Genius’s Godlike Game Broadcast-Chapter 2 : You're Possessed (2)

You're Possessed (2)
The atmosphere was ice-cold, not just like regular ice, but more like thin ice that looked ready to shatter at even a light touch.
"You don't know about yesterday's incident?"
"Ah, I know that well."
"You know it well? Really? You're saying you understand the situation?"
The department head's eyes twitched as he asked. But he hadn't really expected an answer.
Instead, he drew a deep breath and looked at the assistant manager.
"This employee claims to know the situation well, so I think it'd be good for you to explain it properly."
"Yes, understood."
The assistant manager seemed quite angry as well, judging by the sharp look in his eyes. Still, restrained before his superior, he continued while checking his documents.
"The contract in question this time was signed with unit prices lowered by as much as 70% compared to the previous contract. As a result, the expected losses amount to about 130 million won."
At those words, not just the team leader but even the perpetrator—deputy jang—swallowed dryly.
Yet Lee Gyeongbok merely gazed nonchalantly at the assistant manager.
"Even if we cancel the contract now, the penalty is 100 million won. On top of that, our reputation will inevitably take a hit."
"So, given this situation—Lee Gyeongbok, are you saying you knew all this well?"
Though it was phrased as a question, the tone was an obvious sneer. The department head didn't even wait for a reply and turned toward the team leader.
"How are you going to take responsibility for this?"
But before the team leader could answer, Lee Gyeongbok cut in.
"Is that so?"
With a tone as if to ask if that was really the case, the department head's face contorted as he slammed the table hard.
Bam! Everyone except Lee Gyeongbok flinched at the loud sound.
"Hey! Didn't you just say you knew everything? What's this crap!?"
"I wasn't aware of the details you just mentioned."
The calm reply brought more shouts from the department head—he couldn't have cared less if other employees outside were listening.
"You idiot! This isn't something a mere employee takes responsibility for! Would you say that in front of the boss, too?! You need to provide an explanation and a countermeasure for how this happened!"
The team leader just trembled, unable to answer. The senior just sneakily looked around, feigning fear. Yet Lee Gyeongbok remained serenely unbothered.
Soon, the department head's fury turned on the two of them.
"Hey, damn it! What the hell are you people doing at the site that a mess like this comes about!? Huh?! Were you drinking on the job and sealing contracts while drunk!?"
Red-faced and panting with rage, the department head stopped for a moment, and the assistant manager carefully watched for his cues.
When the department head gave a small nod, the assistant manager glared at Lee Gyeongbok.
"First off, explain why the unit price on the contract looks like this. This isn't just a numerical error, is it?"
At last, a proper question. Lee Gyeongbok replied in a clear voice.
"That contract wasn't prepared by me."
"... What did you say?"
"After yesterday's meeting, deputy Jeong contacted me. He said he'd finish up the contract in my stead."
Lee Gyeongbok briefly explained the situation at the time. At his words, all eyes turned to the senior.
"What! That's absurd!"
As expected, he immediately denied it. Even on a second look, his acting out his outrage was flawless.
"I went straight home to rest after work yesterday!"
His voice brimmed with confidence. Lee Gyeongbok could easily guess why.
'He's probably thinking my smartlink can't record calls.'
Lee Gyeongbok's smartlink was a product from "Pineapple", which didn't feature call recording.
That must be why he had made sure to follow up via call yesterday.
But it wasn't as if there was no way. Even if the manufacturer didn't recommend it, there were ways to install a call recording app.
"Then what is this all about?"
"I'm not sure myself. In any case, we can find out immediately if we contact the client, can't we?"
Since this wasn't wrong, all three nodded. The team leader jumped in.
"Gyeongbok, like you heard—it's not like lying will change the situation. And if you're going to lie, at least make it convincing. Did you really think that story would work here?"
"Geez, if the guy can't even lie convincingly, who brought in such a fool..."
"Unbelievable. Who hired this guy? Is HR even doing their jobs?"
The disparaging remarks from the assistant manager and the department head kept coming. They had already labeled Lee Gyeongbok as lacking.
Throb.
A wave of pain hit him again, making him want to curse aloud.
'As expected...'
It seems more than one person was rotten here.
A cold smile spread across his lips, and his next words were equally icy.
"The ones out of their minds here are you."
"What?"
The department head's eyes grew round.
The startled team leader interjected.
"Hey! Are you crazy!?"
"You're no different."
Lee Gyeongbok clicked his tongue, as if in disbelief.
"You can't even manage your own subordinates so they don't mess with unit prices, can't judge people, can't assess what's real. Not sure how you even made team leader."
He looked back and forth from the team leader to the senior.
"Since your senior was his senior, did you both get promoted using the same tricks?"
"Lee Gyeongbok! Have you really lost it!?"
The team leader burst out, but Lee Gyeongbok was no longer willing to stay part of this farce.
"Saying all this—you must be confident you can handle the consequences, right?"
The department head's face reddened as if it would steam.
"Of course. Please check my smartlink."
As Lee Gyeongbok spoke, everyone instinctively looked toward his smartlink.
At that moment, a buzzing vibration and a beeping alert rang out simultaneously.
As all eyes widened in surprise, Lee Gyeongbok spoke.
"It's an email I sent."
"... What?"
"To be precise, it's an email I'd scheduled. I prepared it to the situation since things seemed off, and now I see there's more than one person involved."
"What the heck is this?"
Lee Gyeongbok smiled.
Seeing his attitude, both the team leader and the senior looked increasingly uneasy. Why was he so confident?
At that moment, heavy footsteps sounded behind Lee Gyeongbok. The conference room door burst open.
Everyone jumped out of their seats at the sudden arrival.
"P-president!"
"You've arrived!"
The four of them hurriedly bowed. But Lee Gyeongbok simply stepped aside instead of greeting.
The president gazed at the senior.
"Deputy Jeong."
"Y-yes, president."
"Are you truly not involved in this contract?"
"Yes! Of course!"
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Can you take responsibility for what you just said?"
Though the president spoke calmly, a deep rage simmered beneath. The senior trembled.
'He's bluffing. He won't know!'
Confident in the perfection of his plan, the senior mustered strength in his voice.
"President. Haven't you seen for yourself how hard I've worked for the company? Isn't that true, team leader?"
"Deputy Jeong is truly a capable man. President, I don't think this kind of treatment is fair."
But the president ignored the team leader and looked at the department head.
"Section Chief Cha, how exactly did you manage your team?"
"Sorry? Did I make some mistake?"
"Yes, a very big one."
The president held up a smartlink. Pressing a button, a voice unmistakably belonging to the senior began to play.
〈President, if you just say you only signed the contract with Lee Gyeongbok, that's enough. We both get fatter if we skim a bit here, don't you think? Anyway, that punk will take the fall for everything.〉
In that cocky voice, everyone immediately figured out the situation.
The department head, assistant manager, and team leader—who had all just defended the senior—showed faces of shock.
Watching the cracks form in their faces, the president sighed. He approached Lee Gyeongbok, who had stepped aside.
"Should I take it that you've made up your mind to cause this commotion?"
"Yes. I figured if I let it go quietly, someone else would just be harmed later. I thought I ought to clean up before I left."
After glaring at the department head and the team leader, the president apologized to Lee Gyeongbok.
"Lee Gyeongbok, I'm sorry. On behalf of the company, I apologize. I'll see to it this matter is fully resolved and you're compensated for your losses."
"Given the circumstances, I'll accept, thank you."
With that, Lee Gyeongbok handed the president an envelope.
It was his resignation.
"I don't think I'm suited for this line of work."
"No, resigning so suddenly..."
Lee Gyeongbok's gaze moved from the department head to the team leader, then to the senior, who looked like he might die on the spot.
"This company is full of misfortune. You'll have your work cut out for you, president. Still, I did sweep away one calamity, so I hope you'll at least make sure I get my severance pay as a reward."
"Yes... I suppose I have no choice. I promise you."
The president didn't try to stop him any further. That's often the result when someone blows the whistle internally. This was, if anything, a decent outcome.
With that, his connection with the company was over.
As he exited the conference room, the door slammed shut behind him.
Even through the closed door, the president's angry voice burst out.
* * *
After finishing the resignation process, the streets were quiet as Lee Gyeongbok walked away.
"I thought this stint would last a while. Then with the new investment, so came misfortune. Tsk."
He felt relieved, but a glimmer of worry lingered. Pondering this, he found his feet leading him down a familiar path—to the bus stop.
It was then a bus pulled up. To be exact, what caught his eye was the ad pasted on the side.
["Break free from your tiring routine!"]
[The ultimate virtual reality capsule!]
[It's different when 'Reality' makes it.]
[- Streamer D'Artagnan -]
The face and tagline of an exaggerated, comical streamer. It was an ad for the 'capsule,' a virtual reality access device.
"A streamer, huh..."
Lee Gyeongbok found himself smiling faintly.
Maybe, just like the ad said, he was feeling worn out from reality. He recalled his student days, focused more on PC and consoles than anything else.
'Back then, I had no worries at all.'
Like any other Korean student, Lee Gyeongbok had once been obsessed with games.
'If things had worked out, I'd be a pro gamer or a retired coach by now.'
He hadn't just been obsessed—he'd been skilled, too.
But before he could get too lost in nostalgia, his smartlink's vibration snapped him out of it.
"What..."
Checking to see if it was the company—no, it wasn't.
"What is it."
〈Hey, are you out on business? Can you talk?〉
The caller was his childhood friend, Choi Byeonghun.
"No business—there's nothing like that anymore."
〈Huh? What do you mean?〉
"I handed in my resignation."
〈Resigned? Again?〉
"You seem surprisingly happy about it."
〈Wow, that's wild.〉
"My life support getting cut—is it that delightful for you?"
〈No, it's just, I got fired too.〉
"Didn't you say your channel was doing well last time?"
Choi Byeonghun was a freelance video editor.
〈Damn. I should've listened when you told me to be careful with contracts from the beginning. It was a mistake to trust some random fortune teller's claim that my horoscope was good and just go for it.〉
"Told you that fortuneteller was a hack."
〈Hey! Anyway, this turned out well. I was just about to ask you out for drinks. Let's talk more when we meet up.〉
"What, who said I'd meet you?"
Feigning seriousness, Lee Gyeongbok lowered his voice. Truth was, he had no reason to refuse.
He also missed drinking with his friend, but couldn't resist playing a little joke.
〈Come on, we're both jobless now. Why play hard to get? Forget it, let's meet up early since we both have the time. Take a look at my life, will you? My treat for dinner. Deal?〉
"Deal. But, let's clear up one thing."
〈One thing? What's that?〉
"I wasn't fired. I quit on my own."
〈Did you really need to mention that? Fine, you win, man!〉
Lee Gyeongbok laughed at his friend's reaction.
"All right, see you later."
It had been a busy day.
One day of rest would be more than enough.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
At least he willingly left and didn't get kicked out...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】