The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 210

209

“What did you say…?”

Karma Corporation Headquarters, Operations Headquarters Office.

Song Hye-yeon, who visited the place after a long time, told Chief Kim Min-ju a shocking story.

“I’m in that kind of relationship with Team Leader Lee Tae-beom… What are you talking about?”

“There’s a rumor going around in the Seoul headquarters. There are even stories that they saw you two together…”

After hesitating, Assistant Manager Song Hye-yeon carefully continued.

“Oh, no, right? It’s just a false rumor, right?”

“Of course not. Who the hell spread that nonsense?”

“I don’t know about that… I tried to find out on my own, but the rumor spread so quickly that I don’t think I can find the original source.”

“Ha, what the hell is this…”

Kim Min-ju let out a hollow laugh, as if she didn’t even have time to be embarrassed by the absurd story.

“I think they’re more drawn to you because of your image, Chief. It’s perfect for attracting attention because the person who was the epitome of perfectionism is having an affair.”

“…….”

“I think it’s better to clarify it quickly. If you leave it any longer, it could really spread uncontrollably…”

“It’s not difficult to clarify.”

Kim Min-ju, who had been lost in thought for a while, opened her mouth with difficulty.

“Since we don’t have any evidence that we’re in that kind of relationship anyway, and if Team Leader Lee Tae-beom and I make a joint statement, it will be easy to reveal that it’s just a false rumor.”

“Then without delay…!”

“But once a rumor is on people’s lips, it doesn’t disappear easily.”

“……Yes?”

“Especially in the case of a young woman like me who ignored her seniority and became a chief in one go, it will be even worse.”

“…….”

Assistant Manager Song Hye-yeon closed her mouth, not knowing what to say.

Because everything she said was right.

Anyone who knows a little bit about her would know that the story going around now is a false rumor.

But anyone who has even a little doubt about her career… It was obvious what kind of reaction they would show without even looking.

What’s the point of being good at your job?

I knew this would happen.

That she got the chief position by dealing with the higher-ups, and so on.

To them, it doesn’t matter whether the rumor is true or false.

They just want to believe it.

Because that’s the only way they can alleviate their inferiority complex even a little.

“Of course, if we catch the guy who spread the rumor, we can hold him accountable and fix it somehow. However…”

“There’s no way we can catch him…”

Assistant Manager Song Hye-yeon replied with an almost tearful face.

It is almost impossible to go back against a rumor that has already spread.

And there’s no way the person involved would reveal that they spread the rumor.

The guy who should be held most responsible for this is hiding in the back.

“If we can’t catch the guy who spread the rumor, I have to take all the responsibility for this. And that responsibility… will eventually be reflected in the personality assessment.”

“That doesn’t make sense! It’s not your fault, Chief, how can you…!”

“Maintaining dignity.”

Kim Min-ju cut off Assistant Manager Song Hye-yeon’s words and spat out the word.

“It’s clearly an item included in the personality assessment. The operations chief, who should be a role model for all hunters, is caught up in such gossip, which means that she is already disqualified from that item, regardless of whether it is true or not.”

“…….”

“That’s the position. Here.”

Assistant Manager Song Hye-yeon’s pupils shook greatly at Kim Min-ju’s calm words.

But as if she thought there was a solution, she did not give up and continued to look for other ways.

“Still, if the evaluation committee is flexible, they won’t disqualify you, right? Besides, you have a personal relationship with the president, so if you talk to him well, it’ll be enough…”

“I don’t know.”

Kim Min-ju trailed off.

This is not such a simple problem.

Now that the rumor has spread throughout the headquarters, if Kim Jun-woo rashly tries to defend her, he may face a backlash.

Because of their friendship, he has to be more extreme.

Otherwise, not only Kim Jun-woo, but also other chiefs and personnel may be involved.

“Still, shouldn’t we at least tell the president?”

“I don’t know, he’s a person who has a lot on his mind…”

Kim Min-ju seemed hesitant even about that.

She felt like she was putting a burden on him when he was already overwhelmed with the screening.

“Let’s watch a little longer…”

“A little longer when? What, are you going to tell me after I get fired?”

At that moment, a familiar voice was heard.

“Hide what you need to hide. Your neck is about to fly off, and you’re thinking about other people?”

“P, President…?”

None other than CEO Kim Jun-woo himself had burst into the chief’s office.

“You’ve become a very famous person.”

“I, it’s all a lie. I think someone is deliberately attacking me…!”

“Sit down and be quiet. I know everything.”

“……Yes?”

Kim Jun-woo sat facing her with a calm expression.

He immediately threw something on the desk.

“This is…?”

Kim Min-ju asked as she accepted it.

It looked like a motel key, but she couldn’t understand why he took out something that had nothing to do with her.

“It’s Team Leader Lee Tae-beom’s accommodation key. Choi Jong-hyuk told that bastard to bring it to your office.”

“Yes?! W, what is that…!”

“If someone else had found this in your office, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything. Maybe the guy who spread the rumor is that bastard too.”

“…….”

Kim Min-ju shut her mouth tightly.

Because she was so embarrassed by this situation.

She couldn’t understand why they were attacking her so much.

She thought she had lived a fairly diligent life… Why is this happening?

“Wait a minute! You’re saying that Choi Jong-hyuk is the one who spread the rumor? Then we caught the culprit! If we quickly catch that bastard and make him confess…!”

“No.”

Kim Jun-woo cut off Assistant Manager Song Hye-yeon’s words and answered firmly.

“It’s not that simple. We only have suspicions, not evidence. Even if we catch him and interrogate him, if he denies it, we have no way to confirm it.”

“He told him to bring the key! Isn’t that real undeniable evidence?”

“Even that can be explained by saying that he was mistaken or that there was a misunderstanding. And more than anything…”

Kim Jun-woo carefully continued.

“Even if we catch Choi Jong-hyuk, we won’t be able to prevent disqualification if we don’t catch his superiors.”

“……!”

“…….”

Assistant Manager Song Hye-yeon had a surprised expression, but Kim Min-ju’s reaction was rather calm.

Kim Jun-woo’s gaze turned back to Kim Min-ju.

“What we’re guessing now is that someone belonging to the evaluation committee instigated Choi Jong-hyuk to bring you down, and that someone is backed by the International Association.”

“…The International Association?”

Kim Jun-woo nodded.

Then, resting his chin on his hand, he continued in a serious voice.

“It seems like they’re trying to weaken the organization by destroying the main axis. The timing and the method seem like they’re determined to do it.”

“…….”

“Now that you’re caught up in gossip, there will be a deduction in the dignity maintenance item, and Choi Jong-hyuk’s superiors will try to cling to it and disqualify you.”

“I guess so…”

“So, until the screening period is over, you have to get Choi Jong-hyuk and his superiors to confess or find evidence to hold them accountable for this. If you don’t…”

“I will be held responsible.”

Kim Min-ju lowered her head and answered.

Then, she slowly opened her mouth with a trembling voice.

“What… should I do?”

“Don’t do anything.”

“……Yes?”

“Don’t clarify or refute anything. There’s no need to prove something you didn’t do because of ridiculous rumors.”

Kim Min-ju forced a smile at the words that were neither comforting nor scolding.

“That’s what I came here to say. Don’t think nonsense and focus on subjugation [continue suppressing monsters].”

“But…”

“Okay, don’t worry about it. Leave the rest to me.”

Kim Jun-woo left those words and immediately got up from his seat.

“I’ll find them and destroy them.”

***

“He’s really a shameless bastard.”

As soon as I came out of the office, Chief Lee Ah-young approached me as if she had been waiting.

“You’re telling me. There’s no such thing as a dog trick like this [despicable scheme].”

“Min-ju… She looks strong on the outside, but she’s a soft person. She’s probably going through a lot of mental distress…”

“Well, what can I do? It’s all because she’s so good, so she has to put up with it.”

“……Geez.”

At those thoughtless words, Chief Lee Ah-young let out a ridiculous laugh.

“So, did you call Director Ko Byeong-cheol and Director Park Jang-mok?”

“Director Ko Byeong-cheol is waiting in the office now. I told the staff below to contact Director Park Jang-mok.”

“Good. Let’s meet them right away.”

We hurried our steps without time to chat.

Finally, in front of the office.

As soon as I opened the door and went inside, Outside Director Ko Byeong-cheol got up and greeted us.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“I’m sorry for contacting you so suddenly.”

“Hahaha! No. So, what’s going on?”

Instead of answering, I sat across from him and took a breath.

Then, I stared straight into his eyes and opened my mouth.

“It’s not that, but… there’s a rumor going around in the headquarters.”

“Oh, I heard. That the operations chief and Team Leader Lee Tae-beom are in that kind of relationship?”

“Do you believe that story?”

“Well, there’s no smoke without fire [rumors usually have some basis in truth].”

Director Ko Byeong-cheol shrugged and smiled.

I changed the subject and started talking about him.

“You’re in Doohan Group right now, right?”

“Yes, yes.”

“I heard that you’re a very scary person there. I heard that you blew away a department last year due to restructuring. Thanks to that, you even got a strange nickname. What was it… Cold Wind?”

“Hehe…….”

Director Ko Byeong-cheol forced a smile with a stiff expression.

“That’s true, but what’s your intention in suddenly bringing up my story?”

“Let me be blunt.”

I went straight to the point without saying anything more.

“I suspect that this scandal was maliciously spread by someone. And I think there is someone belonging to the evaluation committee behind it.”

“……Yes?”

He showed a startled expression for a moment, but that was only for a moment, and he snorted and continued.

“So, are you trying to say that it’s me? That I’m the guy who cut off the necks of dozens of people, so burying one chief of another company is nothing?”

“I’m saying this in the hope that it’s not.”

“Huh, really…….”

A reaction that he was dumbfounded.

Soon, he openly expressed his displeasure and opened his mouth.

“I have a social status, why would I try to bury the chief of another company by spreading such low-level rumors? It’s not like someone is giving me gold nuggets for doing that.”

“Is that so…….”

Even as I answered, I kept staring into his eyes.

Soon, a suffocating silence flowed for a moment.

“I understand. I’m sorry for telling you this story. I apologize if you were offended.”

I bowed my head first and showed respect.

“I understand.”

Director Ko Byeong-cheol got up from his seat, openly showing his displeasure.

Then, he turned his head slightly and added a word.

“If you want to defend her because you’re close to Chief Kim Min-ju… you shouldn’t.”

“…….”

“The internal atmosphere is not good, so if you try to cover her up, you’re likely to get beaten up [face negative consequences].”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

With those words, Director Ko Byeong-cheol slammed the office door shut and left.

“How was it?”

At the same time, Chief Lee Ah-young immediately came inside and asked.

“That human is not it.”

“…You’re sure.”

“When I asked about the rumor, he said he didn’t spread it. If he was the guy who knew something about this, he would have said that he didn’t order it.”

“……Can you be sure with just that?”

“It’s just that the probability is high. More than anything, he was more angry that he was being treated like this than that his plan was discovered.”

Even if other emotions can lie, anger cannot.

Even if I don’t know anything else, I can trust his anger at least.

Chief Lee Ah-young nodded as if she was convinced of that point and opened her mouth.

“Then what… the only one left is Director Park Jang-mok.”

“Yes. Call him here right away…”

And at that moment.

“Chief!”

A woman who appeared to be Lee Ah-young’s subordinate rushed into the office.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“About Director Park Jang-mok. I kept calling him, but he didn’t answer, so I asked other departments, and…”

The words that came out of her mouth were truly shocking news.

“He just left for Japan. He said he won’t be back until after the screening period is over…”

“Yes?!”

“Huh…….”

Shit, have you ever seen such a bastard?

He must have thought he was going to get caught, so he’s hiding?