A Sprout Unlike Any Other
Not long after, when the clock struck 12:50, the employees who had gone out for lunch began returning to their desks one by one.
Just then, someone shouted while looking at the fax machine.
“Huh? Did you put up this fax instruction notice here, Hyosang?”
Kim Seryeong asked Gang Hyosang.
“Huh? What?”
“This, this thing here. This cleanly printed-out thing from the word processor...”
Kim Seryeong pointed her finger above the fax machine, and Gang Hyosang stood up from his seat, looked at the fax machine, then shook his head.
“No... I didn’t do it.”
“Then who did?”
While a female Grade-8 employee was making a fuss looking at the instruction notice attached to the fax, Section Chief Choe Yeongpyo cackled and spoke.
“That was done by Yi Ganghan. Kim Seryeong, Gang Hyosang, you two should be nervous.”
Joy was evident in Section Chief Choe Yeongpyo’s expression and voice.
Not knowing what was going on, Kim Seryeong and Gang Hyosang looked at each other and scratched their heads.
The single 【Fax Usage Instructions】 notice caused quite a commotion, and the Division Chief, who had been napping, also walked out toward us.
“What is all this commotion about?”
When the Finance Division Chief asked, Section Chief Choe Yeongpyo immediately answered.
“Chief, our Yi Ganghan put up these pretty fax usage instructions so the staff could use the fax comfortably.”
“Really?”
The Finance Division Chief doubted his own ears.
In thirty years of public service, he had never seen or heard of a new employee—no, the greenest of rookies on his first day—printing out a document in Word just to make things convenient for the staff.
“That’s what I’m saying. Look here. See how neatly and beautifully it’s edited?”
“So it is... Really. Yi Ganghan, were you an administrative soldier in the army?”
“No. I was from the reconnaissance unit.”
“Reconnaissance?”
“Yes.”
“But how do you edit documents so prettily?”
The Finance Division Chief fired off questions like a machine gun.
“You get extra points on the civil service exam for computer proficiency certifications. I practiced a lot while preparing for that.”
“Ah, is that so?”
The Finance Division Chief nodded, then rebuked Gang Hyosang and the female employee.
“You two, as his seniors... while a new recruit is showing such commendable initiative........hmph...”
The Finance Division Chief tried to rebuke the two further, but stopped when the atmosphere turned cold.
“Section Chief Choi.”
The Finance Division Chief called out to him.
“Yes, Chief.”
“Take good care of this Yi Ganghan. He seems like someone who’ll become our city hall’s ace. Why, there’s a saying, isn’t there? You can tell a promising tree by its sprout. Ahem, ahem.”
The Finance Division Chief cleared his throat and returned to his seat.
Perhaps because of the sudden rebuke from the Division Chief and the praise directed at me, Gang Hyosang glared at me before returning to his seat.
At this point, new public officer Yi Ganghan’s first day at work seemed relatively smooth.
When it became 1:10 PM, Deputy Chief Shin of Delinquency Section 2 gathered all the Finance Division staff.
“Now. Everyone knows what kind of month March is, right?”
“The third month of blooming spring?”
Someone cracked a dad joke in response to Deputy Chief Shin’s question, and a few men chuckled.
“That’s not it. March is the period for the comprehensive crackdown on vehicles with delinquent automobile taxes.”
Deputy Chief Shin looked at the staff with a solemn face.
Every year when March came and the comprehensive crackdown on delinquent automobile taxes began, City Hall became a complete mess of civil complaints.
This was because the delinquents, upon learning that City Hall staff had removed the license plates of parked cars, would swarm City Hall causing disturbances and running amok.
For that reason, veteran public officers hated the comprehensive crackdown period for delinquent automobile taxes.
Because they had to be prepared to do battle with complainants.
Just as Deputy Chief Shin was about to begin explaining the license plate confiscation duties, the Finance Division Chief suddenly approached the staff.
“You all must have confiscated delinquent vehicle license plates once or twice, so you’ll be well aware of the precautions... Due to circumstances in the Finance Division, I’m thinking of putting new recruit Yi Ganghan into the crackdown team as well. Show him a good example, don’t cut corners, and help him do the confiscation by the book.”
“Understood.”
The staff’s answer rang out clearly.
I looked at the Finance Division Chief and the staff, muttering inwardly.
‘Finally, is it time for Haedong City Hall tax clerk Yi Ganghan to display his skills?’
The Haedong City Hall Finance Division Delinquency Section staff’s comprehensive crackdown on delinquent vehicles had begun in earnest.
I was already looking forward to what kind of reward the 【Collection System】 given to the regressor Yi Ganghan would provide.
***
“Then, I will now read the roster for the chronic delinquent vehicle crackdown teams.”
Deputy Chief Shin stepped forward and began reading the team roster.
“Team 1. Yang Seonu, Jang Jaegyun.”
“Yes.”
“Team 2. Kim Myeongsik, Han Jeonghui.”
“Yes.”
“Team 3.”
Each time Deputy Chief Shin read down the roster, the team members organized into pairs began to line up in two columns.
“And the last team, Team 10, is me and Yi Ganghan.”
Haedong City Hall Finance Division’s top veteran, Deputy Chief Shin Jongho, and I were grouped into Team 10.
It seemed the division executives had grouped veteran Shin Jongho and me, the new recruit, into one team.
But as a result, it had become a pairing of veteran with veteran.
I had regressed while retaining all my memories from my previous life.
Although it was called my first day, wasn’t I a veteran tax public officer boasting twenty-five years of experience?
“Now. We’ll begin the crackdown at 3 PM, so for the time being, review the list of chronic delinquents and steel yourselves. Especially since the Mayor said he will reflect crackdown performance in personnel evaluations, everyone please do your best.”
When the Finance Division Chief finished speaking, Delinquency Section 2 Chief Choe Yeongpyo stepped forward.
“Regarding the delinquents, execute collection relentlessly, but please carry out collection administration kindly so that unnecessary civil complaints do not arise. Understood?”
“Yes. Understood.”
The delinquent vehicle crackdown team, comprised of twenty people in ten teams, was set into motion.
The ten teams—team leaders and members—returned to their respective seats and began reviewing the delinquents’ personal information.
Just then, Deputy Chief Shin Jongho approached me.
“Officer Yi Ganghan.”
“Yes, Deputy Chief Shin.”
“Please skim through the chronic delinquents’ personal information I sent you via the internal network email when you have time, and hurry with your preparations to go out on assignment by 3.”
“Understood, Deputy Chief.”
There was about an hour and forty minutes left until the 3 PM assignment time.
I began reading thoroughly through the personal details of the one hundred delinquents that Deputy Chief Shin had sent me.
Not a single one missed.
Thanks to my Memory at Lv. 3, I was able to verify the delinquents’ personal information more easily than others.
***
When it became 3 o’clock, Deputy Chief Shin brought the official car and parked it at the entrance.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Deputy Chief.”
The official Avante with the Haedong City Hall emblem emblazoned on its side pulled out of the City Hall parking lot.
“Yi Ganghan.”
When we had gotten quite far from City Hall, Deputy Chief Shin called out to me.
“Yes, Deputy Chief Shin.”
“Today is the first day of enforcement, and moreover, it’s your first day of work, so don’t feel too burdened. Just follow my lead.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“A new public officer couldn’t possibly have experience confiscating license plates. So absolutely don’t overdo it. Do you know how you came to be assigned to the Delinquency Section of Haedong City Hall’s Finance Division?”
“Huh? Well, isn’t it because I passed the civil service exam and was assigned based on my score?”
“No. That’s not what I mean. There are various teams within the City Hall Finance Division, so I’m asking why you were specifically assigned to the Delinquency Section.”
“What do you mean by that?”
From then on, shocking stories began to flow from Deputy Chief Shin’s mouth.
Deputy Chief Shin began telling the story of how I came to be assigned to the Delinquency Section while driving around the town center.
“Actually, there was a predecessor before you. He was the fourth seat on our team, a man named Seo Hoyeong. A few months ago, Seo Hoyeong went out on assignment to confiscate a car’s license plate.”
The expression of Deputy Chief Shin beginning the story was quite serious.
“And then?”
“The vehicle with delinquent automobile taxes was parked in front of a restaurant. Seo Hoyeong was sitting in front of the bumper turning bolts, when the car owner coming out after a meal drop-kicked Seo Hoyeong, who was removing the license plate.”
“Goodness. He kicked a public officer lawfully performing his duties?”
“He did.”
“So what happened?”
“Caught completely off guard by the drop kick, Seo Hoyeong couldn’t withstand the impact and crashed straight into the car. The inside of his lip burst, and he suffered severe injuries requiring thirteen stitches inside his mouth at the hospital.”
“Gasp... Is that really true?”
I seemed to vaguely remember it. But in my previous life, when I had been assigned to Haedong City Hall, I had hoped for the Tax Assessment Section, not the Delinquency Section.
Of course, in my second life, the reason I applied for the Delinquency Section instead of the Tax Assessment Section was purely because of the 【Collection System】.
Before the regression, because I had worked in the Tax Assessment Section, I hadn’t known the details about the news of Seo Hoyeong being assaulted by a delinquent.
“Yes. It’s all true. In the end, Seo Hoyeong couldn’t overcome the shock and took long-term sick leave, and a new recruit was put into the vacant Delinquency Section position.”
“Heh. So I’m the drop-kick replacement?”
At my words, Deputy Chief Shin’s eyes went wide.
“Hahaha, that’s too much of a leap. I’ll lead you well so that such a thing doesn’t happen. And our Mayor is someone who strives to protect lawful performance of duties from complainants who make unreasonable demands and kick up a fuss. Don’t worry too much.”
“Yes. Understood.”
While listening to the hidden story behind my assignment to the Delinquency Section, the official car had already arrived at the parking lot behind the apartment complex.
“Shall we start from here, then?”
Behind the apartment complex was a small mountain, and in front of the walking trail was a parking lot where trucks and passenger cars were lined up.
Deputy Chief Shin began calling out the license plates of the parked cars as he drove.
“53ga 9987”
When Deputy Chief Shin called out the car number, I entered the license plate using the PDA.
The PDA stored delinquent vehicle records, so once you entered the license plate number, you could find out delinquency status, delinquent tax amount, and the delinquent’s personal information.
“Two cases, two hundred thirty thousand won.”
I read out the delinquent amount shown on the PDA terminal.
“Let’s confiscate it.”
“Yes, Deputy Chief.”
Second life. New public officer Yi Ganghan.
Before him sat a delinquent vehicle that would grant the first ‘collection reward’ after his regression.