Chapter 36: Chapter 36

As the moderator, he could do nothing about Park’s breach of the rule, which would mean that he was neglecting the discussion. But if he knocked the rice bowl, it would be like spanking himself on the bottom.

However, a rule was a rule, and Park could understand it.

In the end, Oh knocked the bowl with the spoon.

Clang!

The sound was not clear enough because it was a bowl. It was funny in some way.

Also, it troubled Oh because it would stop the manager.

When the clanging sound of the bowl was heard, the manager asked, opening his eyes wide,

“What the hell is this?”

It was too late to do anything about it. There was no use in cancelling it. When Park stared at him with sharp eyes, Oh said in a faint voice,

“You broke the rule, sir. If someone breaks the rule, the moderator is supposed to knock the bowl.”

At that moment, the manager’s face blushed as if he was ashamed that he had become the subject of the clanging by breaking the rule.

Hyunwoo smacked his lips in his heart.

He should not feel so ashamed about it.

But that was not the end of it. The manager’s face slightly got rigid, and he breathed deeply and exhaled. He then smiled brightly at Oh.

“Oh I see. I forgot it instantly. Sorry, Min. Just continue.”

Now, the heavy atmosphere became icy.

Min, who was very confident, talked in a feeble voice.

Min put down her tennis ball, and then the manager grabbed it as if he was waiting for it.

“Can I speak now?”

“Yes, sir. Just go ahead.”

“I know your intentions, Min, but I wonder how much you can save by turning on the air-conditioner less often. Also, this is the same old idea you guys bring every summer. Any fresh ideas? Not small things but big and bold ideas.”

The team members turned their attention back to Oh, who was also reading their facial expression.

The manager broke the rule again: Namely, while brainstorming, the participant should not judge or state his or her opinion.

When someone broke the rule, it was the moderator’s job to give a warning. Oh was raising the spoon again before he knew it.

However, Hyunwoo looked at him with eyes in a way that told him not to do so.

You’ve got to be tactful enough not to do it, dude. You had better not this time.

However, Oh seemed to be lacking in that sense, or he might have been too embarrassed to think about it.

His expression indicated he was pretty reluctant, but he was about to knock the bowl with the spoon again. He closed his eyes and thought to himself, Damn it! Why should I go through with this?

Oops!

Clang!

Even though Oh hit it gently, it sounded unusually loud, and it was as if it had hit their hearts.

In fact, the intention of the discussion game was good. They chose that comical utensil to create a cheerful atmosphere of discussion among themselves.

As the clanging was directed toward the manager, however, it became the worst choice now.

Opening his eyes slightly, Hyunwoo looked at the manager.

As he expected, the manager’s face was blushing again.

“Did I break the rule again?”

Did he ask because he didn’t know? Actually, Oh explained it right before he started the discussion. It looked like he had shut his ears when Oh had explained the rules.

Oh nodded his head awkwardly.

“Yes…”

“Which rule did I break?”

“As I explained before the discussion, you should not judge or oppose other people’s opinions in the brainstorming session.”

Oh emphasized ‘I clearly explained about this before the discussion started’ to teach him that it was not his fault.

The manager bit his lip, suggesting ‘I’m now exercising patience to the best I can.’

“Sorry, I didn’t know that. Is there any other rule I should know?”

“Let me explain the rules once again.”

Oh looked at the manager, hoping that he would listen carefully this time.

The manager listened to him carefully, nodding his head in the middle of his explanation.

“Good. I know them clearly. Let’s resume then.”

The discussion resumed.

The atmosphere was the worst because of the manager. Nobody could easily open one’s mouth.

Out of impatience, Park held the ball.

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“Why do you guys just stay silent like this? Is this the true picture of the purchasing team? Present your idea!”

Hyunwoo looked at the manager before he knew it because he was talking about something totally unrelated to the discussion. Even Oh barely stopped knocking the bowl because of that.

Despite the manager’s urging, the silence continued.

Finally the manager grabbed the ball again.

“I can’t stand it anymore. You guys can’t present any ideas like this. Let me single out someone so that he or she can offer an idea. Let me start with you, Kim Yonggu. Any ideas.”

Oh, the moderator, was at a loss at what to do.

Park was completely breaking the rules. This was not brainstorming any more.

That was why a manager was not allowed to take part in the brainstorming session.

Oh had no choice but to raise the spoon.

At that moment, the manager held out his finger and said, “Don’t knock it.”

Opening his eyes wide, Oh asked, “What did you say?”

“Don’t knock the bowl, okay? Why are you knocking the bowl every time I am going to speak?”

“No, sir. That’s the rule…”

“That’s enough. If you knock it, it’s already the third time. You said that if anybody gets a third strike, he or she would be expelled. Are you going to expel me?”

Oh could not say anything. If he said yes, it would mean expelling the manger. If he said no, he was lying to the members.

Waiving his finger, the manager said again, “Just put down the spoon. I feel bad about it.”

“Oh, yes, sir.”

Oh put down the spoon. That meant he had given up his authority as the moderator and that it was the end of the brainstorming session.

The manager looked at Yonggu this time.

“Deputy manager Kim Yonggu, tell me. Do you think I should be expelled?”

Yonggu could not reply easily, thinking to himself, How did such a bastard come to my office as the manager?

“Tell me. Do you think I should be insulted by that young chap like this? Are you on the same side?”

Only then did Yonggu begin to soothe him with a smile.

“No, sir. I think Oh had no choice but to do so according to the rules…”

Park opened his eyes widely because Yonggu was taking sides with his own members, not him.

In fact, Park was watching for a chance, a chance to control his team members. That was the way he used to deal with them.

Of course, he didn’t use that kind of management style from the start. He wanted to be a good manager, but his method changed while pondering over the question ‘what is a good manager?’

Which one was better, a scolding manager or a praising manager? The answer was clear. Even an elementary school kid knew the answer. But there was a pitfall in that question. An important precondition was missing there. The manager should be able to control his staff while praising them. He thought that the manager who could control while scolding his staff was better than the one who couldn’t control while praising them.

Park felt that he could not control his staff while praising them. He tried it initially several times, but his staff were trying to abuse him when he treated them well. So, he changed his method. Namely, controlling them with his rank.

Since then, he became an unpopular manager who earned the nickname ‘crazy dog,’ but he could control his staff firmly, which was why he was the top performer at the Umsung factory.

Though he was unpopular with his staff, he didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. Even if there was conflict, it was the employee who got the axe, not him, the manager. In addition, his uncle, Park Daebobg, was the president and his strong supporter. He had nothing to fear.

This tough managing style was the method Park used to control his staff, and Park was determined to use the same managing style to control the purchasing team.

“What is all of this? Are you guys lording it over me?” shouted Park abruptly, interrupting Yonggu.

Yonggu was just nervous. He deeply lowered his head and apologized.

“How could we lord it over you, sir? I’d like to offer my apologies if you thought so. Mr. Oh, apologize now!”

Though Oh felt very heavy, he quickly realized the situation. It had been clearly the manager’s mistake, and there was no reason for him to apologize. He lowered his head without any hesitation and said, “I’m sorry, sir.”

“Sorry? What are you sorry about?”

“As a new hire, I did something without checking the atmosphere of the group. Please forgive me.”

Park’s anger relented a bit now.

“Okay. Brainstorming is okay, and the rule is okay, too, but you should be flexible enough. As you know, I’m the manager here. Do I have to hear that clanging sound? Give me that!”

Oh gave him the bowl and the spoon quickly. Then, the manager hit the bowl with the spoon repeatedly as if he wanted to vented his anger.

Clang, clang, clang!

Also, he glared at Oh and said,

“How do you feel? Do you feel good when you hear this? What about my feelings when I’m the manager here?”

Oh didn’t make any excuses, just asking for his forgiveness.

“I’ll keep it in mind next time.”

Only then did the manager throw away the bowl and the spoon.

“You absolutely should. Because you’re not that tactful, you haven’t gotten any promotions yet. Don’t you feel anything when you see Mr. Jang Hyunwoo, a high-school graduate, getting promoted in less than three months after he got hired?”

Oh’s face blushed. Actually, his pride had been completely crushed because Hyunwoo had gotten ahead of him, and the manager now mentioned it openly before the other team members.

“What is the point of graduating from a top school in the United States? Behaving tactfully really matters. Just see and learn from Mr. Jang Hyunwoo, the assistant manager. Got it? Be careful, Mr. Oh. Let me watch you closely.”

Then, he left the conference room abruptly.

Oh didn’t say anything. He was swallowing his anger by clenching and opening his hands repeatedly.

Looking at that, Hyunwoo let out a sigh and thought, “Hummm..he’s inciting a fight between Oh and me.”