Villain’s Management - Chapter 1
“Why on earth did you do it?”
A cold, questioning voice.
But Yun Haegyeol answered as if nothing were amiss.
“Because it was the most efficient method.”
No further explanation was needed. It was the most efficient method.
If there was no path, he would simply create one. If something was blocked, he would break through it.
Why should human emotions factor into making money?
“To secretly force people out of a redevelopment zone and demolish it the moment they’re gone… It’s a method not even used in the eighties.”
“Someone had to do it. Rest assured. Director Choi has agreed to take full responsibility and stand trial. And as you know, Father, eighty percent of them were scum who had already driven out the original residents to set up shop for compensation.”
When he tried to reassure his father, the older man instead spoke with concern.
“Even so, there must surely have been victims among them. Have you no fear of people’s resentment? Harming others will inevitably come back to you—that is the way of the world.”
“Is that so.”
He replied dismissively.
Why should negative emotions enter into making money?
Money was money. Emotions were nothing more than emotions.
“Is this because you trust your father? Or is it because you do not think at all?”
“Father, I do not trust anyone. I cannot even trust myself.”
When he answered with a cold expression, his father’s eyebrows twitched.
“Hah…”
His father, Chairman Yun Jaehan, soon let out a sigh and stared at Haegyeol in silence.
Haegyeol seemed able to read his thoughts plainly.
Ever since he was young, his father had always wanted him to help his older brothers, and had said as much many times.
Yet despite having helped diligently, he could not fathom why his father was acting this way.
Seeing such an expression on Haegyeol’s face, Father sighed lightly once more and spoke.
“Hoo, Haegyeol. The Group is entering the entertainment business on a group-wide level this time. Are you aware?”
Having briefly fallen into thought, Yun Haegyeol nodded.
“Yes. I have seen a report that YT E&C, which previously only handled music distribution, publishing, and media, would be launching an entertainment division.”
“Go there. Not as the CEO, but start at the rank of Division Chief.”
“…Might I ask the reason?”
What kind of absurdity was this?
The current Vice President of YT Construction being sent down as a Division Chief?
If there was no persuasive reason, it was an order with no value in following, no matter that the one giving it was both the Chairman and his father.
He might as well not come to work at all.
Yun Haegyeol could not feel any reason he himself ought to go through with it.
At those words, Chairman Yun Jaehan opened his mouth.
“To you, emotions are utterly useless as business tools, are they not?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Then go and verify it for yourself. Whether emotions truly turn into money or not. I shall personally send you into the content market. If, even after going there, you feel that emotions do not become money, then come back. If your claim is valid, I shall grant you the CEO seat of YT Construction.”
At his father’s confident words, Yun Haegyeol tilted his head in thought.
*Emotions become money…*
Still utterly incomprehensible, but these were words worth hearing.
After undergoing a fair process of verification, if his father’s words proved true, Yun Haegyeol would be able to sit in the CEO chair of YT Construction.
*The CEO seat of YT Construction…*
If it was YT Construction, the third-largest subsidiary of YT Group, he would be able to pursue any business he desired to his heart’s content.
Not a bad proposal.
With that thought, Yun Haegyeol had no choice but to agree.
“Understood. I shall go and see for myself.”
“Very well. Go.”
Yun Haegyeol bowed his head slightly to his father and left the Chairman’s office.
YT Entertainment.
He would have to verify this himself.
Yun Haegyeol reached that conclusion.
##
—Did you hear the news?
—What news?
—I heard that Vice President Yun Haegyeol is being transferred directly to our company.
—What?! Then is he coming as the CEO of YT Entertainment?
—No, apparently he did something wrong and got demoted to Division Chief. And they say it’s Division Chief of the Second Division, at that.
—Wow… What on earth.
The employees flocked together in small groups, buzzing with the new rumor.
YT Group’s new venture, YT Entertainment.
YT Entertainment was already well established, backed by enormous capital, music distribution and publishing, and various film and drama content operations.
Now it was even venturing into the entertainment agency business.
And so he appeared at YT Entertainment—a building large but still largely hollow inside.
When the employees saw him step out of a luxury imported car and slowly enter the building, the few staff present all turned their gazes toward him.
“Who is that?”
“I don’t know. Was there someone like that among our artists?”
“What are you talking about! At most we have two actors and five trainees!”
“Then who is that handsome guy…?”
The murmuring of the employees reached Yun Haegyeol’s ears all too clearly.
Not knowing the layout in the slightest, he naturally walked up to the employees who were conversing among themselves and spoke.
“Pleasure to meet you. I am Yun Haegyeol, Chief of the Second Division, starting work here today. Where is the CEO’s office?”
“……?!”
“……!!”
When he introduced himself, the two employees looked at him in shock.
Wasn’t the name Yoon Haegyeol that of the Chairman’s youngest son, who was supposed to start work today?
As one of the briefly dazed employees was about to tell him where the CEO’s office was, a middle-aged man came running from afar, his bald head gleaming.
“Oh my!! Division Chief!!!!”
A man who looked every bit the opportunist was greeting Yun Haegyeol with extreme fervor.
“It has been a while, Division Chief. You remember me, don’t you? I am Kim Taegeon, Executive Director of YT Entertainment. We briefly met at the Chairman’s birthday celebration in the past.”
“Ah, I remember. Executive Director. There is no need to stand on so much ceremony on my account. I have come here at the rank of Division Chief.”
Yun Haegyeol smiled faintly and returned the greeting lightly.
Although his eyes were cold to the point of indifference, because he spoke in a bright voice with a smile on his lips, the atmosphere felt considerably brighter.
“First, let us go to the CEO’s office together. I have been fully briefed by the Chairman. I shall give you the details once we are there.”
“Understood, Executive Director.”
Yun Haegyeol slightly bowed his head again with a courteous but not obsequious attitude, and followed Executive Director Kim Taegeon into his office.
In the aftermath of the sudden storm, the employees resumed their chatter amongst themselves.
That a completely new Division Chief had arrived.
##
“Oh, welcome, Division Chief. This place is still lacking, as it is not yet fully prepared. I will do my best to get everything in order.”
“Not at all. The Chairman has high expectations for YT Entertainment as well. And… from now on, here I am simply a Division Chief, so I would be grateful if you would call me Division Chief Yoon.”
“Oh my! How could I possibly call the Division Chief by just his title….”
“Executive Director Kim?”
“Yes?”
When Haegyeol called him, the man responded in surprise, questioning his words.
*To waste efficiency on pointless emotions—he is a rather displeasing person,* Haegyeol thought.
From those eyes to his actions, and even his every gesture of watching others’ moods. Since it was all a lie anyway, Yun Haegyeol knew exactly why he was acting that way.
“Shall we get to work?”
“…Yes?”
“Executive Director, if you are at the workplace, then let us work. Not waste time on pointless emotions. I did not come here as the son of the parent company’s Chairman, but as a Division Chief. I am crossing the line just this once, so please take my words to heart. There will not be a second time.”
Having signaled that he should not be made to speak on this any further, Executive Director Kim Taegeon’s pupils trembled.
He had come to work, not to waste time on pointless emotions.
Because he believed that anything which disturbed that mindset was unhelpful, no matter how abundant.
“Ah, yes. Understood. Then… from now on, I shall treat you as a Division Chief.”
“Yes, thank you, Executive Director.”
When Yun Haegyeol nodded slightly, Kim finally seemed to regain his composure and slowly began to speak.
“Uh, w-well, so. First, um, if I start explaining the basic tasks….”
“Ah, I have already familiarized myself with that before coming to work.”
“Ah, then… there are two Directors and two road managers under you. You can lead Team 2 with those people. Though your position is temporarily Division Chief, there are not yet many affiliated artists, so you are also concurrently holding the position of Team Leader. If the number of artists increases, we will expand the team.”
Executive Director Kim, perhaps not yet having adjusted, was mixing casual and formal speech.
Yun Haegyeol clicked his tongue inwardly, but let it pass.
“Yes, thank you.”
When he replied with only a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, Kim, still watching his mood, spoke his final words.
“I look forward to working with you.”
When Kim extended a slightly trembling hand for a handshake, Yun Haegyeol took it in both hands and returned the greeting.
“Yes, I look forward to working with you. May I ask a few questions?”
“…What are they?”
“What is Team 2’s area?”
“Singers and idols. Later, when the boundaries expand, you will handle actors as well. But since Team 1 is currently handling that, Team 2 just needs to take charge of trainees and singers.”
“Understood. Ah, lastly, where is the CEO?”
When Haegyeol asked, Kim replied with a troubled look.
“The person set to become our CEO is starting work tomorrow… When they arrive, I will introduce you separately.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
Haegyeol listened until the Executive Director finished, then stood and bowed his head slightly.
“If there are further matters to discuss, I will contact you and visit.”
“Y-yes, please do.”
Kim saw him off, watching his mood until the very end.
Yun Haegyeol exited the Executive Director’s office and fell into thought for a moment.
*Just the usual type. He’ll only watch his step and not be a hindrance.*
After filing away his assessment of the Executive Director, he headed for Team 2’s office.
The company still had few employees overall.
What on earth did his father intend for him to learn by sending him here? Haegyeol wondered as he passed several partitions on his way to Team 2’s area.
When he arrived, a man and a woman were seated at their desks, organizing various documents.
“Pleasure to meet you. I am Yun Haegyeol, Chief of the Second Division, starting work with you all today.”
When he greeted them, the two simultaneously looked at Haegyeol, then rose in surprise and returned the greeting.
“Pleased to meet you! I am Heo Yuseong, Director of Team 2.”
“Hello! Division Chief! I am Jo Hayeon, Director of Team 2!”
Acknowledging their greetings with a slight nod, he spoke.
“There is no need to go that far. I heard there were two more of you; where did they go?”
At that, Heo Yuseong, the Director who had introduced himself, quickly answered.
“Ah, the two road managers are looking after the trainees’ schedules, Division Chief.”
“The titles are too long, which makes your sentences longer as well. This is poor efficiency. From today, titles are unified to Team Leader.”
Needless formalities.
They did not help with work.
And two staff members were both away just to manage trainees’ schedules?
While he was thinking this with an expressionless face, the two stood by their desks, merely watching his mood.
“Ah, Divi… er, Team Leader. Tonight, we were planning to have the trainees greet the new Team Leader; would you be available?”
“Is that so?”
When Haegyeol asked back, his eyes gleaming coldly, the two remained tense as they watched him.
*Trainees…*
He was not fond of it, but he considered it part of the job.
*Trainees are important resources, so I must manage them properly.*
Results and performance.
To achieve these two, he had to verify what resources were at his disposal.
The trainees, four in total.
Yun Haegyeol quickly committed every personnel file and special circumstance of YT Entertainment to memory.
*Variables encountered in the field can be dealt with as they arise, and if necessary, I can pull in and make use of various means.*
YT Group was quite a notable name even within the industry.
Yun Haegyeol intended to use everything at his disposal to exploit the entertainment business.
*If something blocks my way, I destroy it; if it is unnecessary, I discard it.*
With this mindset, Yun Haegyeol completed his analysis of YT Entertainment, his eyes gleaming.
*To persuade Father and return.*
YT Group.
If it could not become his, he was prepared to seize it even if he had to tear it in two.
The management business for that purpose.
He had resolved to become a villain if that was what it took to make his ruthless ascent.