Seoul, Mapo, Gongdeok Five-Way Intersection.
A 30-story glass-clad skyscraper stood tall near the subway station.
It was the headquarters of the Jeil Group, ranked 10th in the business world.
A Lamborghini Gallardo glided into the underground parking lot.
"This suit's all wrinkled."
Jaesung stepped out of the car, brushing the creased collar and muttering.
"Looks cool, but the ride's terrible. Not great for daily use."
In movies, the stylish hero cruises in with sunglasses and a supercar, but reality was different.
Deciding to take a different car to work tomorrow, Jaesung rode the elevator to the 15th floor, where his office was.
As he walked down the hallway, employees stepped aside or bowed in greeting.
But their gazes weren't exactly friendly.
A young man, not even 30, had parachuted into the head of the headquarters' marketing division simply because he was born with a golden spoon. It was only natural.
If he'd at least been diligent, it might've been different.
But since joining, his attendance could be counted on one hand, so the glares were expected.
"He's actually showing up to work?"
"Seriously, is the sun rising in the west today?"
"Why even bother coming to the company?"
"At least he's not causing major trouble like drugs."
"True. Didn't the third-gen of Taechang Group get caught smuggling liquid marijuana recently?"
The colleague shook their head at the gossip.
"Don't even get me started. Their stock's tanking because of it."
"When you think about it, a lazy grasshopper might be better than a criminal."
The two gossiping employees scurried away when Jaesung's eyes met theirs.
Knowing they were talking about him, he ignored it and kept walking.
Entering the marketing division office, employees already working stood up hurriedly.
"Good morning, Director."
About 20 employees greeted him.
Most of the actual work was outsourced, so the number was just right.
"Good morning."
Casually acknowledging them, Jaesung headed to the director's office at the back.
As the door closed, the employees exchanged surprised glances.
"What's with him? He even acknowledged our greetings. He usually ignores us."
"Maybe he's in a good mood today."
Normally, Jaesung's reluctance to show up was palpable, but today felt different.
His expression was lively, and a subtle cologne wafted as he passed, almost like he was a different person.
But it was a fleeting thought, and they didn't dwell on it.
Jaesung hung his coat on the rack as he entered the office.
The room matched his memories but felt different seeing it in person.
"So this is my office from now on…"
He muttered with a nostalgic tone.
He used to work at a desk barely shielded by partitions with his team, but now he had a private office.
Suppressing a grin at the thought of being spoiled, Jaesung ran his hand over the dark wooden desk and sat down.
A knock came, and Manager Hwang Chang-min entered.
"The draft for the new phone ad is ready. Please approve it."
As Jaesung took the approval form, a pop-up appeared before his eyes.
[Sudden Quest!
A 'bad leader' who fails to earn the trust of their team disrupts the work environment, lowers morale, and leads to organizational failure. Successfully launch the new phone ad to become a trusted and reliable leader!
Condition: Increase team trust level (20/100) by 10.
Success: 10 Lucky Coins
Failure: Father's trust level (20/100) decreases by 5.]
"What the hell is this?!"
He blurted out without thinking.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing."
Manager Hwang gave Jaesung a puzzled look at his odd behavior.
But since Jaesung was known for being erratic, Hwang quickly lost interest.
"You said this is for the new phone ad?"
"Yes. Once the draft is approved, we'll start shooting immediately."
"Hmm."
Jaesung set the form on the desk, scratching his chin with a thoughtful expression.
According to the sudden quest, proceeding with this ad would likely lead to failure.
Even without the quest, he recalled that the BluePhone released by Jeil Telecom flopped quietly.
Unlike his usual habit of signing off without reading, Jaesung crossed his arms, withholding approval, which made Hwang look confused.
"Is there a problem…?"
Looking up, Jaesung addressed Manager Hwang.
"You don't see it?"
"…?"
"What's an advertisement? It's meant to entice consumers to buy the product. This doesn't do that at all."
"Which part are you dissatisfied with…?"
Jaesung pushed the form forward.
"We're going to review the ad draft from scratch. Call a meeting."
"…Right now?"
"Yes."
Hwang frowned silently, so Jaesung glanced at him and asked.
"What? Is there a problem?"
"No, sir."
Meeting Jaesung's direct gaze, Hwang couldn't hide a hint of surprise at the changed demeanor and shook his head.
Taking the form, Hwang bowed and left.
Jaesung felt a twinge of guilt watching him go.
He could guess how Hwang felt.
He probably thinks I'm a clueless parachute picking fights for no reason.
It must be annoying, but quest or no quest, Jaesung couldn't ignore an ad plan doomed to fail.
"We were about to secure the model once this got approved. What's with this sudden change?"
Jang Hana, a second-year employee, grumbled.
"The ad needs to go out next month… This messes up the whole schedule."
Deputy Kwon Hyuk-jae also looked irritated, his lips pursed.
As other marketing team members voiced their complaints, Manager Hwang sighed.
"Alright, enough!"
Clapping his hands to get their attention, Hwang leaned on the table.
"He's the director, and it seems like he's trying to do something. I'll talk to him, so keep quiet and don't make it obvious during the meeting."
An employee near the entrance peered over the partition and said.
"He's coming!"
The scattered team members quickly took their seats.
As Jaesung opened the door, he sensed the awkward atmosphere.
They were probably gossiping about me.
Overturning a project with only final approval left would naturally spark complaints.
Pretending not to notice, Jaesung sat in the empty center seat.
"Let's start the meeting."
Manager Hwang cautiously spoke up.
"Director."
"Got something to say?"
"I hate to say this, but with the product launch so close, revising the ad now will make the schedule too tight."
The employees nodded in agreement.
"When's the launch date?"
"Next month, the 25th."
"Less than a month."
Hwang quickly added, trying to persuade him.
"Yes. The model's already secured, and the shooting and editing schedules are set. Delaying this isn't as simple as it sounds. We might miss the launch date."
It was clear Hwang's experience wasn't for nothing.
He subtly criticized Jaesung's late intervention while invoking Chairman Park to pressure him.
It might've worked on the original body's owner.
But Jaesung, no stranger to office politics, wasn't easily swayed.
He understood that barging in and derailing a smooth project could be frustrating.
I get it, but…
With a quest on the line, he couldn't let it slide.
"Manager Hwang."
"Yes."
"I understand the ad budget is over 5 billion won, correct?"
"That's right."
"Why do you think we're spending that much on advertising?"
"To inform consumers about the new product and sell more units, of course."
"You know your stuff."
Nodding slightly, Jaesung's expression turned serious.
"Then why, despite the tight schedule, would you push forward with this when we could make a better ad?"
"It may not be to your liking, but our team worked day and night on this. Frankly, I doubt revisions will yield better results."
"You won't know until you try."
"Are you saying this ad will fail if we proceed?"
As Hwang asked, the other employees looked at Jaesung.
He hesitated briefly.
He could sugarcoat it.
But in an already distrustful atmosphere, beating around the bush wouldn't work.
I need to take control.
Deciding quickly, Jaesung responded in a firm tone.
"If we go with this, it'll be an utter failure."
If his memory was correct, a competitor's phone had been a massive hit, while Jeil Group's new product bombed completely.
After several more failures, Jeil Group shut down its phone business and withdrew from the market.
"That's a bit extreme, don't you think?"
Hwang's face flushed as he stared at Jaesung.
Though he couldn't lash out at the chairman's kin, being challenged in front of the team clearly angered him.
Other employees also showed open resentment.
They felt Jaesung, a parachute with no real knowledge, was belittling their efforts and meddling unnecessarily.
I'm the bad guy here.
Jaesung wasn't oblivious to the hostile glares.
But having gone this far, he continued without changing his expression.
"What's the Blue series' strength compared to competitors?"
Deputy Kwon Hyuk-jae answered with a resentful look.
"It's the image of a simple, stylish premium phone."
"Exactly. Emotional design is what sets our phones apart in a market of similar specs, driving consumers to choose Blue… But!"
Jaesung scanned the room, speaking confidently.
"The concept for this ad is completely different. It focuses heavily on cutting-edge features instead of design and emotion. Am I wrong?"
"It's to highlight the industry-first 2.6-inch wide screen for DMB viewing and 4-channel stereo speakers…"
Cutting off Kwon's explanation, Jaesung maintained a firm expression.
"That might be a selling point, but it won't win against competitors. We need to appeal to the emotions of young people seeking individuality! That's the core we should target."
His logical and sharp critique had Hwang and the team nodding in agreement.
"In that sense, this ad was flawed from the start."
"…"
"If anyone thinks I'm wrong, speak up."
Since he was right, no one could argue and only exchanged glances.
"So, we're still sticking with this ad? Even though it's clearly doomed?"
Silence fell over the room as everyone stayed quiet.
"Then, assuming no objections, let's proceed. First, let's discuss an ad concept that emphasizes stylish, differentiated emotion."
"…Yes."
Kwon, slightly miffed at being outargued, nodded reluctantly.
From there, they ordered lunch and held a marathon meeting for 10 hours to finalize the new ad concept.