16 – 16. Antihero (2)
I tore it to shreds.
Without a sound.
Just as I had said to Lieutenant Jo.
Where does the deputy director get the nerve to challenge the head director? And not just any head director, but one from a chaebol family.
Come to think of it, they say the phrase “어이(raising deer for a horse)” didn’t originate from a millstone. Did they stage this to show a situation where people can’t point out the wrong even assuming it’s wrong?
If that’s the case, it’s truly a manipulation.
It’s like the situation of “指鹿爲馬(pointing at a deer and calling it a horse), isn’t it?
Anyway.
Where did Deputy Director Jo’s confidence in opposing my opinion go? He’s completely flustered now, unable to even raise his head.
Well, of course.
Sure, you wouldn’t act so servile if the person you’re holding under your thumb was sitting right next to you, but in reality, it’s just the two of us, isn’t it?
Then you shouldn’t act servile.
At least show some respect.
“I-I will confirm and report back immediately.”
“Yes. Report directly to me.”
“Yes, y-yes! I will also convene the meeting right away.”
Deputy Director Jo stammers.
He gets up from his seat, bows with his folder, and tries to leave.
But I can’t just let him go like that, can I?
I tap him on the back and say, “Ah. Well, you can report to Manager Seo Woo-sung first. After all, he’s your senior, no matter what.”
[Image link: https://examplelink.com]
“..Four? Three?”
I rolled my eyes so much they could have hit the three hundred mark.
“Why? Did you think I wouldn’t know? Deputy Chief Jo, who is he in the line?”
“Well, that, um, that’s…”
Deputy Chief Jo stammered, gasping for breath, too flustered to speak.
Why? Was it a secret?
Did they think by surreptitiously offering information, they’d secure a bigger position later?
But did they know?
What you think others won’t know, those higher up already do.
That’s the difference in the ‘position’.
“Step out.”
“…Yes.”
Deputy Chief Jo lowered his head weakly.
Once the secret’s out, who knows how his social life will fare.
Honestly, I don’t care much.
I won’t use it, and there’s not much value in exploiting it anyway.
It’s just convenient fodder for those of similar rank or those below looking for gossip.
Even if rumors spread about his ‘line,’ it won’t have much impact on his social life.
Unless, of course, one minor incident erupts, and everyone links it back to ‘that line.’
Do well and still, it’s all about the ‘line.’
At least, because of the “line.”
So, the line is like a double-edged sword.
It becomes a prejudice.
Especially for someone like Captain Jo Daewan, who is conscious of others’ gazes, it will be even more burdensome.
I wanted to ask why he made the line, but it seems like a meaningless question.
Because realistically, it’s impossible for a chaebol’s child to refuse the hand offered to them.
It could affect not just social life, but also livelihood. What can you do?
Whether you like it or not, grabbing the hand of a chaebol is the realistic outcome.
“Hyung.”
Jo Daewan’s line is none other than my brother, Director Seo Wooseong.
In my memory, he is a cold, reserved type.
It’s not that he doesn’t speak at all, but he doesn’t bother with unnecessary words.
Even when I look back at our shared memories, it seems like he’s always been like that since we were young.
An unpredictable guy.
While we’re on the subject, let me briefly mention the family relations of the Seo Group. The name of the founding grandfather is Seo Changsoo.
He is the head of the massive conglomerate within the three fingers of the Republic of Korea, and holds the title of chairman of the Seo Group.
Untouchable, one might say.
He’s quite old but hasn’t officially retired yet.
And his eldest son, who is our father and practically leads the Seo Group, is named Seo Taehan.
Brothers, two in number; the second, Seo Taesu, and the third, Seo Taeju.
Their familial ties, we’ll defer for now.
Offspring of Father Seo Taehan, they number five.
First is the elder, Seo Wugang.
Second is the elder, Seo Wuseong.
Third is the sister, Seo Jin-a.
Fourth, that’s me, Seo Woojin.
The fifth is our younger sister, Seo Jinju.
The eldest, a bit of a mess, no one knows where he’s gone.
The cold and quick-witted second brother has already climbed the ranks in the company.
The third sister works at the European branch.
The youngest sibling is studying abroad in the United States.
Me?
With nothing much to do, I’ve snagged a position at Seo Hwa Group, passing the time.
Come to think of it, our mother. Quite prolific, wasn’t she?
A patriot, indeed.
As you can probably tell, the group’s rising star is undoubtedly the second brother, Seo Wuseong.
Sure, I may have secured a position for him by pulling some strings with the headquarters, but he’s in the position of a manager purely based on his achievements.
Our grandfather or father wouldn’t just hand out positions in the company to family members without merit.
“Do you think I’ll clash with my brother like this?”
This act is clearly an abuse of power.
However, there is no way to remedy this situation without wielding that power.
What did I do?
Naturally, I instructed Vice Captain Jo Dae-wan on a solution to manipulate the protagonist Baek Seong-hoon.
In reality, I only want one thing.
To increase the confrontation index with the protagonist.
I initially ordered him to be stationed overseas, and when the order was actually issued, a dialogue window appeared.
Perhaps it was entering a ‘temporary’ or ‘partial’ confrontational relationship?
After that, a slot appeared.
So, what’s the point?
Blocking the protagonist’s path within the system will increase the number of slots, right?
I may have misanalyzed, but leaving the protagonist in the country again is not an option.
Certainly, judging from the dialogue window, there is a possibility that the protagonist can depart from the story zone, but clearly, the main stage of this game is in Korea.
So.
My judgment was not wrong.
If it’s wrong?
Taking responsibility and leaving the game would be the right thing to do.
I won’t just obediently follow the system’s instructions while being bound by it.
In that case, it’s better to bite the bullet and go back to the real world.
“Whether you’re a hyung or a hoobae, you’ll find the answer when you collide.”
There’s no turning back.
Whether I manipulate the protagonist, or I get manipulated.
Once the task I’ve assigned is underway, the meeting will proceed.
I’ll participate in that meeting, presenting the justification for manipulating the protagonist, and of course, I’ll have to appeal for why the business strategy should be set as such at the meeting, but I have no intention of changing the decision.
Either way, that’s the goal I need to pursue right now.
Tap, tap!!
Huh?
What’s this?
I opened my phone.
While I was deep in thought, a message popped up on my phone,
[Serin]: Oppa, what are you doing?
Ugh.
It’s Serin.
The subtle gaze in the face that appeared on the profile reminded me of last night.
Oh.
Come to think of it, I didn’t contact Serin separately after dropping her off in a taxi yesterday.
Was I supposed to have time to send a message while I was at the crossroads of staying in the game or disappearing?
I should reply for now.
‘[Woojin]: Did you get home safely last night?’
Chill.
Somehow, if I send it like the way above, it felt like a cold response would come back, asking why I’m asking that now.
So, I have to add a bit more to answer.
[Woojin]: Did it go well yesterday? I didn’t ask when it went in. I was afraid to wake you up.
Silence.
As expected.
When the first text came, without a question mark, in a monotonous context, a chilly emotion was felt, and it seemed to be right.
[Serin]: Oh~? Really? Oppa, you’re overflowing with consideration.
Hmm.
Because there seems to be something in the text, I should send an additional text.
[Woojin]: Next time, I’ll take you home. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable by taking you home the first time we met yesterday.
[Serin]: Really? When will we meet next time?
Thump.
It comes in smoothly?
But, well, being proactive is very good.
Eunhee and Hyoju were like that too, and this kid is quite proactive.
Come to think of it, what happened to Dongsu and Geunwoo yesterday?
I’m curious about the aftermath, but I didn’t even think about asking.
But where are these guys usually?
It seems like they’re hiding too much.
Hm.
By the way, when are we going to meet?
We should meet soon.
Right away, if possible.
But for now, there’s something that needs to be resolved.
So, making plans right away might be a bit challenging.
[Woojin]: This week, perhaps? I have an urgent meeting coming up, so can we finalize the plans after the meeting?
[Serin]: Okay! I’ll wait for your contact!
If I set it up like this and don’t reach out, it could be a big problem.
Since she occupies [Slot 2], I need to manage this carefully.
Even if the affinity doesn’t quite reach the desired value, it should go up with some effort, right?
But did they mention rewards with a certain probability when the affinity goes up?
What could it be?
I think there were penalties if it dropped.
Hm.
Certainly, thorough management…
“Huh?”
An onomatopoeia burst out of my mouth in surprise.
Because I also had [Slot 1].
“Yoon, Yoonie had one too, right?”
I was surprised, so I opened [Slot 1].
Certainly, there was a penalty if the affinity dropped… right?
Huh?
The affinity was still [+62].
“Phew. Thank goodness.”
But why is this?
From Noble mtl dot com
Isn’t affinity supposed to drop easily?
Come to think of it, she told me to contact her.
I searched through my messages to find Yunisuh.
Her face, featured in the profile.
Pure white skin and large, clear eyes at first glance.
The standards of beauty might be different, but she definitely didn’t lose to Serin in any way.
“Hmm… I should contact her.”
Ugh.
How is it that in just a short time since starting this night game, I already have two women?
Hmm.
..Choi Gon?
But you know.
To maintain this.
I have to influence the meeting led by Captain Jo according to my will.
“Somehow, I can anticipate how that meeting will unfold.”
So, I should prepare.
Talking about a domestic conflict.