Chapter 29.1
A new hire scouted to the elite team after only a month on the job.
Sounds like the title of some self-help book designed to get attention.
But this is actually happening for real.
āWhat is even going on here?ā
Me, in A-squad?
“Letās see. Soleum-ssi, you joined D-squad last month, right?”
“Yes. Letās get in touch with HR and handle it as a temporary assignment, then make it official in five months.”
“Right. Then, Assistant Manager Jinā¦”
A-squadās leader turned to me with a satisfied smile.
“For starters, Soleum-ssi should be promoted to supervisor right away.”
“ā¦ā¦”
“The official announcement should be out by next week.”
Oh, my god.
“This company may not care much about seniority, but thereās still a minimum requirement, you know. This is insanely fast-tracked.”
Of course it is!
Theyāre even offering a promotion? This level of pull in the company?
No, thatās not it exactly.
Typically, a potential elite team member would have to go through a couple of promotions, proving themselves in each role before officially getting into the team.
The usual practice would be that you need to be at least a supervisor to even start in the elite team.
Since they want me in A-squad, I need to be promoted, so management is just fast-tracking it.
āA-squad used to start at the assistant manager levelā¦ā
This is genuinely an extraordinary deal.
But I mean, why?
Why would they suddenly make this offer to meā¦
Ah.
The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning when I looked at the supremely pleased expression on the squad leaderās face.
āI picked all the “right” answers today!ā
Iād tried so hard, mistaking it for workplace harassment!
No complaints with unjust tasks, working within their framework, and eagerly generating ideas to produce resultsābehaving like the ideal employee.
A newbie with no ego. A yes-man while trying to show creativity!
Exactly the type of subordinate any boss dreams ofā¦
“Soleum-ssi? Go ahead and clock out. Be prepared for the official announcement, which could come as soon as next week.”
“ā¦ā¦”
No way.
āThis is a disaster.ā
Iāmā¦ Iām the last person who should be going to A-squad!
āTheir procedures are so rigid here.ā
If I stay in this role, where I have to follow orders to the letter, thereās a 90% chance my true cowardice will be exposed.
āThen the wish ticket will drift farther away, and my chances of survival will plunge.ā
Iād really, actually die. My mouth went dry at the chilling thought.
“ā¦ā¦”
“Hey, wait a sec.”
Assistant Manager Jin looked at me with a doubtful expression.
“Youāreā¦ seriously thinking it over?”
I lowered my head slightly.
“Why? Are you out of your mind? Are you worried about becoming like the shield-bearers on the Round-Off Team? Donāt worry, we wonāt be sending you thereā¦”
“Assistant Manager Jin, hold on.”
A-squadās leader held her back, then turned to me with a reassuring expression.
“Youāre only a month into the job, so it must be a lot to take in all of a sudden. Itās natural to have some doubts.”
“ā¦ā¦”
“But a wise person knows how to seize a bold opportunity when it comes. Thatās the key to success in society.”
Itās a trap, not an opportunity!
āOh, what do I do now?ā
How could I get out of this without offending this senior boss?
Rejecting this poorly might end up putting me on their bad side, which could mean real workplace harassment would start.
āI donāt see a way out of thisā¦ā
But then, at that moment.
Ding.
The elevatorās chime.
The doors opened, revealing a familiar faceāor rather, a familiar lizard.
āSquad Leader!ā
Section Chief Lee Jaheon, whoād been called to see the Team Leader, stepped out.
The slits of his lizard eyes met the gaze of A-squadās leader.
“ā¦Section Chief Lee Jaheon.”
“Section Chief Baek Seokjoo.”
Lee stared blankly at A-squadās leader.
“I was told to apologize to you. So, I apologize.”
“ā¦ā¦”
A-squadās leaderā¦ was clearly holding back from cursing.
“Hahā¦ no, forget it. Iām the only one whoās going to end up angry here. Just me.”
“?”
“I said, forget it. Anyway, Iāve already scouted someone to fill the vacancy.”
A-squadās leader shook her head and patted me on the shoulder.
“Look, hereās the new recruit whoās going to be our squadās rookie.”
Quite a shocker of an announcement, butā¦
“I see.”
The lizard nodded.
“Itās true that A-squad has better working conditions.”
“ā¦ā¦”
Could you, please, pretend like I might have other options to exploreā¦?
Fine. Iāll handle this myself!
I deliberately looked back and forth between the two squad leaders, pretending to be overwhelmed, then bowed my head slightly to A-squadās leader.
āFirst, letās think this throughā¦ā
From what Iāve observed of her personality so farā¦
āSheās a stickler for rules.ā
She divides tasks strictly by rank, doesnāt tolerate insubordination, and values loyalty.
Considering sheās recruiting someone whoās only been here a month, sheās willing to take big risks when she decides, but only within her established guidelines.
āAnd sheās the type who canāt stand people going against her.ā
In other words, the quintessential elite middle manager of a traditional, hierarchical conglomerate.
āIf thatās the caseā¦ā
I bowed my head.
“Section Chief Baek, thank you so much for offering me this generous position and seeing potential in a new hire like me.”
“Hmm.”
“Howeverā¦ I still lack experience. I believe, as a new employee, I need to focus on foundational skills and knowledge.”
A-squadās leader, staring intently at me, finally spoke up.
“ā¦Soleum-ssi, do you happen to know the starting base salary for the elite team?”
Not really.
“Itās 80 million won.” (Approx. 57,000 USD)
“ā¦ā¦!”
“And once you add the hazard pay, the annual take-home usually starts around 150 million.” (Approx. 107,000 USD)
Hot damn.
“Weāre also planning to designate you as a primary contributor for the C-Class Darkness you cleared. You managed to clear it so quickly using an innovative approach.”
I, I guess?
“Moreover, youāve found a method that others might want to try, too. Do you know what that implies?”
What does it mean?
“It means the manual might need a complete overhaul.”
“ā¦ā¦”
“Yes, not just an additionāa full revision.”
A-squadās leader smiled gently.
“And when a manual is revised, thereās a bonus payout.”
“ā¦ā¦!”
“The amount isnāt small. Normally, management isnāt keen on handling revisionsā¦ but for the elite team, this is an exception.”
Oh.
“If you join the A-squad, the process will be much smoother and quicker. You could say itās a matter of trustworthiness.”
“ā¦ā¦”
“Letās seeā¦ the C-Class manual revision feeā¦”
With a deliberate pause, A-squadās leader finally revealed the amount.
“Fifty million won.” (Approx. 35,000 USD)
“ā¦ā¦!!”
“Today alone, Soleum-ssi, thatās your additional pay.”
Fifty million won.
“You sure you want to pass up a chance to keep earning this?”
Weiss676
Come on, go for it