Series: The All-Rounder Employee Becomes a Legend
Chapter: 22
Title: A Threat for a Threat!
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Taeseok’s colleagues swarmed around him as he re-entered the room.
“Taeseok, are you okay?”
“About what?”
“What happened? There’s a rumor going around that you cheated on the test.”
“It’s a baseless rumor. You know I’d never do that.”
“That’s what I thought, but a rumor that the senior mentors are going to discipline you has spread like wildfire.”
“Discipline me?”
“Yeah. They said they’ve requested a disciplinary hearing.”
Just then, Senior Mentor Choi Yunjeong came back into the room.
She stared at Taeseok. The colleagues who had come to comfort him backed away one by one.
She spoke.
“Kim Taeseok! Take this.”
“…”
“What is this?”
“A summons.”
A request for disciplinary action… a summons.
Taeseok asked.
“…Is there a penalty for false accusations in these hearings? What are you going to do if this turns out not to be true?”
At Taeseok’s words, her eyebrows shot up.
“Hey! You think your life at this company is going to be easy after pulling a stunt like this?”
“I don’t know. I’ll be there. Now please get out of my personal space.”
- Slam!
Taeseok pushed past her as she completely ignored his words and slammed the door shut.
There was a reason for his firm stance.
The timing Assistant Manager Kim Minseong had spoken of.
Once that moment came, the situation would be reversed.
But then, his roommate came in with his mother.
A sharp spike of irritation shot through Taeseok.
He had to let it out.
“Ma’am, didn’t we finish this conversation earlier?”
“What? Look at this kid, he still hasn’t learned his lesson.”
“When have I ever done anything that required me to learn a lesson?”
“Oh my! Oh my! Minyong, how did you live with someone like this? Son! Pack your things, quickly! Let’s move to another room. They should fire all of them! How could they put my son in the same room as a kid with no class?”
“I know. Stop it, Mom. I’ll pack my things.”
“Forget it. You can’t do anything on your own. Mom steps in, and everything gets solved.”
“Mooom!”
“Hurry, hurry up. If you stay in the same space as him any longer, his bad habits will rub off on you.”
The woman started packing Kang Minyong’s belongings.
Taeseok shook his head, looking at the mama’s boy.
As the woman left the room with some of the luggage, Kang Minyong spoke to Taeseok.
“You made a mistake.”
“A mistake?”
“Yeah. Anyone who ever messed with me ended up like this. It was the same at school, the same at cram school.”
“Kang Minyong! This is a company. No matter how powerful your congressman father is, the employees and shareholders are the owners here. Do you think the world revolves around you?”
“Shut up! I was on my way to first place, and you’re the one who ruined it!”
“Was that the reason? How pathetic. Truly pathetic.”
“You son of a bitch! Fuck! Who the hell do you think you are, giving me this shit?”
“That’s hilarious, really. Did you think no one would notice you acting all nice and pitiful, hoarding 20 merit points for yourself? You were a real eyesore, but I feel better now that you've admitted it yourself.”
“Is that how you talk to me? Are you crazy?”
“Kang Minyong, if you lack the ability, then you should make a smart effort. Learn from others, admit what you can’t do, and ask when you don’t know something!”
“Hey!”
“You try to do everything yourself, and when you fail, you shriek at someone else! And when that doesn’t work, you call your mommy. Is that what a real person does?”
“Hey! You bastard! Shut your mouth. You’re finished anyway, and I’ll be the Team Leader again. I’ll get the senior mentor’s observation points back, too.”
“I wonder about that.”
Taeseok shook his head and waited for the broadcast.
It was what he had arranged with his senior beforehand.
That promise was about to be kept.
The timing was perfect.
Just before the promised time, Kang Minyong’s mother returned to the room after moving the luggage.
Taeseok grinned.
*Dee-dee-ding!*
Along with the chime.
The file Taeseok had recorded was being broadcast to every dorm room in the training center.
The look on the woman’s face was a sight to behold.
The contents of the recording were roughly this:
Ta-seok was completely innocent.
Her son, Kang Minyong, on the other hand, was complete trash.
The mother, who had trusted her son, hung her head.
“…Son… what is this? Minyong! He doctored the conversation, right? He manipulated the contents, didn't he? My son didn’t make a mistake, right?”
But Kang Minyong just scowled and glared at Taeseok instead of his mother.
“You… When did you record this?”
“I had to do at least that much. Unlike you, Kang Minyong, who lives under your mommy and daddy’s protection, I have to find my own way to survive.”
* * *
At the same time, in a small meeting room.
A woman was shouting, trying to stop the broadcast coming from the amplifier.
“Turn it off, now! Senior! What do you think you’re doing?”
But Kim Minseong didn’t hesitate. Instead, he shot back at her.
“What am I doing? Choi Yunjeong, why on earth did you do it?”
“Senior! What are you talking about? What did I do?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know you’re the one who got me into this mess?”
“Senior, listen to me! That has nothing to do with me. Why would I get you into trouble?”
“You said you recorded it! You said you recorded your conversation with Taeseok. Play it! It’ll make it obvious who did what and why!”
“Senior, I don’t have anything like that. Why would I record anything? I did it all so you wouldn’t get into trouble, so things would work out. Senior! Let’s not misunderstand each other. Okay?”
At Choi Yunjeong’s words, Kim Minseong played a file saved on his smartphone, starting from the 22:13 mark.
She stared at her senior of one year with a horrified expression.
“Still can’t admit it?”
“How did you… get that file? Did you go through my phone?”
“It wasn’t you. I got it from Kim Taeseok.”
At Kim Minseong’s words, Choi Yunjeong suddenly hung her head low. Then she changed her tune.
“Senior, I’m sorry. Let’s not… tell the Section Chief.”
“What?”
“Keep it a secret from the Section Chief. I’ll handle everything.”
“Hey! The Section Chief is the one who manages all the senior mentors, how can I not tell him? What are you plotting? You didn’t take a bribe, did you?! It was you! You! You took the money, didn’t you?”
“I’ll take care of it all. Just stay quiet. Please? Senior! Senior!”
Just then, the Section Chief, who had been outside, came in.
Since the broadcast had only played in the dorms, the Section Chief knew nothing about the recording.
Perhaps that was why?
Assistant Manager Kim and Assistant Manager Choi, who were in the small meeting room, greeted the Section Chief.
“You’re here, sir.”
“Yes. Assistant Manager Kim! Have you cooled down a bit?”
“No, sir.”
“What?! A man should admit when he’s wrong! For now, you’re suspended from your duties, and Assistant Manager Choi Yunjeong will be the senior mentor for Team B until the incident is resolved. So for now, cool your head. And wait for the investigation results.”
At the Section Chief’s words, a triumphant smile spread across Kim Minseong’s face.
‘So that’s what it was? Choi Yunjeong! Were you after my position from the beginning?!’
At that moment, Kang Minyong’s mother stormed into the small meeting room.
“Who turned on that broadcast? Are you trying to slander my son? Who do you people think you are!”
The Section Chief bowed his head deeply and said.
“Ah, Ma’am, slander? Of course not. That’s preposterous.”
“What did you do with that file? The recording! The file!”
The Section Chief, not understanding the situation, looked at Kim Minseong.
Senior Mentor Kim grinned and spoke to her.
“Ma’am! You’ve been through a lot. Please take your son and return home.”
“What are you talking about? Hey, what is this man saying?”
Kim Minseong did not yield to the woman’s verbal abuse.
“I’ve already sent the recording to your husband, ma’am. He has decided that your son will be resigning, effective today. So pack your things and go home.”
“You! You! You! Are you threatening me right now?”
“No. It’s not a threat. It’s a decision your husband made first. You’ve packed everything, right? Don’t move it to room B51; move it directly to your car. There’s nothing we can help you with.”
“You, what’s your name! What’s your name!”
“I’m Assistant Manager Kim Minseong from the Sales Department of El Sung Life. If you raise your voice one more time, I will spread that recording across the entire country. Then your husband’s political career will be over, too. Shall we see?”
“…”
The woman’s mouth snapped shut.
It was 2018. In this day and age, abusing one’s power doesn’t fly.
After the impeachment that took place in South Korea, the world had changed a lot.
Those stuck with old-fashioned ways of thinking were left behind, while those who adapted to society succeeded. Of course, there would be side effects from the exposé.
Pressure from the company.
But Kim Minseong wasn’t worried.
‘It’s fine. I’m in sales.’
Sales, a department where you prove yourself solely through results.
Specifically, he was in B2C (Business-to-Consumer) sales.
A place where the base salary was low, but you earned commission based on how hard you worked.
After the woman left, he spoke.
“Section Chief?”
“Huh?”
Assistant Manager Kim Minseong grinned at the Section Chief, who still couldn’t grasp the situation.
“You’re probably still not sure what’s going on, are you? I’ve sent you a text with the recording that explains the circumstances. Please check it.”
At his words, a bitter smile formed on Assistant Manager Choi Yunjeong’s face.
* * *
The next day! The results of the incident were announced.
Senior Mentor Choi Yunjeong was suspended from her duties. New employee Kang Minyong had voluntarily resigned.
People were murmuring.
From the rumors alone, they had thought it was a case of Kim Taeseok giving a bribe, but when the truth came out, the situation was the complete opposite.
He had every right to be resentful, but Kim Taeseok had a bright expression on his face.
“Is everyone on board? It’ll take about an hour and 40 minutes to get to Wonju from here, so please use the restroom beforehand.”
“Ah~ You all know where El Sung Motors came from, right? Taeshin Motors! Your seniors might ask you later, so everyone, search for Taeshin Motors on your phones.”
At Taeseok’s words, everyone grinned.
“Are you okay? Taeseok, you don't have to force a smile.”
“Ah, that's just how life is. How long can I stay feeling wronged and miserable? There's not enough time as it is just living each day to the fullest. Right?”
“Hehe, you're right. Let's hang in there together.”
Taeseok confirmed the boarding status of the team members, who were split among three buses, before getting on his own.
Today's schedule was a tour of the El Sung Motors Wonju factory.
After checking the final count, he made a call on his phone to report.
“Senior! Everyone has boarded.”
- Really? What are the numbers?
“Yes. Team B! Total of 99 members, one exception. The reason for the exception is resignation.”
- Good work, Taeseok.
“You’ve worked hard too, Senior!”
After hanging up, the two exchanged unseen smiles.
Then, Taeseok spoke to the bus driver.
“Sir, once the A-team bus leaves, please follow right behind it.”
“Sure. Got it. Want me to put on some music?”
“No, thank you. It would be better to travel quietly. Everyone's very tired. They should get some sleep on the bus if they can.”
“Alright. Got it. Go take your seat.”
“Yes, sir!”
The first week of new employee training.
Taeseok had overcome one major crisis.
What kind of crisis awaited him next?
That, the unknown entity would tell him.
It spoke.
[System Message: It was a good thing you looked after yourself first, wasn't it?]
And Taeseok replied.
‘Will you be quiet? Let me get some sleep.’
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