Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Chapter 102 Tangled Threads (3)

R&D Planning Team office.

Because it was responsible for the rather grand task of planning research and development strategies for cutting-edge technologies, distinguished guests and reporters frequently visited.

Perhaps that was why.

The R&D Planning Team office was located in the busiest part of the headquarters lobby.

But today's visitor was neither a distinguished guest nor a reporter.

-Snore.

‘What should I do?’

A massive man was sleeping soundly in a camping chair he had unfolded in front of the door. An employee who couldn't enter the office because of him agonized for a long time before finally deciding to wake him.

“Excuse me...”

-Snore.

“Excuse me!”

“Mmm... Hm? Oh, you're here. Whew, how long was I asleep? Come on, let's go inside.”

“Pardon? Were you scheduled to visit today?”

“Didn't you get the message?”

He spoke so matter-of-factly that the bewildered employee ended up letting Dohyeok into the office.

And it didn't take long for the employee to realize that the man who had entered was not a guest, but a grim reaper tightening a noose around his neck.

-Bang. Bang.

“No, I'm asking why you wrote it like this.”

“Well... um... at the time, the relevant data...”

“What data? The material I printed out was published a year ago. It lists the development costs, timelines, and sales of other companies right here. Why did you leave all of that out and simply write, ‘Few successful cases’? That's what I'm asking you to explain.”

“Th-The person in charge has stepped out for a moment, so I don't think I can answer that.”

“Who's in charge? Where is he?”

“Pardon? Well... he's on a business trip right now...”

“I'm asking where he is. I can go find him and ask him myself.”

“Um, would it be difficult to discuss it over the phone?”

“Damn it, I've got more than just one or two documents to show him. What good is a phone call? Never mind. Then hurry up and call him.”

“Y-Yes!”

The employee, nearly in tears under Dohyeok's relentless questioning, had no choice but to pick up the phone.

“Manager, I think you need to come here.”

(Hey, I told you to say I was away on a business trip!)

“I clearly told him you weren't here, but he said he'd come find you.”

(That crazy bastard, seriously...)

“Give me that for a second.”

“W-Wait, what are you doing!”

“Ah, hello? I'd like to meet that crazy bastard. Where are you right now?”

Neither in physical strength nor in justification was there a single employee who could stop the newest member of Sales Team 2.

_____________

At the same time, Daecheon Group's Audit Team.

“Which department is it this time?”

“R&D Planning Team.”

With their workload having increased considerably lately, the exhaustion was thick in both employees' voices.

“See this? It's Manager Kim Jinseong. This isn't even an anonymous tip. He put his name and job title on it and sent it straight through the groupware email system.”

“Strategic Planning Team? Isn't that the department that brought down Department Head Jung Jiwon before? Good heavens! What is he thinking, doing something like this again?”

“How would I know?”

There were no secrets in a company. And there was no one who didn't know that simple truth.

No matter how strictly the Audit Team maintained confidentiality, the headquarters building had twice as many watching eyes and listening ears as it had employees.

Who spoke to someone from the Audit Team and when, which department the Audit Team visited afterward, and even who was the only person in that department who escaped disciplinary action.

Once the countless rumors pieced together enough clues, the truth inevitably came to light.

That was why most employees who submitted reports through the Audit Team were people who had been driven into a corner.

Even though they knew perfectly well that no department would welcome a whistleblower with a smile,

“This is why people who are about to quit are scary. Looks like he's planning to expose everything before he leaves.”

“But something's strange.”

“Pardon?”

“The rumors should already have spread everywhere. In that case, when we request documents, everyone should be trying to keep quiet. But not a single department is doing that. Especially the Development Team and Sales Team. It's like they've all made some kind of resolution. Every time we request something, they hand over every related document without hesitation.”

That wasn't how audits normally proceeded.

Since the Audit Team's job was to uncover their mistakes, there was no reason for anyone to cooperate willingly.

That was why the Audit Team usually opened management documents directly or investigated the computers of the employees involved.

But this time was a little different.

It was as though everyone was willing to hand over their hearts and livers, even supplying documents that hadn't been requested.

And at the end of every phone call requesting information, they always added one question.

‘Will this help Manager Kim Jinseong?’

“Good grief. He's doing something that'll probably cost him his job. What do they mean by helping him?”

The Audit Team, an organization under Daecheon Group headquarters, had yet to properly understand Jinseong's reputation among the IT subsidiaries.

Nor did they know how the chairman regarded Manager Kim Jinseong, who was supposedly just an ordinary employee.

____________

“Then I'll be heading home first.”

(Yeah, get home safely. No, we're the ones who are leaving, aren't we? Anyway, ahem. We're on your side no matter what, Manager Kim!)

(Why are you putting pressure on him with strange comments again? Manager Kim, don't mind him. He's just being like that for no reason. Anyway, get some rest and see you tomorrow!)

“Yes, thank you.”

It was nothing more than a farewell at the end of the workday, yet both of their words carried a lingering sense of melancholy.

That was because I had already told them about our plan at Dohyeok's farewell party, when he was thoroughly drunk.

Dohyeok would dig through the documents related to the suppressed AI project from the outside, and I would use the weaknesses he uncovered to overturn everything again by submitting reports to the Audit Team.

It was a series of actions that left no consideration for the safety of either Dohyeok or me.

Especially since we had already brought down Department Head Jung Jiwon, using the Audit Team again was an action whose potential faults had already exceeded anything our achievements could cover.

But as with any business venture, success would change everything.

And there was one more reason we absolutely had to succeed.

King Yama, who was opening the door and entering right now.

-Jingle.

“I'm here!”

“Welcome.”

“If I come at this time, you're definitely open, right? This is... the coffeehouse owner! And this is Lia!”

“Yes! Unni!”

“How can you be so adorable! Oh, right, you know that trip we took to the beach? I've watched it over and over on the glass plate! That's right! Shall we play Blue Marble?”

With her memories completely erased, King Yama still watched the videos I had sent her and came to the coffeehouse. Each time she visited, she played Blue Marble as though it were her first time, and when she returned, she lost her memories again.

The memories that disappeared were repeatedly replaced by the recorded videos.

At first, I'd thought it was quite a good solution.

No matter how much potion of forgetfulness she drank, once she watched the videos, she remembered our faces and names.

But even this soon reached its limits.

Even if we recorded new videos every time, we couldn't keep adding to them indefinitely.

The more time we spent together, the greater the distance between us became.

We were now standing at the edge of that growing distance. The frequency with which we talked about memories that hadn't been captured on video had increased noticeably.

Whenever that happened, sadness briefly crossed King Yama's face.

And there was one more person who grew sad whenever he saw King Yama.

Dohyeok, who made sure to visit our coffeehouse to see her no matter how busy he was.

“I'm here! Damn it, no matter how much I work, there's no end to it.”

“Huh? It's Dohyeok!”

“Eh?”

“What? Why are you greeting me like that?”

“You recognize me...?”

“We went to the beach together before. You're in the last part of the videos on this glass plate.”

“That's right, yes! I'm Joo Dohyeok! Wahaha! By the way, where do I first appear? When we were grilling meat? Or when we were swimming at the beach?”

“Want to see? You're in it for a really long time.”

King Yama scrolled backward on the tablet and played the video.

No people appeared in the footage. Only a sign reading ‘Yangyang International Airport’ was displayed.

And then a deliberately deepened voice could be heard.

(Actually... I came all the way here because I wanted to show you this.)

“W-What the...”

Dohyeok looked at me, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. His expression demanded an explanation.

After putting a sufficient distance between Dohyeok and myself, I explained the perfectly reasonable reason that video had been included.

“I noticed the dashcam footage was still there. It seemed like a waste to just delete it.”

“Aaaaaagh!”

“Puhaha! Why are you running away!”

“Don't follow me! Aaaaaagh!”

And so another memory was created, one that would be saved during the little time we had left.

Everyone except Dohyeok was smiling broadly, but somehow, a faint shadow of melancholy hung over those smiles.

______________

Late that night, after everyone had gone to sleep, a line of luxury sedans stopped in front of Daecheon Group headquarters.

And on the highest floor, the chairman's office, which should have been dark, was brightly illuminated as though it were broad daylight.

-Tap. Tap. Tap.

Chairman Joo Manho had been silently tapping his teacup for quite some time. Eventually, one of the executives gathered in his office could no longer endure it and spoke.

“Wasn't this matter already settled? If it were someone else, that would be one thing, but if Assistant Manager Joo Dohyeok keeps digging into it on the front lines, some employees will end up in serious trouble.”

“Especially the matter the Audit Team has taken issue with. Even with our authority, it will be difficult to resolve. We would appreciate it if you took action.”

“Chairman!”

“Executive Director Oh! Don't raise your voice!”

“Ah, enough. Enough.”

The hand tapping the teacup finally stopped, and Chairman Joo Manho slowly rose from his seat.

At that movement, the other executives, looking bewildered, hurriedly stood as well.

“So... you're saying that the person who keeps stirring up trouble over the project you people buried is my son?”

“That's correct! We merely followed instructions, but if he keeps digging everything up like this and the procedures run their course, employees will inevitably get hurt.”

The employees who would get hurt were ultimately their own close associates.

With the Audit Team continually working its way up the approval chain, they couldn't even guess how far up they would have to cut off responsibility.

And Chairman Joo Manho struck directly at the heart of their predicament.

“Can't you just send a few obedient brats down to the provinces? Why? Have you finally run out of brats willing to go quietly?”

“Chairman, you're going too far.”

“You're the ones who've gone too far. I turned a blind eye to all the shares you quietly pocketed through the subsidiaries' stock listings. After that, shouldn't you know better than to come charging at me with your eyes blazing like this?”

“Ahem... Then at least make the Audit Team withdraw. An employee you've been personally nurturing is submitting reports to them, isn't he?”

“Who?”

“Manager Kim Jinseong.”

“Ah, you mean that lad from the Strategic Planning Team?”

Chairman Joo Manho slapped his knee as though he had only just remembered. Then he looked at the executives with cold, hardened eyes and spoke.

“Remember this well. Anyone who lays a hand on that lad, I'll personally make sure they lose their job. If there's nothing else, get out.”

The executives, who had never seen Chairman Joo Manho display such anger even when the AI project he had carefully pursued was blocked by them, lowered their eyes and fled the company as though escaping.