee ID and personal identification to the 1st-floor security team to have your access renewed.]
Taeseok nodded with a calm expression.
The Strategic Planning Office.
The place he wanted to go.
The place he could finally go.
That text wasn't the only good news.
His salary had also been deposited.
2,213,360 won.
Just then, a notification from the group chat Choi Jinyoung had created buzzed on his phone.
* * *
Choi Jinyoung has invited Kim Taeseok. (Current members: 4)
Choi Jinyoung: Did everyone check their salary deposit? Why is it so low? I got 2.21 million won.
Kim Taeseok: Huh? I got the same amount. Weren't we supposed to get 3 million won a month as new graduates?
Kim Hyeonsu: They only give you 80% during the training period. I asked a senior employee.
Choi Jinyoung: Ah... I see. So you can just ask a senior. What's Yoonji up to?
Read. No reply.
Choi Jinyoung: When are we all getting together? Aren't we gonna hang out?
Kim Taeseok: Let's meet up later. We'll see each other at the company tomorrow anyway.
Kim Hyeonsu: Yeah. We're going to be seeing each other for the rest of our lives, what's the rush? Let's find a time later. I have to see my family, see my girlfriend, I've got a lot to do.
Kim Taeseok: Must be nice. Having time to see your girlfriend.
Kim Hyeonsu: Hehe, if you're jealous, get one yourself!
Choi Jinyoung: Okay, I'll set something up later. See you all tomorrow.
Kim Hyeonsu: But why is Yoonji so quiet? Did she just leave us on read?
Seo Yoonji: Why did you invite me?
Kim Hyeonsu: We need to have at least one girl in the group.
Seo Yoonji: Whatever.
* * *
The next day, the four colleagues gathered. And with them was the muscular Jang Donghoon from Team A, ranked 5th overall, whom they knew by sight but weren't close with.
They had renewed their employee IDs on the first floor and were now gathered in a meeting room on the second floor of the main building.
The meeting room had glass walls, opaque for the first meter from the floor and transparent above that.
The interesting thing was that the air conditioning came up from the floor.
Taeseok grinned.
‘Is this an underfloor air distribution system?’
Having worked various construction jobs, he knew a lot about it thanks to being on good terms with the facilities guys.
‘They must be using an all-air system from the mechanical room.’
Anyway, that wasn't what was important.
The reason they were gathered here.
Tae-seok looked at Jang Donghoon and spoke.
“We all applied for the Strategic Planning Office. You applied for it too, right, Donghoon?”
The others were people he knew, so he just needed to know where Jang Donghoon had applied.
He nodded as if it were obvious. Then he asked,
“How old is everyone?”
“I'm 26.”
“Me too, 26.”
And Taeseok.
“I'm an early '94, so I'm still 25.”
“Hey! Taeseok, just say you're 26.”
Finally, Yoonji.
“I'm also 26.”
“Ah, I see. I'm 28, I started a bit late. I was trying to get my Master's in Automotive Engineering in the US, but I decided it wasn't for me and came back to Korea.”
“Oh... so you studied abroad. Yoonji over there also studied abroad.”
At Kim Hyeonsu's words, Seo Yoonji glared at him and said.
“Hey! Why are you telling him that?”
He just grinned and replied.
“Why? Everyone knows you went to Harvard now, don't they?”
At the mention of Harvard, Jang Donghoon's eyes lit up.
He turned his thick arms toward Seo Yoonji and spoke.
“Oh, really? I went to the University of Washington. Harvard, I'm jealous. Yoonji, have you seen the drama *Love Story in Harvard*?”
“What?”
“You know, the male lead from the law school and the female lead from the med school fall in love at first sight. Doesn't watching things like that make your heart flutter, Yoonji?”
Yoonji's expression turned serious as she replied.
“No. I'm not interested in dating. I don't even understand why people watch romance dramas. You should be studying during that time if you want to succeed. Do you like dramas?”
“It's not that I like dramas, it's just...”
Taeseok thought to himself…
Yoonji was popular. Good education, good figure, popular. That's why everyone showed interest in her.
But it was best not to mess with that type of person unless you were pretty outstanding yourself.
That's just what he thought.
Before long, a middle-aged man walked in.
A man in his mid- to late-forties.
A stylish suit. A blue tie.
And slicked-back, greasy hair.
Taeseok blinked, checking the man's color.
An indigo light.
‘Indigo... is he an executive?’
Before introducing himself, he looked at the five of them and spoke first.
“First of all, congratulations to all five of you for making it to the Strategic Planning Office.”
“Thank you.”
He started speaking informally.
“You all got the text. That you passed the first round.”
The five of them nodded at his words.
He then grinned and continued.
“I don't know if you're aware, but our Strategic Planning Office usually only accepts employees with two to three years of experience.”
“…Yes.”
“And the employee who fits that role might come from the five of you here, or they might not.”
“……”
Might not?
Taeseok already knew.
That only about one of the five would be chosen.
But it seemed some of the others hadn't considered that possibility.
The expressions of the three, excluding Yoonji and Taeseok, went blank.
But the executive continued.
“However, you all know that our Strategic Planning Office is the flower of El Sung Group. So, a question! What happens if the flower doesn't bloom?”
Taeseok answered his question.
“It can't reproduce.”
“Right. If the flower isn't pollinated, it can't reproduce. And then? The plant has to spend another year just waiting to bloom again. We play the role of that flower. A company must always grow for the sake of its future. A company that falls behind cannot survive in the global community. And to survive, you need diverse experience.”
‘Diverse experience?’
He continued speaking.
He used a proverb to justify his words.
“That said, we don't have time to teach you ourselves. They say a tiger pushes its cubs off a cliff to raise them, right? That's how we're going to raise you.”
“……”
Taeseok sensed that the department head was a man who had lived a rough life.
Instead of the relaxed demeanor of a typical corporate employee, his impatient tone and results-driven attitude, demanding quick outcomes, got on his nerves.
The man spread his palm and said.
“Now! This is where you'll be going. Choose!”
Five lots to draw.
No way. Are they deciding our jobs by drawing lots?
But it was true.
Their jobs were actually being decided by drawing lots.
Seo Yoonji shook her head in frustration.
The department head asked.
“Employee Seo Yoonji, where have you been assigned?”
“The El Sung Electronics Home Appliance Division.”
“Customer-facing sales. You're in for some hardship.”
“……”
“Got a problem with that?”
“No, sir.”
Next.
“And employee Kim Hyeonsu?”
“El Sung Life Insurance, Sales Department 3.”
“You’re in sales as well?”
“Yes. I will do my best.”
“Employee Choi Jinyoung, where are you assigned?”
“El Sung Electronics, Quality Control.”
“Hoo hoo, go and learn well. You’ll learn a lot about incoming inspection and process quality. I learned a great deal in quality control there myself back in the day.”
“I’m sure it will be a great experience.”
“Jang Donghoon, where are you headed?”
“The Group’s HR Team.”
“A good choice. You can start reporting here tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
After the four had answered, the Department Head finally asked Taeseok.
“Where are you assigned?”
“I’m…”
“I know. There were only two spots there anyway, so you can start reporting here tomorrow as well.”
“Yes. I will work hard.”
“Good. In two months, you will all receive a new employee observation report from the Team Leader of your assigned team. Your individual capabilities will be evaluated based on that report. Of course, you won’t just be working for two months. There’s something you must do in secret. It’s an improvement suggestion report. You will work directly in another department, identify any questionable aspects or areas for improvement, and report back. Of course, this must be kept secret from the affiliate company. Only we can know about it.”
“Ah...”
“Do you understand now? Do you see what an important role you all play?”
“Yes!”
“Depending on how you perform, you could play a crucial role in the development of El Sung Group. That is, of course, on the condition that you do well. Any questions?”
“Then what happens after two months?”
“We will conduct a ‘roulette,’ that is, a job rotation. But keep in mind that the available positions may change depending on the Group’s situation.”
“Understood.”
“Then I will issue the official personnel orders for your assigned duties today. Let’s plan to meet back here in two months.”
『Yes!』
The Strategic Planning Office, using new employees like mystery shoppers, or rather, spies.
There were two reasons for training new hires this way.
The first was to compile and synthesize the know-how of each Group affiliate to cultivate the best talent.
The second was to identify and improve internal problems within the Group’s affiliates.
Taeseok understood the Strategic Planning Office’s intentions and nodded.
‘Ah, but starting in HR…’
He was a little disappointed. He had wanted to try… sales.
That morning, a text message was sent to the 258 employees who had completed the El Sung Group new employee training program.
And a personnel order assigning the new employees was sent to each affiliate company.
* * *
Back at El Sung Life Insurance’s Sales Department 3, Deputy Manager Kim Minseong cheered as he read the personnel order.
‘That kid! So he ended up here after all. Did you come from the Strategic Planning Office? Or did you apply directly? It doesn’t matter. Once you work with me, you’ll be grabbing my pant leg, begging to work in sales.’
And so, he spoke up.
“Branch Manager?”
“Oh, Deputy Manager Kim. What is it?”
“I’d like to be the one to train the new employee, Kim Taeseok.”
“Are you sure? Our top salesman wants to train a rookie? Didn’t you say you lost tens of millions of won because you were forced to be a mentor?”
“It’s fine. I gained a great talent in return. I’ve been watching this guy, Kim Taeseok, for a month, and he’s a really good kid. That’s why I really want to take him under my wing and teach him myself.”
“Alright. If that’s what you want, go ahead. Besides you, everyone else is struggling just to manage their own sales. Oh, I heard he’s at the coffee shop on the first floor. Can’t get in because he didn’t bring his ID badge. Why don’t you go get him yourself?”
“Yes, sir.”
Kim Minseong smiled.
‘This kid, making a mistake he’d never usually make. Why didn’t he bring his ID badge?’
He wanted to teach him properly.
Kim Taeseok was finally within his grasp.
So he even went down to meet him.
But… Kim Minseong shook his head as he looked at the man. This wasn’t the Taeseok he knew.
“Who are you?”
“Kim Taeseok, the new employee. Ah, you’re my mentor. You’re the one from Team B, right?”
"Yeah. But you're being a bit informal, aren't you?"
"Huh? Ah~ That's just how I am. Hope you can understand.“
Deputy Manager Kim Minseong shook his head, looking at the ill-mannered punk.
'Where the hell did this bastard crawl out from?’
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