I’d Rather Live as a Villain

I’d Rather Live as a Villain – Part 8

(It seems it will be troublesome from now on)

The most fabulous image I can create of myself.

So that anyone can see that I’m cut from a different cloth than the usual secretariat of the group’s headquarters…

The people who abandoned me at Mulsan, those who just watched silently by my side.

I wanted to show them what a triumphant return to the workplace looks like.

I received a call from the Executive Director on my way back to Seoul.

“When will you be coming back to Seoul?”

“I’m on my way now.”

“Already? You should have spent more time with your mother before coming back.”

Would someone who says that call me at this hour?

Do I not know the Executive Director?

“President Min Byung-jin of Mulsan wanted to see me.”

“Oh? What time are you supposed to meet?”

“I’ve arranged to see him by 3 PM.”

“Is the meeting going to be long?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll have to go and see. Do you need anything?”

I inadvertently slipped into old habits.

I had forgotten that Director Roh is now by the Executive Director’s side.

“Could you come by after you meet with President Min?”

“Of course. What time should I come?”

“Just come after the meeting ends.”

“You need to give me a time so I can wrap up the meeting accordingly.”

President Min Byung-jin?

Certainly, he’s an important figure.

But for me, Executive Kang Moon-jung takes precedence over any other.

From now on, he’s the person I must protect, even more so than the Chairman or the President.

– Just come before the end of work hours. We have to go out together anyway.

I never question the itinerary set by the VIP.

It’s a basic rule for an executive assistant.

“Understood. I’ll be there by 5 PM.”

After a brief call with the executive, I refocused on driving, and the spring breeze flowing into the car felt strangely familiar.

It was like the scent from the days of my youth, when playing carefree was all that mattered.

Upon arriving in Seoul, I headed straight for the public bathhouse.

Submerged in the hot bath, I began to organize the tasks I needed to do at the water market.

It was peculiar.

The tasks I needed to do at the water market started to visualize like a video.

It meant that the tasks I had to do were becoming clearly defined.

40 minutes.

Even though I took my time bathing leisurely, I couldn’t exceed 40 minutes today either.

But today, those 40 minutes were sufficient.

There was no rush.

No calls to be on standby for.

And… no reason to be tense.

So, I tried a can of Pocari Sweat from the bathhouse vending machine, costing 2,000 won.

At the convenience store, it’s 1,200 won.

The extra 800 won I spent for the sake of convenience was a fair price for the time saved on my way to the water market.

After leaving the bathhouse, I stopped by the hair salon.

I got my hair neatly cut and even asked for my eyebrows to be tidied up.

Then, I returned home and took out my most cherished suit from the wardrobe.

I have more than ten suits that I rotate with the seasons, but for a special day like today, the suit gifted by the executive on the day of my promotion to deputy manager was perfect.

As someone who stands by his side, he had advised me to pay attention to my appearance and had even booked the tailor shop for me.

At that place, regardless of the price, I was told to get two suits tailored as recommended by the designer there.

I was strictly advised not to trust my own taste or judgment.

I was instructed to get whatever the designer there recommended.

Because they had already made arrangements over the phone.

The clothes that are only taken out occasionally for external executive ceremonies and immediately sent for dry cleaning after.

When matched with a shirt and tie, even I had to admit, it looked quite impressive.

***

The greatest privilege held by the group’s secretarial staff.

Is the unrestricted access to all subsidiaries of Daeyoung Group, along with the group’s audit team members.

With just one secretarial staff ID card, entry to all subsidiary buildings is possible.

We are the ones who must always be ready to swiftly accompany VIPs (Protocol Team), protect VIPs at the forefront during major group events (Security Team), or conduct undercover operations across subsidiaries before the audit team moves in (Strategic Planning Team) in case of special incidents.

It’s no coincidence that the group secretarial staff ID numbers start with ‘1’.

Daeyoung Corporation building.

How long has it been since I’ve been here?

I remember bringing the executive director here once about two years ago.

There was an urgent meeting due to a collaboration between distribution and commerce, and I escorted him here late at night.

Other than that, it’s my first time.

2:20 PM.

I had set up a meeting with President Min Byung-jin at 3 PM and deliberately arrived early.

I wanted to take a look around.

I wanted to take in the sight of this place, where most people still don’t know who I am, after such a long time.

“Sigh… Hoo…”

Stepping inside the building, I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

A lot has changed.

It seems even the security guards have all been replaced?

I placed my group secretarial staff ID card over the magnetic panel at the employee turnstile.

Beep!

The security officer, who was about to block the unfamiliar face, lowered the hand he was about to raise as the turnstile beeped to permit entry, and gave me an awkward smile.

With a warm smile and a nod, I greeted them before stepping into the elevator.

The button for the third floor, where the European Division was located, had already been pressed by two employees who had boarded the elevator from the underground parking lot.

They glanced at me strangely in the elevator, as I didn’t press the button for any floor, but I didn’t pay much attention to it.

Third floor.

It was just a blink of an eye away.

As soon as the doors opened at the European Division’s floor, the familiar scent from my days as an assistant hit me.

The European Division of Daeyoung Corporation originally included the Middle East, hence it was known as the Europe-Middle East Division.

But then, the Overseas Construction Division took over the Middle East, naturally reducing the name to the European Division.

In essence, Daeyoung Corporation’s power struggle was between the European Division and the Overseas Construction Division, which had absorbed the Middle East.

In terms of executive hierarchy, it would be the president, the executive director, and then either the head of the European Division or the manager of the Overseas Construction Division.

The sign for the European Division’s office caught my eye.

It was when I stepped out of the elevator and stood in front of the European Division’s sign.

“Excuse me, how did you get here?”

The people who had ridden the elevator with me asked.

“I’m from the Group Secretariat.”

I was still technically part of the Group Secretariat.

Not recognizing me meant they must have joined after I transferred to the Group Secretariat.

Even their faces looked young and unseasoned by society.

“Ah…”

My employee badge from the Group Secretariat was already hanging around my neck.

With just a word about coming from the Group Secretariat, the two of them flinched noticeably. I gave them a slight smile and gestured towards the office, as if to say, “Go ahead on your way.”

And then, I followed them slowly into the office.

Step by step.

I walked with care, lest I inadvertently stride too confidently.

Consciously straightening my neck and keeping my back as straight as possible.

“Isn’t that Assistant Yoon?”

“Assistant Yoon went on a business trip yesterday.”

“No, it’s Assistant Yoon from Team 1 in Spain.”

“Yoon Taesik, the manager? The one who transferred to the Group Secretariat to accompany Executive Kang Moon-jung?”

Whispers began to spread here and there.

By now, a chill must have swept through the entire European division office due to Director Park Je-dong’s personnel issues.

In such a climate, an executive secretary from the group’s secretariat, who serves directly beside Kang Moon-jung, the sole legitimate successor of Daeyoung Group, has come to this place.

Moreover, this executive secretary was once an outcast in this space.

By now, there must be quite a few people internally panicking.

If it were the old me, I would have turned my head here and there, bending over backward to greet familiar faces, but I can’t do that now.

I must act according to the role stipulated in the contract I signed with the executive, a role fitting for the duties I will perform in the future at Mulsan.

I was confident.

And I wanted to experiment.

Having served directly beside Executive Kang Moon-jung, I had observed firsthand the owner’s skill in handling VIPs—a skill I never got to experience during my time as an assistant at Mulsan.

Especially the nagging of Chairman Kang Ki-young, who emphasized methods of solidifying the organization and know-how in dealing with people during breakfast meetings with Chairman Kang, Executive Kang Moon-jung, and Vice President Kang Young-jin, was essentially a valuable lesson I couldn’t have paid to hear.

To be recognized for your rightful power, don’t explain who you are with words; create the situation with your actions.

That’s what Chairman Kang Ki-young said right after Executive Kang Moon-jung moved from Mulsan to distribution as the chief operating officer.

Someday, when I gain power, I wanted to create a situation where I would be recognized in such a way.

Like riding the wave at a baseball stadium, people around me, focused solely on the Spanish team’s partition, started to raise their heads hurriedly or begin murmuring, creating a wave.

In front of the Spanish team’s partition.

“How could…”

Has it been a year since I joined?

A junior employee, who still looked green enough to be unremarkable, was about to rise from his seat, scanning the partitions of other teams I had passed.

Just then, a man I knew well approached with a tense face, pressing down on the junior’s shoulder.

Name, hometown, alma mater.

I remember it all.

He was a friend I had taken under my wing and taught.

He must have been promoted to assistant manager a while ago…

Now his face bore the distinct marks of workplace life.

“Assistant Manager Yoon, no, Deputy Manager.”

I checked the ID hanging around his neck.

“So you’re an assistant manager now?”

I remember never using formal speech with this friend, except for their first day on the job.

They’re not so foolish as to not understand what it means when I’m speaking formally to them now.

“…Yes.”

I slowly checked the size of the Spanish team.

What used to be only up to three teams, the Spanish team now boasted five partitions, including a new team and an overseas branch support team.

Could it be considered a major team in the European region, second only to the Bulldog teams of Italy, France, and Germany?

“Where is Oh Ji-won right now?”

“What brings the assistant manager here…”

I cut off my friend’s words and spoke coldly.

“The group secretariat is asking.”

The group secretariat ID badge hanging around my neck.

Suddenly, the air in the European region office began to freeze over.

“Where is Oh Ji-won right now?”

Oh Ji-won, the associate.

Associate was the last position I remember him holding.

During the time when I was completely ostracized by the entire Spanish team, thanks to Park Je-dong and Jung Chang-ho, he was the only senior who approached me.

And Oh Ji-won wasn’t even from the same Spanish team as I was; he was from team two.

He had started his career in trade six months before me, and while I was the ace of team one, Oh Ji-won was the ace of team two, always in a competitive stance.

Naturally, our relationship was always one of mutual restraint, with no room for feelings of friendship to develop.

Yet, despite that, when all my peers and juniors who were usually so friendly turned their backs on me, it was Oh Ji-won who first approached me, asking if I wanted to have a drink of soju.

I tried to scare him off, warning him that if he kept this up, he’d end up ostracized like me, but he coolly laughed it off, saying life is meant to be lived alone, and he wasn’t afraid of such things.

I still vividly remember the drinking session he initiated back then.

“I don’t think I’ve done anything particularly wrong, so why is the group secretariat looking for me so urgently?”

It was Oh Ji-won, the associate.

His ID badge still listed his position as an associate.

Three years and three months.

He was a senior who had been promoted six months before me, but why had this capable and sharp senior remained an associate for five years?

The reason was all too clear.

“Wow…”

I was truly grateful and relieved to find that Ji-won Oh, still an assistant manager, was still here, enduring and holding on, as if it were a lie.

“Assistant Manager of the Group Secretariat, Tae-sik Yoon. Heh, isn’t that just splendid?”

I almost burst into laughter at the sight of him bending down to my waist to read the employee badge hanging around my neck, enunciating each word carefully.

Soon, he stood up straight, looked me in the eye, and said,

“Time has only caught up with me. Our Assistant Manager Yoon looks much younger and more dashing than when you were here with me.”

“Right? How did you end up taking all the years by yourself?”

“Senior? I should only be called that when I’ve done something worthy of the title. What brings you here?”

“I came to check if you’re still doing your ‘my way’ and surviving the corporate life.”

As I said that, Senior Oh immediately turned his gaze to the entire European Division office and spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“Why would I quit such a good thing? It takes courage to be disliked. If you’re prepared to give up on promotions, you can commute like clockwork every day, not be dragged to company dinners watching for petty people’s approval, and without any important projects, there’s less stress. It’s the most comfortable position in the world.”

I suppressed a laugh that was about to escape and watched him until the end.

“I’m still doing it my way.”

“Maybe until now, but it might be problematic in the future.”

Catching the hint in my words, Senior Oh stroked his scruffy, unsightly beard and said,

“It seems there’s no law that people must die. I was just expecting an apocalypse where we’d all perish together, but the detestable ones have conveniently fallen on their own. Thanks to that, these days I don’t hesitate before entering the office; I just walk right in before clocking in.”

The detestable ones.

He must be talking about Director Park Je-dong and Assistant Manager Jung Chang-ho.

It was right then.

“Speak of the devil…”

At Senior Oh’s words, I turned my head, and there was Assistant Manager Jung Chang-ho, gasping for breath, standing at the office entrance.

It was clear he had rushed over after hearing through someone that I had entered the office.

Jung Chang-ho.

How many times had I fought with this man in my imagination alone?

He was the very person who had forced me onto Park Je-dong’s line.

Park Je-dong had said that once he secured the position of Head of the European Division, I would be on the road to success within Daeyoung Corporation, and that I should trust only him.

Seeing my name attached to a plan I had developed, I had protested that this wasn’t right, that this was separate from following lines, and the absurd argument he had given me in frustration was chilling.

“Did you think you could work like a civil servant while drawing a conglomerate’s salary? That’s how it is, originally. In this country, South Korea, that’s what the organization of a conglomerate is like. The subordinates grind their bones and wring their brains to produce results for their superiors. Where is your plan within Daeyoung Corporation? It’s all company plans, and among dozens, hundreds of proposals, it’s the plan of the person who chooses the usable ones. If you’re getting a conglomerate’s salary, do the work that matches the salary. You don’t even know what real work is. I thought you were smart, but you’re just a fool.”

Hearing that, it felt as if the sky was falling.

I realized this was a fight I could never win, and by speaking out, I had cut off even the line I was clinging to…

Erasing the thoughts of that time from my mind, I stood my ground, neither advancing nor retreating, and with my hands clasped behind my back, I stared at Deputy Director Jung Chang-ho.

The hesitant steps of Deputy Director Jung Chang-ho began to quicken as he neared me.

“Oh! Deputy Director Yoon! How long has it been?”

To be recognized for your rightful power, don’t explain who you are with words, create the situation with your actions.

I could almost hear Chairman Kang Ki-young’s voice ringing in my ears.

“What brings you here? Did you come with the executive director?”

Don’t explain who you are with words.

“I actually had something to ask you, Deputy Director Yoon, and it seems our telepathy is working well, isn’t it?”

Create the situation with your actions.

“Do you know anything about the sudden director-level personnel changes from the group’s headquarters? The office atmosphere is indescribable because of it. Let’s not talk here, come have a coffee with me.”

“…”

Deputy Director Jung Chang-ho’s hand had reached my right shoulder.

And with a slight turn of my head from where I stood, my eyes glanced at his hand.

I slowly turned my head back and emotionlessly gazed into Deputy Director Jung Chang-ho’s eyes.

Only then did he flinch and hastily retract his hand from my shoulder.

It was no trouble for me to turn all the power that had been focused on Deputy Director Jung Chang-ho, due to his direct line to Director Park Je-dong, into dust in an instant.

The power concentrated on Deputy Director Jung could be shifted elsewhere, and it would be over once I opened the floodgates.

With an awkward smile, I turned away from the flustered Deputy Director Jung, who seemed to regret his earlier touch on my shoulder, and faced Assistant Manager Oh Ji-won.

Then, loud enough for everyone within a 4 to 5-meter radius to hear, I spoke to Assistant Manager Oh Ji-won.

“The shot of soju you treated me to that day. It left quite an impression on me. It was a memorable spot, and it was comforting.”

Senior Oh narrowed his eyes and moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue.

“We’ll be seeing a lot more of each other. It seems we might even meet daily for a while. I’ll arrange a seat soon. Next time, I’ll pick up the tab.”

With utmost respect and appropriate depth, I was the first to bow towards Assistant Manager Oh.

In response, Assistant Manager Oh bowed even deeper.

Without giving Deputy Director Jung Chang-ho another glance, I moved on.

As I walked away, I brushed off my right shoulder, where Deputy Director Jung’s hand had been, as if to shake off the discomfort, making sure everyone in the office saw.

Then, I headed up to the executive floor to meet President Min Byung-jin.