Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 14

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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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Even Hastily Made Ones Keep Stacking Up as EX-Rank (14)

When You Need to Show Something, You Have to Show It

“How did you know to come find me?”

Lee Si-hyeok asked, looking at Lim A-yeon who had her hair neatly tied up.

“I received a call from headquarters. They said you would be coming today for a meeting with the CEO.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. But when the CEO didn’t respond to any contact, I went upstairs and it seemed like he had already come and left, so I walked around the area.”

She extended her finger and pointed at the table.

“I happened to find you here.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Yes.”

Unlike CEO Hwang Eun-ho, Vice President Lim A-yeon gave quite a diligent first impression.

Usually companies follow the atmosphere set by their leadership, but she had come outside and walked around looking for Lee Si-hyeok. She must have had quite a hard time wearing high heels.

“How was your meeting with the CEO? Did you gain anything from it?”

“As for gains… there weren’t really any.”

“I thought that might be the case. Our CEO is quite strange, isn’t he?”

At the casually thrown question, Lee Si-hyeok hesitated for a moment. Should he answer this honestly? Even so, he was still a superior – wouldn’t it be inappropriate to openly call him ‘strange’?

As he hesitated to answer, Lim A-yeon intercepted with a faint smile.

“I understand. Everyone says that. They ask why a CEO would be so listless.”

“…”

“Do you happen to know how many years it’s been since Termion Security was established, Business Consultant Lee Si-hyeok?”

“I heard it was 10 years.”

She nodded.

“That’s right. Exactly 10 years this year. The CEO is quite exhausted now, but he wasn’t like this from 10 years ago.”

“I’m aware of that. I heard he tried many different things.”

“Yes. Honestly, in this day and age, ‘security company’ isn’t exactly a keyword that works, right? But the CEO took responsibility and made various attempts, including personally seeking out hunters.”

Lim A-yeon made a bitter expression.

“Of course, it didn’t go well. Well, the past is just the past. Still, I’m telling you this because of my concerns.”

“Concerns?”

“I’m worried that you might also give up on Termion Security because of the CEO’s first impression. Since the CEO’s face is the company’s face, it has quite a significant impact. Many investors have left as well.”

It was certainly a valid point.

In fact, Lee Si-hyeok had also felt disappointed seeing CEO Hwang Eun-ho’s attitude.

Ten years of setbacks. Enough time to drive a person to despair, but even so, Lee Si-hyeok thought it was too early to give up.

He had endured an even longer, much more extended period of time to reach EX-rank. If so, this company could also succeed.

Most importantly, the future Termion Security would have Lee Si-hyeok. What was there to worry about? It could be done. He had no intention of giving up.

“You don’t need to worry. As you said, the past is just the past. I plan to put in maximum effort.”

It was a matter of Lee Si-hyeok’s survival from the start. Only by building up the security company solidly could he ensure his personal safety.

Whether to replace the CEO or completely reform his mental state – he could think about that after everything was finished.

However, Lim A-yeon, who didn’t know his mindset, couldn’t completely trust Lee Si-hyeok yet. Still, she was grateful that he said such things.

She answered with curved eyes.

“Thank you for saying that. From now on, if you need anything, you can talk to me instead of the CEO.”

“Then could I hear about the company’s current situation? How many clients we have, how many security guards are deployed, things like that.”

“Yes, just a moment.”

Lim A-yeon rummaged through her document bag. She pulled out a tablet and handed it to Lee Si-hyeok.

“I’ve organized the data there. I’ll explain while you look at it.”

Lee Si-hyeok took the tablet and examined the data.

A neatly organized PPT.

However, his eyes shook in disbelief as he confirmed the numbers written there.

“…Currently 1 client? Don’t tell me there’s only one client right now?”

“Yes. It’s awkward to even call it data, but… what you’re seeing is correct.”

“No, how is the company even running with just one client?”

Lee Si-hyeok looked dumbfounded.

He had known it was a failing company, but only one client? At this level, it wasn’t on the verge of collapse but had already completely crumbled.

How on earth was it being maintained?

“That one client is supporting our entire company. They’ve been contracted since our company was founded, and thanks to using our VIP service, they pay quite a substantial amount.”

“Is that enough to keep this company going?”

“Yes. If that person canceled their contract, the company would immediately go bankrupt.”

Lee Si-hyeok let out a hollow laugh.

“What do they do to pay that much?”

“You’ve probably heard of them before. South Korea’s exploration-type S-rank awakener, Baek Min-ji.”

“…!”

He couldn’t not know.

Baek Min-ji, the first S-rank hunter to appear in South Korea almost from the early days when the Gate era opened.

Uniquely, Baek Min-ji awakened ‘Exploration-type Skills’ and was known to possess mysterious abilities different from others. No one knew what they were.

Being such a person, it was understandable that she had enough wealth to support Termion Security. However, there was one point of doubt.

“…I thought Baek Min-ji went missing.”

She had suddenly disappeared inside the Gate about 6 years ago. It was an issue that caused a worldwide stir for quite some time.

“But how is someone who went missing paying the fees?”

“We’re not sure about that either. From the beginning, there was a special clause that ‘the contract would be maintained no matter what happened’… and payments keep coming from Baek Min-ji’s account. It’s probably an automatic transfer system.”

“A special clause?”

“Yes. We don’t know the reason. Maybe she was receiving threats at the time of the contract…”

Lee Si-hyeok nodded with his mouth open.

Things like whether Baek Min-ji was missing or not were meaningless to think about now. What he needed to worry about immediately was how to revive the company.

“I understand for now. Next, I’d like to know about the security personnel.”

“If you turn the page, it’ll show up. The security guards are currently all composed of ‘non-awakeners’. A total of 20 are on standby.”

“…Non-awakeners?”

“As you know, recruiting hunters is like plucking stars from the sky. Since our security target Baek Min-ji went missing anyway, we just filled the positions with non-awakeners for now.”

Lee Si-hyeok’s eyebrows furrowed.

“So these 20 security guards. Are they all just sitting around doing nothing? There wouldn’t be any work for them to do.”

“…That’s right. Except for occasionally helping with company cleaning, there’s nothing.”

“Haven’t you tried to reduce the personnel?”

Why keep as many as 20 people?

If, as she said, they were composed of non-awakeners because Baek Min-ji went missing, just three or four people would suffice as a nominal presence.

Salaries would keep draining out, and industry rumors would spread badly, so there was nothing to gain.

He realized that the company’s decline wasn’t just due to environmental reasons.

Lim A-yeon hesitantly opened her lips.

“We naturally tried. We also tried to push them to other subsidiary companies. But every time, the Non-Awakener Labor Union would rise up…”

“Did they protest?”

“Yes. We wanted to push through with determination, but it just wouldn’t work. If the media started attacking our company too, even the handful of remaining employees would all leave.”

When they tried to get rid of the security guards who were only draining money, they caused an uproar asking why non-awakeners were being discriminated against.

They probably acted up even more knowing the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. They would know it wouldn’t be easy to get rid of them.

However, in the plan Lee Si-hyeok had drawn up, there was no place left for them.

Lee Si-hyeok put strength in his voice as he spoke.

“We need to start with that.”

“Pardon?”

“Let’s clean up all the non-awakener security personnel.”

Lim A-yeon looked at him with a flustered face.

“I understand what you mean, but it’s not that easy. If the labor union protests again, it’ll really be the end.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It, it doesn’t matter?”

“Yes. Tell them to protest if they want to. The media? Tell them to aim at us and fire away all day long.”

Lee Si-hyeok chuckled softly.

“Are you perhaps worried? That things might go wrong?”

She slowly nodded.

It couldn’t be helped.

For nearly five years, she had dealt with freeloaders who wielded the label of “non-awakener” as a weapon, and unknowingly, fear had been imprinted on her.

Even so, she couldn’t move forward carrying that fear. Confidence. Joy. The things Lee Si-hyeok would accomplish from now on would be hard to follow without such emotions.

Such stale worries.

It was time to shake them off and rise up from this place.

“If you hesitate because you’re worried, will that solve anything? Deputy Representative Lim A-yeon?”

“No, that’s not it, but…”

“If it’s not, then it’s not. Why are you adding words at the end?”

Lim A-yeon’s pupils wavered.

“You lack confidence? I understand. It’s certainly a situation that warrants that. Then please trust me. I have confidence, you see.”

“…”

“Confidence that I can revive Termion Security. Well, if you can’t trust me since we just met, then trust this.”

He thrust his Awakener Registration Card forward.

Lee Si-hyeok, who considered humility an important value in life, was very wary of overestimating and boasting about himself.

However, that also depended on the situation at hand.

When it was time to show off, he had to show off. Especially when someone who needed to trust and follow him was getting scared and hesitating.

Lee Si-hyeok understood well his own value and how to captivate people.

“EX-rank. The first awakening grade recognized by the South Korea Association. If that’s still not enough? Then you can trust Chairman Lee Young-hoon.”

“Ch-Chairman…”

“Surely you wouldn’t doubt the judgment of Chairman Lee Young-hoon, who elevated Termion Corporation to a global major corporation. I trust that you wouldn’t.”

Lee Si-hyeok gazed into Lim A-yeon’s eyes.

Her pupils still wavered. The anxiety churning deep below seemed to create ripples on the surface of her eyes.

But that was only momentary. As she met Lee Si-hyeok’s gaze, she gradually began to regain her composure.

Her wavering pupils found their center, and the doubt rising from her face transformed into determination.

“…Yes, I’ll try to trust you.”

“Thank you.”

“Anyway, if we continue like this, the company’s bankruptcy is already a predetermined fate… If I don’t trust our business consultant, what else can I trust?”

Lim A-yeon asked in a calm tone.

“Then should we fire all the non-awakener security guards?”

“Fire them? No, there’s no need to go that far.”

“Didn’t you say earlier that we needed to reorganize them?”

“That’s correct, but if we fire them all, the situation could become difficult.”

Lee Si-hyeok shared the plan he had been thinking about.

“Currently, Termion Corporation’s Transportation Team is in a situation where they need personnel. People who usually handle security work should easily manage transportation duties. Please reassign them all to the Transportation Team.”

This was information he had gathered before coming to the meeting. When Lee Si-hyeok asked the Transport Team Leader, he said there were many vacant positions due to recent resignations.

After taking notes on all of Lee Si-hyeok’s instructions, Lim A-yeon spoke again.

“What are you planning to do about operating funds? It won’t cost just a penny or two to make the company grow again.”

“You don’t need to worry. Headquarters will provide as much support as needed.”

Lee Si-hyeok crunched on ice as he continued speaking.

“And Deputy Representative Lim A-yeon. When you finish talking and return to the company, please immediately post a recruitment notice.”

“A recruitment notice?”

“Yes. Announcing that Termion Security is re-recruiting security personnel.”

“…Will people actually apply?”

Lim A-yeon tilted her head.

“Of course, if we just post it normally, no one will come. But we only need to add one sentence.”

“…?”

“For successful candidates only, we will provide artifacts custom-made directly by EX-rank awakener Lee Si-hyeok.”

Lee Si-hyeok grinned.

“Do you think hunters won’t apply and turn their backs on this?”

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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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