Chapter 19
Responsibility.
Saying you would take responsibility.
The older I became, the heavier those words felt.
Especially inside a company.
Most employees rarely said them lightly.
Everyone received a salary in exchange for their work.
Of course, people were expected to do their best.
But saying you would take responsibility for something...
That meant far more than simply being in charge.
If the work succeeded, you earned the results.
But if it failed...
The person responsible received the blame.
A promotion could be delayed.
A salary increase could disappear.
In serious cases...
You might even lose your job.
That was how heavy responsibility could be inside a company.
That was why CEO Jeong had asked me one final question during the discontinuation meeting.
Could I take responsibility for delaying the discontinuation of WG Instant Rice?
Most employees would hesitate.
The weight of that one question was enough to crush people.
But I had confidence.
I had certainty.
The message from the future.
Once the boycott began...
WG Instant Rice would have no choice but to benefit.
If my judgment was wrong...
Then I would accept the consequences.
Manager Kwon looked at me with concern.
“Inwoo, let's talk honestly.”
I understood how he felt.
“Yes, Manager.”
“Why exactly did you say you'd take responsibility for that product?”
I shrugged.
“What I said during the meeting is everything.”
“You really want to stop discontinuation just because our product uses domestic materials?”
“Yes.”
He gave a disbelieving laugh.
“Inwoo.”
“Yes?”
“You really...”
He ran a hand through his hair.
“If things go wrong, I can try to protect you. But what am I supposed to do when you make a move this huge without even discussing it with me first?”
I quickly explained.
“I studied the other companies' products over the weekend and discovered those differences. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you beforehand.”
“Still... No. If you had told me, I definitely would've tried to stop you.”
I nodded.
I already knew that.
Manager Kwon had been in favor of discontinuing the product.
And he was not alone.
Every employee felt the same way.
WG Instant Rice had been losing money since release.
Who would suddenly oppose discontinuation now?
If I had never received that message from the future, I would not have spoken up either.
I certainly would never have used the word "responsibility" while still only an assistant manager.
I looked directly at Manager Kwon.
“Our product has a clear advantage. If we promote that advantage properly, I'm certain we can win.”
He bit his lip and looked up at the sky.
“Fine. The discontinuation has already been delayed. At this point, I can only hope you're right.”
He still did not look relieved.
“If the company starts a new marketing push for the instant rice, let's give it proper support.”
I bowed.
“Thank you.”
“I told you to lock in your promotion this quarter by bringing in big accounts. Instead, you went and created an even bigger problem.”
He sighed.
“What else can I do? I guess I'll have to work harder too.”
I smiled.
Manager Kwon... just wait a little longer.
You'll understand soon.
I swallowed the words.
“I'll work even harder too.”
“You'd better. What are you going to do if this fails after you said you'd take responsibility?”
His worried shout made me smile.
Then I asked again.
“Manager, seriously. What happens if this product succeeds?”
He stared at me.
“Inwoo, were you always this bold?”
“What?”
“You say you'll take responsibility for a failing product, but instead of worrying about what happens if it fails, you're asking what happens if it succeeds.”
I laughed.
“Since I said I'd take responsibility, of course it'll be a huge problem if the sales stay negative.”
“But if we market it in a new way and it succeeds, I'm curious what happens.”
He nodded.
“Fair enough. It's not like all those sales will be counted entirely as your personal sales performance.”
“Exactly.”
“You've never seen a product survive a discontinuation meeting before, have you?”
“No.”
I had seen products discontinued before.
But I had never seen a discontinuation decision reversed.
Whenever a product reached that meeting stage, it disappeared.
That was how WG Food had always worked.
“Hmm... How many years ago was it?”
Manager Kwon looked into the distance.
“I was still a complete rookie back then.”
He continued.
“There was a manager who strongly opposed discontinuing one of our fish cake bar products.”
I stared at him.
“The fish cake bar that always ranks near the top in sales?”
Manager Kwon grinned.
“Yeah. That one almost disappeared.”
