Chapter 200. The Road Not Taken (6)
The auction began. Handling the proceedings on such short notice was Sarah, a junior staffer who had been transferred from the Public Affairs Bureau not long ago.
“Facility Operations Department, eighty thousand! Oh! Eighty-five thousand just came in! Any higher bids?”
Despite having received no special briefing, she still led the auction with impressive smoothness. Still, what mattered right now was not the skill of some low-ranking female employee.
The director shouted, unable to hide his anger, “Division Chief!”
“Yes, Director!”
“Why is that man here?! You can’t even keep track of the movements of one key personnel?!”
The pressure made the Personnel Bureau Division Chief flinch. “P-perhaps he came to help Lee Eun-Ho...”
“Don’t spout nonsense!”
That man was the last remaining technician of the Soeju family. He was a genius the company itself could not afford to antagonize. Moreover, Soeju was notoriously difficult to arrange even a meal with, let alone an event like this.
“There’s no way that earthbound trash would have any prior connection with him.”
“T-that’s true, Director.”
“Find out his intentions! And why did he show up to my event just to ruin it!”
“Understood.”
The director took a deep breath. His grip tightened around the armrest, his hand clenching and unclenching on its own.
The division chief asked cautiously, desperately hiding how badly he was trembling inside, “Director, perhaps we should wait and see? If Lee Eun-Ho bids, we can end the auction immediately. That would still achieve our intended goal.”
The director let out a sneer. “Lee Eun-Ho bidding? Look at that bastard’s eyes.”
At some point, Eun-Ho had settled comfortably into a seat at the edge of the banquet hall. With a single glance, he took in the participants’ bidding, rivalry, and posturing. His gaze carried the air of someone watching animals in a pen perform tricks for amusement.
“He won’t bid a single point,” the director said.
“Pardon? B-but wasn’t he the one who suggested the auction earlier, saying he wanted to dine with you, Director?”
The director had almost been fooled as well. “He’s not the type to follow anyone’s example.”
Eun-Ho seemed to never walk the path someone else had neatly paved. Instead, he questioned whether the path was truly optimal and whether there was a faster way. Right up until the very end, he tore everything apart and carved out his own route.
“Three hundred thousand! We have three hundred thousand! If there are no further bids, we’ll be closing! I’ll count down from ten!”
The auction was already nearing its end. As expected, Lee Eun-Ho had not bid even once.
“Then why did he make that suggestion? Could it be that he found out who was behind yesterday’s attack?” asked the division chief.
“Those men were thoroughly trained. They wouldn’t have talked. But...” muttered the director.
A thought kept creeping in. The director felt like if it were Lee Eun-Ho, he would have noticed something anyway. Eun-Ho seemed to enjoy the carefully laid-out board, everything unfolding exactly as he intended.
“I should’ve refused his greeting and started immediately,” the director muttered.
No matter how one looked at it, complacency had led to failure. His brief hesitation was exploited, dragging him completely into the mud. Not even the director, someone more seasoned than anyone else present, was spared.
At that moment, the blonde female employee announced the end of the auction, “Three, two, one! Sold for three hundred thousand Welfare Points!”
A slip of paper with the winner’s name and the final bid was passed to the director through his secretary.
“Sales Department, VIP Sales Team Four. Congratulations,” said the director.
“Thank you, Director!”
Honestly, even if the banquet had fallen apart, it wouldn’t have mattered much. He had already achieved his initial objective by seeing Lee Eun-Ho’s insolent face.
Originally, he had planned to quietly threaten him later and reclaim the weapon. Afterward, depending on his attitude, the director would either crush him completely or put him through some mental reeducation. Opportunities could always be created again.
However, now, out of nowhere, it looked like even his precious garden was about to be snatched away by trash. The director’s insides began to boil for the first time in a very long while.
“That’s incredible. Three hundred thousand points... That’s not exactly a small loss, is it?” Eun-Ho said.
“Yeah. The Sales Department really does spend big,” the director replied.
Even though Eun-Ho hadn’t bid a single point, he wore such a regretful expression.
The director said in a low voice, suppressing his raging anger, “For someone who seems disappointed, you didn’t bid even once.”
“Oh, my apologies, director,” Eun-Ho said lightly. “I forgot my wallet’s gotten rather thin.” He shrugged, flicking his completely empty trouser pocket in mockery. “All my facilities and furniture were smashed to pieces, you see. I had to replace so many things that I couldn’t spare the Points.”
Is he aware? the director thought.
Whether he noticed the director trying to read his intentions or not, Eun-Ho smacked his lips leisurely.
“If only I’d had enough points...” he muttered.
The director wanted to smash that pale face to pieces, then drown it in his own pitch-black aura!
However, under the weight of countless eyes and years of cultivated restraint, he forced himself to say calmly, “Today won’t be the only opportunity.”
“That’s absolutely true,” Eun-Ho replied politely.
Just endure it, the director reminded himself.
Now that he knew Eun-Ho was sharp, all he had to do was avoid mistakes next time.
“Oh, and you don’t need to trouble yourself by coming all the way to my land,” Eun-Ho added casually. “I’ll visit you when I can afford it.”
“What?”
“To outsiders, it might look like you’ve got nothing better to do.”
Crack!
The armrest of the ornate throne shattered in the director’s grip.
***
“This concludes the official event! Thank you director for honoring us with your presence. Leaders remaining in the hall are welcome to relax and enjoy refreshments!” Sarah announced.
The auction was over, which meant it was over for them.
Guess it’s about time I make my move, Eun-Ho thought.
He always laid out his own board, and those were the rules he lived by. Thus, he sent Ye-Ra a message.
Eun-Ho: I’m sorry, but could we reschedule our dinner?
Ye-Ra: Do whatever you’d like.
Ye-Ra was someone he could meet anytime, hence she ranked second. He bowed his head slightly in thanks at her knowing wink. The person he had to see today was Soeju, who had obviously helped him.
He was definitely here... Huh?
Soeju had spent the entire auction watching with visible interest, arms crossed. However, the moment he exchanged a brief glance with Ye-Ra, Soeju vanished. He couldn’t have gone far.
While heading toward the exit and scanning the crowd, he sent a message.
Eun-Ho: Mr. Soeju. Do you have time after this?
Instead of the reply he was waiting for, a familiar voice grabbed him by the back of the head. “Hey! Hyungnim!”
It was Sun-Sik from the Sales Department who used to be his mentor.
“Oh, you’re here,” Eun-Ho replied lightly, his eyes still tracking any sign of Soeju.
“Yeah! I thought I heard a familiar voice. Why didn’t you say something if you were short on points?”
“Haha. Would you like to lend me some?”
“Of course—”
“Hm? You’ve got points to give?”
Before Sun-Sik could finish, someone else cut in, arms crossed. “The final bid was three hundred thousand Points. Even if you sold that shabby office of yours whole, it wouldn’t cover it, would it?”
Eun-Ho turned his head with curiosity. There, a man stood with several lackeys trailing behind him.
He had double eyelids, a greasy, butter-slick look, and platinum-blond hair that gleamed excessively, making him look even more like a slab of butter. Add to that his flamboyant outfit trimmed with frills and gold thread, and he seemed less like a person and more like an expensive block of butter. He was the auction winner, VIP Sales Team Four.
“Oh, right. Compared to those rookie team leaders whose faces I don’t even recognize, you must be worse off. Seems I picked the wrong charity case.”
“Shouldn’t you be on your way?” Sun-Sik muttered.
Eun-Ho found it interesting that the auction winner was snapping at Sun-Sik. Moreover, he was even baring his teeth at Eun-Ho himself, someone he’d never even met.
“Do you know me?” Eun-Ho asked calmly.
Butter twisted his face. “You don’t know me?”
“Is there a reason why I should?” Eun-Ho asked.
“You saw the Sales Department newsletter, didn’t you?”
“I’m not exactly free enough to keep up with other departments’ publications.”
“Your interview! My picture was right next to it!”
Ah. That interview.
He was probably referring to the one Eun-Ho had done after being selected Employee of the Year.
“No, I didn’t see it.”
Eun-Ho had been too busy.
“Tsk. Playing dumb. What, are you worried that you’re about to lose Employee of the Year again?”
Lose it again?
“Oh,” he said. “You must be the previous Employee of the Year. The one who got pushed out by me.”
“Ha! Pushed out? I just loaned it to you for a bit. I’ve almost caught up to your records anyway.”
So this is him. The previous Employee of the Year who had taken Sun-Sik’s performance numbers. The former owner of the company residence.
“Glad to hear you bounced back. I heard it hit you pretty hard, losing to a rookie.”
“W-who says I was hit hard? Guys like you, who grease palms with under-the-table money, can get ahead for a while.”
“Under-the-table money? Me?”
“Yeah. You think no one noticed you scooping up other people’s results?”
“Hmm...”
It had been a long time since Eun-Ho had seen someone stupid enough to bare their fangs so openly.
I’ll play with you next time.
He was busy right now.
“It’ll be soon. Won’t be long before the residence changes hands.”
“Sure, sure. Do your best.”
It was exactly what he’d expected anyway.
And I’ve already prepared for it.
“I’m not even part of the Sales Department,” he added calmly. “Isn’t this what you call looting an empty house?”
“What did you just say?!” Butter’s face flushed red. “How dare you little—”
“Oh, the announcement is starting,” Eun-Ho said.
That was enough of a detour.
“Attention, leaders currently in the hall. The one selected for dinner with the director is to proceed immediately to the rear of the stage,” Sarah announced.
Soeju: I have plenty of time, but also no time at all as always.
They were calling for the winner now, and he had also received a reply from Soeju. His business here was concluded.
“You were just lucky! Hey! I’m not finished talking!”
“I am.”
“What?! You insolent—”
Leaving Butter shouting behind him, he sent another message.
Eun-Ho: All the more reason to spend it carefully on something worthwhile.
Soeju: For example?
Eun-Ho: A conversation with me or dinner.
Soeju: You sure sound confident.
He couldn’t help it. Tonight, he intended to make this meal more worthwhile than any other.
If things go well, it might even be a landmark occasion, Eun-Ho thought.
Just then, he spotted a familiar back slipping out through the exit.
Eun-Ho: I received a gift early on, during the restructuring phase.
Before the connection dropped, he went straight to the point.
Eun-Ho: It was Soeju Signature Lightning Oil, obtained as a shop upgrade bonus. It seemed effectively identical to that item. Were you the anonymous observer?
The man stopped mid-step. He stared fixedly at something only he could see. He halted for too long for mere hesitation, but too short for consulting someone else. Then the reply came.
Soeju: That’s not a question I can answer. Is there any food you can’t eat?
***
There was no food Eun-Ho couldn’t eat. If he had to name one, perhaps it was jellyfish salad, the kind he’d gotten indigestion from after eating a school lunch as a child.
He had never been particularly picky about taste, either. No matter how delicious a dish was, the pleasure lasted only a moment. Once it settled in his stomach, it was all the same.
At least, that had been his belief until today, when he tasted a course meal that cost three hundred thousand points per person.
[You have consumed Under the Sea’s signature course, Thousandfold Delicacies of the Sea!]
[Your dormant taste buds erupt in a celebratory barrage at this heavenly flavor!]
After following Soeju through several doors, they had arrived in the deep ocean. It was a submerged restaurant, where round, droplet-shaped private rooms were embedded deep beneath the sea.
[Your tongue, steeped in the essence of the ocean, begins to dance.]
[All five senses increase in sensitivity by thirty percent.]
[The pure essence of the sea is absorbed into your bloodstream.]
[While underwater, Agility, Stamina, and Strength increase by ten percent.]
[While underwater, Stamina recovery speed increases by twenty percent.]
[Remaining Duration: 3 hours.]
The sashimi that had been wriggling moments ago melted softly on his tongue, making his eyes close on their own. Buffs poured in one after another. The breathtaking scenery of the deep sea stretched beyond the transparent walls.
“How is it?” Soeju asked.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life,” Eun-Ho replied, only managing to open his eyes again with effort.
“Eat as much as you want. It’s on me.”
The highest bid at today’s auction was three hundred thousand Points. Meanwhile, this meal cost three hundred thousand Points per person. In fact, two people meant six hundred thousand Points.
“I didn’t expect you to treat me to something this expensive,” Eun-Ho said carefully.
When he hinted that it might be too much, Soeju burst out laughing. “Haha! Are you worried about me right now?”
“Well, yes.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got more money than I know what to do with.”
That only made Eun-Ho like the man more. Looking again, Soeju seemed even more agreeable.
Soeju chuckled, glancing at Eun-Ho’s plate. “It’s nice to see you eat so well.”
“You can come in now.”
“Huh?”
“I noticed earlier. One of you’s been staring at my plate, and the other’s been standing by the door this whole time.”
[The Third Eye activation has failed!]
[The rank difference is too great.]
Eun-Ho already knew. He’d held back until now so he could savor the food properly. “Were you waiting for me to finish eating?”
“Hmm. You’re quite perceptive.” Soeju curled his lips into a faint, peculiar smile. “Just as expected.”
A low sigh drifted in from behind the door. A deep, resonant voice, heavy and grounded like the tones of a contrabass.
“You may come in now, Division Chief,” said Soeju.
“I suppose I should,” replied the division chief.
Who could it be? Someone even higher up than Soeju, who is important enough to make even the personnel director tread carefully.
Breaking through that droplet-like swell of curiosity, the figure finally appeared. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lee Eun-Ho.”
He was enormous as a mountain, radiating an overwhelming aura. The grandeur carried in his low voice, like the echo of a contrabass. There was something sharp and chilling about him—the aura of someone who once stood on the precipice of death.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
He merely walked over from the door, yet the table trembled faintly with each step.
He’d been suppressing his presence, Eun-Ho realized.
“I was waiting in case you’d feel sick if you ate too fast.”
“Thank you.”
Now he understood why. Under that kind of pressure, Eun-Ho wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the meal to its fullest. That would have been unacceptable.
Then, the man took a seat beside Soeju. “I am Guk Ryang from the Management Bureau.”
“My name is Lee Eun-Ho. Since you’re Mr. Soeju’s superior, may I address you as Division Chief?”
“Haha. I do hold the rank of division chief, but I’m not this fellow’s superior.”
That meant Soeju did not belong to the Management Bureau.
Name - Guk Ryang
Affiliation - Management Bureau
Rank - Division Chief
From a single exchange, Eun-Ho had extracted four pieces of information.
“It was me.”
“Pardon?”
Another piece of information landed heavily.
“I was the anonymous observer,” said Guk Ryang.
“I see... So it was you.”
It was the answer he had expected. He just hadn’t thought the man would admit it the moment he sat down. “May I ask why you supported me anonymously?”
“I didn’t give it to you alone.”
“Then...”
“I wanted to test your potential.”
Potential... Eun-Ho thought.
“Most people hoarded it, saying they’d use it later.”
“They wouldn’t have had a choice,” Eun-Ho replied calmly. “The risk of electrocution made it unusable.”
“Which means there was no one willing to shoulder that risk.”
“You always won battles that looked unwinnable, using methods no one anticipated. In the end, you survived and turned trials into stepping stones for even greater gains.”
That was true, but what mattered more was the purpose and direction behind these tests.
“What kind of potential did you need and for what?” Eun-Ho asked sharply.
It was a pointed question, especially in response to praise.
Guk Ryang smiled calmly. “I’ve been searching for a very long time.”
“For what, exactly?”
“For a capable rebel like you.”
A rebel.
Guk Ryang chose his words deliberately. “A new era always requires new heroes.”
It was a dangerous statement, one that would cause problems if the company overheard it.
Watching the man say it without hesitation, Eun-Ho said as well, “Well, I have no intention of becoming a hero. But if our goals align, I can imitate one well enough.”
He was far too selfish to be something that grand.
“I see. That might be enough,” Guk Ryang replied.
Playing the hero was easy enough if that allowed him to achieve his own objectives.
“Then, first, could you please put your signature here?”
“Huh? What is this?” Guk Ryang asked, eyeing the document. “An Agreement to Establish a Labor-Management Council?”
“If ten percent or more of employees agree, we can form a council to negotiate against the company,” Eun-Ho said.
“And?”
“So I need consent forms. I’d appreciate it if you could put your signature here.”
“Huh? All of a sudden?” Guk Ryang stammered, clearly flustered.
Beside him, Soeju burst out laughing in disbelief. “Pfft! You’re seriously asking the division chief to sign that right now?”
“I already filled in the personal details,” Eun-Ho replied calmly. “You just need to sign.”
“Wow, you’re not kidding. He already wrote down all your info, Division Chief!”
Name - Guk Ryang
Affiliation - Management Bureau
Rank - Division Chief
“This is insane—huh?”
Name - Soeju
Affiliation -
Rank -
“Do I have to sign as well?” Soeju asked hesitantly.
“Of course,” Eun-Ho answered. “Both of you just need to sign next to your names, then flip to the back and stamp your thumbprint.”
“What? A thumbprint too?” Soeju recoiled in shock.
Instead of answering, Eun-Ho asked, “And you both have colleagues worth bringing in, right? Since we’re already talking, how about we go for a second round tonight?”
“You’re planning a second round too?”
“If you bring colleagues.”
If you want to take a rebel by the hand, this much resolve is the bare minimum. Isn’t it?