Chapter79: < The Puzzle Pieces Fall into Place (4) >
Momentarily flustered, Department Head Park Yun-jae asked Chief Kang No-sik.
“I think I must have misheard you?”
“I was confused for a second too, but I think you heard right. I believe he's asking if you have any interest in becoming a Managing Director?”
“Why is *he* asking me that?”
“He may be the lowest in rank here, but he has the most power.”
At Chief Kang's serious reply, Department Head Park turned his head back to Yeonghun.
Seeing Yeonghun looking at him with the same expression as before, Department Head Park frantically started searching Department Head Go Seung-hyeon's pockets.
“What are you doing?”
Taking advantage of the flustered Department Head Go, he quickly checked his phone, then held out his hand to Chief Kang and Yeonghun and said.
“Are you recording this right now? Let me see your phones.”
“Go ahead.”
Chief Kang chuckled and handed over his phone, and Yeonghun also offered his without any hesitation.
What he said next threw Department Head Park's mind into even greater chaos.
“Shouldn't you be checking for listening devices in here? In dramas and movies, they always sweep the room with some kind of machine.”
“Do I look like I'm joking?”
“I wasn't joking either, but I apologize if you felt that way. Then I'll wait until you've calmed your confusion.”
As Yeonghun crossed his arms and waited, Department Head Park slowly reined in his agitation and sat back down.
Department Head Go spoke up from the side.
“You’re flustered, aren't you? I was the same at first. The Chief here wasn't too surprised since he'd seen him a few times before, but I thought he was a lunatic.”
“What did he say to you?”
“Hmm... that was far more shocking than the offer to become an executive just now, so it's a bit much to say here.”
“A manager... and one who joined this year... right? A manager who joined this year is seriously asking me if I want the Head of Sales position that just opened up a few days ago, and you're telling me what he said to you was even more shocking than this?”
A slight smile crept onto Department Head Go's lips.
“Come on, what's so shocking about being asked to become an executive? Ha... really, it's killing me not to tell you, but I can't, and it's so frustrating.”
Honestly, Department Head Go wasn't wrong.
Being merely encouraged to get a promotion was on a completely different level from being told to come up with a plan to take over an entire affiliate company.
Department Head Park Yun-jae asked Yeonghun, who was watching with his arms crossed.
“What's the intention behind your question?”
The first intention, of course, was to pull him away from the Vice President, with whom he would soon have to part ways.
Yeonghun believed the Vice President was someone who had climbed this far on the luck of his early years and was thus destined to fail at whatever he did from now on, but more than that, he thought the man's obsession with power was also dangerous.
The second reason was Department Head Park's four pillars of destiny, which could be called peculiar.
His four pillars dictated that he should never have become a salaried employee.
On the surface, he seemed affable and enjoyed socializing, but he was just as much a free spirit who loved to wander and have fun.
But that didn't mean his was simply the `saju` of an idler who liked to play.
He had deft hands and a keen eye; he was someone who would have become a great talent had he gone into the arts, but because he was unaware of this and became a salaryman, he wasn't able to enjoy the full extent of his innate fortune.
Fortunately, a Great Fortune was set to arrive for him in his mid-forties, which would allow him to achieve the fortune he hadn't been able to enjoy until now.
Moreover, he was born with instincts as sharp as his sensitive nature, and had unknowingly avoided danger throughout his life.
He was less capable than Department Head Go, but his talent for sensing danger was innate, making him someone who could be put to good use with a competent person like Department Head Go Seung-hyeon under him.
“With Senior Managing Director Cha Ji-yeol's departure, the position of Head of the Sales Division is vacant. I learned that one must quickly fill a position that is necessary for the organization to function normally.”
He spoke as if he had just learned it in school.
His very tone was hard to get used to, but Park decided to let it slide since the tone wasn't the important thing right now.
“Why are you the one deciding that?”
“How could I possibly be the one to decide? Naturally, I would be making a recommendation to the President.”
“Isn't that the same thing?”
“I only make the recommendation; I have no decision-making power. And if you refuse, Department Head, I have no intention of forcing the issue.”
In front of Manager Min Hong-gi, he had claimed to have no ambition for an executive position, but what corporate employee wouldn't be interested in becoming an executive?
Besides, he had now reached Department Head, the highest position an employee could attain.
If he didn't get promoted to an executive position from here, it meant that a time would eventually come when he would be forced into early retirement. But if he were promoted and proved his abilities, an enormous salary would follow.
And someday, he might even reach a position where he could aim for the presidency.
He couldn't pass up an opportunity like this.
That is, if it was a real opportunity.
“Let's hear your reason for wanting to recommend me. You just met me for the first time today, didn't you?”
“It's the first time we've met face-to-face, but I am aware of the work you've done since joining the company.”
“You decided based on that?”
Seeing his apparent disbelief, Yeonghun thought for a moment before speaking.
“From what I've heard, the reputation of the Management Planning and Coordination Department is not good. It's effectively an independent department for the Vice President, and I've heard that the sales of the business the Vice President was personally overseeing have been dropping significantly for several years.”
“Th-that's because the price of raw materials fell. But what's this? Don't tell me...?”
“Nothing has been decided yet. I'd rather not be hastily misunderstood. I simply believe that it's inefficient for a talent like you, Department Head, to be languishing in the Management Planning and Coordination Department.”
Department Head Park turned his head to Chief Kang.
“Is what he's saying right now making any sense?”
“Honestly, whatever the reason, when I imagine you as the Head of the Sales Division, I think it suits you quite well. And stop beating around the bush. Can't you tell whether Manager Choi is trustworthy or not by looking at us? You really think Manager Choi would hold up busy people just to joke around with us?”
“...”
“If you've tapped the stone bridge that much, it's time to give an answer. If you want to think about it, then say you'll think about it.”
Just then, Yeonghun spoke.
“Thinking about it is not an option. You must give an answer here and now.”
“Why?”
“Because the behavior of straddling the fence to test the waters doesn't look very good.”
“Do I look like that kind of person to you?”
“Department Head, I asked if you wanted to become an executive. Most employees would say yes. But saying you'll think about it means you plan to poke around and see how the situation develops, doesn't it?”
Department Head Go Seung-hyeon chimed in.
“I was told that if I didn't accept the offer on the spot, I could be relegated to a dead-end job later. I'm sure Manager Choi didn't mean it that way, but that's how it sounded to the person on the receiving end.”
“So you're saying the same will happen to me?”
“It'll probably be less severe than for me, though.”
Department Head Go smiled faintly.
In a way, it almost seemed like he was boasting that although he was lower in rank, he had been offered a more important task.
“Sounds like you're bragging.”
“It's not a brag, but I was a bit resentful at the time. Looking back, though, I realized it wasn't a bad offer. It will probably be the same for you, Department Head.”
Department Head Park Yun-jae figured that since things had come this far, he couldn't back out any longer.
“Alright. If you make me the Head of the Sales Division, I'll do it.”
“Excellent. Then there's one thing you need to do.”
“What?”
“You told the Vice President you would look into the issue with the Proxia bid, correct? Then all you need to do is get a proper briefing from Chief Kang here and relay it to the Vice President.”
“Is that all I have to do?”
“Yes.”
Chief Kang tilted his head.
Nothing had been discussed with him up to this point, so he was clearly flustered by this sudden development.
“Are you sure it's okay to tell him? To the Vice President?”
When Chief Kang asked, Yeonghun replied nonchalantly.
“There's more than one or two semiconductor design companies out there. We can just tell him about a few similar ones, can't we?”
“You want to just throw out the bait openly?”
“If he doesn't take it, then that means he's someone we can trust.”
“Hmm... that makes sense, but... you really think he'll take this bait?”
“Honestly, I don't want to go this far either. What is all this? Making a scene, getting angry at each other, causing someone to lose their job... I'm sick of it. But to avoid all that, don't we first need to know who we can trust and move forward with?”
“Who doesn't know that? The problem is that the person we have to suspect is the Vice President. Perhaps you can speak so freely because you haven't had many dealings with him yet.”
That might be true.
Because he had no experience of crying and laughing through conflicts with the Vice President, he could make a cold decision based solely on his four pillars of destiny.
Yeonghun's mood suddenly darkened.
He felt as if he had become a computer.
He had been looking into people's lives and making easy judgments and decisions on the fly, but now he realized it was because he had no shared memories with them.
If ten years passed like this, would he still be able to judge people coldly based only on their `saju`?
He had a feeling he would.
Even with someone he was close to, if he knew what their future held, he didn't think he could cheer them on and support them by saying things would work out.
The thought that this might be why he was fated to be a shaman made him feel needlessly depressed.
“That may be so. In any case, I'll take my leave now with that understanding.”
Seeing Yeonghun stand up with a suddenly darkened face, Chief Kang wondered if he had misspoken.
“What? You're leaving already?”
“Since the Department Head has expressed interest in the Head of Sales position, I believe I've said all I need to. I think you and the Department Head can devise a strategy and proceed. And... Department Head?”
As Yeonghun suddenly looked at him, Department Head Park Yun-jae answered, feeling unnecessarily tense.
“Huh? What is it?”
“No matter how much you worry about it, there will only be one conclusion. Don't stress too much, and just think about what's best for the company. What's best for Vice President Seong Ju-hun, and what's best for the majority of Hyunjin Corporation's employees. If you only consider those two things, the conclusion is simple.”
After Yeonghun left, Department Head Go Seung-hyeon chuckled as he looked at Department Head Park Yun-jae's dumbfounded face.
“Hilarious, isn’t it? I was the same way. It’s flustering, but people are adaptable. In time, you’ll become unfazed by it, just like me.”
“How does one become unfazed by it?”
“You know how you don’t really feel anything when you hear a Chaebol Chairman made hundreds of billions of won in a year? But if someone you know makes a few hundred million won because their apartment's value skyrocketed, you get incredibly jealous. That's the difference. Because you start to see him as a completely different kind of person, you just end up thinking, ‘I guess that’s just how it is,’ and let it go.”
“I’m a pretty positive person myself, so it probably won’t take me long to get used to it like you, but I can’t help feeling flustered right now. But, Chief, do I really have to throw bait to our boss?”
“You heard him, didn’t you?”
“Do I have to do exactly as I’m told?”
“He probably won’t say anything if you don’t do as you’re told. You just might not make executive, and maybe get transferred to somewhere like... India or Algeria? Ah, you remember Executive Director Yang’s son who was on our team? Yeah, I’m the one who sent him packing.”
Department Head Park Yun-jae shook his head at the smiling Chief Kang and said.
“I don’t think the Vice President will leak this information to Chairman Im.”
“You never know. The Vice President might think it’s for the good of the company.”
“Then couldn’t that be the right thing to do?”
“If he’s truly thinking about the company, he’ll take that information to the President. If that’s the case, then we can work with the Vice President.”
“Well, I understand.”
Watching Department Head Park nod vigorously, Chief Kang gave a faint smile.
It was because he had a strange feeling that Manager Choi, who had left with a somber expression, was more likely to be right than the confident Department Head Park.
*
Seeing Yeonghun appear in the Secretarial Office with a somber face, Yeon-hee approached and secretly led him to the break room.
“Is something wrong?”
“Huh? No, it’s nothing.”
“It looks like something’s wrong.”
“I’m just feeling a bit down.”
Yeon-hee knew Yeonghun wouldn’t open up.
That was just his personality.
So, she decided not to press him.
“Then should we go get something delicious? I know an amazing steakhouse.”
Thanks to Yeon-hee, who came right up and linked her arm with his, a smile unknowingly spread across Yeonghun’s face.
“Let’s do that.”
The two spent a brief, pleasant moment together and were leaving the break room with smiles on their faces when someone called out to Yeonghun.
"Mr. Choi Yeong-hun?"
When Yeonghun and Yeon-hee turned around, Park Seyeong, the daughter of the owner of his old Gosiwon, was looking at Yeonghun with a bright smile.
< The Puzzle Pieces Fall into Place (4) > End
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