Surviving Restructuring

The Gambler finished counting and finally said, “Fifty points to fourty-three points...”

There was a seven-point gap.

“The komi is six and a half.”

The Gambler’s voice cracked ever so slightly. “... So even with komi, I lost.”

“By half a point though. It was a close one.”

Both were exhausted, but the difference between winner and loser was unmistakable.

[Round two has been completed.]

[You have won Go.]

[All teammates have earned 1 Point each.]

“Whoa.”

Jae-Hyuk’s jaw dropped, while Ji-Eun exhaled like she’d been underwater. Even Eun-Ho let out the breath he’d held far too long.

“Was Go always this suffocating to watch?”

“I didn’t know either,” Eun-Ho replied.

Perhaps because this place existed solely for the purpose of games, the intensity felt unreal. They were merely placing black and white stones on the board, yet it felt as though an invisible storm raged around them—one only the two players could see. White stones struck then black responded. Black dug in and then white sought a path to live.

Wei rose from his seat and offered his tiny hand. “Good game.”

The Gambler clasped it, but her grip trembled. Was it the shock of defeat, or was she simply overwhelmed by the fierce presence radiating from Wei’s pouty but imposing face? Either way, the result was the same.

[Congratulations!]

[You have won the wager against the Gambler.]

[You have earned two Points as a reward.]

[The Gambler acknowledges you.]

Then, just like that, the sub-trial came to an end.

“So it was you,” the Gambler muttered, staring at Wei over the rim of her sunglasses. “The brat who claimed there wasn’t a soul in the world you couldn’t beat.”

“... Huh?”

“I’d heard someone big had arrived. Turns out I met you thanks to that greedy kid over there.”

The story Eun-Ho had tossed out earlier to catch the Cane Elder’s attention had spread like wildfire.

“He claims there’s not a single opponent in the world he can’t beat. His arrogance could poke a hole in the sky.”

“What a brat! Young punk bragging through their teeth!”

It was strange that an offhand remark had traveled far enough to reach a floor master. Either that Cane Elder held more influence than they assumed, or the lives of the tower’s residents were so dull that gossip spread like lightning.

Wei frowned faintly, as if thinking, I don’t even brag that much.

Thus, Eun-Ho stepped in to answer for him. “Still, I appreciate it. Thanks to you, we earned extra rewards.”

Then, the Gambler said, seemingly having more to say, “Yeah. And you are the new recruit, right? Planning to join Sales?”

“Nothing’s decided yet,” Eun-Ho replied.

“Hmm...”

Sales? Eun-Ho thought.

He hadn’t ruled out the idea yet.

“Do you want me there?” he asked.

“Honestly, I came to kick you off my floor for messing around. But you were more fun than expected.” The woman smacked her lips, amused. “Come and work under me. I’ll make sure you’re treated well.”

His mentor’s eyes flew wide before he nodded. He was surprised, but it was not entirely unexpected.

“Thank you for the offer. I’ll think about it.” Eun-Ho smiled. Then, without missing a beat, he brought up the burning question. “By the way, there was one more promise, wasn’t there?”

She had agreed to answer one question if they won. Eun-Ho wondered for a moment if she would pretend not to remember.

Thankfully, the woman simply crossed her legs and nodded slowly. “Ah. That’s right.”

Then he asked the one thing he most wanted to know, “Are the residents of this tower human?”

“Of course not.”

She rejected the idea without hesitation just as he expected.

“Then, are they gods?”

“Do they look like gods to you?”

“Not at all,” he answered honestly.

She laughed softly in amusement. “They are far too lacking to be called gods.”

“So they’re not gods yet, but beings who might become one someday, if they fill in what they lack?” Eun-Ho asked. He couldn’t tell whether her faint smile was bitter or pity, but he pressed on anyway. “And you? Which are you closer to?”

“I’m not much different,” she replied.

That meant she was in a similar boat. She was higher than the ordinary residents, perhaps.

Sensing an opening, Eun-Ho fired off every delayed question like a volley. “Then how does one fill that lack? And what about the employees? Are they in the same state as the tower’s residents?”

“That’s...”

“Madam!” His mentor snapped sharply, face set like stone. “These kids aren’t even assigned to a department yet. Giving them more information violates regulation.”

“Fine, I got it,” the woman answered, offering no more.

“We’ll get going, Madam. You too, Hyungnim. No more questions,” his mentor said, his tone suddenly clipped and businesslike. Considering how playful he had seemed earlier, the change said enough that this conversation was over.

“... All right. I’ll ask again when we meet next time,” Eun-Ho replied.

In any case, being dragged to the gambling hall out of nowhere, and still managing to win against its master was a miracle in itself. Besides, the two unexpected trial Points were more than enough for today.

Eun-Ho was just about to ask to be sent back to their original location when the Gambler said, “I want to buy a memory.”

He froze at the abruptness. “Now? All of a sudden?”

“Yes. Suddenly, I’d like to have it.”

“Should I bring the catalog?”

“No.” The Gambler removed her sunglasses and stared directly at Wei. She said slowly, “Little Go Player, sell me the memory of the first time you ever played Go. I’ve become curious, you see.”

Eun-Ho’s eyes widened. After all, it could be something priceless, personal, and maybe even irreplaceable. It was not a matter of whether such a memory could be shared, or whether it was too far back to recall. He was curious if selling their own memories was even possible.

“Is selling our memories even possible? Just like the items listed in the catalog?”

He turned to his mentor and the man seemed irritated. The mentor shouted at the Gambler, “Madam! You can’t keep telling them about... these things.” The mentor flinched and finished weakly as the Gambler’s sharp stare pinned him down.

“All it takes is a contract. There’s nothing special,” she said.

“A contract? Just like when we observed memories before?” Wei asked.

“I think so... But that time, we just agreed to the terms,” Eun-Ho replied.

Maybe private memory-deals required paperwork.

“Every item in the catalog exists because someone provided their memory and signed with the company. This is exactly the same, but just one-to-one instead of mass-distributed,” she explained.

Hmm.

Judging by how the mentor was practically hopping in place, it was indeed true, but just not recommended.

“Well? What do you say, Little Player?”

Wei hesitated. His brows scrunched and his eyes on the floor.

Eun-Ho leaned down and whispered gently, “You don’t have to, if you don’t want to.”

However, Wei lifted his gaze, focused and steady. “... How much is it?”

“Two hundred thousand Points.”

It was an absurd amount, enough to make one’s mouth water, which was more than anything in the catalog.

“You don’t need to push yourself. Our performance is already excellent,” Eun-Ho said.

Ji-Eun also attempted to dissuade him. “He’s right, Wei. Think carefully. It could be dangerous.”

He didn’t need this deal because he wouldn’t receive the full amount himself. Even if their Points were short later, they could earn more tomorrow.

However, Wei simply shook his head, standing firm. “It’s fine. I’ll do it. With a ten percent commission, I’ll get twenty thousand points.”

“Don’t you have plenty of Points?” Eun-Ho asked.

“For me, yes. But what if I need to share later?”

Share with who? Eun-Ho thought.

Only one person came to mind—the only one Wei ever worried about helping.

Eun-Ho asked, “Are you sure?”

Wei nodded. His lips pressed into a thin line, and his little hands clenched tightly, with his gaze unwavering. “I am.”

Eun-Ho stepped forward to support Wei and protect him. “In that case, I have conditions.”

“I figured you would. Speak,” the Gambler said.

“One, not a single hair on his head is to be harmed. Two, if anything seems dangerous, the process stops immediately. And the last condition is that payment is upfront.”

That earned a short, disbelieving laugh from the Gambler.

“Do I look like someone who’d take the money and run?” she asked dryly.

“I hope you’ll understand. As you can see, he’s precious to us,” Eun-Ho replied.

With a flick of her hand, she agreed. “Hah. Fine. Do as you like.”

Wei tried to calm himself.

***

The memory-sharing procedure unfolded much like last time. The only difference was instead of paperwork with terms and conditions, there was a glowing contract that was visible only to Wei. Akin to threads of light, it wrapped itself around him and the Gambler.

After about thirty minutes had passed, Wei returned, looking as blank and calm as always.

“See you again,” the Gambler said, sliding her sunglasses back on. Without further comment, she sent them away.

“Was everything okay, Wei? Can I ask what memory you showed her?” Eun-Ho asked gently.

“... Yes. It was just me playing Go when I was little.”

Eun-Ho was glad that he made it here safe. “And there wasn’t anything scary?”

“I was fine, but...” Wei trailed off, closing his mouth before finishing. “... Never mind.”

Hmm.

***

It was 5:00 PM and the end of shift crept up, just an hour away. They organized the stack of catalogs Eun-Ho had begged for earlier and gathered the half-finished coffee cans around the desk.

“There are still a few unopened ones. Do you want to keep them?” Eun-Ho offered.

“No thank you,” the mentor muttered, face souring. He gestured at the cans like they were cursed. “How can you be so calm? With that kid’s sale included, you just broke a million Points!”

The Gambler had paid two hundred thousand for Wei’s memory. Added to their previous 880,000 Points, their team had officially passed one million Points.

Eun-Ho thought it didn’t feel real. He’d only been thinking, Wow, that’s a lot.

“You surpassed the Employee of the Year record!” the mentor shouted.

They finally broke the highest sales record in the company.

“That’s good news,” Eun-Ho said.

“Good news?! Why do you sound like you’re reading the weather? I said you surpassed the Employee of the Year!”

“You seem more excited than me. Do you have unfinished business with that person?”

It was only a light joke, as Eun-Ho had heard Employee of the Year repeated all afternoon. It made him curious.

“... So you figured that much already?” the mentor groaned.

Ah. So I guess that was the case, Eun-Ho thought.

“Haa... I guess I shouldn’t underestimate you. You’ve already sniffed out my weakness.”

In fact, he hadn’t because he was just guessing. However, the mentor was convinced.

“So what exactly happened between you two?” Eun-Ho asked casually.

There was no reason to block his ears when information was practically being handed over.

“Hmph. Only someone crazy like you can achieve numbers like that. Normally, it’s impossible.”

“But that Employee of the Year person did, didn’t they?”

“They did that by doing every dirty trick they could! They stole the performance we built up and claimed it as their own!”

Stole someone else’s numbers?

“... Was the person whose results got taken by any chance you?” Eun-Ho asked carefully.

The mentor clicked his tongue and grimaced. “Why do you think I’m stuck in a storage room? I had to pay off the losses after that! I gave up my office, took every crap task no one wanted... Ugh, don’t even get me started.”

“That explains the state of your office,” Eun-Ho muttered. “I thought it was unusually terrible.”

“Exactly. No matter how hard I push myself, only I suffer for it. So you, Hyungnim, work just enough. Not more than others. Understand?” he said like someone inches away from freedom, yet his face was heavy with exhaustion.

***

[Welcome to the Banquet Hall for Strangers!]

At exactly 6:00 PM, the group followed the mentor’s instructions and stepped through the Door. They arrived at what truly was a banquet hall.

Since the Customer Satisfaction Center floated high above the world, it seemed no one returned by walking. Instead, everyone arrived through Doors like theirs.

Yeo-Jin and Sol-Ah had arrived first, and were waving frantically. “Over here, Mister! Unnie! Here!”

Thus, they headed over the two.

“Why’s everyone gathered here?” Eun-Ho asked.

“Oh... The announcement told us to wait here,” Yeo-Jin answered.

“Oh, are we supposed to wait?”

Perhaps something was still left. Surely, they wouldn’t give more trials this late in the day? Therefore, with a faint sense of unease, they stopped and waited.

Soon, a broadcast echoed across the hall.

[Day one of Project OJT at the Sales Department has officially ended.]

[We will now announce the group performance rankings.]

[Please check the current status board!]

Is it like a mid-day report?

Eun-Ho thought that their team would obviously be in first place, but the real question was how bad the others were doing.

“Ugh... Are they announcing it now?”

“Haa... Here we go.”

Regardless of nerves or sighs, a gigantic transparent board appeared overhead.

[Sales Performance Status]

- Team 25: 1,080,000 Points

It appeared above every head, but what stunned them most was that only one of the twenty-eight teams had a score.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Shock rippled across the hall. Everyone was stunned, but for different reasons. Surviving participants gasped at the colossal gap between themselves and the first-place team.

“A-a million points?”

“That has to be a glitch. Did someone add extra zeroes?”

“How the hell do you even reach numbers like that?!”

However, for Eun-Ho and Ji-Eun, something else hit harder.

“Hold on... So everyone else got nothing?”

They were stunned to learn only their team was on the board at all.

“How the fuck?! Just how?! What the hell did they do?! They already got invited and made friends with half the city?” Swear-Master protested.

“You haven’t even cleared special orders yet?!” Eun-Ho asked.

“What’s still left for you? Our team nearly cleared everything!” said the cleaning lady.

The Swear-Master scowled and answered, “We couldn’t even say hello without getting cursed at and tossed out.”

“Oh...”

“Man...”

“Damn it! It would’ve been easier to hunt monsters...” Swear-Master said.

The mentor was right, sales were far harder than expected. Things were worse than they feared.

I wanted to take everyone with me... Eun-Ho thought.

He’d planned to pool benefits with trustworthy people and move forward as a group.

“Well what about—never mind,” Eun-Ho said quietly.

“Huh?”

If they gave up here, that was it. Eun-Ho already knew well enough that carrying stragglers one by one was not realistic. He had already accepted the fact bittersweetly.

Suddenly, the Swear-Master muttered, “... Teach us.”

“What do you want us to teach you?” Eun-Ho asked.

“Your sales strategy. If you tell us, no... Just give us a hint and we’ll work our asses off and earn benefits. I swear.”

Eun-Ho hadn’t expected him to say that. “Huh?”

“Shit... I ran around all day but the second I opened my mouth they cussed me out and slammed the door...”

The Swear-Master’s hair was a mess, like a cow had licked it flat. A shadow of stubble darkened his cheeks. He seemed painfully frustrated, and it didn’t seem like he was lying.

He really did change...

Eun-Ho was ready to help if they asked for it. “Alright.”

“R-really?!”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Then what do we do first? I’ll do anything! Just say it!”

“To start with...” Leaving the excited man behind, Eun-Ho turned toward Ji-Eun, stopping in front of her. “Could you teach him something?”

“Me? What exactly should I teach him?” she asked.

He’ll need to refine his speech, as sales begin with talking.