Editor’s Survival Guide - Chapter 83

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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 83

ep14. Cha Cinder-ella (3)

“Team Leader Cha has been going too far lately. Like someone who’s gone crazy wanting to die.”

So, this was a sentence I couldn’t understand at all.

Cha Si-eon is one of the most level-headed people I know.

He was a bit reckless on “The Island,” but well, he was sleep-deprived then.

…Or was he?

Thinking back, Cha Si-eon had strangely reckless tendencies even after getting some sleep.

Jumping straight into the passage the crow had opened.

Trying to secure fragments of “The Big Cat” alone.

These were definitely actions far from level-headed.

“So Section Chief Kwon was already looking for a chance. But what Team Leader Cha said to the deputy section chief yesterday, and the content of this morning’s report were so outrageous that he finally lost it.”

Ah, so that’s what Kwon Mu-seop was yelling about earlier.

-You mindless bastard, where do you get off dropping names?

This was scolding Cha Si-eon for what he said to Yun U-jeong near the end on “The Island.”

Cha Si-eon had said ‘Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop would allow it’ and got an earful from Deputy Section Chief Yun U-jeong too.

And the report.

The exploration report Cha Si-eon submitted early this morning hasn’t finished approval yet.

But since I was also part of the exploration, I could review it.

So I looked through it earlier, and well.

He wrote it very honestly following the five W’s and one H.

Fortunately, Cha Si-eon’s outburst at me and my giving him medicine were tactfully omitted.

But flexibility ended right there, and the report described our tight schedule in full detail.

So it would have been obvious to a manager like Kwon Mu-seop.

That Cha Si-eon had acted with his own life as an afterthought.

Right, if a subordinate acts like a moth to flame, it’s a superior’s job to get serious and scold them.

“But the timing is a bit… What if Team Leader Cha really does transfer to Apophysis?”

Most office workers live with resignation letters in their hearts.

Then one day they grit their teeth and pull it out like a hidden dagger.

Civil servants probably aren’t much different.

But on the day you get beaten by your superior, a job offer with double the salary comes in as if on cue?

This is like heaven opening a path.

I said I thought Team Leader Cha might really change jobs.

But Kim Woo-in gave an unexpected answer.

“He’s trying to send him away.”

“What?”

“How do you think that scoundrel Moon Ho-san got into the hospital room? He got in because Section Chief Kwon allowed it.”

Ah, right.

This isn’t a private hospital.

There’s no way an outsider could just come for a visit.

So Kwon Mu-seop hit Cha Si-eon and then deliberately let Moon Ho-san in?

Wow…

So that’s why Cha Si-eon was more serious.

I wondered why he had lower pressure after Moon Ho-san’s visit than right after getting hit by Kwon Mu-seop.

This is almost like forced resignation, no, desk-clearing level dismissal pressure.

“Scolding him would have been enough, why go that far…”

“Do-un, if Team Leader Cha leaves the Management Bureau, Section Chief Kwon will have the hardest time.”

When I muttered like I didn’t understand, Kim Woo-in said bitterly.

“You saw it. What the Field Team atmosphere was like when Team Leader Cha went missing. Would anyone be happy pulling out the main pillar of their house?”

This makes sense too.

Just a few days ago, the Field Team atmosphere was like a volcano about to erupt.

And that boiling tension was more than half due to Cha Si-eon’s absence.

If they had been frustrated by losing a colleague and failing the mission, the Field Team atmosphere would have sunk into darkness.

But what the Field Team members showed was blatant aggression.

That sharp attitude was like a reaction to crisis.

So Kim Woo-in’s expression that Cha Si-eon is the Field Team’s main pillar wasn’t just an exaggeration.

But why is Kwon Mu-seop trying to push Cha Si-eon out?

“Is it perhaps because the rescue operation was delayed?”

If Cha Si-eon was the rescue target, ‘canceled’ would be more accurate than ‘delayed.’

But I chose a slightly softer word, and Kim Woo-in let out a long sigh despite my consideration.

“Right, well. How could he not be bothered by it.”

It was obvious.

The Management Bureau had accepted Cha Si-eon’s death.

And that fact was revealed quite nakedly through the control group called Seo Do-un.

So he couldn’t help but be bothered.

“But it wasn’t as easy to give up as Moon Ho-san claimed. When those mercenaries backed out saying they couldn’t go, it was Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop who kept probing and coordinating.”

“The section chief?”

“Yes. Apophysis agreeing to receive hazard pay was also the result of Section Chief Kwon’s persuasion, and that negotiation was already done before you were dragged to ‘The Island.'”

“Then why did it only come through the next morning?”

“The higher-ups crushed it. Those people who just talk too much unnecessarily. Well, they also have trauma from the all-out war.”

In the past, while searching for the missing Lee Seob, it had escalated to an all-out war and total warfare.

Was it because of that?

The Management Bureau’s leadership interfered with Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop’s decision.

The question of whether deploying such a large-scale operation to rescue one agent was really appropriate.

Concerns that this exceptional measure could create equity issues.

Criticism that a commander shouldn’t give special treatment only to his close associates.

Even irresponsible pessimism that it was already too late to go now.

All sorts of words pressured Section Chief Kwon Mu-seop.

“In the midst of this, when you were also dragged to ‘The Island,’ Section Chief Kwon went directly to those old men, and only after ramming into them like that did the rescue operation finally proceed.”

The section chief went through a lot of trouble.

Fortunately, looking at just the results, there was nothing bad about it.

Cha Si-eon had safely returned with me anyway.

The delayed deployment due to reassembling the mercenaries actually led to the achievement of securing fragments of “The Big Cat.”

Thus the results were perfect, but it was also true that the picture had become very strange.

I pieced together Kim Woo-in’s words like a puzzle.

Through that, I reached one conclusion.

“The section chief must care a lot about Team Leader Cha.”

So the conclusion was ‘my kid who only suffers hardship and gets poor treatment, let me chase him to a place that at least pays well.’

Kim Woo-in nodded at my words.

“He brought him in and raised him. That’s why he gets angry and even hits him.”

Hitting because of affection, what an anachronistic statement.

Oh, come to think of it.

“Does he do that often?”

“Huh?”

“Team Leader Cha had injuries on his face not long ago too.”

“…When the Nuruk Level 2 alert sounded?”

When I nodded, Kim Woo-in bit down hard on the candy he’d been quietly sucking.

Kim Woo-in stayed frozen like that for a moment, then answered while crunching the candy.

“No, that was because of a contaminated person. One that Team Leader Cha manages.”

“I see.”

“Do-un sir, Manager Kwon isn’t the type of person who habitually assaults his subordinates…”

“Of course not. Hahaha.”

I laughed heartily at Kim Woo-in’s words mixed with groaning.

Usually he’d badmouth and tear into Manager Kwon Mu-seop so much.

But now that his image might really be ruined, he’s desperately trying to cover for him.

Kim Woo-in threw the candy stick he’d finished chewing into the trash can.

Then he looked at his watch and muttered.

“But why isn’t this person coming back?”

Come to think of it, Team Leader Cha hasn’t returned for too long.

He’s not somewhere crying, is he?

Unable to wait any longer, Kim Woo-in finally got up from his seat.

But instead of leaving, he asked me again.

“Do-un sir, what do you think it would be like if your assigned manager changed?”

“I don’t really mind either way.”

“That’s a relief.”

“But wouldn’t the other staff members be quite confused?”

As Kim Woo-in said, if Cha Si-eon is the pillar of the Field Team.

At least Kwak Jae-gyeom would definitely be affected.

At my words, Kim Woo-in turned around again and answered indifferently.

“Still, it’s better than sending him to the afterlife.”

* * *

I learned the truth through Kim Woo-in.

What Moon Ho-san said to me earlier.

That it was ‘New! Red Bean Mouse’.

Ha, how regrettable this is…

If this word had come from my assigned author’s manuscript, I would have begged them to please remove it.

I can say with certainty that this is a perfectly failed expression.

It’s not easy to understand, and after barely figuring it out, you have to ask back like this.

-So what exactly is New Red Bean Mouse…?

It was fortunate that a kind doctor was nearby.

Thankfully, Kim Woo-in explained the etymology to me step by step.

-Team Leader Cha’s nickname when he was a rookie was Cinderella.

-When he first came, he was strictly disciplined under Kwon Mu-seop. Working and running around all day in that state, other teams teased him as ‘Kwon Mu-seop’s Cinderella.’ Saying he was farming fields and drawing water alone.

Oh my, Team Leader Cha…

Of course, this nickname isn’t used anymore.

Rookie Cha Si-eon might be one thing, but there’s no one left in the Management Bureau bold enough to call Team Leader Cha Si-eon that.

-So calling you Red Bean Mouse was sarcastic. Saying you’re living the good life next to the mistreated Cinderella.

Right, this is why it’s a failed expression.

He was trying to be sarcastic but it didn’t get across at all.

The interpretation is way too convoluted too.

Still, there was an interesting part about this Cinderella-Red Bean Mouse nickname.

-Then what’s the ‘New’ about? Don’t tell me there’s an original Red Bean Mouse?

-That’s right, there is.

-Who is that?

-Isn’t it obvious?

-…?

-Would someone who could be Team Leader Cha’s counterpart really be common?

-…

-Especially since Red Bean Mouse is the one doing the bullying?

-…!

-That’s right, the person you’re thinking of right now.

No wonder.

Those two people were strangely awkward for being from the same team.

So they lived as Cinderella and Red Bean Mouse in Kwon Mu-seop’s team…

I solved this mystery in just half a day.

From that, I reached two conclusions.

That New Red Bean Mouse really is a failed expression.

And that the condition of the one once called Cinderella is not normal.

Cha Si-eon, who had left in the morning, returned to the hospital room late in the evening.

Then he didn’t say a word until lights-out time.

He was originally a taciturn person, but it wasn’t usually to this extent.

I was lying down thinking he must have a lot on his mind, when I suddenly remembered what Kim Woo-in said during the day.

-Team Leader Cha has been going too far lately.

-Like someone who’s dying to die.

Ah… um…

I looked over at the next bed with eyes adjusted to the darkness.

I could see a large figure lying there silently.

“Team Leader Cha.”

I called out quietly but got no answer.

Has he already fallen asleep?

“Team Leader.”

“…”

“Team Leader.”

“…”

“Cinderella?”

Thud-

At that moment something flew toward my bed.

It’s a tissue.

As expected, he wasn’t asleep yet.

I put the tissue that Cha Si-eon had thrown back on the drawer and asked.

“Where did you go all day?”

“I worked.”

“Why is a patient working?”

“Because there’s work to do.”

“Team Leader isn’t the only person at the Management Bureau who can work, right?”

“…Aren’t you going to sleep?”

After more than three exchanges, Cha Si-eon inevitably became prickly.

Hmm, very normal.

After confirming Cha Si-eon’s normalcy, I spoke up again.

“About what you asked yesterday.”

“…”

“I kept thinking about it, and I still don’t think I would blow up the bridge.”

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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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