The Genius Decided To Live An Ordinary Life [EN]: Chapter 324

“Aaaargh! They invaded before I could even build a gas mine!”

“Waaahhh-. Eliminated again in five minutes.”

Amidst the screams, whether the onlookers giggled or not, Choi Mi-kyung, like a golden retriever, panted and created room after room. She was always so cheerful.

「Hunter Beginners Only! 3:3」

「Son Jinhyuk is in this room! 3:3」

「Hydra’s Innards are Hydra 3:3」

「Shin Hae-chul and Nexus 3:3」

「Please, only beginner oppas! [Oppa is a Korean term used by younger women to address older men, often with a friendly or affectionate connotation.]」

Ugh, terrible naming sense.

Jinhyuk bit his lip.

[Kyaaak! Chup chup chup-.]

The oppas’ zerglings knew no mercy.

“Mi-kyung, Jinhyuk. I’m dying. These puppies are attacking poor me- Oh, sh*t! Save me!”

“My main base is being raided too! Waaah! They said beginners only, but why are they so good!”

“Mi-kyung, it’s just that we’re bad……”

“Jinhyuk, not all truths are good to say.”

“Hey, Son Jinhyuk! Are you putting up cannons just to save yourself?”

“Well… since I lifted my command center, you can come in and live with me.”

“Jinhyuk, you’re sly. Then I’m coming too. You better feed me.”

“Aaaargh! Don’t attack the workers carrying minerals!”

Jinhyuk didn’t have any brilliant solutions either.

“Son Jinhyuk! Do something!”

“Guys, let’s have a quick strategy time.”

Tap!

Ctrl + Alt + Del, double tap.

“Oh, Jinhyuk. A disconnect, nice timing.”

“Those bastards are asking about our mothers?”

“Just ignore it……”

After strategy time, it was just a repeat of getting beaten up again.

In the meantime, Jinhyuk’s accumulated Battle.net win rate was a whopping 0 wins, 118 losses, and 22 disconnects.

‘How can I not win even one game……’

It was only natural since he only played when his friends came.

If he had played alone, he might have won at least one game.

‘Hehe. Still, it’s fun since it’s something I haven’t done before.’

Kim Eun-jung’s nonsense and Choi Mi-kyung’s shouts made his head throb, but spending time with his friends was always enjoyable.

“Ugh, Star is hard. I’m going to play Dune 2000.”

“Mi-kyung, that’s old. Let’s play Rainbow Six instead.”

“Eun-jung, your pronunciation is suggestive.”

“We’re all old enough to know, ahem-.”

“You’re going to shoot me again, aren’t you?”

“It’s a game where we shoot each other.”

“You only kill me.”

“Everyone dies.”

His friends were chattering happily, and a smile naturally bloomed on Jinhyuk’s face.

He had been worried that he might change for the worse while living in a different city for college……

“Ehehe-. I was stressed by professors and seniors, but coming to a PC bang [PC bang is a Korean term for an internet cafe or gaming center.] is so great.”

“Mi-kyung, me too. Playing is the best.”

“You said it-.”

Jinhyuk often wore a look of exasperation while listening to his friends’ chatter.

‘You guys have lived long enough, please change, you Pororo-like kids. [Pororo is a popular Korean animated character, often associated with childish behavior.]’

They never grow up.

Even after leaving the PC bang, his friends kept chattering.

“Ah-! That was fun today. Eun-jung, Yeouido [Yeouido is a major financial district in Seoul, South Korea.] is so great, right? Look at what those office worker unnies [Unnie is a Korean term used by younger women to address older women, often with a friendly or affectionate connotation.] are wearing. So pretty-.”

“Mi-kyung, even if the unnies who came to work on the weekend are pretty-. Oh, they are sexy. But my ears are ringing because of you.”

“Aigoo-. Mi-kyung, Eun-jung. I feel like the sky is yellow.”

“It’s not like we stayed up all night, we only played for three hours, what’s the big deal?”

“Mi-kyung, it seems like exercise stamina and play stamina are different.”

“At least Eun-jung understands me-.”

“Jinhyuk, play stamina increases as you do it. I’ll come back the week after next for you.”

Sh*t.

Should I change jobs?

“I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”

He still made sure they ate.

“Jinhyuk, I’ll pay today. I got my part-time job pay.”

“Okay.”

It was even more special because his friends weren’t just dependent on Jinhyuk.

“Jinhyuk, why can’t I see Park Ri Bunsik in Yeouido? I want to eat dolsot bibimbap [Dolsot bibimbap is a Korean dish of mixed rice with vegetables and meat served in a hot stone pot.]”

“There’s a cheap snack bar around that corner cafe.”

“Jinhyuk, can’t we just eat at a coffee shop? I want to eat sweet and sour pork rice.”

Right, back in the day, cafes in front of universities sold all kinds of rice dishes.

A world that had changed yet remained the same.

He had thought of it as a vague memory, but it was amazing that it existed in reality.

“They don’t sell rice at cafes here. There are some if you look, but it seems like they only sell drinks on weekends.”

“Oh-, Yeouido is an amazing place. Is it because there’s no university?”

“Mi-kyung, Jinhyuk. My stomach is making overload sounds. Let’s go, go, go-.”

***

Gradually, the organization was reorganized, and changes were made to the corporate culture.

The Future Strategy Headquarters and the Research Institute were granted a week-long vacation every quarter. It was a decision that implied enjoying vacations by season. It wasn’t necessary to use it within the quarter.

It was paid leave in addition to monthly leave, which could be used separately or combined.

As expected, the salaried employees cheered, but some older employees and executives were not happy about it.

“There is no system that can satisfy everyone. However, if those in a relatively weaker position approve, it can be considered a good system. It hasn’t been introduced in our country, but it’s already being implemented in Europe.”

It was an independent organization directly under the group. There was no need to be mindful of other affiliates since they had secured a differentiated corporate culture and personnel discretion. That was why it could be introduced boldly.

“It is a natural vacation for employees who dedicate their youth to the company. However, from a management perspective, it is not a natural vacation. We will quantitatively review the productivity resulting from the vacation reform and leave room for future improvements.”

That much explanation was enough for everyone to know that they should focus and work hard when they were working.

After meticulous analysis, the organization was subdivided.

“From now on, all department names will be unified as teams. It won’t be awkward since it’s already being implemented in other affiliates and companies. The Strategic Planning Department will be divided into the Strategic Support Team and the Strategic Planning Team.”

The R&R was also clearly defined but simplified.

“The Planning Team will continuously discover future revenue streams, and the Support Team will form project teams to allocate personnel and budgets. The Planning Team’s job doesn’t end with just throwing out tasks. Please monitor the progress until the end to ensure it doesn’t become sluggish.”

Min Yong-rak was promoted to Deputy Manager and became the head of the Support Team. It was a super-fast promotion backed by the chairman and president’s favoritism, but no one could complain. He was that good at his job.

Kim Yi-do became a formal Deputy Head with the title of Managing Director, lightening Jinhyuk’s burden.

The head of the Planning Team was recruited from a department head who worked in the training team under the Group’s Human Resources Development Office.

“Hobby clubs and social gatherings are all good. We will actively support them by allocating separate budgets for the headquarters and the research institute. However, those who damage the organizational culture through internal politics will not have a second chance to work with me.”

*

As the head of the Ethics Committee, he also attended the disciplinary committee.

It was something he had prepared for, but it was the most difficult task.

“Department Head Kim〇〇 has had several ethics reports filed against him for sexual harassment and molestation of female employees, but each time it was just a verbal warning or nothing happened?”

“Why didn’t the Ethics Management Office look into the issue? The ignored reports, I mean.”

“Should we assume that the Human Resources Development Office ignored the reports? Did they cover for Department Head Kim〇〇?”

“Isn’t it obvious that he was on someone’s line?”

“Why should the victimized employee also suffer personnel disadvantages?”

“Is this really the Ethics Committee? Are you all really ethics committee members?”

“All the ethics committee members who attended this meeting must submit a written explanation and will be stripped of their ethics committee qualifications. Managing Director, Senior Managing Director, Executive Vice President. No one is exempt, regardless of gender or age. If you do not submit it within the deadline, it will be considered insubordination, and I will strongly recommend to the auxiliary office that it be reflected in the next executive contract.”

“We will form a new Ethics Committee next Thursday and hold the disciplinary committee again. At that time, have the head of the Human Resources Development Office and the head of the Ethics Management Office sit in front of me, in addition to Department Head Kim〇〇. That’s all.”

Some lamented it as the tyranny of a crazy young punk.

Resignations followed.

However, the executives’ resignations to the auxiliary office were rejected.

It was because of the instructions from the chairman’s office.

Chairman Hong Ki-joon was firm when dealing with the pleading employees.

“A person subject to disciplinary dismissal is resigning. Hundreds of thousands of employees, partner companies, and consumers are watching. Our Sein is a company that is being watched by the entire nation and the world. Other companies are also closely observing our Sein’s path. Unlawful methods are not right.”

“At least within Sein, let’s walk the right path. The job of the head of the Ethics Committee is to keep to the right path.”

“The orders of the head of the Ethics Committee are the law of the Sein Empire.”

It was like giving a sharp sword to a madman.

“Are you telling us all to die!”

One executive wailed with a flushed face at a drinking party, but the only ones who sympathized were the people who were present at the party.

And no one died.

The final orders that Son Jinhyuk, as the head of the Ethics Committee, issued were like a decree.

“Executive Director Lee〇〇, Managing Director Bae〇〇. You are both dismissed for the intentional destruction of work-related materials and the failure to protect employees. You may raise an objection according to the relevant laws.”

“Executive Vice President Jeon〇〇 has not received forgiveness from the victim of his verbal abuse. I will give you the opportunity to choose between voluntary resignation and litigation. I will explain the litigation process. If you do not resign, you will be held civilly liable for the following separate reasons: damage to the company’s image, disruption of the organizational culture, and damage to shared values. To be clear, if you step down voluntarily, there will be no litigation. It means that the company will take the blame in recognition of your past contributions. You should be grateful.”

“Department Head Lee〇〇, is it okay to have a family dinner on the weekend with the department’s operating expenses? Not just once or twice, but for over three years…… Answer while looking up at me. The reason why the department head is given the authority to execute the department’s operating expenses is to take care of the department members…… It’s not money to be used at the department head’s discretion.”

He had intended to end it with disciplinary dismissal, but there were cases where the victim’s elderly mother, who was suffering from a chronic illness, and their dependents held Jinhyuk back.

“Department Head Na〇〇, taking into account the circumstances of the return of the misused public funds, we have decided on a three-month paid suspension. Please work with a repentant heart. I will monitor the follow-up measures for the victim. That’s all.”

That was why it was a difficult task.

Because it was something that people committed and people judged.

His heart was not at ease, but it was something he had to do.

There was Hong Ki-joon’s order to learn how to use power in the right place as someone who held power.

“Managing Director Kang〇〇 is the one who made the situation complicated. When you commit a mistake, it’s best to come forward and follow the company’s procedures. Hiding, lying, and blaming others! And even inciting later. Inciting. It’s easy, right? Because I can survive by burying one stupid person. However, when mistakes pile up, it becomes so complicated that it’s difficult to deal with later. The only way is to cut off such people. I vote for dismissal.”

“Because she was young and pretty? So, is it okay to spread rumors that a subordinate is a loose woman? Why are you exercising the power delegated by the company for personal jealousy and envy? Especially between women who should be protecting each other!”

“You are all executives with experience and money, so you can live anywhere, right? The victimized employee has already been killed in terms of their personality.”

“Do you know that a bill related to financial tracking was recently passed in the National Assembly? A company official can actively track the funds of an executive referred to the disciplinary committee with the approval of the prosecution. We will form a separate audit team and put them in charge of that task. There will be no illegal investigations as the bill has been prepared. Those who have received bribes should report themselves. The self-reporting period will be announced on the portal.”

In the peaceful winter of 1999, both inside and outside the country, a storm raged in the Sein Group.

It was a wind that Hong Ki-joon was watching and Son Jinhyuk was leading.

However, no one froze to death.

***

In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, South Korea won a whopping five gold medals in track and field alone.

Jinhyuk’s juniors won three gold medals in middle and long-distance races.

The event where South Korea, with Jinhyuk’s spurt as the anchor in the men’s 400m relay, overtook Brazil and finished second after the United States was highlighted even more.

The image of Jinhyuk, who had closed the seemingly impossible 20m gap but lost by 1/1000th of a second, pounding the track with his fist while lying down became an Olympic highlight.

His one word also ignited the hearts of the athletes.

“If only I had been a little faster……”

Voices were heard that they felt the absence of Jin Sun-kyu, who had retired early to foster juniors, but no one was sad or pessimistic.

Newspaper articles, which mainly dealt with hopeful and witty content, were proof of that.

「Since when were we a track and field powerhouse?」

「Lift your head, it’s a silver medal you would never have dreamed of without you.」

「Coach Jin Sun-kyu, “Other athletes just need to think like Son Jinhyuk and train like Son Jinhyuk. It’s because they don’t do it that they can’t.”」

「Christie Sein Sports Foundation Coach, “Kyu, it’s easy to say. Telling them to train like Son is telling them to be frustrated early. Korean athletes, just do it like me.”」

「Jin Sun-kyu, “I’m the coach of the national team, not Christie.”」

「Christie, “Kyu, you almost met Jesus while training with Son.”」

「Jin Sun-kyu, “Christie, don’t talk so carelessly.”」

「Christie, “Kyu, how old are you?”」

「Jin Sun-kyu, “Reporters, I wish you wouldn’t misquote. It’s like you’re intentionally making a big deal out of things that would be overlooked if you didn’t translate.”」

After the Olympics, he took a short vacation at home.

Jinhyuk made watermelon punch with Yujin, who was already in her last year of elementary school, and Son Kwang-yeon watched the Olympic highlights with Jung-won, who was eight years old.

Even though he had watched it several times, Son Kwang-yeon couldn’t sit still and was restless every time.

[-set.]

[Men’s 100m Olympic final. It’s a heart-pounding moment as they wait for the start. All the spectators are holding their breath-.]

[Koooom-!]

[They’ve started!]

[Son Jinhyuk! Son Jinhyuk! Uwaaa-! He’s fast! Fast-, wow! He finished it just like that! South Korea! Son Jinhyuk! 9.48 seconds! He breaks the world record again, surpassing 9.50 seconds! Two consecutive Olympic wins!]

[Uwaaaaa! Hooray! Hooray-!]

Just like Jinhyuk had done on the day Yujin was born, Son Kwang-yeon also took a hooray pose. This was also something he did every time he watched the video.

“Wahahaha-! Hooray-! My son, hoorayyy-!”

It was a sacred ritual for Son Kwang-yeon.

For Jung-won, who was gradually resembling his father, shouting hooray was also a fun game.

“Our hyung [Hyung is a Korean term used by younger males to address older males, often with a friendly or affectionate connotation.], hooray-.”

“Ouch-!”

With a short scream, Son Kwang-yeon collapsed to the side as if he had crumbled, clutching his groin and trembling.

He had shouted hooray with his youngest son many times, but it was the first time he had been hit in the balls by Jung-won’s nuclear punch while shouting hooray……

“Kahahahahaha-!”

Yujin laughed while clutching her stomach and fell backward.

She kicked the bowl with her foot as she fell, and the watermelon punch spilled.

Sigh-. While wiping the juice that was soaking into the living room carpet, all Jinhyuk could do was sigh.

‘Our family doesn’t change either.’

People he was grateful for for remaining troublemakers without changing.

Family.

“Ahahahahak-! Kahahahahaha-! Oppa, look at Dad-. I think he exploded ohohok-!”

Ah, Yujin.

Your home planet was devastated by a nuclear punch, is that something to laugh about while clutching your stomach?