Chapter 28: Business Development Department

Unfortunately, pressing Sung Jihoon any further would be difficult.  

It would cross the line from a job offer into outright stalking.  

All I could do was leave my business card, a letter, and a small gift prepared through Yuha in his mailbox.  

“That’s not very like you, boss.”  

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  

“Calling a locksmith to pick the lock and barge in?”  

“…Don’t treat me like a criminal.”  

“You weren’t far off when it came to how you treated people.”  

Geez.  

This kid has a knack for making me feel like trash.  

The problem is, I can’t argue because the past me was probably exactly like that.  

“But you know a single gift won’t change anything, right?”  

“Maybe. But I’ve got to do something.”  

I stared at the mailbox for a moment before getting back in the car.  

There were still over ten employees left to visit.  

“Let’s go.”  

Time to move quickly.  

***

“Don’t ever come back!”  

“I don’t want to meet the boss!”  

“Are you insane?”  

“You bastard, you son of a— I’ll make you regret this!!!”  

Well, what can I say.  

I’m craving a cigarette.  

Is this why people smoke?  

“This is the first time I’ve seen you mentally break down, boss.”  

“I’m human too, you know. And this isn’t enough to break me.”  

“Then you’re not human.”  

“Don’t treat me like some fragile goldfish.”  

“Who’s the goldfish?!”  

“You, obviously.”  

I teased Yuha for a bit and lightly tapped my cheeks.  

“Still, it’s a relief that not everyone outright rejected us.”  

Lee Han and Yoo Chaeri.  

Those two met me face-to-face and carefully reviewed my job offer.  

They said they’d think it over a bit more.  

Out of 20 people, two showing this kind of response is something to be optimistic about, isn’t it?  

“They’re probably just too scared to outright ignore you. They couldn’t even make eye contact with you.”  

“…Am I that scary?”  

“They were the most terrified of you. I bet they popped a calming pill before meetings with you.”  

“…I feel a bit bad about that.”  

I was just doing my best at the time to make the company grow.  

Looking back, I always demanded peak performance from employees and whipped them if they fell short.  

From their perspective, I must’ve been the worst boss.  

“But they accepted the gifts, didn’t they?”  

“You think that’ll work?”  

Just a single gift.  

Can that really erase all the wrongs I committed?  

Yuha was highly skeptical about it.  

And honestly, it’s reasonable to think it’s nonsense.  

“Yuha.”  

“Yes?”  

“Set up 20 seats for the business development department by the end of today.”  

“…You really think all those employees will show up?”  

“Wanna bet?”  

I’m confident.  

“I’ll bet half your salary.”  

“Then I’ll bet 10% of this quarter’s revenue.”  

“Deal.”  

“Nice, where should I go for an overseas trip this time?”  

“Trip? Start thinking about surviving on instant noodles.”  

Those employees will show up tomorrow in suits, ready to work.  

Not for Spectrum, but for Ribbon Corporation.  

***

Sung Jihoon adjusted his tie several times.  

It was a tie he’d worn perfectly for years, but after just a month of not wearing it, it felt awkward.  

The tie wasn’t the only thing that felt unfamiliar.  

The commute, still congested and anxiety-inducing, was just as bad.  

Thinking about it made his heart race again.  

I should take a calming pill.  

He calmed his racing heart with a pill and took deep breaths to push out the last bit of tension.  

As he prepared to take a few steps forward, someone called out.  

“Assistant Manager Sung?”  

Assistant Manager Yoo Chaeri?

Sung Jihoon was startled by the familiar face approaching from the opposite direction.  

Aside from working on the same team, Sung Jihoon and Yoo Chaeri had little in common.  

Naturally, once that single connection was gone, they had no reason to meet again.  

He never imagined they’d run into each other like this, looking the same as they did back then.  

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”  

“Uh, fine, I guess. You, Assistant Manager Sung?”  

“I’ve been getting by.”  

What are work colleagues, after all?  

People you maintain a casual rapport with because of a shared workplace.  

Without that common ground, there was nothing to talk about.  

As an awkward silence hung in the air, Jeong Yuha walked out of the building and blinked at them.  

“…Sung Jihoon and Yoo Chaeri?”  

“Team Leader Jeong.”  

“Oh, hi.”  

“Nice to see you. But… are you both here to join Ribbon Corporation?”  

The two assistant managers exchanged glances.  

“You too, Assistant Manager Yoo?”  

“You too, Assistant Manager Sung?”  

“What, you both didn’t know why the other was here?”  

“Well, we just ran into each other.”  

“Fair enough. It’s a bit awkward to talk out here, so shall we head upstairs?”  

Jeong Yuha naturally led them toward the office.  

Following her as if entranced, the two exchanged wry smiles.  

This dynamic didn’t feel unfamiliar at all.  

“You can wait in the break room. We’re still new, so it’s a bit lacking, but bear with it.”  

“Understood.”  

The two entered the break room and widened their eyes.  

Other employees—former colleagues from their old workplace—were already there.  

“Sung Jihoon’s here too. And next to him is Yoo Chaeri, right?”  

“What, even you’re here, Manager?”  

“Yup. We’re all here.”  

“This isn’t some hidden camera prank, is it?”  

“No way. Just sit down.”  

The two awkwardly took empty seats.  

Seeing familiar faces after so long was surprisingly pleasant.  

At the same time, seeing these faces again painted a picture of what lay ahead—and what kind of hardships awaited.  

That thought was a bit depressing.  

“Did you get a letter too, Jihoon?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Is it for real?”  

“…I don’t know.”  

The letter and gift in the mailbox.  

Realizing he wasn’t the only one who received them gave him a small spark of hope.  

And he could sense that everyone else in the room felt a similar flicker of hope.  

“We’ll find out when we meet him.”  

“The boss?”  

“Yeah.”  

The manager gave a bittersweet smile and glanced at the break room door.  

A moment later, the door opened.  

***

“All 20 of them showed up.”  

“Told you they would.”  

“…You’re not actually taking half my salary, are you?”  

“We’ll talk about that later. It’s been a while, everyone. Kang Jisung here.”  

I bowed to the group seated before me, and they gave a small round of applause.  

It felt more like they were clapping out of obligation than enthusiasm.  

Still, it’s better than I expected.  

“Some of you may have heard this yesterday, but for those who haven’t, I’ll repeat myself. I want to recruit you all to Ribbon Corporation’s business development department.”  

I made it crystal clear that I need them.  

“Ribbon Corporation is currently operating wheat distribution, flour processing and distribution, and the Local Bakery franchise, and we plan to expand our business models further. That’s where I need your help.”  

I explained the reasons clearly, and now it was time to win them over.  

“But just saying this doesn’t give you a reason to come this far. I know you went through a lot of emotional hardship working under me, so asking you to endure that again would be nonsense.”  

“…So what are you going to do?”  

“This.”  

I dropped to my knees in front of them.  

Then I slammed my head to the ground.  

THUD!  

My forehead hit the floor, sending a sharp pain through my skull.  

But it’s fine.  

My head’s tough enough to handle this.  

And if this sincerity can crack the walls around their hardened hearts, it’s a worthwhile trade.  

I heard SHRIEKS from the employees, signaling that I’d made a dent in their defenses.  

Without lifting my head, I spoke.  

“I used you all as fuel to grow the company. I demanded 100% of your abilities and whipped you without mercy if you fell short. I heard some of you even suffered mental health issues because of it. I have no excuses.”  

THUD!  

I slammed my head to the ground again.  

“I treated people as mere parts of the company. Like cogs in a machine, I didn’t know—or even try to know—your hearts.”  

“…Boss…”  

“So I want to apologize here and now, just as I wrote in the letters.”  

The letters I left them included this part.  

To bow my head and ask for a chance at forgiveness.  

I kept my word, just as I did at Spectrum.  

“If this isn’t enough for forgiveness, you’re free to leave.”  

“Didn’t you say you need us?”  

“I do. But I can’t just ignore the wounds I’ve caused you.”  

I lifted only my head to look at the employees.  

“That’s what makes Ribbon Corporation different from Spectrum.”  

We don’t treat people as parts for the sake of the company.  

The company is built by its people, and those people make the company what it is.  

That’s Ribbon Corporation.  

The employees fell silent after my words.  

Their eyes darted around before settling on one person: former Manager Kyu Daesik.  

The manager gave a wry smile and spoke.  

“You left a bouquet of flowers at my house yesterday, didn’t you?”  

“Yes.”  

“Freesias, my wife’s favorite flowers. And also something I wrote down as something I wanted at Spectrum.”  

We held a team-building event at Spectrum to boost employee efficiency, where everyone wrote down something they wanted.  

Manager Kyu Daesik wrote down a bouquet of flowers.  

“I got a ring.”  

Assistant Manager Yoo Chaeri received a jeweled ring.  

“Mine was a scarf for my mother.”  

Assistant Manager Sung Jihoon got a cashmere scarf.  

“…I got a laptop.”  

Employee Lee Han received a laptop.  

I gave each of them the thing they wrote down as their desired gift.  

After everyone shared their answers, Manager Kyu Daesik spoke again.  

“That day, only one person was chosen by lottery, but you said you’d eventually give everyone what they wrote down.”  

“Yes. I was too busy to follow through, though.”  

“But you didn’t forget.”  

“Not a single thing.”  

I remember everything about my employees.  

Everything.  

“You were tough on people, but you always kept your word. I never imagined you’d actually bow your head, though.”  

“That was part of my word too.”  

“And that’s why we’re here. We hate you, we resent you, but…”  

I can’t argue with that.  

But I hope they’ll believe me.  

“As I wrote in the letters, Ribbon Corporation will be different from Spectrum. I won’t treat you the way I did back then, and I’ll run things differently.”  

“Even if it means taking a loss?”  

“That’s the wrong way to put it, Manager. Doing it this way will benefit the company more in the long run.”  

“Haha.”  

Manager Kyu Daesik let out a hearty laugh, and I stood up, brushing the dust off my knees.  

Then I addressed the prospective employees.  

“I’ll make sure working at this company isn’t painful for you. I promise.”  

“…Understood.”  

That covered the important things I needed to say.  

“For the details moving forward, you can talk to Vice President Jeong Yuha. If you’re willing to sign, you can do so now.”  

I left the room to let them discuss freely.  

The die is cast, the arrow shot.  

All I need to do is quietly do my work and wait.  

By the time I’d nearly finished the morning’s tasks, Yuha came to my desk.  

“Business development department, all 20 hired.”  

“Good.”  

With 20 signed employment contracts in hand.