Série: The All-Rounder Employee Becomes a Legend
Título: The All-Rounder Employee Becomes a Legend Chapter 7
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07 : The Team Dinner
A long-awaited return.
After a week of working as a carpenter, Tae-seok was greeted warmly by the Team Leader.
“Tae-seok! You’re back?”
“Yes! Team Leader, everything was okay, right?”
“You think everything was okay? It was a mess while you were gone.”
“……”
Mr. Kim, the Team Leader, Cheol-seong, and Tae-seok.
The four of them made up the team.
But with Tae-seok, the most competent worker, gone, the Team Leader had gotten busy.
In reality, the Team Leader just had to manage the schedule according to the process management set by the Director and ensure the work was done, so he could create his own downtime depending on the construction progress.
With Mr. Kim, who pulled his own weight, and Tae-seok, who could easily do the work of three, the Team Leader, who did about two people's worth, didn't have to do much.
But with Tae-seok gone, the work had started to fall behind.
“I think I have a pretty good idea of what happened.”
Cheol-seong must have messed up again.
He was still in the learning phase.
Usually, it takes about three months for someone to become useful, but he was quite slow.
Still, he’d said he was betting his entire life on this construction work, so they couldn't just kick him out.
He worked too hard to be fired, but he was too much of a handful to keep using.
Tae-seok was just thinking that he needed to become a skilled worker quickly.
“We’re having a team dinner tonight. Everyone’s in, right? I’ve been talking about it for a whole week!”
At the Team Leader’s words, Mr. Kim thought for a moment before nodding.
“Let’s do that.”
Cheol-seong was, of course, okay with it.
“Yes. I’ll come to the dinner too.”
Tae-seok was the problem.
“Ah, Team Leader Go asked me to eat with him today.”
“Team Leader Go?”
“Yes. We worked together for a week, you know.”
“Hey!”
Just then, a message appeared.
[General Quest: Attend the Team Dinner]
Attend the team dinner and listen to what your seniors have to say.
[Reward for Attendance: Unknown.]
[Penalty for Non-attendance: None.]
Tae-seok was dumbfounded.
‘What the hell? No reward listed, and no penalty either. What’s the point of this quest?’
Just then, Cheol-seong asked the Team Leader.
“What’s on the menu for today?”
“Halmi Gukbap!”
To make matters worse, he didn’t even like the menu. Tae-seok spoke to the Team Leader, his face a mask of annoyance.
“Gukbap for a team dinner?”
“We have to fill our stomachs first, don’t we?”
Tae-seok shook his head at the Team Leader’s cheapskate comment.
“Team Leader? If I’m not eating Korean beef, I’m going with Team Leader Go.”
“What?”
“Team Leader Go told me to come if I had time today. His team is having dinner too! And Team Leader Go, and I have been working together for three years, haven't we?”
“Hey! You! Kim Tae-seok!”
Tae-seok thought.
He’d stirred the pot enough.
Both Mr. Kim and Cheol-seong were gesturing for him to push even harder.
If that’s what they wanted, and since he did the work of three men, if he didn’t step up, who would?
Tae-seok smiled leisurely and spoke to his team members.
“Everyone! The Team Leader is treating us to Korean beef tonight! A guy who makes 200,000 won a day should be the one footing the bill!”
“Oh~ Korean beef! Korean beef! Korean beef is great!”
“I love beef~ I do~”
Cornered by Tae-seok, the Team Leader sighed and opened his mouth.
“Aish! That kid, really! Fine! I get it, everyone! Let’s go for beef tonight!”
And so, that evening.
It wasn’t premium Korean beef, but an all-you-can-eat beef restaurant.
23,000 won per person. The alcohol was on the expensive side at 5,000 won per bottle, but the meat was unlimited.
It was one of those places where you had to order alcohol.
The Team Leader went out for a smoke with Cheol-seong, and Mr. Kim turned to Tae-seok.
“So, things are going well with a woman these days?”
“Pardon?”
“You take a day off every week, right? A weekday, at that. How great is this woman that a guy who needs money so badly is skipping work?”
“Ah… about that….”
But it seemed many people wanted to hear the story.
“Yeah! Tae-seok! Tell us. Who is she? Where does she live?”
“Hey! Seriously, why are you guys being like this?”
“No, when guys get together, fuck, of course we're gonna talk about women. Did I say something I shouldn't have?”
Tae-seok knew that despite their rough words, they were good people at heart, and he shook his head.
‘If I told them the truth, that I applied to a major corporation, they’d be disappointed. Right. Let’s keep it a secret until the final acceptance. I have to.’
Watching Tae-seok’s reaction, the Team Leader asked.
“What’s this? Too shy to say? Are you a virgin by any chance?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking if you’ve never done it.”
“That’s not it.”
“Then premature ejaculation?”
“What? Premature ejaculation? What’s that?”
“Rabbit! Sputter—done. Rabbit!”
Tae-seok finally understood the meaning and chided the Team Leader.
“Ah! Seriously! Team Leader~! That’s you!”
“Heh heh, that’s what I’m like, so I thought you were too. Punk! This kid! Won’t talk till the end. Anyway, before we eat, let’s drink. Everyone mix your drinks! Let’s have a toast.”
Some might call it menial labor, but Tae-seok genuinely enjoyed this kind of life.
People he could talk to without reservation.
It didn’t matter if they had worked together for years or just a few days; they were people who risked their lives together on the same site.
They trusted their colleagues, climbing over 5 meters on a ladder, and looked out for each other’s safety in areas with high-voltage electricity.
They were people who did morning exercises together from the crack of dawn, sweated while working, ate together, and sometimes shared a drink.
He felt good being with these men.
“Alright! To everyone! Let’s make a lot of money! Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
The atmosphere grew lively.
The usual topics whenever men gathered were women, politics, and current events.
Once they pass 40, most men take a great interest in the economy, politics, and society.
Even if it’s not directly related to their own lives, they know that the country has to do well for them to do well.
As citizens who had completed their military service, they were genuinely concerned about the nation’s development.
The Team Leader, a little tipsy, spoke first.
“Aish~ It’s so frustrating these days.”
“What’s frustrating?”
“The country should be nurturing us technicians, but we get the cold shoulder.”
“That’s true, isn’t it? They value people who sit in offices more than people who work on-site.”
“Honestly, in places like the US, Australia, Europe, or the Middle East, our construction workers get a lot of recognition. Mr. Kim, what do you think?”
“I think so too. But what can you do? Our esteemed members of the National Assembly have absolutely no interest in this field….”
At Mr. Kim’s words, the Team Leader spoke again.
“Actually, my older brother is a certified gas technician.”
“A certified technician? Wow! Hey! That’s amazing.”
“He studied for five years, even started balding, to get it. But you know what he says?”
“What does he say?”
“That it’s a dog-shit certification! That it’s not recognized anywhere! Legally, there’s nothing a certified gas technician can do. What’s the point of getting the certification? He’s an expert in his field, but he can’t even make 50 million won a year! After working in one field for over 20 years! That’s why I don’t get certifications. That’s why I don’t study.”
“Team Leader, come on~ Heh heh, hey, that’s not it. You don’t study because you’re always at the adult arcade.”
“Aish, that’s just an expression. Let’s have a drink! Cheol-seong!”
“Yes?”
“Are you drunk again?”
“No, I’m fine. Let’s have a drink.”
Tae-seok listened to their conversation, nodding.
The treatment of skilled labor was harsh.
The future industrial drivers would be science, technology, IT, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences….
* * *
A week later. The phone rang at dawn.
Tae-seok answered the call from his Team Leader.
“Yes~ Team Leader!”
- You! Why aren’t you here again?
“I told you yesterday.”
- Told me what?
“I said I was taking the day off.”
- I told you to come in.
“I said… I was taking the day off.”
- Come in.
“……”
- Come in! I don’t want to work today, you punk! I was up all night!
“I’m sorry. I’ll be there tomorrow. I’m hanging up.”
- Hey! Kim Tae-seok! Kim Tae-seok!
Tae-seok pressed the end call button and turned off his smartphone.
Today was an important day.
It was the day of the group discussion.
Unlike the first interview, the number of people had decreased significantly.
An employee guide spoke to Tae-seok and the others, all dressed in suits.
“Are you the ones who passed the first interview?”
“Yes!”
“You will be proceeding with a group discussion in teams of 10. Once you go inside, please follow the moderator’s instructions. I will now call out the names. Please enter the discussion room immediately. Mr. Jeong Yoon-woo!”
“Yes!”
“Mr. Kim Tae-seok!”
“Yes!”
At the employee’s call, Tae-seok entered the discussion room.
A round table.
Ten chairs were arranged in a circle in front of it.
People took their seats one by one.
The moderator addressed the 10 candidates who had passed the first interview.
“The topic for this group discussion will be the reasons for South Korea's excessively high education costs within the OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and potential solutions. When you wish to speak, please raise your hand first, state your number and name, and then make your statement. We will now begin.”
Tae-seok grinned.
Contrary to his worries, this topic… was advantageous for him, with his real-world experience.
He thought.
‘Thank you, Team Leader.’
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