The Gate Promotion Ten Years Ago
It had been ten years since the Gate Ascension incident that shook the world to its core.
Ten years—the time it takes for mountains and rivers to change.
Those noisy voices and prying eyes had long faded into the recesses of memory.
Drip, drip.
The sound of rain pattering against the grimy windowpane was surprisingly pleasant.
I propped my chin on my right hand, tapping the sticky tabletop with my left index finger as I gazed out the window.
This place was a cluster of rundown gukbap joints, as old and weathered as the alley they huddled in.
The entire alley reeked of meaty fumes, and steam billowed endlessly from the cauldrons, leaving the window frames slick with condensation that trickled down repeatedly.
Creak, rattle—
The aged sliding door groaned open.
A man in a sharp navy suit—clearly high-end at a glance—stepped in, folding his black long umbrella.
His hair was impeccably slicked back, not a strand out of place, his tie perfectly straight.
His shoes gleamed with a fresh polish.
He didn't belong here at all, shaking off his umbrella as he scanned the interior.
Our eyes met, and he smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth.
"Two bowls of gukbap, please."
The man placed his order indifferently toward the kitchen, then strode over with leisurely steps and sat down across from me without hesitation.
"Did I keep you waiting long?"
"No."
"My apologies. Parking around here is such a hassle."
As he straightened his clothes, a watch peeked out from under his cuff—easily worth tens of millions of won.
"I'm Choi Taehyun."
He offered a relaxed smile and handed me his business card.
The black card, premium quality, bore a familiar logo in gold foil.
一剛 (Ilgang).
On the back: Executive Director, Overall Division Head, Choi Taehyun.
"...Baek Sujae. I don't have a card."
In response, Choi Taehyun just nodded with a faint smile.
He promptly pulled a thick envelope from his leather bag and slid it over.
"The contract."
I drew out the stack of documents, and the bolded title jumped out immediately.
[Ilgang Group Strategy Planning Team Leader Appointment Contract]
I flipped through silently, scanning the contents, and Choi Taehyun smiled again.
"I've reviewed the materials you sent very thoroughly, Mr. Baek. You dug deep into Ilgang—honestly, I thought it was some kind of thesis."
I paused reading and looked him straight in the eye.
His face was impossible to read.
"Of course, I acknowledge your planning document is solid. But as you know, with no experience, you don't meet the qualifications."
"Then why me?"
"Hmm... Sign the last page, the nondisclosure agreement (NDA), and I'll tell you."
He nodded toward the contract.
I followed his gaze, flipping to the end—sure enough, the NDA.
These days, Ilgang Guild was in the middle of a bloodbath.
They'd started voluntary retirements under the pretext of poor performance, and the HR floor at headquarters hadn't gone dark for days.
The man behind that freezing chill was right in front of me: Choi Taehyun.
It started the moment he took the executive director seat.
Rumors said he ruthlessly cut anyone not in his line, filling vacancies with puppets to his taste.
This brutal purge was a declaration of war on his opponents.
And then the massive recruitment notice, like hammering in the final nail.
It was a death sentence for employees with weak positions.
A silent pressure: get out if you're leaving.
Sticking around meant getting washed out by the new hires anyway.
The architect of that despair now sat across from me, smiling leisurely as he waited for his gukbap.
I picked up the fountain pen next to the documents.
Then calmly signed my name at the bottom of the contract and NDA.
Scratch, scratch—
The sound of pen on paper rang out sharply.
Choi Taehyun waited patiently until I finished, then snatched the contract before the ink even dried.
A satisfied smile played on his lips.
"An excellent choice, Team Leader Baek."
So what if it's a mud pit?
I knew exactly what Ilgang was like when I applied, and I'd already figured out the office politics were a mess.
Of course, I never imagined they'd hand me Strategy Planning Team Leader just for a few documents.
But I had zero hesitation about joining Ilgang.
My goal had been singular from the start.
"Now tell me. Why pick a newbie Dungeon Analyst with no experience?"
Instead of answering, Choi Taehyun fiddled with his water glass.
Ten years ago, after the Gate Ascension fiasco, the world had changed dramatically.
They say safety rules are written in blood.
Ilgang, battered by the media, shouldered all the blame.
The arrogance of the nation's top guild had to be surrendered to the government and association.
Now it's common sense: minors can't enter gates.
Early-awakened young hunters sign 'emergency mobilization' oaths and train for debut until adulthood.
The biggest shift was gate control.
Management rights went fully to the government-run Hunter Association.
Guilds became subcontractors bidding for 'gate business rights' tossed by the association.
In these bloody bidding wars, the most precious asset was the Dungeon Analyst.
One analyst's risk assessment and rank calculation decided billions in business rights.
A rare class with sky-high value—but Ilgang was Ilgang, name still carrying weight despite setbacks.
They wouldn't hire a fresh certificate-holder.
Big guilds like this usually placed veterans with flashy records and raid support experience.
All I'd done was submit a planning doc on Ilgang's chronic issues and future direction.
I figured it'd land me a low-level team member spot at best.
But Strategy Planning Team Leader? Not even a parachute—this was a vertical drop.
Choi Taehyun, star of those brutal rumors, wouldn't slot me here without reason.
Putting an unproven guy in such a bold position...
It meant a dangerous seat with massive responsibility, where you knew if it was shit or bean paste without tasting.
"Team Leader Baek's contract is for two years, assigned to the 3rd Division Strategy Planning Team. And in those two years, you have just one task."
"What's that?"
Choi Taehyun grinned.
"Disband the 3rd Division. Break it apart completely."
"......Pardon?"
My head tilted involuntarily.
Did I hear that right?
Disband the division from day one?
What kind of absurd situation was this?
Right on cue, two steaming bowls of gukbap arrived.
The owner auntie set them down indifferently and returned to the kitchen.
Choi Taehyun stirred the solids slowly with his spoon and continued.
"Know this place has been family-run for three generations? Seventy-five years. I've been a regular for fifteen. But... I'm done coming here."
He stopped spooning and stared at me.
"Has it stagnated too long and gone rotten? Ever since the son took over, the taste just isn't the same. Team Leader Baek, if Ilgang has stagnant rot like this... what would you do?"
His gaze turned icy cold.
Ah, now I get it.
This guy's using me as the knife to clear out the old trash.
Not just a parachute.
The executioner to dismantle the 3rd Division.
And the lightning rod to absorb all the resentment in the process.
Choi Taehyun had placed me as the perfect disposable pawn.
"......Is disbanding the only answer?"
He raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"I interpreted your planning doc as aligning with my thoughts?"
"I'm asking your true intent, Director. Is it the people... or the performance?"
Instead of replying, he slurped a big spoonful of gukbap.
After a silent moment, he burst out laughing.
"Haha! You're more fun than I thought. Obviously performance. You think we're a charity? For a chronically loss-making division like the 3rd, withdrawal is the answer, right?"
"......Understood."
I nodded, and he tilted his head, eyeing me.
"Hmm... But why make it complicated?"
"Pardon?"
"Team Leader Baek, we've got the NDA signed—let's be frank. Cut out the cancer before it spreads. Miss the timing, and cleanup costs compound. You're not overconfident, are you?"
"......"
"You think going there will spark some miracle? Just do what I say. In two years, I'll secure your position."
He finished, gathered his things, and stood.
With the signature secured, he had no reason to stay.
"Assume you've got it all, then. Start in a week. See you then, Team Leader Baek."
Still wearing that annoyingly smug smile, he turned.
Before leaving, he tossed some bills on the counter and vanished into the rain.
The old iron door creaked shut, silence returning.
I stared quietly at the steaming gukbap before me.
The status window still blinked in the air.
I picked up my spoon wordlessly.
Then wrapped rice tightly in the greasy broth.
Shoved a heaping spoonful into my mouth, stuffing it till my cheeks bulged.
A week later, I stood before the towering Ilgang headquarters in the heart of Seocho-dong.
Basement 8 levels, 48 above ground.
They say it's not what it used to be, but Ilgang was still Ilgang.
The sleek glass building glittered brightest among its neighbors, reflecting the sunlight.
I headed straight to the info desk, where a neatly suited young man asked politely.
"How may I assist you?"
"Baek Sujae, assigned to the 3rd Division Strategy Planning Team starting today."
"Ah, one moment..."
His eyes narrowed as he checked the screen.
Glancing between my face and the monitor, he stood with a strange expression.
"I'll escort you personally."
"No need—just tell me where to go—"
"Team Leader Baek Sujae."
The voice from behind made the lobby staff bow 90 degrees in unison.
I turned to see Executive Director Choi Taehyun.
I nodded awkwardly, and he approached briskly.
"Let's go up together."
"Pardon? No, I can go alone—"
"You need to come to my office anyway. Let's go."
Ignoring my input, he started walking.
A nearby staffer hesitated, interjecting cautiously.
"Director, the executive elevator is that way..."
"Today, we're taking this one."
Choi Taehyun stood confidently before the employee elevator.
The queued staff parted like the Red Sea, retreating.
Suddenly, only he and I stood at the front.
Ding!
The doors opened after suffocating silence.
We boarded first; the others hesitated outside.
"What are you waiting for? Get in."
At his words, they flinched into an awkward game of chicken.
Finally, someone spoke up.
"N-no, sir! You go first!"
"Hmm..."
Then, someone sprinted down the hall, shouting.
"Wait! Ride with me!"
A woman peeked into the elevator, locking eyes with Choi Taehyun.
"Perfect timing. Operations Team Leader Han Iseo, hop in."
"Y-yes...? Oh, no—I forgot some documents! Go ahead!"
"You're headed to my office too. Just get in."
Under the firm order, Han Iseo boarded reluctantly, like swallowing mustard seeds through tears.
As the doors closed, relieved sighs echoed faintly from the hall.
A heavy silence settled inside.
Choi Taehyun broke it first.
"Team Leader Han, say hello. Starting today, your new Strategy Planning Team Leader for the 3rd Division: Baek Sujae."
"......Wh-what?!"
Han Iseo's eyes widened like saucers as she stared at me.