Chapter 32
Chapter 32
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Team Leader Jo's Full-Time Hire
-----------------------------------------------------------------
His speech was slick and masterful, his demeanor effortlessly relaxed, but his face betrayed an unmistakable youthful innocence.
Anyone meeting him for the first time would feel a puzzled "Huh?"—a jarring sense of incongruity.
Jo Yi-ruk summed up that odd vibe from Song Woo-yeon like this.
'Is this kid a scammer?'
As far as Jo Yi-ruk knew, no one who spoke so glibly ever turned out to be legit.
And now this guy was claiming to be a location expert out of nowhere? Jo Yi-ruk felt a twinge of anxiety that he might get roped into this scam as an accomplice.
He made a mental note to look up this [The Song] and [Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap 0212] stuff once he got home.
That was when Song Woo-yeon's one-man show kicked off.
"That's exactly it."
"Huh?"
"The reason lowering the shop's entry barrier is so crucial—that's it."
Was this even possible?
Jo Yi-ruk could only listen in a daze. No counterarguments came to mind.
The logic flowed seamlessly, peppered with questions to keep the listener hooked, backed by solid reasoning.
He was completely overwhelmed.
And convinced.
'This isn't just hot air.'
Franchise business, all that jazz—he'd dismissed it as typical businessman bluster.
But now Jo Yi-ruk felt something stir deep in his chest.
'Maybe... this guy could actually pull it off.'
Call it a gut feeling.
And Jo Yi-ruk's instincts rarely missed the mark.
'Every big company started as a startup. Even Facebook began as a college kid's hobby project.'
The thought crossed Jo Yi-ruk's mind.
'Am I standing at the starting line of something epic?'
It sounded ridiculous, but it felt plausible.
Sparkle.
For a moment, he imagined a lighthouse beaming in the distance—like a guiding light finally shown to a lone boatman adrift in pitch-black darkness, unsure of his course.
He'd been drifting aimlessly at sea, after all.
No reason not to follow that light.
'Alright. Let's dig a little deeper.'
No need to rush. Jo Yi-ruk decided to stick around Song Woo-yeon and watch his moves.
To see if this was someone worth devoting his life to.
"...Yi-ruk-ssi, Jo Yi-ruk-ssi!"
"Huh?!"
Jo Yi-ruk snapped back to reality.
Song Woo-yeon and Han Mi-ae were both staring at him.
"What were you thinking so deeply about? You didn't even hear me calling."
"S-Sorry."
Jo Yi-ruk bowed his head hastily. Was he in for a scolding? As he fidgeted nervously, Song Woo-yeon unexpectedly moved on without a word.
"Anyway, that's the intent behind the interior design I proposed at the start. After hearing from you, Owner, there are a few tweaks needed... but the big picture should go like this."
"Oh my, hearing you explain makes it all click. I was worried at first, but you know better than I do, Woo-yeon. Take good care of it."
"Of course. Once we select the interior firm, we'll hash out the details and share the schedule."
He strung the words together with the ease of someone who'd done this hundreds of times. Jo Yi-ruk marveled once more while tapping away at his keyboard.
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks."
"Sure thing. Head on in~."
With the meeting with Han Mi-ae wrapped up, Jo Yi-ruk slumped forward. All day: meetings, minutes, pretending to be a location expert.
And he'd pulled an all-nighter to boot—his head throbbed.
'This is straight-up a black company...!'
As if reading his mind, Song Woo-yeon approached.
"Tough day, huh?"
"N-No, not at all."
Jo Yi-ruk barely held back from shouting "Obviously!"
"We've got a ton on the plate right now. You were only supposed to sit in on this one meeting, but you handled it so well, we pushed through till morning."
Acknowledging the effort, slipping in just the right praise. Jo Yi-ruk felt a swell of pride matching his exhaustion, a faint smile creeping in.
"It's more fun than studying for the civil service exam, so it's fine."
"People work suits you better, right?"
"Seems like it. Didn't realize how starved for human contact I was."
Jo Yi-ruk scratched the back of his head.
"You've busted your butt from yesterday till now—take tomorrow off and rest up."
"What?!"
"Rewards for hard work. Or should I make it a bonus? Whichever you prefer."
Jackpot!
Jo Yi-ruk's eyes lit up.
"Bonus, please!"
"Cool, I'll include it with next week's pay deposit. Head home early since you're beat—but show up normal time the day after. Sound good?"
"Yes, sir!"
Heh heh. Nothing cures fatigue like cold hard cash. Jo Yi-ruk felt the tiredness evaporate.
"Oh, right. So, after working yesterday and today, what do you think?"
"About...?"
"You've seen how the company's running. No systems, no structure yet. We'll hire more for that soon, but till then, it'll be you solo."
"..."
"That one-week part-time gig we agreed on—still feeling the same?"
The timing was impeccable, like artwork.
Right after the carrot and stick had softened him up perfectly, the question landed.
Song Woo-yeon had proven his chops to some extent, and the work didn't sound insane.
Jo Yi-ruk knew zilch about running franchises, but the business consulting spiel rang true.
He'd even overheard during the Han Mi-ae meeting: some construction firm was investing.
Hard to believe one guy pulled that off alone.
Jo Yi-ruk hesitated, then blurted it out.
"...I'd like to stick around longer."
"Really?"
"Yeah. For now."
Where could this Song Woo-yeon guy go? Jo Yi-ruk was curious.
This sudden storm crashing into his life, upending everything—if it hit the big leagues, how massive would it get?
Just imagining it made his heart race.
"Perfect."
Song Woo-yeon grinned and pulled a single sheet from his folder.
"Employment contract. Let's redo it—as full-time."
"...!"
"Here."
He slid it over.
It looked prepped well in advance. When? Jo Yi-ruk stared blankly at Song Woo-yeon's knowing smile.
"...You saw this coming too?"
"About half. If the feelers today flopped, I'd ask next time."
Song Woo-yeon muttered something cryptic.
"Figured Team Leader Jo would react this way..."
Team Leader Jo? Jo Yi-ruk wasn't sure if that meant him. Team leader? Didn't you need a team for that?
"Anyway. Terms are solid. Feel free to run it by a law firm if you want."
"It's fine."
"Oh, sorry—shouldn't say that to a civil service prep guy."
Jo Yi-ruk snatched the contract and scanned it. Every clause crystal clear, no funny business.
A well-crafted document. That inexplicable proficiency shone through again.
"...I'll do it."
Jo Yi-ruk grabbed a pen.
He signed, inked his thumbprint instead of a seal, and the deal was sealed.
"Looking forward to working with you."
"Likewise."
They shook hands firmly.
Their gazes met over their clasped hands.
"Welcome aboard The Song, Jo Yi-ruk-ssi. First things first..."
Song Woo-yeon grinned.
Something ominous in that smile sent chills down Jo Yi-ruk's spine. What? This bad premonition—like he'd just signed a slave contract?
Thud!
"This too."
Thud!
"Oh, and this."
Thud!
"Last one~."
Thump!
"And this."
A mountain of documents buried Jo Yi-ruk's desk in seconds.
"...P-President. What's all this?"
"Handover materials for you."
"Pardon?"
Handover? For what?
"Manuals for all the tasks. Read through 'em. I'll be swamped awhile, so I'll check progress sporadically and approve most things, but you'll handle the basics."
"...Me?"
"Not much to it. Basically, do what the Owners need, and if it's impossible, report to me."
A vague sense of something wrong flitted through his mind, but the ink was dry.
"Franchise inquiries will trickle in too—the forms are in there. Fill 'em out per template and pass to me."
Essentially, he'd be running the whole operation.
'My bad hunches never fail!'
Jo Yi-ruk agonized over ripping up the contract and pretending this never happened.
Tap tap.
"No use agonizing—wastes brainpower. Head home for today. I've got somewhere to be."
"Y-You're dumping this on me and running off where...?"
Song Woo-yeon grinned at the question.
"Off to snag a bingsu machine."
"Huh?!"
"See ya~."
Before Jo Yi-ruk could protest, Song Woo-yeon was out the door.
From behind, Jo Yi-ruk yelled,
"Bingsu? Wait, aren't we doing franchise gukbap and snack shops?!"
Song Woo-yeon called back without turning.
"One more coming soon!"
"Huuuh?!"
Brands weren't kid's playthings. You couldn't just whip up another on a whim, right?
"Shouldn't you focus on the existing franchises first?!"
To that desperate plea, Song Woo-yeon shot back simply.
"It'll be a massive hit!"
He stood at the dawn of a bingsu craze—snowflake shaved ice that would sweep the nation for years to come.