Chapter 67

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 66

Chapter Title: The Ruthless Team Leader

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Pushing up her black horn-rimmed glasses with one hand, Choi Go-eun began her explanation. Her unwavering gaze met each team member's eyes in turn, leaving a powerful impression.

"You've probably all come into this company with a lot of rosy illusions about public institutions. Lifetime employment guarantees until retirement, moderate workloads, salaries higher than civil servants that rise every year with inflation."

"But now it's time to let go of those illusions."

"Last year alone, two public corporations couldn't handle their debts and got absorbed by other agencies. Our company's revenue model is deteriorating year after year as well."

The weighty topic darkened the team members' faces.

"In the end, we have to change with the shifting environment. The public institution label won't guarantee our company's future forever. Of course, management is well aware of this. And the start of this change will be led by our Organizational Innovation TF Team."

"Only by completely overhauling outdated, habitual structures can we secure the company's future and launch new ventures. This heavy responsibility weighs on me greatly, but if you and I give it our all, I believe it's not an impossible task."

She said it with such gravity, yet not a trace of tension showed on Choi Go-eun's face. Instead, it brimmed with anticipation and confidence, as if she'd been waiting for this exact moment. And the face of a woman filled with ambition was strikingly beautiful.

'She's pretty to begin with, so that figures.'

Yi Hyunwoo felt a flicker of long-dead passion stirring within him at Team Leader Choi Go-eun's impressive speech. Back when he was a newbie, he'd harbored ambitions just like hers. Of course, cleaning up after his deadbeat teammates had made him forget all about it.

'She sure knows how to talk.'

Choi Go-eun's eloquence matched her stunning looks. Hyunwoo found her leadership—just a tiny bit—admirable. That is, until her next words.

"Assistant Manager Park."

"Yes, Team Leader."

"I was deeply impressed by the organizational reform proposal you drafted last year while in the Organization Team. Though management ultimately rejected it, your insights into the organization and changing environment shone through."

"Thank you."

"Deputy Manager Kwon."

"Yes."

"I've heard you're the top expert on the company's budget, having handled mid- to long-term financial planning for the Budget Team three years running."

"Thank you for the praise, Team Leader. Haha."

"And Section Chief Jeong. You managed mid- to long-term strategies and business plans in the Strategy Team, right? Is there anyone more essential to this TF Team?"

"Thank you, Team Leader."

"Finally, Mr. Yi Hyunwoo... Well, honestly, I'm still not sure about you. You've only worked in Management Support since joining, with no notable achievements or results. On the other hand, your reputation among the staff is surprisingly good. I agonized over it until the end, but I decided to trust that office buzz."

"Yes, I won't let you down. I'll work hard."

"Good. See that you do, Mr. Yi Hyunwoo. You need to."

Despite Hyunwoo's enthusiastic response, Choi Go-eun's reaction remained lukewarm.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

As her psychological message indicated, there was no way Choi Go-eun would rate Hyunwoo highly when he had no standout skills. Of course, that whole chest incident hadn't helped either.

'Haa... This is such bullshit.'

Their relationship had soured from the very first impression. How was he supposed to win over a woman whose heart seemed impenetrable, not even a drop of blood if stabbed? Hyunwoo felt utterly stymied.

"Anyway, I selected all of you because I consider you the best by my standards, so feel free to take pride in that."

Of course, she shot Hyunwoo a subtly dismissive look, as if he were the exception.

"We'll be busier and more grueling than any other department, tackling tasks no one's tried before. Expect lots of overtime and weekend work like it's just another meal. But there's one thing I can guarantee you for sure."

"You'll all be at the top of the priority promotion list going forward. For training or transfers to your preferred departments, you'll always come first. So don't worry about rewards for your hard work."

The team members erupted in enthusiastic applause at Choi Go-eun's promise of commensurate rewards despite the hardships. But unlike their excitement, Hyunwoo's heart grew heavier. Choi Go-eun was no pushover.

The office rang wildly with phones and mobiles alike, leaving no time to catch one's breath—like a war zone.

"Yes, Organizational Innovation TF Team."

"Yes, Director. We'll compile the data this morning and give you an additional report."

"Hyunwoo!"

"Yes, Team Leader."

"Still no progress on that data survey I mentioned earlier?"

'It's been less than 30 minutes since you assigned it, you bitch!'

"I'll have it ready for you to review right away."

"Hurry up. Bring it quick. Oh, Assistant Manager Park. Is the other agencies' status report done?"

"Yes, Team Leader. Here it is."

"Leave it on my desk. I'll check it."

After hounding Hyunwoo, Choi Go-eun began meticulously reviewing the status report Assistant Manager Park Hye-su had just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠prepared.

"Nice and neat work, Assistant Manager Park. This can go straight into the report, no issues."

"Thank you, Team Leader."

Assistant Manager Park returned to her seat with light steps, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clearly pleased by the praise.

"Mr. Yi Hyunwoo, still?"

"Yes, it's done now."

Her tone grated on him—calling him by name with "~ssi" like he was beneath her rank—but Hyunwoo held it in and handed over the report he'd prepared.

"Hmm..."

Choi Go-eun examined Hyunwoo's report carefully. But soon, her flawless, wrinkle-free face crumpled.

"Mr. Yi Hyunwoo, is this supposed to be a completed report?"

"...Pardon?"

"Font size, line spacing, design—everything's a mess. And the content isn't even worth mentioning. This isn't school, Hyunwoo-ssi. Do I have to sit you down and teach you from scratch, one by one?"

"..."

The verbal barrage hit like extreme DPS, enough to shatter a health bar. Her words went beyond blunt into outright insulting, and Hyunwoo clenched his fist without realizing it.

"If you have eyes, compare it to Assistant Manager Park's report."

Visibly irritated herself, Choi Go-eun thrust Park's freshly made report at Hyunwoo.

'Fine, let's see how great it is... Damn, it really is.'

The quality was unmistakably superior to his own. Neat charts and concise phrasing made the content instantly graspable by anyone. Wasn't a well-written report one even an elementary schooler could understand? This nailed it perfectly.

"..."

Hyunwoo stood speechless, like a mute who'd swallowed honey.

"Redo it and bring it back, Mr. Yi Hyunwoo."

Her icy words stabbed like a dagger.

"Haa..."

"Have some coffee and cool your head, Deputy Manager Yi."

"Ah... Thank you."

Deputy Manager Kwon Yong-chan, transferred from the Budget Team to the TF Team, handed Hyunwoo a vending machine coffee after his brutal dressing-down from the team leader.

"Tough times lately, huh?"

"Haha..."

"Don't take it too hard, Deputy Manager Yi. Team Leader Choi's known for that style. I thought Budget was intense enough, but this makes other departments feel like child's play."

Kwon flashed a forced smile to comfort Hyunwoo. His small eyes vanished completely when he grinned, but overall, he gave off a comfortable vibe rather than anything sleazy.

"How'd you end up under Team Leader Choi, Deputy Manager Kwon?"

"Ah, my wife's working in the capital region, so we're a weekend couple. It was great at first, but commuting up every week is no joke. Weekends feel harder than workdays now."

With headquarters stuck in rural local land, Kwon had been forcibly separated from his wife and was likely aiming for a capital transfer next season.

"Capital spots are scarce and competitive, though, right?"

"True. But Team Leader Choi guaranteed it, so I have to believe her. Haha. Let's just tough it out a bit longer."

"Thank you, Deputy Manager Kwon."

"I'll head back in first. Take your time."

Thanks to his decent teammates, Hyunwoo felt a bit recharged.

'At least my team luck is good.'

But before returning to the office, he checked the Work System for Choi Go-eun and the team's psychological messages, reconfirming there wasn't a single soul he could trust.

Her perfect team leader state hadn't changed from the start. But the team members' messages boiled down to that crap.

They'd consoled Hyunwoo with feigned pity while he got reamed by Choi Go-eun, but deep down, they were thrilled to dodge the bullet. Keep taking it for us.

"Wow... Look at these assholes."

Work ability and personality weren't proportional, huh? Without the Work System, he'd have fallen for their phony "nice guy" act. Hyunwoo was reminded anew: in the office, trust no one.

'Fine, screw it. No matter how much they bitch, think I can't last a few months? Hell no! Back in my old team, I handled three people's workload solo.'

With a zero-tolerance perfectionist like Team Leader Choi Go-eun and teammates hiding shady thoughts, Hyunwoo wasn't about to fall behind out of pride.

"Shit."

But Hyunwoo's resolve crumbled into dust almost immediately.

Team Leader Choi managed schedules down to the minute, monitoring team progress in real-time. Directives had to be submitted within an hour—two at the latest—as neat, clean reports that met her exacting standards in both form and substance.

Of course, if it were just report-writing, Hyunwoo wouldn't be whining like this.

Daily marathons of two-hour-plus meetings were followed by in-depth interviews with team leaders and members from nearly every department in the company. Naturally, Choi Go-eun demanded flawless meeting minutes for every one.

And that was just part of it. For advanced case studies, endless research. Coordinating schedules with other companies' staff, interview questions, meeting minutes—all fell to Hyunwoo. Matching her standards took immense time and effort on each.

So what was Team Leader Choi doing?

Incredibly, she handled more work than the entire team combined. Only by systematically organizing every task in her head could she direct the team so efficiently.

She fielded sharp questions from the CEO and external advisors with fluent, unhesitating responses.

To meet Choi Go-eun's expectations, Hyunwoo pulled overtime and weekend shifts like clockwork. To win her over, he had to earn her professional respect.

However...

A month had passed, but Choi Go-eun's psychological messages showed zero change.