The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 38

037

Operation Team 2 Office.

Deputy Director Lee Ah-young, Team Leader Kim Min-joo, and Moon So-yeon were gathered together, enjoying a rare tea time.

“…So, we’ll each be bringing in candidates soon. I heard the HR manager and the head of the main office will be conducting the interviews themselves.”

Deputy Director Lee Ah-young finished her story, setting down her teacup.

Their biggest concern was, of course, the recruitment of new team members.

Even though their jobs, roles, and teams were different, the creation of a cleaning team to replace Kim Jun-woo would inevitably affect everyone.

Of course, they weren’t sure yet whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing for them.

However, Moon So-yeon, who was directly involved with the cleaning team, seemed more worried.

“Um… I heard a rumor that the candidates are all hunters. Is that true?”

“Well, yes. It’s called a cleaning team, but they’re basically trying to create a replica of Kim Jun-woo’s cleaning team.”

“Everyone’s only seeing parts of Mr. Kim. It’s not something you can just copy by imitating.”

Kim Min-joo smiled.

Moon So-yeon nodded slightly.

“Everyone knows what the higher-ups are like. As soon as the cleaning team does well, they all jump on the bandwagon, trying to get a piece of the cleaning coin [profit]. They don’t care about the cleaning team itself.”

Lee Ah-young also seemed unhappy with the situation.

She clicked her tongue once and continued.

“Anyway, if those guys’ candidates come into the new team… the state of the headquarters will be obvious. They’ll try to grab the cleaning team as if it’s theirs.”

“I’m more worried that… now that everyone in the cleaning team is finally standing a little taller, I’m afraid that the hunters will come in and crush that.”

Kim Min-joo had a slightly different perspective from Lee Ah-young.

Of course, that was also true.

Kim Jun-woo’s information wasn’t widely known, and he proudly called himself a cleaner, so there hadn’t been any problems so far…

But if a hunter officially joined the cleaning team, the other cleaning team members would have no choice but to be cautious.

The hunters would also see the team members as subordinates rather than colleagues and try to control them.

That’s why they’re trying to get into the cleaning team in the first place.

They’re trying to get into the cleaning team to ride on the influence that Kim Jun-woo has built up, with the backing of the association’s higher-ups.

Because of that, the cleaning team might return to its previous state if they are hired.

“So, Kim Jun-woo has to win this recruitment battle no matter what. I can trust anyone he brings, even if I don’t know the other candidates.”

“Of course, I hope so too, but… there’s nothing I can do to help.”

“Right. If it were a practical interview for the cleaning team, our team could somehow push him.”

Moon So-yeon complained.

Lee Ah-young shook her head.

“That’ll be difficult. The head of the main office and the executives will try to win at the interview no matter what.”

At the same time, sighs echoed.

Everyone seemed genuinely worried; their expressions were grim.

Lee Ah-young regretted saying it as it was.

Just as she was about to offer some comfort.

“So…”

“But you know.”

Kim Min-joo and Moon So-yeon spoke at the same time.

“Is the candidate Mr. Kim brought a woman?”

“Is your candidate a woman, sir?”

“…”

Lee Ah-young decided to just give up.

***

A small interview room prepared in the main office.

Four interviewees sitting side by side.

And me, Head of the Main Office Seo Min-cheol, and a few HR representatives were facing them.

Well, in principle, this wasn’t my place…

Someone spoke up, saying it didn’t make sense to have a cleaning team member absent from the recruitment of cleaning team personnel.

I didn’t need to look to know it was Lee Ah-young.

“Then I’ll ask the first question.”

Team Leader Min Hee-sook of the HR team opened her mouth first.

According to what I’d heard from Lee Ah-young, she was someone who was influenced by Director Go Eun-young.

“If you encounter a monster during an operation that your current team cannot defeat, how would you handle it? Mr. Kang Woo-hyuk, please answer first.”

Kang Woo-hyuk, Director Go Eun-young’s candidate sitting on the far right, immediately opened his mouth.

“If it’s not a multi-zone dungeon, I’ll give up and plan another operation in the future. Forcing a subjugation could result in meaningless casualties.”

Noh So-min – Director Song Cheol-sik’s candidate – answered next.

Shin Tae-hwan – Seo Min-cheol’s candidate, who had been smiling slightly at their answers, opened his mouth.

“There’s no need to give up the operation. You can halt the operation, exit the dungeon, and share the information with other teams to proceed with a coordinated subjugation, minimizing financial and time losses.”

A relaxed expression and a confident voice.

More than anything, it was a perfect answer that could be considered the correct one.

So he didn’t become a vice guild leader by luck.

“Then finally… Ms. Han Yu-bin?”

Naturally, attention shifted to Han Yu-bin, who was last in line.

At the same time, the answer she spat out was…

“If you only realize you can’t win after entering a subjugation, isn’t that already a failed operation? If I were you, I’d rather die of embarrassment.”

“…”

A silence so cold it was hard to breathe.

‘What was I thinking? How did I end up with someone like that…’

I quietly grabbed my hair.

My candidate was eventually decided as Han Yu-bin.

Of course, I didn’t like it very much, but… I had no choice.

Team Leader Pyeon’s list was useless after all, and there was no other suitable guy.

More than anything, I thought I’d at least have her interviewed because she wasn’t hostile to the cleaning team.

But now that I’ve brought her here, I’m just as anxious.

A typical type who looks proud and tries to control people.

No matter how I look at it, she doesn’t seem like a talent who will increase satisfaction [improve team morale and performance].

‘Still, I didn’t know it would be this bad…’

I let out a faint sigh.

After that, several questions continued.

Questions about operation rules.

Questions about equipment support procedures.

Questions about which side to take when the team’s and the association’s positions differ.

Compromises to resolve the confusion over the subjugation permits, and so on.

In response, everyone offered textbook answers.

“What rules are there in a mission? All you have to do is kill the monster, no matter how.”

“Equipment? In the US, everyone managed their own.”

“Choose between the organization and your colleagues… it’s absurd.”

“I don’t understand the system where you need permission to subjugate in the first place. Does the Korean Association value hunters’ individual achievements more than protecting citizens?”

Han Yu-bin spouted nonsense every time.

How did she even get into the American branch?

Is that how interviews are normally conducted in the US? Is it a cultural difference or something?

I glanced at the other interviewers, and as expected, they were all shaking their heads.

It’s certain.

That girl is definitely going to fail.

“Well then… Mr. Kim Jun-woo, do you have any final questions?”

I couldn’t easily speak.

No matter what question I ask here, it will only be a minus for Han Yu-bin.

To be honest, I don’t really care whether she fails or not… but the problem is that if she fails, someone else will get the position.

Most likely, it will be Shin Tae-hwan.

My interview criteria are solely based on whether they can increase the cleaning team’s satisfaction or not. But if someone like Shin Tae-hwan gets hired, everything will be for nothing.

Rather than seeing those guys get hired…….

‘Should I just fail them all here…?’

As things stand, that might be the best option. It would be a hundred times better to scrap everything and start over from the beginning.

Tch, I can’t help it.

I have no choice but to force things a bit.

“Mr. Kim Jun-woo? If there are no questions, we’ll end the interview here…….”

“When disassembling a centipede-type monster, how many pieces should it be cut into?”

After finishing my thoughts, I finally opened my mouth.

“……?”

“W-Well…….”

“What kind of question is that?”

Questions poured out simultaneously.

“So, no one knows. I understand.”

I smiled.

Then, the HR team leader glared at me with a displeased expression.

“Hey, Mr. Kim Jun-woo. What kind of question is that…….”

“What kind of team are we hiring for right now?”

“……Yes?”

“It’s written here here in the documents. New employee recruitment interview for Cleaning Team 6. Is it strange to ask cleaning-related questions when hiring for the cleaning team?”

Everyone in the interview room fell silent.

I didn’t want to lose momentum, so I continued speaking immediately.

“Then I’ll ask another question. Based on a 3-story commercial building-type dungeon, if there is a 2m-sized goblin corpse, what is the average increase in gas levels inside the dungeon per minute in micrograms?”

“Another question. If a person’s bloodstains are mixed with a monster’s mucus on the wall, what is the most effective way to clean it?”

Still silence.

I soon put down the documents and nodded.

“You really are all excellent talents.”

“…….”

“…….”

The candidates had dumbfounded expressions.

I glared at them one by one and finally opened my mouth.

“I don’t know what the other interviewers think… but based on my standards, everyone fails.”

***

The interview ended vaguely like that.

The interviewees left the interview room first, and we remained in our seats to conduct a brief meeting.

I naturally suggested that everyone should fail… but as expected, they didn’t seem willing to back down at all. They insisted that everyone failing was unacceptable because their candidates had to be chosen no matter what.

However, they agreed that since it was a cleaning team recruitment, an appropriate test should be conducted.

In the end, we agreed to replace it with a practical task.

“After making such a big fuss, all you brought was a little kid like that?”

As I was leaving the interview room after the short meeting.

Shin Tae-hwan suddenly spoke to me, as if he had been waiting for me.

But wasn’t he the one who made a big fuss, not me?

Besides, what did he mean by ‘just a little kid’? But I soon realized that the candidates didn’t know each other’s information.

“I’m not completely satisfied either… but well, they seemed better than you.”

“Really? Well, like sees like. I guess that’s the extent of your insight.”

He was openly grumbling, so he must have been quite offended.

“It seems like you deliberately overturned the interview because you guys would be at a disadvantage with just the interview… well, do as much as you can. Judging by your level, it doesn’t seem like you’ll get picked no matter what you do.”

“…….”

Shin Tae-hwan finished those words and left with Seo Min-cheol.

I just quietly stared at his back.

There’s no point in getting upset at his pathetic pride now…….

‘Something’s strange…….’

He’s strangely confident.

Besides, his tone was as if the successful candidate had already been decided. Even if he looks down on me, it’s still a provocation that ignores the positions of the interviewer and interviewee.

Is there a reason for him to be so confident?

Just as I was moving my feet with an uneasy feeling, this time another guy blocked my way.

“What was that interview just now?”

It was my candidate.

“What do you mean?”

“If you were going to ask those kinds of questions, you could have given me a little hint! I came here after getting a recommendation… what is this, I just embarrassed myself for nothing…!”

“I don’t know very well, but.”

I took a deep breath and exhaled once.

“Do they give people like you a favor and pick them in the US even if they come unprepared?”

I opened my mouth while looking directly into Han Yu-bin’s eyes.

“Didn’t you come here on your own to join the cleaning team? Then you should prepare. You don’t want to prepare, but you want to do well in the interview. And then you get offended? Aren’t you taking the cleaning team too lightly?”

“N-No, that’s not…….”

“I wanted to fail you… but as a result of the internal meeting, it was unfortunately replaced with a practical interview. I’ll notify you when the date is set, so if you don’t want to fail, come prepared next time. If you think you’ll get in just because I recommended you, then don’t even bother showing up.”

I turned my back without even thinking of listening to her answer.