Novelist Running Through Time

Chapter 138

TL: KSD

‘Being fired’ doesn’t just mean losing your job.

It carries a meaning far beyond ‘no paycheck starting next month.’

Getting fired means that all the long efforts, loyalty, joys and sorrows, time, and human relationships one has devoted to the company have turned into mere bubbles.

A financial crisis can break a person, but a mental crisis can render them unable to rise again.

Lim Yang-wook knew many people who were ‘unable to rise again.’

After the disbandment of the Publishing Management Task Force, Lim Yang-wook and his colleagues were thrown out of their nest at Baekhak Publishing and cast into the concrete urban jungle.

The cruel law of the jungle shows no mercy. Financial difficulties, divorce, serious illness, depression, difficulty finding jobs, jumping off the Han River bridge…

Of course, not everyone met an unfortunate fate. But some did. That is the cruel law of nature.

Lim Yang-wook suddenly recalled attending the funeral of a colleague, six years his junior, dressed in a black suit and black tie.

It was around the time his hair started thinning noticeably, so he looked quite disheveled.

But the former colleagues he met at the funeral shared soju with him willingly, forcing bitter smiles without any sign of discomfort.

Yeah. That’s how it was back then…

What was I thinking at that time?

Regret that if I had done just a little better, I could have prevented the team’s disbandment? Guilt over the young colleague’s death? A desire for revenge, thinking I must avenge this grudge?

Or maybe a compulsive fear that I must not end up like that?

“Haah…”

I don’t know.

I don’t know anything anymore.

It’s all so long ago.

Emotions are like volatile substances. The stronger they are, the faster they evaporate.

The self-loathing when accepting the failure of the Task Force, the shock of discovering a madman’s appearance in the mirror, the grudge that had piled up over two years spent in the underground parking lot – they’ve all become hazy now.

A fog of emotions clouds my vision.

The only clear thing is that I survived another day in this jungle.

That’s all.

“Improving our global market position in company management, and actively linking with affiliates within the group to diversify the One Source Multi-Use model…”

Watching Baek Seol, the new CEO, stumbling through her inaugural speech,

Lim Yang-wook thought to himself.

EP 9 – Sound

The political structure of chaebol corporations is closer to ‘feudalism’ than ‘capitalism.’ It’s medieval, in other words.

Therefore, if one has the right bloodline and support base, they can sit on the throne even at a young age.

But wearing a crown and ruling a nation are entirely different matters.

When a young person with not a single wrinkle on their face becomes king, ignoring all seniority, the ministers, while bowing down, can’t help but think, ‘This guy is really going too far.’

Because there’s no particular reason for me (who seems much more capable than that young brat) to serve him.

This is why revolts happen when the king is young.

What’s needed at this time is precisely ‘achievements,’ and the reason newly enthroned rulers often go to war and throw tantrums is all a kind of ‘achievement building.’

Even if it’s trivial, the achievement isn’t to glorify the ruler.

It’s for the ministers.

Once the king does something, the ministers can think, ‘Alright, that’s enough for me to bow down.’ and thus their pride wouldn’t be hurt.

Then, they don’t have to go through the tiring and difficult process of revolting, and the king can wear the crown and leisurely eat and play, so it’s a win-win for everyone.

In Baek Seol’s case, being ‘nominated for the Booker International’ served as that reason.

CEO Baek Do-hyun, who had lived his whole life in power struggles, understood this precisely.

“Oh, my dear daughter. Congratulations.”

“Th-thank you, CEO~nim…!”

Baek Do-hyun gently patted his niece’s shoulder. The feel of the luxurious suit against his palm was almost too extravagant for Baek Seol to be wearing.

However, Baek Do-hyun insisted on forcing Baek Seol into such attire. He wanted his subordinates to look at Baek Seol, wearing clothes they couldn’t afford even with their annual salary, and resign themselves to the thought, ‘Yes, she’s from a different world.’ Power, after all, stems from that resignation.

But for smooth governance, it’s essential to also consider the pride of the subordinates. In this regard, Baek Seol was the perfect candidate.

If an ordinary chaebol kid from a conglomerate family becomes the CEO, everyone would bow their heads but harbor boiling resentment inside. However, if they were to bow to someone who was at least nominated for the world’s most prestigious literary award, they might think it’s somewhat acceptable.

The paranoid attitude Baek Do-hyun displayed in front of Managing Director Kim Myung-woon was nowhere to be seen as he transformed into the polite and immaculate executive of a conglomerate family. He gently guided Baek Seol and introduced her to the VIPs attending the inauguration ceremony. Among those dignitaries, Baek Seung-won, CEO of Baekhak Entertainment, was there, flashing a gum-revealing smile as he extended his hand to Baek Seol for a handshake. Baek Seol, feeling overwhelmed, returned the handshake with a forced smile.

“…….”

Lim Yang-wook watched the scene from a distance.

Arms crossed, deep in thought.

At that moment, someone approached Lim Yang-wook from behind.

“Department Head Lim.”

It was Kim Myung-woon, the right-hand man of CEO Baek Do-hyun, the skilled surgeon who led the major restructuring of Baekhak Publishing, and the Head of Organizational Innovation at Baekhak Group’s Headquarters.

“Ah, Managing Director…”

“You’ve worked hard this time.”

Managing Director Kim Myung-woon smiled kindly, a smile that didn’t match his reputation as a cold-hearted hatchet man. Since Kim Sang-guk always wore a similar smile, Lim Yang-wook was cautious of that grin.

Kim Myung-woon, who quickly saw through him, laughed heartily.

“Why are you so stiff? It seems we’ll be getting along quite well from now on.”

“Haha, how could I possibly dare to… with the Managing Director…”

“We’re all serving the same house now, aren’t we? I serve CEO Baek, and so do you.”

It wasn’t just wordplay. Baek Seol and Baek Do-hyun were now tied together as part of the Baekhak Group’s collateral faction.

When the hardliners of the direct line regain power, the collateral faction will be ruthlessly swept away again.

At Kim Myung-woon’s ominous hint, Lim Yang-wook gulped nervously.

“…I will do my utmost to assist.”

“I see you quickly understand what I’m saying, and I like that.”

Managing Director Kim Myung-woon left Lim Yang-wook with a heavy smile and walked away.

“I’m returning to the headquarters now, but let’s have meals together often from now on.”

“Yes, Managing Director…”

Left alone, Lim Yang-wook let out a long sigh.

He now fully realized that he had stepped into a battlefield from which there was no escape.

A battlefield of terrifying monsters who could replace someone like Kim Sang-guk as easily as swapping out a part.

* * *

Baek Seol’s uncle, CEO Baek Do-hyun, had a right-hand man.

A loyal confidant who had been by his side for many years—Managing Director Kim Myung-woon.

Kim Myung-woon was a typical South Korean elite, armed with the usual credentials: a degree in Business Administration from Seoul National University, an MBA from Harvard, and a background in M&A on Wall Street—commonplace qualifications that made him a dime-a-dozen talent…

But if he had one unique talent, it was his medical skill.

Kim Myung-woon was a specialized surgeon, particularly adept at corporate surgery.

Super Doctor Managing Director Kim Myung-woon successfully led the major restructuring of Baekhak Publishing.

Everyone shuddered in fear at his miraculous precision, as he meticulously excised even the CEO with his expert surgical skills.

The vacant CEO office was then filled by Baek Seol, the ‘Booker International Prize Nominee’.

However, everyone knew she was merely a political puppet of CEO Baek Do-hyun. And in reality, Baek Seol lacked the business skills to perform the duties of a CEO.

Thus, Super Doctor Kim Myung-woon prescribed a sharp solution: he promoted the head of the Book Distribution Division to COO.

The head of the Book Distribution Division, who had formed the ‘Kim Sang-guk is a Fucking Asshole Club’ with Lim Yang-wook, smiled brightly as he donned his new title and pledged loyalty to Baek Do-hyun and Baek Seol.

With this, Baek Seol now had a reliable executor, the head of the Book Distribution Division was happy with his promotion, and Baekhak Publishing could continue its usual operations (siphoning off public library support budgets, copying the sales figures of poli-professors’ papers, managing funds for politicians’ book launches, manipulating trend analysis reports, and lobbying for textbook publishing contracts) so it was a win-win situation for everyone.

However, as is always the case in power struggles, someone inevitably ends up bleeding.

The ‘Publishing Business Division,’ one of the two pillars of Baekhak Publishing, suffered a severe blow.

Just the fact that CEO Kim Sang-guk and the head of the Publishing Business Division were ousted together was already a fatal wound. The news that the head of the Book Distribution Division had been promoted to COO was the final nail in the coffin.

It meant the collapse of the bureaucratic cartel that linked <Head of Publishing Planning Division – Head of Publishing Business Division – CEO of Baekhak Publishing>.

Previously, the head of the Publishing Business Division had tacitly held the dual role of COO, but now the situation had changed. The dominance that the Publishing Business Division held within Baekhak Publishing had completely crumbled.

As Baekhak Publishing’s inner circle collapsed, the head of the Publishing Planning Division, Woo Ki-tae, trembled as he sought out Lim Yang-wook, while all the employees anxiously focused on the final personnel decision.

Who would take the vacant position of ‘Head of the Publishing Business Division’?

The last survivor of Kim Sang-guk’s faction, Head of Publishing Planning Division Woo Ki-tae?

Or the strongest returnee ever, Lim Yang-wook, Head of Publishing Management?

– You should take it, sunbae.

– Th-thank you, Yang-wook…

Fortunately, thanks to Lim Yang-wook’s generous concession, the Publishing Planning Division narrowly avoided the blade of purges, or rather, the scalpel of surgery.

However, Baekhak Publishing before and after the surgery had become a completely different entity, thanks to the divine hands of Dr. Kim Myung-woon, who could be compared to the legendary Chinese physician Hua Tuo.

Kim Myung-woon didn’t just cut people out of Baekhak Publishing.

He placed the right talents in the right places.

New titles were created: the DT Promotion Team, the Content Business Division, the Innovation Management Office, the OSMU Management Team, and so on.

Talents from all over Baekhak Group, loyal to CEO Baek Do-hyun, parachuted in like a special forces unit. And they began their ‘terraforming’ work.

In the blink of an eye, a subsidiary of the group was absorbed into CEO Baek Do-hyun’s sphere of influence.

The crown prince of Baekhak Financial Holdings fumed with rage, frothing at the mouth, but he had three younger siblings.

Like their father, these younger siblings were eager to bring down their older brother, or older sister.

As long as these younger siblings, supported by Baek Do-hyun and many other ambitious individuals, were holding him back, the crown prince couldn’t move as he pleased.

And so, the internal strife at Baekhak Publishing quietly came to an end.

In the midst of this power struggle, Lim Yang-wook quietly maneuvered, sometimes deeply involved, but in the end, he remained in his position as Head of the Publishing Management Department.

However, power is an invisible thing. Although Lim Yang-wook’s official title remained as Head of the Publishing Management Department, his authority had risen to an incomparable level.

After all, wasn’t he the kingmaker who had placed his lord in the CEO position?

Thus, the once-crippled figure who had been sealed in the underground parking lot finally regained more power than he had ever had in his prime.

And the first thing Lim Yang-wook, the strongest returnee, did with his newfound power was…

– We need to expand into the comprehensive agency business.

It was the business expansion he had dreamed of.

– It’s not enough to just put authors on TV like celebrities. We need to build a system that can diversify the literary content business, from publishing, translation, media appearances, to media mix. Waiting for proposals to come in isn’t enough. We need to actively create an environment where we can regenerate content.

At 26 years old, as a new employee, Lim Yang-wook had resolved to become the hero who would change the industry.

At 36 years old, after being demoted, Lim Yang-wook thought the industry and everything else was fucked.

But now, Lim Yang-wook was taking the first step to change the industry.

It’s a late start, but at the same time, it’s a significant leap forward.

– We can’t do it alone. But with Baekhak’s strength, it’s possible. A leap that can end the long dark age of the publishing industry and elevate the status of Korean literature on the global stage…

“And when I presented it like that, the board burst into applause—clap, clap, clap—so I seized the momentum and said, ‘We can’t do this on our own. We need to join forces. So instead of whining for help, we need to launch a business together as partners!’”

“And that’s Baekhak Entertainment?”

“Exactly. If Baekhak Publishing and Baekhak Entertainment join forces… we can take over the world! The energy of the universe is surrounding us! When I said that, everyone started clapping and cheering…”

Thus, a subsidiary jointly funded by Baekhak Publishing and Baekhak Entertainment, BH Agency, was born.

Of course, this company exists only on paper; in reality, it’s just the Publishing Management Division moving to the Baekhak Entertainment building to collaborate more actively.

After hearing all of Lim Yang-wook’s explanations, Moon In said,

“So, that’s the reason for moving back to the Baekhak Entertainment building?”

“That’s right.”

“Then you could have just told me that, why give such a long-winded explanation…”

A vein popped on Lim Yang-wook’s smooth scalp.

“Hey! After I went to all the trouble of explaining it to you…!”

“In the end, it’s just back to Baekhak Entertainment. Isn’t this basically the same as the old Publishing Management Task Force?”

“No, it’s not! It’s different!”

“Ah, well, if you say so.”

Leaving the fuming Lim Yang-wook behind, Moon In packed his belongings into a box and got out of the van.

The Baekhak Entertainment building, which he hadn’t seen in a long time, was still boldly cutting through the clear sky.

This was on a moving day.

* * *

“Uuughh…”

The massage chair behind him was precisely kneading his stiff muscles. The gentle massage from a machine worth tens of millions of won made him let out an odd sound.

“This is nice…”

Thanks to once having toured all of Baekhak Entertainment’s amenities courtesy of Kim Byul, he memorized all sorts of places—like the in-house café, the aromatherapy rooms, and more.

But the massage chair was still the best. The moment he returned to Baekhak Entertainment, it was the first thing he sought out.

It’s a massage chair worth tens of millions of won, but the staff felt too self-conscious to use it, and the celebrities were too busy enjoying better aromatherapy treatments to bother with it, making this chair a hidden gem.

As expected, the facilities at Baekhak Entertainment are far better than those at Baekhak Publishing.

He hadn’t returned by choice, but it seemed like a good decision nonetheless.

He’d heard that Lim Yang-wook’s department had become a bridge between Baekhak Publishing and Baekhak Entertainment.

Since Baekhak Publishing couldn’t always come running to Baekhak Entertainment like Doraemon every time, they decided to go all-in and launch a joint business venture with Baekhak Entertainment.

It reminded him of the early days of the Publishing Management Task Force, but the scale and capital now were said to be incomparable to before.

Of course, this wasn’t something he could really feel firsthand.

The most tangible change for him was that, just like before, he could now freely visit Baekhak Entertainment and use the massage chair, which said it all.

After finishing a full 35-minute massage chair session, he walked out to the lobby.

The lobby was still bustling and dazzling as ever.

As he considered buying a strawberry yogurt smoothie at the cafe while people-watching for a bit, when,

“Excuse me!”

Someone grabbed his shoulder.

“Are you by any chance, Author Moon In?”

“Ah, yes.”

A man suddenly bowed to him at a 75-degree angle.

Startled, Moon In quickly bowed his head in return.

“Hello! I’m Team Leader Kim Sung-geun from Management Team 2, in charge of Actress Kim Byul.”

“Yes, hello…”

“Could we possibly talk for a moment?”

With a dubious look, Moon In nodded.

And shortly after, his eyes widened in surprise.

*****

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