‘The fact that almost all employees of Baekhak Publishing dislike Lim Yang-wook,’
implies that ‘almost all employees know who Lim Yang-wook is.’
And Baekhak Publishing is a very large company.
It’s very difficult for one employee to become famous in such a company.
Unless you happen to run into the chairman’s son around a corner with toast in your mouth…
Fortunately, Lim Yang-wook has never run into the chairman’s son with toast in his mouth.
But he has run into quite a few other people.
-To think that was submitted as a plan is questionable.
-I think it’s nonsense.
-Don’t think about adding anything here, just do as you’re told. Is that so difficult?
There’s a ghost story that gets told in Baekhak Publishing. Long ago, in the publishing planning department that decides the business direction of Baekhak Publishing, there lived a devil…
The moment you make eye contact, your project gets overturned, and despite the seniority order, this devil devours seniors whole with great ability, leaving no room for objection…
Of course, it’s all an old story.
The devil was exorcised, and the ghost story gradually forgotten.
But today, the devil from the ghost story has returned.
“You, you can’t possibly…!”
“Ah, it’s been a long time. Sunbae.”
Publishing Planning Department Head Woo Ki-tae was as shocked as if he had seen a ghost.
Indeed, the difficulty of resurrecting the dead and bringing back the demoted might be similar.
The very image of ‘that bastard’ from Woo Ki-tae’s memory, just without the hair.
The devil in a suit approached Woo Ki-tae.
“You…! How could you be here…!”
“We’ll be working together again, so I came to say hello.”
That day, the employees of Baekhak Publishing remembered.
The fear of being dominated by the devil, the humiliation of having their proposals rejected…
“Publishing Management Department Head Lim Yang-wook.”
Lim Yang-wook has returned.
EP 6-The Show Must Go On
Anyone familiar with the Village Hidden in the Leaves knows that originally, a rogue ninja is much stronger than just a ninja.
According to traditional subculture grammar, the exiled are strong.
And the returnees are also strong.
So, what about someone who was exiled and then returned? They are much stronger.
Therefore, it’s common sense that someone who was exiled and returns gains cheat abilities and becomes 999 times stronger. This is also mentioned in Japanese light novels.
Lim Yang-wook was somewhat similar.
When he left, he was a team leader, but upon his return, he was a department head.
Moreover, having a reliable (figurehead) head of the division backing him, he could be said to be a Lü Bu on Red Hare, or Mario with a star. (TL: Horse of Lü Bu)
However, Lim Yang-wook’s impression upon entering the lobby of Baekhak Publishing was a bit distant from the traditional subculture clichés.
Rather than wielding cheat abilities to slaughter everyone, a bitter and nostalgic longing took precedence.
“The scenery remains the same…”
He remembered the day he first entered the lobby of Baekhak Publishing. It was a time filled with hope and ambition.
Although he soon realized the company’s deep-rooted disdain for ‘inferior universities’ and was frustrated, the dream of making the Korean publishing industry a better place was vividly remembered.
And now, Lim Yang-wook is slowly realizing that dream.
At this rate, he wouldn’t be ashamed in front of his younger self.
With that lingering sentiment, Lim Yang-wook glanced at Baek Seol ‘division head’ beside him.
Gone was the disheveled office worker, wandering the office with a cup of coffee and yawning.
Baek Seol, neatly dressed, certainly looked the part of her position, but her eyes, wavering incessantly, undermined the atmosphere.
‘What should I do, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do?’
Easily reading her inner turmoil, Lim Yang-wook smiled and offered her some guidance.
“You should probably start by going to the division head’s office. Director~nim.”
Baek Seol still found it awkward to hear polite speech from Lim Yang-wook, her eyeballs spinning round and round.
“But, shouldn’t we still greet the company’s people…?”
“In what company does the head of a division go around greeting the department heads?”
“Then, maybe in a slightly anti-authoritarian, venture company vibe…?”
“Baekhak Publishing is a company of stubborn old farts. Just sit nicely in the division head’s office.”
After setting Baek Seol’s course of action, Lim Yang-wook went around Baekhak Publishing to greet the stubborn old farts.
Roaming around, he saw many familiar faces. Lim Yang-wook warmly smiled and greeted every acquaintance he encountered.
“Ah, how long has it been, Assistant Manager Lee?”
“Ah, ah, hello! Team Leader! No, I mean Department Head~nim!”
“I see you’re a team leader now, too, Lee Eun-bi, huh? I thought you would become one someday. I saw the ambition in your eyes every time you laughed at the CEO’s jokes.”
“Hey, Assistant Manager Park!”
“Team Leader Li, Li, Lim?!”
“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Oh, you’ve become a Deputy Head? Congratulations. Are you in sales department?”
“Heh, I’ll be seeing you around. Let’s greet each other again later.”
Lim Yang-wook exchanged brief greetings with acquaintances and department heads he encountered in the corridors.
There were strange murmurs like, ‘Lim Yang-wook… smiled?!’ and ‘What did I just see?’ but he didn’t bother much about them.
From his first round of reconnaissance, Lim Yang-wook learned something important.
This company, it hasn’t changed much.
Then, the story becomes very simple.
Lim Yang-wook returned to Division head Baek Seol and reported the outcome of his reconnaissance.
“I think for the time being, we just need to do our own work.”
“We don’t have to worry about other departments.”
Lim Yang-wook, knowing the company Baekhak Publishing better than anyone else, was able to give Baek Seol a pinpoint lecture.
The ideology dominating Baekhak Publishing is ‘elitism’.
The one thing that allows them to endure the harsh working environment is the pride of being the pinnacle of the Korean publishing industry.
This mentality applies to the organization as well. It’s about delegating all decision-making power to capable people.
“That’s the Publishing Planning Department. Where I used to be. You know where that is, right, Director?”
Perhaps in the Book Distribution Department, which manages offline bookstores and distribution networks, but at least within the Publishing Business Department, the Publishing Planning Department holds all the power.
Thus, other departments are essentially just tools to facilitate the projects attempted by the Publishing Planning Department.
In other words, you only need to worry about the Publishing Planning Department.