CHAPTER 45: BACKLOG?

Jin Wu’s voice was cheerful. "Not yet, Boss. But don’t worry, I’ll work hard to run the business. Soon our company will get more—"

Click.

Suho hung up before the word "orders" could poison his ears. He tossed the phone aside, muttering. "Rebellious bastard. One day I’ll fire him just for breathing too hard."

A knock rattled the door. Suho dragged himself over and opened it.

Nahee stood there, tiny hands clutching a bag that looked almost as big as her. She beamed. "Brother, Mama told me to give you this."

Inside was a thermos of steaming soup and a small stack of fresh buns.

Suho crouched, ruffling her hair. "Thanks, Nahee. You saved my life today."

She giggled. "Hehe, okay! I’m going back!" Then she bounded down the stairs like a rabbit.

Suho carried the food to the table, his chest tightening in an unfamiliar way. Ever since he brought Choku and Su Bin into the company, they’d repaid him not with words but with actions. A soup here, a smile there—it made his apartment feel... less empty.

He slurped the broth, warmth spreading through him. Maybe... family is overrated. But this doesn’t feel bad.

At the office, Cho Rin was already wiping down the desks. "Good morning, Boss!" she chirped.

"Morning," Suho replied, flopping into his chair. He pulled up the system screen again. Only three hours left until settlement. He grinned to himself. "Finally. This time, I’ll be a millionaire."

He booted up his computer, humming a ridiculous tune. "♫ Over the mountain and the sea, there lives a bunch of Smurfs... ♫"

Cho Rin glanced up, baffled. What’s a Smurf? Sounds like a children’s song. Maybe I can sing it at the orphanage later.

Suho continued gaming, side-eyeing the countdown with glee. Just a little longer, and he’d pass this cycle without disaster.

Meanwhile, in the warehouse, Jin Wu and Li Wonho finished tallying receipts from the night market sales.

"Seventy-four thousand two hundred eighty won," Jin Wu announced, eyes gleaming. "Not bad for defective stock."

Li Wonho whistled. "Boss Chen will be pleased. It clears space in the warehouse too."

Jin Wu nodded firmly. "I’ll transfer it to the company account. He’ll thank me later."

Back upstairs, Suho hummed louder, clicking away at his game. Three hours to go. Then I’m rich.

Ding-dong!

The phone buzzed, flashing with an incoming call.

Suho glanced at the screen—and his smile froze instantly.

[Bank Account: +74,280]

The number glared back from Suho’s phone like a death sentence. His stomach dropped. He snapped open the system panel, praying it was a glitch.

[System Funds: 70,385 / 2,000,000]

His head thudded against the chair. "Why? Why now?! Who the hell put seventy thousand into the account right before settlement?"

There were only ten minutes left on the countdown. His mind raced. Benefits? Hand out cash? No—the system already blocked that.

He groaned, throwing his hands up. "I can’t spend seventy thousand in ten minutes unless I set the building on fire!"

The digital clock ticked mercilessly. His happy mood from the morning had collapsed into despair. Then the cold, mechanical voice rang out:

[Host: Kim Suho]

[System Funds: 4,000,000]

[Personal Wealth: 3,872]

[Wealth Conclusion Cycle: 1 month]

Suho slammed his head on the desk. "four million. Gone. Just like that."

He stared at the measly number in personal assets. Less than four grand. A burning ache spread in his chest. Whoever did this, I’ll make you eat instant noodles until you die.

A knock came at the office door.

"Mr. Kim?" Cho Rin’s soft voice.

"Come in," Suho grumbled.

The door cracked open. And in strolled Jin Wu, grinning ear to ear. "Boss! You saw the transfer, right? Over seventy thousand! Amazing, isn’t it?"

Suho’s eyes narrowed. "You. Did you transfer it?"

"Yes, Boss!" Jin Wu puffed his chest. "Not from new orders, don’t worry. This was from clearing the backlog of clothes in the warehouse."

"...Backlog?" Suho muttered. "What backlog?"

Jin Wu chuckled. "Don’t be modest. You hinted at it, remember? You told us not to rush orders. So I realized you meant the warehouse stock. If not for Li Wonho reminding me, I might not have thought of it."

Suho’s jaw locked. Hint? You delusional idiot. I never hinted at anything!

"And of course," Jin Wu continued proudly, "half the credit goes to Li Wonho. We’ve been selling at the night market for days. It was tough, but we made it happen."

Suho massaged his temples, rage bubbling under his skin. Not one traitor, but two. Fantastic.

"Good work," he forced out flatly. "Now go."

Jin Wu mistook the deadpan tone for calm approval. He left humming, convinced he had impressed the boss.

As the door shut, Suho collapsed into his chair. His system panel blinked mockingly: 4 million funds. 1 month.

He buried his face in his hands, then peeked out with a manic grin. "Alright. You want me to spend four million in thirty days? Fine. I’ll bankrupt this company in style."

Cho Rin appeared quietly at his side with a steaming cup of coffee. "Here, Boss. You look... tired."

Suho accepted it, muttering, "Tired of life." He sipped anyway, the warmth steadying his mood.

The problem was clear. The last two settlement failures weren’t on him—they were because his employees were too damn competent. Jin Wu sniffing out sales, Li Wonho hustling like a street merchant... loyal but lethal.

If he wanted to succeed this cycle, he had to filter his people carefully.

He turned to Cho Rin. "What about recruitment?"

"Oh—right." She perked up. "I registered the company last week. We’ve gotten several resumes, but I haven’t screened them yet."

Suho’s grin widened like a predator spotting prey. "Perfect. Send them to me. The first step to burning four million is hiring the right idiots."

Moments later, the resumes landed in his inbox. He scrolled the first one.

Applicant: Kim Haejin.

Position: Sales.

Experience: Ten years.

Suho immediately deleted it. "Nope. Already suffering with one Jin Wu. Don’t need another."

Next.