Chapter 69

Wait… Could this popularity contest be about…

Kang Jin looked at Lee Sangsub.

“Who created this popularity contest?”

“Who else could unilaterally decide to promote an intern to full-time employee but the president himself?”

“The president is truly remarkable.”

Lee Sangsub chuckled at Kang Jin’s remark.

“Did you catch on to something?”

“Weren’t you dropping hints for me to figure it out?”

“You’re quite perceptive.”

“So, am I right?”

Lee Sangsub considered Kang Jin’s question before responding.

“Don’t mention this to anyone else.”

“Do others not know about it?”

“It’s common knowledge within the company. All employees are aware.”

“Then why keep it from us?” Kang Jin’s question implied his confusion over being told not to discuss it.

“It’s like an unspoken secret that everyone knows but doesn’t talk about.”

“So only interns don’t know?”

“I’d say one or two quick-witted ones might be aware.” Lee Sangsub glanced at Choi Donghae, who looked puzzled by their conversation. “But those clueless, like Donghae here, wouldn’t understand it.”

Smiling, Lee Sangsub pushed his chair back and returned to his desk. “Don’t let Donghae know what we’re talking about.”

“He won’t stay as an intern anyway,” Kang Jin remarked.

Lee Sangsub turned toward Choi Donghae. “If you perform well this time, you could potentially become a full-time employee. Are you sure you don’t want that?”

Although Choi Donghae’s potential was considered low within the department, becoming a popular intern could secure him a permanent position regardless of internal evaluations.

Lee Sangsub’s words made Choi Donghae pause and glance at Kang Jin before nodding after a moment of contemplation.

“I’ll work hard during my internship…and once it ends, I’ll retreat to the mountains for intense exercise to shed this weight.”

“Oh! That’s quite a resolution.”

“Well, I’m still young.”

Lee Sangsub nodded understandingly.

“Yes, focus on your diet and take the entrance exam later. Actually, they hire more full-time employees than interns anyway.”

“Thank you, sir.”

With that, Lee Sangsub returned to his desk and resumed reviewing documents. As he watched him, Choi Donghae quietly asked Kang Jin,

“What were you discussing earlier?”

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch, have you heard that saying?”

“Of course.”

“You’re planning to join a trading company after losing weight, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“When someone you meet through work offers you good food and drinks…remember this: Nothing is free in this world.”

As Kang Jin started reviewing documents on his desk, Choi Donghae looked at him, puzzled by what he meant.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean exactly that. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Remember, only your family gives you something for nothing. Keep that in mind, and you won’t end up in jail.”

Choi Donghae stared at Kang Jin, slightly confused, before returning to his seat. Kang Jin glanced briefly at him while continuing to read his paperwork. However, his thoughts were consumed with the popularity contest among interns.

By organizing a competition to select the most popular intern, we can also test their integrity.

That’s what Kang Jin thought. Judging by Sangsub’s reaction, he was correct.

The president is truly remarkable and fascinating. How did he come up with this idea?

It might be a test to evaluate their character based on how they try to win votes from interns. Things like, “What have I ever done for you?” or “Why should I do anything for you?”

Rumors about such behavior would likely affect their performance evaluations. Giving too much could result in negative points, as well as buying too many favors. The company might also seek out individuals who can manipulate rivals into voting for them. Someone capable of securing the majority of intern votes would demonstrate strong leadership skills or be akin to a shark that devours all its enemies. Both types are highly valued talents within the organization, making it a dual-purpose assessment of both character and potential.

Or someone like a shark who devours all their enemies. Both types could be considered exceptional talents for the company, making this exercise both about identifying talent and assessing character—a two-for-one deal.

Kang Jin smiled as he pondered these thoughts.

Company life is truly fascinating. It feels like I’m back in school.

Psychological theories from textbooks were coming alive within the workplace. Kang Jin decided to step back from actively engaging with interns and instead observe how they interacted and formed alliances.

As quitting time approached, Kang Jin started receiving text messages on his phone:

[Hello. This is intern Youngjin Choi from Team 3. As fellow interns, we haven’t had a chance to properly greet each other yet. Some of us plan to gather for a drink tonight. If you’re okay with it, would you like to join?]

It’s Hwang Kyusik from yesterday. If you’re free, would you like to grab coffee after work today?

This is Myungshik Choi, your fellow intern. I heard you run a restaurant nearby, but despite being colleagues, I haven’t had a chance to visit yet. Tonight, some friends and I plan to drop by for drinks.

Looks like my badge really has no owner.

Since it was clear that this intern didn’t intend to become a full-time employee, others thought they could easily acquire his badge and were making their moves first.

As Kang Jin read the messages on his phone, he glanced at Choi Donghae. Seeing him occasionally checking his own phone, Kang Jin surmised that Donghae might be receiving similar texts.

Kang Jin discreetly whispered while scanning their surroundings:

“They’re trying to gather all the interns, huh?”

“What? Oh, yes.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“I don’t think I’ll go.”

“Why not?”

“If we’re going to eat so much, I need to lose some weight,” Choi Donghae joked, making Kang Jin chuckle.

“Good thinking.”

“I think you’ve been getting texts too?”

“I’m planning to meet them.”

“You’ll get to enjoy good food then?”

“It’s not about eating but creating delicious dishes.”

“Huh?” Choi Donghae looked puzzled at Kang Jin’s cryptic remark.

Kang Jin clarified, “I want everyone to gather at my restaurant. It’s been a while since I had decent sales.” With that, he sent replies to those who’d texted him earlier:

I’m not sure if you know this, but after work, I run a restaurant. If you have any business with me, please visit there. The location is…

Kang Jin smiled as he finished sending the messages.

Boosting revenue and satisfying their curiosity… Perfect.

Still smiling, he began organizing documents. When it hit 5 PM, he stood up.

“I’m heading home now.”

Lee Sangsub looked at Kang Jin’s words.

“Did you receive any replies?”

“Many of them.”

“Enjoy your time off.” Lee Sangsub then turned to Choi Donghae. “Did you get any messages too, Donghae?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You can leave as well.”

“But I still have work to do,” replied Choi Donghae.

Lim Ho-jin glanced at him. “Once this sports event is over, we’ll be busy with field trips. We’ll likely visit places like Pohang or Busan often, so enjoy some downtime while you can.”

Choi Donghae considered Lim Ho-jin’s advice and nodded. “Understood.”

He started organizing his documents and packing his bag. Watching this, Kang Jin turned to Lee Sangsub.

“Are you staying late again tonight?”

“If I want Friday off, I need to keep working overtime.”

“Hmm… Should I bring some rice rolls for you later?”

“Really?” Lee Sangsub brightened.

“I’ll charge one thousand won per roll.”

Lee Sangsub looked at Kang Jin curiously. “If you’re only charging a thousand won… wouldn’t it be better to give them away for free?”

“If I accept something for free now, it could create debt later.”

“Ah, so you believe there’s no such thing as a free lunch?” Lee Sangsub chuckled, but Kang Jin slightly shook his head. While not entirely wrong, he was referring specifically to JS Finance. If Kang Jin accepted anything gratis despite having the ability to pay, his JS Finance balance would decrease accordingly. However, unable to explain this, Kang Jin smiled and said:

“Well, something like that. And isn’t one thousand won quite reasonable for delicious kimbap?”

“You’re right. Plus, with delivery included… then I’ll take two rolls!”

At Lee Sangsub’s response, Kang Jin glanced around at the other employees.

“What about everyone else?”

The conversation wasn’t held quietly or far away from others; thus, all the employees in the office had already heard it.

“Can we also order?” asked Kim Hyein.

Kang Jin smiled at her. “One roll or ten rolls…it’s just a matter of preparing the ingredients.”

“Then I’ll have one roll,” said Hyein.

“And two for me,” added another employee.

After taking everyone’s orders, Kang Jin left the office with Choi Donghae.

“You called them yet?”

“Nope.”

“Invite those kids who miss our food to dine at our restaurant. It’ll boost sales.”

“Should we do that?”

“Yes, let’s.”

As they entered the elevator, Kang Jin mentally inventoried the ingredients in their refrigerator.

For kimchi rice rolls, …I don’t have any kimchi wrappers.

There were no kimchi wrappers among the available ingredients. After briefly pondering, he nodded.

Kang Jin pondered for a moment before nodding his head.

‘Let’s start with Grandma’s Kimbap recipe and then switch to kimchi fried rice halfway through. I’ll use kimchi instead of danmuji.’

The practice room contained various Eastern and Western recipes, but sometimes ingredients were missing. In such cases, he would adapt similar dishes by substituting or adjusting ingredients accordingly. This approach often yielded satisfactory results.

As Kang Jin mentally reviewed the kimbap recipe while leaving the company, he spotted Hwang Kyusik waiting nearby.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“I figured you’d be out around this time.”

Hwang Kyusik approached with a smile, waving cheerfully at Choi Donghae as well.

“Donghae!”

Seeing Hwang Kyusik’s friendly gesture, Choi Donghae reciprocated with a slight wave.

“It’s been a while.”

“Even though we work for the same company, being in different departments makes it hard to see each other. Oh! I’m heading to Kang Jin’s restaurant for dinner; would you like to join us?”

Hearing Hwang Kyusik’s invitation, Choi Donghae glanced at Kang Jin, who smiled and responded:

“Let’s go first. Ah! Kyusik, have you ever visited my restaurant before?”

“I’ve heard much about it. You’re known for creating delicious dishes tailored to individual tastes, right?”

“You’ve got that spot on. Let’s head over.”

Kang Jin led the way, guiding Hwang Kyusik and Choi Donghae towards his establishment.

Upon arriving at One Meal Restaurant, Hwang Kyusik looked around with surprise.

“So…this is your place.”

“Does it seem strange?”

“Not exactly…I pass by here twice daily during commutes, yet I don’t recall noticing this restaurant before.”

“It’s strange how my restaurant is hard to spot, isn’t it?” Kang Jin paused as he received a text message on his phone and checked its contents:

<I’m at the location you mentioned for One Meal Restaurant but can’t find it. Also, were you meeting Choi Youngjin here?>

Kang Jin glanced at Bae Yongsoo sitting in the kitchen after reading the message.

‘For sure… I need to exorcise ghosts during business hours.’

Muttering internally, Kang Jin looked towards Choi Donghae.

“Donghae, there should be interns outside. Bring them in.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Choi Donghae opened the door and left, Hwang Kyusik curiously eyed Kang Jin.

“You address Mr. Donghae informally?”

“We see each other daily since we’re in the same department, so constantly using formalities felt awkward. We decided to treat each other like siblings.”

“But this is still a company…”

“We maintain professionalism at work and relax outside of it,” Kang Jin clarified.

Hwang Kyusik’s expression hardened slightly upon hearing this.

“It seems like you’ve become quite close with Mr. Choi.”

“We sit across from each other every day… Unless we’re enemies, we have to be friendly,” Kang Jin explained.

Hwang Kyusik looked at him intently before asking:

“By any chance, are there other interns interested?”

“I’m told I’m not just on your radar, Hwang Kyusik.” With a smile, Kang Jin entered the kitchen but paused mid-step to add, “And for you too, Hwang Kyusik, this place holds great potential. Do you understand what that means?”

Hwang Kyusik nodded thoughtfully after considering Kang Jin’s words.

“Yes, I see.”

As Kang Jin suggested, this setting could indeed present significant opportunities for Hwang Kyusik as well.

To secure nine votes, they needed to sway other people’s votes somehow.