Just Twilight

Normally, at times like this, the police would check if safety regulations were followed and investigate whether there was any negligence on the part of the workers or company. Naturally, all of this had been reported as a risk to the company.

The fact that the responsible parties were being investigated by the police, and that articles were being published with unnecessary titles that hurt the company’s image, was a problem. But the bigger problem was that the construction might be delayed.

The reason they had acquired a closed factory instead of building a new one was that there was an urgent need to get things moving. The current construction schedule for the factory was very tight, and once the construction was completed, the production schedule would follow right after.

A delay in construction meant that the rest of the factory’s operations for the year would face disruption.

Just a week ago, there had been a report saying that the situation was being sorted out easily thanks to connections with the police and the municipal government. Junyoung, though primarily handling international risk affairs, knew about it as everything within the team was shared.

So why is it suddenly me? I don’t even know these people.

Of course, when looking at the overall situation, such unreasonable task assignments were not surprising.

The site manager, seeing her, showed an expression of confusion. When Junyoung showed her employee ID, the man hesitated and nodded awkwardly.

“The government official from the district office went to check the site of the accident again.”

“Why did they suddenly come out here?”

As she walked, she asked. The man responded with an uncomfortable expression.

“It’s not just here. Recently, three accidents happened in a row at construction sites in this area, so the city is paying more attention. And it’s right after the Ministry of the Interior released a report on safety management last month.”

“And our source?”

“Originally, Im Ha-seon, who was the team leader for urban regeneration, is our contact. But it seems like things are a bit off over there. He has worked with the building department’s officer on a lot of things, so I think he’s being cautious. I haven’t been able to get in touch with him.”

Junyoung felt raindrops starting to tap lightly on her head. She hadn’t even thought about bringing an umbrella. The situation was nothing short of frustrating. She adjusted her bag and asked again.

“I heard everything was proceeding smoothly until last week.”

“Oh, it was fine. But you see, the guys from the city, whenever they’re out of pocket, they take a stroll around places like this. You know, when they’re low on cash, they poke around with toothpicks. Just take them to a nice place for dinner, and everything’s fine.”

The man’s words grew shorter. Junyoung slowly stopped walking. The man, who had been holding his hand over his head to block the rain, stopped as well. She looked at him sideways.

“Can you take responsibility for what you just said?”

“What responsibility?”

“The part where you said that if you take them out for a meal, it’ll all be solved.”

The man, looking at her with an unreadable expression, seemed to get uneasy. Junyoung slowly spoke again.

“We’ve invested 1.2 billion in the construction, 300 million in accident management. If the completion schedule is delayed, the estimated damages for the second half of the year alone are about 17 billion.”

The man’s eyes widened in disbelief. Watching his mouth hang open, Junyoung added coldly.

“A total of 18.5 billion. Can you take responsibility for that?”

The man, unable to even breathe, was fidgeting, his lips moving but his gaze diverted elsewhere. Raindrops hit his eyebrows and fell. Junyoung quietly made her point.

“If you’re not confident enough to answer that question firmly, then don’t say anything.”

In a situation like this, especially with a site manager she had never met before, wasting time on meaningless arguments would be a huge problem. Unfortunately, it was easy for a young woman to be underestimated anywhere she went.

There were many ways to take control of an unfamiliar site. One of the abilities required in Risk Management was the flexibility to use various methods depending on the opponent.

After that, the man obediently guided her, like a dog who had been scolded by the collar.

The sound of rain grew louder. She was getting soaked.

As she walked, imagining herself slapping Team Leader Seong for sending her out in such weather, Junyoung spotted a group of people by the side door of the construction site. At a glance, she could tell they were public officials, talking to the workers.

Frowning, she quickened her pace. As she got closer, one of the officials, holding a cigarette, raised his eyebrows.

“Hello. I’m from Hangeong. What’s going on here?”

With a smooth voice, the man looked her up and down, then took out a file from his worn bag.

“Oh, it’s nothing really. I’m here for a site inspection since there was an accident before. You know, we’re concerned about the safety protocols, especially since there was a fall accident. When welding in the basement, you know you’re supposed to have a fire watch, right? And the fall protection nets on the west building are torn. You need to pay attention to all of that.”

Of course, first impressions aren’t always accurate, but based on his tone and demeanor, this man didn’t seem like a very diligent public official. He blew out smoke and narrowed his eyes while glancing at her chest.

“I can’t quite read your name. Yoon, Junyoung? A pretty young lady has come.”

“If the inspection isn’t done yet, I’d like to accompany you. It will help resolve any recommendations quickly.”

“No, no. I’m just here to see the situation today. But you need to pay more attention to safety. The workers over there seem very concerned.”

At his words, Junyoung turned her head. The workers, covered in dust and sweat, were all staring at her with sullen expressions.

Surrounded on all sides, can I even survive? She quickly gestured for the manager to approach the man’s side.

“If you had set up a date to come, you should’ve brought them on a clear day. Oh my, what should we do? Your shoulders are all soaked. Why don’t you come to our office for some warm tea? You can catch a cold if you’re not careful, even in the summer.”

“In this heat, tea is the last thing I want. It’s fine.”

“No, don’t be like that.”

With a smile, the manager almost crossed his arms as he pulled the man along. The man, still glancing back at her while shaking his head, walked away. Junyoung, noticing his retreating figure, brushed her wet hair aside and turned her body. She spoke in a stern tone.

“Don’t say unnecessary things without the supervisor on site. If you want to discuss safety issues, shouldn’t you first consult with the supervisor?”

A few people in the crowd sneered. The workers’ expressions, all identical, were dismissive as they turned their heads. Junyoung, holding in a sigh, took a step forward.

“If you need something, let me know. We’ll review and improve it.”

“That’s funny. Stop talking nonsense and get out of the way. What’s a girl like you doing here, causing trouble?”

One of the older workers, with graying hair, spat on the ground. Junyoung’s brow twitched.

“Calling me a girl, huh? I thought I was already graduated when I joined the company.”

With a sharp glance, she smiled bitterly.

“If being a girl causes the accidents, should I believe that people fall because of me?”

“Watch your mouth!”

An angry finger was pointed at her as though ready to strike. The workers, who had been standing still, now glared at her as she spoke. Junyoung stood firm, her expression unchanged.

“There are many reasons why someone could fall. It could be due to their own negligence or a lack of safety equipment. If you truly believe the fall was because I’m here, then you should try and stop me. Why are you just standing there?”

As she took another step forward, several angry voices rang out. The atmosphere was tense, as though a brick might fly at her any moment.

Wondering if a brick to the head would be considered a workplace injury, Junyoung continued speaking.

“If it’s negligence on their part, there’s nothing I can do. But if it’s about the safety equipment, I can find a solution. Public officials issue administrative orders, but they’re not the ones who provide what you need. You can’t rely on them. In a crisis, they won’t be there for you.”

With one more step, she could get out of the rain. Despite squinting to reduce the blurred vision, it was still a struggle.

Noticing the workers’ attention had shifted slightly in her favor, Junyoung took a subtle step back. Then, just as she expected, a gruff voice called out.

“You’re just talking nonsense. Who can trust Hangeong?”

It was the same graying man who had spoken before. The workers nodded along, still paying attention to him. Junyoung, keenly observing the shift in the mood, calmly asked in a steady voice.

“Have you made proper requests to the company? Have you asked for what you need and pointed out the issues that are hindering the work? If you all spoke in unison, the company couldn’t ignore you. With the public officials or the police getting involved, no one will get what they want. All that will come of it is wasted time and money. In the end, it’s up to you and the company to solve this.”

The old man crossed his arms and merely scoffed, not saying anything further. The workers behind him all focused on him, and Junyoung allowed a small, faint smile.

Interesting. How one person can naturally represent the others in a group.

This meant that whatever the issue was, the workers’ grievances were shared, and a certain level of discussion about those grievances had already taken place.@@novelbin@@