How to Survive Restructuring

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w

Chapter 61: Personality Test (1)

Every company has a certain "ideal candidate" they’re looking for.

And the process to determine whether an applicant fits that ideal is the "personality test."

Usually, this ends with something like a psychological evaluation, but larger companies may even hold personality interviews.

‘To weed out the kind of people who might cause trouble once they join.’

The goal is typically to select honest, diligent, sociable individuals who can prioritize the group's interests over their own.

But in this case, it’s different.

The "ideal candidate" sought during restructuring is…

──────◆──────

1. I can trample on my colleagues if it benefits me.

──────◆──────

[Choose between Yes and No.]

[If no answer is provided within the time limit, you will be immediately disqualified.]

[10 seconds, 9 seconds, 8 seconds…]

“Huh?!”

“Noona! What should I answer here?”

A question that might appear in a typical job application test.

An obvious question with an obvious answer.

It’s about whether personal gain or organizational harmony is more important.

The answer is clearly “No.”

Companies despise individuals who disrupt the organizational atmosphere for their own gain.

However, here…

“Yes. Absolutely yes.”

The ideal candidate for this “company” is someone who can trample on others, colleagues included, for their own benefit.

“Just pick the selfish options.”

“Selfish options?”

“Yes, as much as possible.”

“Understood!”

──────◆──────

2. I think lies can sometimes be a valid strategy.

──────◆──────

“Yes.”

──────◆──────

3. Results are more important than the process.

──────◆──────

This one’s also “Yes.”

──────◆──────

4. The happiness of the majority takes precedence over my own.

──────◆──────

This one is “No.”

...

Without hesitation, I made my choices.

Thanks to that, I quickly scrolled to the bottom, far ahead of others.

──────◆──────

20. No matter what, I always complete my tasks.

──────◆──────

Meanwhile, some people seemed to be completely lost.

All around, confused murmurs filled the air, the sound of people debating how to impress the evaluators above.

“What’s the right answer to avoid getting penalized? Ugh, I’m so confused!”

“Wouldn’t they want someone with a proper sense of morality?”

“You think so?”

A few minutes later, others gradually began to put down their hands.

Finally, even Yura, who had been getting help from Hanul, finished her answers.

[All participants have completed their responses.]

[Survey results will now be announced.]

The preliminary mission was over.

— Flash!

[All participants are categorized into Suitable, Neutral, or Unsuitable based on their personality compatibility.]

[Please check the survey results.]

“!!”

“What should I do? I got 'Unsuitable'!”

“Me too! But at least they’re not kicking us out right away…”

For some, it brought a sigh of relief.

For others, trembling hands.

As for me...

I had answered appropriately, so I should’ve received a "Suitable" judgment.

Still, just to be sure, I glanced at the results screen.

Clang!

The dagger Jieun was holding fell to the ground.

An "Unsuitable" judgment. Just as I expected.

“Eunho! What do I do now? Am I going to be disqualified?”

“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry.”

But it’s okay.

This preliminary mission is just that—a preliminary mission.

It’s merely a standard-setting exercise for the personality test that will follow.

“Ahhh! I’m doomed! Hyung!”

“You too?”

“Yes…! What did I answer wrong?”

As I consoled Jaehyuk, who also received an "Unsuitable" judgment, a few people, realizing they weren’t being immediately eliminated, tilted their heads in confusion.

“Hey, Song! So what does ‘Suitable’ or ‘Unsuitable’ even mean?”

“I don’t know either. I was startled when I got ‘Unsuitable’…”

So, I gave them an explanation disguised as speculation.

But.

“Maybe it means you’re closer to the kind of candidate the company wants if you’re ‘Suitable,’ and if not, you’re ‘Unsuitable.’”

"An ideal candidate? What's that?"

"Someone who is obsessed with their goals, prioritizes their own gain and performance above all else..."

"…Ah! I’m listening, keep talking!"

Hmm? Was my explanation too difficult?

The more I talked, the more my companions looked bewildered, mouths hanging open in confusion, so I decided to cut to the chase.

"In other words, the worse your personality, the higher the chance you’ll be deemed 'suitable.'"

"Wait, really?"

"Yes. Well... you could say the higher the score, the closer you are to being trash."

Then again, in a world falling apart, it might be an excellent survival strategy.

Not something you'd say to altruistic people deemed 'unsuitable,' though.

[Total population of the 'Yongsan District': 201.]

[Suitable: 27, Neutral: 82, Unsuitable: 91.]

That aside, wait a second.

Something's...

"This seems strange."

"Sorry? What does?"

[And...]

"27, 82, and 91. Add them together, and it’s 200."

"Uh... oh? You're right."

"Then the remaining one person..."

[Super Suitable: 1.]

"?!?"

"What's 'Super Suitable'?"

"Young man! You’d better be careful! Sounds like a terrifyingly bad person!"

"Indeed. We must tread cautiously."

"Wait here. I’ll find out who it is. Everyone, stay clear!"

At the cleaning lady's words, we all turned our eyes, narrowing them.

And what we saw...

──────◆──────

Unmatched selfishness!

Decisions made without the slightest hesitation!

Unyielding obsession with goals!

The personality of subject 'Lee Eunho'

is deemed 'Super Suitable' for the company!

──────◆──────n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

...Was a golden system window.

[Congratulations!]

[Subject 'Lee Eunho,' preliminary assessment results: Super Suitable!]

[Bonus points will be added to your future recruitment evaluation!]

Ah... it was me?

* * *

"That person! Isn't he the one who ranked first during the observation mission?"

"Ah! No wonder his face looked familiar. Did he get more bonus points?"

"Unbelievable! He’s hogging it all for himself, huh?"

Everyone’s eyes were fixated on the one and only 'Super Suitable' candidate—that is, me.

Though the emotionless system’s announcement quickly faded, the tension in the air lingered.

[Preliminary mission complete.]

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w

[From now on, the personality verification protocol will commence based on all responses given by the subjects.]

[Prove it through your actions!]

"What, what the heck? Prove it?!"

"How are we supposed to do that?"

Prove it, huh.

That’s all the guidebook explained up to this point.

It didn’t say what comes next.

「...As all responses can be falsified, a 'proof' process is conducted to verify the reliability of answers given by the subjects.」

So it’s a procedure to check whether we were honest in our answers.

I thought it might involve something like a polygraph test.

[Move to the safe zone!]

Hmm, this feels more serious than expected.

"What now? Are we supposed to enter one by one?"

"Do we just stand anywhere?"

"Probably. It doesn’t seem like the spots are assigned to anyone."

The safe zones that appeared after the announcement were smaller than the ones we’d seen so far.

Just enough for one person to stand, feet together.

"This feels... kind of like a game of musical chairs,"

Jieun said, looking around as she stood in a circle.

She glanced at the people standing opposite her.

"Why is the center left empty?"

"Good question. Are they planning to do something there...?"

"It kind of looks like a stage."

She was right.

A hundred small green circles gathered to form a larger one, like spectators surrounding a street performer.

Clap!

A low announcement resonated as over a hundred people each took their spot in a circle.

[The first mission, 'Competition,' will now begin!]

A red circle appeared in the central empty space.

It included a small table.

And then—

[The first participant has been designated.]

[Please enter the arena!]

"!!"

"K-Kim?!"

Two circles turned red and began to blink.

"Hey! My circle changed color!"

"Ah, seriously? Why me?"

It was the security guard and a man with a face I didn’t recognize.

The man had pale blond hair, almost white, and his arms, visible beneath his sleeves, were covered in small tattoos.

[If you do not enter within the time limit, you will automatically forfeit.]

[10 seconds, 9 seconds, 8 seconds…]

“Get out there!”

“Just—just go!”

Tap!

The guard and the yellow-haired man, looking utterly bewildered, were shoved forward.

Into the red circle.

[Entry complete.]

[The match will now begin.]

At that moment, a black object appeared on the table.

‘That’s…’

“A gun?!”

It wasn’t the mysterious pistol I’d gotten yesterday but an ordinary, modern handgun.

And just as everyone began to guess the nature of this “match”—

[The time limit is 30 seconds.]

[Hit your opponent to win; getting hit means you lose.]

[However, if no one is hit within the time limit, all participants will be eliminated. Proceed with caution!]

A match with no way out had begun.

[Match 1, begin!]

“What, what the hell?!”

“You want us to shoot?!”

While the two stared at the guns in front of them, panicked—

「00:21」

The remaining time had already ticked down to 21 seconds.

“Hey, young man! Do we really have to shoot?”

“How could we not?! If we don’t, we’ll be deleted!”

“There must be another way! We just need to think!”

And as the guard tried to persuade the panicking yellow-haired man that there had to be another solution—

「00:11」

The relentless clock had now dropped to 10 seconds.

“I—I don’t care! Whoever grabs it first wins!”

Unable to hold back, the yellow-haired man clenched his fist.

“W-wait! Young man! Listen to me—”

“Damn it! Shut up!”

Between his clenched fingers was a small needle.

He flung it like a boomerang.

“Guh!”

The guard clutched his abdomen and crumpled to the ground.

Despite the distance, the needle had struck the guard’s stomach with perfect precision.

The wound didn’t seem too deep, but the accuracy was impressive.

‘Is that… a skill?’

「00:05」

Click!

The gun was now aimed at the guard.

The yellow-haired man’s trembling hand clearly betrayed his nervousness.

Then, as the fallen guard reacted—

“Summon!”

The shield he’d received from the random box materialized just as the yellow-haired man pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Or rather, it was more of a “clang!” than a “bang!” because—

“…!”

The bullet fired by the yellow-haired man ricocheted off the shield and shot back at him.

[Match over!]

The yellow-haired man looked down at the bullet lodged in his own leg and let out a string of curses.

“D-damn it…”

He’d been too hasty.

It didn’t have to end with anyone getting hurt.

“Ahhh! Jinsol!”

“Are you okay?!”

A match where one side had to shoot the other for it to end.

The rules seemed impossible at first glance.

‘If it were me, I’d rather…’

As I pondered other possibilities and solutions, another announcement blared out, offering no time to catch my breath.

[Match 1 complete.]

[The next participant has been selected.]

“!!”

“Huh?!”

I blinked.

The circle under my feet turned red.

And my opponent was…

“Ahhh!”

“Lee Yeji?!”

“S-Sola! Sola!!”

Lee Yeji, already pale as a ghost, screamed as if she’d been hit already and clung to Sola for dear life.

“P-please… just aim for somewhere that won’t hurt too much…”

She spoke as if asking for a gentle injection.

After witnessing what had just unfolded, her trembling made perfect sense.

[Please enter the arena.]

“Don’t worry. Just step in.”

“…?!”

This will be over before you even have time to feel pain.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

w