The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 52

051

The sudden arrival of the Audit Team wasn’t limited to Cleaning Team 3.

Operation Team 2’s office.

“It’s brutal…”

Hunter Hong Ji-yeon said, holding her breath.

The Audit Team was sweeping away everything, from data stored on computers to documents, papers, receipts, and even the smallest scraps of paper with writing on them.

Kim Min-joo and her team members silently watched the scene from a corner of the office.

“They’re practically tearing the office apart. Is it always this intense?”

“No. This time is particularly severe.”

Kim Min-joo clicked her tongue, arms crossed.

She was confident that there wouldn’t be any problems, so she readily vacated the office upon their sudden visit…

But seeing them go this far makes her uneasy. It’s as if they know what she’s hiding.

Kim Min-joo’s lips felt parched.

“Team Leader Kim Min-joo?”

Just then, a woman from the Audit Team approached her.

Kim Min-joo felt her heart sink, but she tried not to show it and replied,

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“Could we talk outside for a moment?”

Kim Min-joo nodded instead of answering.

She followed the woman into the hallway, but the woman simply stood facing Kim Min-joo, flipping through a file without saying a word.

Eventually, Kim Min-joo, unable to bear the tension, spoke first.

“What do you want to say?”

“Regarding the operation plans from the past few months, did you write them yourself?”

“……Pardon?”

The Audit Team woman met Kim Min-joo’s eyes.

“I asked if you wrote them yourself.”

“……Yes, I did.”

Kim Min-joo’s mind became complicated.

It wasn’t a lie. She had written them, after all.

“I heard that someone else gave you advice?”

“It was just advice. I hadn’t been a team leader for very long, so I went around asking for advice from various people.”

“To say you went around to various people, other team leaders say they never gave Kim Min-joo advice.”

“…….”

“More than anything, the plans are all very similar… Kim Min-joo, you know how serious ghostwriting is, right?”

“I know.”

The woman hummed and nodded.

Then, she rustled the papers again.

It seems it’s not over yet.

“Looking here… you were the leader during the last joint operation?”

“Yes.”

“You became a team leader not long ago, yet you were the leader of such a large operation.”

“The operation team leaders declared a boycott of that operation.”

“A boycott?”

The woman asked back, but she didn’t seem surprised.

“Why would they do that?”

“Well…”

Kim Min-joo realized her mistake.

If she said here that the team leaders were dissatisfied with Kim Jun-woo unilaterally planning and managing all the schedules, it would only strengthen the suspicion of ghostwriting.

Kim Min-joo avoided eye contact and answered with difficulty.

“I… I don’t know. It seems they didn’t like something.”

“Is that so?”

But the woman’s reaction was ambiguous.

“It’s written here like this: ‘They tried to protest against Cleaner Kim Jun-woo unilaterally planning and managing the headquarters’ schedule.'”

“…….”

Kim Min-joo bit her lip.

“Kim Min-joo, were you personally close to Cleaner Kim Jun-woo?”

“…….”

It was clearly a question, but it didn’t sound like one.

It’s certain.

These bastards, they’ve already decided on the answer.

‘How is this an audit…’

Kim Min-joo shook her head in disbelief.

“Let’s stop here for today. I’ll contact you again if necessary.”

When Kim Min-joo finally refrained from answering, the woman closed the file and ended the conversation. Then, she turned and entered the office.

Left alone in the hallway.

Kim Min-joo belatedly realized the purpose of this audit.

She knew from Deputy Director Lee Ah-young’s emergency news text that the board of directors was out to get Kim Jun-woo over the joint operation.

In that situation, a sudden audit.

And questions with predetermined answers.

‘It’s not just us…’

Kim Min-joo carefully predicted where this sword someone wielded would be directed.

Unfortunately, almost all of her predictions were correct.

At the same time, at headquarters, in the Cleaning Team office.

A man with his hair neatly combed back was having a private conversation with Section Chief Park Geun-tae.

“Looking through the report, it seems the section chief didn’t create the Cleaning Team’s schedule.”

“Yes. There’s someone who manages the Cleaning Team’s schedule separately.”

Section Chief Park Geun-tae’s voice was unusually tense.

“Who is it?”

“…Team Leader Kim Jun-woo.”

“Hmm, I see. I heard that Cleaning Team 6 was newly established this time. It’s called a cleaning team, but they also go out to support subjugations [missions to defeat monsters or clear dungeons].”

“That’s right. They’re a team that’s active in almost every field.”

“Then does the operation team leader manage this team, or does Section Chief Park manage it?”

“……Team Leader Kim Jun-woo manages it.”

“How is the Cleaning Team’s monthly report going?”

“…….”

Section Chief Park couldn’t answer.

The monthly report was also only possible with Kim Jun-woo’s revisions.

The man soon let out a faint sigh.

“Section Chief Park.”

“……Yes.”

The man looked straight at Section Chief Park and gave a meaningful smile.

“Then what exactly are you doing?”

Section Chief Park, who had spent 10 years at the association, could tell instinctively.

That someone had taken up the sword [initiated a power play or attack].

Support Team, Hunter Management Office.

Deputy Director Lee Ah-young was listening calmly to the Audit Team employee’s words, arms crossed.

“Then why didn’t you dispose of the remaining materials after making the weapons? Isn’t it against the regulations to store them?”

The Audit Team man asked in a sharp voice.

But Lee Ah-young didn’t seem particularly concerned.

“You don’t seem to know much about the Support Team, but do you know how difficult it is to obtain ability weapon materials? What are we supposed to do in an emergency if we throw away everything that’s left?”

“So, has there been an emergency situation where you needed the remaining materials?”

“……No.”

The man’s expression changed subtly.

“So you stored materials that weren’t needed, even violating regulations.”

Lee Ah-young was speechless.

“Okay, I understand. But I heard that you gave all the A+ grade equipment to Operation Team 2 during the last settlement season. Why did you do that?”

“Because it was a competition.”

“Isn’t the competition between the operation teams? Why did the Support Team, which should maintain neutrality, get involved?”

“…….”

Even the mighty Lee Ah-young had nothing to say to this question.

“I heard that Operation Team 2, despite being outnumbered at the time, finished second in the final settlement. Would such a performance have been possible if the Support Team hadn’t given them the equipment?”

“……What are you trying to say?”

“I’m asking if it’s a fraudulent performance.”

So that’s how it’s going to be.

Lee Ah-young couldn’t hide her bewilderment and let out a burst of laughter.

Control Team, Operation Command Room.

Silence enveloped the entire office.

In that chilling atmosphere, Team Leader Pyeon Chang-hyeon’s heart was beating faster than ever.

“Well, there’s nothing more to see here.”

The Audit Team employee shook his head.

“What were you thinking, entrusting the chief responsibility to a cleaner?”

“…….”

Team Leader Pyeon lowered his head.

“Moreover, most of the recent operations have been centered around Team 2… Well, do you have anything to say?”

“……No.”

There was no room for excuses.

As a result, there were no problems, but the process was definitely against the regulations.

“Okay, you’ll be contacted soon. Please wait.”

The Audit Team employee left with meaningful words and got up from his seat.

As soon as he left the office, Deputy Hwang Dong-hui rushed in, panting.

“Team Leader! The Hunter Support Office, the Cleaning Team, and even Operation Team 2 have all been raided! Isn’t something really going to happen?!”

Something… Damn it, can’t you see something’s already happening?

‘Seo Min-cheol, that bastard… he really sharpened his sword with determination [prepared for a serious confrontation].’

Team Leader Pyeon gritted his teeth.

“Has anything been said on our side? What about Team Leader Kim Jun-woo?”

“That’s… I can’t get in touch with Team Leader Kim right now.”

Team Leader Pyeon’s eyebrows twitched.

“What about Director Lee Doo-shik? He’s the only one who’s been backing us up, surely he won’t just stand by.”

Hwang Dong-hui shook his head.

“Well… I wonder if Director Lee will move.”

“Ah, damn it. Because of the acquisition?”

“Yes. He already has a lot of enemies anyway. His own life is more important to him.”

“So now… Kim Jun-woo is out of contact and Director Lee Doo-shik has given up?”

The entire office froze at Team Leader Pyeon’s words.

“Aren’t we… screwed?”

A dark shadow fell on the faces of everyone there.

***

It’s already been 2 hours.

Audit Team Leader Choi Jun-hyuk has been looking through documents ever since he called me into the office, but he hasn’t said a word.

Looking at the atmosphere, you’d think it was an interrogation.

-Do you think it’s that difficult to get rid of a single cleaner?

Director Lee Doo-shik’s words came to mind.

To really cause this kind of trouble because of a single cleaner. He must have been determined.

But considering that, he doesn’t seem to be trying to find fault with me.

That means I’m not the target of this audit.

A burst of laughter escaped.

‘He’s not touching the person involved, but the people around them.’

I raised my head and glanced at Choi Jun-hyuk.

He’s probably gleefully shaking down the guys attached to me right now.

The fact that he took my phone is definitely a trick to cut off contact with other teams.

To instill anxiety in me and distrust in the people around me.

‘In that situation, it’s not easy to remain silent for several hours. This bastard… he learned well.’

When silence continues in a situation where everything is cut off, people naturally start to think a lot.

What did I do wrong?

Does this person know something?

What’s happening to the other teams?

Surely there’s no problem because of me?

The more you think, the greater the anxiety.

Moreover, if you think that other people are being harmed because of you.

Anxiety soon puts unbearable pressure on yourself, and the moment reason collapses under that pressure, people themselves give the answer that the other person wants most.

[I’ll take all the responsibility, so please stop now.]

Choi Jun-hyuk is waiting for those words right now. Without even a slight movement, not even daring to breathe.

He’s definitely smart.

But the smile still didn’t leave my lips.

Because this is my specialty.

‘Pathetic bastard.’

Do you think I didn’t use this method to cut off the heads of several people in my past life?

And you’re going to use it on me?

What kind of ridiculous bastard is trying to show off in front of a silkworm [someone who is an expert in silk production, implying someone trying to impress an expert with something they already know well]?

“The Audit Team must have a lot of headaches.”

I spoke the first words in a full two hours.

But Choi Jun-hyuk only glanced at me, still maintaining silence.

“I was planning to prepare a little more leisurely because it was scheduled for the next quarter, but suddenly the schedule was moved up by several months. If I were you, I would have said something to the higher-ups.”

“…….”

“Still, elites are definitely elites. Even though there was no time to prepare, seeing you come in this deep…”

“…….”

In a fleeting moment, Choi Jun-hyuk’s eyes changed.

I didn’t miss the opportunity and drove in the stake [exploited the opening].

“It’s as if someone prepared the target and the supplies for you.”

“……Kim Jun-woo. You need to watch your mouth.”

A sharp look and an imposing voice.

Anyone could tell from his expression that if I said one more word, I should be prepared, but that wasn’t important.

What was important was that the silence that should never have been broken was now broken.

“Haha. That’s just what I’m saying, just saying. Surely the Association’s Audit Team isn’t such an unfair place.”

“…….”

Choi Jun-hyuk closed his mouth again, but it was already too late.

“By the way, I heard that the board of directors also has some headaches. Really… they’re old men, so they need to be careful about stress. How is Director Song Cheol-shik doing these days? Ah! Come to think of it, it’s Director Song Cheol-shik’s wife’s birthday next month… Do you have any gifts in mind?”

“…….”

“I heard that she likes champagne, if you’d like, I can give you a recommendation…”

“I told you to watch your mouth.”

“Haha, I understand. I’ll be quiet.”

I leaned back and closed my mouth.

It’s over.

From now on, the more I remain silent, the more Choi Jun-shik will be lost in thought.

-What is that bastard?

-Does he know everything?

-No way, there’s no way a single cleaner would know. He must have just thrown out a random word.

-But why did he specifically ask about Director Song Cheol-shik?

Then he’ll go further and spread all sorts of imaginative wings.

As time passes, anxiety will grow, and as reason becomes paralyzed, he himself will give the answer that the other person wants most.

“……You can go now.”

Just like this.

“Then, good work.”

I smiled brightly.

I took the phone that had been taken away and left the office.