Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: A Passionate New Hire and the Undercover Visit
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"Hello there!"
I bowed deeply with a booming greeting. The angle was so precise, it was like folding a flip phone in half.
"I'm Park Sang-won, starting work here today! Please take good care of me going forward!"
Park Sang-won straightened up and scanned us with sparkling eyes. He was a guy whose bright gaze really stood out.
Even after being seasoned in the corporate world, it was rare to see someone with eyes brimming with that much enthusiasm.
"Welcome aboard."
I greeted him with a wide smile. Jo Yi-ruk followed with a quick nod.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jo Yi-ruk."
"Yes, sir! I've heard so much about you!"
"Haha. Now I'm a bit worried about what they said. We're short-staffed, so we must've put you through the wringer."
"It was tough, yeah."
No Se-hee chimed in naturally.
"Welcome to hell, Park."
"I'm not even a deputy manager anymore. Haha."
Park Sang-won scratched the back of his head.
"I heard there's no distinction between team leader and team member here. So feel free to just call me by name."
What was the point of titles in a company with barely four people? For now, we were keeping things relatively flat without a rigid hierarchy.
Jo Yi-ruk kept habitually calling me "Team Leader Jo," which rubbed off on No Se-hee too...
"Thanks for joining us. Leaving a big corporation like Hyunmu Group behind couldn't have been an easy call."
"No, not at all! I'm sick and tired of Hyunmu by now."
Park Sang-won shook his head vigorously.
"Our team is staying together, and I wanted to work under someone who truly appreciates my skills. The Song may be small right now, but I believe its potential is limitless!"
"Nice to hear you say that."
"I'm serious! I did my homework before deciding to switch. No Manager laid out all the realistic stuff too. But in the end, the whole team's opinion was the same!"
Park Sang-won clenched his fist and shouted.
"Live together, die together! That's the resolve we'll charge forward with!"
Wow.
Was that sparkle in Park Sang-won's eyes not passion, but madness?
The version of him I saw before must've been worn down. This younger one overflowed with so much energy it was almost overwhelming.
"Uh, um. Yeah. Fighting."
I gave an awkward smile, and No Se-hee let out a deep sigh.
"Told you not to overdo it."
"Whoops. Sorry!"
Even the way he bowed his head was overly dramatic. What a unique character.
"Park Sang-won, you'll be working under No Team Leader from now on. You've synced up with him for a while, so you two probably know each other better than I do."
"Yes, sir!"
"Then No Team Leader, please handle the task division and handover."
"Got it."
Good. That wraps this up. More team members would join one by one, lightening the load on Jo Yi-ruk and No Se-hee.
Of course, with more franchises, the work would pile up too, so it might be like robbing Peter to pay Paul. Still, more hands were a blessing.
"Oh, right. Jo Yi-ruk, I mentioned we have a business trip today, yeah?"
"Yes. I've cleared my schedule."
"Great. Let's go."
"Um, President? Mind if I ask what this trip is for?"
"Oh. Didn't I tell you?"
Oops. Thought I had.
I scanned Jo Yi-ruk up and down. Hmm. Nice suit, but...
I suddenly narrowed my eyes and glared. Jo Yi-ruk looked baffled, like he had no clue why.
"No good. You look too much like an office worker."
"Well, I am an office worker..."
"We'll stop by a clothing store first."
"Pardon?"
"Let's go!"
I dragged Jo Yi-ruk out relentlessly. His repeated "Pardon?" and "Huh?!" were kinda fun.
It's the mood. I'll buy it out of pocket, so clothes first.
"Oh, that suits you well."
"...Thank you."
Jo Yi-ruk replied with a tired face. Hmm. It'd been a while since I bought clothes for someone else, so I got a bit excited and made him try on several outfits. Was it that exhausting?
I picked the most casual one that fit him best and had him wear it. Unlike before, he now had a solid boyfriend vibe.
Perfect. Right on plan.
I'd come dressed casually from the start, so no need to fuss.
"Oh, let's grab hats too. Two of these, please."
"Yes, sir~."
I pointed to some plain hats hanging on one side of the store.
"Here."
I handed him one of the two, and he took it reluctantly.
"What's this been about since earlier?"
"You still don't get it?"
"Not a clue. I'm starting to think this is workplace harassment."
His complexion had paled since before. Tsk tsk. Can't handle this level of stamina?
"Don't worry. We've got the clothes sorted, and the timing's just right..."
A bit past 11 a.m. How'd time fly like this?
"We'll make it if we head out now."
"So, where exactly are we going that you had to buy me new clothes? No matter how I think about it, this doesn't seem work-related... President, don't tell me..."
Jo Yi-ruk crossed his arms defensively over his chest with a horrified look. It was oddly infuriating pose.
"Surely you're not..."
"As if."
"Sorry, but I avoid office romances."
"That's why you don't need to worry."
Unbelievable.
From his expression, he wasn't serious. Just trying to rile me up a bit. And it kinda worked.
"We're going to check out a franchise."
"Oh, there. ...But why do we have to dress like this?"
He was holding back from asking if suits wouldn't be better. Yeah, probably best to restrain himself in front of the guy who just bought his clothes.
Sorry, but there's a reason.
"Because we're not going officially."
"Pardon?"
"We're going undercover. So they won't know it's us."
"!"
Jo Yi-ruk's eyes widened at my words.
"That's why the hats...!"
"They know our faces. But in casual clothes and hats, they won't have time to scrutinize us while busy with business."
Undercover inspection, in other words.
"Announcing it ahead ruins the point. They might not act normal."
"True."
"We experience it as regular customers without tipping off that we're HQ staff. If we spot deviations from HQ guidelines or areas for improvement, we give feedback later. If it's severe, we shut them down with a warning, no mercy."
Way better that way.
Imagine food poisoning from unsanitary cooking at our franchise. We're insured for liability, but insurance doesn't fix everything. If a customer ends up in critical condition, it's nightmare fuel. Brand reputation trashed, obviously.
Better to get permission, pause operations, and do an emergency check.
"Of course, since it's newly opened, there won't be much deviation from HQ policy. Better to point out improvements in customer service or kitchen efficiency."
"Good idea."
Jo Yi-ruk nodded.
"...But why am I coming along?"
Truth is, there's not much Jo Yi-ruk can do there. He could share a regular customer's perspective, sure.
He's only learned on the job, ultimately clueless about the business.
Plus, the age gap between us makes faking a couple awkward. No Se-hee would've been better—same gender, less conspicuous.
Especially since she handles PR, she could've spotted finer details.
Still, the only reason I brought Jo Yi-ruk is one.
"You'll be managing it later."
"...Managing what?"
His face paled, sensing the incoming workload. I grinned.
"The undercover team. Personally, I prefer calling it the 'Secret Inspector Dispatch.'"
"Undercover team..."
"Like what we're doing now—visit franchises pretending to be regular customers, eat, check things out. Retrain owners if needed, handle hygiene inspections too."
"Ah, that kind of team."
"We need one."
Franchises can't be managed perfectly from afar, no matter how much attention you pay.
You try to minimize gaps, but surprise checks can't happen monthly.
Quarterly or semiannually? Between those, franchisees get lax, and HQ can't do much.
But a dedicated undercover team creates self-correction.
"Won't be easy hiding with hats forever. But it's early days now."
"You talk like you've done this in later stages too, President."
Sharp as ever.
"Anyway, experience it well today. We'll rotate with me and other staff for a while."
"Got it."
"That's why no complaints—put on the hat. Start with the closest one."
"Yes."
I hopped into Jo Yi-ruk's car.
Thirty minutes drive.
We parked in the spacious lot, arriving at the gukbap joint buzzing with customers—freshly opened, clearly thriving.
Whew.
I whistled involuntarily.
"Business is booming."
"Even from reports, sales were strong. High foot traffic, and they prioritized parking from the start."
Location was vetted by Jo Yi-ruk and approved by me—flawless. No worries there.
Smooth sailing from day one.
"Welcome~! Table for two?"
"Yes."
"Right this way!"
Lucky—got seats without waiting.
"Here's your menu~."
The server handed over the menu and left. Single-menu spot anyway—no need to look. I was about to order two bowls of Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap when...
The next table beat me to it, calling the server.
"One Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap and two yukgaejang, please."
...What?