Chapter 16 : Salary Negotiation (Part-1)

The damage sustained by Team 1 of Geummyung Security was catastrophic.

From the very beginning, close to 20 individuals within the office were taken out, and in addition, the surveillance team that had been monitoring the rookie sister was entirely obliterated.

Tragically, two police officers who had been engaged as subcontractors also lost their lives, which led to a significant increase in the police’s level of alertness.

Subsequently, Team 2 began exacerbating the situation, and with the involvement of the National Intelligence Service, the scenario was quickly descending into chaos.

If this situation persisted and the current trajectory was maintained, the rookie would find themselves completely lost and disoriented within the complexities of the organization, leading to a scenario in which the company would be rendered incapable of effectively protecting itself from various challenges and threats.

All of the executives present at the meeting, excluding Director Park, had already begun to seriously deliberate the possibility and ramifications of terminating employees from their positions within the organization.

In order to alter their perspectives and sway their opinions in a more favorable direction, it was imperative that at least one of the two outlined objectives be distinctly and undeniably accomplished.

“Burn this too, and take out all the papers in the office and burn them as well.” “Yes, manager.”

It was a threat to scare the rookie, but Chief Jeong was prepared to cause a major incident in Seoul.

The incident that Director Park caused could be considered large, but it wasn’t impossible to cover it up.

The gunshots were fired with a silencer, the rocket launchers were fired, and the chaos was all caused after the civilians had evacuated. It could still be considered a gentlemanly battle.

However, if either side, the rookie or the others, started fighting without hesitation, it would literally turn into a “sea of flames in Seoul.”

The company, Geummyung Security, would be at significant risk.

If they could successfully secure the rookie without causing any injury, it would indeed prove to be a worthwhile endeavor; however, the primary concern lay in whether they could manage to capture the rookie without inflicting any harm.

Rather than opting to take a substantial gamble, their preference was to engage in a dialogue, attempting to persuade the rookie through verbal communication and effectively bringing them back.

“Have you completed the team reorganization? You can’t beat the rookie in a gunfight. We need to form a breakthrough team with strong guys, since they’ll need to wear Level 4 bulletproof vests all over their bodies… Oh, Kang Team’s group is full of strong guys, right? That pig-like guy too.”

“If you’re talking about Team Leader Kang, he’s dead. That pig-like guy is also dead.”

“Damn it, of course… Then, prepare someone good with a knife. If both sides are wearing bulletproof vests, close combat will likely be the main battle. That guy, what’s his name? Kim, was it? The guy who’s really good with daggers?”

“Kim is dead too.”

“Ah, what do you mean they’re all dead? This is so fucked up. There’s nothing we can do.”

It was already quite challenging to contend with the existing shortage of personnel, and on top of that, the branch manager had opted to mobilize a group of personnel to the Oriental Department Store, asserting that it was imperative to attend to matters concerning the younger sister…

Instead of strategically assembling a high-caliber team to take part in the highly anticipated event known as the “Sea of Flames in Seoul,” they were struggling just to adequately fill the necessary positions.

How did Team 1, previously regarded as the pinnacle of excellence and the epitome of elite performance, find themselves in this unfortunate predicament?

Meanwhile, Teams 2 and 3, currently stationed overseas, would undoubtedly be finding great amusement in the absurdity of this situation.

“Alright. For now, fill the positions with the remaining personnel. After finishing the data incineration, collect all the remaining guns in the office. I’ll be leaving soon as well.”

The office was devoid of any occupants.

From the exterior, it appeared to be an ordinary office, yet Team 1 had nearly completed the evacuation process.

They had issued the command to incinerate all the materials, and preparations were thoroughly in place should there be an unexpected assault.

Just at the moment when Chief Jeong was preparing to depart, his phone began to ring.

“Yes, rookie. Have you made up your mind?”

[Yes, manager. You’re not the kind of person to threaten with words only, right?]

That’s right, this kid knows me well, Chief Jeong nodded with satisfaction.

Even after years of working together, there were colleagues who failed to grasp the nuances of my personality and continued to irritate me, yet the rookie was imbued with an admirable quickness and perceptiveness.

The more he observed my actions and interactions, the more he felt a deep-seated desire to collaborate with me for the long haul.

At this moment, he might be vocalizing his frustrations and declaring that he detests this job, but after spending nearly a decade immersed in this tumultuous field, it’s plausible that he might find himself emotional, reminiscing over a drink, saying,

“Thank you for pulling me into this industry, hyung!”

“Things are going well.”

If the new hire’s response was delayed, it would have really caused a ‘Seoul inferno,’ but thanks to that, they survived.

With this, they would secure the new hire and avoid the disbandment of Geummyeong Security.

“Ah, damn it, this pretty bastard is so cute.”

Jeong Manager’s lips curled into a grin.

“So, where do you want to go? Where do you want to see my face, huh?”

[Wait a moment, Manager.]

“Hey.”

The call dropped.

What the hell?

Jeong Manager almost threw his phone but barely restrained himself.

The salary negotiations would commence in the near future, which meant that he had to maintain his composure and not let anxiety or apprehension take over.

Just how much was this attractive and somewhat arrogant individual going to demand as compensation?

Given that he was a defector from the military who had yet to hold a job in the civilian sector, it seemed likely that his understanding and perspective on financial matters might be quite distorted.

It would not come as a surprise if he decided to request an exorbitantly high salary that did not align with the typical expectations for someone in his situation.

He was in a position to offer as much as 2 million in monthly salary, but any figure that exceeded that threshold would pose a significant challenge for the company.

Regardless of how the negotiations unfolded, it was inevitable that they would eventually find themselves in a setting away from the corporate environment, engaging in a discussion of sorts.

With this thought in mind, Jeong Manager decided to rise from his seat promptly.

At that moment, the office phone rang.

“Who is this?”

[It’s Director Park Seung-jun! Who’s the one who took it?!]

“I’m the manager of Team 1. What’s the matter, Director?”

[You little shit, where did you sell your name? Whatever, you guys need to be careful. Min Cheol-woo is heading that way.]

“Huh? What do you mean?”

[It’s hard to explain, but Min Cheol-woo is heading your way, so get ready! Due to some margin of error, we can’t confirm if he’s inside or outside the building! He might have already entered!]

What the hell is this?

He held himself back from rushing out and looked behind.

The office was still quiet, peaceful.

Jeong Manager, sensing something off, called the security office via intercom.

“Security office. How’s the situation on the first floor?”

[—]

“Security office. Hey, did you go take a shit or what?”

It wasn’t unusual for these guys to slack off, but today wasn’t one of those days.

Since the new recruit left, they’d placed employees on a 24-hour rotating shift in the security office, hadn’t they?

After muttering something to the receiver, Jeong Manager slowly walked across the office.

The sound of machinery whirring in the background.

Ding- the elevator stopped, and the door opened.

A moment of silence.

“Ah, shit…”

A grenade flew into the room with a startling suddenness, its metallic casing glinting ominously as it arced through the air.

Cheol-woo, while diligently working at the company, frequently engaged in phone conversations with Jeong Manager, a key figure within the organization.

Most of the time, these interactions were simply routine communications with Jeong Manager, comprising discussions regarding various projects, updates, or operational matters.

He didn’t necessarily focus on distinguishing the specific sounds that filled the background while he was talking, but after his senses became sharper through experience and heightened awareness, he couldn’t help but notice certain distinct auditory elements that he hadn’t paid attention to before.

‘That sound… it’s the office.’

One of these things was the difference in background noise during calls.

There was a faint hum in the background when they talked.

That sound? It was the ventilation fan.

More precisely, it was the sound of the ventilation system in Jeong Manager’s personal office.

The sound quality wasn’t great, but the frequency and waveform were the same.

Cheol-woo decided to trust his instincts.

‘Is he still in the office?’

After arriving at the company building, Cheol-woo called again.

“Yeah, new recruit. Have you finished deciding?”

[Yes. You’re not someone who only threatens with words, right?]

The sound of footsteps followed by a hum—

As expected.

“So, where do you want to go? Where do you want to see my face, huh?”

[Just a moment, Manager.]

“Ugh.”

As soon as the call ended, Cheol-woo stepped confidently into the building.

The Team 1 office building appeared to be an ordinary corporate building from the outside.

Though there were plenty of guards, they didn’t stop outsiders right at the entrance.

However, to get inside, you had to swipe an employee card through the turnstile and pass by the security office.

Cheol-woo, wearing his cap low, confidently walked toward the turnstile.

• Min Cheol-woo
• Employee
  He let out a sigh while looking at the employee card with his name and photo.