Chapter 77

Unfortunately, during the second round of table tennis matches, Export Agency Team 2 lost. The opposing team’s intern played like a professional athlete.

“Wow! Did that intern used to be a pro?” Lim Ho-jin watched the opponent with admiration and surprise. Kang Jin also observed the intern closely.

The intern from the other team was Hwang Kyusik. Sensing Kang Jin’s gaze, he smiled and waved his paddle at her. Kang Jin nodded slightly before answering her ringing phone.

“Hello?”

[Kang Jinah, where are you?]

“We’re playing table tennis at the auditorium. How about you, hyung?”

[I’m currently at the tent set up in front of the field. The professor wants you here.]

“Jinah, where are you?”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure. The president was talking with me and asked to bring you over.”

“So he’s there with you?”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin nodded upon hearing that both the professor and president were present together.

“I’ll be right there.”

After hanging up, Kang Jin turned to Lee Sangsub.

“The professor wants to see me, so I need to head out.”

“But even if it’s for the professor, are you going back to Seoul now?” Lee Sangsub frowned, unaware of Lim Sang-ok’s presence nearby.

Kang Jin shook her head at his confusion. “The president seems to have invited him here for the sports meet, which is why Professor Lim is attending today.”

Lim Ho-jin wiped his sweat and asked Kang Jin, “Are you talking about Professor Lim Sang-ok?”

“You know our professor?”

“I’ve only heard rumors; I haven’t met him personally.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“Let’s discuss that later. Shouldn’t you go see her now?”

Kang Jin nodded at Lim Ho-jin’s suggestion.

“Yes, I’ll be back shortly.”

Leaving the auditorium, Kang Jin headed towards the tent set up on the sports field. The executives and president were seated under the tent behind the podium, watching a soccer match unfold on the field.

“Don’t you think Overseas Business will win again this year?” one executive asked another.

“We won’t know until it’s over. Domestic Sales is no pushover either.”

As Kang Jin observed executives discussing soccer, he waved at Choi Kwang-hyun, who promptly approached them.

“How did your matches go?”

“We won basketball but lost table tennis.”

“Really? Were they tough opponents?” Choi Kwang-hyun asked.

Kang Jin nodded and glanced towards Professor Lim Sang-ok.

“Let’s greet the professor first,” suggested Kang Jin.

Following Kang Jin’s lead, Choi Kwang-hyun led him to meet Professor Lim Sang-ok.

As they approached, Lim Sang-ok smiled at O Taegwang and introduced Kang Jin, “This is one of our students from the university.”

O Taegwang responded with equal enthusiasm, “Ah, you must be the intern recommended by the professor.”

“I hope I haven’t caused any trouble for the company.”

“Hahaha! No need to worry. Everyone in the department speaks highly of you.”

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely.” With a smile, O Taegwang pulled up a chair and placed it next to them. “Please have a seat.”

Kang Jin took the offered seat, forming a triangle with Lim Sang-ok and O Taegwang.

“So what do you think?”

“About what?”

“When you look at me, who does it remind you of?” Kang Jin chuckled at O Taegwang’s question.

“I’m a student of psychology, not a fortune teller.”

“Hahaha! Asking you to assess me based solely on my appearance was indeed impolite.” O Taegwang laughed and slightly bowed his head, which Kang Jin acknowledged with a nod.

Regardless of anything else, he seems quite relaxed.

As Kang Jin observed O Taegwang, Lim Sang-ok interjected:

“You apparently ruined their popular intern selection process.”

“Oh…”

As Kang Jin smacked his lips, Lim Sang-ok spoke up.

“You know what ‘popular intern’ means?”

“I believe it refers to outstanding interns among their peers.”

“Being popular doesn’t necessarily mean they’re exceptional, right?”

Kang Jin nodded at Lim Sang-ok’s question.

“Yes, but receiving the most votes amidst stiff competition demonstrates their abilities.”

“Do you think this is a crucial skill for a trading company?”

“Just considering the ability to turn enemies into allies, I believe it’s essential for a trading company.”

Lim Sang-ok smiled, seemingly pleased with Kang Jin’s response.

“Moving on… Isn’t describing fellow interns as adversaries quite ruthless?”

“The job market for young people nowadays is fiercely competitive. Interns are on the front lines of this battle, akin to being new recruits thrown into war.”

Kang Jin’s words made Lim Sang-ok sigh deeply.

“Especially for those studying psychology.”

Lim Sang-ok worried about his students’ job prospects as opportunities were limited within their field.

He continued to sigh before turning to Choi Kwang-hyun.

“Why did you choose our department, which doesn’t exactly lead to lucrative careers?”

“Then why do you teach at a psychology department with low earning potential, Professor?”

“It aligns with my interests.”

“I followed my passion.”

“You cheeky rascal.”

O Taegwang chuckled at their exchange.

“How delightful that your mentor-student bond is so strong.”

“Is it really?”

“Absolutely! When I was younger, I couldn’t even imagine joking around like this with a professor.”

“Well…that’s precisely the problem,” muttered Lim Sang-ok.

“Huh?” O Taegwang looked puzzled.

Lim Sang-ok shook his head, realizing the issue lay not in humor but in the seriousness behind their conversation.

“Oh, never mind.”

Lim Sang-ok then turned to Kang Jin.

“Yes, as you said, the popularity contest internship program was meticulously designed by our president. Yet this year’s winner was decided by flipping a coin.”

“As I mentioned earlier, securing employment is a matter of life and death for young people today. Even if it means flipping a coin, having at least one person gain employment is still a positive outcome,” replied Kang Jin.

O Taegwang looked at him thoughtfully before responding, “But isn’t that not quite the type of employee I’m looking for? Oh, can we speak informally now?”

“Please feel comfortable.”

“Alright then, let’s chat casually.” O Taegwang smiled warmly and continued, “The popularity contest internship served as my hidden mission to select the desired candidate.”

Kang Jin nodded at O Taegwang’s suggestion and replied, “Sir, while you may not know exactly who you’re looking for, wouldn’t having a fortunate employee be beneficial?”

O Taegwang chuckled at the mention of luck. “Indeed, if someone consistently has good fortune, they would be more valuable than any other employee. However…luck cannot always be favorable.”

Kang Jin smiled in agreement with O Taegwang’s words.

“Nevertheless, it seems luck was on our side this time.”

His statement implied that the decision had already been made. O Taegwang nodded in response to Kang Jin’s remark.

“You’re right. In business, one should not make promises lightly, but once given, they must be fulfilled. It is crucial for maintaining credibility, which money cannot buy.”

O Taegwang then turned to Kang Jin.

“That’s why I plan on continuing the popularity contest until this year.”

“Until this year?”

“I don’t want to pick another intern by flipping a coin again.”

“Oh…”

“But of course, we will hire as full-time employees those who became interns through the coin toss.”

“Thank you very much.”

“No need for thanks; it was my idea after all.” O Taegwang paused briefly before continuing while looking at Kang Jin. “So, I hope there’s a new approach.”

“A new approach?”

“There have been only two interns promoted from the popularity contest so far. And both of them perform exceptionally well.”

Kang Jin nodded at O Taegwang’s words.

Their abilities have already been proven to become popular interns.

Not only their skills but also their ability to handle crises had been tested.

“I’ve gathered you here today to discuss this matter.”

“Then why am I…

“The professor wanted your input despite your brief company experience,” explained O Taegwang.

“Oh…”

*I mean, it was really short though…

Considering he’d worked as an intern for merely a month, could Kang Jin truly claim any knowledge of trading companies? He hesitated before asking:

“But selecting them normally would be…”

O Taegwang smiled warmly in response.

“My father was from North Korea. He used to be quite successful in business up there. His constant advice to me was always about ‘human commerce’.”

“Human commerce?”

“You’re not thinking of human trafficking or anything like that, right?” Kang Jin shook his head at O Taegwang’s joking tone.

“I believe he meant investing in people.”

O Taegwang nodded at Kang Jin’s response.

“He often said, ‘Human resources are everything.’ No matter what product you’re dealing with in your business, success hinges on having the right team. With good people, any venture can flourish; conversely, even with great products, poor leadership leads to failure and embarrassment.”

“That’s profound advice.”

“So I need a new game to replace our popular intern competition. We must find talented individuals who can lead Taekwang Trading Company forward.”

Kang Jin looked at O Taegwang and nodded in agreement.

He’s relaxed…and has a strong desire for talent.

Not bad qualities for a boss, actually—quite commendable. Especially his ambition for finding good people meant he would treat them well, knowing their value. This wasn’t surprising, considering Taekwang Trading Company was known for excellent employee benefits.

“So you’re creating a new game.”

“It’s been running for about twenty years now, so it’s time for a change.” O Taegwang nodded and turned to Lim Sang-ok. “Please develop a great game for us.”

Lim Sang-ok glanced at Kang Jin upon hearing this request from O Taegwang.

“You want him to create it?”

“Me?” Kang Jin’s response puzzled O Taegwang, who looked at Lim Sang-ok quizzically.

“Are you entrusting this task to an intern?”

Lim Sang-ok explained, “Isn’t it better for the person responsible to fix things? Besides, Kang Jin has more real-world experience than I do.”

“Is that so?” O Taegwang raised an eyebrow and turned to Kang Jin.

“Could you tell us about your part-time jobs?”

“My part-time jobs?”

“Yes, how many have you done?”

“I haven’t counted exactly, but it should be over twenty.”

“Twenty part-time jobs alone?”

“There were some circumstances…”

O Taegwang listened attentively before nodding.

“So, would you like to give this a try?”

Lim Sang-ok glanced at Kang Jin expectantly.

“Any ideas come to mind?”

Kang Jin hesitated briefly, then chuckled as if uncertain.

O Taegwang chuckled as if feeling perplexed. “This is…either very easy or incredibly difficult…”

“Easy?” Kang Jin looked at O Taegwang with curiosity.

“I’m not sure about finding exceptional talents, but there’s one game that requires quick thinking and adaptability.”

“Right now?”

“I used to work part-time at a comic book cafe.”

“A comic book cafe?”

“Yes, I remember reading a manga where they played rock-paper-scissors…” Kang Jin paused, realizing he didn’t need to explain further. “Anyway, we can modify it slightly for our purposes.”

“You want to adapt a game from a manga…”

Seeing O Taegwang’s skeptical expression, Kang Jin smiled reassuringly. “The world exists within comics.”

“Ha! Alright then, explain it to me.”

O Taegwang’s words prompted Kang Jin to look at Choi Kwang-hyun.

“Hyung, did you bring those cards?”

“I did, but…”

As Choi Kwang-hyun glanced at Lim Sang-ok for approval, she nodded. He then retrieved the deck from his bag and handed it over.

Kang Jin took the cards and asked, “Do you know how to play this game?”

O Taegwang looked at him with curiosity.

“You mean…selecting interns through a card game?”

“If we choose by a typical card game, a gambler might win. However, Mr. President, your goal is to select good employees, not con artists, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’ll introduce a game where the winner isn’t necessarily the best card player, but someone skilled in assessing situations and adapting quickly.” Smiling, Kang Jin shuffled the cards and continued, “It’s still a card game, but not quite what you’re expecting, sir.”