Chapter 302: New Employee
I started explaining while looking at my smartphone inside the HR team office.
"In light of that, we'll be splitting into teams."
"Wow, talking like you're some kind of team leader now."
"I am the team leader, so it's appropriate."
At my words, Song A-rin closed her mouth.
After my last meeting with the Branch Chief, I had already informed the team members that I had been granted team-leader-level authority.
Of course, everyone's reaction was unanimously negative.
Yu Daon was worried I might leave the team, Jang Chae-yeon was concerned about the increased burden on me, and Song A-rin was annoyed, thinking only troublesome tasks would increase.
And the communication I received from the Branch Chief also seemed to precisely hint at the kind of work a 'team-leader-level' person should do.
"..."
After silencing Song A-rin's complaints, I looked at my smartphone.
<Signal detected for anomalous phenomenon and isolation object inside broadcasting station.,. Request infiltration. ^^>
It was a message written personally by the Branch Chief.
Scrolling down, more content appeared.
<The weather's been a bit chilly lately.,, Kim Jae-heon-ssi? Though not a warm fireplace, a task befitting fiery youth.,.,! I've prepared it^^..,>
<Your employee ID is ready inside the Management Bureau.,, When you go, I recommend taking someone who speaks well.,.>
<I recommend Song A-rin-ssi.,.>
<Spring will be here soon,.. A rose @>>>>> befitting spring,,, have a pleasant day.., signing off now,,.>
"..."
He looks like someone slightly older or the same age, so why does he always type like this?
Anyway, to summarize:
1. An anomalous phenomenon and isolation object are currently appearing inside the broadcasting station.
2. We are to infiltrate, enter, and then seize, isolate, or destroy it.
In other words, we would essentially be divided into two main teams.
An infiltration team responsible for the infiltration, and a rear-support team responsible for destruction and combat.
"You can pretty much guess just from hearing that, right?"
After listening to my explanation, Song A-rin nodded, while Jang Chae-yeon and Yu Daon subtly averted their gaze.
"Other people could do it well too if asked."
"They just can't do it as well as I can."
Song A-rin spoke in a confident voice.
If only she weren't so blunt, she wouldn't be so unlikeable.
"Anyway, how are you splitting the teams?"
Song A-rin asked in a tone that suggested the answer was obvious, narrowing her eyes as she looked at us. When I lifted my head to look at her, a slight blush spread across her face.
"You're taking me, of course?"
"We're taking everyone."
"Then why are you looking at me? Don't tell me you're thinking of taking the black-haired—"
"First, I'll assign the personnel now."
I opened my mouth, ignoring Song A-rin's words.
The available personnel are the HR team members.
Among them, the ones with the best social skills will handle the initial infiltration.
So that means...
"Song A-rin-ssi will come with me."
"...I knew it."
At my words, Song A-rin nodded as if it were obvious, and Jang Chae-yeon and Yu Daon also said nothing.
"And the rear infiltration personnel will be Ye-eun, Chae-yeon-ssi, and Daon-ssi."
"Huh? You're taking the kid too?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
Hearing her name, Park Ye-eun peeked her head out toward us.
"Jae-heon-ah, think carefully before taking a child."
"I thought about it a lot."
I answered the Team Leader while looking at Park Ye-eun. Park Ye-eun's eyes sparkled as she nodded.
Her eyes held a desperate plea to be taken along.
I was planning to take her anyway.
Since it's all available personnel, it's right to use Park Ye-eun when she can be useful.
She seems to like the idea too.
"So, just you and me will go in first?"
I don't know what's making her so excited, but Song A-rin looked at me with eyes shining like a child on Christmas. I looked at her and slowly shook my head.
"No."
"...No? Are you taking the blonde?"
"No."
Eileen isn't within the available scope. She's from the Response Team.
"No, then who?"
"You know."
Someone who's good at social life and is available.
Our gazes turned in one direction.
"...What."
The Team Leader, who had been typing at the speed of light, looked at us.
"That makes sense."
"Right?"
"And if something actually happens, it'll be easier to respond."
"Right."
"What, what is it?"
The Team Leader looked at us with a flustered expression. I raised my hand.
"Team Leader, it's field-work time."
"Hey, I'm still the Team Leader...!"
"The Branch Chief's approval has come through."
"I swear I'm going to quit this damn company one of these days."
The Team Leader gritted his teeth and got up from his seat.
"Good. Then let's go."
And so, the business trip mobilizing the entire HR team began.
*
In front of the broadcasting station.
We stood in front of the building after arriving in a van borrowed from the Management Bureau.
"What. It was here?"
Song A-rin looked up at the building, lowering sunglasses I hadn't noticed her put on.
A tall building you had to crane your neck to see, with walls made entirely of glass.
On the first floor, numerous vans came and went, and many people were commuting.
"One of the biggest broadcasting stations."
"Well, if you're talking about broadcasting stations in the Gangseo area, this is the most famous one."
After looking up with Song A-rin, I turned around and—
"..."
"..."
"..."
Met the stares of three people who were blatantly looking at us.
"Don't look at us like that."
"Oppa. No matter how I think about it, this doesn't seem right."
Park Ye-eun looked at me, raising her hand high.
The sanitary cap she was wearing flapped with the movement.
"What do you mean 'janitor'! Janitor!"
"Building cleaning is usually outsourced, so it's easy to blend in."
We don't even need to act. We just have to clean.
"...Uncomfortable."
Jang Chae-yeon twisted her body as if the clothes were uncomfortable, and Yu Daon looked over her own clothes with curiosity.
"Wow, these make you sweat a ton! My underwear is already soaked through—"
"Okay, okay, that's enough everyone."
I cut off Yu Daon's words and looked at the two of them.
The Team Leader, dressed like a permanent department head from a major corporation,
and me and Song A-rin, dressed like new employees.
"...You do look a bit younger though."
"Just worry about yourself. I'll handle the deception."
At my words, Song A-rin answered in a prickly voice and got out of the car.
I turned back to look at the three of them.
"When I call, you three just need to come out."
"What should we do?"
"For now... just come to the place I mentioned."
"We can just follow the map we received hereå å°å¶å®, right?"
"Yes."
"Got it!"
Yu Daon smiled sweetly, and Park Ye-eun let out a sigh.
"I thought we'd be doing something cooler..."
"What's so cool about work? If you get paid, it's all work."
The Team Leader's jaded, corporate words didn't reach Park Ye-eun.
I watched the grumbling Park Ye-eun, then looked at the other two. Yu Daon and Jang Chae-yeon smiled and nodded.
"Trust us."
"Don't worry!"
"Yes, I trust you both."
"Hey, Oppa! What about me?!"
Leaving behind the protesting Park Ye-eun, the Team Leader and I got out of the car.
"Alright, let me brief you on our assigned roles."
I began the briefing for the Team Leader and Song A-rin.
"We are now entering as employees of the broadcasting station's HR team."
"HR team here too?"
"Well, if necessary, we might end up sitting at a desk doing work."
We should do work we know how to do. What if they suddenly put us in charge of a camera?
"Question."
The Team Leader raised his hand. I looked at him.
"What if we get caught?"
"With Song A-rin-ssi here, there's no way we'd get caught, right?"
"..."
Song A-rin, under our gaze, let out a small sigh.
"Right. Don't worry about that part."
"Good. So, what we need to find is a video."
"...A video?"
"Ah, when I was young, there was a horror movie where a ghost would appear if you played a video..."
I continued, letting the Team Leader's words go in one ear and out the other.
"They say that video contains information that shouldn't exist, and moreover, the people exposed to it are trying to broadcast its content."
"Mental and information contamination. Got it. I wonder why the Management Bureau didn't know about it until now."
"You'd have to have seen the Management Bureau do its job properly first."
"By default, an office worker should harbor infinite disgust and distrust for their own company. I agree."
Song A-rin nodded, and the Team Leader nodded along with her.
"Good. Then let's go."
And so, we stepped inside the broadcasting station.
*
Amid the bustling crowd, I diligently looked around.
"First, we need to go find the video, right?"
"How?"
"Like a video room or something..."
"Where's the video room?"
"Just a moment..."
A person who looked like a team leader and two who looked like new employees, with their heads buried in their smartphones, talking amidst a huge crowd.
Fortunately, people didn't seem to pay much attention to us.
"Ah, here it is."
"Good. Then let's go."
Maybe this will be easier than I thought.
The three of us hurriedly moved.
"Team Leader, I've said it repeatedly, but Team Leader, you—"
"Yeah, I know. If I feel bad, I should let you know right away."
"Correct."
Knowing in advance that a dangerous situation is coming is incredibly helpful, more than one might think.
The three of us got on the elevator.
The elevator is huge too.
"What floor is the video room on?"
"Let's see, the nineteenth floor."
"That's high..."
Muttering, I pressed the button for the nineteenth floor. Just as the elevator doors were about to close,
-Whoosh!
A huge crowd of people began pouring into the elevator.
"Ah, wait...!"
The Team Leader was pushed away and disappeared into the crowd. I barely managed to grab Song A-rin's hand, pull her toward me, and hold her in my arms.
"...!"
Song A-rin let out an unintelligible shriek and flinched.
Why so many people all of a sudden?
I looked up at the people.
"..."
"Y-you idiot... let go...!"
Song A-rin kept flinching in my arms.
"Hey, stupid. The people here—"
"Shh."
I covered her mouth with my hand, and Song A-rin froze completely.
But I didn't have time to worry about that.
I looked at the semi-transparent window that appeared before my eyes.
[Name: Crowd Psychology]
[Age: X]
[Specialty: Crowd Psychology]
[Talent: Crowd Psychology]
[Background: Where are these many people coming from, and where are they going? Even those who created this phenomenon cannot know.]
[Weakness: When they are no longer a crowd, they will disintegrate.]
It was an incident.