Taesik's eyes trembled as he sat completely frozen.
Jinhyeok had said something he had never expected to hear.
The reason Jinhyeok wanted additional staff was entirely for his own benefit.
Just before receiving the director's call, Jinhyeok had finally found the answer to the question he had been considering all week.
The biggest reason was the secret recipe notebook Grandma Malsun had given him.
Gaining new experiences and forming more connections.
For Jinhyeok, who was preparing to become independent, there could be no better way to spend his remaining time at the company.
He didn't want to devote every last moment to the company.
No.
More accurately, there was no reason for him to do so.
The company was already benefiting enormously from his work.
Jinhyeok knew exactly how much he was contributing and how much he could reasonably ask for in return.
That was why he had decided to use the recruitment promise he had received before his vacation.
He would hire new employees and assign them to the existing team members.
As long as the team's regular responsibilities were handled properly, Jinhyeok would be free to spend as much time out in the field as he wanted.
And that was what he had just told Taesik.
He wanted more people so that he could take on commercial district recovery.
Hearing this unexpected proposal, Taesik's thoughts became complicated.
Did his experiences in Taean and Tongyeong make him interested in commercial district recovery?
But that was supposed to be the Franchise Operations Team's responsibility.
Store management, inspections, and even consulting based on sales analysis.
These weren't matters the Commercial District Analysis Team was expected to handle.
"Isn't that something the Franchise Operations Team should be doing?"
There was a hint of disappointment in his question.
He was frustrated that Jinhyeok still hadn't understood what he wanted.
But Jinhyeok had no intention of backing down.
He pressed his lips together and looked at Taesik with a serious expression.
He wasn't looking down on the Franchise Operations Team.
However, his recent trip had made one thing perfectly clear.
There were definite limits to what that team could accomplish on its own.
"It isn't just Taean and Tongyeong. The same thing happened at Étoile's Sillim branch and Baristas' Janggi branch."
Those stores would have closed long ago if Jinhyeok hadn't intervened.
The Franchise Operations Team had already judged them to be beyond recovery.
"I want to help with problems that are too difficult for the Franchise Operations Team to handle alone. I'm sure they have plenty of troublesome cases they can't resolve. I'd like to work with them to find solutions. After all, if our franchise owners succeed, we succeed too."
Taesik's eyebrows twitched.
The spirit of mutual growth.
It was the principle Chairman Choi constantly emphasized.
And once again, Jinhyeok was bringing up that very principle.
"There's another benefit as well. I'm certain it'll be tremendously valuable to the company."
"...What benefit?"
"Data."
Jinhyeok continued calmly.
"What problems occurred, and how were those problems resolved? All that information will become an asset belonging exclusively to Seongun Development. As we accumulate more data, we'll become better at identifying commercial districts that are likely to fail. That will make our commercial district analysis more accurate."
He paused briefly before adding,
"Ultimately, Seongun Development will possess an incredibly powerful weapon. Because every new store we open from that point onward will have the knowledge it needs to avoid failure."
It was an astonishing display of confidence.
He was effectively saying that stores evaluated by the Commercial District Analysis Team would never fail.
If that truly became possible, rumors would spread that every location developed by Seongun was guaranteed to succeed.
Aspiring entrepreneurs would flock to the company.
His reasoning was practically flawless.
Of course, Jinhyeok's personal thoughts were a little different.
Revive dying commercial districts.
Build valuable relationships.
And steadily accumulate experience.
All of those things would become tremendous assets for him a year from now.
He had decided what he wanted to do in preparation for leaving the company.
But he didn't feel guilty about it.
After all, the company would benefit just as much.
Meanwhile, Taesik felt as though someone had struck him on the back of the head with a hammer.
He had been thinking about this all wrong again.
Jinhyeok wasn't someone who should be tied down to a single responsibility.
His outstanding commercial district analysis skills were merely the foundation.
He had identified historical artifacts that even the Future Strategy Office had overlooked and found a way to establish a landmark in Mullae-dong, something that had previously seemed impossible.
When entrusted with new business planning on a trial basis, he had produced ideas so innovative that everyone was astonished.
And his ability to revive struggling commercial districts, demonstrated in Tongyeong, Étoile, and Baristas, was equally exceptional.
Taesik had no idea how one man could accomplish so much.
But one thing was certain.
He had nearly confined a man capable of managing an entire ocean to a tiny fish tank.
Taesik stared at Jinhyeok.
At that moment, the Jinhyeok he saw was clearly not someone who would remain in the Commercial District Analysis Team forever.
Seongun Development's Integrated Development Division consisted of four teams.
The Commercial District Analysis Team.
The Store Development Team.
The Spatial Design Team.
And the Franchise Operations Team.
What if Jinhyeok were eventually placed in charge of all four?
What if he took over the very position Taesik currently occupied?
Just imagining it filled Taesik with excitement.
What if someone like Jinhyeok gained experience in fields beyond commercial district analysis?
Then, when Taesik eventually became president, he would have a capable right-hand man beside him, someone who could rival even the legendary strategist Zhuge Liang.
"...Very well. Let's move in that direction. I'll discuss it with the president and then speak with the Franchise Operations Team Leader."
"Thank you, Director."
"Ah! And don't worry about the recruitment. As I said, it's already underway. Three new employees should be joining your team next month."
"Three?"
"If you're going to travel all over the country, you'll need at least that many. Leave the minor tasks to your subordinates and concentrate on more important work."
He would provide Jinhyeok with everything he needed.
Because Jinhyeok's experience would eventually become the company's strength.
A satisfied smile spread across Taesik's face as he looked toward the distant future.
If Jinhyeok accumulated all kinds of experience and took over the division director's position when Taesik became president, Taesik felt there would be nothing they couldn't accomplish.
I left the division director's office with an unusually light step.
Everything had gone so smoothly that it almost felt anticlimactic.
The new business planning position I had been worried about hadn't even been mentioned.
Instead, the director had readily agreed to my proposal.
He had actually told me to travel around the country.
He would hire three more employees, so I should leave the minor work to my subordinates.
In other words, I wouldn't have to personally run around handling trivial matters anymore.
I entered the office with the corners of my mouth twitching.
The team members immediately jumped to their feet.
They must have been just as bored as I was.
