As he gathered his bag, he spotted Team Leader Cha Sojeong walking down the corridor. She loved leaving work on time just as much as Seungju did. Nominally, the Design Office was separate from the Planning Headquarters, but they used the same floor anyway, and the Design Office also got final approval from the director. She too was in a position where she had to watch the director’s mood.
Sojeong, making eye contact with Seungju, smiled brightly and waved her hand.
“Seungju, let’s go.”
Seungju nodded. After swiftly taking the elevator down to the lobby, they waited for Dawon and Hyeondo. Seungju, who had been looking toward the building’s revolving door, turned his head at Sojeong’s voice.
“Oh, sunbae!”
Hyeondo walked out from the elevator side. He raised his hand and waved. With just his neat suit and tall height, he drew people’s gazes. And his face was warm enough not to disappoint those who gave him a glance. The wrinkles around his eyes hinted at his age, but he was still handsome.
Seungju bowed his head to greet him. When Hyeondo got closer, Seungju asked him.
“Sunbae, why are you coming out of the elevator?”
“Since I was here, I greeted some people I know.”
Seungju tilted his head. Nearly five years had already passed since Hyeondo left the company. Most of his close seniors and colleagues had quit in the meantime. The person who remained was probably Sojeong at most. However, Sojeong didn’t seem to care much about Hyeondo’s words. So Seungju didn’t pay much attention either.
The three chatted while waiting for Dawon. She seemed busy with work piling up today, asking them to wait just a bit. Finally, the elevator door opened and Dawon ran out as if rolling.
“Huk, you waited long, didn’t you? Huk. Let’s hurry.”
“What’s up, Dawon? Why are you so busy?”
“I had some work. I’ll tell you when we get there.”
Dawon, readjusting her bag, pushed Sojeong and Seungju’s backs, and the two exchanged intrigued glances.
Following Dawon’s lead, the group took a bus toward Sadang. After walking about five minutes into the alley inside the main street, they saw the raw fish restaurant Dawon had wanted to go to.
Thanks to making a reservation in advance, side dishes were laid out as soon as they sat at the table. Auntie, one soju and two beers here. Sojeong poured the drinks. Sojeong and Hyeondo filled their glasses with soju, while Dawon and Seungju filled theirs with somaek.
As soon as they toasted and swallowed their drinks, all four groaned in unison. Keu. Heuk. Keuheuk. This is it. Dawon said as she wiped the chopsticks she’d used to stir the somaek.
“Ah, seriously, I wanted to drink all day today.”
“Me too. Why you, Dawon? Because of the classified info?”
“Yes.”
“So what’s the story?”
Sojeong urged her. Dawon opened her mouth, drawing it out. So,
“The president tried to move Section Chief Mu to Planning. Continuously since about two weeks ago.”
“I heard that story too. But they said Section Chief Mu kept saying no.”
“But, today Section Chief Mu said okay.”
“What?”
“Section Chief Mu is coming?”
Seungju’s eyes widened. He thought of Section Chief Mu, whom he’d run into on the rooftop during the day. Was the question about how the Planning Headquarters was not for nothing? Dawon nodded. Sojeong asked her.
“Why is Section Chief Mu suddenly coming after saying no?”
“He never said no originally. He said he’d think about it. But I don’t know why he suddenly said yes. But the president told him to move quickly in case Section Chief Mu changed his mind. From what I see, I think it’ll be decided within this week?”
“That impatience doesn’t go anywhere.”
“What kind of company makes all its decisions so hastily, seriously.”
At Sojeong’s sarcasm, Hyeondo said with a laugh.
“Wow, this company hasn’t changed at all, has it?”
Hyeondo’s words were right. This company hasn’t changed then or now. The reason is simple. Because this design product company Vision Factory, a mid-sized affiliate of Baekseong Group, operates as a hobby for Baek Yeonggi, the group’s chairman and Vision Factory’s president.
The people sitting here scoffed starting from the very mention of Baekseong Group. It meant that the lineup of associated and subsidiary companies wasn’t impressive enough to bind them together with the grand name of “group.” Since all the ten-plus affiliates were practically family companies of the president’s household, their thoughts had some validity.
However, whether these malcontents at the company agreed or not, Baekseong Group was a fairly large corporation. With abundant capital including real estate, there was no chance of bankruptcy. Moreover, the president’s two daughters had inherited Baekseong Trading, which received head office treatment in the group, and had been solidly maintaining top-tier industry sales for 10 years.
Thanks to that, the president could freely immerse himself in his hobby called Vision Factory. True to a hobby, the president didn’t pay much attention to the company’s operations or welfare. His interest was only in pretty things. It was typical behavior for an attention-seeking idiot.
Thanks to that, the work system was a mess and decision-makers couldn’t get a grip. Work would be decided and then overturned at the drop of the president’s angry word, and the director was only busy appeasing such a president.
Someone’s scathing review on an anonymous company rating app when they quit was such an apt description that it once became a secret topic of conversation. There were several memorable expressions alone. The parts about “management from the ’88 era,” “company culture behind the times,” and “an office of utter chaos and frustration run by the old-minded bastards at the top” were truly the killing parts.
The funny thing was that business was doing fairly well by borrowing distribution networks from other affiliates. Disgusted by such absurdity, Sojeong always said sarcastically, “What creative design with the taste to attach a shitty name like Vision Factory? It’s exactly the level of rich bastards’ hobby, seriously.”
When the raw fish came out, the four toasted again. Seungju, who emptied his glass, filled all four glasses. Dawon said as she received her drink.
“Still, I think things might change a bit if Section Chief Mu moves up to Planning.”
“In what way?”
Sojeong asked. Seungju answered alone in his heart. His common sense is a hundred points, his kindness is a thousand points, his face is ten thousand points, so whatever happens, wouldn’t he be better than the director?
Hyeondo also asked in an interested voice.
“What kind of person is Section Chief Mu?”
Section Chief Mu joined Vision Factory three months ago. They said he originally worked at a fashion brand affiliate run by the president’s older sister. There, he lived comfortably under the title of regional manager, a position with no actual work but just a title and salary, where he only had to make courtesy visits to a few stores once a month.
Then one day, the president’s sister got cancer. Fortunately, it was discovered early and the prognosis wasn’t bad, but this incident left a big impression on the president. The president began to worry about a successor and think about life after retirement.
The president came up with a novel idea that could solve his three worries at once. He proudly announced a new business at the New Year’s ceremony right away.
He said he would directly open specialized stores to stock Vision Factory products, which until now had only gone into corners attached to large stationery stores or bookstores, or into supermarkets.
The thoughts of Seungju and others, who had been half-dozing during the boring ceremony and woke up, were all the same. Wow, the president has finally lost it. Rich bastards’ hobbies are on a different level.
So the rumor that the president’s youngest son was coming to this company to be in charge of the specialized stores actually reassured the employees. If the new business wasn’t a nonsensical game of house but a gift for the youngest son the president was crazy about, there was a glimmer of hope that it wouldn’t end with nothing after repeating meaningless foolishness.
Hyeondo listened to Muyeon’s joining story with interest. He demonstrates focus even on stories about a company that no longer concerns him. Seungju thought as he looked at him. He really is a good person. Well, objectively speaking, it’s also an interesting story.
Hyeondo asked, raising his glass.
“Then, if Section Chief Mu comes, will he come as a division director?”
“We don’t know that. They might raise him to a general manager level. It’s his first time doing planning work, so they’re having him learn a bit from the director.”
“Learn from the director, what is there to learn? Does that bastard have anything to teach? Huh?”
Seungju flared up angrily. The director was his rage button. Whenever and wherever he heard the word “director,” he got irritated. Dawon giggled and Sojeong refilled Seungju’s glass.
“Though Section Chief Mu might do well even just starting out.”
“Right, they say that person works well.”
“But why didn’t he want to move up to Planning? He must be the type without ambition.”
“Maybe he thought there’s no rush since it’ll all be his eventually anyway.”
Seungju’s words were persuasive. The other three nodded. In the first place, the justification for Section Chief Mu, who had a completely different career in fashion brands, to be incorporated into the company was the new business with the connecting link of stores, so the Sales Team General Manager position was a suitable place for him to start.
But everyone surmised that someday either the Sales Team would swallow the Planning Headquarters, or Section Chief Mu would become the Planning Headquarters Director—one of the two would happen. Anyway, even in this ridiculous company, there were core departments called the Planning Headquarters and the Design Office. It was obvious that before long, the president would put these two departments in his son’s hands. The time had simply come.
“Whatever position he comes to, it’s now just a matter of time before Section Chief Mu takes over the company.”
“I wish the president would retire quickly.”
“I hope Section Chief Mu is even one bit better than the director or president.”
“I think he’ll be fine. I like Section Chief Mu.”
“Really? You like him?”
Dawon looked at Sojeong. There was something in Sojeong’s words, both when she questioned Dawon’s words supporting Section Chief Mu’s department transfer earlier, and now too.
