New Employee Kim Chul-soo

Chapter 24

“Are you alright?”

Choi Young-joon asked in a worried voice, looking at Ahn Jeong-gyu, whose eyelids were slightly bruised.

“Yes. I’m alright, Managing Director-nim.”

“If I had known that General Manager Yang’s personality was like that, you should have just endured it.”

“I couldn’t just stand there and take it when I had to protect the team.”

Choi Young-joon nodded as if he understood Ahn Jeong-gyu’s situation and took a sip of his tea.

“It’s a good thing it ended like that. If it had gone a little further, a disciplinary committee would have been convened.”

“I’m sorry for causing you concern. Actually, I came to see you because I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me anything.”

“I think Senior Managing Director Yoo Young-sik is wary of me.”

“Senior Managing Director Yoo?”

Choi Young-joon thought of Senior Managing Director Yoo Young-sik, who had been stuck in the position of Head of Division for five years because of him.

“The popcorn machine project is something that only our Team 5 can bring in and make happen. If Team 3 holds onto it, the contract could fall apart. Han-Young Logistics is already purchasing the popcorn machines, so if it falls apart, the company will suffer a huge loss. But there’s no way to persuade Senior Managing Director Yoo. I think he’s at odds with me.”

Assistant Manager Ahn Jeong-gyu was a competent person.

Although he hadn’t undertaken large-scale projects or businesses, the ones he handled had never fallen apart.

It was just that Manager Park Joon-hyung had risen too quickly; Assistant Manager Ahn Jeong-gyu was also on a fast track for promotion. Choi Young-joon had planned to promote him to Manager and then to an executive position if he successfully completed one or two large projects.

‘It’s only natural that Senior Managing Director Yoo feels threatened.’

Senior Managing Director Yoo Young-sik was also incredibly good at handling his work, making him indispensable to the company, but Assistant Manager Ahn Jeong-gyu was the only person Choi Young-joon trusted.

‘Should I get rid of Senior Managing Director Yoo?’

While Choi Young-joon was deep in thought, Ahn Jeong-gyu spoke again.

“So, I have a request.”

“Tell me.”

Ahn Jeong-gyu had thought this while looking at Yoo Young-sik.

A solitary, elegant crane.

A self-made man who had risen to the executive level solely through his own abilities without relying on any connections.

But after experiencing this situation, he realized that Yoo Young-sik was not an elegant crane, but a lone wolf worried about survival.

Wolves always sought out a pack.

That was their nature.

And the pack of wolves following Choi Young-joon was too small.

“Embrace Senior Managing Director Yoo.”

******

That evening.

Senior Managing Director Yoo Young-sik received a call from Managing Director Choi Young-joon and headed to a nearby high-end Chinese restaurant.

Jukbang (Bamboo Room).

Bamboo, symbolizing integrity.

The other rooms were empty, so why this room?

Why did the man who hadn’t had a one-on-one meeting with him in three years call him?

He guessed it was because of Assistant Manager Ahn, but he couldn’t fathom Managing Director Choi’s true intentions.

Yoo Young-sik opened the door, filled with curiosity.

I will take responsibility and save it

Tuesday evening, around 6 PM.

“Kim Chul-soo.”

Ahn Jeong-gyu, who had been deep in thought, called out to Kim Chul-soo.

“Yes, Team Leader-nim.”

“Follow me.”

Kim Chul-soo followed Ahn Jeong-gyu to the Sky Garden.

As Ahn Jeong-gyu lit a cigarette, Kim Chul-soo quickly took out his lighter and lit it for him, glancing at Ahn Jeong-gyu’s face, which was bruised around the eyes.

When Kim Chul-soo became a team leader in the past, his role model was Team Leader Ahn Jeong-gyu, whom he had forced to resign. Because he was a taciturn but incredibly cool person.

“Are you really okay?”

Ahn Jeong-gyu took a deep drag of his cigarette and turned his gaze towards the reddening sunset.

“Yes, Team Leader-nim.”

“What’s the reason? Tell me the real reason why you can be okay. You definitely knew. That if Team 3 took the popcorn machine project, it would fall apart. Right?”

Ahn Jeong-gyu’s words were firm, and Kim Chul-soo judged that it would be pointless to deny it.

“Yes, Team Leader-nim.”

“Did personal connections play a part?”

“Yes, Team Leader-nim. I prioritized personal connections.”

Ahn Jeong-gyu chuckled at those words.

“You rascal! You should have told me that earlier!”

“I’m sorry, Team Leader-nim.”

“If you bring that back, can you revive what’s fallen apart?”

Assistant Manager Ahn Jeong-gyu was a man with a clear goal.

He had judged that he could only gain an edge in this quarter’s performance by securing the popcorn machine project, and he wasn’t one to easily give it up.

It was obvious that he would make a move one way or another.

“Yes, Team Leader-nim. I’ll work hard.”

“You punk! Working hard doesn’t mean doing well! Doing well means doing well! If you guarantee that and fail to revive that fallen project, I’ll grind you up and drink you, got it?”

“Don’t worry, Team Leader-nim.”

Ahn Jeong-gyu smiled and flicked his cigarette at Kim Chul-soo’s confident answer.

“In my opinion, you’re definitely not an ordinary guy. No one in this company doesn’t know your name now, and you’ve always been at the center of controversy. The fact that rumors spread and you’re famous means you’re that good. And you’re just a rookie who’s been here for four months. There will be more than a few people trying to attack you in the future.”

This was the first time Kim Chul-soo had seen Ahn Jeong-gyu speak so seriously.

“Seeing what you’re doing, I’m not really worried, but if there’s something you can’t handle alone, don’t be an idiot and struggle alone, tell me. Okay?”

Even knowing that Ahn Jeong-gyu was trying to make him a definite part of his network.

Since he had forced this kind of person to resign with his own hands.

Contrary to his cold logic, he couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart.

“Yes, Team Leader-nim!”

Ahn Jeong-gyu said, looking at the sun with sharp eyes.

“From now on, don’t worry about appearances and show your abilities to the fullest. I’ll cover everything. I have high expectations for you in this special project, so don’t disappoint me.”

“Yes, Team Leader-nim. I’ll work hard.”

At Kim Chul-soo’s words, Ahn Jeong-gyu stubbed out the remaining cigarette butt in the ashtray sand and shouted.

“Hey! You rascal! Don’t work hard, do well! Do well!”

“Yes, I’ll do well, Team Leader-nim!”

“Yeah, that’s what I like to hear! Go home when you get down.”

“Ah, it’s okay, Team Leader-nim.”

“You punk! I’m saying go to your colleagues’ gathering. Manage the things you can manage as much as possible. That’s how you can survive until the end and reach the top.”

“Ah, I understand. Team Leader-nim.”

Ahn Jeong-gyu touched his bruised eyelid and waved his hand.

“I’m going. Ouch! My eye hurts like hell. Damn General Manager Yang. Ahem……”

After Ahn Jeong-gyu left, Kim Chul-soo looked at the sunset and thought.

To tell a rookie who’s only been here for four months such a thing.

‘It must be because of Assistant Manager Lee Jun-hak, right?’

******

“Oh, Chul-soo-ssi?”

Just as Ahn Jeong-gyu had suggested, Kim Chul-soo went to the bar where his colleagues were gathering after work.

Except for Hwang Dae-hoon and Kim Sung-ho from Sales Team 3, who had been completely destroyed yesterday, everyone welcomed Kim Chul-soo.

“Why don’t you come out more often?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been busy.”

“Chul-soo-ssi, beer?”

“Yes.”

Most of his colleagues were interested in his first business trip.

When Kim Chul-soo vividly recounted his trip, their attention focused on him.

“Wow, if you spent two days on a plane for a four-day business trip, that must have been really tough.”

“How do you even work when you’re that tired?”

“Do you really have to check until the ship leaves?”

“It’s okay if it’s a container since the unloading is fast, but if it’s bulk…… Wow…… You’re just going to die? Aren’t you?”

“Ah! The romance of business trips is disappearing!”

“Humanely, they should give you a day off.”

Hwang Dae-hoon, who had been the center of the gathering, was annoyed that his colleagues shifted their attention to Kim Chul-soo as soon as he arrived.

‘These traitors!’

Meanwhile, Kim Sung-ho, who had been severely scolded by his team leader since yesterday and whose stress levels were through the roof, had been drinking ever since he arrived and was now completely drunk and staggering.

‘Because of that bastard, what am I going through!’

“Isn’t this too much? Why are you handing over the popcorn machine project to our team and making a fool of me!”

Everyone looked at Kim Sung-ho at his sudden outburst.

“Hey, Sung-ho-ssi, you’re drunk.”

“Fuck! I’m not drunk. Explain yourself! Explain yourself!”

Then Jang Yoo-mi, who was sitting next to Kim Chul-soo, stood up abruptly.

“Kim Sung-ho-ssi. The most wronged person here is Chul-soo-ssi. He worked so hard to create the business plan, and Team 3 just took it!”

“Who said I wanted to take it!”

“Then you should go and say that to your team leader.”

“Oh! Really! A woman, fuck! Talking back to a man so confidently?”

“What did you say? You’re a completely worthless person, aren’t you? I’m so ashamed to be colleagues with someone like you. You’re completely trashy.”

“Hey!”

Kim Sung-ho lunged at Jang Yoo-mi, but Kim Chul-soo blocked him.

Kim Chul-soo twisted Kim Sung-ho’s hands and forced him to kneel on the floor.

He struggled to move, but every time he did, he felt a sharp pain in his twisted arms and screamed.

Kim Chul-soo lightly slapped Kim Sung-ho’s cheek a few times from behind, and he soon quieted down.

“Kim Sung-ho-ssi. Listen carefully and sober up. This isn’t a problem between you and me. It was the company’s decision to hand over my project, which I worked hard on, to Team 3, and it was the company’s decision that the project went to you. Everything is decided by the company that pays our salaries. So I accepted this unfair decision, and you need to accept it too. If you make this a problem between you and me, there will be no solution, and it will only get harder. Do you understand?”

The team leader of Sales Team 3, General Manager Yang Chun-sik, was on President Yoo Ji-hoon’s side.

It was likely that Manager Park Joon-hyung’s influence played a role in handing over that project to Kim Sung-ho.

He probably coaxed them by saying something like, ‘If the new recruit in Team 5 can do it, why can’t the new recruit in Team 3?’

He probably also wanted the title of being the fastest new recruit to be put in charge of a project independently since the company’s establishment.

Although people are the ones who move, ultimately, it’s the company that moves.

“Hooooo.”

Kim Sung-ho lowered his head and sighed as if he understood.

Kim Chul-soo also released his grip.

“It’s hard. Really.”

This is something all new employees experience when they join a company.

The feeling of being truly exhausted.

It’s even stranger if you don’t feel exhausted after entering a company where all sorts of dirty things happen, after living in a world where you were treated preferentially based solely on your grades.

Kim Chul-soo lifted Kim Sung-ho, who was hanging his head on the floor, and sat him in a chair.

Everyone was looking at Kim Chul-soo with completely different eyes than before, impressed by his ability to quickly quell the chaos.

Kim Sung-ho later passed out from being drunk, and Kim Chul-soo gradually began to take control of the gathering.

Only Hwang Dae-hoon watched the situation from a distance, sighing.

‘Something’s strange. He wasn’t like this at the training center.’

After the gathering ended, everyone dispersed.

Kim Chul-soo and Jang Yoo-mi stood at the bus stop together since they had to take the bus.

“Thank you, Chul-soo-ssi.”

Jang Yoo-mi shuddered, remembering the situation where Kim Sung-ho had lunged at her.

“You’re welcome. Don’t hate Kim Sung-ho-ssi too much. When people are too stressed, they sometimes lose their rationality and act out.”

“I didn’t know he would be like that, since he was always so quiet and well-mannered. I guess I shouldn’t go near him when he’s drinking. How did the Team Leader-nim allow you to come today?”

“He said it would be troublesome if I became an outcast among my colleagues, so he told me to leave work early.”

“Team Leader Ahn is blunt, but he seems like a good person.”

“He is a good person.”

Jang Yoo-mi nodded at Kim Chul-soo’s words and then asked,

“They say it’s hard to revive a failed contract. Isn’t this beyond your expectations, Chul-soo-ssi?”

“The Team Leader-nim said that you can’t pick up spilled water, but you should be able to easily revive a failed contract to be a competent salesman.”

“Ah! Right. That could be true. Because you can persuade the buyer again. The spirit of never giving up! I understand.”

“If you’re persistent, they might sign the contract just to avoid the hassle.”

Jang Yoo-mi giggled at Kim Chul-soo’s words.

“Oh, Chul-soo-ssi, your bus is here first.”

“It is.”

‘It’s a shame. I want to stay with her a little longer.’

“I’ll see you at work.”

“Yes, go safely.”

Kim Chul-soo got on the bus without hesitation.

He thought she would at least wave goodbye.

But the bus just left.

‘Tsk.’