Chapter 5

5. WS Soft

Jiseul settled into WS Soft without much trouble.

The New Technology Team was divided into several departments.

The main ones were the messenger app WinChat, the healthcare app WinCare that was scheduled to launch in a few months, and the AI assistant app WinMate.

Besides those, AR, VR, and interactive hologram technologies were also being actively researched.

After meeting with the New Technology Team leader, Jiseul was assigned to the WinCare department.

As she nervously sat down on her first day, a man who looked to be in his early thirties immediately approached her.

His ash-gray dyed hair and red piercing stood out.

He had a friendly and handsome appearance.

“You’re Senior Han Jiseul, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Kim Kangbin. I’m a Senior Manager and the head of the WinCare department. I’ll also be your mentor.”

“Yes. I look forward to working with you, Team Leader.”

Jiseul greeted him politely, trying to hide her awkwardness.

Kangbin smiled and handed her a USB drive.

“Everything you need to know for work is on this USB. It contains the projects our department is currently researching. Just try to come up with something original so your research topic doesn’t overlap with anyone else’s.”

“Okay.”

“And once a week, the New Technology Team holds a regular demonstration meeting. It’s where everyone presents what they’ve worked on during the week. It’s held every Thursday at nine in the morning in the small auditorium. The CEO and the CTO attend every time, so you’ll want to prepare thoroughly.”

“I understand.”

“The dress code is casual, and you can come and leave whenever you want. As long as you produce results, that’s all that matters. The cafeteria is on the third floor, and all three meals are free. There’s also a café on the first floor where employees get free drinks and desserts.”

“Oh. The benefits are pretty good.”

“They are. The gym and sauna on the seventh floor are also free for employees. And on the sixth floor, there are several rooms with beds and showers for people who have to work overnight.”

As the explanation continued, Jiseul simply nodded.

The employee benefits were much better than she’d expected.

“By the way, Ms. Han Jiseul. I heard you made quite an impression during the recruitment test.”

Kangbin suddenly said with a playful grin.

“Me?”

“I heard you completely crushed the judges.”

“What? I did?”

Jiseul was so flustered that she couldn’t find the words to respond.

She had never intended anything like that.

Somehow, the rumors seemed to have taken on a life of their own.

Kangbin smiled and nodded.

“Yeah. Everyone’s already talking about how amazing you are. You know that project used during the recruitment test? It was actually one our company is developing. It wasn’t a critical part of the project, of course, but after you refactored it in four hours, the developers working on it completely lost face.”

“Ah…”

Jiseul immediately regretted it.

She had a bad feeling.

It seemed she’d accidentally made enemies.

She didn’t know which team those developers belonged to, but they probably wouldn’t have a favorable opinion of her.

Would her life at the company really go smoothly?

She was beginning to worry.

When Jiseul let out a long sigh, Kangbin chuckled and spoke reassuringly.

“Don’t make that face. This place is all about ability anyway. No one’s going to pick a fight over something like that. Besides, everyone has high expectations for you.”

“…Okay.”

“I’ll introduce you to the rest of the team soon. I’ll also show you around the building. Oh, and what do you think about having a welcome party next Friday?”

“A welcome party?”

Jiseul’s eyes widened.

She wasn’t used to that kind of workplace culture.

Kangbin looked at her as though he didn’t understand the problem.

“Of course we should have one. You’re our first new teammate in a year. We already asked everyone, and next Friday got the most votes.”

“I think that should be fine.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“Okay.”

“Senior Han Jiseul. I’d like a word with you.”

At that moment, someone called out from behind her.

When she turned around, she saw Shin Woohyun.

His steady, unreadable eyes were fixed on her.

The Woohyun she saw at the company was very different from the man she’d first met at the café.

Like the CEO of a major company, every word he spoke carried weight, and he had the power to dominate everyone around him in an instant.

Without realizing it, Jiseul became tense.

Her steps as she followed him weren’t light at all.

* * *

Woohyun brought Jiseul to a small reception room attached to the CEO’s office.

The space was divided by a glass wall, and through the large windows, the entire office could be seen at a glance.

Jiseul hid her nervousness and tried to act naturally.

At the same time, she quickly took in the layout of the office beyond the glass wall.

One desktop computer.

One laptop.

One tablet.

Those seemed to be the main things she would need to deal with.

And his phone as well.

“Don’t be so nervous. I’m not trying to talk about anything difficult, so don’t feel pressured.”

Woohyun placed a bottled apple drink in front of her.

Apparently, her nervousness had been obvious.

“Okay.”

Jiseul obediently nodded and looked down at the drink.

She had no idea why he had wanted to see her.

Woohyun opened his own bottle first and took a sip.

Then he naturally brought up the subject.

“I heard something from the head of the Security Team. Apparently, Senior Han Jiseul is an exceptional talent in information security.”

“…I’m not that amazing. I just spent some time studying that field.”

Woohyun let out a quiet laugh at her modest answer.

“Being too humble isn’t a good thing either. I heard you even won DEF CON. And not just as a participant, but as the team leader who led the winning team.”

“Yes, that’s true, but…”

“That’s enough to be considered world-class. Then why didn’t you include your DEF CON victory on your résumé?”

“Since you weren’t recruiting security personnel, I didn’t think it was necessary.”

Jiseul answered calmly.

The truth was, she had considered including it.

It certainly would’ve helped her chances.

But she didn’t want anything connected to her past to remain on paper.

“Is it true that you hacked the National Intelligence Service servers in high school and were arrested?”

“…Yes.”

“What happened after you were arrested? I doubt the police simply let you walk away.”

Jiseul hesitated for a moment.

But she didn’t think there was any reason to lie.

“The police were strict, but things changed after my case was transferred to the prosecution. I was fortunate enough to meet a very good prosecutor. He looked out for me in many ways and gave me a second chance. He said that students could make mistakes once, but not twice. Thanks to him, the case ended with a suspension of indictment.”

“I see.”

“Yes. The prosecutor in charge was Prosecutor Shin Junghyeon. He taught me that there were many ways to use my hacking skills for good. Thanks to him, I even ended up participating in DEF CON. He’s practically my benefactor.”

At those words, Woohyun’s expression stiffened slightly.

He wasn’t the type of man to reveal his emotions easily.

But when it came to his brother, he seemed especially sensitive.

“What happened after you won DEF CON? I imagine you received quite a few recruitment offers.”

After a brief silence, Woohyun asked another question.

The way he kept digging into her past made it seem as though he still didn’t fully trust her.

She had expected something like this ever since meeting the head of the Security Team yesterday.

She had never imagined there would be someone here who recognized her.

Jiseul was extremely nervous, but she hid it and answered calmly.

“I did receive a lot of offers. But I wanted to focus on my studies, so I turned them all down. I hadn’t graduated from university yet. I was only in my second year.”

“What did you do for the years after you graduated? Your résumé doesn’t mention any of it.”

It was a difficult question.

How would this man react if she brought up the National Intelligence Service?

She had no idea how much she should tell him.

Or how much she could trust him.

Besides, the very first thing she’d done after joining the National Intelligence Service was sign a confidentiality agreement.

If word got out through him by mistake, dealing with the consequences would be almost impossible.