Unanimous Vote (The Competent Han Taeho)
Room 1303. Han Taeho smirked coldly at the sight of Heo Sang-gi rushing in.
"What's this? Our manager. Weren't you not here?"
"I-I'm sorry, sir. There must've been some mix-up in communication..."
"The mix-up was you getting promoted to manager."
Heo Sang-gi bowed his head low. Han Taeho was much younger than him, but it wasn't the groveling that stabbed like a dagger—it was what came next.
"I get your intentions perfectly, Mr. Heo. I'll pass them on to our owner exactly as they are, no holding back."
"S-Sir...!"
Heo Sang-gi couldn't hold back anymore and dropped to his knees on the floor.
"Aigoo, what's this all of a sudden? Ah, you're that desperate, huh?"
"Y-Yes... Please, just this once..."
"Aww, so pitiful. Our Mr. Heo Sang-gi, who wanted to quit the company so bad, but they don't get it and promote you to manager anyway..."
"N-No, that's not...!"
"What do you mean no? It is, right? Oh, and you already had a sharp successor lined up?"
Heo Sang-gi's face drained to a deathly pallor. The conversation confirmed it.
'The owner really sent him—it's no lie!'
He knew too much. The structure of Lumière Seoul. The evaluations of the internal staff. He'd even picked up on Heo Sang-gi's rivalry with Oh Miyoung from a glance at Han Taeho's demeanor.
That's why he was saying this. But Heo Sang-gi didn't give up. He prostrated himself flat.
"I was wrong. I did something wrong—anything. I'll be your dog from now on and work. I still want to stay at this hotel. Please..."
"Ahaha, our manager wants to be my dog? The kind that goes 'woof woof'?"
Han Taeho clapped at the words. He knew the technique well—learned from guys like Kim Dong-su. How to humiliate someone so thoroughly they couldn't escape.
"Y-Yes. Woof woof. I'm your puppy, sir. Please let me keep working here as your dog..."
"I could make that happen."
Heo Sang-gi's expression flipped instantly. From the pit of despair, color finally returned to his face.
'There's still a chance!'
He had to play this right. Han Taeho was new here. He couldn't know the hotel's ins and outs that well.
'Even if the owner holds shares, to fully take over, he needs his own people. That's why he sent this guy...'
Heo Sang-gi had nearly flunked that test. But he'd survived. Han Taeho was showing interest. Or so he thought.
"A dog could get hired, sure. Hell, if you're that committed, who am I to say no? But which mutt gets to call itself manager, huh?"
"...Huh?"
Did I hear that wrong? Heo Sang-gi sensed something off in Han Taeho's words. Always listen to the end.
"Sigh. This is risky, but if our Mr. Heo Sang-gi wants it so bad... Someone who can be a customer's dog like you? Precious commodity. Right?"
"Y-Yes, so..."
"Then let's settle it like this. You were in Guest Services before, right? The team handling customer complaints?"
"Yes, sir."
Even as he answered, Heo Sang-gi felt awkward. What should he call this young man? Customer for now, but Han Taeho wasn't speaking as one. And he hadn't even given his name.
"Okay. You'll do well. But... from what I see, you're no manager material. Agree?"
"Huh...?"
Something was definitely wrong. Sweat trickled down Heo Sang-gi's spine.
"Nah, it's true. We call for the manager, and you're already slacking off on your underlings. No sense of responsibility. I can tell at a glance—you're great at grunt work, but put you on top? Nada. Right?"
"N-No! Just give me a chance!"
"Can't do that. You've already lost trust—think another shot's coming?"
Han Taeho sneered inwardly as he spoke. Heo Sang-gi was asking the impossible from the start. The owner's orders were clear.
-Drive out one person. The room manager.
'Came to check him out... and he walks right into the noose.'
He'd come looking for a fight, and Heo handed him the rope.
"Our room manager... that lady from earlier? She'd be perfect. You think so too—that's why you introduced her as your successor, right? Spot on!"
"N-No, I didn't mean..."
"What’s a hotel? Service industry, yeah? What's service? Gah. Responsibility to the customer! Gotta have that!"
Han Taeho let it rip. All for a reason. Heo Sang-gi had to go anyway.
'If you wanna keep working that bad...'
He eyed Heo Sang-gi and passed sentence.
"So, Mr. Heo Sang-gi—resignation letter today."
"Wh-What...?"
He'd become room manager this morning. Now, with evening closing in, resignation notice.
"I'll smooth it over with the GM soon. Whether I clean house or you walk out on your own—same difference."
"S-Sir! Spare me! Let me keep working..."
"Alright, alright. You really love this job, huh? Fine—rock bottom. Guest Services? Whatever. New hire there. If you apply, HR takes you no questions asked! I'll tell 'em."
Who'd want that? Heo Sang-gi's face hardened as Han Taeho kept going. But eventually, he realized—clinging wouldn't save him.
"D-Damn it! Don't think I'll just quit like this!"
He yelled and stormed out. Han Taeho's expression turned icy.
"...What're you gonna do if he doesn't?"
Han Taeho planned to do it right. Kicking out Heo Sang-gi was a direct order from the 'hyungnim(?)' who trusted him.
'That lady earlier... hyungnim's aunt, huh?'
The powerhouse for the hotel's upcoming promotion spree. Thinking of her, Han Taeho looked forward to his real start.
And it wrapped up fast. The next day, Han Taeho arrived as the official owner-sent exec—and Lumière Hospitality's vice president.
"Our manager Heo? Tsk. Told you to leave, and you're still here."
"...!"
Heo Sang-gi's face turned ashen at the worst nightmare come true.
Han Taeho's first day on the job. A report came to Shin Jaewoo.
"Whoa, hyungnim, you work here?"
Face-to-face briefing. Location: Shin Jaewoo's office in the L Tower penthouse.
"...Kinda happened that way. How's the work?"
"Surprisingly suits me well, hyungnim."
Han Taeho grinned. Shin Jaewoo thought the same.
'Hotels or resorts—it's all hospitality.'
Dealing with guests. Even the picky ones or complainers. Han Taeho had done it his whole life. It was in his bones. Calling his once-despised peer 'hyungnim' proved he was the real deal.
'Not just a thug to use and toss—maybe keep him in this line?'
That subtle thought crossed his mind. Never imagined getting this close to Han Taeho.
"Thanks for trusting me with this, hyungnim."
"Yeah. Knew you'd adapt. Still, it'll take time to settle in..."
As Shin Jaewoo spoke, Han Taeho handed over a document.
"...What's this?"
"Heo Sang-gi, room manager at Lumière Seoul—his resignation."
"...Already?"
Shin Jaewoo looked surprised. He'd braced for a year with Heo in the worst case.
'Figured he'd bail before then, but...'
Still, expected some power play between Han Taeho and Heo. Han Taeho settling in, subtly pushing till Heo cracked. But he fulfilled the special order on day one.
"And this... paperwork for the new room manager."
Next doc: Oh Miyoung's face, naturally.
"...Won't it be too obvious?"
Han Taeho shook his head at Shin Jaewoo's question.
"No, sir. The board all said Manager Oh if not Heo."
They already acknowledged her skills and experience.
"Unanimous board approval. And..."
Another document.
"Staff recommendations under room management. Overwhelmingly for Manager Oh."
With Heo out, no one else stood a chance. Even if rivals existed, Han Taeho would've swayed the board.
'I hold the knife over those directors now.'
One word in the board meeting:
-Not that Heo guy—the lady? Who was she? Felt responsible...
Directors currying favor wouldn't object. Unanimous board. Staff landslide.
"...Tell the president and GM that Oh Miyoung Manager is the new director and room manager for Lumière Seoul."
Owner's final approval granted.
"Yes, sir."
Han Taeho replied eagerly. Watching him, Shin Jaewoo thought:
'Kid's more useful than I figured.'
Knew he'd do well, but this exceeded expectations. Made him think he'd ace other tasks too.
'Hand him that one?'
Nimo Entertainment's Kim Mincheol. The name popped into Shin Jaewoo's head. Could Han Taeho handle him?
He asked casually.
"Nimo... Kim Mincheol?"
"Yeah. Know him?"
Shin Jaewoo's reaction was off—totally unexpected.
"W-Well, not like we don't know each other. But to take on Mincheol..."
Han Taeho trailed off, face darkening.
"I can't do it."
The follow-up stunned Shin Jaewoo.
"What?"
He stared. Han Taeho sighed.
"Kim Mincheol's just my level, yeah... but..."
Low-quality thug—that's how Shin Jaewoo saw him. But Han Taeho's reaction suggested worse.
And the next words gave the answer.
"Problem's the guy behind Nimo. You remember, hyungnim. The one with me back then..."
"Who? No way—Kim Dong-su?"