Chapter 45 – Invincible Intern – Part 5

Chapter 45 – Invincible Intern – Part 5

He approached Woojin as if to devour him.

“Hey, you bastard. How do you do your job?!”

Deputy Manager Park looked as if he was about to grab Woojin by the collar. Woojin, on the other hand, had his usual puppy-like eyes.

But his brain was spinning rapidly.

His status was Intern, and the other person was a Deputy Manager.

It was not right to deny the anger of the Deputy Manager.

As various thoughts flashed through his mind, Woojin chose the best one.

And with these words, he would get others to act, while he himself would step back from the front.

Then he just had to watch the situation unfold.

“I apologize. As an Intern, I was unaware. If you could point out my mistake, I will correct it. What should I fix?”

Deputy Manager Park, who had been glaring at Woojin, turned red.

Honestly, Woojin hadn’t done anything wrong.

He had run a Briquette Charity as a public relations project and taken a small kickback from it.

Just like cleverly using a Corporate Card.

“This is driving me crazy, seriously.”

Deputy Manager Park, standing right in front of Woojin, ran his hand through his hair as if frustrated.

“If you tell me, I will fix it.”

“Ugh… whatever, who’s in charge of you?”

“Deputy Manager Park, I am.”

As Assistant Manager Im approached, Deputy Manager Park frowned.

“Hey, can’t you train your intern properly? Are you kidding me?”

“I’m sorr—”

Just then, Manager Lee, Deputy Manager Park’s colleague, came over and whispered.

“Deputy Manager Park, is this something to get angry about? I don’t think so.”

“Are you trying to screw me over on purpose right now?”

“She said she didn’t know. And it wasn’t an atmosphere where I could just let it go. The intern found it in front of all the employees. Deputy Manager, the Department Head was there too.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight with me?”

“Pick a fight? Should I scream that Deputy Manager Park swindled us with a simplified receipt and argue with you here?”

Deputy Manager Park, glaring at Manager Lee with bloodshot eyes, let out a short remark and turned away.

“Just you wait.”

Manager Lee watched him leave the Management Support Team and said,

“Come on, come on, I’m not scared, so come on. Hahaha!”

Assistant Manager Im said,

“Manager, Deputy Manager Park will probably be drinking some soju tonight, won’t he?”

Manager Lee, with a satisfied expression and his arms crossed, nodded vigorously.

“When you’re stressed, you have to drink! Definitely.”

Woojin also nodded slightly as he watched them.

When he first stepped into the Management Support Team, he noticed that Manager Lee would get in a bad mood under certain conditions.

This condition would reflexively occur whenever the title of Deputy Manager Park of the Management Support Team was mentioned, and each time, Manager Lee’s micro-expression would twist.

That’s why he made an issue out of the simplified receipt, which could have just been settled.

It was like giving a gift to Manager Lee.

If this happens,

“Our pretty intern.”

“Yes!”

Manager Lee said with a smile.

“Don’t worry about what Deputy Manager Park said. You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re doing great! Just keep it up like this. Then you won’t have to worry about your performance review. Understand?”

“Thank you! I’ll work hard!”

Assistant Manager Im, who had patted Woojin on the shoulder as if to encourage him, headed towards the elevator, seemingly to get coffee.

Woojin nodded again, watching them.

He had created an obvious situation, and an obvious reward naturally followed.

And once he completely won Manager Lee over, when he returned after college, Manager Lee would be a Deputy Manager with good connections to him.

Woojin was lost in thought for a moment.

If he received a good performance review and became a full-time employee, promotion would naturally follow.

But if he kept getting promoted, how far would he go?

* * *

At lunchtime, Woojin met his father’s friend, Deputy Manager Oh Munjin, for a meal.

During the meal, Deputy Manager Oh Munjin told Woojin various stories.

The advice was to just be observant, to do what he was told well, and to always ask if he didn’t know something, even if he got scolded.

Woojin replied as if he would take it to heart, and parted ways with Munjin-uncle as lunchtime ended.

And Woojin went back and forth between departments, running errands.

Each time, he input information into his mind.

What the Assistant Manager of each department was doing, what the Manager of other departments was working on, and who they were talking to in foreign languages.

He began to look closely at the company called Shinhwa Trading.

He planned to look at it microeconomically first, then see the macroeconomic flow of the company.

With an hour left until quitting time, Assistant Manager Im approached him.

“Are you free after work today?”

Assistant Manager Im seemed to be asking about his schedule, but Woojin heard it differently.

“Let’s go somewhere after this.”

“Yes. I’m free.”

“That’s good. Manager Lee wants to have a drink after work, so keep that in mind.”

Assistant Manager Im’s tone of voice suggested he should consider it an honor.

“Yes!”

Woojin thought the opportunity had come sooner than expected.

A drinking party was a simple and good opportunity to glimpse his unconscious without effort.

After running errands and observing the Sales Team intently, Woojin found himself at a grilled tripe restaurant with Manager Lee and Assistant Manager Im.

Manager Lee and Assistant Manager Im mainly talked about work, and Woojin listened carefully to their words, pouring soju whenever their glasses were empty.

“That bastard Deputy Manager Park, he’s really in for it this time.”

“Manager Lee, show them your bloody revenge.”

“Even if I can’t repay kindness, I must repay grudges. Come on, let’s have a drink!”

Manager Lee, who had quickly emptied his drink, turned his gaze to Woojin.

“Our intern, you must really like grilled tripe, huh?”

The way he savored the taste made him seem like a gourmet.

“It’s delicious!”

“Hahaha! Eat a lot, eat a lot. Boss! Add one more serving here! Here, take my glass.”

Woojin politely accepted the drink he poured.

Manager Lee’s face was flushed red, as if he was tipsy.

“You said you got a perfect CSAT score, right?”

“Yes. I was lucky.”

“Did you go to an academy? Or get private tutoring?”

“No. I studied by myself.”

“What did you say?”

“I did it myself.”

Assistant Manager Im looked surprised, then said,

“That could be it. Considering his good memory…”

Manager Lee interrupted Assistant Manager Im and spoke.

“You just memorized everything? Without any special study methods or anything?”

Woojin could sense it as he was stared at and asked.

“I’m not sure if it’s special, but I focused on motivation. My younger sibling also studies that way and is ranked first in the entire school.”

“First in the entire school?”

“Yes.”

“Like, watching motivational videos and stuff?”

“No. Rather than those kinds of videos, I think it’s important to create motivation that suits each individual. I wanted to join Shinhwa Trading since I was 18, and now, two years later, I’ve joined as an Intern at Shinhwa Trading, just like that.”

“Wow… So our Intern has achieved his goal, then?”

“I haven’t become a full Staff Member yet.”

“You’ll be fine if you just keep doing what you’re doing. Here, have a drink.”

Manager Lee, after taking a sip of alcohol, mumbled.

“I wish our Jonghoon was even half as good as you, Woojin.”

“He wasn’t interested in studying?”

“Just playing games endlessly…”

Manager Lee, his eyes unfocused, trailed off, then spoke again.

“Intern, no, Woojin, could you take a look at my son? Some advice as a Perfect CSAT Scorer or…”

Woojin replied as if cutting off Manager Lee’s words.

“If I were to talk to your son, his grades would naturally improve.”

His overly confident tone left both of them speechless for a moment.

Manager Lee, blinking, said,

“Really?”

“I’m sure of it.”

“What time is it now? Assistant Manager Kang, Woojin, second round at my place?”

“I think your wife might not like that?”

“Don’t you know I have my wife wrapped around my finger?”

Manager Lee immediately called his wife.

It wasn’t even 8 o’clock yet,

“Hey, honey, it’s me. I’m bringing Assistant Manager Im and the new intern over for a second round at home…”

-Are you trying to start a fight?

“No, it’s not like that!”

Manager Lee picked up a cigarette and stood up.

-I’m changing the password, honey. You’re sleeping outside starting today.

“Honey, it’s not that! There’s a guy who got a perfect CSAT score and joined as an intern this time, and I think he could help our Jonghoon. You know well, honey? It costs hundreds to get tutoring from kids like him. I’m currently trying to persuade him, you know?”

-You old man, you should’ve told me sooner! I don’t have anything to cook!

“We can order delivery. Anyway, I’m leaving now.”

***

“Hello, madam!”

Assistant Manager Im’s booming greeting was warmly received by Manager Lee’s wife, Kim Miyeon.

“If you had told me earlier, I would have prepared this and that. It’s been a while. Please come in.”

“Hello! Madam.”

Her expression brightened even more at Woojin’s greeting.

“Welcome. You’re very handsome! Jonghoon, Dad’s colleagues are here~!”

At her words, a student who appeared to be in high school came out of the room.

It was Manager Lee’s son.

“Hello.”

Woojin greeted him with a gentle expression.

“Hello. Nice to meet you.”

Jonghoon seemed to be in a hurry, and sure enough, he bowed his head once more and disappeared into the room.

Manager Lee’s wife said with an awkward laugh,

“He’s a bit shy, so please bear with him.”

So the three of them sat down and even ordered delivery food.

Woojin, clearly thinking only of why he was there, said to Manager Lee,

“Manager Lee, may I speak with your son for a moment?”

“Oh, of course! Of course! Talk as much as you like.”

Woojin stood up and headed to Jonghoon’s room, thinking.

Woojin soon knocked and entered.

Lee Jonghoon, who was focused on the game, turned his head.

Woojin said, sounding surprised,

“Oh? Isn’t this Martial World Supreme? Right?”

Lee Jonghoon was playing an online game called Martial World Supreme.

This was one of the pieces of information Woojin had learned from Manager Lee on the way here, and he had researched the game online.

This was to build rapport, a technique often used by psychological counselors.

A peculiar light flickered in Jonghoon’s eyes, which had shown a slight hint of animosity at Woojin’s appearance.

“Just a moment. I’m in the middle of catching the final boss.”

“Ah, the ‘final boss’. Sorry for interrupting.”

Woojin patiently waited for Jonghoon, who was showing off his dazzling hand movements.

Then he casually threw out some words.

“Wow… your control is amazing. It looks like you’re doing all the damage yourself, Jonghoon?”

Woojin could see Jonghoon’s lips curl up slightly, though it was subtle.

“You’re the only one not dying. Wow…”

After moving his hands for about 20 minutes, Jonghoon took his hands off the keyboard.

“Do you play this game?”

“Yeah, I played ‘this game.’ What’s your weapon’s enhancement level?”

Lee Jonghoon spoke with a calm expression.

But Woojin’s eyes couldn’t be fooled.

His micro-expressions were burning with confidence.

“Isn’t level 12 the highest right now?”

“Yes.”

“How did you collect the materials? The difficulty is extreme. I gave up after reaching level 11…”

If I say this,

“You know the ‘Dungeon of Rest’? There…”

“Oh, the ‘Dungeon of Rest.'”

Jonghoon began to explain.

He smiled unconsciously, and his words sped up.

It was a typical scene that appeared when someone recounted their exploits or boasted.

Jonghoon even unfolded the in-game map as he spoke.

“It’s hidden here. Even if you know about it, not just anyone can find it.”

“Wow, it was right nearby? It makes sense that ‘not just anyone’ could find it.”

“Yes…”

While listening to Jonghoon’s story, Woojin was thinking of something else.

If I make Lee Jonghoon, Manager Lee’s son, think of me as his mentor…

Woojin, who had listened to Lee Jonghoon’s story sufficiently, spoke up.

“That’s truly amazing. My best was level 11, but I reached level 12 somewhere else.”

“Are you playing a different game now?”

“Yeah, I leveled up in reality.”