Pursuing a Bigger Harvest (2)
Our team members were immediately stripped of their access to the Future Strategy Office and herded into the basement warehouse.
Seeing the desk, chairs, and bookshelves all jumbled up inside, Han Ha-jin, the staff member, was left dumbfounded.
When Kim Junseok, the team leader, saw his expression, he sighed deeply and apologized.
“Ha-jin-ah, I’m sorry. It’s just that you had to experience such harsh treatment right after joining our team.”
“Ah, no, it’s fine.”
Although he quickly said it wasn’t, Ha-jin’s expression remained frozen.
I understood that everyone was shaken, but...
It couldn’t go on forever.
I suggested to Section Chief Seo.
“Let’s start by making a spot for the desk. Please help me move your things, Section Chief.”
“Uh, okay.”
Section Chief Seo and I rolled up our sleeves and cleared the clutter to one side of the wall. Then, quick-witted Jin Sun-mi, the assistant manager, hurriedly brought a broom and cleaning tools and started sweeping the dust piled on the floor.
Only then did Kim Team Leader and Han Ha-jin select usable furniture.
In three hours, we managed to create an office-like atmosphere.
Of course, beyond the makeshift partition made with a tall bookshelf, it was a mess of stacked junk.
But since we didn’t plan to stay here long, it didn’t matter.
Once the office was tidied, a sense of emptiness washed over us.
Everyone plopped down in their seats.
Section Chief Seo addressed Kim Team Leader.
“Team Leader.”
“Hm?”
“What are we going to do from tomorrow?”
“Well...”
“......”
“......”
The conversation didn’t continue, and a heavy silence fell.
“Does that mean you’re not going to let us go like this?”
“No way~”
“Then, are we all going to be scattered?”
“......”
“......”
Three years of hard work.
This team that was formed at the beginning, relying on each other through thick and thin.
To be forced to scatter without achieving anything in this way...
The expressions of the team members, facing such a future, were gloomy.
Kim Team Leader, facing the sudden suspension order, was no different; he had no countermeasures.
With a frustrated face, he stared into space, then suddenly stood up from his seat.
“I’ll go meet Chairman Han for a moment.”
“What do you mean?”
“Even here, I have to do what I was doing. I can’t just wait around while being disposed of. If I really fall out of favor, then I won’t be able to do anything.”
With that, Kim Team Leader left.
Silence descended on the office again.
Han Ha-jin, sitting beside me, approached and whispered.
“Team Leader, can I talk to you for a moment?”
He pointed outside with his thumb.
“Sure. Let’s get some fresh air. I’ll buy some drinks for you and the Section Chief.”
Section Chief Seo and Jin Assistant Manager nodded weakly.
This dejected appearance was the first time, and I was honestly worried.
After ordering drinks at the counter and sitting in a corner seat, Han Ha-jin said to me.
“The situation is too strange. I asked my dad, and apparently, the report on the eco-friendly plastic container project that our team submitted hasn’t even been uploaded.”
As Han Ha-jin said, it was indeed strange.
The project that was supposed to be promoted by Iljin Food hadn’t even been reported to the representative, Han Seung-woo.
A business that I, the son, directly participated in and my wife worked hard to pass?
Then, who canceled it?
“The group vice president was supposed to proceed with it, but the Iljin Food staff member tore it up? That doesn’t make sense.”
“There’s only one person who can do that in our company.”
Han Ha-jin pointed to the sky with his index finger.
“Chairman Han Chung-won?”
“Yes.”
Ha-jin nodded vigorously.
It was entirely possible.
Perhaps Han Se-ah had said that since it didn’t help sales, there was no need to do a business that made the company image look good.
Chairman Han, who had a frugal spirit, might have judged it as wasteful, not following the times.
Or perhaps it was a plan to cut the line of the powerful Han Seung-woo representative to strengthen Han Se-ah’s position within the group...
If it was the latter...
“Then, if this goes wrong, Vice President Oh Sang-do might be fired?”
“Huh? No way?”
But it didn’t take long for the “no way” to become reality.
Starting with Vice President Oh Sang-do, most executives known as Han Seung-woo’s line were dismissed for organizational restructuring.
After announcing the principle of rewarding the deserving and recruiting talent based on performance, Han Se-ah’s promotion to director and Lee Jung-wan’s promotion to deputy team leader were carried out.
Han Ha-jin, who brought news that hadn’t been announced, asked with a fuss.
“Wow~ Team Leader, how did you find out?”
“After working in social life for a long time, I guess I picked up some seniority.”
“Then, what are we going to do now?”
“Hmm...”
I looked at Ha-jin gently and asked.
“More than that, what are you going to do, Ha-jin?”
“Huh?”
“Are you going to stay here? The team is in turmoil.”
Honestly, among us, Han Ha-jin was the one least concerned about what happened to the team.
He was also the most unnecessary person in my plan.
I was asking with the intention of hoping the troublemaker would leave on his own.
After a moment of hesitation, Ha-jin asked back.
“What about you, Team Leader?”
“Me?”
“Yes. I want to follow you.”
What kind of absurd thing is this?
Honestly, I had been taking care of him somewhat.
After all, even though the team would soon disappear, there should be something learned here.
But I had no intention of providing a spot for him in the newly created organization.
Because the company I would open in the future would grow in a direction to steal the future growth power of Iljin Group.
Since the eco-friendly plastic container project had failed, there was no need to continue relations with Heo Ji-hye, the director.
When Ha-jin’s out-of-the-blue remark made me blink and hesitate, Ha-jin smiled awkwardly and revealed his true feelings.
“I learned a bit of psychology when I was in college. Everyone else looked extremely disappointed when they heard that the business promotion didn’t go through, but only you, Team Leader, remained calm. Like you knew this would happen.”
I didn’t realize because I was just laughing casually, but in reality, he had figured everything out?
“I was too complacent because the opponent was a social life newbie.”
I had been busy and had no time to pay attention to Ha-jin.
“Why did you lie to me?”
“What lie did I tell?”
“I told you that only I collected the project materials that were criticized. When I asked Team Leader, he said you only supplemented the details in the draft I planned.”
“......Well, after all, it’s a business that our team prepared together...”
Han Ha-jin asked in a subtle voice.
“You plan to take all the team employees and start a company. That’s why you didn’t complain even after being sent to a dead-end position. If assigned to another team at the company, you would just quit with a resignation letter, acting like you were displeased.”
It was a piercing remark as if he had seen into my soul.
I had intended to recruit the employees to start a company after sending Ha-jin out.
With a solid investor.
Presenting much better working conditions than now.
No matter how accurate the probe was, denying it was enough.
Since I didn’t know Ha-jin’s true intention yet, I laughed it off and refuted.
“What money do I have to start a business? I have to say something that makes sense.”
Han Ha-jin crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, staring at me intently.
With a meaningful smile as if he knew my inner thoughts.
I shivered inside, but maintained a poker face as best I could.
Ha-jin raised his chin with an elated expression.
“So, you treated me well. You told me to invest.”
“What?”
I almost burst out laughing.
His confident expression was so naively innocent.
At the same time, I felt sorry for the guy.
It would be nice to be swayed by a con artist.
After all.
Had Ha-jin, who had lived pampered by others until now, had the chance to deeply understand how ugly human desires are and how cruel one can be for desires?
I had to be used miserably like me to learn that people are scary.
While I was pondering how to persuade him to leave, Ha-jin proposed first.
“I’ll do it. Invest.”
“Ha-jin-ah, investing isn’t something that can be decided lightly.”
“I have a lot of assets from my father and mother.”
“That’s. The businesses our team was doing aren’t small investments either...”
“100 billion! Probably, after selling all my assets and stocks, that much will remain.”
“Huh...”
He didn’t even think about my words.
“Whether it’s a certain company’s stock, isn’t having it more profitable?”
“Everything is Iljin Group stocks. Recently, it rose 20%, so it will be 12 billion. After investing 10 billion, 2 billion will remain.”
“No. So, I mean, after all, you have your father’s company too, why go through such a difficult path?”
Han Ha-jin looked at me with serious eyes.
“Do you know why my mother put me in the New Business Development Team 1? Because of a promise with you, Team Leader? No. Because I showed potential in the business promoted in Team 1. I’m the same.
It might sound strange. I somehow think you will succeed, Team Leader. So, I’m trying to recruit you in advance. As an investor, a capable businessman!”
Wow...
Is the intuition really good?
Or did Heo Ji-hye secretly investigate my back?
“Even so, it doesn’t seem like you decided to invest impulsively. Considering your parents’ intention in giving you the stocks...”
“I didn’t judge impulsively. I looked through all the business materials, and if there’s proper support, I thought this would work. After all, it seems impossible to proceed within Iljin Group.”
Did he figure out the business viability?
That was commendable.
Since I wouldn’t easily give in, Han Ha-jin made a big deal.
“In the newly created company, I will only participate as an investor. No management rights or representative title. I’ll give them to you, Team Leader.”
That was tempting?
“Instead, please make one promise.”
“What promise?”
“From now on, for three years, please let me learn by working by your side. Then, I will block any interference from Iljin Group in the businesses conducted in the newly created company.”
Oh ho~
He volunteered to be a shield?
His intention to join my path was evident.
I erased the playful expression from my face and asked.
“What exactly do you want to get from me, Ha-jin? Money? Or skills?”
Ha-jin, slightly tense, smiled confidently and spread his fingers one by one to show his fist.
“First priority is business planning skill, second is money!”
Want to learn work?
“Starting a business with me will be really tough. At the company, I don’t even use 10% of my ability.”
“Haha. Don’t worry about that. I’ll follow somehow.”
I’ll roll until I puke.
If it’s tough, he’ll leave on his own?
“Alright! I’ll take 100 billion. Instead, I’ll receive it all in Iljin Group stocks.”
I was on edge, wondering if he had noticed my intention to receive the investment in Iljin stocks.
Fortunately, instead of suspecting, Ha-jun was even worried about me.
“Okay! But then, won’t there be too little cash? I can’t pay the employees’ monthly salaries in Iljin Group stocks, right?”
“I’ll handle that myself, so don’t worry about it, Investor. Everything I do with you from now on is confidential. The transfer of Iljin Group stocks too. Until your parents know, it’s a secret.”
“Huh? No way, even to your parents?”
“Of course. If you don’t like it, give up.”
As I stood up, Ha-jin hurriedly grabbed my wrist.
“Ah, no. I’ll keep the secret.”
I immediately called lawyer Jeong Ji-hyun.
It was better to handle this quickly.
I sat down and wrote an investment confirmation letter and a lifelong confidentiality agreement, then obtained Han Ha-jin’s signature.
It stated that if the company’s secrets were leaked due to this, all the Iljin Group stocks he invested in would be transferred to Zeroes Group.
To issue the notarization, I took the documents prepared by lawyer Jeong Ji-hyun back to the office.
With this, I could legitimately make a rich chaebol slave for three years.
Since I had recruited Han Ha-jin,
There was no longer any reason to endure the various humiliations from Iljin Group.
“Now it’s time to disclose my startup plan to the team members.”
Soon, March.
I had not given up on the eco-friendly plastic container project yet.
“Han Chung-won. Han Se-ah, how big a ripple your missed opportunity will cause because of you, I’ll show you with my own eyes!”