Chapter 1: Like the Protagonist (1)
“What did you just say?”
He must have been quite flabbergasted.
Because usually, when the team leader said anything, I just stayed quiet or only laughed.
“Are you asking because you didn't hear me properly? Or are you asking because you don't understand?”
“Hey!”
Team Leader Kim shot daggers with his eyes.
It would be nice if he shot those daggers outside the team.
Outside, he couldn't say a word, only causing a fuss within the team.
“Are you crazy?”
“…….”
“Did I ask for your opinion just now? I gave an order as the team leader, so what's the problem?”
The Operations Team has a total of 5 members, including the team leader.
The other 3 team members besides me lowered their heads and held their breath.
They must have been afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.
In company life, it's advantageous to be sparing with words.
Stepping forward doesn't get you a bigger paycheck.
On the contrary, it's highly likely your performance evaluation will suffer, reducing your salary increase.
“If you were going to be like this, why did you call for a meeting?”
“…….”
“You could have just sent an email, why hold a useless meeting?”
I recited the lines Hyeok said in the novel I wrote.
Hyeok is the name of Kang Hyeok, the protagonist of my 4th work, the extremely refreshing company-life story <The Office Worker Who Came From the Apocalypse>, which earned me 100 million won a month in royalties.
I took only the 'Hyeok' part from my name, Min-hyuk, to name him.
Just like in the company-life stories of my previous 3 works, Hyeok too will become the chairman by the time the story concludes.
“Go Min-hyuk! Are you nuts?!”
Although it was a novel written from delusion, I tried to maintain a minimum level of plausibility.
Meaning, it's something that would never happen in reality, but that doesn't mean I wrote about something impossible.
‘Let's go with what Hyeok did.’
Setting aside my inner fear and caution for a moment, I pushed forward just like Hyeok did.
“Because you act like this, Team Leader, the team members, including myself, haven't been able to speak up.”
“…….”
“If we say anything, you just raise your voice, so what could we possibly say?”
“This punk, what is he talking about now!”
To try anything, I have to change the team leader first.
Team Leader Kim was definitely not the kind of leader who would help team members grow.
For a subordinate to change a superior, their incompetence must be known far and wide.
To make his voice louder, I deliberately provoked him.
“Why can't someone with such great fighting spirit speak up like this? When you go to other teams!”
“…….”
“Can't you see the team members working late every day, checking content without even resting on weekends?”
The team leader's words grew fewer.
He was being pushed back by me.
It was the first time I had crossed the line, and it felt like I had discovered a new realm.
“The Curation Team skipped the work cooperation process, didn't they? Each team has a schedule, and if they wanted cooperation, they should have shared the plan in advance and asked for understanding. They requested development, and now they tell us to test it because it's not their job?”
Although it was an intended situation, I wanted to say everything I wanted to say.
“You just listened quietly and came back saying, yes, I understand? Not just anyone, but the person representing the team?”
Team Leader Kim was speechless, just opening and closing his mouth.
It was the same strong-against-the-weak, weak-against-the-strong attitude I had often seen when he met with collaborating departments.
As I came on strong, his true nature emerged.
No matter how agitated I was, I shouldn't forget the most important thing: securing the justification.
“If it were once or twice, we could let it slide, but it's like this every time. It's suffocating. Isn't that right? Deputy Manager Song?”
Deputy Manager Song A-ri.
She is a working mom.
She had lamented that since she comes to the office on weekdays, she wants to spend enough time with her child at least on weekends, but she doesn't have the leisure because of work.
I had heard her mention several times recently that she was considering quitting.
“It is… a bit tough. Team Leader.”
While the sudden growth of the OTT industry is a big factor, it's true that too much work has been concentrated solely on the Operations Team.
Thanks to Team Leader Kim.
***
[With such great fighting spirit, why can't you speak up, I ask you? When you go to other teams!]
The loud shouting from the meeting room echoed outside.
The office was as quiet as a library, so the clash between Team Leader Kim and Min-hyuk inevitably reached the outside.
- Geez, I knew this would happen someday.
- It had to give. Team Leader Kim only cares about his own reputation, so he never says anything unpleasant outside.
- Only the team members suffer.
“Hmm?”
Director Yun Hyeon-su of GoPlay's Operations Management Bureau.
The Operations Team is under the Operations Management Bureau, and Director Yun is Team Leader Kim's direct supervisor.
He was passing by the meeting room when he heard the shouting and asked an employee sitting near the entrance.
“What's going on inside?”
“The Operations Team is having a meeting.”
“Operations Team?”
Team Leader Kim Se-jun is 48 years old this year, and his direct supervisor, Director Yun Hyeon-su, is 43.
One could say he's a significantly younger direct supervisor, and he had been displeased with Team Leader Kim's overly defensive work attitude.
‘I wish he’d be a bit more proactive.’
However, while Team Leader Kim was Director Yun's subordinate, he was also a considerably senior figure in the company.
It was bound to be somewhat uncomfortable,
and although he had indirectly hinted at his feelings, it was difficult to appeal strongly.
[The Curation Team skipped the work cooperation process, didn't they? Each team has a schedule, and if they wanted cooperation, they should have shared the plan in advance and asked for understanding.]
He couldn't tell who it was just from the voice, but he really liked the speaker's attitude.
It felt like seeing his past self.
[You just listened quietly and came back saying, yes, I understand? The team leader?]
“Heh.”
Director Yun let out a chuckle.
‘Why do I feel so refreshed?’
“Do you know who just spoke?”
He asked the employee next to him,
“It seems to be Deputy Manager Go Min-hyuk from the Operations Team.”
“Ah~ Deputy Manager Go.”
The employee with the most seniority in the Operations Team after the team leader.
Director Yun remembered Min-hyuk because of the strange structure where the next rank below the team leader was a deputy manager.
One of the problems with the Operations Team was the lack of middle management.
Even when offered positions at the manager/deputy general manager level, Team Leader Kim had vehemently refused the addition of mid-level management personnel.
He said task processing was possible with the current manpower, but everyone knew the real reason.
It was to solidify his own position.
[Then try doing it yourself!]
Team Leader Kim's yell was heard.
“Oho.”
Director Yun smiled and spoke to the employee beside the meeting room door.
“This is getting interesting, isn't it?”
“Haha…….”
The employee laughed awkwardly, and Director Yun stayed put, watching.
***
It had gone as far as it could.
Seeing the rekindled fighting spirit in Team Leader Kim's eyes, I felt momentarily intimidated, but.
Grit.
I clenched my teeth hard.
Even if things went wrong and I was deemed insubordinate and advised to resign, there was no need to be afraid.
My livelihood issues were sufficiently resolved.
Besides, wasn't speaking up for the team members quite meaningful in itself?
“Am I the team leader? Why should I do that?”
I lifted my chin and confronted Team Leader Kim.
- Deputy Manager Go, stop now.
- I'm going crazy with anxiety.
The team members who had been silent tried to stop me, but stopping here would achieve nothing.
Team Leader Kim snorted and spoke.
“Deputy Manager Go, have you really lost your mind? Did you win the lottery or something? Why are you like this? Really?”
I am a 4th-work author who owns a piece that brings in 100 million won a month.
I don't envy the lottery.
“Is there some reason why you can't speak directly to the Curation Team, Team Leader?”
“…….”
“This isn't our job! They should clean up their own mess! Why can't you say it! Just say it!”
I yelled suddenly, and Team Leader Kim flinched.
He blinked in confusion, then put strength back into his eyes.
“The Curation Team is requesting it, do you have the guts to refuse? See? You're only acting up towards me now, but when I tell you to make the request yourself, you say you can't.”
“When did I say I couldn't? I said it wasn't my job.”
“Stop the nonsense. Then, is arguing with your team leader right now a task befitting your position?”
“…….”
“Am I wrong?”
Damn, this isn't easy. As expected, he's not a team leader for nothing.
However, I didn't back down.
“Yes. It is a task befitting my position.”
“…….”
“Since you're not doing your job as team leader properly and making the team members suffer, I can certainly offer my opinion as a team member.”
Team Leader Kim shook his head and closed his laptop to end the meeting.
He wouldn't engage further, but if it ended like this, there would be no change.
It's a bit burdensome, but…….
“And I will go talk to the Curation Team.”
- Deputy Manager Go!
- Are you crazy?!
“Instead, don't talk behind my back about me overstepping my authority. Since you said you couldn't do it, Team Leader, I am stepping up as the acting team leader.”
At the words ‘acting team leader’, Team Leader Kim's face hardened.
Since he's only interested in maintaining his position, he would be sensitive to that.
I understand his age and situation, but,
it seemed like a different position than team leader would suit him better.
“Deputy Manager Go, don't overdo it.”
Now that I said I would go, Team Leader Kim seemed flustered, but,
I stood up from my seat.
“Then I will report back after I return.”
After bowing my head in greeting, I left the meeting room.
***
“Senior! Stop for a second. Hah. Hah.”
My junior colleague chased after me and caught me.
“Why the sudden outburst?”
Deputy Manager Jeon Seung-hyeon.
Although he's my junior, we're only one year apart, so we get along comfortably like friends.
“What? It's not like I said anything wrong.”
Taking a breather and thinking about it, it seems I had a lot pent up too.
No matter how much confidence I gained thanks to the 100 million won deposited in my account, I had gone overboard.
Well, I was prepared to get fired anyway.
I didn't want to hesitate.
“Senior, don't be like that. Go back right now and apologize to the team leader.”
“Why should I apologize?!”
“…….”
“How long are you going to live with your eyes and ears closed?”
Deputy Manager Jeon looked at me intently and said.
“That's what you usually say, Senior. That it's wise to live a long and quiet company life, closing your eyes and ears, doing just what needs to be done.”
Ah, right.
Back when the only income deposited into my account was this company's salary.
“The situation has changed.”
“What has?”
Deputy Manager Jeon looked closely into my eyes and said.
“Tell me, at least. Senior, did something happen to you?”
“…….”
“Did your stock investment hit big? Or, a new job?”
Nobody knows that I write.
But right now, my lips were really itching.
I wanted to say that besides my salary, I earn over 100 million won a month in royalties.
“What do you mean, something happened? I'm just trying to act like a senior now.”
That was close. I barely swallowed the words that had come up to the tip of my tongue.
“Aww~ Something definitely happened. Are you going to be like this?”
“I told you, nothing.”
Before I knew it, we arrived in front of the Curation Team office.
As befits the company's core department, only this team didn't have an open-plan office.
Phew-
Deputy Manager Jeon looked at me with anxious eyes.
“I want to work with you at the company for a long time, Senior.”
I placed my hand on Deputy Manager Jeon's shoulder and said.
“I'm sorry for how things have been. I should have stepped up sooner.”
Thump!
Just as I was about to go in, I felt nervous,
so I opened the door even more dramatically and shouted loudly.
“Team Leader Seo Jong-sik! Let's have a meeting!”
It was the same when I argued with Team Leader Kim, but once I commit, my mind feels at ease.
This, it seems slightly addictive.