Real Man

Chapter 138:

Chapter 138

Executive Director Lee Kyunghoon, who had sorted out his thoughts, went to see Executive Director Ahn Junhong, the head of the mobile group.

“Director, I have something urgent to report to you. It’s about the idea proposed by the design center this time.”

“What is it?”

“It’s an impossible idea. If you put it on the performance report of the mobile division, it means you’re going to make it into a product right away, right?”

“No way.”

“No, it’s true. I’m sure there will be a disaster that we can’t handle.”

Executive Director Lee Kyunghoon’s expression was very serious.

He knew how to survive in a crisis.

If you can’t go up, drag down your opponent.

He knew that the winner was the one who stood at the highest place in the end.

He shifted all the blame to his competitor, Executive Director Jo Chan-young.

As expected, Director Ahn Junhong blamed others.

“Ha, what have you been doing until things got this bad?”

“I tried to stop him too, but Executive Director Jo pushed it so hard.”

“Geez.”

Director Ahn Junhong looked displeased.

Seeing that, Executive Director Lee Kyunghoon spoke in a stronger tone.

“It’s late, but it’s time to stop it now. I’ll check with the mobile division again.”

“Report the progress right away.”

He got the approval.

It was nothing for him to sway the director with this much material.

They were on the same line, and there was a predictable outcome.

He expected Director Ahn Junhong’s face to sour.

Soon after, Director Ahn Junhong entered the 12th floor with a stiff expression and looked for Executive Director Jo Chan-young first.

“Executive Director Jo. How do you handle your work? How did an opinion that wasn’t reviewed internally get on the performance report of the division?”

“It’s not that bad.”

Executive Director Jo Chan-young weakly resisted, but it was useless.

Director Ahn Junhong snapped in a very irritated voice.

“Hey. Are you kidding me? It’s mass production in the first quarter of next year.”

“I know.”

“But do you think we can scrap all the processes we’re working on and do that? Do you know how vicious the people in the mobile division are?”

Director Ahn Junhong’s voice was almost screaming now.

Startled, Executive Director Jo Chan-young tried to make an excuse.

“It was a content that came up through an idea contest. The design center said they were interested…”

“Don’t you have to come up with a realistic idea? Why do you make everyone tired by putting up something like that?”

Director Ahn Junhong’s voice shook the office.

An ant that lagged behind could not follow the ant that moved ahead, and had no courage to go another way, so it could only flounder.

Executive Director Jo Chan-young was exactly like that.

He must be embarrassed, but he had nothing to do right now.

“I’m s-sorry.”

“Clean up this mess right away.”

All he could do was bow his head in front of the director.

Everything was going as Yoo-hyun predicted.

He could guess by looking at Lee Aerin, who he met by chance, and who advised him with a worried face.

“The director came to your office and left, but it seemed like he was in a bad mood.”

“Really?”

“I think it’s because of the idea you submitted for the contest.”

“Really? I’ll have to check it out. Thank you.”

Yoo-hyun bowed his head slightly and thanked her.

That wasn’t all.

His colleague from the sales department, Min Jeonghyuk, also secretly came over and told him.

“Our team leader has started to take action. Be careful. He said he would crush your team. He’s been calling all over the development department.”

“Hmm.”

“Thanks for letting me know.”

Yoo-hyun smiled faintly.

He expected that much.

He could see the movements of the people in this office even with his eyes closed.

Yoo-hyun had that much experience.

Then what about the other side?

Yoo-hyun picked up his phone and contacted his junior from school, Jung Hyunwoo.

“Hyunwoo. Actually…”

-Oh, really? It was your team’s idea?

“Yes”

-Wow, awesome. The team leaders in our development department were also talking a lot about it. It came up on the recent development report too.

Jung Hyunwoo’s answer was simple.

Most of the development department seemed to have moved from supporting to opposing side of the contest application.

The good thing was that development 4th division’s movement.

They kept saying they would support touch localization side.

It was thanks to product team’s strong opposition.

-We don’t care much. It’s a fight between development and design. But if I have to give my opinion, I think it’s okay for a good product not to be scrapped by political logic.

Kim Sungdeuk, the senior manager of the mobile division’s product planning team, was watching the fire from afar.

Was it because of the absurd opposition of the next-generation development team leader?

They were sympathetic to Park Seungwoo’s idea out of rebelliousness.

They even heard that it was good that the design center pushed it.

-It’s already a mess. Our team leader even made a lot of protest calls to the design center. I don’t know much, but it seems like our team leader and the director are after you guys.

Kang Changseok, who was in the next-generation product development team of the mobile division, was in a difficult position.

It was an idea that the team leader had staked his reputation on.

But it was announced in front of the division head through the design center, so they were screwed.

They couldn’t show their fight at the performance report meeting, so they tried to stop the design center.

But that was impossible.

Senior Manager Jang Hyemin was not an easy person.

To Yoo-hyun, the result was already decided.

No, he made the board to make it that way.

Who would die and who would survive on this board?

Looking at the atmosphere, it seemed like the picture he wanted would be beautifully drawn.

Yoo-hyun put down his phone and returned to his office with various thoughts.

As soon as he arrived, he heard a loud scream that hurt his ears.

“Park, Assistant.”

“Yes.”

Team leader Oh Jaehwan, with his flushed face, shouted loudly from his seat.

“I told you not to make unnecessary trouble.”

“Team leader, why are you doing this again? Are you trying to make him quit?”

Before Park Seungwoo, the assistant manager, could answer, Kim Hyunmin, the Manager, stepped in to shield him.

As Kim Hyunmin said, Park Seungwoo had been through a lot these days.

He was grilled by team leader Oh Jaehwan and executive director Jo Chanyoung, who had been beaten up somewhere.

Not only that, but he was also scolded by the team leaders of the development and production departments over the phone.

It was as if he had committed a great sin by coming up with an idea.

Kim Hyunmin’s defense worked.

Team leader Oh Jaehwan spat out his words with a headache-like irritation.

“Ah, Assistant Kim Hyunmin, the Manager,, you stay out of this. Assistant manager Park, what are you going to do? What are you going to do?”

“How would he know what to do? Just leave him alone. He worked hard.”

“Manager Kim Hyunmin, think before you speak. Think.”

“…”

Kim Hyunmin was silent.

Of course, the actual person involved, Park Seungwoo, was confident.

He didn’t run away or avoid it.

-You said it yourself. We just have to do what we’re given. Do we need to worry about what’s going on upstairs?

He even winked at Yoo-hyun, who had given him sincere advice in the midst of the commotion, to reassure him.

‘I can see he’s nervous…’

Yoo-hyun nodded calmly.

Park Seungwoo’s teeth were trembling as he bit his lower lip.

‘I’ll show you. I’ll never be a shameful senior.’

Was it just his feeling that he seemed to say that?

No, it wasn’t.

Park Seungwoo bravely confronted team leader Oh Jaehwan.

“Team leader, I’ll give it a try.”

“No, do you even know what the situation is?”

“I do.”

“Do you? Then why are you doing this?”

“…”

A barrage of words flew at Park Seungwoo, who was silent.

“If we don’t say we can’t do it, the group leader will be in trouble. It’s a situation where begging won’t be enough.”

“I’ll just do what I’m given. I won’t lie or embellish. I’ll just speak as honestly as possible.”

“Hey. Are you going to take responsibility? Are you?”

“Yes, I’ll take responsibility. If I cause any damage to the company, I’ll quit.”

Park Seungwoo clenched his fist.

The trembling had stopped before he knew it.

He didn’t avoid team leader Oh Jaehwan’s venomous gaze.

Then Kim Hyunmin, who was next to him, snorted and waved his hand.

“Stop it. Quit what? You don’t need to be scared of this. Go ahead.”

“Hey. Where are you going?”

Kim Hyunmin blocked team leader Oh Jaehwan again, who was gesturing with his hand.

“Team leader, let me talk to you for a moment.”

He then blocked team leader Oh Jaehwan who was fuming.

‘Part 3 has improved a lot.’

He didn’t need to step in anymore.

Yoo-hyun smiled lightly and grabbed Park Seungwoo’s wrist.

“Assistant manager Park, how about a cup of tea?”

“Sure…”

Park Seungwoo nodded with a bewildered expression.

But he couldn’t move his feet as if he had lost his mind.

There was no trace of his courageous attitude just before.

What did he have in mind when he stood up to the team leader?

It was amazing.

Whooosh.

Standing on the railing of the outdoor terrace on the 20th floor, the cityscape unfolded before them.

Park Seungwoo, who had been smiling hard, was silent for a moment as if lost in thought.

What should I say to him?

If Yoo-hyun were his boss, he would have given him some plausible advice.

But he was too careful because he was a distant junior.

He wanted to understand his feelings because he sincerely liked him as a senior.

After some hesitation, Yoo-hyun asked honestly.

“Is it hard?”

“It’s not hard.”

It was obvious from his face even if he pretended otherwise.

Park Seungwoo had never been noticed by anyone at work.

He just did what he was given and did things that only got him scolded no matter how hard he tried.

Then he suggested his idea and prepared for the contest.

Finally he got people’s attention.

That was good enough.

But reality was harder than he thought.

He couldn’t even get a good word from his team leader and executive director Jo Chanyoung changed his attitude too.

The people from other parts looked at him with jealous eyes and the ones who praised him blamed him.

He got dozens of calls from the development department every day.

At some point, all the responsibility was shifted to him.

It was impossible not to be hard.

“Sigh…”

Park Seungwoo swallowed a sigh without Yoo-hyun noticing.

Yoo-hyun’s heart was not comfortable either.

It was inevitable to move forward.

But it might have been too much for Park Seungwoo, who was still at the crawling stage, to handle.

‘Should I have let him go slower?’

Yoo-hyun felt sorry for him.

Then Park Seungwoo opened his mouth.

His hair fluttered in the wind.

“Yoo-hyun.”

“Yes, assistant manager.”

Yoo-hyun answered in the softest tone possible.

Park Seungwoo looked at him and slowly opened his heart.

“It’s not hard, but it’s not easy either.”

“Yes.”

“There are more complications than I thought. It’s a hard place to work.”

“…”

Yoo-hyun was silent for a while.

He understood Park Seungwoo’s position well.

It was not an easy task to bear the pressure of being responsible for everything.

It would be nice to brush it off as nothing and shake it off, but that was not possible.

Park Seungwoo had never experienced anything like this before.

“I thought it would be all good, but there are too many things tangled up. It’s really hard to work here.”

“…”

Yoo-hyun knew that too.

He had been with him all day long and he couldn’t miss his troubles.