Gradually Moving Forward (1)
At chairman Jung Kyung-chul's declaration, division director Lee Ji-young looked utterly stunned.
The chairman rose from his seat.
"Well then, everyone, get back to work. I'll be off."
As the chairman tried to stride out of the conference room without hesitation, vice CEO Choi Younghoon and executive vice president Kim Sangho trailed right after him.
Since executive vice president Kim, who had been presiding over the meeting, left, team leader Lee Siwon of the Business Strategy Team took over.
As the main discussions were already finished, it was just a matter of wrapping up the meeting.
The meeting ended, and I was about to leave the conference room.
Team leader Lee Siwon stopped Choi Hyena.
"Hyena, you've grown a lot."
His mocking tone and laughter barely concealed his discontent.
On the other hand, perhaps because Lee Siwon was her former team leader, Choi Hyena looked unsure how to respond.
I could tell Lee Siwon would try to provoke her, so I thought to call her so we could just leave.
"Yes, team leader. Working at the Reform Division, I really did grow."
Choi Hyena's confident tone. Actually, it looked like she was about to give him a comeback.
Yes, go for it, Choi Hyena.
"I originally wanted to grow in the Business Strategy Team, so it's a real shame."
"I warned you before, didn't I? I told you not to show off so much. That's why you're disliked by those around you. I said that all for your own good, you know."
"I appreciate your concern, but why didn't I get to grow in the Business Strategy Team and only got disliked? Was the problem really me, or...?"
She glanced back and forth between me and team leader Lee Siwon. Then the corner of her mouth lifted dramatically.
We're on the same side, but this sure feels underhanded.
"I think I know the difference now."
"Th-that's...."
Choi Hyena ignored the now-red-faced Lee Siwon and came over to me and Kim Junho.
"Division director, let's go."
I reached my hand out to her, and she slapped my palm.
"Hyena-nim, you really have grown."
"I'm going to grow even more. We have a different leader now, after all."
I turned and looked at Lee Siwon, imitating the exact expression Choi Hyena had shown a moment ago.
Team leader Lee Siwon bit his lips in frustration.
It's childish, but honestly, it feels good.
***
Vice CEO Choi Younghoon gathered his faction: executive vice president Kim Sangho, division director Lee Ji-young, team leader Lee Siwon, and others.
"On a day like this, you need some pork belly and soju."
More than ten people gathered at a pork belly restaurant near Next Planet.
"All right! Everyone, fill your glasses."
The vice CEO finished prepping his speech.
"Let's just shake off today's events with this shot of alcohol. This too shall pass, and one day we'll look back and think—'That was nothing!', everyone, bottoms up!"
After everyone downed their soju, the vice CEO continued.
"It was all just the chairman's showmanship. Everyone knows it. The chairman is fox-like, and he knows better than anyone that Next Planet can't run without us. That's why, even if he backed Lee Hyunmin today, there's no need for you to worry."
Team leader Lee Siwon laughed and replied.
"We would never worry about that. We trust only you, vice CEO. Loyalty, always!"
"Right, Siwon. I like seeing the energy of youth."
At the dinner, the vice CEO showed off his leadership by looking after his people.
"Division director Lee Ji-young, you went through a lot today. Don't be too discouraged by the chairman's whims."
"It's fine. I understand the chairman."
"The chairman saying he'll invest one billion won in Lee Hyunmin was just a wake-up call for us. Only you got caught up in it today, division director, and went through some trouble."
"Thank you for the comfort."
"The chairman is worth trillions. If he just kept his wealth in the bank, how much interest do you think he'd make in a year?"
Executive vice president Kim poured more soju and answered.
"At a 5% interest rate, that's five billion. So, 1 billion isn't a big sum for him."
"You're bad with numbers. It's actually fifty billion."
"Oh, right. You're correct. Fifty billion... The amount is so large I lost track... So, while 1 billion is a huge sum to us, for the chairman it's just play money."
"Yes, that's it. Well said. Play money. Isn't the whole theme park just the chairman's playground?"
They exchanged such words of hope, almost like words of encouragement.
Then the vice CEO shook his head and said,
"It's a shame. If not for today, we could have built an even better relationship with Nonsan than before. I understand the chairman's intention, but because of that we missed the bigger picture."
Everyone flattered the vice CEO, agreeing with his insight.
The vice CEO, clearly pleased, kept drinking. Yet inside, a scheming thought brewed.
'I'll have to use Nonsan City in the future, cause some kind of trouble and get rid of Lee Hyunmin. He's too bothersome....'
Seizing a noisy moment, division director Lee Ji-young quietly slipped outside. She looked up at the sky.
The pitch-black night made her feel like she was staring at her own future.
'The chairman's behavior was just showmanship? No. He's testing both division director Lee Hyunmin and the vice CEO at the same time. But the vice CEO seems clueless...'
She sighed and shook her head.
'But siding with division director Lee Hyunmin is too risky. I could be out in a year. Every move he makes is walking on thin ice. But there's definitely some potential there...'
She concluded.
'Neutral diplomacy! Make the vice CEO my enemy, show interest in Lee Hyunmin.'
She sent Lee Hyunmin a message.
[Dear division director Lee Hyunmin. Today, we may have met as adversaries, but being able to fully witness your abilities was very meaningful for me. I hope you know that I support the actions of the Reform Division. I hope you'll continue to display the reformation spirit for Next Planet.]
Her in-house nickname: the queen of flattery and social awareness.
***
"Division director, we should have a team dinner on a day like this!"
Choi Hyena, sounding like she'd already been drinking, shouted as soon as she got back to the office.
"Hyena-nim, recently you've been meeting with 115km, preparing for the project, and even working on the presentation—you haven't been home properly, have you? You should just go home early and get some rest today."
"Oh, come on... What's the point of a team dinner? To savor the taste of victory! If we do it another day, the fizz is gone—like flat soda! In other words, we have to do it right now, right now!"
"Junho-nim, you stayed up all night editing the video."
"I'm fine. I want to have a team dinner, too."
"See! He wants to! Let's call Yunjung, Shin Miyoung, and Park Seok-min team leader, too."
Choi Hyena immediately started calling.
"Yunjung, do you have plans after work today? No? Then let's have a team dinner! You're coming, right?"
Then, wearing a triumphant face, she looked at me.
"Yunjung is totally up for it."
Isn't it usually the boss who suggests a team dinner to the staff? Somehow it feels the other way around.
Everyone's been exhausting themselves lately. It'd be better for everyone's condition to just call it a day.
"What, division director... surely..."
Choi Hyena looked at me, full of suspicion.
"Are you trying to run away because you're out of stamina? Because you're in your thirties? Well, it's only natural you'd be different from us in our twenties."
That gets to me.
"Let's go to dinner."
Everyone's looking, so, to boost morale, I'm going. It's not because I was triggered by Choi Hyena's remark about my age.
We went to a sashimi restaurant nearby for drinks and fish.
Somehow, the twenty-somethings—Choi Hyena, Kim Junho, Lee Yunjung—ended up chatting together, while I, Shin Miyoung, and Park Seok-min formed the thirty-plus group.
Team leader Shin Miyoung looked worried.
"Division director, it's great you got the chairman to invest 1 billion won and secured the 115km project as planned, but promising to show results in just a year—don't you think that's reckless?"
"It's not reckless. If the division director gets involved, everything's going to be a smash hit. So don't worry!"
Already quite drunk and in high spirits, Choi Hyena interrupted, but I ignored her.
Park Seok-min nodded.
"I'm concerned, too. I don't know much about marketing or investment, so I can't say much, but to get more than 1 billion won in operating profit from just the 115km project in one year—that's what the chairman is probably expecting, right?"
He was right.
Since I dumped the Nonsan City investment and brought in the chairman's money, his standards would be tough.
It couldn't be helped; otherwise, I wouldn't have justification for my actions with the rest of the staff.
Team leader Shin Miyoung continued.
"In simple terms, you'd need at least five billion won in sales. Roughly, that means increasing the average number of daily visitors by over 300 people."
"So, this year our goal is an average of 1,000 visitors per day. By this time next year, we're aiming for 1,300. Division director, is that... possible?"
Park Seok-min's concern was evident. Currently, our daily average was about 800 visitors.
With about six months left in the year, that meant increasing by 200 visitors daily by year's end, then another 300 in the next six months.
The issue is, getting the next 300 is far harder than increasing by 200.
Those initial 200 are people who already have some interest in Next Planet—in other words, they're potential visitors. But the next 300? We'll have to attract people completely uninterested in Next Planet.
That makes it twice or even three times as hard.
I shrugged and tossed back a shot of soju.
Man, that's strong.
With the burn from the soju in my chest, I spoke up.
"Is there any alternative but to make it possible?"
At my irrational comment, concern flashed across my colleagues' faces again.
Even the usually rowdy twentysomethings quieted down and watched my lips.
"I've been prepared for this ever since I decided to ask the chairman for 1 billion won. To now on, every attempt I make has to succeed. The moment I fail, my days at Next Planet are over."
Lee Yunjung was about to reach for a fried morsel, but startled, she drew her hand back.
"The chairman gave me 1 billion, but that wasn't an easy decision. How much does Next Planet lose each year? The chairman covers that deficit entirely out of his own pocket."
Choi Hyena pouted and responded.
"But the chairman is a billionaire."
"Still, he's a businessman. If he'd spent the money he put into Next Planet somewhere else, he could have achieved even more. But he chose to invest in Next Planet instead."
"That's one way to look at it..."
"Hyena-nim, we're ordinary employees. Just because the CEO is rich doesn't mean we can spend the company's money however we like. That kind of thinking leads to inefficient investment and, eventually, corruption."
"I'm not planning on committing any corruption..."
Sensing I'd made things too serious, I put on a smile on purpose.
"Some people describe employees as workers for someone else's dreams. Addicted to their monthly wage, living as slaves. I used to believe that, working at my last company. But now, I don't."
Kim Junho nodded in his usual solemn manner.
"Me neither."
That earnestness—maybe that's Kim Junho's charm.
"The chairman created Next Planet, and sent me here. Thanks to that, I got this chance—to do what I truly want to do."
This time, Park Seok-min chimed in.
"I'm also doing the kind of work I want nowadays, so I'm living each day to the fullest."
I'm so grateful he stayed with Next Planet.
"I went from being an average employee living an ordinary life to someone looking for what makes life thrilling. My entire perspective has changed."
Lee Yunjung made a heart shape with her hands.
"Thanks to you, division director, I'm figuring out what my dreams really are."
Everyone laughed at her gesture.
I truly love this bright atmosphere, with everyone doting on her.
"And I'm lucky to be working with all of you—people who always do your best even when I make excessive demands."
Team leader Shin Miyoung took a drink.
"I got promoted thanks to you, division director. The work's tough, but it's rewarding. Of course, it means I don't get to spend as much time with my kid, and I do feel sorry for that..."
That made me feel sorry, too.
I raised my glass.
"That's why I want to keep moving forward without a single failure."
Everyone raised their glasses with me, and we clinked them together.
"I want to make Next Planet the number-one theme park in Korea. For that goal, I'll put everything on the line at every moment."
After drinking, I bowed my head.
"So, I'm counting on all of you."
Having said so many embarrassing things, my face felt hot. I stepped outside for some air.
The chairman popped into my head.
[I'll be looking forward to it.]
When he said those words, he was definitely smiling. Feeling sentimental, I messaged him.
I didn't have the courage to call.
[It was nice seeing you after so long. It would have been great if you could have stayed for a coffee with me.]
Huh? A reply already? To someone as busy as him?
[Chairman: When do I ever have time?]
Oh dear! What a "fond" reply. Still, I should be grateful for any answer.
― Dding!
Huh?
[Chairman: If people saw me having coffee with you, they'd say I was giving you special treatment.]
Ah... That's true.
People would think I was getting preferential treatment.
― Dding!
[Chairman: You did well today.]
Such a short compliment, but it makes my heart flutter.
― Dding!
Another one?
[Chairman: Come up to Seoul sometime. There's a place that makes ox-bone soup that's out of this world. Let's have a drink together there.]
I'm not really a fan of ox-bone soup.
But yes, I'll go.