Chapter 242 - Reverse Work-Style Reform
Professor Otsuki, who had discovered a new research theme in me, promised to suspend the goblin research.
Rather than a suspension, it seemed he intended to create a riddle-like state of "effectively suspending it by continuing to research."
...Effectively suspending it while continuing to research?
When I asked what on earth that meant,
"If we consume time and budget without producing any results whatsoever, the US Military side will eventually offer to terminate the project,"
he said.
Specifically, it seems he intends to repeat tasks such as "working sluggishly," "doing useless overtime," and "pretending to work."
"Is that even possible?"
"Are you truly Japanese? I believe that is a skill any working adult in this country has acquired."
"I-Is that so?"
Since I have spent most of the period since becoming an adult in another world, there are things I do not understand well regarding the Japanese working environment.
In this world, I have only experienced being a freelancer and a celebrity.
Therefore, I had no idea how full-time employees actually worked. I could vaguely sense that it was "black" (exploitative), but...
—When I shared a bit of my life story, Professor Otsuki began to explain with a face full of bitterness.
"...It would be troublesome if my future son-in-law were ignorant of the ways of the world, so I shall teach you now. Do you understand? Unlike part-timers who work for an hourly wage, people in regular employment live in a different world. Efficiency doesn't matter; it is a world where those who stay in the workplace for even one hour longer are evaluated."
"That is informative."
"If you finish your work faster than others, it is viewed as slacking or cutting corners, and you will be yelled at. Or, your workload will simply be increased. Since your salary doesn't go up because of it, the fast workers are the only ones who lose out. Therefore, you must take two or three times as long on a task that could actually be finished in one hour. By performing such meaningless overtime, for some reason, you are mistaken for a motivated person and promoted."
"Where did productivity go...?"
"It doesn't exist. It might have existed once, but it does not exist now. Well, that's how it is. For someone of my age, 'working sluggishly while producing nothing' is as natural as breathing. After all, I am a man of the Bubble Generation!"
"Even if you boast about such a thing..."
"Leave it to me," Professor Otsuki said, a smile appearing on his face.
"The abundant budget poured in from the US Military—I shall show you that I can use it all up within six months."
"Can you really use it all up just with overtime?"
"Frequent visits to hostess clubs on company expenses, nothing but golf, private trips disguised as inspections, personal collections disguised as research materials, girls hired under the name of assistants for the purpose of eye candy... A person who knows true economic prosperity can think of countless ways to waste money."
"At this point, it's actually quite reliable...!"
"The US Military will be in an uproar, saying, 'I never thought Japanese researchers would be this incapable!'"
"But if you waste that much, won't Otsuki-san get fired? And then, if they bring in a replacement, won't you be back at square one?"
"To prevent that, I will produce results once in a while so they don't abandon me. The trick is to make them think, 'He isn't capable, but he isn't completely incompetent either. If we give him a little more money and time, he might manage.'"
"Could it be that you've been working like that until now...?"
"Naturally."
He stated it with certainty.
Work-style reform my ass.
"Nakamoto-kun, your way of thinking is too green, and it won't do. As your elder, I will advise you: it is a taboo to produce results before you have received additional budget or personnel. If you do, you will be deemed 'a person who can manage even when worked to the limit,' and you will be driven into increasingly harsh environments, you know?"
"...I see..."
Suddenly, I remembered my time in the other world.
Back then, I served the King of the human nation, fighting in various regions and achieving military successes.
I kept winning in situations where I could hardly expect supplies or reinforcements, but perhaps that was a mistake.
The skill I needed back then wasn't the strength to grit my teeth and defeat the enemy, but the acting ability to whine, "I can't do this alone!" even when facing an opponent I could easily defeat. If I had done that, the King might have sent me more military strength...
After that, I continued to listen to Otsuki-san's remarks, and I did not forget to take notes on the useless working adult techniques that I thought, This is useful!
"You must never do newcomer training. What will you do if a trained newcomer overtakes you? You will lose your place in the workplace. On the other hand, if you actively bully them, it's treated as power harassment. Therefore, you should employ soft but steady methods to rot a newcomer, such as 'teaching nothing until asked,' 'treating them friendly but saying nothing helpful,' and 'frequently inviting them to drinking parties to deprive them of opportunities for home study.'"
"This is seriously helpful."
I'm fine, but I couldn't help but think that the people working under this man were likely having a terrible time without even realizing it.