Chapter 21

Chapter 21. Back to Mullae-dong Again (1)

Jinhyeok said nothing and simply stared at the black smartphone screen.

Remembering what had happened before, Kangjin asked,

“Why? Do you need to check your smartphone again before you can answer?”

“What? Ah... no. I did think of something, but if I said it out loud, you might think I was insane.”

“Haha. Saying that only makes me more curious. Tell me. I won’t treat you like a lunatic no matter what you say.”

Scratching his temple, Jinhyeok cautiously opened his mouth.

He had strongly opposed Mullae-dong before.

Now he told Kangjin there might be a solution there.

Despite his promise, Kangjin immediately looked at him like he had just met the strangest man in the world.

“Mullae-dong again? Didn’t you say it was unsuitable?”

“I did, but Mullae-dong 3-ga suddenly came to mind.”

“3-ga rather than 4-ga? Is there suitable land there?”

Jinhyeok glanced at the smartphone.

The diary app still displayed the record of regret written while future him looked down over Mullae-dong.

Mullae-dong 3-ga instead of 4-ga.

Something other than a massive mixed-use shopping mall.

He still didn’t know what it meant.

“I think I’ll only know for certain after visiting 3-ga myself.”

“Haha. Mullae-dong again. This is unexpected. But isn’t time too short? If you spend all your time on Mullae-dong and fail, you won’t be able to prepare a proper briefing.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that, Director.”

Jinhyeok’s confident attitude was strange.

He had just said he wouldn’t know until he visited the area.

And yet, his expression already looked like someone who had discovered something.

“All right. I’m surprised you’re bringing up Mullae-dong again, but I assume you have a reason. Let me know once you organize your thoughts.”

“There’s one thing I need to tell you first.”

It was the part that worried Jinhyeok most after reading the diary app.

There was no procedural issue.

Still, to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings, he wanted the director to know in advance.

“What is it?”

“I recently bought some buildings in Mullae-dong. I reported it to the Audit Team, but with things turning out like this, I thought you should know too.”

“You bought buildings? For investment?”

“Yes. If I had enough money, I planned to purchase more in the future too. The group had already given up on the area, so I never expected this situation to happen.”

Kangjin frowned at the unwelcome confession.

Analyzing and recommending an area where one personally owned property.

Normally, the task should be reassigned.

But who was Jinhyeok?

The reports Kangjin had read told him exactly what kind of person Jinhyeok was.

A man who cared little about personal profit and followed his principles more strictly than anyone else.

The fact that he wasn’t trying to exploit the opportunity to increase his own assets and was voluntarily revealing the investment supported that.

“Was that why you opposed Mullae-dong?”

“No. You may not believe me, but I don’t calculate personal gains or losses when working. I judged Mullae-dong unsuitable because that was genuinely my analysis.”

“Of course. If you cared about your own profit, you would have strongly recommended Mullae-dong. Then why reveal it now? If you reported it to the Audit Team, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Because I’m wondering whether someone in my position should analyze and recommend Mullae-dong now. The situation is completely different from when I concluded it was unsuitable.”

The conversation was becoming more mysterious.

Kangjin understood Jinhyeok’s concern.

But that was something they could worry about after Mullae-dong was actually selected.

Jinhyeok was behaving as though everything had already been decided.

Kangjin considered numerous possibilities before reaching a conclusion with a light chuckle.

At most, he probably bought one small metalworking shop.

He decided not to make a big issue of it.

If Jinhyeok had reported it properly to the Audit Team, there was no rule violation.

If misunderstandings appeared, Kangjin could step in personally.

More importantly, Kangjin was delighted that hope had returned to Mullae-dong.

For a project worth over a trillion won, one tiny property would make almost no difference.

“All right. If you bought it according to procedure, there is no regulatory issue. You’ve also told me directly. If anyone misunderstands, I’ll step in and stop it.”

“Thank you, Director.”

“So, are you heading to Mullae-dong now? I’m very curious. Mullae-dong again... I want to see what you discover there as soon as possible. Can you tell me immediately if you find something?”

“Would it be all right if I reported it on Monday? I feel like repeated progress reports would waste time.”

“...I-Is that so? Then I suppose we have no choice. Ahem.”

Kangjin coughed awkwardly.

Jinhyeok wanted to finish this as quickly as possible.

He had no intention of wasting time on constant progress reports and then being forced to work through the weekend.

“Thank you, Director. I’ll take the entire team out tomorrow and the day after. We’ll handle urgent work today.”

“All right. Do that.”

Having solved one problem, Jinhyeok studied Kangjin’s expression.

He still wasn’t entirely sure what kind of person Kangjin was.

But one thing was obvious.

The director viewed him favorably.

So Jinhyeok decided to obtain one more thing.

“May I ask you for one more favor?”

“A favor? What is it?”

“If this project succeeds, I’d like a small reward.”

Jinhyeok openly asking for compensation.

Kangjin tilted his head in surprise.

Jinhyeok had just become team leader.

And through an unprecedented special promotion at that.

Yet he was already talking about a reward.

For a moment, Kangjin even wondered if he had misjudged him.

“Was the department head position not enough for you?”

“No. This is more than enough for me. But not for my team members. They’re highly capable and have worked harder than anyone, yet they were never properly recognized. As team leader, I want to take care of that. It’ll also help me lead the team in the future.”

Kangjin’s mouth opened slightly in amusement.

A department head looking after his people.

It should have been completely normal.

Yet seeing it was surprisingly rare.

“By team members, you mean Assistant Manager Park Jongil who always accompanies you, right?”

Jinhyeok slowly shook his head.

He was close to Jongil.

But Jinhyeok wasn’t the type to build his own faction that way.

The members of the Commercial District Analysis Team had quietly devoted themselves for years.

Because Kim Seokhun cared only about his own promotion, they had never received fair treatment.

Jinhyeok wanted to fix that.

It was one of the first things he wanted to change after deciding he would do everything he wanted.

He needed to reward their hard work and help them grow so they could handle more responsibilities.

That way Jinhyeok could roam outside as much as he wanted.

“I’m asking you to promote the entire team. If you check their records, you’ll see they all have enough qualifications.”

Silence briefly filled the director’s office.

It was almost as unconventional as Jinhyeok’s own promotion.

When Kangjin didn’t answer quickly, Jinhyeok gave the final push.

“There was another reason you promoted me straight to department head beyond Étoile and Baristers, wasn’t there? I believe this project is the same.”

Kangjin had given Jinhyeok exceptional treatment for multiple reasons.

He wanted Jinhyeok’s individual ability, of course.

But there had also been several other goals.

What surprised Kangjin was that Jinhyeok seemed to understand those hidden reasons.

Curious, Kangjin pretended not to know.

“What else is there beyond rewarding performance?”

“You wanted employees to understand the direction you’re taking the company, didn’t you? School ties and hometown connections no longer matter. Show ability and you’ll receive a fitting reward. Office politics are useless. That’s what you want Seongun Development to become.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because for the last year, you removed everyone who didn’t fit that direction. It looks like you’re trying to change the entire company, starting with the Integrated Development Division.”

Once again, Kangjin was left speechless.

As soon as he took office, he had removed the Seongun Development president and transferred the division director and team leaders.

Seongun Development was a core affiliate of the group.

The Integrated Development Division was the core department inside Seongun Development.

The first thing Kangjin had tried to remove was exactly what Jinhyeok described.

Groups tied together through school, regional, and personal connections.

Jinhyeok had read him perfectly.

And Kangjin loved the confidence with which Jinhyeok said it directly to his face.

“Hahaha. This is something. I thought you were only a dependable bear, but it seems dozens of foxes are living inside you.”

“Really? I was just telling you what I thought.”

“I don’t think so. From what I see, you’re the type who creates a situation where the other person can’t refuse, then makes the proposal. Telling me about the buildings you bought, then asking for your team’s promotions... You’ve left me with no real choice, haven’t you?”

That was practically an approval.

Jinhyeok bowed in thanks.

That inexplicable confidence again.

He said he needed to visit Mullae-dong before knowing the answer.

Yet he was already betting his entire team’s promotion on the result.

That wasn’t something a person could do without confidence that he would succeed.

If I give him a clear promise, he’ll work even harder to make this project succeed.

Thinking that, Kangjin gave him the answer.

“All right. If your team’s proposal is selected during Monday’s briefing, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you, Director.”

The corner of Jinhyeok’s mouth curved upward.

He felt no pressure about making Mullae-dong succeed.

The diary app entry hadn’t changed at all.

A little later, inside the Commercial District Analysis Team office.

The team members scratched their heads and exchanged confused glances.

It was because of what Jinhyeok had said before leaving for fieldwork.

Senior Staff Oh Ilman was the first to break the silence.

“What exactly did the department head say? We’re supposed to select the site for the landmark project, right?”

Assistant Manager Park Jongil answered.

“Yeah. But why Mullae-dong again?”

The contents of Monday’s briefing had been shared with the whole team.

The relic bomb had been so powerful that it overshadowed everything else, but everyone knew why Mullae-dong had been judged unsuitable.

Yet they were returning to Mullae-dong.

Unable to understand why, Jongil picked up his phone.

“Department Head, this is Assistant Manager Park Jongil.”

“Yeah. What is it?”

“Um... about what you said earlier. We’re going to Mullae-dong starting tomorrow, right? The entire team?”

“Yeah. Is that why you called?”

“Yes. We thought maybe we heard wrong. Should we prepare the data in advance? What kind of materials do you need...?”

Silence came through the phone for a moment.

Jinhyeok always prepared perfectly before going to a site.

Jongil grabbed a pen, ready to write down every item Jinhyeok wanted.

“Just come. Be in front of the Daeyoung Precision intersection by nine. Bring something to write with. You don’t need anything else.”

“What? Why?”

“Just tell everyone that. We’ll think about tomorrow’s work tomorrow.”

Jinhyeok ended the call as if telling him not to bother him anymore.

It was shocking.

Jinhyeok never did even the smallest job carelessly.

Yet now he was saying they would think about tomorrow’s work tomorrow.

Jongil, who had worked with him the longest, couldn’t understand it.

“What’s wrong, Assistant Manager Park? Is there a lot to prepare?”

The youngest team member, Choi Iseul, approached with a cheerful smile.

She always brightened the team’s atmosphere.

“No. He said we don’t need anything. Just bring something to write with and be at the Daeyoung Precision intersection by nine.”

“Really? Maybe he already prepared everything himself?”

“I don’t know. But there’s something even more important.”

“What?”

“He said something unimaginable. ‘Let’s think about tomorrow’s work tomorrow.’ What is this? No matter how I look at it, that isn’t the team leader I know. He’s been acting strangely lately too...”

Choi Iseul’s eyes sparkled at Jongil’s suspicion.

“You noticed too? Right! I thought he had been strangely different ever since that disciplinary committee meeting. What if he’s possessed?”

Possessed.

It was an absurd conversation between grown adults.

But looking at Jinhyeok’s recent behavior, it almost sounded like the most reasonable explanation.

The Commercial District Analysis Team members slowly nodded at Choi Iseul’s ridiculous theory.

And there was one more person.

On the other side of the glass wall in the Store Development Team.

Deputy Manager Geum Seokcheol, who had overheard them, slowly nodded too.

Jinhyeok’s incredible performance after becoming almost a completely different person.

Suddenly, everything made sense to Seokcheol.