Starting Over Again
“How much longer do I have to do this?”
“You have one year left, sir.”
“Ugh... this is so annoying...”
Although she is my direct supervisor, I don’t see the Head of the Management Control Office very often. Since she handles the approval lines, we mostly communicate via computer. If something urgent comes up, I might get a phone call. Our relationship isn't exactly that of a team leader and a team member anymore. That’s why, whenever we do meet, it’s always like this:
“You’ve been turning everything upside down lately, haven't you?”
“It’s fun.”
“I’m glad to hear that. You used to be so indifferent whenever I tried to teach you anything.”
“That’s all thanks to you. Thank you.”
“Stop with that mechanical talk. You’re going to be the Chairman soon anyway!”
“...Still, given the position I’m in...”
We just make small talk. Oh, and the Head of the Management Control Office was the type of person who didn't care whether I was born with a silver spoon or not. You could tell just by the way she took an orange juice pack out of the fridge and tossed it at me.
“You’re so dense,” she added.
“Haha. ...In what way? Is something the matter?”
“I heard you refused?”
“Ah... yes.”
She must have been talking about what I mentioned earlier, back when we were discussing promotions in the Executive Management Department office.
“It’s good to be a Senior Managing Director, you know?”
“...?”
“For starters, the car is bigger. You get a Genesis and a chauffeur... Ah. Well, you... it doesn't really matter for you either way.”
“...”
“What else is good? Oh! Look at this, it’s 2.5 times the size of your current office. How about that!”
“It’s a bit of a pain to clean if it’s too big.”
“...True, I get so much dust... Aigoo... Then how about this! Once you become a Senior Managing Director, you get an extra room here where you can sleep! Isn't that great?”
I wasn't convinced at all. That room felt like a symbol telling me not to go home and just keep working. Once I become Chairman and hold the real power, that’s the first thing I want to get rid of.
“Seriously, why won't you do it? Is there a reason?”
The reason this woman was so obsessed with her subordinate’s promotion wasn't because she had some rational or romantic interest in me. It was because she thought her own performance review was solid, and if she passed her current position on to me, she could get promoted to Vice President. Since her subordinate had even returned with a government medal, she must have been dying to use that momentum to climb one step higher. On top of that, the Chairman—who had previously called his own son stupid and pathetic—had recently been dropping hints that if he didn't promote the people who deserved it, it would be no different than hindering the company’s growth.
“But Director, I don't think I’d be very good at being the Head of the Management Control Office even if I were promoted.”
“No, it’s really easy. You just have to change 138.2% to 13.82% like this. That’s the whole daily routine.”
“...But the salary...”
“Hey, don't talk about that. Come on, it’s really easy. It’s easy, I tell you!”
Honestly, I don't want to be a Senior Managing Director. I just want to stay in this position. Wouldn't anyone feel the same? No, am I the only weird one? I remember when I had to memorize the Support Division’s work by heart. I’ve finally adapted to the point where I can work with my eyes half-closed, and now that I’ve just started to understand the job, they want to promote me. It’s not like moving up in rank is always a good thing. And that’s not all. The Management Control Office has a Support Division, a Finance Division, and a Supervision Division. Support is usually connected to the Purchasing Department and the Planning Office, Finance to the Finance Office and the Treasury Department, and Supervision to the Audit Office, Safety Planning Department, and Environmental Management Center. So, even though it’s just one step up, I’d be in a position to oversee all three divisions.
“It’s difficult. Besides, I like to play around.”
“I’ll demote you to Department Head right now.”
“...”
“Anyway, the Executive Manager will want to see you again later. Just go and say you’ll accept the promotion.”
“But I...”
“If you don't, I’m rejecting all your approval requests from now on.”
“Wow...”
She’s really steeped in the taste of power...
“I’ll handle it myself. Seriously, stop forcing me to get promoted.”
“Other people would kill for this opportunity, you know!?”
“....Just give me some snacks. I have a guest.”
For the record, Senior Managing Director Kim Yungyeong loves snacks. On the side wall, where male executives usually keep plants or bonsai, there were stacks of all kinds of foreign snacks. I pointed at them and asked for some.
“Take them. Take as many as you want.”
“Right, thank you...”
“In exchange for the promotion.”
“...I don't want them. I’ll just buy them myself...”
“Why!!!”
Ugh, listen to her screaming...
“Hey, all my peers are getting promoted next year, so I have to do it too, ahhhhh!”
“Yes, yes. The Chairman will surely take care of everything for you.”
“Then who am I supposed to put in the next seat? The Finance Division Head who’s older than me? Or the Supervision Division Head who’s always power-tripping? Ah, what do I do!”
“...”
Yeah. I get it... But I still don't want to do it.
“Anyway, hurry up, my guest is waiting. I’m going.”
“Make sure you come back later, seriously!”
“Sure, sure...”
As I was about to leave, the Head of the Management Control Office called out to me.
“By the way, who’s the guest?”
“Ah, she’s from the chemical division. Min Suyeon.”
“Min Suyeon?”
“Yes, regarding the Alternative Energy Development Group.”
“Ah... GPL... Hmm, okay. Go ahead.”
---
“That took forever.”
“She’s higher-ranking than me.”
“Who was it, in there?”
“The Head of the Management Control Office.”
“Head? What, like a hair salon manager?”
What is she talking about? Hair salon manager...
“No, that’s Senior Managing Director Kim Yungyeong.”
“...That’s high. Hey, what’s your rank? G3? G4?”
She had no interest in me. She didn't even know what I did. She really thought the alternative gasoline I developed was the one that caused the accident. Oh, and the ranks starting with G are unique to DW Chemical. Q1 through Q5 are the five-tier ranks for staff, assistant managers, and managers; since Min Suyeon is an assistant manager, she’s around Q2 or Q3. And G1 through G5 are for team leaders, department heads, and center heads, corresponding to deputy general managers, general managers, and directors at other companies.
“What do you think I am? Do you really know that little about me?”
“...Not my problem.”
I really wish she’d stop saying that. V1 through V6 are for managing directors, senior managing directors, and vice presidents. The President is just the President. The reason it’s divided into six is because there are separate ranks for assistant managing directors, assistant senior managing directors, and assistant vice presidents. Similarly, there’s a distinction for those who receive the treatment corresponding to a rank without actually holding the title. In a way, it’s like a Colonel [Promotable] in the military.
“...G3? You meet some high-ranking people...”
“It’s ridiculous. You said I was a parachute hire.”
“Well, I mean...”
After I introduced my rank, I watched Min Suyeon’s eyes widen. I guess that’s what she looks like when she’s surprised.
“...Why you? You lie like you breathe.”
“...What did I do?”
“Hey, there are so many people, why would they put you at V1?”
“I’m good at my job.”
“Shut up. Just shut up.”
We couldn't communicate.
“So... where are we going?”
Hmm, if there’s one thing that changed about her today, it’s that she doesn't use harsh language when we’re alone. While we were riding the elevator down, Min Suyeon didn't scream or curse.
“A mental hospital.”
“What?”
Ah, she screamed at this part. It was a good thing no one else was in the elevator. Since Eunbyul was handling most of the work, I figured it would be fine to go to the hospital.
“Someone I know said you should probably go to a hospital.”
“...That’s bullshit, I’m not going to a hospital, I’m not going!”
“It’s a requirement, are you not going to listen?”
It was a different car from the one I saw yesterday. She didn't have the presence of mind to notice that. Coming to apologize to this crazy psychopath who was trying to lock her up in a mental hospital was a mistake in the first place. I must be crazy, what is this...
---
“Hmm...”
Senior Managing Director Kim Yungyeong, in the Management Control Office. When I double-clicked the icon labeled HRDB, a window appeared on the screen. It wasn't the place the Planning Team 2 Deputy General Manager had searched when checking on Eunbyul. It was a place where you could get more detailed human resource information. For example, if you just search for "Han Suhyun," you get basic personal info, but when an executive like her searches—
[ Employee Attribute : Core Personnel ]
[ Employee ID : G7-1075100 ]
As it says that, the part where the employee’s resident registration number is written flashes in purple. You can also distinguish them by color; if it flashes in purple, it means this employee is a relative of the Chairman. Unlike Eunbyul, if it says XX-ABCDEFG, it’s a special hire. Someone who entered the company through a career-hire or other recruitment process, not the open recruitment. It’s also possible to distinguish people who worked at the ISG. If you type in her own name, Kim Yungyeong, it comes up like this:
[ Employee Attribute : None ]
[ Employee ID : 10356 ]
People with a five-digit employee ID belong to the ISG. If it’s XXXX-ABCDE like Eunbyul’s, it’s open recruitment. But...
[ Employee Attribute : Problematic Behavior ]
[ Employee ID : C3-4600852 ]
?
[ Performance Review : R3, 02/01/00 ]
Disciplinary actions, audits, and dispatches, respectively. The review is at the lowest level. She’s been disciplined twice and audited once.
[ Personal Info : Department Head Promotion Refused / Q2 > Q3 ]
It means the department head used their authority to refuse this employee’s promotion. Even though she was due for a promotion based on her years of service, the department head had opposed it.
“Why would you call an employee like this a guest...”
[ Renewable Resource Research Center Head : Difficult to work with. Delays assigned tasks and focuses on work she deems important. Shows no interest in work. ]
[ Senior Researcher / Team Leader : Frequently expresses opinions on gender equality and does not focus on work. Does not respond when attempting to engage in work-related conversations. Often absent from her seat. Does not actively cooperate with supervisor’s instructions. ]
[ Peer Evaluation : Someone I don't want to work with, would like it if she were moved to another department. Working with her causes depression, exhausting personality. ]
What... is this...?