Chapter 16: Suspicious Bodyguards (1)
The shamans who came down from Mount Gyeryong hurriedly returned to their respective vehicles.
“What’s going on? You’ve already summoned everyone.”
The man chewing gum in the driver’s seat asked Haedong Sinyuh.
“Go to Namyangju. Actually, stop by the shrine first. We need to pick up some usable divine tools.”
“What’s the matter with that?”
“The Mountain God delivered a separate message. And when we came to Gyeryongsan, I told you not to wear that thug‑like leather jacket. I can’t stand to see a supposed monk dressed in leather like that, really.”
“Why come all the way here and rant about it?”
“Rant?”
‑Thud. Thud.
A nervous kick from the back seat struck the driver’s seat with a dull thud.
A rough tone and action that were never shown before the Mountain God’s raccoon‑dog front.
But the 법사 (monk‑agent) in the driver’s seat seemed fairly used to Haedong Sinyuh’s behavior, treating it as no big deal and instead got angry.
“This, damn it, I just replaced it not long ago!”
“Just start the engine.”
“Anyway, I don’t know whether you got divine possession or you’ve gone bat‑shit insane.”
“Watch your tone. Is the Heavenly Deity your friend?”
“And Maitreya is your friend?”
‑Vroom. Clunk.
Just as their voices were about to raise, the car’s engine suddenly died while driving on the road.
“See! He’s angry now!”
“Our Heavenly Deity must be angry. Why would the Buddha be angry? Anyway, spiritual power also needs to be received by someone smart.”
“If you keep arguing like that the engine will die again. Want a tow truck?”
Only after hearing that near‑threat did the car fall quiet.
The car the two were riding in exited Mount Gyeryong and began speeding down a sparsely‑trodden road at somewhat excessive speed.
“So, what’s really going on?”
“They say another divine tree has appeared.”
“Don’t bullshit me.”
Only after things settled did the response come—so irritatingly unbelievable.
“You’ll know whether it’s bullshit when you get there. Now.”
“Aish! You’re driving. How am I supposed to set the GPS if you show me like that right now?”
“We’re going to the shrine first anyway.”
“So who is guarding the divine tree now? Are we going there to guard it?”
“As if? Thankfully the Mountain God is guarded by a tremendously powerful being who uses spiritual power and magic that even the Mountain God can’t move against.”
“Another divine beast?”
“From what I heard, that’s not it either. It seemed more… human‑like.”
“You’re saying nonsense. If such a shaman had appeared, we’d have shut down business and looked elsewhere long ago.”
“I’m just repeating what I heard from the Mountain God!”
‑Thud. Thud.
“I told you not to drive! Hey? Isn’t that the car of the people who serve Guan Yu? Those guys must be in quite a hurry too.”
“Where?”
“There—two Mercedes S‑Classes.”
The monk pointed to two cars passing on the opposite side.
“See, you should serve famous deities. Serving Guan Yu brings people flooding from China with money. I, who get called just ‘that damn monk,’ I’m just the underling like this…”
“Turn the car around.”
“Turn? To U‑turn here we’d have to go two more kilometers. You said we’d pick up divine tools from the shrine.”
“If they go first and make their mark, we’re all screwed!”
“No way. I've had enough of aiming for marks.”
“It’ll work, you damn monk!”
“No, it won’t, you crazy unlicensed driver!”
“It will!”
“Ahhh! Don’t turn the wheel!”
Meanwhile, at the same time, the guardian of the controversial divine tree happened to be in a similar position.
***
“No.”
“Pardon?”
“Oh, what I mean is if it’s no then it’s no! Remote Work is out of the question!”
“Manager, it’s for personal reasons.”
“Oh, is it only Assistant Manager Kim who has personal reasons? What about me?”
“What do you mean?”
I hadn’t expected it.
I thought the manager and assistant manager were just delaying a switch to Remote Work because promotion opportunities were important.
But the manager’s next reply turned that assumption upside down again.
“Look here. There are only three people in the department and that assistant manager is newlywed and goes home early. If Assistant Manager Kim also works from home, who will I drink with?”
“Stop talking nonsense and approve the request quickly. If you approve today, it’ll go up to the director for signature before end of day. And Assistant Manager Kim also comes in once or twice a week, so we can do the team dinner then.”
“That’s utter nonsense! Traditionally you think of this drink on a good day, or on a crappy day, and if the weather’s good it’s draft beer, if it rains it’s makgeolli—different things each time!”
Hearing more of that pointless logic, the assistant manager didn’t even bother replying and silently forced the mouse into the manager’s hand.
“Sss… I can’t, but…”
‑Click.
With the look of a man who had lost everything, the manager reluctantly clicked the mouse.
“‘Strategic Planning Team‑ Assistant Manager Kim Jinseong Remote Work conversion,’ approval has been completed.”
“Thank you.”
“Well then, shall we toast today in honor of Assistant Manager Kim’s Remote Work?”
“The director hasn’t signed off yet though.”
“Oh, that’ll happen, I’m sure! Come on, finish up and let’s go. Not soju today—instead, nine‑years old spirit wine, let’s get properly drunk.”
Too late. The manager had already gone into action, even slipping on his coat.
And since he had refused once before because of the divine tree, this time morally his attendance was unavoidable.
“Good grief, if you’re going now please take the stairs.”
“We’re on the twelfth floor here. My joints aren’t good—stairs?’”
“What will you say if you happen to bump into the director on the way down?”
“I said we’re taking the stairs.”
Besides security cameras, the company had many eyes. Especially board members have no commute constraints, so they left early to avoid crowds at quitting time.
“What’s going on? Strategic planning team dinner?”
“Ah! That surprised me!”
Since the whole team was getting off early, I quietly headed down by the stairs instead of the elevator, but ended up running into the Head of Development 3 Team sitting on the stairs talking on the phone.
“You’re really bold in front of the five gods.”
“So what? We do overtime often anyway.”
“When we work overtime, either that assistant manager or Assistant Manager Kim suffer—Division Head Cha just sits around.”
“So that’s why I buy them dinner as a reward.”
“Oh dear, a real tragedy here.”
“If it’s that bad, Development Team 3 could join in too.”
“No thanks. You’ll just go to that same old pig skin place again, pretending you’re doing us a favor. Look at your team. They’ve eaten so much pig skin they’ve gone yellow.”
“We eat samgyeopsal too, you know.”
Not really.
Samgyeopsal was only ordered one serving per person to warm up the stomach before eating the pig skin directly, as it could be too heavy otherwise.
And always with doenjang jjigae and mixed rice, like a hangover soup.
“You’re persistent.”
“What’s so persistent?”
“What else? Their dinner menu. Oh? D‑Director!”
Thinking it was just a colleague or junior, the head of Development Team 3 hurriedly brought both hands together politely.
At some point, another person had joined them—someone they absolutely should not have run into.
“Director, good evening.”
“So, it’s a team dinner?”
“Not us. It’s just the Strategic Planning Team having dinner.”
“Hm, is that so? Then I’ll join you. It’s been a while since we’ve had drinks, hasn’t it?”
“If you’d join us, it would be an honor. But we’re not sure it’ll suit your taste... we can make a new reservation if needed.”
“Haha, no need. If it’s just for a quick drink, we don’t need a reservation. But why are you taking the stairs?”
“Ah, just trying to get a bit of exercise on the way…”
It was still far from quitting time.
The manager was sweating bullets all the way to the pig skin place, worried the director might voice the obvious suspicion.
When they arrived, the old eatery was still empty, as it was early.
“Oh, you're here again? Go to that room. It gets noisy when people arrive.”
Everything flowed naturally from there.
Before the charcoal came, I went ahead to the kitchen and brought out the tray of side dishes.
The assistant manager pulled out water and soju from an old fridge.
Meanwhile, the manager set the seat cushions and utensils.
Having been here nearly a hundred times with slight exaggeration, we naturally stepped in for the owner, who ran the kitchen and served alone.
“I didn’t know Division Head Cha liked places like this.”
“Haha, I come here often because it’s close.”
“Well, the side dishes are here. Let’s each have a drink. First one’s a somaek.”
‑Clink. Glug glug glug.
A chilled soju bottle with frost was lightly poured into beer glasses.
Office dinners usually went like this.
No matter how long they went on, those of us living on the outskirts of Seoul had to get up before 10 at the latest.
To secure time for a second round with beer and dried snacks, we had to start drinking immediately with the basic side dishes—just like college freshmen.
Even the director, who spent time as a regular employee, seemed used to this kind of drinking routine.
“It must be uncomfortable. Thanks for setting this up anyway.”
“Oh, Director, don’t mention it.”
“This the guy who’s switching to remote work?”
“Yes, he’s outstanding. Our department would be in trouble without him.”
“I know that.”
“Pardon? How do you know Assistant Manager Kim?”
“I brought him over from the Development Team.”
“You did, Director?”
And the mystery was solved.
I finally heard the unexpected reason why I had been abruptly transferred to the Strategic Planning Team two years ago.
“Staffing decisions for the Strategic Planning Team get reported up to the Chairman’s line. I haven’t said it before, but unless you change jobs, there’s no way someone in this team wouldn’t be promoted. The Strategic Planning Team was created from the start as a breeding ground for executive‑level managers from hands‑on backgrounds, per the Chairman’s vision.”
‑Clunk.
He downed his beer in one go and tapped the table with the empty glass.
Then he wiped the rim with his hand and placed it in front of me again.
“If things like Remote Work don’t mar your personnel record—still going to do it?”
It was a heavy question.
A calm offer from the director—someone I’d never dreamed I’d share a drink with—boiled down to this:
‘As long as you don’t push the remote work thing, your promotion is safe.’
Could there be better news for an employee?
Even in a big company whose name anyone would know, joining doesn’t guarantee a path of roses.
Any warmth and humanity are strictly between coworkers.
The so‑called “fast track” departments often crumble or reshuffle entirely based on executive movements.
So in the past, a promise of security, as long as I behaved and stayed in this team trusted by the Chairman and Director, would have been impossible to turn down.
But in just a month, so much had happened to me.
And my perspective had changed.
I was no longer the same man shuttling endlessly between home and work like a hamster in a wheel.
“I appreciate the offer, but I really need remote work for personal reasons.”
“What if it’s not allowed?”
“I’ll start preparing to resign. I don’t want to be a burden.”
“Assistant Manager Kim!”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s a shame. Then I’ll get going. Can’t stay too long in a casual setting like this.”
“D‑Director… Still, this guy’s better than two or three assistant managers combined! And his performance…”
“Right, I’ll cover the bill here with my card. Eat all you like.”
The director patted the manager’s shoulder—who had been trying to sing my praises—and stood up.
Now I really had to consider changing jobs.
“Oh, Assistant Manager Kim.”
“Yes?”
‑Vrrr. Vrrr.
The director pointed to my phone buzzing on the table.
“‘Strategic Planning Team – Kim Jinseong’s Remote Work Request Approved.’”
“You’re now a Manager.”