Chapter 73

Kang Jin and Wo Chuljin took a step back during this process. As observers, they knew pushing further could lead to negative reactions from others.

“The game should be…

“How about bingo?”

“Bingo? Isn’t that still quite strategic?”

“I’ve never heard of bingo being considered strategic.”

“What about dice rolling?”

“Wouldn’t that favor someone experienced with games?”

“How about rock-paper-scissors?” Kang Jin suggested, looking around at people’s reactions.

Isn’t this what I proposed earlier?

He thought rock-paper-scissors would be reasonable, but it faced opposition immediately.

“Some people are really good at rock-paper-scissors.”

“And there can be disputes over who threw their choice later.”

“I saw on TV once that there’s a strategy to win rock-paper-scissors.”

“And I hate playing because I’m not good at it.”

“Who said you need skill for rock-paper-scissors?”

“I always lose, so I dislike it.”

“What about flipping a coin?”

“A coin flip?”

“We can decide heads or tails, and whoever gets their desired outcome wins. It doesn’t require any skill; it’s purely random.” The person who suggested this continued with another thought: “Plus, everyone here can participate simultaneously.”

“Everyone?”

“Yes, each person chooses either heads or tails. Then, when the coin is flipped, those who picked the losing side are eliminated, while those who chose correctly advance.”

“But deciding such matters by flipping a coin…”

“No matter what game we choose, someone will be dissatisfied. Some may dislike rock-paper-scissors while others might not like dice… Even if there are various games of chance, there will always be those who reject them regardless.”

The other interns pursed their lips at the suggestion to flip a coin. The intern had a point, though.

“So, flipping a coin?”

“It’s definitely random and doesn’t depend on skill. Plus, choosing heads or tails is purely luck-based.”

“But it still involves probability.”

“Well, getting heads twice in a row has lower odds.”

“Probability…

As Kang Jin observed the interns deep in thought, he checked the time.

It’s already 9:30 PM…

He felt it was about time to wrap things up. With that, Kang Jin spoke up.

“The competition seems set…but how will you decide by flipping a coin?”

Kang Jin’s suggestion made everyone hesitate. Entrusting their fate to a coin flip felt uncomfortable.

“If you need more time to think about it, we can reconvene tomorrow.”

Hwang Kyusik rubbed his face and stood up at Kang Jin’s words.

“There’s also a saying that suggests getting it over with sooner is better! Let’s just do this today instead of worrying all night until tomorrow. At least, we’ll have some peace of mind tonight, right?”

Several interns sighed and nodded in agreement with Hwang Kyusik.

“Let’s go for it.”

“I don’t want any more stress, regardless of the outcome.”

“Yes, let’s do this.”

As the mood among the interns shifted towards immediate action, Kang Jin took out a sheet of paper.

“Before we begin…”

Kang Jin lifted up a piece of paper.

“I’ll briefly explain this document. All interns at Taekwang Trading Company agree to determine their popularity through this competition. We swear to fully accept the outcome and pledge our votes to the winner. Please sign your names below.”

“What legal effect does it have?” Wo Chuljin asked.

Kang Jin looked around as he replied, “As you said, Mr. Cheoljin, there is no direct legal binding here. However… those who go against its terms will face consequences.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Let’s start by signing first.”

Kang Jin wrote down what he had explained on the paper and signed his name beneath it.

He then pushed the paper and pen aside. Hwang Kyusik hesitated momentarily before signing his name with determination. One by one, each intern added their signature to the document.

Once everyone had signed, Kang Jin took a picture of it with his phone and handed the paper back to Wo Chuljin. The manager placed it on the table and looked at Kang Jin.

“What effect does this have?”

“You said it yourself, Mr. Cheoljin. Taekwang Trading Company not only seeks talented individuals but also those with good character.”

Wo Chuljin’s face briefly showed confusion at Kang Jin’s words but quickly relaxed with relief. After all, Kang Jin didn’t mention why he was helping Hwang Eunmi.

“That’s correct. Taekwang Trading Company values both character and ability in its employees.”

Kang Jin responded to Wo Chuljin’s statement, “If anyone refuses to accept the result and we don’t have a popular intern, I will post this document on the company bulletin board.”

People froze at Kang Jin’s words.

“You would…?”

“Why?”

“Shouldn’t Taekwang Trading Company know who failed to keep their simple promise?” Kang Jin’s comment hardened everyone’s face.

“Uh… Isn’t this supposed to be a secret ballot?” One of the interns asked.

Kang Jin shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure, but since you cannot vote for yourself, it must be a signed ballot.”

“Oh…” The intern nodded understandingly.

The interns examined the document closely. If they didn’t select a popular intern, they would be labeled as untrustworthy individuals who couldn’t keep their promises, and that information would be posted on the company bulletin board.

If they didn’t show up, it would make them appear untrustworthy for not keeping their promise, and this information could potentially be posted on the company bulletin board.

“Why do you get to decide that?”

Kang Jin smiled at the intern’s question. “We just need to keep our promises. Or are you planning not to honor yours?”

The protesting intern pursed their lips after Kang Jin’s response. As stated, if everyone kept their word, there wouldn’t be any issues.

If someone breaks their promise, their reputation will surely take a hit.

…And with a poor performance evaluation, they might face reduced career opportunities.

With these thoughts in mind, the interns nodded in agreement.

Seeing their consent, Kang Jin took out a coin from his pocket.

“Then let’s flip a coin. I’ll go first. Is that okay with everyone?”

One of the interns looked at Kang Jin and hesitated. “Well…”

“It would be better if someone not participating in this game, like me, Wo Chuljin, or Choi Donghae, flips the coins.”

Hwang Kyusik shook his head at Kang Jin’s suggestion. “As you said…it’s preferable for an observer to handle it rather than any one of us. If any participant does it, others might question the fairness. And…let’s proceed quickly. After all, flipping the coins is the only way to get answers.”

Hwang Kyusik then stood up and took out two coins.

Tak! Tak!

He placed one coin on each side of the table before speaking.

“Doing it individually would take too long, so let’s make this exciting. This side wins if it lands on numbers; that side wins if it lands on flowers.”

Kang Jin glanced at everyone after hearing Hwang Kyusik’s proposal.

“You’re quite daring. Let’s not waste any more time and begin. Please choose your side.”

“Don’t we need to toss a coin once for practice?” asked Hwang Eunmi nervously.

Kang Jin chuckled. “Tossing a coin for practice will only confuse you. Trust your instincts and pick either numbers or flowers.”

“Let’s get started.”

Following Hwang Kyusik’s suggestion, people divided themselves based on the coin toss result. Five chose tails, and nine chose heads. However, two from the heads group switched to tails, resulting in an even split of seven versus seven.

Kang Jin observed this, then went to the kitchen and brought back a pot, placing it on the table.

“Just in case, I want to clarify that if the coin bounces off the pot and falls under the table, it still counts as a valid outcome. We’ll make our decision based on where it lands.”

“Phew!”

“Please…let it be tails.”

With nervous eyes fixed on Kang Jin’s hand, he aimed at the pot and flicked the coin.

Flick.

Whirr!

The coin soared through the air and was immediately sucked into the pot.

Tak! Cling!

At the sound of the coin flipping, everyone’s eyes quickly turned to the pot.

And then…

“It’s even!”

“Even!”

“Oh…”

“Darn!”

The interns who chose even cheered while those who picked odd looked crestfallen.

Kang Jin paid them no heed and handed the coin to Wo Chuljin. “Your turn this time, Cheoljin.”

“All right.” Holding the coin, Wo Chuljin faced the seven victorious interns. “Make your choice.”

As he spoke, they glanced at their defeated colleagues. The ones who had chosen odd bit their lips and stepped back, unwilling to contradict themselves after agreeing with the majority just moments ago.

It was a familiar sight by now. However…

Someone needs to step up.

I’ll back whoever does.

They were all hoping someone would take one for the team.

As Wo Chuljin held up the coin, the remaining interns looked at each other before two stayed put while five moved their cups. Since a number had just come up, statistically speaking, it was more likely that tails would appear next, as opposed to getting another consecutive number.

The interns then turned to watch Wo Chuljin, who flicked the coin into the air amidst their gazes.

Tak! Cling! The coin bounced several times inside the pot before settling on its final position.

“It’s even!”

“Nice!”

The two interns who chose even cheered while those who lost looked crestfallen.

“I…”

As one intern opened their mouth, all eyes turned to them. Before they could say anything, Kang Jin slammed down the pledge form.

Tak!

Kang Jin didn’t utter a word, but his silence made it clear what he expected from the intern. With a grim expression, the intern glanced at the pledge form, bit their lip, and took a shot of soju.

Gulp!

After setting down the glass, they spoke:

“I’d like to put on a brave face here…but I’m sorry. This really hurts. Please text me once the winner is decided. As per the pledge…I’ll cast my vote accordingly.”

The intern then turned around, opened the door, and left. A few of the defeated interns followed suit, showing no interest in who emerged victorious once they themselves had lost.

The two remaining interns looked at each other.

“Let’s decide this,” one suggested.

Following his words, Kang Jin took out the coin from the pot and handed it to Choi Donghae.

“You throw last, Donghae.”

“Me?”

“Cheoljin and I have already gone once. It’s your turn now.”

Choi Donghae accepted the coin from Kang Jin. He fiddled with it between his fingers for a moment before taking a deep breath.

“Make your choice.”

Upon hearing Choi Donghae, the remaining two interns glanced at each other.

“Where will you go?”

“Hak.”

After considering his opponent’s answer briefly, the second intern nodded.

“Go ahead.”

With his encouragement, the nervous opponent moved their marker to the side with the bird symbol. A slight smile played on the first intern’s face.

Statistically speaking, I have better odds.

The probability of tails coming up three times in a row was lower than heads appearing at least once. However, despite his grin, he couldn’t hide his own anxiety.

“Phew! Let’s toss it,” said Choi Donghae as he flipped the coin.

Clang! Jingle!

The interns eagerly checked the coin that landed in the pot. The one who chose numbers blushed in embarrassment.

The coin resting in the pot showed…a number.

Kang Jin clicked her tongue upon seeing the result.

Is probability just a theory?

Based purely on statistics, choosing the bird seemed advantageous, but ultimately, the intern who picked numbers emerged victorious.