New Employee Kim Chul-soo

Chapter 21

Unconcerned with the turmoil he’d caused within his team, Kim Chul-soo followed the employees from the Audit Department with a strange smile on his face.

The person who orchestrated this incident made two mistakes.

First, they reported it to the Ethics Management Department, which is directly under the Chairman’s Audit Department.

Second, they know nothing about Chairman Choi Kyung-hoon.

At the very end of the hallway lined with executive offices.

The Audit Department employees opened the office door and bowed respectfully. Following behind, Kim Chul-soo saw Chairman Choi Kyung-hoon.

Nurture him well and put him to good use.

“Have a seat.”

As Kim Chul-soo bowed in greeting, Choi Kyung-hoon offered him a seat, and the Audit Department employees left the room.

“Yes, Chairman-nim.”

After Kim Chul-soo took a seat, Choi Kyung-hoon spoke.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

“Yes, Chairman-nim! I saw you at the 6-Sigma presentation contest a while back.”

“You’re the one who gave the presentation in English, right?”

“Yes, Chairman-nim.”

“Your name?”

“Kim Chul-soo.”

Choi Kyung-hoon nodded at Kim Chul-soo’s answer.

“Right, right. It’s such a common name that I sometimes forget.”

After saying this, Choi Kyung-hoon quietly observed Kim Chul-soo.

He had a good posture, as if he exercised regularly, and was a handsome man with a very neat appearance.

“Why did you hide your English skills at the training center?”

“I didn’t hide them. I just didn’t get the opportunity.”

“Opportunity? Why not?”

“All my teammates were graduates of prestigious universities.”

Choi Kyung-hoon nodded at Kim Chul-soo’s words.

“Huh. You seem to be the type who speaks your mind.”

“I adjust my speaking style depending on the situation.”

“Oh? So, you’re saying you’ve tailored your current speaking style to me?”

“Yes, Chairman-nim.”

Choi Kyung-hoon burst into a satisfied laugh.

He generally preferred people who were confident, spoke their minds, and knew how to be respectful.

However, even the presidents who had assisted him for a long time had changed with the passage of time. The Senior Managing Directors and Managing Directors were even worse, and the General Managers could barely make eye contact as they bowed.

They were good at presentations and official discussions, but when it came to casual conversation, they all became mute.

Since getting older and holding the title of Chairman, he had often felt lonely.

The relationship between a Chairman and a new employee.

Kim Chul-soo’s expression and posture were too disciplined to be dismissed as the boldness of a confident newcomer.

It was as if he had lived for decades.

His clear answers, subtle changes in expression, gestures, and eye movements were all so natural and comfortable.

How long had it been since he had such a natural conversation with someone, making eye contact, within the company?

A satisfied expression appeared on Choi Kyung-hoon’s face.

“It seems you’ve really done your homework on me.”

“Yes, Chairman-nim. I’m confident I could take a test right now and get a perfect score.”

Before he got old and held the social position of Chairman, he had many colleagues and subordinates like Kim Chul-soo. Those days naturally came to mind, and a pleasant laugh escaped his lips at Kim Chul-soo’s joke.

“To be honest, I didn’t intend to come all the way here for this trivial matter.”

Choi Kyung-hoon gazed intently at Kim Chul-soo, who was on high alert, anticipating what the Chairman would say next.

“But I was curious how much a new employee, fresh into the company, had researched me, so I started looking into it, and here I am. You’ve even gathered more information than I remember. Thanks to you, I was able to retrieve some lost memories. What’s the reason for gathering such a vast amount of information and data about me? Tell me without holding back.”

It was something that happened about seven years later.

There was a manager, not at Han-Young Corporation, but at another affiliate.

This manager was indifferent to all the power struggles within the company, but he had one obsession: collecting information about the Chairman using all means possible.

He collected so much information that it became a rumor, and the Audit Department investigated him.

Soon after, the manager was transferred to the Records Management Team directly under the Chairman’s office, and he was quickly promoted, becoming the first among his peers to become an executive.

Recalling the story the manager had told in a public setting, Kim Chul-soo spoke.

“I want to learn from you, Chairman-nim. But you’re such a busy person, you wouldn’t have time to teach me, would you? I have no choice but to study you unilaterally and observe your every move.”

Choi Kyung-hoon chuckled at the remark about not having time to teach him.

Of course, a Chairman wouldn’t teach a new employee anything, so Kim Chul-soo had come up with a plausible justification, and Choi Kyung-hoon liked that.

“That makes sense. It does. But why do you want to learn from me, of all people? Aren’t there countless others around you?”

“I’ve realized something while living my life. It seems that a person’s position changes depending on where their gaze is directed.”

“So?”

Choi Kyung-hoon blinked and asked, and Kim Chul-soo quietly met his gaze.

Then, he spoke, putting emphasis on each and every word.

“You know where my gaze is directed, Chairman-nim.”

Audacious, but……

To think he could move my heart like this.

Choi Kyung-hoon burst into hearty laughter, something he rarely did.

******

After Kim Chul-soo left, Choi Kyung-hoon stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking out the window and smiling contentedly for a long time.

He thought it had been a long time since he had a proper conversation.

Kim Chul-soo had a strange way of moving people, and the warmth in his chest, kindled by the conversation, still lingered.

“Assistant Manager Park.”

Park In-young of the Audit Department quickly approached Choi Kyung-hoon at his call.

“Yes, Chairman-nim.”

“Return the data that young man collected.”

“Sir? Are you sure?”

“He’s a young man who wants to learn from me. Should I crush his ambition just because he’s a new employee?”

Park In-young sensed the slight excitement in Choi Kyung-hoon’s tone and replied.

‘Ah, he’s in a good mood.’

“Understood, Chairman-nim.”

“Tell the Ethics Management Department not to report such matters to me in the future.”

“Yes, sir.”

After giving a few more instructions, Choi Kyung-hoon unclasped his hands and walked away, thinking.

‘I should ask that young man to write my autobiography later, if he has a knack for writing.’

Choi Kyung-hoon headed straight to Choi Young-joon’s office.

Choi Young-joon, who was working at his desk, quickly stood up and greeted him when he saw Choi Kyung-hoon suddenly enter.

“Welcome, Father.”

Choi Kyung-hoon told the employees who followed him to wait outside and then sat down on the sofa.

“So, how’s work going?”

“Yes, Father. I’m working hard. By the way, about that employee incident……”

“It’s been resolved. No problem.”

Choi Young-joon inwardly breathed a sigh of relief at Choi Kyung-hoon’s words.

If something had happened to Kim Chul-soo, the blame would undoubtedly have fallen on Ahn Jeong-gyu.

“That employee, Kim Chul-soo, is on your team?”

Choi Young-joon was slightly surprised to hear the name “Kim Chul-soo” come out of Choi Kyung-hoon’s mouth, as he didn’t usually remember people’s names, and nodded.

“Yes, Father.”

“It seems you have a good eye for people. Nurture him well and put him to good use.”

“Sir?…… Ah…… Yes, Father.”

“Well, I was just curious, so I came by. Keep up the good work.”

As Choi Kyung-hoon left, Choi Young-joon followed him out.

“No, go back in. I’ll go see President Yoo.”

After Choi Kyung-hoon disappeared, Choi Young-joon recalled his words.

‘Nurture him well and put him to good use? Did Kim Chul-soo impress Father?’

When Kim Chul-soo returned with his computer, Team Leader Ahn Jeong-gyu quickly got up.

Manager Pyo Il-soo and Assistant Manager Lee Jun-hak were nowhere to be seen in the office.

“Hello, Team Leader-nim!”

Ahn Jeong-gyu quickly approached Kim Chul-soo, who was still holding his computer and bowing 90 degrees.

“So, how did it go?”

“I was released without any issues.”

“Whew!!!!”

Ahn Jeong-gyu let out a huge sigh of relief at Kim Chul-soo’s words.

“Good, good. Nothing else happened?”

“No, sir. I was told I could continue gathering information on the Chairman-nim.”

“Sigh…… Alright. Set up your computer and get to work.”

“Yes, Team Leader-nim!”

Ahn Jeong-gyu sighed deeply as he headed back to his seat.

If something had happened to Chul-soo, he would have been reprimanded for failing to manage his team members.

Park Joon-hyung could have used that as an issue during the performance review season, so he had been feeling uneasy.

However, seeing Chul-soo return safely after meeting the Chairman and even getting permission to continue gathering information, it was clear that he had impressed the Chairman.

Ahn Jeong-gyu glanced at Kim Chul-soo, who was setting up his computer and connecting the keyboard and mouse cables, and thought.

‘He’s quite something. Even with Lee Jun-hak gone, he’ll be a very useful card. Thank you, Park Joon-hyung, you bastard.’

Meanwhile, Kim Chul-soo set up his computer and sat down. He glanced to the side and saw an envelope from Seoul National University Hospital.

It seemed like the thing he had applied for a few days ago had finally arrived.

He put the envelope in his bag and turned on his computer, focusing on his work.

******

“Are you really not involved in this matter?”

Under President Yoo Ji-hoon’s persistent questioning, Park Joon-hyung feigned ignorance.

“Things will get difficult if this keeps happening, Manager Park.”

“I’ll thoroughly manage my personnel to prevent this from happening again.”

“Please do a better job. What will become of me if the Chairman keeps coming here like this?”

“I apologize, President-nim.”

“You can go now.”

As President Yoo Ji-hoon dismissed him with a wave of his hand, Park Joon-hyung bowed repeatedly and left the President’s office.

Then, his face trembling with anger, he walked down the hallway back to the HR team and called for Hwang Dae-hoon.

Park Joon-hyung smoked three cigarettes in a row without saying a word, and during that time, Hwang Dae-hoon mentally reviewed every memory since he was five years old, trying to figure out what he had done wrong.

Park Joon-hyung took a deep breath, put the cigarette butt with its burnt filter into the ashtray, took out his fourth cigarette, and finally spoke.

“Did you report to the Ethics Management Department, Mr. Hwang?”

Hwang Dae-hoon immediately shook his head.

“Damn it! I’ll kill you if you lie!”

Hwang Dae-hoon was startled by Park Joon-hyung’s cursing, which he was hearing for the first time since joining the company, and hiccuped.

But he truly hadn’t made the report.

He had diligently investigated Kim Chul-soo, but nothing had come up.

Just one thing.

He had heard that Kim Chul-soo was excessively gathering information about the Chairman, so he had exaggerated the story and casually mentioned it during a gathering with his colleagues.

And as Park Joon-hyung had instructed, he was planning to add a few more embellishments once the rumor started to spread.

“Ah.. Hiccup.. No, sir. I.. I really hiccup didn’t do it.”

Park Joon-hyung stared at Hwang Dae-hoon with bloodshot eyes for a while, then put the cigarette in his mouth, lit it again, and sighed deeply.

“Sigh.”

Still, Park Joon-hyung had a decent ability to judge people.

The terrified, whimpering Hwang Dae-hoon didn’t seem to have the composure to lie.

It seemed that one of the new employees who disliked seeing Kim Chul-soo succeed had snitched as soon as they heard the rumor.

‘These youngsters are useless.’

Park Joon-hyung looked down at the street below, silently finishing his fourth cigarette without saying a word.

“Just focus on your team tasks until further notice.”

Hwang Dae-hoon quickly nodded and answered Park Joon-hyung’s words.

“Yes, Manager-nim.”

“You can go now.”

“Yes, Manager-nim.”

After Hwang Dae-hoon left, Park Joon-hyung looked down at the street below and thought about Kim Chul-soo.

He had definitely chosen the most foolish and loyal one from the training center, but he couldn’t understand what was happening.

He had put the smartest of the new recruits, Hwang Dae-hoon, next to him, and he had foolishly targeted him instead.

Park Joon-hyung took out another cigarette.