The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 96

095

Suncheon Branch, General Affairs Department Office.

I told Department Head Kang Hyung-won, who was sitting across from me, about what I had heard and then asked,

“I heard something like this happened. Were you aware?”

“Ah, no, not at all……”

He looked flustered.

There had been discord before, but this was the first time it had come out so blatantly.

“I’m sorry. I’ll correct it right away.”

“How?”

“Well, by talking about the representative……”

“I asked you not to tell people around me.”

Department Head Kang Hyung-won shut his mouth tightly.

Well, I understand.

There probably isn’t a good solution for him either.

He could advise them to stop their senseless behavior, but it would be meaningless without enforcement.

From the start, they wouldn’t listen to the branch anyway.

They’ll probably keep doing it until they get what they want.

From the branch’s perspective, they can’t just cut ties with the Baekje Guild when they’re short on staff.

Especially if they try to win over other guilds and start a group action, the problem will get bigger.

If things go wrong, we might see monsters escaping from the dungeon again in Korea for the first time in 10 years.

‘I’d like to rush in right now and dissolve the entire guild into thin air…….’

It’s not a problem that can be handled simply.

If we react emotionally just because they did that, the Suncheon branch will be the one to suffer.

If that happens, the contract we have with them will be null and void.

‘But I can’t just stand by and watch their abuse…….’

First, I needed to talk to the person involved.

I immediately asked them to call Guild Leader Shim Hyun-soo, and Department Head Kang Hyung-won contacted him right away.

Guild Leader Shim Hyun-soo appeared at the branch with a somewhat reluctant face.

That’s how the three-way meeting was arranged.

Without further ado, we got straight to the point.

“I heard something like this happened…….”

“Well, I’ve never heard of it. Maybe some trash fell out of someone’s pocket by accident.”

“Do Baekje Guild members carry food waste in their pockets?”

“……”

Shim Hyun-soo’s eyebrows twitched.

“I also heard that you demanded money to enter the dungeon.”

“That’s absurd. Do you think we’re neighborhood thugs who would do such a thing?”

He’s still grinning, as if he doesn’t understand the situation.

I wanted to punch him in the jaw right away, but…….

Be patient, be patient.

“I don’t want to make a big deal out of this. How about we just acknowledge it coolly here and resolve it amicably?”

“I’m telling you, we don’t know anything about that. You’re really hard to talk to.”

“Then are you saying our employees are lying?”

“I don’t know about that. Anyway, I don’t know anything about it, so don’t pick on us for no reason and do your job properly. If you want to work in this industry for a long time.”

“…….”

Okay, so that’s your answer.

“Well, I guess… it looks like we’re done talking, so I’ll get up now.”

“Before you go, Guild Leader Shim Hyun-soo, let me give you a piece of advice.”

“……?”

I looked up at Shim Hyun-soo, who had risen from his seat.

“You’re going to regret what you did today.”

I was being sincere, but he snorted and left.

“That’s why I told you. He acts like Suncheon is his world because he’s like brothers with Branch Manager Choi Ho-sung.”

“I know. I thought at least a conversation would be possible.”

It’s too much.

The frog in the well is the bravest [idiom for someone with a limited perspective who is overly confident].

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“Well, I think I need to think about it for a while. If they come out like that, it’ll be hard to resolve through dialogue anymore……. Then it’ll be difficult for us to continue the contract.”

“……!”

Yes, would we avoid it because we’re afraid of shit, or because it’s dirty [a saying meaning to avoid something unpleasant]?

From our point of view, it’s better to pull out at this point, both time-wise and mentally, without making things bigger.

More than anything, to solve the problem with the guild, we need to overhaul the structural problems within the branch.

However…….

Should I just let this go?

I know it’s right to back down rationally, but it doesn’t feel good.

I don’t like seeing that kind of bastard acting up without fear.

“Well, don’t worry too much. I’m not saying we’ll terminate the contract right away. But there’s a condition.”

“……Please tell me.”

“I’d like you to suspend dungeon allocation to the guild for the time being.”

“Yes, yes?! But our staff alone can’t handle the subjugation…….”

“Department Head Kang Hyung-won.”

I stared intently into his eyes.

“Now you have to choose. As you know, Department Head, we can no longer have both our company and the Baekje Guild. You have to give up one of them.”

“…….”

“Of course, I understand. If you have to choose between cleaning and subjugation, subjugation will naturally take precedence. So, we’ll make an additional offer.”

“……What?”

“If you maintain the contract with us, we’ll also help you solve the structural problems within the branch. Of course, at no additional cost.”

Department Head Kang Hyung-won’s eyebrows twitched.

“……Is that possible?”

“Does it seem impossible?”

He seemed hesitant.

“You don’t seem to like it.”

“To be honest, we want to avoid being on bad terms with the Baekje Guild as much as possible. Even though they demand unreasonable distribution rates, the branch will lose out in the end without them.”

“But if you continue like this, the branch’s losses will only get bigger. If you don’t cut off the rotting flesh because you think it’s a waste, your whole body will rot.”

“…….”

Soon, he opened his mouth with a faint sigh.

“……I’ll trust you, Representative. I’ll stop the dungeon allocation for the time being.”

“You made a good decision. Then we need to find a team to support the subjugation first.”

I quietly took out my cell phone.

“Yes, Chairman. It’s me. It’s not about anything else, but can you dispatch Operations Team 1 to the Suncheon branch tomorrow? Well, just think of it as a rehearsal before going abroad. I understand. Then.”

After finishing the call, Department Head Kang Hyung-won’s eyes widened.

“O, Operations Team 1, are you talking about Operations Team 1 with Team Leader Kim Min-joo……?”

“Who else would it be?”

Who else is better to exploit at times like this than them?

***

Guild Leader Shim Hyun-soo, who received the official letter that flew into the office after the three-way meeting, was in a very bad mood.

[This branch will suspend dungeon allocation to the guild in question for the time being due to an unfortunate incident.]

Crumple, the paper was crumpled.

At the same time, Guild Leader Shim Hyun-soo’s face turned red.

Who do they think they are…….

“Hey.”

Shim Hyun-soo called an employee in a sharp voice.

“Contact the surrounding guilds and tell them not to receive any branch dungeons for the time being.”

“Yes, yes?!”

“I don’t think they realize who will lose out if they’re on bad terms with us. Let’s give them a solid warning this time.”

“Ah, even so, refusing dungeon allocation is a bit……. Isn’t it a loss for us too? We’re all living off dungeons, so there’s no need to be so extreme…….”

“Hey, don’t you know what other regional guilds are like? They’re bribing and lobbying to get one more dungeon allocated to them.”

Seoul, which had signed a formal cooperation agreement with the association, was relatively better off, but guilds were still in a weaker position than branches in the provinces.

Except for here.

“If we act weak here, we’ll be taken advantage of like those other regional guys. And they can’t keep up with the subjugation amount without us anyway. You know the situation there, right? They’re just bluffing.”

“I, is that so?”

“Yeah. If we hold out for a few days, they’ll contact us first. Then we can ask them to increase the dungeon allocation to 50%.”

He tried to sound calm, but in fact, he was still angry.

The president of that cleaning team dispatch company.

His confident eyes, as if this industry was his, were very displeasing.

He’s just a puppy who doesn’t know how scary a tiger is [idiom for someone inexperienced versus someone powerful].

After hesitating for a while, he finally took out his cell phone.

“Ah, Hyung-nim [term for older brother or respected male figure], it’s Shim Hyun-soo. How have you been?”

「Oh, yeah. What’s up?」

Chief Choi Ho-sung’s voice was heard over the phone.

“Hahaha, I just wanted to hear how you were doing, Hyung-nim.”

「Don’t give me that crap. Why, do you need something again?」

“Ahaha……. You’re as sharp as ever. Hyung-nim, have you heard of Karma Corporation? It’s some kind of cleaning team dispatch company.”

「Oh, the one that was on the news? I’ve heard of it. Why?」

“Actually, the Suncheon branch signed a contract with that company this time… and we had some friction.”

「You didn’t cause another accident, did you?」

Shim Hyun-soo hesitated slightly to answer.

「When I was there, I barely covered up the fact that you were extorting development funds from civic groups, and you’re doing it again. I told you to keep it moderate.」

“…….”

「So, what’s going on?」

“The branch has suspended dungeon allocation to our guild.”

「…What?」

“It seems like something was said with the dispatch company… well, to be honest, if we just hold out a little, the branch will bow its head first, but I’m a little resentful. I’d like to kick them out of this industry, but what power do I have alone? Hahaha.”

「Hey, am I any different? How can I stop a dispatch company from operating against the branch?」

“Wouldn’t it be easy? Just tell the branch that external cleaning team dispatch companies haven’t proven their expertise and that something might happen, so they should reconsider the contract.”

「Hmm…….」

Chief Choi Ho-sung hesitated to answer.

But only for a moment.

「Okay. That’s easy enough. I’m a little busy because of a project I’m working on right now, so I’ll finish that first.」

“What kind of project is it?”

「I’m trying to build an operations team training center in the Seongnam branch……. Well, it has nothing to do with you, so don’t worry about it.」

“Haha, I understand. Then I’ll come up and see you next time!”

Guild Leader Shim Hyun-soo hung up the phone with a very satisfied expression.

Life is a battlefield.

I need to show that fearless cleaner what life is all about.

***

The next day, I spent the day near the branch without returning to Seoul.

When I went to the branch on time, Department Head Kang Hyung-won and several hunters from the branch were waiting in front of the building, having heard the rumor that the operations team was coming from Seoul.

Everyone looked very nervous.

You’d think the president was coming.

“He’s here!”

Someone shouted, and at the same time, a van stopped in front of the building.

A face I hadn’t seen in a while got out of the car.

“It’s been a while, Teacher.”

“I’m sorry for calling you suddenly when the headquarters is busy.”

“You don’t have to worry about that…… but it was a bit much not to have a single call after you left.”

“…….”

After glaring exaggeratedly for a moment, she relaxed her expression and approached Department Head Kang Hyung-won.

“Are you Department Head Kang Hyung-won? I’ve heard a lot about you from Chief Choi Ho-sung. I’m Kim Min-joo, the leader of Operations Team 1 from the Seoul headquarters. I look forward to working with you.”

“I, I look forward to working with you too. It’s an honor to work with the two legendary people from the Seoul headquarters.”

“……Please speak comfortably.”

Kim Min-joo also seemed to realize at once that he was a difficult person to deal with.

Next, she turned her head and looked at the junior hunters gathered together.

“Are you from the branch’s operations team? I look forward to working with you.”

“Ah, hello! I’m Go Chang-soo, the leader of Operations Team 1 from the Suncheon branch.”

“Hello!”

“Hello!”

With loud voices, their waists bent 90 degrees in unison.

Kim Min-joo had a slightly embarrassed expression.

What are they doing coming to work?

She shook her head at the absurd sight.