Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 67

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Editor’s Survival Rules Episode 67

 

ep12. It Was a Disappearance (2)

 

“Most men are like this, but Team Leader Cha is truly a hierarchical animal.”

 

Baek Sa-ra, who I knew to be the most serious about hierarchical fights among people I know, said.

 

“But people don’t really know this. Do you know why?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because Team Leader Cha sees almost everyone as beneath him. Equally.”

 

“Pfft.”

 

I ended up spitting out my drink, and Baek Sa-ra shook her head disapprovingly.

 

“Really arrogant, right?”

 

“It’s even worse because it’s justified arrogance.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Cha Si-eon is arrogant.

 

That was the common view between me and Baek Sa-ra.

 

At the same time, we acknowledged it. That person was allowed to be a little arrogant.

 

When I first saw Cha Si-eon, I wondered what made him act like that.

 

But after watching him from the side for about 3 months, he really did have a lot to be confident about.

 

Cha Si-eon was the acknowledged top of the Field Team, having received special grades in all evaluations since joining the Management Bureau.

 

His skills were at that level, his physique was overwhelming, his work processing was fast, and he was even excessively handsome.

 

He literally had everything, so there was nothing you could do about him showing off.

 

Because he actually was that good.

 

So I couldn’t readily understand what Baek Sa-ra was saying.

 

“But that person is particularly prickly only toward you, Otter. That’s because he can’t establish hierarchy with you.”

 

Even hearing it again, it was the same.

 

What on earth was this supposed to mean?

 

More importantly, was he really only prickly toward me?

 

It wasn’t just my imagination?

 

I felt a strange sense of betrayal, but still couldn’t understand, so I shook my head.

 

“Team Leader Cha is actively looking down on me.”

 

“His real condescension isn’t active.”

 

“Then what?”

 

“It’s mechanical. Should I say dry and tasteless? So it’s like this: ‘Your level is this much, so just play this role. You can’t do less, and you don’t need to do better. I won’t accept objections.’ That’s real Team Leader Cha-style condescension.”

 

Oh, I think I know what she means.

 

“He has a tendency to treat others as weaklings while trying to manage them. To put it nicely, he has leadership skills; to put it badly, he’s dogmatic?”

 

Explaining it this way made it somewhat understandable.

 

In human society, the word hierarchy is usually used in a negative sense, but hierarchy isn’t just about power abuse or dominance.

 

For instance, like wolves where the leader guides the pack, there’s also hierarchy that maintains group stability.

 

And if Cha Si-eon belonged to the latter type of hierarchical animal, it could be understood this way.

 

This bastard, what he’s been doing to me all this time wasn’t even condescension, it was just picking fights.

 

“He’s someone who needs to manage the group that way, but he can’t do that with you, Otter, so he’s having his own war of nerves.”

 

“Just with me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

 

At my question, Baek Sa-ra tilted her head.

 

Then she smiled playfully and asked back.

 

“It’s not some kind of rich girl speech pattern, is it?”

 

At the mention of rich girl speech pattern, I pondered for a moment.

 

Rich girl speech pattern refers to a technique where you have something you want to convey but don’t express it directly due to pride, instead guiding the other person to notice or represent your feelings.

 

It’s mainly used when bragging about oneself, with synonyms like ‘department head speech pattern’ and examples like ‘I’m going to pay a ton of taxes again this year.’

 

Did Baek Sa-ra think I was being coy like this?

 

I tried to explain as thoroughly as possible to clear up the misunderstanding.

 

“I really don’t know. I’m aware that I’ve achieved remarkable results in the Special Zone, half by choice and half by circumstance, and that I’m quite popular because of it, but I don’t think Team Leader Cha would check me over something like this. Because my situation is no different from a mine detection dog – no matter how much support and backing I receive, if I suddenly die tomorrow, that’s the end. Of course, there are one-dimensional people who only focus on the good-looking aspects of others’ situations and become conscious and envious of them, but at least Team Leader Cha doesn’t seem like that type.”

 

“…”

 

“Moreover, if Team Leader Cha ranks his own hierarchy highest, that standard would be limited to physical abilities. Not things like character, culture, or intelligence – human qualities. In other words, by the value standards that Team Leader Cha pursues, there’s no one who would think I’m better than him. The possibility of that happening in the future is also slim. So I genuinely don’t understand what reason Team Leader Cha would have to check me.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“If the mention of rich girl speech pattern offended you…”

 

“No, not at all. I just thought there might be a misunderstanding. Oh, did I speak too stiffly?”

 

“That’s not it, I just feel like I’ve been watching a swimming otter and suddenly witnessed a hunting otter in real time.”

 

“…?”

 

Baek Sa-ra muttered while covering her mouth with her hand.

 

As if she had seen something incredible.

 

Anyway, my view is this.

 

The reason for hierarchical fights is to gain a stable position within the group.

 

Cha Si-eon’s position in the Management Bureau is very solid, and I pose no threat to it.

 

We’re in completely separate domains.

 

“You’re right, Otter. Team Leader Cha isn’t that petty of a person.”

 

Baek Sa-ra nodded and agreed.

 

Then she added this.

 

“But he is someone with tremendous pride.”

 

Pride.

 

That’s also a major cause of hierarchical fights.

 

You could tell Cha Si-eon had strong pride just by looking at him.

 

“I wonder what I could have done to hurt Team Leader Cha’s pride…”

 

“There is one thing.”

 

“…?”

 

“You did something that Team Leader Cha couldn’t do.”

 

What was this supposed to mean now?

 

I asked with my eyes what she meant, but Baek Sa-ra just smiled without saying anything.

 

Then, in a much lighter tone, she concluded plainly.

 

“So what I want to say is, don’t think too highly of Alpha. You’re someone who’s even checked by that entity.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

It was generally good advice, but I couldn’t help thinking that Baek Sa-ra herself might be a true hierarchical animal.

 

Well, maybe that’s natural for physical types.

 

“What about Manager Kwon Mu-seop?”

 

“The manager?”

 

“Does Team Leader Cha see Manager Kwon Mu-seop as beneath him too?”

 

I asked, recalling how Cha Si-eon looked tense in front of Kwon Mu-seop.

 

At my question, Baek Sa-ra smiled mysteriously and answered.

 

“The manager is the hope of the Field Team.”

 

“Hope?”

 

“The last line of defense stopping Team Leader Cha’s solo run.”

 

Look at that, Baek Sa-ra was truly serious about hierarchy.

 

Baek Sa-ra, who was female and clearly a hierarchical animal, said.

 

“Manager Kwon Mu-seop is the only person Team Leader Cha thinks is above him.”

 

* * *

 

The only man Cha Si-eon acknowledged.

 

The last line of defense at the peak.

 

The hope of the Field Team.

 

But despite all these grand formulas, Kwon Mu-seop before my eyes was trembling with fear.

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

“…?”

 

In order: Kwon Mu-seop’s silence.

 

Kim Woo-in’s silence.

 

My silence.

 

I was being discharged in the afternoon, so I briefly stopped by Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop’s hospital ward.

 

But Kim Woo-in had arrived first, and for some reason the atmosphere was intense.

 

Kwon Mu-seop sat on the hospital bed with an expression that couldn’t quite smile or cry, his gaze cast obliquely downward.

 

Kim Woo-in, who couldn’t quite grab such a patient but couldn’t leave him alone either, just glared fiercely.

 

And me, watching all of this.

 

“Hah….”

 

Kim Woo-in, who had been full of murderous intent, looked at me and sighed.

 

“Do-un, do you have something to discuss with Section Chief Kwon?”

 

No, I just came to say hello.

 

I was about to answer like this when my eyes met with Kwon Mu-seop’s.

 

For some reason, Kwon Mu-seop was sending me a desperate look.

 

“Yes… I have something urgent to discuss.”

 

“Tsk.”

 

Kim Woo-in clicked his tongue sharply.

 

Then he reluctantly gave up his spot as if he had no choice.

 

I ended up rescuing Kwon Mu-seop and got my feet tied up in the process.

 

Since it had come to this, I went and sat in front of Kwon Mu-seop’s bed.

 

They said he had eight stitches, and both of Kwon Mu-seop’s arms were wrapped tightly in bandages.

 

“Are you feeling alright?”

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.”

 

“Nothing happened earlier either, right?”

 

“Yeah yeah, it was more bearable than I thought. Since there were results, he didn’t really say anything directly.”

 

Kwon Mu-seop spoke while nodding continuously as if trying to reassure himself.

 

How pitiful, our section chief.

 

But this was his own doing.

 

“It’s because we went into the 「Anthill」, right?”

 

“That’s right…. Director Kim told me to take good care of you, but I was the one who encouraged going in there.”

 

“I was the one who made the decision though.”

 

“Anyway, I’m the one responsible….”

 

Watching Kwon Mu-seop acknowledge responsibility, various thoughts came to mind.

 

I wondered if someone who knew that would have done such a thing.

 

But I wasn’t really in a position to say anything since I had gone along with it.

 

I could also understand why Kim Woo-in was about to die of frustration because of Kwon Mu-seop.

 

Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop pretended to be a good person with his gentle face and hearty laughter, but peel back one layer and he had cunning aspects, and go down another layer and he was someone with absurd madness.

 

I had felt that keenly at 「Ant Hill」.

 

I had something to discuss related to that anyway, so since I was already seated, I brought it up.

 

“Still, the results were good so it worked out well.”

 

“That’s right. If we had come out empty-handed, they probably would have killed me.”

 

As he said, it was only because the results were good, but our action of crawling into the 「Anthill」 was essentially suicidal.

 

So normally, both Kwon Mu-seop who encouraged it and me who went along with it should have been severely criticized as soon as we came out.

 

We might have even been referred to a disciplinary committee.

 

But because the results were so good, our out-of-bounds misconduct completely evaporated.

 

“Did you know this would happen beforehand?”

 

“No, I didn’t know it would work out this well.”

 

“But you expected it to some degree?”

 

Kwon Mu-seop grinned.

 

Instead of smiling back, I said this.

 

“I think it would have been good if you had told me beforehand. If you had expected it.”

 

Kwon Mu-seop stopped smiling and looked at me.

 

Then as if realizing something, he said belatedly.

 

“I’m sorry if you felt like you were being used.”

 

“No. Everything worked out well in the end, and I received plenty of help too, so I don’t particularly think I was being used.”

 

Strictly speaking, I was being used.

 

But that’s what I had joined the Management Bureau for in the first place.

 

The Management Bureau and I had common goals and were useful to each other, so we had decided to work together.

 

To put it nicely, this was cooperation.

 

But if someone like Kwon Mu-seop hid their schemes alone and then sprung them, that was a backstab.

 

Kwon Mu-seop seemed to know this too as he awkwardly read the room, and I calmly added.

 

“If you had dropped me there alone, I would have resented it. But since you rolled around together and looked after me, I have no particular complaints or grievances.”

 

“Thank you for saying that.”

 

“But still, I wish you had told me beforehand….”

 

“Alright, I’m sorry….”

 

Kwon Mu-seop groaned at my subtle persistence.

 

Quite deliberately mixing in some dramatics.

 

This is what real spoiled young lady speech is like.

 

“And I’d like to hear about that story you postponed before.”

 

“Postponed story?”

 

“The story you said you’d tell me gradually when my official appointment was decided.”

 

I still don’t know the real reason you people recruited me.

 

I had just temporarily set aside the vague words ‘your situation is an important opportunity for us.’

 

I confirmed that those words were true this time.

 

So I should know exactly what that is now.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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