My Company Is Black

#004

Jung Hwi-kyung quickly regained his composure. Feeling an electric current when shaking hands? It was better for his mental health to think of it as just static electricity and move on.

How deeply had he been immersed in supernatural phenomena when he first regressed? Having experienced the surreal event of traveling back in time, it was impossible to remain unaffected. Hwi-kyung recalled his past when he frantically sought out shamans. He had met every supposedly powerful shaman, but all he got was ruthlessly stripped of talisman fees.

One fortune-teller, who claimed to have recently received divine inspiration and thus was more spiritually attuned, said, “This is the work of a dragon-level Bodhisattva, ordinary shamans can’t solve it.” After hearing that, Hwi-kyung decided not to think deeply about supernatural phenomena anymore.

Who would have known that old lady was a real Bodhisattva? If I had known, I should have asked her to put about 10 billion won in my bank account…

However, having already regressed thirteen times, there was no point in dwelling on it further. No matter how many times he regressed, the chance to make a wish had already passed.

Lee Gyo-ha looked curiously at Hwi-kyung, who had instantly returned to a businesslike expression. How could a person’s expression change so quickly? His gaze revealed unconcealed curiosity.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes. It must have been static electricity.”

“Pardon?”

“Just now when we shook hands… No, it’s nothing.”

Instead of explaining the situation in detail, Hwi-kyung stood up. Upon reflection, it seemed that only Hwi-kyung had felt the sensation of an electric current. In this situation, asking the Executive Director he was meeting for the first time, “Didn’t you feel an electric shock when we shook hands?” would be suicidal.

Although it wasn’t polite to stand up before one’s superior, it was time to return to work anyway. If he didn’t want to make regression a hobby, he couldn’t neglect his duties.

“If you need anything, you can call extension 312.”

“Alright. Ah, the HR department uses the 10th floor office, right?”

“Yes.”

“This is a key for the express elevator. You might need it if you have to go back and forth, so keep it.”

The more they conversed, the more Gyo-ha seemed like a sensible person. If he had joined the company as a regular employee instead of an Executive Director, there would have been no problem adapting.

As Hwi-kyung politely accepted the elevator key card Gyo-ha offered with both hands, he inwardly cursed about why parachute appointments don’t work. The regression system probably overlooked internal cursing.

* * *

Hwi-kyung’s direct supervisor, Manager Kang Moon-chul, was 11 years older than Hwi-kyung. This was a fitting example of how rarely positions opened up in the HR department. After all, Manager Kang had been the youngest before Hwi-kyung arrived.

Moon-chul said that the few new employees who had joined before Hwi-kyung had all quit or transferred to other departments. Just hearing this, Hwi-kyung instinctively knew there was a problem in the HR department. It didn’t make sense that the hardest department to get into had frequent transfers.

Moreover, HR work (by Jung Hwi-kyung’s standards after thirteen regressions) wasn’t difficult. The recruitment season and personnel transfer periods were fixed, so outside those times, the workload itself wasn’t high.

Yet people were leaving? This most likely meant there was a villain in the department.

“Actually… our team leader’s nickname is Yes-man.”

“Yes-man…”

“He’s a really nice person. But he’s too nice…”

“…”

“He even takes on work from other departments… So sometimes, unexpected tasks suddenly appear.”

Hwi-kyung recalled the HR team leader who had suddenly assigned him to be the parachute Executive Director’s secretary. He had thought the team leader looked like a nice person, but contrary to appearances, he seemed to be a villain. No wonder he had assigned the job of secretary to the parachute Executive Director to a first-year employee; the team leader must have taken on work that other departments had been putting off.

Seeing him just laugh it off, Hwi-kyung had known something was off… Being too nice was also a problem. The team leader might not get extra work because he was the leader, but the people under him would suffer.

“It’s just that he doesn’t like to fight with other team leaders…”

Manager Kang trailed off. He seemed to know that saying more would turn into gossip. In company life, watching what you say is the first and second rule. Hwi-kyung inwardly appreciated Manager Kang’s discretion.

He could understand why Manager Kang had endured as the youngest under an HR team leader who took on all sorts of work. The moment Manager Kang decided to resign or transfer departments, this HR team might fall apart.

Because Manager Kang was the only one actually working in this team…

Hwi-kyung’s heart raced. He couldn’t decide which was worse: a superior who was rude and incompetent, or one who was kind but created unnecessary work. He had only experienced a Yes-man superior once or twice in his previous regressions. Usually, workplace superiors were standardly rude and incompetent.

Still, a bad-tempered superior at least fights with other teams… But what are you supposed to do with someone who’s incompetent and nice? Hwi-kyung recalled the face of the Yes-man HR team leader. And mentally drew an X over that face.

“But at least he approves things easily when you submit them.”

“…That’s good.”

“Right? And if it’s a call from the Executive Director, the team leader probably won’t say anything even if you’re away from your desk all day.”

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t interfere with my work.”

“Haha, it’s okay. It was originally just my job anyway.”

Manager Kang seemed as nice as the Yes-man team leader. That’s why he must have been doing all the assigned work. Hwi-kyung looked sympathetically at Manager Kang, who was laughing good-naturedly about how his workload had been halved thanks to Hwi-kyung.

Having worked at BK International in his immediately previous twelfth regression, Hwi-kyung already knew what would happen to Manager Kang. He had had many meetings with the HR department when forming a task force for exporting electronic components to Russia.

At that time, Manager Kang wasn’t in the HR department. Since Hwi-kyung had never seen Kang Moon-chul’s name on the company intranet, it was clear that Manager Kang had quit or been fired before Hwi-kyung had established himself at BK International. The HR team leader had remained the same person, so it made sense that the HR department’s authority had weakened at that point.

Without a working-level employee, they had no choice but to become a paper tiger. Still, there hadn’t been a parachute Executive Director back then.

Since he wasn’t in the HR department in his twelfth regression, Hwi-kyung didn’t know exactly what had happened to Manager Kang. The most likely possibility was that he had changed jobs. Although it wouldn’t be easy to find a better company than BK with a matching salary, Manager Kang’s experience was good enough.

If that wasn’t the case, Hwi-kyung had to make sure Manager Kang didn’t quit in this iteration. Even if it meant taking on half of his work, the team needed Manager Kang, the only working-level employee, more than the team leader or much older honorary team members for the team’s maintenance.

“I’m really glad you’re here, Hwi-kyung. The new Director is younger than me… If I had gone, I’m sure I would have made mistakes. I tend to become too casual when I get a bit comfortable…”

Manager Kang rubbed his eyes, which had dark circles under them, with the back of his hand. It was clear that Manager Kang didn’t want to lose Hwi-kyung either. It was evident that he thought it would be the death of him if Hwi-kyung also went to another department.

But Jung Hwi-kyung had no intention of leaving the HR department. Why would he leave such a cushy position? He had struggled so much in sales in the immediately previous regression. Just not having to do inbound phone consultations was enough reason to volunteer as the Executive Director’s lackey.

Thinking this, Hwi-kyung mechanically processed the miscellaneous tasks Manager Kang had assigned him. Jung Hwi-kyung’s work processing skills were so exceptional that it was hard to believe he was a fresh graduate. This was natural. He was only outwardly a fresh graduate; inside, he was a young but worn-out, old-fashioned office worker.

In less than an hour, Hwi-kyung finished the Excel-related tasks and submitted a perfect email report. He didn’t forget to get prior confirmation from Manager Kang, his direct supervisor.

Manager Kang seemed greatly impressed by Hwi-kyung, who was diligent in his assigned tasks despite the additional work of being the parachute Executive Director’s lackey.

“I really don’t know how I’d live without you now, Hwi-kyung…”

Such words from a direct supervisor are the highest praise. Hwi-kyung inwardly responded, ‘I can’t live without you either…’ The moment Manager Kang left, Hwi-kyung would become the only working-level employee in this team. He couldn’t afford to act like Manager Kang as the youngest working-level employee in the HR department, where it was unclear when they would hire new staff.

“It’s all thanks to you, Manager. You’re such a good teacher.”

“Hwi-kyung…”

“I’ll continue to learn a lot from you.”

The social skills he had honed at his fourth company, where connections and school ties ruled, flowed out smoothly. Hwi-kyung spoke with a rather humble attitude and smiled brightly at the manager. As if he were a heaven-sent being to save Manager Kang in this workplace…