“According to Deputy Chief Hyun, it’s difficult to participate as a project developer using your name, Director, which is currently circulating as Dongjeong Industries’ successor, but we could participate as the contractor.”
Only after hearing this did Park Jin-hyuk turn his head, look at Kim Jun-woo, and smile.
“Deputy Chief Hyun is sly, isn’t he? Trying to use my relationship with Dongjeong Industries? It’s a simple and somewhat embarrassing idea, but from DS Construction’s perspective, it’s a surefire solution. Deputy Chief Hyun’s not easy to beat, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Kim Jun-woo wanted to say, ‘You’re even more so than him, Director,’ but kept it to himself and just nodded at Park Jin-hyuk’s words.
“Good. Then proceed with it as discussed.”
Kim Jun-woo sweated coldly as he looked at Park Jin-hyuk, who didn’t even spare him a glance.
“Now, next item.”
Kim Jun-woo had thought he’d be told to wrap up for the day with a word of thanks, so he was surprised by Park Jin-hyuk’s words.
Park Jin-hyuk picked up a contract that was lying on the table and spoke.
[Ilsan Mixed-Use Complex Project]
“What’s the budget set for the Ilsan Mixed-Use Complex Project?”
Kim Jun-woo set aside his surprise for the moment and answered Park Jin-hyuk’s question without hesitation.
“If we complete the sale of all 800 units with no vacancies, we expect about 400 billion won.”
“After acquiring the land, construction costs, and factoring in unsold units, how much money do we need to invest?”
“We’ve set it at 370 billion won. But that figure doesn’t account for the recent rise in material costs, so Structure Headquarters expects it’ll be even higher now.”
Park Jin-hyuk looked at the number floating above the contract.
[150 billion]
“Wow. What a trick. Where did you find something like this and call it a contract?”
“Excuse me?”
Park Jin-hyuk clicked his tongue and handed the contract to Kim Jun-woo.
“Check this out. Actually, there’s not much to check. It’ll be done quickly.”
Kim Jun-woo looked at the contract Park Jin-hyuk handed over, his face betraying how overwhelmed he felt.
So far, when Park Jin-hyuk told him to check or recalculate something, it always meant there was a problem with the project.
While fifty people in headquarters were wracking their brains to find answers, Park Jin-hyuk would just sit on the table and stare out the window, then throw out a different problem.
Thinking about taking this back down for those fifty people to puzzle over made it seem like he wouldn’t be going home tonight.
Once the contract in his hand was passed to Kim Jun-woo, Park Jin-hyuk turned away from the window to look at him.
“Hey, Secretary Kim.”
“Yes, Director.”
“I’ve been thinking. You, and all the people working hard down there… If I keep working you like this, you’re all going to start saying bad things about me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You know what I mean. Making you work this late and then handing down more work makes me feel like some kind of evil employer. I used to really hate this sort of thing myself. But now that I’m in the owner’s seat, I find myself thinking it’s only natural to push people to work. That’s not how it should be, though.”
Kim Jun-woo had a sense of what Park Jin-hyuk was trying to say.
It felt like the kind of guilt a superior might typically feel.
“I’ll explain it well to everyone downstairs. Don’t worry. It’s a special time right now, so I think everyone will understand. And besides, myself, Deputy Chief Hyun, and the other team leaders—we’re all your people, Director. Everyone will understand.”
“No, no. I thought so too. Bah.”
Park Jin-hyuk hopped down from the table and stood with both feet on the floor.
He dusted off his seat and shook out his numb legs, which had gone stiff from sitting cross-legged.
“You see, if I’d never worked at the bottom, I probably wouldn’t think like this. But I know that feeling. When the company is in trouble and you’re entrusted with a huge project, everyone comes together and gives it their all. The desire to achieve something, the drive to get it done… It keeps you going. But as time goes by, you just feel empty. So the next time something like this happens, you can’t pour your energy into it like the first time. That’s just human nature.”
Watching Park Jin-hyuk nodding as if he knew it all, Kim Jun-woo just blinked.
He hadn’t worked that long in the company, so he didn’t fully understand Park Jin-hyuk’s words, but at least he could tell that Park Jin-hyuk understood the mindset of those below him better than he himself did.
Park Jin-hyuk leaned back on the edge of his desk with his arms folded.
“That’s why I’m going to buy loyalty.”
“Excuse me?”
“What’s your salary?”
“My salary… It’s higher than average for my age group.”
“Why so shy? It’s not like we’re friends embarrassed to talk about our pay. All right, I won’t ask. I don’t know how much you make, but I’ll double it.”
“Excuse me? Double?”
“Why so surprised? I’m telling you, I’m going to buy your loyalty. Loyalty doesn’t come from anywhere else. It’s money. Lost your loyalty? It means you weren’t paid enough. You start getting annoyed by your boss? That means you’re making less money than the work you’re doing. Makes sense, right?”
Kim Jun-woo didn’t know how to respond to Park Jin-hyuk’s blunt words.
He wasn’t wrong, but he’d never expected someone to say it straight to his face.
But Park Jin-hyuk just kept going as if it was nothing.
“I’ve never wanted to change what I felt before, just because I’m in a different position now. That’s why I’m saying this now. In the future, I might really get on your nerves, Secretary Kim. I might make you do unnecessary work, or make you keep doing things you wish would stop. When that happens, just look at your bank account and let it go.”
Park Jin-hyuk raised his right hand and rubbed his thumb against his index and middle fingers with a grin.
“Since the dawn of humanity, the answer has always been money. Honestly, are you and I related by blood? Are we so close we’d stake our lives for each other? Why do you work? Isn’t it to make money? I’m just trying to strengthen the link between us, so don’t feel burdened.”
Finishing his words, Park Jin-hyuk grabbed his coat from the rack and put it on.
From his demeanor, it was clear that the Ilsan Mixed-Use Complex project he’d handed over would be the last order of the day.
But just that last order alone might keep the headquarters team up all night.
Sensing Kim Jun-woo’s thoughts, Park Jin-hyuk offered reassurance as he put on his coat.
“I’ll make sure to reward everyone working hard downstairs as well. When you take that file down, tell them: On next week’s payday, you’ll see more money in your account than you ever expected.”
Park Jin-hyuk left the office, passing by Kim Jun-woo.
Left holding the files in the empty office, Kim Jun-woo stood blankly for a moment.
*****
When Park Jin-hyuk arrived at the office the next day.
Hyun I-soo was already seated in the otherwise empty room, waiting for him.
“Why are you here so early in the morning? Did you… not go home? Did you spend the night at the office?”
His loosened tie, hair greasy with oil, and the dark circles under his eyes made it clear he hadn’t gone home after receiving the assignment from Park Jin-hyuk.
As Park Jin-hyuk entered, Hyun I-soo stood and approached him.
“This is the report on the Ilsan Mixed-Use Complex project you sent down yesterday evening.”
“Leave it there. So, how does it look? Does the project seem viable?”
“No, not at all. In fact, the projected loss if we go through with it exceeds 200 billion.”
“Why on earth are we stuck with a project like this?”
After taking off his jacket, Park Jin-hyuk sat on the sofa.
As Hyun I-soo took his seat as well, a secretary entered with tea for the two of them.
Hyun I-soo waited for the secretary to leave before answering Park Jin-hyuk’s question.
“They pushed ahead with every project they could, desperate as they were.”
“Desperate?”
“Yes. When it comes to government civil engineering projects, performance is often a qualification for bidding or is factored into evaluations. For local projects like bridges or roads, there are no bidding restrictions, but for major central government projects, contract performance is a key evaluation item.”
“So, to get into the big government projects, they took on low-profit projects like this one?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Wrap it up. If we’re not going to make money, there’s no point in eating ourselves alive.”
“Yes, I thought the same. I’ll take care of it immediately.”
With Hyun I-soo’s reply, Park Jin-hyuk glanced at the contracts stacked on the table.
He’d skimmed through them the night before, so he quickly picked one out.
He stood up, grabbed the contract, and handed it to Hyun I-soo.
“Next, this one.”
Hyun I-soo took the contract and checked the project name inside.
It was one that the Restructuring Headquarters had already classified as unviable, and now Park Jin-hyuk had picked it out and handed it over.
Hyun I-soo looked at Park Jin-hyuk with surprise once again.
“Did you know in advance?”
“Know what?”
“That you’d already checked the ongoing projects before you arrived? I didn’t realize you’d prepared so thoroughly—handling the previous executive reorganization and now these project evaluations… You were all ready, weren’t you?”
Hyun I-soo couldn’t believe Park Jin-hyuk could pick the next project to check so quickly unless he’d already known in advance.
But Park Jin-hyuk saw no need to explain himself further to Hyun I-soo, who thought that way.
If the other party misunderstood, he’d just let them.
“Well. I couldn’t come completely unprepared, could I?”
Hyun I-soo nodded at Park Jin-hyuk’s words, took the documents, and stood.
“Then I’ll go downstairs to check on the next project. Thanks to your clear instructions, the project evaluations are progressing quickly.”
“That’s good. The sooner we cut what needs to be cut, the better.”
“Oh, and… I heard from Secretary Kim yesterday that you plan to pay something extra on payday.”
“Yes. They’re working hard and not even going home. I have to reward them, don’t I?”
“Director, if you do that, the existing DS Construction staff might push back.”
“Yes. If only the Restructuring Headquarters team that came in as conquerors gets a special bonus, the existing staff may feel deprived. But that’s the usual owner’s mistake and excuse.”
“Excuse me?”
Park Jin-hyuk, still seated, looked up at the standing Hyun I-soo with his legs crossed.
“Trying to bring everyone down to the lowest common denominator. ‘You worked hard, but if I reward you, others who didn’t get rewarded will feel deprived, so let’s skip it for now. But next time, I’ll make sure to take care of you, so don’t slack off.’ Isn’t this the old routine managers use endlessly? If they at least sounded apologetic, that’d be something. But some even say it like an order. That kind of bullshit.”
Park Jin-hyuk had heard that line far too often during his days under Yoo Jung-geol.
Especially when he was in sales, whenever he won a contract, the executives would gloss over performance bonuses like that, and his frustration would boil over.
After a few times, you realized bonuses were just a fantasy and lost both sensitivity to them and your motivation.
Knowing that feeling, Park Jin-hyuk was determined to be clear.
“This so-called deprivation is just something the higher-ups think about. The people below don’t see it that way. Someone else worked hard and got a bonus? Then I can get one too—people think that way. Relative deprivation? It’s just a fiction invented to avoid paying people.”
Hyun I-soo was so overwhelmed by Park Jin-hyuk’s conviction that he couldn’t say anything.
Besides, there was a ring of truth to what he said.
“And don’t we need to give people downstairs a reason to work hard right now? Sure, deputy chiefs and team leaders are motivated to raise me up, but other employees don’t care about that. They have no interest in my promotion.”
“Isn’t there a shared goal of saving DS Construction?”
“Deputy Chief Hyun, you’ve been in high positions too long—you don’t know what things are like below. Don’t deal with subordinates from your own point of view. Not everyone has such lofty ideals and goals.”
Park Jin-hyuk stood up from his seat and began pacing the president’s office.