The Misunderstood Genius of the Office
Is that what it takes to get a special promotion? Being at the level of Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo?
I watched Kim Hee-yeon, who was pacing back and forth in a panic because she’d forgotten about her presentation. "W-wait, was that today? It was today!"
Honestly, you couldn't find a more incompetent person if you tried. Even if she was bad at her job, it was an hour before the presentation and she’d completely forgotten she was the one presenting. And yet, she was acting like, "Should I just head to a cafe and relax?"
"Ugh, this absolute dead weight..." As I muttered that, a thought flashed through my mind. She was making a huge fuss, but today’s presentation wasn't actually a big deal. It was just the standard quarterly report. The Dungeon Management team took turns doing it every quarter, and this time it just happened to be our turn. Kim Hee-yeon was the one assigned to present.
"Today’s presentation was about last month’s dungeon-related statistics and future operational plans, right?"
It was simple enough, but Assistant Manager Kim Hee-yeon didn't know a thing about it. She was bad at her job to begin with, and she never bothered to study the statistical data sent down from above. Just because you pass the entrance exam doesn't mean you can stop learning. The Hunter society changes every second; you have to constantly study and adapt. That’s why the Association headquarters sends various statistical data to all employees via email. Studying that consistently is what makes you an employee who can survive in the Association.
However, many people don't do that. They think that once they get hired, they’re set for life, and they abandon any will to grow. Learning is a lifelong process, but the problem is the widespread perception that studying is only for exams. Usually, people like that get fired after their fifth year.
Anyway, Kim Hee-yeon was one of those people. Since she hadn't studied any of the materials sent over, today’s presentation would be a nightmare for her. If she’d just taken a look at them occasionally, she wouldn't have had to worry at all. But regardless, this was a good thing for me. This was the perfect opportunity to finally give Assistant Manager Kim Hee-yeon a taste of her own medicine.
"Yes. I'll help you, so let's go quickly."
"Jiwoo-ssi...!"
I returned to the office with Kim Hee-yeon and quickly prepared the presentation. It looked normal, but it was a completely flawed report. I’d intentionally swapped the budget request and the equipment plan. If Kim Hee-yeon noticed, I was going to say, "Oh, I made a mistake and wrote them in reverse~" But Kim Hee-yeon didn't even realize it.
"Thank you so much, Jiwoo-ssi. If the presentation goes well, I'll buy you a meal."
Kim Hee-yeon smiled brightly as she thanked me. Seeing that smile made me feel a twinge of guilt, but I shook it off immediately. Do you know how much I’ve suffered because of her? And the last SC-339101 incident was something Kim Hee-yeon should have been punished for. Since she avoided it thanks to me, she had no room to complain about getting hit by this one. Besides, once my bet with Shin Chi-hyun was over, I was going to quit anyway. That meant I could leave without having to deal with Kim Hee-yeon’s mess. If I was leaving, it was only right to give her a proper send-off.
"Hahahahahaha."
That’s karma for you, you idiot. You should have done your job properly. Getting hired isn't the end of it. Kids these days think everything is fine as long as they pass the test. It’s the education system, the education system is the problem.
I laughed so hard the office shook, thinking about how I was going to make a fool out of Kim Hee-yeon. And then, the meeting time for the presentation arrived.
"Is that equipment investment and budget plan correct? It’s completely the opposite of last quarter."
"Didn't Assistant Manager Kim Hee-yeon make a mistake during the last presentation, too? What on earth was she thinking, putting it together like that?"
"You study all that stuff for the entrance exam..."
As expected, the team members whispered as they watched Assistant Manager Kim Hee-yeon’s presentation. It was definitely a budget and equipment plan that lacked the basics. Conversely, the key executives, including the Branch Manager, were quiet. They were watching the screen with their arms crossed. I thought they might have been speechless because the presentation was so bad.
I was holding back a laugh, thinking that, when—*Clap, clap, clap, clap.*
Suddenly, applause erupted. The Branch Manager, who had been watching silently, suddenly started clapping.
"Excellent work, Assistant Manager Kim Hee-yeon. To think you’d already grasped it to this extent."
"...?!"
...What? Excellent? In what world was that excellent? Had he lost his mind from watching such an absurd presentation?
"I apologize for doubting you, Assistant Manager Kim Hee-yeon. As expected, it’s just as Employee Shin Jiwoo said. You’re capable."
"Th-thank you!"
Kim Hee-yeon bowed her head, not knowing what was going on. The other executives were nodding along.
"It seems the other staff members were unaware, as expected. It’s true, this information wasn't in the regularly sent emails."
"What do you mean by that, Branch Manager?"
The Team Leader, who was just as confused as I was, jumped up and asked.
"Team Leader Park. You need to step up your game, too. Is it okay for you to be slower on the uptake than an Assistant Manager? Well, I understand, as it’s usually difficult to know."
"...Excuse me?"
"Let me change the screen for a moment."
The Branch Manager’s secretary went to the podium and projected a new screen. It looked like the Association’s research system. I was certain that was a place only researchers used.
It was the Association’s research system that shared research results in real-time. Researchers there shared data and worked using the very language they spoke. Because it was filled with technical jargon and complex formulas, regular employees wouldn't understand it even if they logged in. The data researched there is summarized in simple language and released to the public and staff once a month.
"Recently, research at the Association’s lab has been more active than ever. It’s all thanks to the discovery made by Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo."
It seemed to be the part Shin Chi-hyun had mentioned back then. I couldn't understand what I’d done to inspire even the researchers.
"New research results are coming out every day, and new theories are being established. Therefore, you cannot know the latest information just from the emails distributed to staff every month. Those are published monthly, but recently, theories are updated daily. In other words, you can't know the latest situation just by looking at the materials you received last time."
What kind of nonsense is this? To translate it into something easy to understand, does it mean research results are coming out every single day? But regular employees only look at research data once a month, so they don't know the latest updates.
"Let’s look at the most recent data. This is research data from three days ago. If you look here, it shows that gate management can be made easier with a new type of B-group equipment, rather than the A-group equipment that was previously considered important. Therefore, it was a situation where we needed to increase the proportion of B-group equipment."
—...!
The team members were shocked in unison. Since regular employees don't check the research system, they obviously wouldn't have known. Of course, I didn't know either.
"This information is impossible to know without checking the research system on a regular basis. And the research system is difficult to even read unless you have researcher-level theoretical knowledge. Everything is in technical terms. In other words, the fact that you checked the research system and prepared this presentation means that even though you are a regular employee, you have researcher-level knowledge. Your diligence in studying the latest theories on a regular basis is a bonus, too. At this rate, we can submit this for approval without any revisions."
What is this nonsense? Who reads that stuff? It was definitely Korean, but it might as well have been an alien language. Don't you need a doctorate to understand things like that?
"O-oh, no. I didn't check this. I had the help of Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo in writing the final draft. Since research data is hard for me to read..."
"Is that so? As expected...!"
"As expected of Employee Shin Jiwoo... no, Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo. To think you already possess researcher-level knowledge."
"As expected of Jiwoo-ssi... so that’s why you were sitting at your desk during lunch break, studying such difficult things every day?"
"To think you even check the research data every day, I’m still lacking. Assistant Manager Shin, you really..."
"Well, Jiwoo-ssi was the one who found the magic ore mine, too. He must have been able to discover it because he had already grasped all of that."
No, why are you saying that? You could have just taken the credit for yourself like you usually do. And why is everyone looking at me with those eyes? I can't read difficult research data like that either! Who reads that every day? And looking at the computer during lunch break was just me looking at flight prices to the US! I told you I’m planning to leave this country as soon as I quit!
"...As expected of Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo. You show it without fail. Honestly, I didn't think the latest research data would be reflected in this presentation. If you had the help of Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo, it makes sense. I’ll continue to have high expectations for you, Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo. Of course, Assistant Manager Kim Hee-yeon’s presentation was good, too."
Clap, clap, clap, clap—The Branch Manager smiled contentedly and clapped. Following him, the conference room was filled with the sound of applause.
"Oh, no, I..."
I tried to say it urgently, but the applause was so loud that my voice was buried. Please, everyone, stop looking at me with those expressions. No one had any intention of listening to me.
"Jiwoo-ssi...!"
Kim Hee-yeon, standing on the podium, was also looking at me with moved eyes. It was as if she were touched, thinking, 'To think he would study such difficult data just to help me...' What kind of misunderstanding is this when it was a PPT I made without even having time to study?
"Well, you’ve worked hard. Let’s end today’s meeting here."
"Assistant Manager Shin, you’re truly amazing. As expected."
"I’ll be watching you in the future, Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo."
"Jiwoo-ssi, you’re really amazing. To think you’d study even things like that. Well, I guess that’s what it takes to get a special promotion?"
As they left the conference room, people threw a word at me one by one. Some sent envious gazes, others sent gazes of admiration. Everyone patted my shoulder or back and said something. I just stood there blankly, staring into the void.
"Jiwoo-ssi...!"
And finally, Kim Hee-yeon approached me.
"Thank you so much. It’s all thanks to you, Jiwoo-ssi."
"Don't thank me. I didn't do it."
"No. If it weren't for you, Jiwoo-ssi, I wouldn't have been able to finish the presentation materials... It’s all thanks to you. And I want to apologize."
"For what?"
"For making things hard for you, Jiwoo-ssi, until now. I wanted to teach you well at first, but work was hard, so I think I’ve been taking my stress out on you, Jiwoo-ssi. As a senior, I shouldn't have done that. But even so, you protected me as your superior, and today you even made such an excellent presentation for me... I’m truly the worst superior...!"
Yes. You are the worst superior. That’s why I tried to send you away completely today, but I failed. Haha.
"I, I’m going to change from now on. I’ll study hard and do my job better, and I’ll stay even after my fifth year and get promoted. So, can we get along well from now on, Jiwoo-ssi? I, I’ll even feed you lots of stir-fried pork."
"Yeah, yeah. Do whatever you want..."
"...Yes! Thank you so much!"
Kim Hee-yeon left the conference room with a light, happy step. I remained alone in the conference room, staring blankly at the screen.
"Yeah... think whatever you want..."