Chapter 7: Manager Kim Jang-bung! Let’s go have coffee together!

Manager Kang waved enthusiastically.

“Manager Kim Jangbung! Let’s go have coffee together!”

Jangbung hesitated, clutching a folder.

“Manager Kang, the reason I came to the art team is…”

Manager Kang cut him off, grinning.

“Ah, I get it, so let’s go down and have coffee together quickly.”

Jangbung blinked, caught off guard.

“Huh!? Yes…”

Manager Kang sipped his coffee, leaning back.

“Yeah, it’s because of that caveman cover, right?”

Jangbung nodded, his tone serious.

“Yes, that’s why I went to the art team. The last cover was too much, don’t you think?”

Manager Kang waved a hand.

“That’s what I mean. Don’t go up there and say that.”

Jangbung frowned.

“Huh? Why?”

Manager Kang leaned in, lowering his voice.

“The intern did that too.”

Jangbung’s eyes widened.

“Didn’t the art team manager say he was going to fire you last time?”

Manager Kang sighed, shaking his head.

“That’s what I mean… It turns out the intern is the daughter of an acquaintance of mine.”

Jangbung tilted his head.

“What are you talking about?”

Manager Kang chuckled, stirring his coffee.

“That’s just how it happened… Without even knowing that, the manager said he was firing the intern and got called to the executive office, lol.”

Jangbung laughed despite himself.

“That’s some really fun news, lol.”

Manager Kang shrugged, taking a sip.

“Anyway, they gave me some extra work, and since it wasn’t as important to our company as the last one, I told them to roughly reference the pictures in the existing database and draw them, but instead of referencing, they just copied and pasted them. Pasting the head, pasting the caveman, pasting the body. Even Frankenstein wouldn’t make something like that, lol.”

Jangbung sighed, rubbing his temple.

“Ha… This is really hopeless.”

Manager Kang nodded.

“But they can’t say they couldn’t do it, and our team keeps calling the intern ‘intern, intern’ without the intern knowing. This is so unfair.”

Jangbung raised an eyebrow.

“So you’re going to keep keeping them?”

Manager Kang leaned back.

“They said they’re going to move them to a different team during the personnel transfer. We should keep them around until then.”

Jangbung shook his head.

“Where are you going to pass the bomb around…”

Manager Kang waved dismissively.

“Oh, I don’t know. You did customer support as an intern and then got transferred to your current team. What kind of position is there in a small business? You just do whatever you’re told.”

Jangbung nodded slowly.

“……, that’s true.”

Manager Kang’s tone softened.

“And you too, honey, don’t work so hard. It’s good to be motivated, but you just have to go with the flow and the reeds fall to avoid getting caught.”

Jangbung sighed.

“That’s tough.”

Manager Kang finished his coffee.

“I’m telling you this because it’s all over. When you finish your coffee, go up and see, and don’t change direction with the art team.”

Jangbung set his cup down.

“……, I enjoyed my coffee. I’ll go up and see.”

The office was abuzz with gossip.

“Wow, these guys are acting up,” Manager Choi said, scrolling on her phone.

Jangbung looked up.

“What’s going on, Manager Choi?”

She turned her screen toward him.

“The new platform introduced a sponsorship system today, and they’re charging a 10 percent commission.”

Manager Park gasped, leaning over.

“Oh my, so the company takes a cut of the profits?”

Manager Choi nodded.

“That’s right. It’s practically volunteer work.”

Manager Park shook her head.

“Oh my~ They make money like that?”

Manager Choi scoffed.

“Is it because the CEO is young? He’s so immature. He spends hundreds of millions of won on advertising, but the monthly fee is half price and there’s no sponsorship fee. How can he make money like that?”

Manager Park crossed her arms.

“He really doesn’t know the value of money. He’s making us, who are diligently doing business, the bad guys for no reason.”

Jangbung stayed silent.

“……”

Manager Choi glanced at him.

“Manager Kim, don’t just sit there blankly listening. Have you organized all the data I told you to upload?”

Jangbung nodded quickly.

“I’m organizing it right now.”

Manager Park chimed in.

“I’m getting off work soon, so I’ll compile the data with Manager Choi and upload it quickly.”

Jangbung agreed.

“Okay.”

Manager Choi leaned forward, her tone sharp.

“Anyway, what I’m saying is. You can make money just by deducting taxes and fees, so you’re giving that up? It’s all propaganda, propaganda. Customers don’t know that those who pretend to be nice and uninterested in money are the ones who are the most obsessed with money.”

Manager Park laughed.

“That’s right. Well, if you keep doing that, they’ll show their true colors when they run out of money. Haha.”

Manager Choi smirked.

“The best thing to do is just run out of money and go bankrupt.”

Manager Park chuckled.

“Haha.”

Manager Choi turned to Jangbung.

“Manager Jangbung, I’m sorry, but I have a favor to ask.”

Jangbung looked up.

“Huh?”

She smiled apologetically.

“Could you handle a few customer inquiries this evening?”

Jangbung frowned.

“Why are you giving me work from another department…”

Manager Choi clasped her hands.

“I’m on my period and annual leave today, so no one else is here. I have to go to a funeral, so the only person I can ask for help is the manager I worked with during my internship.”

Jangbung sighed, relenting.

“Manager Choi… work overtime today and help me out. Even though it’s from another department, I have to help if you ask me to.”

Manager Choi nodded gratefully.

“Yes. Manager Kim…”

She beamed.

“Thank you, Manager Kim! Thank you, too, Manager Jangbung. Next time, I’ll buy you an expensive coffee~”

Manager Park jumped in, laughing.

“Oh! Mr. Jangbung, are you working overtime today? I have an important appointment with my boyfriend today, haha. I’ll hand over the data we need to organize, so please help me with that too~!”

Jangbung’s shoulders slumped.

“Okay… please send Manager Park an email.”

He muttered under his breath.

“It’s all gone…”

Jangbung sat at his desk, answering customer inquiries.

[Question: When did you sign up for this site?]

He typed quickly.

“You signed up in 2007…”

[Answer: You’ve been using our company for 14 years already. We would appreciate it if you could continue to be with us. Have a nice day!]

He leaned back.

“I think that’s enough…”

A new message popped up.

[Report: Mention of another platform]

Jangbung frowned.

“What the heck?”

[You’re moving to a different, smaller, flat-rate platform…!]

He sighed heavily.

“I guess the author is finally leaving…”

He glanced at his earlier response.

“Did I answer correctly about the year of sign-up earlier…”

Another notification appeared.

[This member has already withdrawn.]