Line Up
Leaning back on the sofa, director Kim Ji-young took a sip of her coffee.
“How is the company? Have you met the team members?”
“Yes. They all seem like good ones.”
“That’s nice to hear but why did you come to BO?”
At first, it was because of the money but after a few days, I found a new goal and it wasn’t money.
“BO Foods, a large successful company which will end up being number one in Korea’s commerce industry… I wanted to make it into such a company.”
Maybe she was satisfied with my answer. Kim Ji-young couldn’t hide her smile as she nodded.
“Right. You are right. A man is supposed to dream big.”
“What about you, Director?”
“Pretty similar. At first, I came here under the directions of the chairman, but now I want to continue. That is why Jihoon-ah, no, team leader Won.”
“Huh?”
“Can you help me?”
As I lift my glass of water, I gazed into the director’s eyes. Her eyes, which were boring holes into mine, seemed to hold a lot of things.
“Since we are all on the same boat now. How can I help you out?”
“The commerce shares are under the MD division but half of the MD division is made of chain marketing, and the other half of those were bought by Choi Gu-yeol.”
“But, the director has Tae-ha on your side.”
“Tae-ha? You didn’t know? He is also someone that Choi had recruited. He didn’t want to go to college and enter the commerce sphere. That was why he moved to America right away.
Kim Tae-ha is on Choi Gu-yeol’s side? So, that was why he calls her director and not noona?
“Did Tae-ha work at the Group Phone?”
“Yes. As soon as he came to Korea, he only talked about Director Choi… I still remember it very vividly.”
“So that was what happened.”
“What?” Kim Ji-young noona, whose eyes were wide, asked.
I had no intention of intervening in anyone’s family affairs.
“Nothing. What about the people in the Chain market?”
“Those batshit bastards don’t even talk out. I don’t like a single person in there, starting with Cha Ki-young. I was completely against the takeover, but CEO Jung pushed for it forcibly. Maybe he needed to feel like he could achieve it.”
“Bats… Sounds like an appropriate expression.”
“There are around 50 kids in the chain market. And the MD division has around 20?”
Even in One Small, the relationship with the chain market wasn’t good. They would copy the products and present the events that were planned by us. They even went as far as to take things directly from the factories we were dealing with.
“…”
“In an ordinary company, how long would it take for a team leader to become a deputy head, a deputy head to a Chief manager, and a Chief manager to a director?”
“Well, roughly around 10 years.”
“Right. It will take long. But things are different here. Many units are joined in and thanks to that, each unit is at war with another fighting to show who is the better one. And the unit which wins the fight will be the one to get a promotion. It is an opportunity for even kids like you and Tae-ha to climb up, do you understand?”
The truth.
A new commerce with 30 billion investment. The place where various units and teams are gathered. It was nothing less than a political party.
“I will think about this.”
“Okay. Team leader Won is smart, so you must have understood what I am trying to say. See you later.”
** *
I arrived back to the office.
I sorted out the desk while the team members were busy watching my every move.
“Won! Team leader Won! It has been a while!”
General Manager Cho Ki-young and deputy head Park Dae-young approached me.
The founding members of the chain market.
These people had 10 years more experience than me.
“Yes. Mr. Cha, it has been a while.”
“Right. How is your team? I specifically told them to pay attention to the position that you were given, Team Leader Won. Hahaha!”
Nothing changed. These were the type of humans that always pretended to be good people in front of others and then plan something behind their back.
“But, General Manager.”
“Yes?”
“Were we this close? I mean, for us to be speaking in a casual form?”
“Ah… well?”
General Manager Cha Ki-young’s face flushed red.
And, as if it was a fun sight to see, Kim Tae-ha’s shoulders kept moving as if he was trying to suppress his laugh.
“Don’t you remember three months ago? When I caught you trying to secretly import the food which was signed with One Small? At that time, you told me to not drag the meeting into the courtroom.”
“I… I did? The leader of this team is young and has a great memory. You remember even the smallest of the details.
“Such a big praise.”
“Ah! Look at me now. I need to go. See you at the team leader’s meeting tomorrow morning!”
He would probably grind his teeth later.
But that was fine. No,I have power now, so it doesn’t matter what they do. With an awkward smile, General Manager Cha Ki-young patted my shoulder and left.
Once he left, Kim Tae-ha, who was at the other side of the partitioned desk, covered his mouth a little and whispered, “That was no jab, but an uppercut! My Won Jihoon!”
“Shut it!”
“Hahaha!”
Turning my face away, I sat down and called for manager Ma Seong-gun who was looking at me.
“Mr. Ma!”
“Yes, Team leader!”
Putting his mouse down, he ran towards me.
It was quite overwhelming to see a man, 15 years older than me, behave like that.
“You can come slowly.”
“I could never do that!”
Adjusting his dress, Ma Seong-gun answered loudly.
His voice was so loud that I could feel the gazes of everyone in the MD division turn towards me.
“Please lower your voice a little. If someone looks at us, they’ll think we are doing military training.”
“Ah… Yes, I will work on it.”
“And please organize the work currently being done by the team members.”
“Understood. I’ll get it within ten minutes…”
“No. you can give it to me tomorrow morning, not ten minutes. Take the time to look it through so there is nothing missing, okay?”
“Yes!”
“And those who don’t have any work today can head out for a meal with me.”
“Understood. I will have all the members attend.”
“No. You don’t have to bring them. It is just as a greeting, so they don’t need to feel burdened with such stuff…”
“Yeah, attend the meal which the team leader is giving for us!”
This is really burdensome.
Manager Ma Seong-gun is from BO Food and follows a hierarchy system for work.
Aa I got up from my seat, I received an exaggerated bow from the manager. I watched him walk back to his seat.
“Is Team leader Won trying to pick up weapons as soon as he arrives?” Kim Tae-ha leaned his head out of the partition and spoke.
“Do you remember?”
“What?”
“When I was in high school, you went into a girl’s high school festival…” Before I could even complete what I wanted to say, Kim Tae-ha got up in a hurry, “Yah! Why are you bringing that up?”
“Wouldn’t it be nice to place some of those pictures on the company’s bulletin board and post them?”
“You still have them?”
“Of course! If you don’t believe me, you can check the bulletin board tomorrow morning.”
“Fine! Fine!”
** *
6 pm.
One took my team members and we headed to a big steak restaurant. Perhaps, because of the constant nagging of Ma Seong-gun, all the five members came without a single person being left out.
“Isn’t it expensive here?”
Ma Seong-gun’s eyes were wide as he saw the entrance of the restaurant.
“You are giving me your precious time. So I am giving you expensive food.”
It is a steak house which I often visited in Gangnam and cost over 30,000 won per person.
The most wonderful marbling I have ever seen.
Everyone found it hard to take off their eyes from the uncooked meat.
The meat was placed on the fire plate.
Picking up a piece of raw meat, Ma Seong-gun spoke.
“Thanks to the team leader, I get to eat such high-quality meat. Hahaha!”
He wasn’t eating, just praising it.
After that, he began to stuff his mouth.
“Eat slowly, please. Mr. Daesung, you?”
“I will let it cook a little more and eat it.”
At those words, an employee of the steak house shook his head and said.
“Have it now, sir.”
“Uh… okay?”
“Yes. The more you cook it, the tougher it gets. And while eating, put on some wasabi on it, okay?”
Kim Daesung put the piece of meat in his mouth and his eyes went wide as he chewed.
“Delicious, right?”
And he just nodded at the staff’s question.
I called Kim Kyung-il, who was silently pouring a glass of alcohol for us, “Assistant Kyung-il worked in the US with Choi? Then you must be good with your English?”
“No, I am not.”
“Ah, right. Team leader Kim Tae-ha was also a member of the Group Phone you were in, right?”
“Yes. He was a founding member of the Group Phone.”
“Then why our team and not Kim Tae-ha’s team?”
“I am not sure about it either. The director must have a reason for it.”
Assistant manager Kim Kyung-il.
He spoke very little and with little change in his expressions. I was curious about his thoughts. An ordinary person would borrow the alcohol he was pouring. But reaching out, I touched the bag on his chair.
<…>
No memory of the bag. A cell phone was on the table.
I even thought about the top shirt he was wearing.
<I need to call mom tomorrow.>
<When was dad’s birthday?>
<I need to call Yewon too.>
There were only memories of family and acquaintances.
Not a single memory about work.
About an hour had passed.
Manager Ma pushed his red face towards me.
“Team leader Won! Our team leader Won!”
“Yes?”
“Do you know how glad I was when I heard that team leader Won was coming over? Hahaha.”
He was already slurring the words and all he drank was a single bottle of soju.
“Why?”
“You went to meet Director Kim Ji-young, right?”
“How did you know?”
“Who do you think I am? A 15 years old employee of BO Foods. Being Director Kim’s secretary is my goal. Hahaha.”
Laughing loudly, manager Ma turned his head towards Lee Woojin, startling me in the process.
“You spy!”
“Again? Why do you keep doing this?”
“Quickly go back to the chain side!”
Lee Woojin took a heavy breath and sighed while shaking his head.
“Manager always does this when you get drunk! I worked hard and was moved from that place to here. Besides, I only worked in the chain for a month…”
It was as Kim Ji-young noona said, too many units were involved and united.
So, just like what I was witnessing, there are always quarrels between teams.
I shook my head as I held onto the collar of manager Ma who was raising another glass of soju.
At that moment, I heard his thoughts.
<You are sending the kids to that academy?>
<How much should I send for mother-in-law’s birthday?>
<How much card loan is left?>
<Will the money rain from the sky?>
<Right, lottery… I need to look for the lottery.>
<This is the last time. If I can’t get it this time, I need to gather everything and set up a chicken house.>
Manager Ma, was in his 40s. He seemed to be weighing a lot more than I imagined. I could understand why he was so obsessed with the work. A large company like BO Food couldn’t have made it big on its own, it must have needed loyal employee’s like him.
A bitter smile formed on my lips.
“Now stop drinking.”
“Wah… is our team leader taking care of me? Hahaha, it felt very nice when you spoke with the chain team’s director. Probably those spies! Right?”
Manager Ma opened his mouth and looked at the other team members.
Lee Woojin couldn’t hold on and put down the grilling tongs to gulp down a glass of soju.
Manager Ma, smiled while looking at me, “Is team leader on Chairman’s side?”
“Chairman?”
“Yes. BO Food’s Chairman Kim Sangmin. Isn’t that why you met with director Kim Ji-young?”
“Side… Since you have been in BO longer than me, I’ll ask you. Which side should I stand?”
I had asked it as a joke. I had no intention of standing behind anyone, however, manager Ma was serious about it.
Taking a sip of ice-cold water, he shook his head.
And with a serious expression, he slowly opened his mouth.