Chapter 15 : Bluff and Bluster (1)
Bluff and Bluster (1)
The fierce meeting of the Marketing & PR Team had finally ended.
"Division director, I'll reserve a spot at the chicken place."
For some reason, Choi Hyena's lips, once raised in a smile, wouldn't come down.
We didn't know what might happen tomorrow, but we decided that we'd enjoy tonight. Even though the workday wasn't over yet, we agreed on a team dinner.
"I'll finish up quickly, so you two go ahead."
I sent the two of them out of the office.
The moment they left, I loosened my tie and threw off my suit jacket. I slumped in my chair, exhaling like a corpse.
"Hoo..."
Honestly, there wasn't any work left to finish. I just needed a little time alone, even if only for a short while.
I had won the showdown against the Marketing & PR Team leader.
Up until just now, I'd been so distracted and stunned, I hadn't truly felt it.
Alone in the quiet space, my senses finally returned.
"I did it..."
To be frank, the moment I stood to present, a sense of overwhelm had washed over me.
I tried not to show it, but my heart pounded as if I'd just downed two liters of coffee in one go.
Not long ago, I was just an ordinary employee with the attitude of 'just do enough to get by.'
In this moment, in this space alone, I wasn't Division Director Lee Hyunmin—I was just the ordinary Lee Hyunmin.
After setting aside the burden, I wanted to praise myself.
"You did well."
Right before I started the presentation, I couldn't even get my mouth to work properly.
I'd been worried whether my logic and ideas would be convincing, and standing before people who opposed me was scary.
"Really, you did a great job."
Alone now, who cared about dignity—self-praise was in order.
But where Choi Hyena and Kim Junho were, I'd have to become Division Director Lee Hyunmin again.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror.
"I can keep doing well."
I put my tie back on and slipped back into my suit jacket.
That's when I got a message from Min Ji-na.
[Min Ji-na: Did you do well in that important PT you mentioned today?]
[Me: Of course. Who do you think I am?]
[Min Ji-na: Whoa... Oppa, I'll have a reason to visit Next Planet soon. I'll contact you then, so let's have a coffee break sometime.]
Huh? Ji-na's coming here?
What's this about?
One of the things Ji-na never told me outright—she was most likely a close aide of the Chairman.
She was probably way more elite than I'd ever guessed. Maybe I should just be grateful she hung out with me as a peer until now.
She was probably coming here over the theme park management issue... but what could it be, really?
I was curious, but decided to let it go for now.
I headed over to the chicken place where Choi Hyena and Kim Junho were waiting.
"Division director, what took you so long?"
Choi Hyena already had a bit of a blush on her face. She must have had a few beers already.
She handed me a beer right away.
"Let's drink today. The beer is ice cold."
She gave me a bright smile.
I had to match that expectation.
I took a swig.
"Ah... it really is refreshing."
Choi Hyena downed her beer and then said,
"Whew... this is great. You were really cool today, division director. Especially when you said, 'the real target audience for the recruit promotion isn't the recruits themselves, it's their friends,' and when you said, 'it's time to line the Chairman's face with money.' When you said those."
"It's thanks to you for thoroughly researching and putting the data together, Hyena. You know I'm a parachute after all. What could I do by myself?"
A smile lingered on Choi Hyena's lips.
"So this is what it feels like to be recognized. Honestly, I wanted acknowledgement in my previous team too, but... that's a dream I had to throw away. Tossed it out in the trash. So from now on, please give me lots and lots of compliments."
"I'll do my best."
"Here! Cheers! Oh, Junho, loosen up your face a little too."
Unlike the highly excited Hyena, Kim Junho didn't look so bright.
"I'm sorry. I'm ruining a good mood."
I patted him on the back.
"No, not at all. I get how you feel, Junho. You've worked with the Marketing & PR Team for a long time—it's only natural you can't just enjoy this."
"It was unexpected. That Miyoung-nunim would take our side in there..."
"I was surprised too at that moment. Still, it's true that things went easier thanks to Miyoung."
"With me and even Miyoung-nunim now rebelling—the Marketing & PR Team is probably in chaos. I also feel sorry for the team leader."
"Try not to dwell on it. You took action because you thought your responsibility was to Next Planet, not just the Marketing & PR Team, right?"
I wished I could offer more warmth, but this was the best I could do. I know it sounds so 'T' (thinking-type), but it's hard.
I glanced at Choi Hyena.
She nodded, lifted her glass, and said,
"Come on! Let's toast on a day like this. You need to smile now too, Junho, got it?"
"Yes, understood."
Choi Hyena kept pouring drinks for me and for Kim Junho.
Clearly tipsy now, her speech was slurred.
"As of today, the Reform Division has conquered the Marketing & PR Team. Strike up the victory song! Division director, let's take over all of Next Planet this way, one by one."
"Conquer? Are we some kind of rebel army?"
"Rebel army... I like that. But let's call ourselves warlords instead."
"What's a warlord?"
"Don't you know about warlords in Romance of the Three Kingdoms? In that analogy, we might not be Jingzhou, but at least we've claimed Xuzhou. That's huge—now we have a fief."
Unbelievable.
As time went by and the drinks kept coming, even Kim Junho's mood started lifting.
"Division director, thank you for entrusting me with an important mission today. To now on, I won't go home before midnight, I'll work all week, and I'll devote myself to you."
"No, you'll die that way."
"No worries, my stamina is amazing. I never tire. I'll work like a yellow ox, just order me anything."
My team definitely isn't normal.
We parted ways a little before midnight.
After a lively, raucous gathering for the first time in a while, I couldn't help but hum a tune on my way home.
Then, I started thinking about Division Director Oh Kang-il.
Why did he take my side? What was his intention?
I remembered what he'd said to me.
[You'll be letting go of most of the elderly workforce at the theme park in the near future.]
[At least try to offer them some other opportunity. I politely request that.]
Unlike the Business Strategy Division, Oh Kang-il's "Theme Park Operations Division" had a huge share of elderly and contract workers.
Just as he said, in pursuit of my own ideals, chances are high that I'd end up letting go of most of the senior staff.
Other opportunities... Could I really provide those?
Best to stop thinking about complicated matters now. Today, I did well and our division took its first steps.
Another round of fierce battles will begin tomorrow, so for tonight, I'll just think happy thoughts.
***
Team Leader Lee Jimyung couldn't hide his unease.
He approached Executive Vice President Kim Sangho like a kid about to be scolded, his face reddened.
"I truly apologize for today, executive vice president. But from now on, there will be no more prob—"
"No more problems? You sure are skilled, aren't you. 'So close-knit, teamwork is the best'—that's what you always say. So what was today, then? I'm very disappointed in you, Team Leader Lee. Don't even think about talking to me for a while."
Executive Vice President Kim Sangho turned his back on Lee Jimyung and went straight back to his office.
He slammed the door and immediately made a call somewhere.
"Ah, hyung, what are you up to right now?"
[Oh, what else, I'm out on the field. I find Vietnam is the best for golfing. Let's go together next time.]
"Yes, yes... Next time, I'll be the one to serve you, hyung."
The person Kim Sangho called was Vice CEO Choi Younghoon.
Choi Younghoon was currently in Phu Quoc, Vietnam, supposedly on a tour of various theme parks. In Phu Quoc, Vingroup—the Vietnamese real estate giant—operated "VinWonders".
But the place where Choi Younghoon had been staying was the golf course, not the theme parks.
[Something happened at the company? Doesn't sound like you're just calling to say hi.]
"Yes. You know that kid the Chairman sent down."
[Oh! Him. What about him?]
Kim Sangho honestly relayed what had happened today in the Marketing & PR Team.
Choi Younghoon laughed heartily.
[You worry too much, as always. But it's thanks to your thorough care that I can be away from the company with peace of mind.]
"I can't help but care—it's that kid sent directly by the Chairman."
[It's fine. No need to worry. I've worked with the Chairman for 25 years. I know how he thinks.]
"Right? No one but you, hyung."
[You know how sly the Chairman is. There's only one reason he sent that kid down—to show he hasn't let go of the theme park. That's all there is to it. The kid will run wild like a headless chicken, not realizing he's playing in the Chairman's palm.]
During the meeting today, Lee Hyunmin's actions were a complete shock.
Not only did he suggest new ideas and directions, but he even brought Oh Kang-il and Kang Miyoung to his side, if only for that moment.
[I heard he said he'd erase the company's game IP from the theme park and scrap the elderly programs? So childish, so immature. Just a kid.]
"You're absolutely right, hyung."
[Why does the theme park exist? For the PR of the head office IP, obviously. It's covered up with all kinds of grand reasoning, but in the end, it's about promoting the main office IP. And the elderly staff—they're kept on as an image-management expense.]
"The losses, as advertising or publicity, are actually pretty cheap."
[Exactly. I can see how this is all going to play out. The kid, running wild without knowing his place, will get into scrapes. Then the Chairman will come down, fire him, and say, 'The park needed new attempts to survive, the result was unfortunate, but rest assured I always care deeply—so keep up the good work, everyone.']
"Sometimes you need tension in the organization, I suppose."
[That's right, it's all just a rigged game.]
Somehow, Kim Sangho felt relieved hearing that.
'This lifeline really is my lifeline.'
He believed Vice CEO Choi Younghoon couldn't be wrong.
[Oh Kang-il, that guy—he's always been a bit of a maverick. But he's not a company-politics type, so don't worry about him. You just relax, all right?]
"Yes, yes, hyung. You're absolutely right."
[But as for that young Lee Hyunmin, I suppose it's time he learned that he can't have things his own way.]
Choi Younghoon now hatched a plan.
Kim Sangho nodded eagerly.
'Yes, I'll have to pressure him, even if it's like this.'
***
You could feel the company buzzing.
No matter where you went, everyone was talking about what happened in the Marketing & PR Team meeting yesterday.
The moment they noticed me, the main party, they'd quickly change the subject.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that every eye in the theme park was glued to my next move.
It was a completely different situation from when I recruited Choi Hyena from the Business Strategy Team and gave her a dramatic promotion.
This time, I'd overturned an entire team. Plus, I was now actively intervening in management.
I was at my desk working when—
Choi Hyena came running up.
"Division director, did you hear the news?"
"What happened to get you running like this? You're not one for exercise."
"My exercise isn't the point! The Marketing & PR team leader just handed in their resignation. The rest of the team all followed and quit too."
For a moment, I was stunned.
But come to think of it, something like this had happened in my previous job as well.
The PD and the Art Team leader got into a fight; the Art Team threatened to quit en masse as a pressure tactic.
Later, I learned it was all a scheme by the Art Team leader—pretending to side with their own team, but actually aiming to get promoted to PD.
When a whole team declares they'll leave, the disruption is huge, and the PD gets stuck with the 'bad at managing people' label.
"What a dirty trick. This must be the executive vice president's idea."
"Huh? The executive vice president? Oh... I see. They want to give the impression that the company isn't running well because you're causing conflict, right?"
No doubt, now they'll claim the Marketing & PR Team is unstable and refuse to run new promotions—basically killing the recruit campaign.
Then they'll stir up internal sentiment against me, trying to force me to capitulate.
Once I give in, they'll cancel all the resignations and go back to doing whatever they want.
How should I handle this...?
"Ah! Hyena, did Shin Miyoung resign as well?"
"I think she's the only one who hasn't."
Really? That gives me a way forward.
This isn't a problem I can afford to delay. If I do, I'll be the one on the ropes.
So I'll act now.
"Time to go replace the Marketing & PR team leader."