Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Start of the 90s (2)
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Ah, so who was the traitor?
The traitor turned out to be surprisingly easy to find.
No matter how much I racked my brain, there was no one who seemed like they could leak my information, so just in case, I counted the staff myself. Sure enough, a few were missing.
"Huh? A face I don't recognize. Weren't you on the new hire list?"
"...I'm sorry, miss."
It turned out a single document had gone missing in transit and never reached me. Probably underprinted or blown away by the wind or something.
Anyway, human error happens. That's why you always need backups and contingencies for everything.
Of all people, the traitor had to come from the group I hadn't checked personally. Still, narrowing down the suspects let me pinpoint them quickly...
'Feels just like bombing a test on the one page I skipped studying...'
I handled that person decisively. Daeha Securities had some internal illegal activities piling up anyway, so I pinned it on them and shipped them off.
-Tilt-
I cocked my head and stepped forward, staring right at the new hire's face.
This was the last one I hadn't seen. With the traitor already caught, I approached her casually.
'As expected. Someone this pretty, there's no way I wouldn't have noticed.'
The new hire freaked out when the company owner—chaebol third-gen miss—suddenly showed up to see her personally. She trembled and bowed her head to me.
"H-Hello, miss. I'm Choi Yeon-ha, the new hire."
I smiled brightly and patted her shoulder.
"Yeah. Got your name memorized. Choi Yeon-ha... Ah-ha, unique name. I like it—sounds kinda like mine."
Cold sweat poured down the new hire's face.
I grinned widely, pondering my happy dilemma.
"Hmm... Which department should our Yeon-ha go to?"
"S-Sorry! Pl-Please have mercy."
I laughed and pulled her up as she suddenly dropped to her knees and begged.
"Haha, it's not like that, so don't worry."
I'm not such a bad person, you know.
"R-Really?"
"Just department assignment. Hmm, where to put you... Ah! Right, that place."
She clutched her hands anxiously and asked me,
"Where?"
"We need to send someone to Russia soon. Transfer there. Yeah. Oh, still the Soviet Union, right? Anyway, thanks for your hard work."
"...."
Choi Yeon-ha's face drained of color before I even finished speaking.
This is actually a great position, but prejudices make it tough.
It's a bit hard for a woman, but hey, gotta suck it up.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'D-Did she figure it out...?'
Choi Yeon-ha shuddered with anxiety upon hearing that Yoo Ha-yeon, the owner of Daeha Securities, was coming to see her.
At first, it wasn't a big deal.
She'd joined the company on a whim, only to find it far more impressive than expected. She was just shocked that a famous U.S. fund was run by Yoo Ha-yeon.
'...Of course I thought headquarters knew!'
But apparently not.
-Uh... Alpha Fund? What are you talking about, Yeon-ha?
When a senior at headquarters said that, Choi Yeon-ha felt a chill of foreboding.
No way no one knew?
Her casual slip-up grew heavier with time. At first, it was just a vague unease, but she later realized how massive the blunder was.
Black Monday? Japan's bubble...?
After learning Yoo Ha-yeon was tied to all of it, Choi Yeon-ha desperately wanted to quit.
The only reason she didn't was a shred of rationality screaming no.
'I'll die. I'll definitely die...!'
Rumors spread of hunting a traitor, and someone from the next department got "retired" for embezzlement. Quitting now would be reckless, not brave.
No, would they even let her quit? Would a company let someone with such a huge secret walk away?
Was this even a real company? Wasn't Daeha Group actually a secret society pulling Korea's strings? Yoo Ha-yeon, the owner, was still in elementary school—maybe not human, but an alien like E.T.?
After barely managing a natural greeting, Choi Yeon-ha kept her eyes down, avoiding contact.
"Yeah. Got your name memorized. Choi Yeon-ha..."
"...!"
Her breath caught.
The near-owner of the company remembered her name...?
She babbled incoherently after, begging forgiveness in a daze.
What had she even said...?
As she groveled desperately, Yoo Ha-yeon's terrifying words came.
"We need to send someone to Russia soon. Transfer there. Yeah. Oh, still the Soviet Union, right? Anyway, thanks for your hard work."
Soviet Union? Still?
What did that mean? Was it going to collapse?
...Why her?
'Ah, aaa...'
The sin of flapping her lips cheaply before the shadow ruling world finance was too great.
Choi Yeon-ha blamed her foolish past self and collapsed.
Of course, if she were wiser, she'd realize her senior didn't believe her, and wasn't in a position to report up anyway.
But if she were that wise, she wouldn't have spoken out of turn to begin with... So her paranoid spiral was inevitable.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In December, I marveled at the year-end reports.
Work speed had visibly spiked toward year-end.
Probably because I'd personally toured departments to "encourage" them while hunting the traitor.
"Wow, when a big shot inspects in person, the staff's efficiency skyrockets, huh?"
Director Choi, bringing the reports, nodded reluctantly.
"...Yes. Especially the new hires—they're working hard."
Of course they were.
The pretty, beautiful, merciful super-genius chaebol third-gen miss had personally met and motivated her underlings.
I'd been generous with daily bonuses too... But yeah, this level was thanks to my overwhelming charm. Especially that Choi Yeon-ha? She crushed it.
Next time I see her, I'll signal that I remember. Or... with the Russia transfer, make her my executive secretary?
I glanced at Si-hyeon beside me.
The gloomy secretary, counting down to thirty, stared back blankly.
-What? Why?
That's the vibe. I sighed deeply.
"Si-hyeon, turning thirty... You're getting old..."
"That's harsh."
Director Choi—currently 49—bristled unexpectedly. Lee Si-hyeon joined in with a voice thick with gloom.
"Yeah, way too much. Seriously..."
"Sigh, old folks gotta die sometime."
As I grumbled, Si-hyeon panicked and waved her hands.
"It's scary when you say that, miss. I-I'm sorry."
Hmm... Do I seem that scary?
These kids nowadays lack guts.
"Save the empty words. Starting next year, you're Secretary General, right? You're executive level now—time to carry some weight."
"...Ah."
Secretary General is executive-equivalent. For the group heir's, it's vice chairman level.
Si-hyeon had improved a lot lately, but attending me kept her from advancing more.
Time to level her up fast.
"January 1st, let's hit the department store for nice clothes. Dignity allowance—company card."
"...Isn't that a holiday?"
Pfft.
I smirked wickedly and snorted.
"Huh? If I'm going, obviously gather staff to open the store. From now on, the day I go isn't a holiday."
"Please don't. If you do that at the department store, I'll be too stressed to even try on clothes."
Can't try on clothes?
Whoa, naked.
"Stop those weird thoughts. You do this to other secretaries too, right?"
"Nah. Only you, Si-hyeon."
"That feels oddly off-putting..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ As always, tumultuous 1990 came to an end...
And 1991 dawned.
The turning point: Soviet collapse, Pax Americana arrives—the true start of the 90s.
'Honestly, something else draws me more.'
The 90s also saw computers advance enough for fun games to emerge.
Sonic, FF4, Street Fighter 2, Civilization...
"So, you called me during New Year's break for this?"
"Yup. Come play games together."
For Lunar New Year, I eagerly unboxed the arcade machine. Street Fighter 2—the origin of fighting games, still fun despite dated graphics.
Lee Si-hyeon eyed the screen dubiously.
"...You said as Secretary General, you wouldn't touch it anymore?"
"Psh, it's a holiday today."
"No friends to call during break?"
"...Friends are right here? We're friends, right Si-hyeon? Ah, I-reon can't make it today."
"...."
Tsk.
I rummaged in the drawer and pulled out a check.
"Here, your yearly friend fee. This good?"
"...I'm fine."
Lee Si-hyeon looked at me pitifully and sat down.