The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 115

114

“Um, this…”

Early morning, the office.

Right after the official notice went out to all employees, Moon Soyeon came to me with a bewildered expression.

“Are you really going to do this from now on…?”

“Yes. That’s how it is. The company’s in a difficult situation, so I can’t help it.”

“Ah, even so…”

I guess it’s hard to accept.

Well, I fully expected there would be backlash from the employees.

Before the regression [time travel/reincarnation], when I was the operations team leader, I got cursed at enough to last a lifetime because of this.

Even the Hunters revolted, so how much more would they?

But I have no intention of being lenient.

No matter how much they resist, I won’t bat an eye.

…Or so I resolved, for a moment.

“Isn’t prohibiting overtime bad for the company? Of course, it’s good for us, but…”

“We’re trying to save on overtime pay. How is that bad for the company?”

Somehow, the reaction was quite different from what I expected.

“Well, that overtime pay is usually not given out properly anyway…”

“That’s illegal, isn’t it?”

“Y-Yeah, it’s illegal, but usually…”

Moon Soyeon stammered, as if she found it difficult and frustrating to explain something.

I couldn’t understand what she was saying at all.

“Haa, I don’t know if she’s just nice or just stupid…”

Meanwhile, Han Yoobin, who was listening from the side, muttered quietly.

“What was that?”

“Do you know that all the employees are in an uproar right now?”

“I expected it to some extent. I told you, I can’t help it. If we continue like this, we won’t even be able to pay the employees’ salaries. Even if it’s tough, I plan to push through with it for the time being.”

“That’s the problem! The company is struggling, so we should be working more. If you prohibit overtime, all-nighters, and even extra work, who will do the work and who will earn the money?!”

Han Yoobin raised her voice.

As I was making a bewildered expression because I didn’t understand, she continued.

“We’re going to go bankrupt like this! So much so that people are lining up to work overtime even if they don’t get paid?!”

“No… I don’t understand… Why would they work without getting paid? What does it matter to the employees whether the company goes bankrupt or not?”

“Whose company it is matters.”

“…?”

Why does whose company it is matter? A company is a company.

A company is a place where you get paid for the work you do.

Even if the company goes bankrupt, I’ll suffer losses because I invested in it, but they won’t.

I thought they would complain that their allowance would be less because there would be less work… What are these ordinary employees worrying about the company for?

“Haa… Okay. It’s a decided matter, so we can’t insist on our own. I understand for now.”
Han Yoobin arbitrarily concluded the story as if she couldn’t get through to me anymore.

“I told you you’d get an earful, didn’t I?”

Chief of Staff Lee Ayoung, who had been listening quietly, finally opened her mouth.

“I thought they would ask for more money, but I never thought I’d hear them say they wouldn’t take money.”

When I was the operations team leader, the Hunters went crazy as soon as I banned overtime.

They’re expressing their dissatisfaction in this way, so honestly, I don’t know what tune to dance to.

“You didn’t think it would be the same as the Hunters, did you? Their overtime pay is in the hundreds of millions [of Korean won, a significant sum].”

“The units are different, but in the end, they’re still getting more money, aren’t they?”

“To them, the company is more important than getting a few bucks. You know, there’s also the saying that you should work with a sense of ownership, right?”

“I don’t understand that. Where are there people who actually do that just because you tell them to have a sense of ownership? This isn’t a drama.”

“I guess so. I thought so too, but…”

Why are you looking at me like that?

“There are some, though.”

“…”

“The basic salary alone is incomparable to the Association. On top of that, you give them all the allowances, transportation and meal expenses are covered, and if they need any equipment, you support them right away. And if anything unpleasant happens, you somehow resolve it.”

“…”

“If I were them, I’d bury my bones here, too.”

Chief of Staff Lee Ayoung shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, it’s not like there aren’t any problems. You’re perfect as a leader, but not as a businessman.”

If you’re going to praise me, just praise me.

This is like giving medicine after giving the disease [a Korean idiom for mixed praise and criticism].

“I’ve reduced the parts that can be saved as much as possible…, but as Yoobin said, management will become difficult. Sales will drop as much as the time is reduced. In the end, to fundamentally solve the problem, we need to secure funds.”

“Hmm…”

“Of course, I know you hate getting help from anyone because of your personality… but now is not the time to be stubborn. You need to know how to get help if you need it.”

I don’t have any intention of being stubborn in the first place.

What good is pride in front of money?

I just came up with a way to reduce costs as much as possible right now.

‘So I thought they would resist more…’

Anyway, there’s no one here who’s in their right mind.

Anyway, it’s possible to hold out for a while somehow, but it’s dangerous to continue like this.

I need to get corporate investment like the Association President said… What will the most money-hungry guys see in us to invest in us?

‘Tsk, can’t some money just fall from the sky?’

After all, making money is a difficult problem.

Knock, knock—

While I was racking my brains over the money problem, a man came into the office.

The man in a neat suit bowed lightly and opened his mouth.

“I’m Bae Hyunsoo, aide to Assemblyman Jung Hoon of the Future Democratic Party. Are you CEO Kim Junwoo?”

“Yes, that’s right, but…”

“It’s not something else, but the Assemblyman would like to meet you.”

“…?”

A member of the National Assembly wants to meet me?

Why all of a sudden?

***

A building stands tall in Jongno, Seoul, as if showing off its majesty.

It once went to the brink of bankruptcy, but it has rapidly risen to become the highest-valued company in Korea through the trade of by-products and items in line with the appearance of the first dungeon.

One Star Corporation.

“It seems that the situation within and outside the Association is quite serious after the terrorist and attack incidents. Accordingly, the Future Democratic Party is preparing a bill to privatize dungeons.”

Sales Headquarters Office.

Chief Oh Jaeyeop explained, handing over the documents he had prepared to a man.

The documents contained detailed information on the dungeon privatization bill.

“Hmm…”

The man who received the documents rested his chin.

Head of Sales, Ha Sungtae of One Star Corporation.

He is very young, but considering that he is the eldest grandson of Chairman Ha Deoksoo of the One Star Group and the eldest son of President Ha Dongbae of One Star Corporation, his age didn’t matter.

Recently, President Ha Dongbae collapsed due to an illness and was unconscious, so he was practically the head of One Star Corporation.

While Head of Sales Ha Sungtae was skimming through the documents, Chief Oh Jaeyeop carefully opened his mouth.

“Of course, it is a bill that is still divided on pros and cons. From a company’s point of view, there is no reason to oppose it, but the Association and citizens will probably…”

“That’s right. Because the right to subjugate [conquer/control] and the ownership of dungeons, which had been the Association’s unique authority, are being released to private companies.”

Because it is more opposed to taking away what was given than not giving it from the beginning.

Above all, the right to subjugate is the foundation of the Association and the source of its influence. It is natural to oppose taking it away.

Head of Sales Ha Sungtae put down the documents and said.

“Well, anyway, the key is whether it will be passed for sure. Whatever happens to the Association, it’s an opportunity we can’t miss.”

“It’s a little early to jump to conclusions, but experts believe that the probability of it passing is high.”

“Then we need to move in step.”

Head of Sales Ha Sungtae replied with a dignified smile.

If dungeons are privatized, companies, private guilds, and even ordinary citizens will be able to own dungeons. Then, if there are personnel capable of carrying out operations, companies can also carry out subjugation.

In other words, subjugation is now a business.

‘Private subjugation business…’

His instincts were telling him.

This will definitely make money.

A lot of money.

“Well, we can bring in Hunters from freelancers and guilds…”

The picture was already being drawn in Head of Sales Ha Sungtae’s head.

At this moment, Chief Oh Jaeyeop joined in.

“The support and control team can be scouted from overseas.”

“Good. Let’s do that.”

“But… what should we do with the cleaning team?”

“Ah… that’s right. There was such a thing.”

Cleaning team….

“Actually, that’s the most ambiguous. Karma Corporation’s position is too strong to scout, but to create our own team…”

“The budget is the problem. They’re just cleaners after all.”

Chief Oh Jaeyeop nodded.

Then, Head of Sales Ha Sungtae came up with a way.

“Then it might be better to bring an already established company to our side.”

“Are you talking about Karma Corporation…?”

“Where else is there a cleaning team company besides that?”

“But the CEO there is former Director Kim Junwoo. I don’t think he’ll agree to the acquisition…”

“Hmm.”

That wasn’t wrong.

You won’t be able to move him with half-measures.

While he was thinking about how to coax him, Ha Sungtae’s cell phone rang.

After checking the caller, he gestured to Chief Oh Jaeyeop.

Chief Oh Jaeyeop immediately left the seat after realizing the meaning, and Ha Sungtae finally answered the phone.

「How’s it going? Did you check the article?」

The person who called was Assemblyman Jung Hoon of the Future Democratic Party.

“Yes, Assemblyman. I just checked.”

「Well, the atmosphere is good now. It looks like it will really pass this time.」

“Thank you for your hard work. Then how…”

Head of Sales Ha Sungtae lowered his voice and continued.

“How should I give you the value? I recommend stocks rather than real estate these days…”

「Hahaha! As expected of the Chairman’s grandson, you’re so cool!」

Assemblyman Jung Hoon’s hearty laughter was heard.

In fact, the bill had already been proposed a long time ago, but it was a bill that was on the verge of being scrapped within the Future Democratic Party after several failures.

But it was too good an opportunity for Ha Sungtae to miss.

So he reached out to Assemblyman Jung Hoon first.

He promised support funds and a large gift on the condition that he push the privatization bill to the end.

Assemblyman Jung Hoon had already had a relationship with his father, President Ha Dongbae, for a long time, so there was no reason to refuse the offer.

Assemblyman Jung Hoon opened his mouth in a serious voice.

「Let’s put that story aside for now… There’s one thing that bothers me.」

“Please tell me.”

「Do you happen to know CEO Kim Junwoo?」

“Yes, well, I know him… Is there any problem with that person?”

「It seems that that human is a hidden card. No matter what anyone says, he’s the one who led the Association’s heyday. He will definitely oppose the bill… Honestly, I can ignore the other guys, but not him.」

“He has a different level of influence than other Association officials. The public’s trust is also enormous.”

「If such a guy stands on the Association’s side and opposes it, we will be at a disadvantage. So I want to bring him to our side somehow… But no matter how much I think about it, there’s no good way.」

Head of Sales Ha Taesik paused for a moment.

At the end of that, he smiled and opened his mouth.

“That’s good. We were also interested in that person’s company.”

「Um…?」

“I think there’s a way.”

「Oh, really?」

“Yes, well… Let’s meet and talk first. Of course, with CEO Kim Junwoo too.”

Head of Sales Ha Sungtae hung up the phone with those words.