All the employees were gathered at Ilhyeon Watch’s Gumi factory.

Not just the Gumi factory’s production staff but the development staff and even the Taepyeong-ro head-office staff — some four hundred employees in all — were gathered at the factory, waiting for the announcement that would come shortly.

“President. What do you suppose he’ll say?”

Managing Director Seong-su Ju asked quietly of Do Eun-cheol, seated to his left.

But Do Eun-cheol was just as much in the dark about what this method of Seong-ho Kim’s was — the one for making employees leave the company of their own accord and offer thanks on the way out.

Still, President Do Eun-cheol of Ilhyeon Watch, arms crossed, looked up at the podium and snorted.

“It’s obvious. He’ll say the company’s in trouble and beg them to leave.”

“And employees would leave over that?”

“Of course they won’t.”

President Do Eun-cheol curled up the corners of his mouth and turned to Seong-su Ju.

And in a voice full of anticipation, he said,

“So in the end he’ll have no choice but to play the dismissal card. And then the union will rise up in protest against the dismissals.”

Do Eun-cheol’s mouth twisted as it rose.

“You know it too, don’t you, Managing Director Ju? What kind of results our predecessors met with.”

Seong-su Ju slowly nodded at his words.

That everyone who’d come saying they’d reform Ilhyeon Watch had met with failure instead of reform was an all-too-famous story.

“If you can’t fall in line like us, you can never survive in this place. That holds true even for the chairman’s son-in-law.”

Do Eun-cheol cast a sidelong glance at the employees sitting there thoroughly on edge, and said,

“Look over there. The moment Assistant Manager Kim finishes talking, they’re all hiding protest props in their jackets, ready to rise up. Heh heh. When announcing from headquarters and sending it down to the factory wouldn’t even be enough, he’s going to visit the factory in person to announce it? I knew Assistant Manager Kim was a madman, but he’s more of a madman than I thought.”

Do Eun-cheol twisted his mouth at the plainly-visible outcome and looked up at the podium again.

“We just stay quiet, and step in when Assistant Manager Kim comes crying and begging for help. Then Ilhyeon Watch will be ours to keep leading, just like before.”

Hearing Do Eun-cheol’s muttering, Ju-gyeol Bang felt a little reassured, but somehow couldn’t shake a sense of unease.

Because he worried whether Seong-ho Kim — who’d brought the unimaginable card of company relocation — might not resolve this situation with an even more astonishing card.

‘Can I really relax?’

Ju-gyeol Bang shot a sidelong glance at President Do Eun-cheol, who was laughing in good humor.

Already, President Do Eun-cheol was talking with Managing Director Seong-su Ju about whether there wasn’t some good drinking spot in Gumi.

And he was instructing Managing Director Ju to call in business partners for drinks — to contact them the moment the announcement ended.

Just as Executive Director Ju-gyeol Bang was shaking his head at the sight,

Seong-ho Kim came up to the podium.

Tap, tap.

Having stepped up to the podium, Seong-ho Kim tapped the microphone with a finger to check whether it was working, then brought his mouth to it.

“Hello. Ilhyeon Watch family. I’m Assistant Manager Seong-ho Kim, dispatched from the Ilhyeon Group Strategic Planning Office for Ilhyeon Watch’s restructuring.”

Having finished introducing himself, Seong-ho Kim began briefly explaining Ilhyeon Watch’s current situation.

“The Ilhyeon Group has worked to devise a rehabilitation plan for Ilhyeon Watch, which has fallen into complete capital erosion. As a result, we’ve made the choice of company relocation, and…”

When he began explaining the justification for the relocation, the mood among the Ilhyeon Watch employees present grew worse and worse as time passed.

Because, quite apart from Ilhyeon Watch’s poor situation, when they recalled the inconveniences they’d suffer through the relocation, negative feelings about it arose.

Of course, Seong-ho Kim on the podium was feeling that negative mood too.

“So I’ll leave the explanation of the background behind choosing relocation there, and explain the reason you’ve all gathered here today.”

When Seong-ho Kim moved to begin in earnest, the smile on President Do Eun-cheol’s face grew even thicker.

But that smile couldn’t last long.

Because Seong-ho Kim began a story no one had ever heard or even conceived of.

“For the Ilhyeon Watch employees who’ll suffer inconvenience from the relocation, the company is planning to support moving costs and housing expenses. We’ll strive to secure low-interest home-purchase financing in partnership with commercial banks, and we’ve also drawn up a plan to convert those into interest-free loans at the point when Ilhyeon Watch returns to normal. And for employees who have no choice but to quit because relocating isn’t feasible for them…”

Pausing for a moment, Seong-ho Kim looked at Byeong-ju Jeong, and soon the second plan he’d devised was revealed on the large screen at the back.

Seong-ho Kim confirmed the screen was clearly visible and began again.

“For employees who retire by the end of this year, we plan to pay a special consolation bonus. In the case of department-head level, a consolation bonus equivalent to 30 months of base pay will be paid; deputy-head level, 40 months; and manager level, 50 months. For employees at assistant-manager level and below, a consolation bonus of 50 million won will be paid across the board, on top of the retirement allowance.”

At Seong-ho Kim’s announcement, the venue stirred.

Because they’d never heard of a special consolation bonus being paid on top of the retirement allowance.

Seong-ho Kim looked for a moment at the stirring venue, then brought his mouth to the microphone again.

“Our Ilhyeon Group regards all of you employees as family. Just as a mother packs gimbap for a child setting off on a journey, our Ilhyeon Group has likewise prepared a consolation bonus for the family members who leave us. I don’t think the bonus can change your life. But I believe it can at least secure you the time to find a new nest.”

The faces of the employees gathered in the venue — which had been full of discontent — were, at some point, showing smiles.

At that astonishing announcement, they forgot the protest props readied in their jackets and focused on Seong-ho Kim’s next words.

“This special consolation bonus, which we’ve named the honorary-retirement program, I intend to accept applications for over exactly the next fifteen days. Please think deeply during these fifteen days and apply.”

Seong-ho Kim looked at the venue, from which no sharp mood could be seen any longer, and, with a smile, stepped one pace back from the microphone.

“Then with this, we’ll conclude the announcement of the company relocation and the special consolation bonus.”

Having finished his greeting, Seong-ho Kim came straight down from the podium and left the venue.

The Ilhyeon Watch employees watched Seong-ho Kim leave for a moment, then, with flushed faces, hurriedly talked among themselves.

“What? 50 million? They’ll give 50 million on top of the retirement allowance?”

“They said managers get 50 months and deputy heads 40 months of base pay. So how much is that?”

Simple arithmetic though it was, the employees, too astonished to calculate, counted on their fingers.

Watching them, another employee said with a delighted face,

“Sang-ho’s mom was already telling him to quit since the company’s relocating — this works out great. Since they’re even giving a consolation bonus, I’ll just quit. How about you?”

“I’ll quit too, obviously. They’re giving money separate from the retirement allowance — isn’t that something to be grateful for, if anything? A chance like this definitely won’t come again, so I’ve got to grab it no matter what.”

The employees buzzed, saying they’d seize this chance at Seong-ho Kim’s announcement.

Even the union, which had prepared a protest against the relocation at the venue, couldn’t find a reason to oppose it.

The Ilhyeon Watch employees, having clean forgotten the talk of relocation and opposition to it, were busy talking about the special consolation bonus.

This mood reached even Seong-ho Kim and Byeong-ju Jeong as they left the venue.

Byeong-ju Jeong glanced back for a moment at the buzzing venue and said to Seong-ho Kim,

“It really must have been groundbreaking. The mood changed completely.”

“What did I tell you? I said the mood would change in one stroke, didn’t I?”

Byeong-ju Jeong, apparently still finding it novel however much he thought it over, marveled again and again as he spoke.

“I never in my wildest dreams thought there’d be a method like this. If you give a consolation bonus, there’s no reason to oppose the relocation. People who want to follow get housing support and follow, and people who want to quit get the bonus and quit.”

Byeong-ju Jeong waved his hand at the other factories visible beyond this one.

“On top of that, since there are plenty of other factories in Gumi, finding a job is that much easier too. For Ilhyeon Watch’s production workers, there’s nothing better than this.”

“That’s why I told you the employees would leave offering thanks.”

“I had no idea there was a method like this.”

Byeong-ju Jeong looked at Seong-ho Kim with an admiring gaze and said,

“How on earth did you come up with it?”

Seong-ho Kim only smiled quietly at his question.

In the future it was a very common method, but at present it wasn’t yet.

Because the practice of tacking a consolation bonus onto those who leave becoming common was something that would happen only after a great event that would occur several years from now.

Looking at Seong-ho Kim, who only smiled, Byeong-ju Jeong clicked his tongue in wonder.

“In any case, I knew Assistant Manager Kim wasn’t an ordinary person, but you seem even more remarkable than I thought.”

“You flatter me.”

“It’s not flattery. It’s my honest heart.”

Byeong-ju Jeong grabbed Seong-ho Kim’s arm to stop him walking and patted his own chest with his palm.

“I’m honestly in awe. From today on, I’ve made up my mind to follow whatever Assistant Manager Kim proposes, no matter what.”

“That’s a relief. I had a lot of work ahead with you, Manager, so having you trust me that much makes me feel I’ve gained a dependable ally.”

“A lot of work? Isn’t the Ilhyeon Watch employee problem over now?”

At his question, Seong-ho Kim looked back at the still-fevered venue and said,

“The Ilhyeon Watch employees may be sorted out, but the executives who haven’t been sorted out are still left, aren’t they?”

“The executives… that’s right.”

Byeong-ju Jeong wore a slightly darkened expression.

“The most troublesome beings of all were still left.”

Byeong-ju Jeong shot a glance back at the venue where the executives had gathered and said,

“You can’t very well give the executives a special consolation bonus. And they’re not the sort to leave even if you did… Do you happen to have a method?”

“That’s the third reform.”

Seong-ho Kim, still gazing at the venue, smiled thinly.

“Just watch. The executives will leave Ilhyeon Watch in a different way from the employees.”

Getting the feeling that the “different way” Seong-ho Kim spoke of was surely not a good direction, Byeong-ju Jeong asked no more.

Because, just as he’d said a moment ago, he had faith in whatever Seong-ho Kim did.

Having finished speaking, Seong-ho Kim carried his steps forward again, and Byeong-ju Jeong followed after him, leaving the Gumi factory.

The main topic in Pyeongchang-dong on Sunday was, naturally, Ilhyeon Watch.

Mun-jong Lee and Sang-jong Lee pressed Seong-ho Kim as if they couldn’t understand it.

“Tacking money on top for an employee who says they’ll leave the company — Kim, are you in your right mind?”

“Because otherwise they won’t leave. And we can’t very well fire them, can we?”

“If the company relocates, naturally the employees should follow. The ones who can’t follow leave the company, and that’s only natural. But giving money to an employee who says they’ll leave — are you perhaps thinking of running a charity?”

Mun-jong Lee and Sang-jong Lee didn’t understand the honorary-retirement program Seong-ho Kim was trying to implement.

But Seong-ho Kim didn’t think the two of them strange for it.

Because in the present era, the two men’s reaction was only natural.

“Right now it looks like a loss because cash goes out, but in the end it’s clearing out stagnant, high-wage employees and filling the empty seats with younger employees on lower wages — so looked at long-term, it’s a gain.”

“Even so…”

Sang-jong Lee read Tak-hyeon Lee’s expression.

Because how Tak-hyeon Lee thought was what mattered most.

Tak-hyeon Lee, who’d been quietly sitting on the sofa drinking tea, saw Sang-jong Lee trail off mid-sentence to read his expression, and said as if he were pathetic,

“Do you think Kim went and did this on his own without even consulting me?”

“That’s not it, but still…”

“Still what, still? When even just working the calculator shows plainly what the gain is.”

At Tak-hyeon Lee’s words, Sang-jong Lee was struck dumb.

As if that sight displeased him all the more, Tak-hyeon Lee clicked his tongue and said,

“Tsk, tsk. You lot ought to bring me some fresh thinking like this too. If you’re going to sit in the vice-chairman’s and president’s chairs for the sole reason of being my sons, you ought to at least have some shame. Kim.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“It’s just us — what’s with ‘Chairman’? Just call me father-in-law.”

Tak-hyeon Lee was someone who ordinarily told even Mun-jong Lee and Sang-jong Lee to call him “Chairman” rather than “Father” when talking about company matters.

So at Tak-hyeon Lee’s words, spoken with a warm smile, everyone present couldn’t hide their surprise.

“You did well this time. So with this, is Ilhyeon Watch’s reform finished, then?”

But Seong-ho Kim felt a dagger hidden within Tak-hyeon Lee’s smile.

He knew all too well that if he answered that this was the end, that warm smile would swiftly turn into a dagger and come back at him.

So he had one more card prepared.

And, with the thought of how curious he was to see what reaction Chang-jong Lee — the fourth child and vice-president of Ilhyeon Distribution — would show when he laid that prepared card down, Seong-ho Kim, wearing a smile, answered Tak-hyeon Lee’s question.

(End of Chapter 25)