WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: LilGuyBlastoise
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Mistaken for an S-Class Employee ◈
Chapter 22: Breaking Through
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What? Hyeok?
I was flustered to hear such an unexpected name from Producer Seo, but he continued.
“He seems ruthless and crazy, but if you think about it, Kang Hyeok’s actions are actually very sensible. He protects his own people, keeps the promises he makes, and decisively subdues his enemies.”
Producer Seo spared no praise for Hyeok and The Office Worker from the Apocalypse.
“The protagonist is compelling, so you look forward to whatever comes next. His consistency is very clear, too.”
Producer Seo looked at me.
“I think the protagonist of The Reinstated Employee with a Scalpel has a similar feel. It fits current tastes and trends well, so I think it has potential to succeed. Looking at other popular web novels besides The Office Worker from the Apocalypse...”
He referred to my novel by the abbreviation “Aonhoe,” which readers commonly used, then brought up other web novels while talking about protagonist trends.
I could sense the depth of a hardcore reader.
Could his Starpia level be 99?
Curious, I asked, “You read a lot of web novels?”
“Ah, yes. I do.”
“You use Starpia, right?”
Most of the novels he mentioned were on Starpia.
“Yes. I mostly use Starpia and Saber.”
“Is your Starpia level 99, by any chance?”
“Ha ha.”
Producer Seo laughed loudly.
“I’m not quite level 99. I only started reading a lot recently.”
“Ah, I see.”
Everyone gathered in the meeting room was focused on my conversation with Producer Seo, but they looked like they had no idea what we were talking about.
Producer Seo continued.
“I used to read a lot of webtoons for material research, but lately I’ve moved on to web novels.”
“Why?”
“There are a lot of webtoons based on web novels these days. I read for inspiration, but once I started looking for a faster, more condensed way to take things in, I naturally began reading web novels.”
It made sense. As a writer, I also tried to take in plenty of material for similar reasons.
I nodded.
“That’s true. Web novels have a wider variety of IP, since they’re an easier medium to debut in as a writer. If you look carefully, there are quite a few good works even if they aren’t hits.”
Producer Seo smiled.
“Assistant Manager Go, it sounds like you read web novels too?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then you know The Office Worker from the Apocalypse as well?”
It was the novel I wrote, so of course I knew it well.
“Yes, I’m a big fan.”
Producer Seo nodded.
“Of course. That must be why the protagonist of The Reinstated Employee with a Scalpel feels so much like Kang Hyeok.”
“I enjoyed The Office Worker from the Apocalypse so much that I must have been influenced by it. Ha ha. That can happen, right?”
I had been influenced by a character from my own novel, so there was absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Producer Seo beamed as he agreed.
“Of course. Characters always come full circle.”
Manager Chu, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.
“Wouldn’t that be even better? It proves the character is one the public responds to.”
I looked at Manager Chu.
Could this person have read The Office Worker from the Apocalypse too?
* * *
This really was different from the Operations Team.
Over there, everyone except Assistant Manager Jeon found web novels unfamiliar.
Was it because the people here directly produced content?
- It does seem a little like Kang Hyeok.
- They really nailed the concept.
- This is why you have to consume lots of content.
- But what if it becomes a problem because it’s too similar?
- It just has a similar character feel. What’s the issue?
Most of them seemed to know The Office Worker from the Apocalypse.
Feeling my work’s influence in the real world rather than online made its popularity hit home all over again.
“Looks like everyone’s read it?”
At Producer Seo’s question, everyone nodded. Only Assistant Manager Baek scratched their head.
“I should read it too. Assistant Manager Seong, how do you read web novels?”
That meant everyone except one person had read it. Then had Part Leader Ryu and Team Leader Kang read it too?
Well, my main readership was people in their forties and fifties.
“Since everyone seems familiar with it, I suppose I can talk more about The Office Worker from the Apocalypse. It was the first web novel I read and thought could be adapted for the screen.”
My eyes widened in surprise, but Producer Seo had no idea the author was right here and continued without concern.
“It isn’t just entertaining. When I read the webtoon Microorganism, it felt like it hooked me with a grappling hook, and that was why I made it into a drama. I got a similar feeling from The Office Worker from the Apocalypse.”
This was huge.
He had thought about doing something with my work?
“Then why aren’t you doing it?!”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Wasn’t it an incredible opportunity?
“It still seems far from complete, and I planned to contact the author after the webtoon comes out.”
There had not even been talk of a webtoon adaptation yet, but Producer Seo spoke as if it were already settled.
“That’s usually the order. Once you see it illustrated, you can gauge whether it suits a screen adaptation.”
“What if someone else snatches it up in the meantime?”
“...”
“If it’s a popular work, don’t you think other producers might have the same idea?”
Without realizing it, I was pitching my own novel.
A webtoon. A screen adaptation.
That was a dream for me.
It wasn’t about the money. It was something I had always wanted. It meant something different.
“Ah... I hadn’t thought of that.”
Producer Seo scratched his head.
“Maybe I should secure the IP first.”
“If you’re confident, I think you should move quickly before the price goes up.”
“...”
“I’m saying this as one reader who loves The Office Worker from the Apocalypse.”
I was embarrassed at how I had let desire sweep me away, but stepping up when I saw an opportunity was only human.
I said a few words in hopes that he would make a decision.
“All right, this conversation seems to have gone off track.”
Team Leader Kang stepped in.
“We aren’t making an Original based on The Office Worker from the Apocalypse right now. That can come later. Let’s talk about The Reinstated Employee with a Scalpel first.”
Producer Seo smiled awkwardly, and I lowered my head.
“Yes, understood.”
* * *
Team Leader Kang smiled.
“We gathered here to discuss Assistant Manager Go’s idea.”
My idea?
Team Leader Kang singled it out so pointedly that it sounded meaningful.
He turned to Manager Chu.
“Manager Chu, go ahead and tell them what you prepared.”
Manager Chu nodded, then asked Producer Seo, “You’re all right with this, correct?”
“Yes. I heard the intent behind the work, and after speaking with Assistant Manager Go, I’m certain. I think you can proceed as we discussed.”
“Yes.”
What were they about to say? Had they already coordinated this?
I focused on Manager Chu’s mouth.
“We plan to develop the work using the idea Assistant Manager Go gave us.”
I had thought it might happen, but it looked like they really intended to do it.
Based on an idea from an ordinary employee who knew absolutely nothing about screenwriting?
Were they crazy?
“So, when I read the synopsis Assistant Manager Go sent us, you seemed to have a good instinct for this, and you are the originator of the idea.”
Manager Chu circled around the subject while looking at Part Leader Ryu.
What were they trying to say?
“We would like Assistant Manager Go to be deeply involved in planning the project.”
“...”
“We’re looking for a new writer, but if we only throw the idea to a writer and tell them to write, I don’t think we’ll get the same appeal we feel now.”
I understood why people said you never knew what life would bring.
I transferred teams because I wanted the kind of company life I wanted, and somehow things were unfolding in a strange direction.
I checked Part Leader Ryu’s expression.
Even Part Leader Ryu, who usually did not show much change in expression, looked deeply flustered.
I tried to keep my voice calm.
“I understand what you mean, but I am not affiliated with Studio Tiger.”
“If you are willing, we plan to make an official request to GoPlay. For example, we could form a joint task force team.”
“...”
“Studio Tiger would produce it, and GoPlay would exclusively distribute it as an Original. If it goes well, I believe it would benefit both companies greatly. We are all part of AJ Group, after all.”
Manager Chu seemed to believe in my idea even more than I did.
“We can speak to the higher-ups. There are solid grounds for it.”
It felt like I had been pleasantly blindsided.
This was an opportunity to do what I loved most at work.
Of course I wanted to agree immediately, but I did not think I should make my intentions clear so easily. I was not an independent contractor here.
“I understand what you mean, but it would be difficult to answer here. Let me think about it and get back to you.”
“... Yes, understood. I would appreciate it if you could give us an answer as soon as possible.”
Producer Seo smiled.
“It seems we’ve finished everything we needed to discuss.”
“Just a moment.”
Part Leader Ryu raised a hand.
“It’s not often that we get a chance to gather like this. I prepared some feedback on Studio Tiger’s content that I would like to share.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
Even in that bewildering situation, Part Leader Ryu brought out what they had prepared.
After exchanging feedback for a while, we ended the meeting.
* * *
On the way back to the office, Assistant Manager Baek and Assistant Manager Seong could not hide their excitement.
- I thought it might happen, but what is this?
- Talent really does find a way to stand out.
- This is even beyond what I imagined.
Assistant Manager Baek smiled teasingly at me.
“Should we start calling you Writer Go from now on?”
“What are you talking about? There’s a separate writer, and they only asked me to help with the planning. It’s just company work.”
I glanced at Part Leader Ryu.
They stared at the ground with a stiff expression, as if lost in thought.
Assistant Manager Seong glanced at Part Leader Ryu, then muttered, “It’s more than I expected, so it is a little bewildering. Even if we belong to the same group, we are still separate companies.”
Assistant Manager Baek shook their head.
“Come on, that’s not it. If they were another company, would we be the ones handling Studio Tiger’s unsellable leftovers?”
“...”
“More than that, doesn’t Team Leader Jo hate having their territory encroached on? Maybe that’s what has Part Leader Ryu concerned.”
“It does seem like a good opportunity.”
I listened to their conversation and walked in silence for a while.
Watching Part Leader Ryu so carefully made me think of Team Leader Kim, the only boss I had ever worked under.
What would he have done in this situation?
The moment we entered the office, he would have berated me for not doing my work properly.
He probably would have worked me mercilessly so I would not even think about other duties.
“Assistant Manager Go.”
In front of the company’s main entrance, Part Leader Ryu stopped and called to me.
“This seems like a matter where your wishes are important. How would you like me to handle it?”
Could they really be considering my wishes?
The bosses I had experienced were not like this.
“Do you want me to step in or not?”
There was charisma in that short sentence.
It felt as though they would take care of everything if I just answered.
Unable to respond rashly, I thought it over carefully once more.
Even if I accepted Studio Tiger’s offer, my workload would not decrease, nor would I earn more salary.
But I would be able to use my greatest weapon, creative work, at the company. It was an ability proven by monthly royalties of a hundred million won.
Why was I working at a company?
I thought about why I had stayed instead of quitting.
I had not stayed to coast through company life like a civil servant, barely seen or heard.
My choice became clear, and there was no need to think any longer.
“I would appreciate it if you stepped in.”
Having made my decision, I spoke.
Part Leader Ryu nodded, then immediately took out their phone.
“Team Leader, this is Ryu Yeon-jun. Do you have a moment for a meeting?”
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