The Spoon Villain Is Obsessed with the Hero Again Today - Chapter 107



An Unheard-of Intern (3)

I wondered what they were doing with the building doors closed. Inside the branch manager’s office, a gambling den was in full swing.

The setup was perfect, as if they had done it more than once. A table and betting chips that you would see in a casino, and even an ashtray.

It was like Kangwon Land.

“Ahem. Just so you know, I bought all of this with my own money. Don’t misunderstand.”

The guests in the gambling den had all left. Not only the employees of the Geumseonggak Gangwon branch, but also several key figures from other guilds could be seen.

It seemed like this place was a venue for exchanges.

“And it’s not as big a deal as you think. We were just playing for lunch money.”

The man currently making excuses is Shim Jun-yong, the branch manager of the Geumseonggak Gangwon branch.

His thick neck and solid trapezius muscles under his square jaw were quite impressive.

“And where are we? This is Gangwon-do. Isn’t it known as the most rugged area in South Korea? Do you see that mountain over there?”

Shim Jun-yong pointed outside the window. It was all forest. Occasionally, a few monsters could be seen peeking out between the trees.

“Do you know how many beasts and monsters are out there? Since there are no people, they have taken over the place and are causing a ruckus. We have to fight those monsters every day.”

The mountainous areas with few human footsteps are almost entirely the territory of the beasts. Among them, Gangwon-do is the worst.

It’s a place where every day is like a war zone.

“But you can’t even allow this level of entertainment? Without something like this, we can’t work here.”

But is it right to be fiddling with playing cards in broad daylight? Especially for someone who’s a branch manager.

Well, I can’t say I don’t understand. Surrounded by mountains and monsters, how can anyone live here with a sane mind?

At least they need something to enjoy among themselves. So they chose gambling.

“So don’t look at it too negatively. You get the gist, right?”

“Hey, branch manager.”

At that moment, Kang Tae-hoon picked up a chip that had fallen on the floor.

“Isn’t it too extravagant for that? You’ve even prepared special chips. With machines, it wouldn’t be any less than a real casino.”

“Ahem. That is…”

Even Shim Jun-yong himself seemed to think he had gone too far and couldn’t continue speaking.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if you just quietly played Monopoly?”

“We’ve played that to death. Look over there.”

Shim Jun-yong pointed to a corner, saying they didn’t start with gambling. A large box caught my eye.

“What? It’s really Monopoly? What’s this?”

It’s not just Monopoly. The box contained a chessboard, Uno, Halli Galli, Jenga, Da Vinci Code, and even Pirate Roulette.

From noble mtl dot com

The packaging boxes were all worn out, showing how much they had been used.

“Now you see? We didn’t start gambling for no reason.”

Suddenly, I started to feel sorry for the people here. It made me realize they were struggling in a rough place.

It felt like looking at soldiers stationed in a remote area.

“But why are you guys here? Especially interns.”

Anyway.

Returning to the main point, Shim Jun-yong asked why we suddenly came to Gangwon-do.

I opened my mouth.

“We don’t know either. We just came because the headquarters told us to.”

“Sigh… Without any explanation…?”

Shim Jun-yong started stroking his square jaw, saying he hadn’t received any prior contact either. No one knew the meaning of this business trip.

Except for Park Won-hyuk, the representative of Geumseonggak.

“Enough, just give us the mission or whatever quickly. What’s the point of calling people here?”

Tap tap tap.

Kang Tae-hoon stomped his feet in place. He seemed bored just standing still.

I think the same. We’ve come all the way to Gangwon-do, and if we go back without achieving anything, wouldn’t it be a waste? It’s just a waste of time.

“Hmm. A mission….”

Shim Jun-yong looked into the air and sighed. He seemed to be contemplating what task to assign us.

“Alright.”

Then he lifted the corners of his mouth.

“There’s a rumor that a new type of beast is roaming around that mountain these days. Go and check it out.”

Our first mission since the dispatch was given. It was to investigate the new type of beast.

I asked here.

“Do we just need to investigate?”

“Then what? Do you plan to catch it?”

“If possible, I will.”

“Ha ha ha!”

Was he moved by the enthusiasm of the newcomers? Shim Jun-yong laughed out loud.

Bang!

After that, he put one foot on the table.

“Try it if you can. But if anyone dies, it’s not my responsibility, okay?”

*

“Isn’t there a way to replace the branch manager?”

Geum Seong-gak Seoul headquarters. Park Won-hyuk, who was eating ice cream in the CEO’s office, put down his spoon at his daughter’s words.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You know, don’t you? There’s a problem with the Gangwon branch.”

“Oh. Is that what you meant?”

Even a high school student knows. The fact that there are various noises within the Gangwon branch.

Park Won-hyuk wouldn’t be unaware of this either.

“I know too. But I’m a humanist with a lot of affection. I can’t just throw my people out on the street overnight, can I?”

“CEO….”

Despite being fully aware, Park Won-hyuk did not take an active stance to solve it. Rather, he seemed to be protecting the branch manager.

“Even though Shim Jun-yong looks like that, he went through quite a lot in the past. Especially, he volunteered to work in Gangwon-do, where everyone else didn’t want to.”

It’s an old relationship. They’ve been together since before Geum Seong-gak started to grow in earnest. It’s no exaggeration to say that Shim Jun-yong is almost a founding member.

“Well, now that he’s gained enough experience, his old self is almost gone.”

As time passes, it’s inevitable. As you get older, your passion cools down. You start seeking comfort.

“So, are you just going to leave it like this?”

“Of course not.”

But Park Won-hyuk didn’t just sit idly by. He came up with his own countermeasures. And he was already implementing them.

“Isn’t that why we sent the interns?”

“What…?”

Interns? For a moment, it didn’t make sense. Park Ha-yul tilted her head.

“Do you think sending interns will solve the problems at the Gangwon branch?”

“It’ll work much better than someone like me nagging. You know who they are, right? Our daughter knows too. Who those guys are.”

They are real talents who could be put into the field right away without any issues. They might even break all the records set by the Gangwon branch recently.

Seeing such talented individuals up close, even the branch manager would inevitably feel anxiety and pressure.

If they have a normal mindset, that is.

“Anyway…”

Park Won-hyuk reached out to the desk. The documents that had just arrived from the HR department were there. They contained the basic personal information of the current interns.

Kang Tae-hoon, Rashid Belkalem, Yoo Ji-woo, Kim Han-bit. They are all students who have made quite a name for themselves in their respective fields. In terms of skills, there’s nothing to criticize.

But they also have strong egos. There’s no need to explain Kang Tae-hoon in detail. Rashid, despite being quiet, is quite stubborn.

Yoo Ji-woo is known through rumors. She is said to be buried in the lab every day, focusing solely on research. It seems she even handles her meals and lodging there. From this alone, you can roughly guess what kind of person she is.

The interns this time had very distinct personalities. So distinct that they could potentially overshadow others.

“….”

But when they actually met, those thoughts disappeared. They seemed to work well together, contrary to the expectation that they would act individually. They felt like a team, commonly seen in the guild.

What was at the center of it? What could have brought those misfits together?

Swoosh—

Park Won-hyuk checked the last document at the back, Shin Yoon-sung’s personal information.

Nothing special, average grades, no notable awards, and a terrible evaluation record. A common low-tier item.

─You probably won’t find it easily. That kid’s true potential.

It was then. The voice of Ryu Jung-min, the representative of Yeonwol, echoed in his ears. It was what he said about Shin Yoon-sung during the last physical test.

“Could it be…”

Was this the potential Ryu Jung-min was talking about? Was it because of Shin Yoon-sung that those strong-willed individuals were united?

And did Ryu Jung-min see through that value from the beginning?

“Ugh… gives me chills…”

Was it the ice cream I ate earlier?

Suddenly, a chill started to spread throughout my body.

*

“Oh, is it already time to leave?”

5:30 PM. This is the moment when Shim Jun-yong’s long day ends.

The sun sets earlier in Gangwon-do compared to other regions. So, it’s only natural that the end of the workday is adjusted accordingly.

“The interns will take care of themselves, I suppose.”

About two or three hours had passed since the mission was assigned. They probably haven’t even found the new monster yet.

It took half a day just to search for the new monster in the Gangwon branch. After half a day of hard work, they finally managed to catch a glimpse of its face.

But finding the monster doesn’t mean it’s over. If you find the monster, you naturally have to subdue it.

“That’s not an easy task.”

Unfortunately, they failed to eliminate the monster.

There’s nothing they could do. No matter how many wounds they inflicted on its body, it would heal again.

In the end, the Gangwon branch had to retreat without finding a proper strategy.

“How could the rookies do what we couldn’t…”

Bang─!

At that moment, the door to the branch manager’s office swung open. The interns who had gone out for the mission earlier had returned.

Of course. It must have been too much for the newcomers.

Shim Jun-yong smirked.

“Back already? I’m disappointed. Where did all that enthusiasm go…”

Thud─!

Before he could finish his sentence, Shin Yun-seong threw a large bundle onto the floor. Inside it was a tooth as big as a person’s leg.

It was the monster’s tooth.

“This, this is…?”

“It’s the new monster you asked us to investigate earlier. We found it and brought one back.”

“Wha, what…?”

Shim Jun-yong’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe it. Not only did they find the new monster, but they also eliminated it on the spot?

It’s only been three hours. Some people took more than 12 hours just to search for the monster…

“Can we leave for the day now?”

“Uh, uh…”

Are these guys really rookies? Could they be the audit team disguised as new recruits? They showed such a bold move from the first day of dispatch that it made me think so.

In all my life, I had never seen interns like these.