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Chapter: 13
Internal Recruitment (1)After getting off work, Cha Jihoo headed straight home. He planned to change into comfortable clothes before going to the gym.
Because of the overseas business trip that had lasted over a week, he hadn’t been able to work out, and his body felt stiff and sluggish.
However, someone unexpected was waiting in front of his villa.
“Oppa.”
Cha Jihoo doubted his own eyes.
It was Ahn Jiyeon.
His expression immediately hardened.
Why is she here at this hour…?
“What are you doing here?”
“Can you spare me a little time?”
“Do you have something to say?”
“Yeah. It won’t take long.”
Although he wasn’t happy about it, he took her to a nearby coffee shop.
“I don’t have much time. Just get to the point.”
“You’re so cold.”
“Things can’t be the same as when we were dating. And isn’t that how it should be?”
“It still hurts a little. It hasn’t even been that long since we broke up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with this kind of expression or atmosphere before.”
Cha Jihoo was dumbfounded.
The very person who had insisted on breaking up was saying something like that.
“Can you just tell me why you’re here? I’m busy.”
“Well… it’s just…”
“…?”
“I think I still have a lot of feelings for you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I know. I was the one who left you first. I treated you horribly and cut you off completely. Looking back… I think I must have been out of my mind.”
Even now, she refused to admit that she had been seeing another man at the time.
Cha Jihoo’s brow furrowed automatically.
“I was wrong. I know you still have feelings for me. I’ll come back to you, so let’s be together again like we used to—”
“Ahn Jiyeon!”
Cha Jihoo cut her off before she could finish.
He had almost slammed his hand on the table.
“…Yes?”
“Is love some kind of joke? Am I a toy to you?”
“…”
“When you feel like it, you throw me away like trash. Then when you change your mind, you pick me back up, dust me off, and use me again? Is that what someone you supposedly loved is?”
“O-Oppa, that’s not what I meant…”
“Stop treating people like they’re toys. If you ever sincerely loved me, even for a little while, then stop making me miserable. I’ve already erased you from my life. The wounds finally healed, so don’t come back just to tear them open again.”
“…”
Cha Jihoo stood up.
“Don’t ever come looking for me again. And if possible, let’s pretend we don’t know each other at work either.”
“I understand that you hate me. That’s why I’m here asking for your forgiveness.”
It must have been around this time.
In his previous life, this was when she discovered that the team leader from his department—the man she had secretly been cheating on him with—was already engaged to another woman.
The memory surfaced, making him despise her even more.
So now that you’ve realized the tree you wanted to climb was rotten, you’ve come back to me? In the end, this is exactly the kind of person you always were.
Cha Jihoo decided he had to sever all ties with her once and for all.
He wouldn’t allow even her shadow to remain anywhere near his life.
And to do that, he needed an unmistakable reason.
“I don’t love you anymore. I already have someone I love!”
“…What… did you say?”
Ahn Jiyeon’s face turned deathly pale.
Dark circles seemed to appear beneath her eyes.
The shock worked instantly.
“I’m dating someone now. I told you clearly. So let’s never see each other again. And if you come looking for me like this again, I’ll report you for stalking.”
Without another glance, Cha Jihoo left the coffee shop.
Although he had acted ruthlessly, he wasn’t emotional at all.
He wasn’t angry.
Even those words had been part of a calculated performance.
Good. That should make things perfectly clear this time.
His determination never to become involved with her in this life was absolute.
If necessary, he was even willing to move to another home.
A Korean restaurant in Barcelona, Spain.
Jang Giho, the manager of the Global Marketing Team, was dining with Executive Vice President Lee Namhoon and Executive Director Go Yeonju of Samel Electronics.
After finishing their schedule for MWCS 2010, they had visited the Spanish branch office and were preparing to return to Korea a day later than the rest of the support staff.
“Vice President, let me pour you a drink.”
“Thank you.”
“And one for you too, Director.”
“I don’t drink alcohol. Just pour it anyway.”
Both Vice President Lee and Executive Director Go were among the company’s most powerful executives.
Without their backing, climbing the corporate ladder was nearly impossible.
Hard work and achievements were merely the minimum requirements.
Those could only take someone so far.
To reach the executive level, it was essential to have influential sponsors.
It might not be as obvious as in the past, but that’s simply how organizations worked.
To Jang Giho, these two executives were the ropes he intended to climb.
“Manager Jang, you worked hard at this exhibition. Since it was the first time we introduced our Galaxy M on the global stage, I was worried, but the event turned out clean, impactful, and very successful.”
“My team gave it everything they had. Thank you for your generous evaluation, Vice President.”
“The president was extremely satisfied, and I heard the vice chairman was especially pleased. I’m sure this will lead to an excellent performance review. Haha.”
“I’ll continue dedicating myself completely to my work. I’m honored by your praise.”
At the mention of Vice Chairman Lee Jinyong, Executive Director Go seemed to remember something.
“I originally heard the vice chairman wouldn’t be attending, so I was really surprised when he suddenly showed up, Vice President.”
“I heard he specifically told everyone not to announce his visit. He probably didn’t want to put unnecessary pressure on everyone. You know how it is—in the military, if word gets out that a division commander is coming, the ordinary soldiers end up suffering the most. He probably wanted to avoid making the support staff nervous and simply observe everything naturally before leaving. Haha.”
“Well, everyone knows how considerate the vice chairman is. Still, his timing was perfect. He happened to arrive while that seminar was in progress, and I heard he came away with a very favorable impression.”
“That’s all thanks to the seminar presenter. Assistant Manager Cha Jihoo. Right, Manager Jang?”
Jang Giho immediately brightened, as though he had been waiting for that question.
“That’s right, Vice President! Assistant Manager Cha Jihoo was the seminar presenter.”
“The Marketing Team from the Home Appliances Division. I personally presented him with the ‘Professional of the Month’ award last time, so I recognized both his face and his name.”
“Exactly. He earned recognition by taking the lead in the Diofel brand marketing campaign. He’s an incredibly promising young employee—a true rising star!”
Seeing him enthusiastically praise another employee, Executive Director Go smiled with amusement.
“How do you know so much about Assistant Manager Cha? He’s from another team. Have you been keeping an eye on him?”
“Haha, yes, I have. To be honest, I’ve been openly trying to recruit him.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Both you and the Vice President saw him this time, didn’t you? Assistant Manager Cha is someone who can succeed on the global stage. Our team already has many highly capable people, but his foreign language abilities—including English, French, and Japanese—combined with his marketing planning and execution skills are truly top-tier. More importantly, his communication and persuasion skills, which are essential for international work, are something I desperately want on my team. I don’t know if you noticed, but he has a unique aura that naturally draws people in. On top of that, whether it’s simply his personality or instinct, he possesses remarkable composure and maturity. I completely fell for his talent.”
The two executives felt as though they were listening to a recruitment presentation.
It seemed unlikely that anyone could passionately recommend even their own child this much.
“Haha. Is he really that good? We haven’t had many chances to interact with him directly, so we didn’t realize it. Then again, even the vice chairman specifically told us to keep an eye on him. It seems your assessment has merit.”
Vice President Lee nodded.
Executive Director Go agreed as well.
“That’s true. As you said, these days companies need people who are not only exceptionally capable but also possess something uniquely their own. It sounds like Assistant Manager Cha is exactly that kind of employee.”
Jang Giho seized the opportunity immediately.
This was the perfect chance to accomplish his goal sooner than expected.
“In that case… I’d like to make a request.”
“What is it?”
“I’d like Assistant Manager Cha Jihoo to be transferred to the Global Marketing Team.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, Vice President. I’ve always believed that talented people perform at their highest potential when they’re placed where they truly belong. Those were your own words.”
“They were.”
“Assistant Manager Cha possesses exactly the abilities our Global Marketing Team needs the most. Domestic marketing for each business division is certainly important, but he’s far better suited for international markets. I believe that’s also what the vice chairman meant when he said we should keep an eye on him.”
“Hmm. That’s a reasonable argument.”
“So I sincerely ask that both you and the Executive Director give this serious consideration.”
The two executives nodded.
“We’ve received your request, Manager Jang. Of course, the final approval has to come from the president, so we’ll discuss it with him.”
“Thank you very much, Vice President! Director!”
Manager Jang’s flushed face grew even redder with excitement.
Even he felt he had made a convincing case.
As expected, the most important decisions in a company were often made outside the office.
He emptied his glass with satisfaction.
About two weeks later.
Jo Jeongyeon, the manager of the Home Appliances Division Marketing Team where Cha Jihoo worked, had absolutely no idea that all these behind-the-scenes discussions, led by Jang Giho, had been taking place.
After the managers’ meeting ended, the vice president asked him to stay behind.
He had already started getting up but quietly sat back down.
“Manager Jo.”
“Yes, Vice President.”
“Your Home Appliances Marketing Team has been doing an excellent job lately. I’m very pleased.”
“Thank you. It’s all thanks to your continued support.”
“Which is why I’ve decided to give your team more openings in the upcoming recruitment than the other departments.”
“Really? Thank you very much! Haha.”
Manager Jo beamed with delight.
He had no idea that this was merely the vice president’s sweetener before delivering something far more painful.
“However… in exchange, we’ll be transferring Assistant Managers Cha and Yoo to different departments. I’d appreciate your full cooperation and understanding.”
“…Excuse me?”
“The two of them—especially Assistant Manager Cha Jihoo—are better suited for overseas marketing than domestic marketing. I’m sure you’ve realized that yourself.”
Manager Jo’s expression immediately stiffened.
“Was this… Manager Jang Giho’s request?”
“Let’s not talk about people who aren’t here. I reached the same conclusion myself. Besides, the president agrees as well.”
“T-The president…?”
“Yes. Assistant Manager Cha performed brilliantly at MWCS 2010. You’ve heard about it, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Not only I, but the president—and even the vice chairman—were deeply impressed. How many assistant managers do you think could perform on a global stage with that level of composure and professionalism? There’s a saying: put the right person in the right place. People shine brightest when they’re placed in the environment where they truly belong.”
That wasn’t why he had sent Cha Jihoo there.
He had only hoped the young man would represent the team well.
He never imagined Cha Jihoo would stand out this much.
In the end, that outstanding performance had led to the tragedy of losing his most promising employee.
Regretting it now was pointless.
The decision had already been made by upper management.
The vice president wasn’t discussing the matter.
He was informing him.
…Sigh. What a waste. Cha Jihoo was already exceptional, but after coming back from vacation, he improved by leaps and bounds.
A bitter taste filled Manager Jo’s mouth.
