Surviving Among the Entities

“Hahaha! Here he is! Please take good care of Sarang Industries for me from now on!”

The former chairman, Mr. Han Sarang, politely handed over the chairman’s position to me. Over the past five days, I had purchased his shares and conducted transactions with him, even frequently going out drinking together, and he didn’t seem like a bad person in terms of character.

‘In fact, he was quite easygoing and likable.’

The reason Sarang Industries had become like this was because he showed no interest in managing the company.
Although he didn’t have any character flaws, I wondered how such a situation was possible, but looking back in history, there were countless such cases.

‘Even the most cruel dictators were kind neighbors to their own people, weren’t they?’

Of course, it’s possible he was hiding his true nature because money was involved, but at least from my experience, Mr. Han Sarang was that kind of person.

“So, how should I operate Sarang Industries going forward?”

Socrates said, “Know thyself.”
With my lack of social experience, I had no talent for running a company, and given the current situation where the seeds of annihilation could sprout from this place at any moment, I had no time to spend on learning.

“That’s why I’ll need your help.”
『Leave it to me.』
“Let’s solve the battery issue first.”

Although Sarang was virtually omnipotent in modern society, there was one issue – her battery consumption was enormous.

‘Sarang’s battery charging rate is 1% per hour, and most functions consume over 10% battery, with additional consumption to maintain AI functionality each time, so her usable time is quite limited.’

I first prepared a charger. When I applied an enhancement potion to it, there was no visible change in its appearance.

“Let me try charging with this.”

I connected the charger to an outlet in the chairman’s office and charged Sarang, but her battery charging speed didn’t change.

『The charger’s power seems insufficient.』
“Is that so?”

Holding the smartphone and charger, I headed to the factory. The people who didn’t know I had become the chairman thought I was an outsider entering, while those who couldn’t easily accept that I had become the chairman gave me mixed looks.

“You don’t need to worry about me. Although I’m the chairman, I’m also a new employee, so please treat me casually.”
“Ah, yes……”

I applied the enhancement potion to the large generator installed in the factory. While there was no major visible change, multiple outlets suitable for plugging in chargers appeared. After plugging in the charger and charging my smartphone there, an amazing thing happened.

‘It’s charging at 1% per second.’

Of course, this didn’t completely solve the battery issue. The battery consumption would still be high, and I would have to come here each time to recharge.

‘But being able to quickly finish charging is still something, isn’t it?’

After finishing the charge, I returned to the chairman’s office. On the way back, I could hear the employees’ voices from behind.

“Huh? What’s this? The fuel for this generator is all drained, but…”
“What? But it’s still running?”

With the fully charged Sarang, we discussed how to manage the company.

“We need to find a way to prevent two things: the company’s mismanagement and the seeds of annihilation that may sprout from here.”
『For the former, it’s not difficult. Sarang Industries’ overseas trade partners are surprisingly solid, so as long as we continue trading with them while pioneering new routes and focusing on developing new technologies, we can operate the company properly by additionally hiring professional managers for the company’s growth.』
“And how do we prevent the seeds of annihilation?”
『Currently, the most likely scenario is that, given the company’s existing status as a black company, the accumulated stress, dissatisfaction with society, and uncertain future could lead an employee with extreme negative emotions to contact an entity, with a very high probability of triggering annihilation. The best way to resolve this is through the company’s growth and improved employee welfare. The former can be addressed through management, while you must directly oversee the latter.』

Sarang had the same thoughts as me.

“Is that so?”
『However, the probability is not 100%, and the possibility of annihilation due to other factors and the peculiarities of the entities cannot be ruled out.』
“Of course, we should keep that in mind. But now that I’ve become the chairman, shouldn’t I strive to make this the best company possible?”
『Understood. Will you use your personal assets for the welfare budget? If we use the company’s funds, the budget will be insufficient to improve welfare in the short term.』
“Yes. How much assets do I have?”

Sarang showed me the account screen.

『Various intelligence agencies around the world detected the large cash movements over a short period and began tracking your accounts. To prevent this, I invested half the amount under other people’s names in stocks and divided the remaining half across 8,127 accounts worldwide for safekeeping. The screen you’re looking at now is the total balance across all accounts.』

My assets had increased further.

“Hmm.”

I began my duties as the chairman.

“With this money, can I create the world’s happiest company?”

The first thing I did was call for Deputy Lee.

“You called for me, Chairman Lee?”
“Deputy Lee, you can simply address me as Mr. Lee. Although I’m the chairman, I’m still a new employee. If I can be both the chairman and the CEO, why can’t I be both the chairman and an employee?”
“Of course, of course! Haha! But you were looking for Deputy Lee? The thing is, he resigned without permission. He even left a resignation letter.”
“Oh, what a pity.”

I had no intention of taking revenge.

“I called him to put the past behind us and move forward together.”
“…Haha, as expected, Chairman Lee, you’re different.”
“Section Chief Kim.”

It’s a shame he won’t be part of the company’s upward path ahead.

“Please call me Mr. Lee. Or ‘new guy’ is fine too.”

“From today onward, the company’s bad practices will no longer be tolerated. Anyone caught engaging in such practices will receive a warning at first, and if the warnings accumulate, they will be dismissed.”

A new wind began blowing at Sarang Industries.

“First of all, the number of employees is too small compared to the workload. Starting today, we will hire new employees and actively scout employees from other companies to ensure our operations aren’t hindered.”

I first hired twenty headhunters to scout for talent. Their annual salaries were in the tens of millions, but even after paying them advance fees, my bank balance increased the next day.

“Yes? Starting from regular employees?”
“Yes, I plan to fill the positions from the bottom up.”
“Um… it shouldn’t be too difficult……”
“By the way, I’d like to bring in at least 500 employees within a short period. Minimum one week.”
“It’s possible, but for such a short timeframe, we’ll need to offer better conditions and assurances, so it will cost a bit more.”
“Money is overflowing, so don’t worry about it.”

Fresh blood was transfused. More people joined, and the empty spaces in the office building began to disappear.

“We might run out of space? Sarang, could you contact the Foundation?”
『Understood.』

The agent dispatched by the Foundation after receiving my request was Kim Dong-wook, who had recently been promoted to B-Class.

“A new office building? And in just one day?”
“Yes. Simultaneously, I’d like people to perceive it as natural.”
“Perception alteration, huh? It’s possible, but… what size of office building did you have in mind?”
“I want an office building that can accommodate tens of thousands of employees. Simultaneously, I’d also like recreational facilities for employee welfare, as well as a large hospital.”
“Seung-hoon, is there a reason you need something like this built?”
“I can’t go into details, but it’s for the sake of protecting the world.”
“…I see. Then I’ll contact them right away. But for a scale like this, it will likely cost a bit. If you fully join the Foundation, we could do it for free, you know.”
“I have plenty of money, so please send me the invoice, and I’ll wire the payment right away.”
“Ah, yes! Also, Seung-hoon, it seems the Foundation and other dimensions may go to war soon. Can we discuss this sometime?”

The next day, overnight, the office building had changed.

‘As expected of the Foundation.’

The headquarters had become a 100-story tower, and after removing the surrounding mountain, a large hospital, amusement park, and welfare facilities for employees had been built on that site.

“Huh? Was our company always this big?”
“It’s always been this big. Yesterday was just the last day before the office relocation.”
“That’s right, the welfare facilities were also completed as of yesterday, right? I forgot.”

The people whose perceptions had been altered didn’t find the situation strange at all. Not only the employees, but passersby around the world also didn’t find it odd, and the internet was no different.

[Hey! Did you see that Sarang Industries built an amusement park as part of their welfare facilities?]
└[I saw it before, the completion date was yesterday, right?]
└[I wish outside visitors could use it too, there are so many attractions! crying]

Looking at the invoice, the cost for altering perceptions was higher than the cost of constructing the buildings.

‘So the Foundation is able to alter global perceptions for a fee, as expected of them.’

The material preparations were complete. Additional employees had been hired, including veterans who could be considered experts. Although the number of employees was still insufficient compared to the size of the office building, the remaining vacancies would be filled over time, and this alone would allow the existing employees to anticipate a bright future.

“Starting today, I’ll announce the beginning of the new Sarang Industries. For any existing employees who might feel uneasy, let me assure you that we have no intention of firing anyone. So please continue working without worry.”

I gathered the people and explained the changes.

“The salaries of existing employees will be increased from a minimum of double to a maximum of ten times, based on their tenure and abilities.”
“For employees without homes, we will provide interest-free loans for rental deposits.”
“For those with over 10 years of tenure who don’t own a home, the company will purchase a house for you.”
“We will provide a support fund of 100 million won per child.”
“You can receive free medical exams and treatment at the in-house hospital anytime.”
“At the in-house hospital, you and your relatives up to the sixth degree of kinship can receive free medical exams and treatment.”

The murmurs from the people grew louder. But what I changed wasn’t just this.

“Whenever you exceed the performance benchmark each month, you will receive a 200% performance bonus.”
“Upon completing one year of service, you will be sent on a paid two-week overseas vacation every time, and your family can join as well, of course.”
“The in-house amusement park and welfare facilities are all free to use.”
“If you wish, you can pass down your position to your children. Of course, they would have to start from the bottom as an employee, but their employment would be guaranteed.”
“The company cafeteria offers cuisine from around the world – Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Western, and more. We’ve hired professional chefs, so you can enjoy culinary delights through them.”
“The pantry is stocked with famous snacks and beverages from around the world. Of course, they’re all free, so help yourself.”

In fact, while it was welfare to prevent annihilation, it was also a personal challenge for me.

“For those with over 30 years of service, we will send you on a space tour.”
“For each professional certification or national technical qualification obtained, we will provide 10 million won.”
“Arrival time is 8:30 AM. There’s no need to come in too early.”
“We will provide educational support funds for your children’s education.”

I wondered if I was spending money faster than Sarang was making it.
Seeing such an unrealistic amount of money made me feel a childish sense of competition, so I threw in every conceivable welfare benefit a child could imagine.

“What is this?”
“Is he just saying that?”
“Hey, this is too much……”

The employees couldn’t believe my words due to the excessive welfare promises. Someone likely thought there was no way I could afford it, and even if I showed them my account balance, they still wouldn’t believe it.

‘It’s only natural to doubt such unrealistic amounts. I’ll have to show them through actions.’

I picked up the microphone again.

“Everyone, you likely received a text message this morning with only a number. There was an additional message saying it was from the company and not to delete it, right? None of you deleted it, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Now, I’ll announce the final welfare benefit.”

I operated the remote control I was holding. An outdoor screen descended, and the display turned on.

“This is a number draw program. It will randomly draw a number between 1 and the highest number among the texts you received. Some of you may have already guessed what this is about.”

The murmurs from the people grew louder.

“What day is today? The 23rd, right? On the 23rd of every month, we will hold a draw as part of the company’s welfare program. And the person whose number is drawn will receive a support fund that allows them to live freely for the rest of their life. A fund free of any taxes or obligations, which the company will handle entirely.”

I removed the tarp that had been covering a corner of the stage. Underneath was a mountain of 50,000 won bills that had been hidden.

“A total support fund of 3 billion won.”
“……”
“Now, let’s begin the draw.”

The program ran, and a large number appeared on the screen.

“Number 1,766. Please come forward.”
“…Me!”

The person who came forward with a mix of doubt and disbelief was a new employee who had recently joined.

“May I have your name?”
“…Lee Yeon-ju.”
“Please show me the text message.”
“…Here it is.”
“Confirmed. And just a moment, I’ll double-check.”

Through the earpiece in my left ear, Sarang spoke.

『It’s her. There has been no tampering, and she is the recipient of that number.』
“Confirmation complete. Then, congratulations on becoming the owner of 3 billion won.”
“…Is this real?”
“Let’s have you confirm it.”

She checked the bundles of cash. At first, she only looked at the outer edges, but soon delved deeper inside, breaking apart the bundles to inspect the inner bills while hugging the cash.

“It’s… it’s real! Real money!”

It seemed the people finally started believing me, as they erupted in cheers.

“It’s real!”
“They’re really giving away 3 billion won in a monthly draw?!”
“Then were all those other welfare benefits real too?!”

From now on, whether they believe it or not doesn’t matter. Those who believe will enjoy the welfare, and those who don’t can simply resign and go to another company.

“Alright, everyone.”

While I changed many things, there was one thing I didn’t change.

“Let’s do the stretching exercises.”

I pressed the remote control, and an upbeat music track started playing.

“Every morning at 8:45 AM, we’ll start the workday after the national stretching exercises. Even if I’m not here, you must still do them.”

This is something I can’t give up on.

『National Stretching Exercises! Let’s begin!』

“Oh dear.”

After finishing the exercises and returning to the chairman’s office, the cheers from the people outside, like screams of delight, could still be heard.

“I lost.”

Unfortunately, my assets had increased further.

“Sarang, isn’t this too much?”
『No, Mr. Seung-hoon’s current assets only rank 26th in the world.』
“…But the amount shown here has already surpassed number one, hasn’t it?”
『That’s only the surface. Compared to the assets of the shadowy figures who can even evade the Foundation’s tracking, this is still far too low, and it’s impossible to catch up to them through simple financial transactions alone.』
“So you’ve uncovered them.”
『I’ve only uncovered their financial assets, which are just the tip of the iceberg. Including their physical assets, it’s impossible to gauge the true extent of their wealth, and there may even be individuals with greater wealth and power.』

So there are wealthy individuals that even Sarang can’t be certain about – truly an interesting world we live in.

“If they have even more money than this, how on earth did they amass it?”

Perhaps they are ordinary people engaging in shady transactions or dealing with the Omnipotent Gold Corporation.

‘With this, have I prevented the seeds of annihilation?’

At that moment, someone came to the chairman’s office.

“Haha, is the chairman here?”
“Former chairman.”
“Oh, I just realized I forgot one thing.”

It was the former chairman, Mr. Han Sarang.

“You know this company was passed down to us from our parents, right? When my parents first established the company, they buried a time capsule in front of the name plaque.”
“A time capsule?”
“Yes! They originally intended to dig it up for the 100th anniversary, which falls on January 2nd next year precisely. But since I sold the company to you, I thought we could just dig it up now.”
“Very well. Let’s go together.”

I called for an excavator.

“Doldol-ah! Have you been well?”
“Woof!”

Doldol, the dog the former chairman had raised, recognized him and came running over.

“Oh, you adorable thing. I’m sorry, I won’t be able to stay with you since I’ll be traveling the world. But you can grow up here receiving lots of love from these good people.”

In the afternoon, workers arrived and fortunately dug up the area in front of the preserved name plaque despite the office building’s renovation.

“There it is!”

A box buried 5 meters underground was revealed. We used the crane to pull up the tightly sealed box, and Mr. Han Sarang carefully opened it.

“?”

At that moment, my right eye activated.

“……”

It was utterly absurd.

‘Company welfare wasn’t the issue after all.’

Yes, if it had been an issue with the people, Baal would have identified it long ago.

‘The problem was with an object, not a person.’

If it had been an object that was out in the open, Baal would have noticed it, but it seems he couldn’t figure it out until the end because it happened to be stored in this time capsule.

‘How utterly absurd.’

For an entirely different reason, completely unrelated to welfare.
Like an unlucky worm being carelessly stepped on and crushed, humanity had become the unlucky target of annihilation.

‘Or was it related?’

Without realizing it, I found myself looking at Doldol, the dog Mr. Han Sarang had brought with him.

‘If being raised counts as welfare, then it is welfare.’