New Employee Kim Chul-soo - Chapter 2

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Kim Chul-soo turned and looked back on the road he had come down from.

 

It was a poor hillside village.

 

The house they rented was located at the top.

 

After his father died, they survived using the money his mother earned from working at the Grill House.

 

Even though he was only in his mid-twenties, he had a hard time climbing up and down, and his mother climbed it more than three times a day.

 

So when she was about 60 years old, her knees gave out, and he always felt sorry for it.

 

If he went up a little from here, he would find the bus terminal.

 

Surprisingly, many buses were parked at the endpoint.

 

He had to take the bus for nearly an hour to go to the company, the good thing was, he did not need to change different buses and he was always able to get a seat.

 

He really had come back to the past.

 

When he opened his wallet to pay the bus fare, it contained 25,000 won.

 

Was it his pocket money for this week?

 

His memories were faint.

 

Kim Chul-soo got on the bus to the company and sat down by the window in the rear seat. He looked out and thought slowly.

 

His memory wasn’t clear enough to invest in something by taking out a bond.

 

The enlightenment he gained from his long-term corporate life surely remained.

 

Job proficiency, job understanding, foreign languages and characteristics of many customers, buyer’s tendency, and characteristics of each country. He also remembered his colleagues at work, those who passed by, and those he continued to meet.

 

And 5 foreign languages.

 

English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Russian.

 

He already learned things that he couldn’t have learned without taking on related tasks at the company.

 

And his dream.

 

To be the president of a company.

 

Perhaps…

 

‘Wouldn’t it be possible?’

 

His life, 18 years into the future, was in ruins, but now it was clear that it would be completely different.

 

Wouldn’t he be able to meet good people and make a happy family, earn more money to enrich his life, and fulfill the dreams in his heart? His confidence rose quickly.

 

When he didn’t know anything, he solved everything using underhanded methods, but…

 

Kim Chul-soo clenched his fist without realizing it.

 

He didn’t feel good about going to work.

 

Most of the office workers on the bus hung their heads and closed their eyes like sick chickens.

 

In the past, when he first went to work at the company, his head was filled with anticipation, excitement, and concern, so he couldn’t look around at all.

 

Kim Chul-soo got off the bus and headed to the convenience store.

 

He spent 10,000 won on a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, and a hangover drink.

 

Looking at the clock, he saw it was 7:08 am.

 

There was quite a bit of time left until 9 o’clock, which was the time for him to go to work.

 

When he lived in the village, he always took the first bus and got off at the last stop.

 

He always went to work earlier than others and always made up for his shortcomings.

 

He left work just in time to get on the last train.

 

If he missed it, he spent the night studying at work.

 

Those days were quite toxic.

 

Kim Chul-soo looked at the few entrances of the building and looked up to see the 24-story building.

 

[Hanyoung General Trading Company]

 

It was one of the top ten general trading companies in Korea.

 

Kim Chul-soo’s twinkling eyes pointed towards the top of the building.

 

**

 

Lee Junhak, who went to the province for three days to solve the problem of the imported corn, greeted Pyo Il-soo, the manager who rode the subway.

 

“Are you strong?”

 

“Is this the Joseon Dynasty?”

 

“The smell of alcohol is overwhelming.”

 

“Well, I sprinkled Febreze on when I came out, these are chick magnets.”

 

Manager Pyo burst into laughter while saying so.

 

Today, there were no people, so he was able to operate in the cramped subway.

 

“Oh my. There are fewer people today. So what about the corn?”

 

“There was a problem with the debanning operation (opening the container and taking out the cargo). They claimed that the grain of corn is bad and dusty compared to other grains, and the buyer’s staff lacked understanding of the situation.”

 

“As expected! There is nothing that Lee Junhak can’t do.”

 

“Don’t mention it. It’s thanks to the story that Manager Pyo told me.”

 

“Is that so? Uhahaha.”

 

Pyo Ilsoo, who had a bulging stomach, burst into a happy smile.

 

Lee Junhak carefully looked at Pyo Il-soo’s expression and asked what he was most curious about.

 

“I heard that you were assigned a new employee this time.”

 

At Lee Junhak’s words, Pyo Ilsoo’s frowned.

 

“They said he was coming today.”

 

Pyo Ilsoo’s unconsciously frowned as he did not like the topic.

 

He heard that the HR team had a motive.

 

These new employees were of the highest rank.

 

Except for just 1 person.

 

“Isn’t it that guy?”

 

“Who?”

 

“The guy who wrote the whole HYMS (Hanyoung Management System) in the interview.”

 

Pyo Ilsoo sighed.

 

“Ha….. Right.”

 

With that, Lee Junhak’s expression became ugly but he immediately corrected it.

 

“Isn’t the HR too much?”

 

“There’s nothing we can do.”

 

Pyo Ilsoo had a look of disapproval.

 

Assistant General Manager An Jung-gyu, the Team Leader of the 5th sales team, and Park Junhyung, Department Head of the HR team, joined the company at the same time but, they were bitter enemies.

 

Both Park Junhyung and An Jung-gyu joined as new employees of the 5th Sales Team, but when Park Junhyung accidentally caught the eye of the Hanyoung Group’s chairman, he began to get promoted rapidly.

 

An Jung-gyu, who felt a sense of rivalry, revealed Park Junhyung’s misconduct to the company and the two became bitter enemies.

 

Despite his moral problems, Park Junhyung, who was under the protection of the chairman, was victorious and successful, and An Jung-gyu was overlooked on promotions from time to time.

 

And after Park Junhyung took a seat in the HR team, a new employee was always assigned to the 5th sales team.

 

Pyo Ilsoo patted Lee Junhak on the shoulder.

 

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Do it in moderation.”

 

“Yes, Chief. I will try to do it in moderation.”

 

As Lee Junhak lowered his head respectfully, Pyo Ilsoo felt better again.

 

However, Lee Junhak was thinking something completely different.

 

‘If one can’t work, they should quit the company.’

 

**

 

Kim Chul-soo was in thought while looking at the front door of the company,  which was torn like a monster’s mouth.

 

He had the ability to stand above the new recruits and even beat the manager, but it would be difficult to survive in the building if he demonstrated his ability as it is.

 

This was because, even if they are currently in the modern era where everything is run democratically, inside building it was an absolute monarchy.

 

This is not limited to Korea.

 

It is the standard for all companies in the world.

 

The CEO is the king, the executives are the lords, the deputy directors are head knights, the managers are the knights, the assistant managers are the militia commander, and the employees are the militias. Among them, the new employees were, of course, the lowest.

 

Unless they are the sons and daughters of the group owners or relatives, they can never get out of this class structure.

 

It was a place where he could get thrown away at any moment by those who hold authority.

 

First of all, he had to move according to the higher-ups.

 

It was a situation where they only had to do what they were expected to do.

 

A situation similar to when the militia commanders have to adjust their abilities so that the higher-ups would not feel a sense of crisis.

 

Kim Chul-soo soon… erased the third item from his head.

 

Assistant Manager Lee Junhak was a straightforward  man.

 

He was a meritist through and though.

 

Kim Chul-soo was excited to see him again.

 

At one time, he was bullied so much that he wanted to kill that person, however, Lee Junhak was the one who stopped him and told him to walk away.

 

He was the one that drank with him until the end.

 

He was thankful to that person.

 

However, Kim Chul-soo shook his head again.

 

The only one who knew about it was him, and Lee Junhak does not know it now.

 

If he showed such outstanding abilities, he might get stuck with Lee Junhak while looking only at the top.

 

Moderately.

 

Right. Moderately.

 

The most difficult concept to talk about easily.

 

Kim Chul-soo went inside the building, wandered on all the places that could be accessed, and memorized the whole interior of the building in his head.

 

It was so different from the interior of the building 18 years later.

 

**

 

Sixteen new employees who were appointed to the headquarters greeted them in the lobby of the building.

 

Four of them were new employees who were hired through internships, but they were selected as key talents by the HR team and were specially managed.

 

From the beginning, virtually everything was unfavorable for public recruitments.

 

“You have been ordered to the head office.”

 

Kim Chul-soo saw Hwang Dae-hoon shaking hands while smiling.

 

Kim Cheol-soo also smiled and received the handshake.

 

“It’s been a while.”

 

It had been a long time. They were in the same group at the training center.

 

“I never thought I’d see you here. I thought you were going to the province.”

 

Uncontrollable ridicule appeared on Hwang Dae-hoon’s mouth, and Kim Chul-soo accurately sensed it.

 

“I’m a little surprised too.”

 

“You are a lucky person.”

 

“I hope it will be the same in the future.”

 

“That’s how you survive.”

 

Hwang Dae-hoon used a rather straightforward speech and was in the middle of showing off his superiority, and Kim Chul-soo took it calmly.

 

“Probably so.”

 

“Okay, then excuse me.”

 

Hwang Dae-hoon left after greeting him to search for a new face, and Kim Cheol-soo looked at the new employees quietly greeting him.

 

As far as the past goes, only one of these recruits survived this group 12 years later.

 

In fact, it was a similar situation.

 

Kim Chul-soo looked at the place where most of the new employees were concentrated.

 

Yoomi Jang was hired through an internship.

 

She had an outstanding appearance that shone like a flower in full bloom.

 

She was proud to be greeted by the men surrounding her.

 

She was also a new employee who would appear in the cover of an in-house magazine to be published next year…

 

She really was something special.

 

Assistant Manager Ko Dongjin of the HR team called the new employees in the lobby.

 

“Please gather all the 21 new recruits.

After a brief orientation, you will be moved to your assigned department.”

 

**

 

After the orientation was over, Assistant Manager Ko Dongjin called Kim Chul-soo separately.

 

“Kim Chul-soo.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Please wait a moment.”

 

At Ko Dongjin’s words, other new employees looked at Kim Chul-soo with curiosity.

 

“Now, for the rest of you, please go to the department now.”

 

Kim Chul-soo knew.

 

The reason Assistant Manager Ko Dongjin called him.

 

When all the other new employees left, Ko Dongjin told Kim Chul-soo,

 

“Please follow me.”

 

“Yes.”

 

The place he followed Dongjin Koto was the conference room, where a person that was very familiar to Kim Chul-soo was sitting.

 

It was Department Head Park Junhyung.

 

Notes:
고깃집(go-git-chib) – a korean restaurant specializing in meat.

Grill house – a restaurant specializing in grilled meat and fish.

달동네(Daldongne) – a poor hillside village/area.