Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Royal Family 2-1
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Han Ji-young fiddled with the laptop screen as she carefully placed the tablet in front of Manager Oh.
She moved the laptop mouse to adjust the display, and the PPT slides appeared on the tablet screen right in front of him.
"This is a summary of all the product lines handled by our affiliates over the past three days. If you look at the next slide, you'll see the issues: a lack of organic linkages between affiliates has led to duplicate R&D investments or missed opportunities for product synergies. Quantifying this, we could achieve annual cost savings of over 100 billion won and revenue growth."
Han Ji-young's voice rang clear, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"My conclusion from this is that our department wasn't established for actual product sales, but to coordinate between affiliates in this manner. Otherwise, it's hard to explain why the group headquarters would create a unit that encroaches on affiliates' territories."
She seemed pleased with her own conclusion and the PPT she'd pulled all-nighters for three days straight—her face radiated confidence.
As Han Ji-young finished, Section Chief Bang Mu-seok chimed in cautiously.
"I had similar thoughts to Assistant Manager Han. But I approached it differently: real-time datafication of all affiliate information. For example, if Company A sees a client as new but Company B has extensive data as a long-term partner, that info would be invaluable to A. Same for R&D. Here's the roadmap I came up with."
Unlike Han Ji-young, Bang Mu-seok flipped his laptop screen flat and unleashed a dizzying array of data slides.
Manager Oh listened to Bang Mu-seok's pitch without interruption, then gave a slight nod.
A vague response, neither praise nor criticism...
And understandably so—Han Ji-young had tackled it from a strategic planning angle, while Bang Mu-seok drew from his SNS operations experience.
Noticing Manager Oh's lukewarm demeanor, Han Ji-young spoke up hesitantly.
"Does what we've prepared differ from what you had in mind, sir?"
"Hmm. For starters, I can see the effort you both put into these materials. Good work."
"Thank you."
"Now, let me share my thoughts. Honestly, I can't tell if your ideas are right or wrong. What Vice Chairman An told me three days ago was the same as what you all heard: sell products from all affiliates. That's it."
"Sir, was there really nothing else? You were up there a long time that day."
"The press was waiting for an interview. His secretary said he'd head out after, so I waited until it wrapped up."
"Ah... so then..."
Disappointment washed over their faces at Manager Oh's words.
As if their three days of toil had been dismissed...
But Manager Oh continued in his steady tone.
"I don't disagree with you much. A holding company encroaching on affiliates' operations defies common sense. And setting up a sales department at headquarters? That's overkill."
"Exactly. A holding company's role is to manage and oversee affiliates' business activities. This just doesn't add up."
Han Ji-young's eyes lit up as she nodded vigorously in agreement.
But then...
Seo Ji-hyeok, who'd been watching it all while twirling his pen, spoke up in a slightly cynical tone.
"May I say something?"
"Of course. Go ahead. Anything could be helpful right now."
Manager Oh looked at him with a warm smile.
"You know the saying: point at the moon, and they stare at your finger?"
"Sure."
"Feels like that's happening here."
"What do you mean?"
"Why not take the vice chairman's words at face value? He said sell. So sell. Why overthink it and chase shadows? From what I see, he wasn't even pointing at the moon."
Manager Oh looked a bit taken aback.
But it was Han Ji-young who raised her voice sharply.
"Hey, Seo Ji-hyeok. This isn't the time for that attitude. Have you even mastered the operations manual?"
"Why bring up the manual here?"
"What?"
As Han Ji-young's tone sharpened, Manager Oh rapped the table twice like a gavel.
- Thud! Thud!
"Assistant Manager Han, you're in the wrong here. I asked for Seo Ji-hyeok's opinion. You should apologize."
Sure enough, as Seo Ji-hyeok had observed.
Manager Oh always wore that friendly smile, but he was decisive when it mattered.
Like now.
Acknowledging she was off-base, Han Ji-young flushed slightly and spoke.
"Seo Ji-hyeok, sorry. I got a bit sharp."
"It's fine."
"Alright, let's do this: it's Wednesday, so until the end of the week, keep mulling over our department's direction. Sound good? Then next week, we'll compile and report on it."
"Yes, sir."
The meeting was wrapping up.
"Sir, can I think things over my own way?"
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"Something just clicked. I think I'll go out and sell some stuff."
"Pardon?"
"Some should ponder at their desks, others should hit the streets. Why not let people do what suits them?"
Seo Ji-hyeok wasn't wrong.
The issue? He was only on day three of the job.
Section Chief Bang and Assistant Manager Han gawked at him.
'What kind of guy is this?'
They didn't say it, but it was written all over their faces.
Manager Oh pursed his lips, thought for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"Fine. Call it newbie spirit. Go hit the pavement."
"Yes, sir. I'll head out."
No sooner had Manager Oh approved than Seo Ji-hyeok stood, grabbed his suit jacket from the rack, and slipped it on.
He bolted from the office before anyone could stop him.
Unaware of the stunned looks from the three left behind, staring at the closed door.
Seo Ji-hyeok drove his car from the public lot near the office to his alma mater, Korea University, in the old Shin-yeon-dong exam prep district.
He parked in the public lot there, then changed into light training clothes from the back seat.
What he had planned wasn't suited for a suit.
With the casual tracksuit and a cap pulled low, he scanned the area and set off down a familiar path.
After about ten minutes of walking...
He arrived at a five-story villa building, a bit removed from the old exam village.
'Let's see, 4885. Bingo.'
Spotting the black sedan in the villa lot, he circled behind and checked around.
2:30 p.m.
The autumn sun beat down harshly, but Seo Ji-hyeok didn't hesitate—he leaped for the gas pipe.
Like a monkey, he climbed nimbly up the pipe.
Second floor, third, fourth.
He reached the fourth floor in seconds, vaulted lightly onto the balcony, peeked into the living room.
Clothes were scattered everywhere.
'Whoa. They were in a real hurry.'
How rushed were they? A suit jacket by the entry shoe rack, then pants, shirt, socks, underwear trailing all the way to the master bedroom.
Confirming the living room empty, he crossed to the opposite side and dangled from the window sill.
Peering in...
The bedroom was a wreck.
Women's clothes strewn about, and on the king bed, two naked bodies entwined like coiled snakes, devouring each other.
Seo Ji-hyeok tapped the window with one hand.
The woman, rising to tease the man, locked eyes with him.
"Kyaaaaah!"
So startled, she forgot she was naked and screamed bloody murder.
Then...
"Ugh!"
The man, spotting Seo Ji-hyeok belatedly via her scream, yelped and scooted back on the bed, more terrified than she was.
That's when Seo Ji-hyeok tapped the window with his phone.
"Could you open the door, Professor?"
Realizing this wasn't some random peeper at "professor," the man stammered in fear.
"Wh-who are you?"
"Seo Ji-hyeok, fourth-year Political Science and Diplomacy major. If climbing in is weird, should I buzz from downstairs?"
"Y-you... what the hell are you doing?"
Recognizing him, the man clutched the blanket over his privates and raised his voice.
"Oh, my bad. You're both naked. I'll ring from downstairs."
With that, Seo Ji-hyeok's face vanished from the window.
The bell for 401 rang about ten minutes later.
Not because it took that long to descend—he'd given the fourth-floor pair time to dress.