NOVEL NEXT Chapter 63
Even if you twist a chicken’s neck, dawn will still come.
Regardless of whether the Medici Baron, my brother Albert, envies me or not, I have to keep moving forward.
First, I must deal with the sudden task of supplying two divisions assigned by the Hwangje.
“Young Lord, please take a moment to enjoy a cup of tea.”
Chloe set a teacup on my desk and poured some black tea.
A slightly sour yet fragrant smell filled the room.
Just smelling it makes the fatigue feel like it’s lifting.
“Thanks, I’ll drink this and cool my head a bit before getting back to work.”
I recalled a saying from a YouTuber I watched back in Korea.
“Want to make a lot of money? Then you have to work harder. There’s no other solution.”
His tone was stiff and cringeworthy, like something a middle-aged manager would say.
But that statement seems to hold some truth.
To make a lot of money, you just have to work your butt off.
“That’s exactly how I feel right now.”
Chloe frowned and puffed her cheeks at my words.
“I think the Young Lord, who immerses himself in work, is always impressive, but if you work 13 to 14 hours like this every day, your health will deteriorate. What will you do if you collapse while working?”
“I still have to finish the work piled up in front of me.”
“The housekeeper and Chris said that the urgent tasks are already taken care of.”
Typically, in other noble families, a maid cannot scold her master.
If she upsets her master’s mood and is discarded, she’ll end up on the streets.
In fact, a maid who genuinely loves and treasures her master is considered a ‘story from a novel’ among nobles.
However, it’s clear that Chloe cares for me both objectively and subjectively.
In bed, she’s especially proactive, and even after we’ve had relations…
She genuinely smiles while trying to coax me into more.
“Since you’ve been busy lately, I can endure feeling lonely without your love. But if you collapse from overworking or get sick, it would break my heart.”
Ever since the Hwangje generously granted me the rights to supply two divisions, I’ve been working like this for nearly two weeks.
Lately, even coffee feels like it might not keep me awake during the day, and I can sense a lack of energy when I wake up.
If I push myself any further, I might be asking for trouble.
“I’ll drink this, do a bit more work, and after lunch, I’ll rest well. Is that alright?”
Chloe beamed at my words.
“Yes, Chloe will be your pillow, whatever it takes. Please rest comfortably, Young Lord.”
“Even if you told me to rest, you’re not trying to pamper me, are you?”
At my words, Chloe lowered her head, her face turning as red as an apple.
As I pondered whether to tease her a little more, Chris knocked on the office door.
“Young Lord, the interviews for the applicants are all completed. May I come in to report?”
“Come in.”
As soon as Chris entered, she glanced at Chloe and smiled mischievously.
Without needing to say anything, I could guess the meaning behind her silent exchange.
“I’m sorry for interrupting while you were having a good time with the Young Lord, Chloe.”
“It’s nothing.”
If this weren’t my office, I would have playfully poked Chloe’s cheek with my finger.
But the moment I turned my eyes back to my work, my expression shifted into business mode.
“Since the Young Lord hasn’t set any restrictions on applicant qualifications and pays 1.5 times more than elsewhere, we were flooded with applicants. The moment we posted the notice, 400 people applied…”
In 21st century Korea, it’s common for hundreds, sometimes over a thousand people to flood into job postings for minor office positions.
However, in this era, barely 20% of people can read and write.
Among those, only about 3 to 4% can perform office work.
Considering that there isn’t even internet access, it’s truly impressive how many people came flooding in.
“We conducted interviews with these candidates, with me, the housekeeper, and Alberto as the interviewers. We decided to hire 33 of them.”
With 33 people, I feel like I can handle the newly increased paperwork from supplying two divisions, just like King Sejong used to expedite things.
Yet, this number alone is just enough to make ends meet, so I will have to increase our workforce further.
But is this really a time to be picky?
As long as we deliver properly, we’ll be reeling in profits equivalent to two small towns.
“What criteria did you use to filter the applicants during the interviews?”
“In the first round, we tested their ability to find and correct errors in accounting documents I intentionally flawed. In the second round, we presented specific scenarios in the interview and assessed their resilience and character.”
You can’t determine a person’s character in one interview.
But you can minimize the chances of glaringly poor improvisation skills or a nasty personality from being discovered later on.
It seems they did well even without my special instructions.
“And what the Young Lord pursues, and what our guild strives for, is innovation. While anyone can gradually enhance the skills necessary for work, like Chloe, those who cannot embrace innovation cannot be with us.”
It is illegal and completely unacceptable for a company to impose personal matters on its employees.
Thus, a senior employee creating unnecessary company dinners for his staff or pestering them with life advice is considered a form of abuse.
However, those working for a company must comply with the directives regarding work, even if they disagree with the company’s policies.
Even foreign companies that are often said to be much freer than in Korea are much stricter regarding this.
“It’s said that while you can negotiate with your boss on work-related matters on equal terms, if you protest against work orders, your evaluation drops instantly.”
This goes for major corporations like Pineapple and Teslam as well.
“How did you determine if they are capable of complying with the association’s policies?”
Chris pointed at herself.
“I asked whether they could accept me as their superior. If they join our guild, I will indeed be their superior.”
“Certainly, having a woman as a superior isn’t easy.”
Back in the 1990s, even if a woman was highly capable in Korea, it was just expected she would be let go from the company once she was married.
Even more so in a country where patriarchy and polygamy exist, having a woman in a leadership position is often met with disdain.
Some might be so disgusted they’d feel nauseated.
Yet, Chris’s value remains undeniable.
Her abilities are in the top 0.1% and she’s diligent.
What I pursue is thinking several centuries ahead of others.
But those who can’t accept having a woman as a superior won’t even agree with my values, let alone follow me.
Chris nodded at my words, clasping her skirt at both sides and bowing politely.
“I’m always thankful to the Young Lord for providing me with the opportunity to showcase my abilities regardless of the opinions of others. I want to repay you with everything I have.”
For a moment, I felt a chill run down my back—probably just my imagination.
When I glanced at Chloe, she had a smile as cold as winter.
Could Chris be… just as Chloe said?
But those kinds of thoughts can be postponed for later.
“We have hired employees following the above procedures. Are there any issues, Young Lord?”
“I’d give it a solid 120 out of 100. Our guild’s treatment isn’t lesser than others. Unlike other merchants, we’re not limiting ourselves to just hiring from merchant families, so we can demand this level of quality.”
In the Toscan Empire, unless it’s a local mom-and-pop store, most recruitment is done through connections.
Ordinary citizens seeking to break through have to enter university and get a ‘professor’s recommendation.’
We don’t care about education; if Tonyo, who used to farm, has the ability, we’d hire him.
“I’ve found all the solutions for administrative tasks. However, our guild alone lacks the capacity to supply two divisions. Have you found any alternatives?”
While I’m competing against big merchants, my scale is significantly weaker in comparison.
I’m like a tuna caught up in a fight between whales.
So when those whales are using their heads to calculate at 1% efficiency, I need to think at 100%.
Yet, I’ve always been on the lookout for ways to survive.
“We just have to break away from traditional guild management.”
Saying this, I handed over a report I compiled from my knowledge over the past few days about the strategy.
Chris read the title on the cover.
“Comprehensive Trading Company?”
To sum it up in one line, it can be described as a sophisticated colonial management method that emerged in the late 20th century.