Chapter 14: This Isn’t Farming, This Is Sabotage

“This isn’t farming!”

The voice of the Agriculture Team Representative echoed through Sara’s office.

She had come alone, and as always, she seemed furious today.

“They said we’d be learning the basics of farming, but it was all a lie! Forcing plants to grow using Monsters? No newbie or veteran in our Agriculture Team has ever done such a thing. It’s unbelievable!”

With a sigh, Sara muttered,

“Well, that’s because none of them knew how to make Monsters…”

“Sir!”

“Ahem, well, that’s true. But still…”

Sara calmed the Agriculture Team Representative, then pointed out the real issue.

“Didn’t that Monster also grow from the Seed you provided?”

“That’s exactly the problem!”

“What do you mean?”

When Sara asked, the Agriculture Team Representative fell silent.

After all, he couldn’t admit that the corn Monster actually sprouted from the Seed they had boiled themselves.

If he said they’d switched the Seeds, he’d have to confess the Agriculture Team’s own foul play first.

He had no choice but to divert the conversation.

“We… never gave out those kinds of Seeds!”

“Everyone knows that if a member of the Promotion Team touches a healthy Seed, it’ll turn into a dragon.”

With another long sigh, Sara spun her laptop around.

The screen was filled with new messages in her chat window.

Even now, the number was ticking up as if under a downpour.

“Do you know what all this is?”

“No way…”

“These are all messages from my personal contacts in the Netherworld Realm and the Heavenly Realm. Inquiries about buying ‘that corn dragon.’”

“……”

The Agriculture Team Representative bit his lips, unable to hide his displeasure.

Sara wasn’t finished.

“Wouldn’t it be good if that ability could help the Seocheon Flower Garden, for farming?”

“But… shortcuts like this destroy the value of Real Agriculture!”

“Real Agriculture?”

Sara’s brow twitched.

It seemed her patience had reached its limit.

“Is giving a newbie a boiled Seed what you call Real Agriculture?”

The Agriculture Team Representative’s face turned red.

“T-that’s…”

Watching him, a sly smile curled Sara’s lips.

Just then, someone burst through her office door again.

“Sir!”

It was Shinsomi, with a messy apron and disheveled hair.

Anyone could see she’d rushed over straight from the kitchen.

Sara recognized her immediately.

“Meal Service Team Representative? What brings you here?”

“I’m here because of the Fertilizer Team and the Cafeteria Construction…”

The Meal Service Team Representative spoke between ragged breaths, looking as if she’d collapse any moment.

The Agriculture Team Representative had to support her.

Sara asked with a puzzled tone,

“What’s wrong? I thought everything was going smoothly…”

“Please, Sir.”

The Meal Service Team Representative waved her hands desperately.

“We’re already terribly short on staff at the Meal Service Operation Center. Only ten people are providing three meals a day for 800 people! And now you want to open another cafeteria? Without more staff, it’s impossible!”

The Agriculture Team Representative’s eyes sparkled.

This was the perfect opportunity to check the Promotion Team using someone else’s hand.

“Oh, that’s not right! How could things be pushed forward like this?”

Seeing the hyena seize the prey, Sara scratched her head in annoyance.

“How did I not know until now? The General Affairs Team never said a word…”

“This is what Administrative Desk Work looks like—handling only the budget and knowing nothing about the field!”

“We only heard about it today, Sir…”

With the Meal Service Team Representative sniffling beside him and the Agriculture Team Representative grinning, Sara was at her wit’s end.

After some awkward silence, Sara spoke up.

“Then, let’s do this.”

“Filming in the cafeteria?”

“Filming in the cafeteria?”

And as always, Mujae from the Promotion Team’s eyes sparkled, quick to shout ‘yes’ at anything.

Beside him, Hallakgoong—the Promotion Team’s resident naysayer and Sara’s son—scowled.

Though Sara explained the whole situation, neither seemed ready to change their stance.

“That sounds super fun!”

“This was the General Affairs Team’s mistake. Have them come here and take responsibility.”

“…Since this all started with the Promotion Team, I thought it’d be good to record it like a documentary while we’re at it.”

Sara explained her plan.

“To be honest, there’s nothing in Seocheon’s administration the Agriculture Team doesn’t have a hand in. They must have known the Meal Service Team was so short-staffed.”

“Are you saying the Agriculture Team hid it on purpose?”

“That’s possible.”

Sara’s expression darkened.

“Even the boiled Seeds you got—I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t checked.”

It was true.

Hallakgoong himself had almost overlooked the Agriculture Team’s scheme, but Sara had discovered it while reviewing the Promotion Team’s Field after work.

Remembering the moment, Sara shuddered.

The realization that half the Seeds planted in the Field felt lifeless was chilling.

“I think it’s best to have people who aren’t afraid to dig out the truth.”

“The Agriculture Team agreed to the filming too, right?”

Suspicion filled Hallakgoong’s eyes.

Sara nodded.

“Yes, but no live broadcasts. That’s my rule.”

“Why?! Our live streams are super popular right now!”

Mujae reacted as if the sky had fallen, but Sara firmly shook her head.

“Don’t provoke the nerves of the Meal Service Team. Besides, your job is to raise the reputation of Seocheon Flower Garden as the Promotion Team.”

Sara warned sternly.

“If anything you do tarnishes Seocheon Flower Garden’s reputation, I won’t forgive it.”

The next morning, 6 a.m.

Just as the sun was rising, the Promotion Team arrived at the cafeteria, rubbing their sleepy eyes.

With hands behind his back, Hallakgoong yawned as he explained,

“There are two cafeterias at Seocheon Flower Garden—one in the center, and another in the busy south.”

“Mmhm.”

“That’s why it was too far for the Raw Fertilizer Storage Fertilizer Team in the north to get there.”

Mujae was walking with eyes almost closed.

In contrast, Zack was wide awake, gesturing with interest.

‘So why is the Agriculture Team the most powerful in Seocheon?’

“Well, more than 70% of the Shinsomi working here in Seocheon are on the Agriculture Team.”

Hallakgoong tried to think through his half-awake mind.

“I’ve heard that most of the people who were here when my father founded the Seocheon Flower Garden were with the Agriculture Team.”

‘Founding Hero.’

“Pretty much. That’s why there are a lot of people, a lot of opinions, and a lot of drama.”

Huaaam—the more Hallakgoong talked, the more he yawned.

Just then, Mujae, who was practically sleepwalking, muttered,

“It’s because they have too much.”

“…?”

“If a man has a hundred cows, he hesitates to butcher even one for a guest—so he’ll steal one from his neighbor to entertain instead.”

Mujae spoke with hidden meaning, but still seemed half-asleep.

It must have been an unconscious comment.

Hallakgoong, hearing Mujae’s sleep-talking, asked,

“Have you ever been taken advantage of like that?”

“No. Just seen it happen.”

Mumbling as if still dreaming, Mujae came to a halt and stretched.

Then he opened his eyes wide and shouted,

“We’re here!”

The cafeteria, set a little away from the Central Cafeteria, was a single-story building.

Its broad size and doors on every side left a strong impression.

Looking at the large empty stable next to it, Hallakgoong groaned.

“How busy are they…?”

“Welcome!”

As always, the Meal Service Team Representative, in her messy apron, greeted them warmly.

Instead of just saying hello, she handed out rubber gloves to the Promotion Team.

“Go on in and start peeling onions!”

“Uh, can we turn the camera on?!”

“Do whatever you like!”

She clearly didn’t care as long as they helped out.

But after donning aprons and hats and sitting in front of a mountain of onions, there was hardly any time to set up the cameras.

Zack barely managed to secure one camera to a corner of the kitchen with tongs.

After finally settling down, Mujae glanced over and asked a passing Facilities Team Shinsomi,

“How many people do you prepare for each day?”

“About 800 on average.”

“800?!”

Mujae’s shocked response made the Meal Service Team burst into laughter.

“Sometimes it’s as many as 1,500. And they come for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

“Whoa…”

The unexpected scale made Mujae gulp.

Meanwhile, Hallakgoong was already in tears.

“Sniff… These onions are so strong…”

Nod nod nod.

Next to him, Zack nodded vigorously in agreement, eyes brimming with tears.

At that, the Meal Service Team Representative offered a solution.

“When it gets bad, go peel potatoes for a bit until the tears stop, then come back to the onions.”

“……”

“Biting green onions or lighting candles won’t help. That’s the best method.”

With a small smile to the Promotion Team, the Representative then shouted an announcement loud enough for all the Shinsomi in the cafeteria to hear.

For someone so petite, her voice was surprisingly powerful.

“Everyone—attention!”

Startled, Mujae jumped up in his seat.

“We’ve got special guests today! The Promotion Team is here to help us out. Let’s give them a hand!”

Waaaah~

“They’re here to experience our work and film it, so please lend them a hand as you come and go!”

“Yes!”

A chorus of energetic replies from the Shinsomi.

As everyone got back to their tasks, the Meal Service Team Representative explained today’s schedule to the Promotion Team.

“We usually start prep at 4 a.m.”

“Four in the morning?!”

“Some people come to eat as early as seven, you know.”

The Representative smiled wearily.

“And around ten o’clock, we head out to the Field.”

“The Field?”

“All the vegetables for the meals—we grow them ourselves.”

The Representative pointed out the window.

Far off, the special Field for the cafeteria was visible.

“We raise the vegetables ourselves, right there.”

“Wait, so you farm in the morning and then prepare lunch…?”

“And then more farm work, and dinner prep, too.”

The Promotion Team’s jaws dropped.

The Meal Service Team Representative gave a shy, slightly embarrassed smile.

“This is just how we’ve always done things.”

“Isn’t farming the Agriculture Team’s job?!”

“They’re just too busy. We have to plant what we need ourselves…”

“But you’re already busy enough with cooking…”

“That’s why we take turns managing the Field.”

The Meal Service Team Representative lowered her voice, checking to see if anyone was listening.

“Actually, we did ask the Agriculture Team for help before, but… they said we weren’t a priority.”

Mujae’s eyes widened in shock.