Chapter 10

Pushing Someone to the Edge (3)

"Come on, even if this is Choi Sung Trading, isn't this going too far? You're basically saying you'll dig through someone else's wallet. There's a limit to abusing power. And you're not even the Sales Division that gives us orders!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? A large portion of the inventory in this warehouse belongs to Choi Sung Trading. It's only being stored here for convenience. We're checking our own inventory. What's the problem?"

In a standoff like this, the side that absolutely cannot back down always wins.

Especially when that side happens to be the most powerful party involved.

The commotion grew so large that the subcontractor's CEO finally appeared.

"Now, now, Team Leader. Let's not do this out here. Why don't we go into the office, have a cup of coffee, calm down, and talk things over?"

"Open the warehouse and pull all your employees out. Then nobody will have any reason to get upset or raise their voices. Once we verify the inventory status, we'll quietly leave."

When Park showed no signs of backing down, the CEO turned and shouted at an employee guarding the warehouse door.

"Hey! Why didn't you provide the inventory reports sooner and prevent this mess? What kind of work have you been doing to make headquarters come all the way out here themselves?"

It was an obvious act.

And it didn't work.

Today, the inventory records at this warehouse needed to be a mess.

Only then would the cornered Materials Department have a path to survival.

"President, enough of that. Open the door. Otherwise we'll file an official complaint. You know what happens if your vendor evaluation rating gets destroyed, right? Your business with Choi Sung Trading ends. Let's settle this by simply checking the inventory before things get bigger."

Park pointed at the dozen employees standing behind him.

"See those people? If I planned to drink coffee and leave, I wouldn't have brought all of them. Come on."

The CEO let out a long sigh and nodded.

The warehouse doors opened.

As soon as Park stepped inside, the CEO hurriedly pulled out his phone.

"Manager Kim, get over here now! No, call somebody at least! Some guy named Team Leader Park from the Materials Department is tearing through the warehouse. Do something quickly!"

The call spread through everyone involved almost instantly.

Before Park had even begun, he received a call from Manager Kim of the Sales Division.

"Why the hell are you yelling at me? They're the ones who didn't submit the data! I don't care! We're investigating according to regulations and reporting everything... What? Hey! Who was responsible for managing this vendor? After coming here, it looks like the CEO didn't even know the Materials Department would be checking inventory! Anyway, we're seeing this through to the end... What? Fine! Report it upstairs if you want!"

Park took a deep breath.

Now the entire Sales Headquarters knew.

The fight at the edge of the cliff had begun.

In the end, battles like this were decided by the people at the top.

As a foot soldier, all he could do was prepare ammunition for his superiors.

"Everyone listen carefully. The physical inventory in this warehouse and the numbers on paper are absolutely going to be different. We didn't come here just to confirm that. We're here to uncover how big the discrepancy is. Don't miss a single thing. Check everything!"

The employees dragged here from other departments began to tense up.

They were slowly realizing this wasn't simple inventory verification.

It was evidence collection for a corruption investigation that should've involved the Audit Team.

***

Executive Director Song Namhoon sighed as he listened to the report from Oh Sangtae, who had rushed over in a panic.

"Manager Oh."

"Yes, sir."

"How did things get this big? On-site inspections? You didn't know?"

"I'm sorry. I thought everything had already been settled..."

"Settled? You thought connecting the vendors directly to the Materials Department was the end of it?"

"I figured if they resisted a little, the Materials Department would eventually give up. I never imagined Team Leader Park would blow things up this much."

"You think this came from some mere team leader's head?"

"What? Then Director Kim...?"

Manager Oh immediately realized something was wrong.

His face turned pale when Song gave his next order.

"Go meet Director Kim. Find out what he wants. Better yet, convince him to stop."

"Y-Yes, sir."

After Oh left, Song sank deep into his chair.

Did this bastard figure it out?

***

"Get out."

"Director Kim..."

"Manager Oh, I have nothing to say to you and nothing I want to hear. Didn't you tell us to handle it ourselves? That's exactly what we're doing. Leave. Come back after the inventory audit is over."

Managing Director Kim Jaehyun knew he'd hit the target.

The fact that Oh Sangtae—the star of Sales Headquarters and practically Song's right-hand man—had come running in panic proved it.

His opening strike in the cliff-edge battle had landed cleanly.

He had the initiative.

There was no reason to waste time dealing with a right-hand man.

If things became urgent enough, the body would move, not the arm.

Less than ten minutes after the defeated Oh left, the person Kim had been waiting for contacted him.

"Yes, Executive Director."

—Are you coming to me, or should I come to you?

Unless one truly intended to push someone off a cliff, basic courtesy still mattered.

The distance between manager and director was enormous.

The distance between director and executive director was heaven and earth.

Kim respected a senior who had climbed those difficult steps.

"I'll come to you right away."

Putting on his jacket, Kim headed to the executive office.

***

"Director Kim, were you always the type to make things this big? Or are you just trying to screw me over?"

"Neither. I inherited this responsibility, so I'm simply doing my job properly."

"Come on. I'm not stupid, and you're not naive. Why are you tormenting the people who bust their asses in the field?"

"We'll know after the inventory inspections are finished. Whether I'm tormenting the field staff, or whether the field staff have a lot they want to hide from the Support Division."

Song didn't know how much Kim knew.

If Kim knew everything, negotiations would actually be easier.

They could lay everything out, trade concessions, draw a line, and make sure the issue never resurfaced.

But what if Kim only suspected something?

Then revealing too much would only give him more information.

And information was power.

"Director Kim, do you even know what you're messing with? If you mishandle these subcontractors, the company gets turned upside down. Can you handle that?"

Kim understood the double meaning.

On the surface, Song was saying disruptions to subcontractors would affect deliveries and sales.

But there was another meaning.

Do you know who's actually controlling those subcontractors?

If the people behind them were higher up than either of them, then Kim would be exposing insider dealings far beyond his rank.

This was a cliff-edge battle.

The one with weaker nerves lost.

"I'm not very perceptive. People like me only know how to follow the proper procedures."

Proper procedures.

Not just inventory audits.

If inventory didn't match, they'd trace the errors.

Eventually they'd investigate manufacturing costs and supply prices.

It was a warning.

Song couldn't retreat.

"Really? Then what will you do if the subcontractors' inventory doesn't match? Ah... maybe you don't know this, but it's not just subcontractors. The inventory records at our subsidiaries are wrong too. That's under Materials Team One. Are you going to audit the subsidiaries as well? You said you'll follow proper procedures."

Until now, subsidiaries had submitted inventory reports directly to the Materials Department without going through Sales.

"Fine. I'll be generous. We'll send our Sales people to verify the subsidiaries' inventory. Since they're responsible for those accounts, I'm sure they'll conduct a very thorough audit."

Kim flinched.

But only slightly.

It wasn't much of a threat.

"Please do. As you know, if problems arise at a subsidiary, they'll bear responsibility themselves."

Song smirked.

"You think this is about responsibility? We're trying to wound each other. Chip away at each other. You don't always need a knockout punch. Jabs score points too. Didn't you know that?"

Kim closed his mouth.

His instincts were warning him not to provoke Song's pride any further.

It was still too early to push Song aside and take his position.

For now, expanding the territory of the Support Division was enough.

"Outsourced production costs, supply prices, approvals, and related expenses will all proceed only after approval from the Support Division. The additional workload can be covered by transferring management personnel from Sales Division. Assuming you approve, Executive Director."

So this had been a land grab all along?

The Support Division wanted authority over Sales under the pretext of management.

Song felt somewhat deflated.

But if that was all Kim wanted, it was a concession he could afford.

The field sales staff would suffer.

Then again, being overworked was the fate of salarymen.

"So you weren't actually trying to corner me."

"Of course not. I still want to see you become CEO someday, Executive Director."

Kim subtly indicated he wouldn't mind joining Song's faction.

Song belonged to the faction of Kang Donghun, executive director of the Chemical Division and the chairman's second son.

A strong faction.

Not a weak one.

Hearing Kim openly admit he was simply trying to secure influence and territory actually reassured Song.

A temporary alliance wasn't difficult.

"Draft the organizational changes and job transfers. Don't tell me I have to do that too."

"Of course not. I'll submit the proposal next week."

In front of Song, Kim pulled out his phone.

"Team Leader Park, it's me... Withdraw everyone. Just accept whatever inventory reports the vendors provide and close the books."

***

After ending the call, Kim bowed.

"My apologies for causing you inconvenience."

Without saying a word, Song extended his hand.

Kim respectfully shook it.

***

"Hey! Do you know how much crap I went through because of you while you're sitting here all carefree? Where the hell were you all day yesterday?"

After spending the previous day arguing with subcontractor employees and getting covered in warehouse dust, Team Leader Park had become convinced that every bit of that suffering was the fault of this shameless intern.

Worse, they had achieved absolutely nothing.

They had simply withdrawn.

He could still feel the subcontractor CEO mocking him.

It had been humiliating.

He had stormed in confidently with his sword drawn, only to fail to cut anything.

That sense of helplessness.

Thinking it was all because of this brazen intern made him want to chew Kang out properly today.

"I was at the hospital getting a detailed examination. Why?"

"Why? Is that a question? Or are you arguing with me?"

"You're awfully sensitive today. So? Did you find anything?"

"You little punk! Find what? We just withdrew."

At the word withdrew, Chairman Kang chuckled.

So Director Kim had lost.

Then again, Executive Director Song was a formidable opponent.

In games of chicken, the one with bigger guts usually won.

At that moment, Park's phone rang.

"Ah, Director Kim. Yes? That kid? Yes, sir. Understood."

After hanging up, Park turned to Kang.

"Hey! Intern! Get up to Director Kim's office right now!"