Deputy Hong's True Identity
Manager Kim, as always, handled Deputy General Manager Cho's irritation with practiced ease.
"Yesterday the Sales Support Team Leader came by demanding an extra 200 million won in revenue. He's such an incorrigible blowhard that I figured we'd only really need to add 100 million, so we settled on 6.1 billion."
"That bastard never lifts a finger to help, but the second the month-end rolls around, he comes crawling to dump revenue on us. The extra 100 million won in target isn't a problem, right?"
"We held a meeting yesterday and assigned supplementary targets by dealership. As long as we clear the unshipped orders, it should be doable. We're currently sitting at 1.7 billion won unshipped against our 6.1 billion target. The biggest chunk is smartphones at 900 million won — we reached an agreement with the factory yesterday, and they're shipping tomorrow. The remaining 800 million is TVs, washing machines, refrigerators and the like. I'm chasing those down now."
"Looking at the unshipped inventory report, Deputy Hong's dealership has the most outstanding. As you know, Deputy Hong has a lot of business outside the office and probably can't see to it properly, so I want you to take point, Manager Kim, and cover his dealership's unshipped orders too. This is all team performance, not individual performance, isn't it? Don't stress yourself over revenue until the 31st — just make sure there's nothing unshipped by the 30th."
"Understood, Team Leader."
"I'll be visiting the Managing Director's office. Check the unshipped status for each dealership, and if anything looks like it can't ship, pivot to substitute products quickly."
And just like that, Deputy General Manager Cho said only what he wanted to hear, issued only what he wanted to say, and hurried out of the meeting room.
What an absolutely insufferable human being.
Now it fell to Manager Kim to chair the meeting.
"As you all know, we're 1.7 billion won unshipped. Take out the phones and it's 800 million — and of that, 500 million belongs to Deputy Hong's dealership. Deputy Hong, any issues?"
"I've been buried in fieldwork lately. Since I'm the busy one here, have Manager Kim and the two assistants handle my dealership's unshipped orders. I'm out on a business trip today, too."
Park Dae-ri fired back in a flat, clipped voice.
"Deputy Hong, our dealerships have plenty of unshipped orders too. Manager Kim is already handling the phones — can't you take care of the rest yourself?"
"First Assistant Kim comes at me out of nowhere, and now an assistant manager wants to talk back? What, am I a cheap fish on the market now? Do I look easy to you?"
"When did I ever come at you, Deputy Hong? I'm just asking why you're dumping your dealership's problems on the rest of us."
"This month is sailing through smoothly because of me. So you should be grateful and do as you're told. And did you not hear me say I'm busy? Ugh, forget it. There's no point talking to you people."
Deciding his words weren't landing, Deputy Hong redirected his attack at Manager Kim instead.
"Manager Kim, I'm too busy, so you handle it however you see fit. And Assistant Kim and Assistant Park had better watch themselves. Things may slide for now, but the day is coming when you two will be crying and begging me for mercy. Manager Kim, I have somewhere to be — I can leave, right?"
That Deputy Hong is hopeless — arrogant beyond salvation, a man who contributes absolutely nothing to the organization.
Better to just pretend he doesn't exist. Watching him only raises my blood pressure.
As soon as Deputy Hong walked out of the meeting room, Manager Kim heaved a long sigh and spoke.
"Either way, we owe this month's numbers to Deputy Hong, so let's pitch in and cover his unshipped orders ourselves. I'll take the phones; the rest of you two split the remainder between you. There can be no unshipped inventory. If anything looks like it might slip, get substitute orders in fast. Alright — let's have a good day, everyone."
At that very moment, Deputy General Manager Cho was sitting across from Managing Director Kim.
"Sir, here's tomorrow's schedule."
"Is that so? Let me see it."
Handing the schedule over, Deputy General Manager Cho continued.
"Golf is tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Seoul CC. You'll play until around 5, then we'll head straight to Gangnam. For dinner, we have the Japanese restaurant you visited last time, a sushi bar, and a traditional Korean restaurant. Which would you prefer, sir?"
"Just the Japanese place from last time."
"Very good, sir. I'll book the Japanese restaurant then. After dinner, I've arranged a brief drink at the same room salon as before."
"Excellent. The moment you graduated from my university, I knew it — no one handles affairs like you do, Cho. We're seeing this through to the end this time, right? Vice President Nam has been dropping hints, after all."
"Yes, sir. Everything is prepared."
"That partner of mine last time was quite good. You can make it happen again, can't you, Cho?"
"If that's what you desire, sir, I'll arrange it."
"On another matter — this month's revenue has to close without a hitch. That's the only way I can promote you to Director. You understand, don't you?"
"Understood, sir. I pledge my full loyalty to you."
"Good. Then get going. See you at that time tomorrow."
The moment Deputy General Manager Cho returned to the office, he summoned Deputy Hong to the meeting room.
"The Managing Director seems to have high expectations for the golf outing tomorrow. Ask President Jung to prepare everything flawlessly, will you?"
"Understood. Though I did some digging of my own, and President Jung doesn't strike me as a man of much quality. I'm not sure it's wise to keep company with someone like that."
"I got the same feeling when he hosted us last Monday. He doesn't seem like an ordinary man — frankly, it scares me a little. But what can I do? The Managing Director wants him."
"That President Jung is a leech of a man. Once he latches on, I doubt he'll ever let go — can you really cover for that, Team Leader? And it's plain as day he'll use this entertainment as leverage to demand something outrageous next time."
"I know. That's exactly what worries me."
"If the phone dumping goes wrong, Managing Director Kim will find his way out one way or another, and I'll be fine as long as I tell my mother... In the end, you're the only one who gets hurt, Team Leader. Shouldn't you be building a contingency plan well in advance?"
Deputy General Manager Cho, looking troubled himself, made a request of Deputy Hong.
"You'll have to help me out, Deputy Hong. If you don't look after me — your direct senior from the business school — who will?"
"Then, Team Leader, when the year-end personnel reshuffle comes, make absolutely sure you ship those two — Assistant Kim and Assistant Park — off to a regional branch."
"Why? Park's not a problem, is he?"
"He's exactly the same. He was rudely talking back to me just this morning. This is why you shouldn't even associate with third-rate university graduates."
"Fine, Assistant Kim maybe, but Park went to K University. Isn't that respectable enough?"
"Team Leader, you know full well that in this country every school but ours is second- or third-rate, and you're saying that? Those two bastards need to be sent to the provinces for good."
"Alright, alright. I'll take personal responsibility for those two, so you look after me a little. The HR Director is a senior from our school — he'll do me the favor."
"Team Leader, my mother wants me to accompany her to Japan this afternoon. I can leave early, right? And please process Monday as a vacation day for me."
"It's month-end, though... No, never mind. Fine, granted. Just make sure everything goes smoothly with President Jung tomorrow. I'll have Manager Kim handle your dealership — it'll be taken care of without a problem."
"Honestly, I'll never understand why my mother insists I grind all the way up to Manager. Something about how you have to make Manager before she'll pass down the inheritance. God, working at a company is such a bore."
"Your mother must have her reasons, Deputy Hong. Surely she intends for you to climb from the bottom, step by step, before running the company?"
"I suppose. Worst case, she'll just hand me one of the department stores she runs."
"Right, right. Don't you worry about a thing, Deputy Hong... Alright, off you go."
The instant Deputy Hong left the meeting room, he gathered up his things and walked straight out of the office. As the staff stared blankly after him, Deputy General Manager Cho quickly added an excuse.
"Manager Kim — something's come up in Deputy Hong's family and he has to leave right now. You take responsibility for his dealership accounts. He'll probably be back Tuesday."
Young-hoon found himself thinking that Deputy General Manager Cho had somehow ended up with his weakness in Deputy Hong's hands.
Before long, a KakaoTalk message arrived from Park Dae-ri.
The moment Young-hoon stepped into the break room, Park Dae-ri poured him a cup of coffee and handed it over.
"Why bother dragging me all the way to the break room? Couldn't you just talk to me at the desk?"
"Hey, Assistant Kim. I had a drink with Section Chief Choi Gi-hong from HR yesterday."
"Section Chief Choi Gi-hong? A senior from your university?"
"Yeah, three years ahead of me. And listen — yesterday I found out something incredible about Deputy Hong."
"Which is?"
"Nothing's confirmed yet, but... that bastard might be one of the Royal Family."
"Royal Family? Our chairman's a Goo, isn't he? So is he some secret love child?"
"Pfft, quit writing fantasy novels. The Chief overheard Deputy General Manager Cho and the HR Director having a private conversation in the restroom. Apparently Deputy Hong is the son of Hong Sang-gyu, the president of LK Chemical."
"Seriously? Wait a second... If it's President Hong Sang-gyu, he's our chairman's brother-in-law. Then that bastard really is Royal Family. How sure is this?"
"Not a hundred percent, but that's what the Chief heard. He tried to pull Deputy Hong's personnel file afterward, and it turned out to be locked. Sealed by Group HR, mind you. Doesn't that make it pretty much certain? If he's the chairman's nephew, he's practically Royal Family. Am I wrong?"
"So that's how the bastard got out of military service — his parents pulled strings."
"How many silver-spoon kids these days actually serve properly? It's us dirt spoons like you and me who go and come back."
Young-hoon looked at Park Dae-ri and said with a laugh.
"If you're a dirt spoon, I'm a homeless guy sleeping at Seoul Station. Where do you get off telling sob stories?"
"Huh? When did I ever tell you about my parents?"
"You and your drinking, honestly. You said it at the new year's company dinner. You bragged your parents were the board chairman and medical director of a general hospital everyone knows by name."
"Whoa. I said that? Then how come I have zero memory of it?"
"My point exactly. Anyway, why on earth is a guy like you slaving away at a place like this company?"
"Ah-ah-ah, don't go digging. Curiosity hurts, my friend."
"Fine. Then let's call off this mutual hogu background check. But seriously — would Royal Family be sitting in a team like ours? Shouldn't he be working somewhere like Group PR?"
"Who knows. Maybe he's taking business classes."
"Hey, what's there to learn about running a business from our team? Get real."
"Anyway, keep this between us. I'm quietly digging deeper."
"If you've got time for that, go chase Deputy Hong's unshipped orders. There's no way I can handle them alone, so you're taking half."
"Got it. Let's head in, partner."
Though he didn't let it show, even Young-hoon considered it highly likely that Deputy Hong really was Royal Family. The平日 arrogance, the military exemption, the suspiciously rapid promotions — it all fit.
But whether that bastard was Royal Family or a man born with a diamond spoon in his mouth made no difference to Young-hoon.
After all, he planned to quit the company before long.
Young-hoon figured he would simply carry out the role assigned to him in quiet diligence, and when the time came, walk away.