Chapter 281. City of the Abandoned (1)

It was 3:50 PM. At this hour, people would normally be wrapping up their day, idly wondering what to have for dinner as they waited for quitting time. However, the secretary’s office was just as hectic as ever.

“It's almost time for the meeting! Are you done with the attachments?” someone shouted.

“Yes, yes! I just sent the final version!” another replied.

“Why did you only send it to me?” The first snapped. “Am I the only one reviewing this? Put it up on the meeting room screen and print thirty copies!”

“Ah, yes!”

It wasn’t just busy. It was tense.

Everyone who had attended the previous report meeting had returned like startled hedgehogs, bristling at the slightest provocation.

“Isn’t Manager Sa being a bit too harsh today?” someone muttered.

“Well, didn’t he get completely torn apart during the last report? He’s been like that ever since,” another answered.

“What on earth did they say to him?”

“Who knows.”

Those who hadn’t been there tilted their heads in confusion. However, there was no helping it as they simply hadn’t experienced it.

“At this rate, our company won’t just miss this year’s revenue target. We’ll miss our profit target as well. Are you aware of that?”

“Yes, we are.”

“And knowing that, you thought it was a good idea to divert operational funds into land purchases and unnecessary construction?”

Eun-Ho, the newly appointed chairman, had exuded a level of pressure that felt almost suffocating.

“You there! Assistant Manager Mi from Team Two. Answer me.”

“T-that is...”

“Or would Manager Sa from Team Three like to respond instead?”

No one wanted to experience that pinpoint scrutiny ever again.

“Agh! What time is it?!” someone cried.

“It’s four o’clock! We have to go in!” another answered.

“Assistant Manager Mi! Go in first and set everything up!” Manager Sa barked while hastily tying up his unkempt hair.

Assistant Manager Mi dashed off just as disheveled as she looked. “Yes, sir!”

The chairman’s seat is here.

She was a woman who used to value work-life balance above all else, never failing to arrive at the office in crisp suits and clicking high heels. Now, that woman was nowhere to be found.

Her face was bare of makeup. Her clothes were wrinkled, and she wore a pair of slippers she had grabbed from the supply room.

“Assistant Manager Mi! Are you seriously going into the report wearing slippers?!” someone barked.

“Ah! I’m sorry!” she yelped.

Leading the way with the unmistakable air of a seasoned overworked employee, she and the rest of the waiting staff poured into the meeting room.

The room was vast. The seats were arranged in a U-shape, a massive screen covered the front wall, and large windows stretched across the back.

Soon, the secretaries filled the space. Less than a minute remained before the four o’clock report.

“The chairman hasn’t arrived yet, right?” Manager Sa asked.

“No.”

“Still, sit up straight. The moment he walks in, greet him immediately.”

The secretaries all stared at the door beside the screen, silently praying.

Please, let this go smoothly today, Manager Sa thought.

Just then, something dark appeared outside the window. The sky dimmed in an instant.

“What’s that?” someone whispered.

“It’s coming this way! What the heck?!”

Thuuuuud—!

The glass wall shattered violently.

A powerful gust of wind surged into the room, accompanied by a blizzard completely out of place for the weather.

“Eek!”

Assistant Manager Mi, who had been standing near the window, stumbled and fell hard onto the floor. Then, someone immediately reached out a hand toward her.

“Are you hurt?” the man asked calmly.

“Chairman?!” she exclaimed. “But why—”

It looked as though Eun-Ho had burst through a storm. His hair was in complete disarray, his suit wrinkled beyond saving, and clumps of snow clung to his shoulders.

Assistant Manager Mi stared at him, utterly baffled.

“Waaah! Stupid driver!” a girl shouted from behind him.

“Stupid?! What did this tiny human just call him?!” said Assistant Manager Mi.

“Yul, are you okay?” the chairman asked.

“Mhm! I’m fine! It’s so warm here!” the girl replied cheerfully.

Assistant Manager Mi’s confusion only deepened at the sight of a girl rubbing her face against a big crow. The bird, nearly the length of a human arm, was dusted with snack crumbs.

“Right on time. It’s exactly four o’clock,” the chairman said casually, helping the assistant manager to her feet as if nothing were amiss. “I apologize for breaking the window. I’ll have general affairs take care of it.”

The window wasn’t the issue here.

“Um, why did you come in through the window instead of the perfectly good door?” she asked hesitantly.

That was what truly puzzled her. Why would someone of his status crash through a window, especially when this meeting room was located on the 111th floor of a skyscraper?

“I didn’t want to be late,” he replied.

She was bewildered. “Pardon? It’s not like we were going anywhere.”

The chairman simply grinned, brushing off his clothes a few times before taking his seat. “I didn’t want to waste the time of people who are already busy because of me.”

Everyone froze.

“Let’s begin.”

Just like that, the report started.

“T-then we’ll begin immediately.” Manager Sa stepped in front of the screen. “We have conducted a full review of all ongoing projects within the secretary’s office.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” the chairman replied.

“Project 2.0.”

This was the result of pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into their work after the chairman’s previous scolding. All unnecessary and messy projects had been cut away, leaving only the essentials. The office's roadmap had been completely overhauled.

“The first agenda concerns utilizing idle resources in the company cafeteria,” Manager Sa began.

His voice trembled slightly as he continued the presentation, carefully flipping through the slides.

Do well.

Please...

The secretaries clasped their hands together in silent prayer.

No more overtime. Please, let this pass in one go.

Manager Sa, who was usually one of the best presenters in the office, began to stumble over his words, “As you know, the company cafeteria gets extremely crowded during lunch hours... ah well, perhaps you might not know...”

Perhaps it was nerves.

No!Calm down, Manager Sa!

Everyone watched with growing anxiety and despair.

What if he gets scolded again?He even pulled an all-nighter for this proposal!

“So, um... for a cafeteria like HR is Everything, employees only gather during lunch, so the lines get very long to the point where even we give up waiting sometimes... but in the mornings and evenings, it’s not nearly as crowded...” he explained awkwardly.

What is he even saying?

I don’t understand a word!

Once he lost his rhythm, it never recovered. The first report ended in a complete mess.

“And um... That concludes the proposal for a lunchbox delivery service utilizing the company cafeteria,” he said weakly, his gaze filled with despair.

Then, everyone in the room turned to look at the chairman.

Eun-Ho frowned slightly, as if deep in thought. “Hmm.”

The tension in the room tightened to its limit.

Did it fail?

What is he going to criticize this time?

Someone gulped nervously, the sound echoing louder than the presentation effects. Manager Sa tried to remain composed, but his hands trembled. He clasped one with the other to hide it.

“Let me see if I understand,” the chairman said at last.

His response was unexpected.

“You’re proposing to take advantage of the cafeteria’s peak-hour congestion by offering lunchbox delivery to external customers during off-peak hours, when things are relatively quiet?” Eun-Ho asked.

“Y-yes! That’s correct!” Manager Sa replied quickly.

“Sounds good,” he said.

Even the other secretaries, who had worked on the proposal together, hadn’t fully understood the presentation. However, the chairman grasped it instantly and even praised it.

Huh? Does that mean it worked?!

The seated secretaries all snapped their heads up at once. Their dull, lifeless eyes sparked with energy again, and their hunched backs straightened instinctively.

Just when they thought the report was doomed, they somehow glimpsed a sliver of hope!

Nevertheless, Eun-Ho was not someone who could be easily satisfied. “However, the promotional strategy for acquiring users during the initial launch phase is a bit concerning.”

“Uh... are you referring to the strategy of adding delivery-exclusive menu items alongside the existing ones?” Manager Sa asked carefully.

“Yes. Did you gather feedback from the restaurant owners?”

The idea was to introduce new menu items at launch, which was something special to promote the service, while compensating for the limited variety of existing dishes.

The owners didn’t like it too much, did they?

Right. That’s why we didn’t include the interview data. But how did he know?

“If you’re introducing new menu items, you’ll need to source additional ingredients,” Eun-Ho continued, “from the restaurant owners’ perspective, wouldn’t that create difficulties in operations and supply management?”

Manager Sa trailed off, lowering his head, “T-that’s...”

Some of the owners did voice similar concerns. However, by the time they had gathered that feedback, the review process was nearly complete.

With only two days to come up with a revised strategy, there simply hadn’t been enough time to properly refine the promotional aspect. That was why they had submitted it as-is.

“Customers aren’t just the people buying lunchboxes,” Eun-Ho said calmly. “The restaurant owners are also our customers. Please review it with that in mind.”

“Understood,” Manager Sa replied quietly.

Everything had been seen through and every last flaw had been laid bare.

He’s telling us to redo it, isn’t he?

We’re screwed.

We’re back to overtime...

As the secretaries’ heads drooped once more, the chairman said, “For now, let’s proceed like this.”

Manager Sa blinked. “Pardon?”

“Keep the existing menu as it is,” the chairman said. “But for the opening promotion, how about creating new packages that incorporate specialty products from the outer districts?”

Manager Sa repeated, stunned. “Specialty products from the outer districts?”

The new idea was completely unexpected! This was the classic case of a superior who thought everything could be solved with a few words!

“Fortified Wine from Sector Four. Fairy Grass Jelly from Sector Five. Perfume Coffee from Sector Ten. And...”

To make matters worse, every item the chairman listed was a top-tier specialty.

Fortified Wine? There’s barely any on the market that it’s being sold at auctions! And he wants that on our menu?

And Fairy Grass Jelly? My daughter begged for it as a birthday gift, and they said it would take six months to arrive!

Perfume Coffee too! I lined up at dawn for a week last year and still couldn’t get any!

Manager Sa broke out in a cold sweat as the chairman casually rattled off a list of items that were nearly impossible to obtain even with money.

“Thank you for your suggestion, but...” he began cautiously.

If he didn’t stop this now, it would be over. If this plan went through, the people on the ground would be the ones scrambling to make the impossible happen, only to get blamed in the end.

“These specialty items, especially the ones you mentioned, are extremely expensive.” Manager Sa squeezed his eyes shut as he forced the words out. “They’re highly sought after, so securing supply would be very difficult. I’m sorry, but I don’t think it will be feasible.”

“Ah.” The chairman remained completely unfazed. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Excuse me?”

“They’ll be arriving soon.”

“Pardon?!”

“I’ve just finalized the supply contracts. I’m on my way back from signing them now.”

“What?!”

How?!

Manager Sa and the other secretaries stared at him, their jaws practically dropping.

“I’ll have the list of specialty items sent through the chief secretary. Please proceed with the packaging.” The chairman casually waved his hand, already moving on. “Now then. Next agenda item?”

What is even happening right now?!

Is everything he just said actually real?

While the secretaries remained in a state of utter confusion, the second report came to an end.

“... That concludes the report on the Resort Facility Construction Project,” the presenter said.

“This is the one you submitted last time, isn’t it?” the chairman asked.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

It was the very same proposal that had been harshly criticized before for wasting operating expenses on unnecessary construction. Because it had already been torn apart once, the tension in the room was even heavier this time.

“Back then, it had been proposed as a vacation facility for employees. But this time...” the presenter continued, his voice trembling, “instead of just for employees—”

“It generates revenue by targeting customers, while any remaining capacity is used as an employee welfare benefit,” the chairman finished.

Eun-Ho fell into thought. His hair was still just as disheveled as when he had burst through the sky earlier, but no one paid attention to that now.

Everyone was waiting for one thing: his sharp judgment.

“That’s killing two birds with one stone,” Eun-Ho said.

The presenter’s face lit up instantly. “Y-yes! That’s correct! On top of that, Sector Nineteen is still in its development phase, so land acquisition costs are low. We can achieve maximum results with minimal investment!”

“Good,” the chairman said without hesitation. “Let’s proceed with this plan immediately.”

The presenter froze. “Yes! Understood—wait what?”

“We’ll include it as part of the new policy announcement at my inauguration ceremony.”

“Y-your inauguration ceremony?” the presenter echoed blankly.

That’s next week!

Building a resort facility was on a completely different scale from a restaurant simply adding delivery service.

“If we announce that it’s scheduled to open next quarter, that should suffice,” the chairman added.

“B-but even just acquiring the land and constructing the buildings would take at least a year and a half,” the presenter protested weakly.

Not to mention, they didn’t even have any visual materials to present yet.

While the presenter bit his lower lip, at a complete loss for what to do, the chairman said as calmly as ever, “Ah, I forgot to mention something important. I managed to acquire a few buildings.”

The presenter asked, stunned, “Sorry? Buildings?”

With that, the chairman flicked his hand, and several images appeared on the screen. “About nine of them?”

“T-those are!” someone gasped.

“Multiplex at Binging Intersection in Sector Four.”

“Stardust Island Hotel in Sector Five.”

“Sangria Resort in Sector Six.”

...

Every single one was located in prime real estate, top-tier properties in the most desirable areas.

“With that many, we can probably set aside a few for employee use,” the chairman remarked casually.

“Probably? That’s not the point! This is incredible!” one of the secretaries blurted out. “I’ve always dreamed of staying at the Stardust Island Hotel at least once! Ah, sorry!”

The chairman chuckled. “Haha, it’s fine. I suppose I picked up some good ones.”

This was unbelievable.

Most of our costs were supposed to go into land acquisition and construction... And now all of that is gone?

That meant the project’s profitability would skyrocket beyond reason.

“Since most of them are already hotels and resorts, they should be operational immediately,” the chairman continued, “we’ll just need to adjust the room allocation system to fit our needs.”

Where on earth did he even get those buildings?

Has the new chairman always been this wealthy?!

The secretaries were too stunned to voice the questions swirling in their minds.

“Oh, and for the opening promotion,” the chairman said as if it were an afterthought. “We could include those signature delivery lunchboxes as part of the welcome kit.”

“A welcome kit?” someone repeated.

“Yes, guests can choose one upon check-in. For couples, a package with Fortified Wine. For families, one with Fairy Grass Jelly. Something along those lines.”

Besides, that wasn’t all. Ideas kept pouring out of him like a flood, leaving more and more people struggling to keep up.

Assistant Manager Mi asked. “A-are you taking minutes properly?”

Assistant Manager Jo replied frantically, “Don’t talk to me!”

Assistant Manager Mi glanced sympathetically at Assistant Manager Jo, who was responsible for recording the meeting. However, Assistant Manager Jo was far too busy trying to capture every word the chairman said to even notice.

Wow...

I’ve never seen a chairman like this before.

He understands the work faster than our own team leader...

Not only did Eun-Ho seem to have grasped every project with perfect clarity, he even cut out what was unnecessary, pinpointed what mattered, and added even more value on top of it all. He was practically a mythical creature, an experienced superior overflowing with passion.

“What do you think?” the chairman asked.

Everyone found their gaze drawn to him, as if spellbound. His sharp, focused eyes gleamed with intensity. They were the eyes of someone wholly immersed in his work.

“It’s excellent! Yes!” someone answered quickly.

“Then, for the final agenda...” Eun-Ho began.

He had the broad vision and experience of a chairman, combined with the drive and enthusiasm of a rookie employee.

As all the secretaries watched him, they found themselves thinking the same thing: The new chairman is kind of impressive.

“I can see that all of you put in a great deal of effort preparing this,” the chairman said.

“T-thank you!” they replied.

“Then let’s conclude today’s report here.”

The secretaries, who had been dazed with admiration, finally snapped back to their senses. However, before they could fully relax, another instruction followed.

“Oh, right. Please submit the follow-up details in writing. I’ll be away for a while.”

“Pardon? Where are you going, Chairman?” someone asked.

The chairman flashed a grin and replied simply, “A business trip.”