Changing Jobs (3)

Kim Chirok waited for word from the securities firm.

He remembered the interviewer posing a question in English. The man had also asked whether he could start work immediately if he got the job.

That should have meant they were likely to take him — which made the complete silence all the more strange.

Did they give priority to those guys who came in waving overseas MBAs?

Then a text arrived.

Yes! I knew it. With my credentials? I've got two years of real work experience under my belt.

The reporting date for new hires was the day after tomorrow.

Kim Chirok counted himself lucky he hadn't rented a studio apartment and had been living out of a motel instead. All he had to do was throw his resignation on the desk and travel light back to Seoul.

The senior Manager approached with a sly grin.

"Kim Chirok, you've been sitting there staring at your phone the whole time you're supposed to be working. I'm reporting this to the president, so get this done by evening."

"You do it, Manager. I'm busy."

"Busy with what? From the looks of it, you're just fondling that phone like it's your balls."

"There's a request from the Strategic Planning Office. I need to handle that first."

"Those Strategic Planning Office guys are still dumping work on someone who's already leaving the company. Shouldn't this go up on the company whistleblower board?"

"Feel free to post it, Manager."

"I can't post it myself. That's a job for someone with a way with words — meaning you."

Kim Chirok remembered something a regiment commander had said during his military service. The man had a reputation as a by-the-book officer. Standing before a group of junior officers, he had laid it out:

The organizational culture at H Heavy Industries, by contrast, seemed thoroughly rotten. Here, meritorious deeds and honor were hogged by the people in charge, while responsibility got dumped on their subordinates. That was the only culture left.

Kim Chirok was convinced these aging middle managers needed to be cleaned out. It was the only way the company would ever move forward.

And yet these same men were raising their voices even louder in the current labor-management talks, clamoring for an extension of the retirement age. They were also demanding preferential hiring for their own children at H Heavy Industries. The company, they insisted, owed them recognition ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for decades of devoted service.

Decades of devoted service? Give me a break. These salary thieves.

Kim Chirok wrote his resignation. The team leader was nowhere to be seen, so he asked the senior Manager sitting in front of him.

"Where did the team leader go?"

"How should I know. Off for a little natgeori, probably."

"Excuse me? Natgeori? What's that?"

"You don't know what natgeori is? A guy who was supposedly famous as a Casanova back at Group headquarters!"

At that, the female staff and the other associates covered their mouths and laughed.

Casanova meant a womanizer. They clearly knew about the Kim Chirok and Bang Mihee incident — and they seemed to think that was why he had been kicked out of the Strategic Planning Office and dumped at H Heavy Industries.

Kim Chirok didn't get angry. He smiled instead. He had already written his resignation; there was no point wasting energy fighting these people.

He left the letter on the team leader's desk and boarded the KTX for Seoul without looking back.

When the train was somewhere around Daejeon, the team leader called.

"I'm sorry. That place was beyond what I could handle, so I've decided to leave."

"Did I treat you poorly somehow?"

"No. I'm leaving for personal reasons. Take care of yourself."

Kim Chirok hung up. A while later, the phone rang again.

He thought it might be the team leader — but it was the Manager who had been riding him all this time. Kim Chirok didn't pick up.

He arrived home and told his mother he was changing jobs. Her eyes went wide.

"S-so you're saying you're quitting that huge chaebol?"

"I'm moving to an investment securities firm in Yeouido. I might be able to put my abilities to better use there."

"H Group is a big company, though. Solid. If you just keep your head down and work hard, you'd make Manager, then Department Head..."

"I need to learn about investing. That field has better prospects, so that's where I'm going. Just know that."

"Aigoo, I don't really understand. But quitting H Group... what a waste. Everyone wants to get into that company..."

His mother looked at him with anxious eyes.

It was Kim Chirok's first day at the securities firm.

He knotted his tie neatly and headed for Yeouido. He took Line 2 from Bongcheon-dong, transferred to Line 5 at Yeongdeungpo Station, and was there in no time.

A staff member told him to wait in the reception room. Six people sat inside. This round of experienced hires numbered six: three from overseas, three domestic.

A man who introduced himself as a Manager from the Management Support Office came out and presented them to the president and each of the division heads. Unlike H Heavy Industries, the place was full of young people, which he liked. No dreary work uniforms here — everyone wore crisp dress shirts and ties.

The Management Support Office ran an orientation for the new career hires. The sessions were handled mostly by Managers, who peppered their presentations with a great deal of unnecessary English, as if they had all spent time in America.

The next day, Kim Chirok was assigned to the Securities Analysis Team, a department whose primary work was analyzing marketable securities. The core of the job was calculating public offering prices for unlisted companies.

That meant analyzing a firm's intrinsic value, asset value, earnings value, and business viability. He had handled corporate analysis in H Group's Strategic Planning Office, and as a business school graduate, he didn't expect much difficulty.

More than a week had passed since Kim Chirok joined the firm. He was beginning to settle into the atmosphere.

One day, the Division Head called him in.

"Kim Chirok. How's the work treating you?"

"Well, sir. I'm working hard. The Assistant Managers and Managers around me have been a great help, so I'm doing fine."

Unlike H Heavy Industries, nobody at the securities firm rode anyone into the ground. Everyone was too busy with their own work.

"When you're calculating the public offering price for an unlisted company, don't be too optimistic on the earnings value. Get that wrong and the offering price can come out far too high."

"Understood. I'll calculate the company's revenue and profit figures conservatively."

"I've already reported to the president that the new career hires are doing good work. Among the six of you brought in this round, someone will probably make the next rank next year. Keep at it."

"Thank you, sir."

Kim Chirok was in a good mood. He seemed to be earning recognition, little by little. He even found himself thinking that once his installment savings matured, he might try investing in stocks.

That day, the Division Head gathered the six newcomers and suggested lunch.

Unlike a conglomerate like H Group, the securities firm had no company cafeteria of its own. Employees were given meal tickets and sent to restaurants nearby. It was inconvenient, but there was a pleasure in hunting down good places to eat.

The Division Head skipped the meal-ticket restaurants and took them somewhere more expensive — an upscale Japanese restaurant called Sapporo. He treated them to sushi, and a round of beer as well.

Then he spoke.

"You've all been here a week now. If you have any difficulties, this is the place to raise them."

Nobody said a word. The people sitting there were larvae who had been at the securities firm for all of seven days. They were hardly in a position to air grievances.

Then a man in glasses from the WM — Wealth Management — Business Team raised his hand.

"Our salaries are lower than at a top-tier conglomerate. Are employees allowed to invest in stocks privately?"

The Division Head smiled.

"Employees at a securities firm can open personal accounts and invest in stocks. But it's better if you don't, as a rule."

"If we do invest privately, is there some kind of prior reporting requirement to the company?"

"There is. Not every firm has one, but our company makes it mandatory under internal regulations."

"That's a strict rule."

"Don't misunderstand. It's a control procedure to keep employees from using inside information to take unfair profits."

"I see."

"In particular, private day trading is grounds for dismissal at our firm. Just keep that in mind."

"Understood. So private stock ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trading is allowed after you report it, but using insider information or doing day trades is off-limits."

"That's right. Excessive day trading by securities firm employees disturbs the market."

The employee who had asked seemed to have more to say. He appeared to have a keen interest in personal investing.

The next day, a call came in from Deputy Song in H Group's Strategic Planning Office.

"What do you mean, what happened?"

"I heard you quit H Heavy Industries."

"Yes. It was the provinces, and the company atmosphere was bad, so I left."

"That so? Then what are you doing now?"

"I'm at an investment securities firm in Yeouido. XX Securities — not a huge company."

"Fuck! Maybe I should jump ship too?"

"Ah, you stay put. Deputy Song, you're supposed to end up as a president somewhere in H Group someday."

"Working there, I could ease into some personal stock investing, right? Seems like a lot of information would be flowing around."

"They don't let you invest privately just like that. You have to report it first."

"But you can do it, sounds like. I'm kind of jealous of you."

"Don't say that. Now that I'm out, I realize being at H Group was paradise."

"Even with the team leader riding you and Jang Zhuge stabbing you in the back?"

"The riding-you-into-the-ground stuff is even worse once you get sent to an affiliate. Just know that and keep working. A seat in the Strategic Planning Office is a plum assignment — remember that."

"And how am I supposed to watch a little shit like Jeong Chan-young strutting around?"

"Jeong Chan-young's still swaggering?"

"He's acting like he's already Bang Mihee's husband. And this might sound cruel to you, but when they leave work, the two of them always walk out stuck together."

"I never actually liked Bang Mihee. I don't care if Jeong Chan-young hangs off her or rubs up against her or whatever."

"You really don't seem to have liked Bang Mihee, Kim Chirok."

"Wasn't it you who had a secret crush on Bang Mihee, Deputy Song? Isn't that why you keep bringing her up with me?"

"Me? Bang Mihee? A-absolutely not! I can't stand a woman that flashy."

At the same moment, Director Jang of H Group's Strategic Planning Office stepped into President Jeong-hee's office.

"Kim Chirok submitted his resignation ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at H Heavy Industries."

"Did he? It seems he couldn't adapt after being sent down there."

"There's a strong possibility it was because of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ugly rumors. Something along the lines of Kim Chirok making a pass at the Chairman's secretary — the woman Jeong Chan-young is seeing — and getting slapped down for it."

"That must have wounded his pride."

"According to the information we've gathered, there was even a rumor that Kim Chirok got slapped in the face by Jeong Chan-young."

"Did something like that actually happen?"

"It's a rumor. Fake news."

"Then why would a rumor like that...?"

"My guess is this was a matador operation from Jeong Chan-young's side. In other words, they put it around that Kim Chirok made a pass at Bang Mihee — the woman Jeong Chan-young is seeing — and ended up humiliated."

"So you believe that rumor originated with Jeong Chan-young's camp."

"The game is over. Given how things have turned out, we need to throw our support behind Jeong Chan-young."

"Understood. Once Jeong Chan-young and Bang Mihee set a wedding date, make sure the whole organization celebrates. Have every executive from the affiliates attend as guests."

"If we do that, the congratulatory money is going to come pouring in, isn't it? Heh heh heh."

"I'd like Bang Mihee gone from my sight now."

"You've been through a great deal, President. You really are a devoted daughter. Heh heh heh."

Another month went by.

The securities firm was relentlessly busy. Kim Chirok found himself thinking that neither H Chemical nor H Heavy Industries had ever worked him this hard.

In the middle of a packed afternoon, his mother called.

"What's going on?"

Kim Chirok wondered if she was about to push another blind date on him. That wasn't it.

"A strange piece of mail came from the Prosecutor's Office. Someone from the post office came and asked me to sign for it, so I did. But what is this?"

Mail from the Prosecutor's Office. That was odd. Kim Chirok had no connection to the Prosecutor's Office whatsoever.

Wait. Could it be...?

It might have something to do with the sexual harassment case he had been investigated for last time.

Is the prosecution going to investigate me again?

All kinds of uneasy thoughts crowded into Kim Chirok's mind.