Against the Clock: The Team Leader’s Pursuit of Glory

Chapter 19 That Does Pique My Interest

While Kang Mu-hyuk was getting a grasp of the guild, Ju Se-ah was deeply immersed in thought, sitting with her arms crossed in the Guild Master's office.

Knock, knock!

"Come in."

"Did you call for me?"

Jang Deuk-goo had entered in response to Ju Se-ah's summon.

"How is he doing? Guild Leader Kang."

"He's understanding our internal situation first. He's said to be attending a meeting with the Strategy and Tactics Team."

"What is there to understand? He's already read everything through the documents sent by email."

"That's a necessary process. It's for them to understand what they already know."

"Do we have guild members who don't know our issues?"

"It's about sharing the problem. To solve it, we need to clarify exactly which context we should focus on. The first step to solving any problem is to know it ourselves."

"How can someone who's been working in the field all his life like you know all that?"

"I've been around for many years in this business. I’m quick-witted."

Ju Se-ah gave Jang Deuk-goo a piercing look, which made him uncomfortable.

"Did you ask me something? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You should have been the Guild Master."

"That's impossible. Being quick-witted and fighting with it are entirely different issues."

"Come on, I think you would do well if you tried."

"I could 'do well' if I had to, but being a Guild Master isn't about 'doing well'."

"Ugh! Straight to the point... Sometimes, you seem just like Kang."

"I don't think I'm that kind of person. If I were like Guild Leader Kang, I wouldn't be here with the Guild Master now."

"I didn't say you're loveless. You two just seem a bit similar."

"I'd prefer not to be assessed that way."

Jang Deuk-goo strongly denied her comparison with his hands up. Ju Se-ah mumbled, "I'm serious," before returning to the main topic.

"So, what do you think? Will Guild Leader Kang be able to control those three fools?"

"Three fools? Ah... That's not incorrect, but it's a bit too frank. I'm not sure. Even if they're fools, they're all veterans deeply ingrained within the guild. They won't surrender easily."

"But, without breaking those three lines, we can't normalize the guild, right?"

"We'll have to leave that to Guild Leader Kang. We should focus on supporting his plan to the best of our abilities. I heard you also received a task?"

"Oh, that task... Sigh. I might have to meet someone I don't want to see."

Ju Se-ah shivered, twisting her body in discomfort at the thought alone. Then, she said as if it was only fair, "But, what about this? Hunter Jang also has a task now."

"I haven't heard of it."

"That's why I'm telling you now. It's a special mission from me."

"Can I refuse?"

"Of course not. You know what I'm going to say, right? Refusal means rejection."

Ju Se-ah smirked at the reluctant Jang Deuk-goo.

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"For the time being, please keep an eye on Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk."

"Keep an eye?"

"Who knows what he might do next?"

—---

It was time to go home, yet nobody from the Strategy and Tactics Team dared to move from their seats.

They were glued to their desks, much like Kang Mu-hyuk appeared to be glued to his.

The only sound that filled the office was the relentless clattering of keys under his fingertips.

It echoed more loudly because the seats of the management team, still in the process of transferring departments, were utterly vacant.

"Why is everyone still here? You should go home."

At some point, the sound of typing had stopped.

Like a meerkat poking its head over a partition, Kang Mu-hyuk looked around, addressing the room. The employees hummed and hawed.

'Does he really mean we can go home?'

'Aren't we just going to get scolded if we leave without consideration?'

The Strategy and Tactics Team, already guilty of presenting substandard data, was speechless.

Having achieved the dubious honor of 'Triple Crown' for incomplete documentation, omissions, and lack of planning in one of the guild's core departments, they were left with nothing to say.

They had been blindsided by the whirlwind arrival of their new Guild Leader and were left fumbling, overly conscious of his reactions. They wondered if they should work late to improve the inadequate data.

"Didn't you hear what the Guild Leader said? Let's call it a day."

While they wrestled with indecision, Team Leader Cho Chung-hyun stepped forward and decisively resolved their dilemma.

While it may have seemed like he was dutifully following the leader's orders, his tone and expression were tinged with irony.

Kang Mu-hyuk didn't let Cho Chung-hyun's attitude bother him and added more, "If there's nothing left to do, you should go home. You can't be tired when it really matters."

The employees then got a slight sense of the kind of person Kang Mu-hyuk was.

'He's the one to hold a grudge.'

He was still harping about the break room issue that had already been resolved.

Not daring to retort, they were embarrassed each time the matter was brought up, and that was just the icing on the cake.

The employees left the office one by one, looking at each other for cues. The last one left was Cho Chung-hyun.

Once the office was empty, Cho Chung-hyun also rose from his seat and picked up his jacket.

"Will you stay longer in the office?"

"There are still documents I haven't reviewed, and a few things I need to handle. Don't worry about me, just go home."

"Alright then."

After Cho Chung-hyun, who gave a small nod, left and a significant time had passed, Kang Mu-hyuk checked the time and stopped working.

The clock hands were nearing ten.

Having assessed the guild's state on his first day, he considered the long marathon ahead and decided to wrap up his work and go home.

It was when he was walking towards his car, the only one left in the underground parking lot.

Clip-clop.

The unusually loud sound of suit shoes echoed rhythmically.

When he turned his head, he saw a man in a black suit.

"You're Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk, correct?"

"Yes, I am."

"Could you spare a moment?"

His words were polite, but Kang Mu-hyuk noticed the underlying assertive attitude.

"Sure."

When Kang Mu-hyuk agreed without even asking where the man had come from and began to follow him, it was the man who looked flustered.

He quickly regained his composure and continued speaking.

"We will escort you in our vehicle."

The man guided Kang Mu-hyuk into the back seat of a luxurious, large sedan. Their destination was a room in an entertainment district.

It was a room equipped with soundproofing for secretive conversations, rather than entertainment.

"You may go in."

The man pointed to the interior of the room as he opened the door.

Kang Mu-hyuk entered the room without hesitation.

Though the room was clandestine, it was a spacious space that wasn't stifling.

In the center, a large circular table surrounded by luxury sofas were arranged. Across from the table, a middle-aged man was indulging in whisky.

Only after the room's door closed did the man, sensing the presence of a newcomer, look at Kang Mu-hyuk. He gave a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, gesturing towards a seat on his right.

"Don't just stand there. Please, have a seat, Guild Leader Kang Mu-hyuk."

Loosening his suit button, Kang Mu-hyuk wordlessly went to the spot the man had indicated and sat down.

"Have a drink first."

Accepting the offered glass, Kang Mu-hyuk filled it with the served liquor, then put it back on the table.

"You seem rather suspicious. Usually, the first drink is taken in one shot. It's a good drink. Nothing is mixed in."

"I don't enjoy drinking."

"You don't know the fun of life."

"I didn't come here to find fun."

As Kang Mu-hyuk cut him off sharply, the man's face lost its humor.

His mouth was still smiling, but his eyes were not.

"You don't ask who I am?"

"I didn't know when I was coming here. But now, I do."

"And who am I?"

"Vice President of Strategic Planning at Taesung Group, Tae Soo-man. The second son of Chairman Tae Jinsung."

"You seem to have studied a lot before joining our guild. It really is different as they say, you were a Strategy and Tactics Team leader at a top-rank guild like Titan. You’ve got the basics down."

Tae Soo-man gave a hearty laugh and patted Kang Mu-hyuk on the shoulder.

Brushing off Tae Soo-man's hand from his shoulder, Kang Mu-hyuk adjusted his collar and replied.

"It's not the basics, just understanding."

"Understanding? Of what?"

"Who would come looking for me first? I didn't know that. At the very least, I thought I should recognize faces, so I looked up some pictures in the news."

Tae Soo-man's eyes widened, then he whistled.

"You mean, you knew I'd be the one to call?"

"Yes. But, you were faster than I thought. It seems Team Leader Cho Chung-hyun holds you in high regard."

"You really did your homework, knowing that Team Leader Jo is on my side."

"Well, the important thing is not the 'side,' is it? What do you want? I'd also like to know what I'm supposed to receive."

"Oh, Guild Leader Kang. You're quite outspoken. I like that."

Tae Soo-man slapped his knee in laughter before diving straight into the main topic.

"There's nothing special. Just be friendly with me. And with Team Leader Cho, of course."

"If we become friends. What comes next?"

"You're a Guild Leader now. What do you think will come next?"

"Are you suggesting the position of Guild Master?"

"The first and only non-Hunter, who even served as a Strategy and Tactics Team Leader. Why not be the first non-Hunter Guild Master?"

The corners of Kang Mu-hyuk's normally stoic mouth hinted at a faint smile. He picked up the glass of liquor that had been sitting on the table, drained it in one gulp, and set it back down with a pleasant clink.

"That's a rather appealing proposition. Do tell me more."

—---

"Damn it, why do I have to follow him around?"

"Why am I stuck tailing him with you, sis?"

Choi Mi-ran and Kim Seong-hyun were loitering in an alleyway across from a secretive club in the entertainment district.

They had followed Kang Mu-hyuk here but were unable to enter the exclusive club, which only accepted VIPs by reservation, leaving them with no option but to stake out the front of the building.

"It's all your fault, sis."

"What did I do?"

"When you acted like you knew the Guild Leader in front of the Expedition Team Leader, he told us to follow him."

"Don't people watch TV? At least they must have heard his name. I had a hunch, so when I heard the name Kang Mu-hyuk, I searched it online, and there it was. You were shocked when you saw the news, and tried to butt in, only to get caught. Now you're dragged into this because of your own doing, yet you're blaming me?"

At a loss for words, Kim Seong-hyun changed the subject.

"But it's really surprising. Who would have thought that our Guild Leader was the Strategy and Tactics Team Leader of Titan Guild? That's the hottest guild lately, isn't it? Rank A! There's even talk that it could become a Tier-ed Guild within a few years. If someone who was a Strategy and Tactics Team Leader in such a place becomes our guild's Guild Leader... Can't we get our hopes up a bit?"

"Gosh, you naive fool. Do you think that's possible?"

Choi Mi-ran's rebuttal irked Kim Seong-hyun, making him grumble.

"What's not possible about it?"

"Look at the situation. He seized control of the Strategy and Tactics Team from the very first day, relying on the Guild Master's backing. But do you think Team Leader Cho Chung-hyun is an easy opponent? He's got the backing of the headquarters. Our Expedition Team Leader also chose a different line. There's a reason the Team Leader told us to tail him. Look. On his very first day, some suspicious person called him over. What do you think that means?"

"What does it mean?"

"It means the war has already begun. With a 'rolled stone' joining the mix, do you think the Guild Leader can hold his ground? Even the previous Vice Guild Master, who was a Hunter, was stripped of his position."

"Well, that's true. But still, he's from Titan..."

An exasperated Choi Mi-ran interrupted, "What's the big deal about Titan?"

"It's a big deal."

"Shut it! Just, don't interrupt. What can a non-Hunter do as a Strategy and Tactics Team Leader? It's just that the Hunters there are skilled, that's why things are going well. I think even our Guild Master tried various things but when they didn't work, she probably thought 'whatever happens, happens' and brought him in."

"I don't think that's quite― Huh!"

"What are you― Hmph!"

Kim Seong-hyun, tilting his head in puzzlement, cut off his own words.

He stopped the puzzled Choi Mi-ran from asking what was happening, grabbed her, and dragged her into the shadows of the alley where the light didn't reach.

Feeling that something unusual was happening, Choi Mi-ran whispered.

'What's going on?'

'Look over there, that person.'

'Who?'

Kim Seong-hyun pointed to a dimly lit corner. As Choi Mi-ran used a skill to enhance her vision, she scrutinized the area.

'Well, speak of the devil. The ‘rolled stone’ is already on the move.'