Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 64: How to Resolve Conflict with a Boss: Get Rid of the Boss (2)

After Kim I-wol ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠submitted his proposal to the Planning Team, the frequency of his visits to the Management Headquarters decreased significantly.

Naturally, Min Ju-gyeong, who belonged to the Management Headquarters, also rarely had a reason to see him.

That was, until Kim I-wol requested a meeting through the trainees' manager, Im Chan-yeong.

Meetings with the team responsible for managing people were usually all the same. At most, the biggest issue would be a request to change managers.

Even when Kim I-wol entered the meeting room looking exhausted, Min Ju-gyeong simply assumed he was overwhelmed with work or feeling complicated emotions ahead of his debut.

However, the problem this young trainee cautiously brought forward was an issue UA had never encountered before.

"PD Yu hit you?"

At a subject she hadn't even dared to imagine, Min Ju-gyeong adjusted her posture and asked again.

It wasn't because she doubted Kim I-wol. It was because she couldn't believe that something that should never happen actually had.

Kim I-wol, who had been hesitating and struggling to speak, gave a small nod.

"When?"

"…A few days ago."

He was a kid who always made eye contact and spoke clearly when talking to people. Today, however, Kim I-wol could hardly lift his head.

Does he think this happened because he did something wrong?

Min Ju-gyeong’s heart sank.

No matter how much someone might deserve a scolding, you should never lay a hand on them. But even setting that aside, Kim I-wol wasn't the type to go out of his way to get on someone's bad side.

Didn't everyone at UA know how polite and diligent Kim I-wol was?

Min Ju-gyeong asked as calmly as possible to keep Kim I-wol from getting more nervous.

"What happened between you and the PD?"

"…To be honest, I’m not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠really sure," Kim I-wol said with a sheepish smile. That vacant smile made Min Ju-gyeong even more concerned.

Just then, something flashed through her mind.

It was a conversation she’d had during lunch with a university friend who worked in the Planning Team.

‘Ju-gyeong, be honest with me. Is PD Yu really a parachute hire?’

‘Why? What’s wrong with him?’

‘That bastard is a total lost cause. He can’t do his job, he talks like shit, and on top of that, he has zero tact. How has he not developed a reputation in the industry yet?’

It was well-known that the Planning Team hadn't had a single good day since PD Yu Han-su joined. Even Min Ju-gyeong’s friend, who was usually easygoing, had become so full of complaints that she wondered if they were the same person.

And all those complaints stemmed from Yu Han-su.

‘The Team Leader doesn’t say it outright, but I think Yu Han-su feels inferior to I-wol.’

‘Inferiority?’

‘Yeah. He picks a fight every time I-wol does something. When I ask for the history because he brings in such garbage ideas, it’s a total spectacle.’

‘Come on, look at the age gap between I-wol and PD Yu.’

‘I’m serious. In this last meeting, all of PD Yu’s ideas were rejected and I-wol’s was chosen. You should have seen PD Yu’s face then.’

Her friend had definitely said that Kim I-wol’s ideas were chosen over Yu Han-su’s.

She had heard that it wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. However, the news that a producer’s entire set of opinions had been completely shot down was a major incident that had spread throughout the company.

"I-wol, roughly when did the PD lay a hand on you?" Min Ju-gyeong asked gently, hoping against hope that a grown adult hadn't hit a twenty-year-old out of petty inferiority.

However, the answer did not deviate from her expectations.

"It was a few days ago. Is the specific date important?"

"Not necessarily. I was just wondering if you remembered."

"I can find the exact date if I look at a calendar. It was about three days after the meeting with the Planning Team. I wrote all the meeting schedules on my calendar."

The way Kim I-wol tried to speak calmly was pitiful.

As Min Ju-gyeong was debating what to say, Kim I-wol hesitated before pulling something out of his pocket.

"Um, I thought you might not believe me, so…"

Min ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ju-gyeong couldn't say a word as she took the bundle Kim I-wol handed her.

As she unfolded the paper, small metal fragments were revealed.

Min Ju-gyeong wasn't stupid enough to not realize why Kim I-wol was handing this over now. Nor was she unaware that Korean electronics didn't shatter like this just from being stepped on lightly.

Min Ju-gyeong let out a low groan. It was clear that this wasn't a problem she could resolve and finish at her level.

After thinking for a moment, Ju-gyeong asked for my understanding and brought in the Management Team Leader.

The Management Team Leader, who had entered with a bright expression, saw his face turn ashen within three minutes.

I had been prepared to make a scene about how the other trainees were terrified because of Yu Han-su if the company staff reacted lukewarmly. Fortunately, such an unfortunate event wasn't necessary.

Thanks to that, all I had to do was explain, with a world-weary expression, how difficult the days spent toiling under Yu Han-su had been.

Personally, I was enjoying the chance to vent in a way I never could at Hanpyeong Industry, but the employees' complexions grew worse by the second.

When I mentioned how Yu Han-su would call me until 4:00 AM, the faces of the Management Team Leader and Ju-gyeong turned visibly pale.

The Management Team Leader ruffled his hair in frustration and spoke.

"Making the kids witness such filth."

Don't worry about that. I'm a black-hearted professional, so I'm fine.

Beside the Team Leader, Ju-gyeong let out a long sigh and asked, "We should talk to the Planning Team and separate PD Yu from Spark, right?"

"That’s a given. We’ll have to hear ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠PD Yu’s side too, but we definitely need to report this to the Representative."

It was surprising. The company employees were actually trying to protect me.

No matter how hard I had practiced my acting for this day, I hadn't expected them to listen to a low-level trainee's words with such sincerity. They even believed me.

Even if that display was just for show, it didn't change the fact that it was a sight I had never seen once at Hanpyeong Industry. I guess if you live long enough, you see everything.

To think they care about me this much. Truly…

This is awkward. I still have more to say!

"Um, and also…"

I pulled out the documents I had printed in advance from my bag and held them out. My heart was fucking racing, but I tried my best to look hesitant on the outside.

"I’m not sure if it’s right for me to show you this… but I felt like I had to say something."

"What is this?"

A document detailing PD Yu Han-su's suspected corruption, meticulously crafted by a former HR employee and current trainee.

To explain how I ended up stripping Yu Han-su bare like a harvested stalk of grain, I have to go back a few weeks.

It was back when Yu Han-su was dumping all sorts of work on me day and night.

Part of my tasks included getting quotes from the vendors Yu Han-su told me to contact.

And in that process, I found it.

The numbers are weird.

Evidence of Yu Han-su’s attempted embezzlement.

To make the most of the budget allocated to Spark, I had to save as much as possible.

So, I put in every ounce of legwork I could. I inquired for quotes everywhere and even knocked on the same doors two or three times to organize all the estimates.

During that process, I noticed an anomaly.

There were three scenarios: when I asked for a quote alone, when I negotiated prices using UA’s name with permission, and when I contacted a vendor Yu Han-su introduced as an acquaintance. In the cases where these three overlapped, the unit prices were incredibly strange.

I knew the rule of thumb was that individual inquiries were the most expensive, but for some reason, the more PD Yu’s name was mentioned, the higher the price went.

At first, I thought Yu Han-su was on some vendor's blacklist, but that wasn't it. Several vendors showed the same pattern.

Surely not. He hasn't even been here that long since he transferred.

With a "just in case" mindset—and hoping Yu Han-su wasn't actually that much of a lost cause—I asked a vendor.

"How should we handle the payment?"

The answer I got was disappointing.

"Just tell him we'll deposit the difference into his personal account like last time."

This was a problem beyond just personality.

As a result, no embezzlement actually occurred within UA. This was because a completely different vendor was selected for the job.

I nearly died trying to find a place that offered good terms but wasn't under Yu Han-su’s influence.

I would have loved to blow the whistle immediately, but there were too many complications.

If the Planning side got noisy because of Yu Han-su, Spark’s debut might get pushed back.

And if I acted too rashly, I might get the axe before Yu Han-su did.

Considering all these factors, the only thing I could do at the time was ensure Yu Han-su couldn't find a single corner to siphon money from.

However, I made sure to record the series of events.

I did it with the intention of reporting it proudly if something like this happened again, or when I eventually left UA after achieving my KPIs.

And then, the day after I was struck by Yu Han-su.

I visited the Production Team with the intention of finishing him off.

I planned to take the price list containing only the quotes I received using Yu Han-su’s name, compare them with the standard market rates experts would know, and get them cross-verified…

‘PD Yu Han-su already picked the vendor, right? Then we don't need to look at it. Everything’s already settled.’

Lo and behold.

The Production Team was acting incredibly suspicious.

An employee conspires with a vendor to siphon the budget. And the related department pretends not to notice?

That could only mean they were in cahoots.

Only then did all the previous questions get answered. Since there were people sharing the crumbs, I must have been a massive eyesore for constantly getting in the way.

Since we didn't work closely together, it must have been easy to pull the wool over people's eyes on the surface.

I hope they all get disciplined and just shut the hell up about Spark’s business.

With that mindset, I stayed up all night transcribing recordings and attaching quotes until my eyes were bloodshot.

It didn't seem like the people connected to Yu Han-su were only in the Production Team, but I decided to cut the main tendons first. I couldn't risk losing both rabbits by trying to catch them at once.

The report I created while crying internally was now in the hands of the UA staff.

My heart pounded. How would UA treat an internal whistleblower?

Back at Hanpyeong Industry, whistleblowers were treated like the enemy.

Just as I thought that, the sound of chair legs scraping harshly against the floor rang out. It was the sound of someone lunging up from their seat.