Starting Over Again (9)
Han Suhyun / General Manager, Doowon Support Division (Executive Director)
While he was tapping away at the keyboard, a conversation unfolded.
“Then, by any chance, is the Chairman aware of this?”
“Not yet. If you send over the relevant materials, I will organize them and prepare a report.”
“Please keep this in your possession only until the General Manager speaks on it.”
“Understood.”
The reason things had escalated to this point was that after the call with the External Cooperation Department Head ended, the manager had wondered who on earth the General Manager’s secretary was to call him so brazenly without any prior notice, leading him to open her personnel file.
There it read:
Name: Eunbyul / Rank: Assistant Manager
Affiliation: Office of the Support Division General Manager
Category: Holding Company
Family: Parents, 1 younger sister
That much was fine, but:
Highest Education: Seoul National University, College of Engineering, Industrial Engineering Bachelor’s
Personnel Evaluation: A3, 00/00/00
This was the first important thing. The fact that she had maintained an A3—the highest possible score—across every quarter of her tenure caught the department head’s eye. Then, the fact that her disciplinary count, audit count, and dispatch count (referring to punitive dispatch) were all zero was one thing, but...
Personal Notes: ISG OJV contact / employee denied
“...?”
Proposed for the executive track, but the subject expressed refusal.
This was written in red at the very top. It didn’t mean anything negative; rather, it signified that she was a ‘unique individual’ and, simultaneously, a ‘key figure.’
And:
Procurement Team Leader: Competent, creative, and perfect; completed all requested procurement requests without delay.
HR / Holding Company Member Management Team Leader: Actively requested rejection of resignation; if unavoidable, request call to 001351.
“What... is this?”
“Manager, there is a pending item from the Planning Office that needs processing. Please check.”
“Come here for a second.”
The Administrative Coordination Team Leader—the department that usually handles friction between the company and public/government institutions—approached, asking for help with an item held up by the Planning Office. They had held it up because it seemed strange to block media coverage and claim expenses for an accident that happened on the way to work.
However, the team leader narrowed his eyes as he read the content the department head pointed to, focusing intently on the lines below.
HR Department Head: Scheduled for re-contact with ISG after secretarial duty. Please ensure working conditions are guaranteed.
Peer Evaluation: Handles her own work definitively and helps other team members; an employee everyone wants to work with; reduces team workload through efficient processing; warm-hearted colleague; acts as team leader in their absence (Total 17 days).
“...What is this? Whose information is this? Why would someone like this...”
“That refusal... did she? Where, the Planning Team?”
“Yes. Ah... no, it’s pending...”
“I’ll call the Planning Office. Go.”
The External Cooperation Department Head then dialed 001120.
“Oh, Manager Yoon, what is it?”
“Ah, yes, Deputy General Manager. You’ve been working hard. The expense processing for the press restriction I just sent over... you absolutely must approve it.”
Before heading to the Finance Office, the department head, who had called the Planning Team 2—the team in charge of approving expense processing—spoke in a desperate voice.
“That’s difficult. What am I supposed to tell Finance? Why not just distribute a press release and handle it that way...”
“This is a request from the Support Division General Manager’s office. An employee from the Alternative Energy Development Group had an accident... and the requester is the General Manager’s secretary.”
“Hey, you’ve got seniority, why are you scared of a secretary? What are you talking about?”
“You need to look her up.”
“...Give me the PIN.”
“It’s 1001-15684.”
Muttering “1001?” to himself, the Deputy General Manager looked her up with that PIN and seemed to read the contents. He fell silent.
Then,
“...I just approved it. Right now. No...”
“...”
“Why, no, why is a secretary here... this, this person? Why? What is she?”
“I find it strange, too.”
“...Where did you say she belongs? Wait, Support Division secretary...”
1001 meant she was the top of her recruitment class. That alone was impressive, but the content—it was the kind of record that made one think she was too good to be working as a secretary for a Managing Director. Usually, peer evaluations would contain trivial things like ‘she acts like an office spouse with so-and-so,’ ‘she broke up with so-and-so,’ or ‘she seems to embezzle coffee sticks,’ but everyone had joined in to give her ultra-positive evaluations.
However, the Planning Team 2 Deputy General Manager, who actually held the rank of Executive Director, racked his brain for a moment before he had no choice but to understand. Right. She must have been placed as the successor’s secretary because she was at this level.
The Deputy General Manager’s hand, which had been about to look into it further, paused before he closed the window.
‘...One must not question the Chairman’s instructions...’
That was the Deputy General Manager’s thought. And so, the more Eunbyul made calls and sent messages, the more intimately and diligently the department heads and executives responded.
Of course, Eunbyul, who had no time to worry about such things, only spoke after finishing all her work.
“You’re here?”
“Yeah. What are you doing?”
“...”
Once again, Eunbyul, who sat in the plush chair as if she were the Managing Director herself and didn’t even stand up when he entered, launched into a rapid-fire report.
“I went to the reporters’ parking lot and blocked them from releasing the news, requested compensation for the victims whose vehicles were damaged, took measures to ensure it wasn’t reported to the Chairman, and asked for the vehicles to be recovered. Ah... and I requested the Head of Welfare and Culture to support employee Jung Ayeong’s medical expenses, and they’re currently analyzing the fuel tank disassembled at DW Chemical. I did this, too. Since the government might launch an investigation, I’ve already consulted with officials from the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Environment Corporation.”
...?
“Um, so...”
“Yes.”
“It’s 11:30 now...”
“Yes.”
“You paid for everything...”
“Yes!”
“You did all that...? No, the time right now is,”
“Yes! Of course, it was too easy a task for me.”
He quickly told her to move aside, focused his gaze on the monitor, and once he had finished assessing the situation, he had no choice but to look through the records of the messages she had sent to express his gratitude.
As he was doing that, Eunbyul brought over some takeout containers.
“And I ordered delivery, too. Actually, out of everything I did, this is the most important task.”
“....”
“Why, do you not like pilaf?”
“No. You...”
“...?”
Amazing. Very, very, extremely amazing...
Fortunately, the surgery ended successfully, and the doctor said that Jung Ayeong, who had been hospitalized, would wake up in a few days. Of course, there could be issues like nerve damage, but nothing had been confirmed yet, and since they said they would check for aftereffects once she regained consciousness, the other employees were relieved.
Now, everyone had returned to their respective companies to work. Lee Jeonghyun, worried about what kind of answer would come back after the chemical affiliate finished their analysis, was busy pressing the F5 button to refresh the screen.
“How did you do it without me asking...”
“I had an accident at a Seongjeong construction site a long time ago. It wasn’t the company’s fault, but I learned what measures to take when an accident happens... so it became second nature after doing that kind of thing.”
“...”
There’s a reason they hire experienced workers.
“...You did well. Thank you. Yeah.”
“I’m not doing it to hear that.”
“...?”
“Ah, you’re so dense. Ah. Seriously.”
After finishing their meal, he and Eunbyul sat in their respective chairs, looking at each other and talking. Even after searching the internet and turning on the TV, there wasn’t a single article about the explosion that had occurred that morning. She even showed him photos of how a certain insurance company employee had processed the compensation, what kind of rental car she had provided to the victim, and the signed non-disclosure agreement regarding the accident, so he was able to shed a fairly large burden of worry.
“Why won’t you do it for me?”
“....No, there’s no time,”
“What, employee Jung Ayeong, or that Yoo...”
“Yoo Jieun? She didn’t have an accident,”
“Which of the two do you like?”
Is this a normal conversation?
“...Look, I married Seo Jia and got divorced, and not much time has passed to meet another woman, so another woman...”
“No, you were stuck together all day in college, you couldn’t have helped but develop feelings!”
“I really don’t have any.”
“Then why is there always no time! Why!! Why!!”
He covered his face with his hands, washing his face dry, and fell into thought. Eventually,
“Fine. Ha.... I’ll do it now.”
“...?”
“Even when I say I’ll do it, you give me that look?”
“No, I, I...”
She had been about to say she wanted him to do it in the car again, but at his words that he would do it right now, the sharp tone Eunbyul had been using vanished, replaced by a tone mixed with hesitation, embarrassment, anticipation, and happiness. For a moment, he felt like he had misspoken... but it was too late to turn back.
“...”
“Then, right here...?”
No, are you crazy?
“Let’s go to the EPS room.... and do it.”