Chapter 33

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Offering 90%?


It’s $195, based on C65F series. In other words, a little over 31 cents per part.

Na Sungji’s eyes popped out.
In fact, Na was ready to accept 75% of the Taiwanese part price, at which he thought he could make some profit.
Now, it was 90%! Na opened his mouth out of joy and said,

Oh, my God! Thanks so much. How can I repay your benefits like this?

In fact, Hyunwoo shouldn’t be thanked for this. Wasn’t he a proud stockholder of N&C? If N&C’s profits increased, that was a good thing for Hyunwoo.
However, there was one thing that Na had to keep secret for Hyunwoo’s success. It was the fact that Hyunwoo had invested in N&C. If Aurum knew about this, Hyunwoo would not be able to give N&C more benefits while negotiating the unit price.

Well, my investment in N&C and anything related to the unit price is a secret between you and me. If it is revealed, we could get into big trouble.


Of course. I won’t even tell my family.

Hyunwoo nodded his head as if he was satisfied with Na’s reply.

Okay, then. Can you call in the local presidents? I think we have to conclude the contracts at a proper level.


Got it.

Na immediately called in the presidents.
Waiting earnestly for the news, they came to him as soon as Na called them.
Each of them asked the same question to Hyunwoo,

Did you handle the matter successfully?

Hyunwoo replied the same thing,
Yes, I did. We can set the proper unit price and sign the contract.

Hearing that, one president asked,
What do you mean by the ‘proper’ price? You are not talking about 70% of the Taiwanese products, right?


70% doesn’t make any sense. We can’t reach a break-even point with that,
said another.
Hyunwoo nodded his head and said,
I know that, and I would like to guarantee you as much profit as possible. However, I have to save assistant manager Kim Yonggu’s face, too.

The presidents watched Hyunwoo’s lips, shutting their mouths.

Let me persuade Mr. Kim to accept 75%. Is that okay with you?

The presidents could let out a sigh of relief when he mentioned 75% because they could make a profit at that price.

Thanks so much. We’re going to think of you as a savior at that level.

Hyunwoo continued,
I’m going to add one more clause to the contract for you. It will say, ‘If the suppliers maintain the quality of the parts for one year, Aurum will increase the unit price to 80%.’ So, you have to make sure that the quality stays the same.


Absolutely!


Of course, we’re going to reduce the ratio of defective parts to the minimum by hiring quality examiners. As we’re beholden to you like this, we can’t cause any trouble to you.

The presidents cheered.
In fact, what Hyunwoo was most worried about was the quality of parts, for there was a possibility that the quality would go down with a lower unit price.
Because Hyunwoo had promised to increase the unit price, they would put in more effort to maintain the quality than before.

Let me see Kim Yonggu and draft a contract. I’ll send the draft to the headquarters in Korea. As soon as they give the greenlight, we will conclude the contract. Please get ready.


Thank you!

Parting with them, Hyunwoo went back to the hotel.
When Hyunwoo arrived, Yonggu, who was waiting for him nervously, approached quickly.

What happened? Did you change their minds?

Hyunwoo looked at him, shook his head, and said,
Looks like it’s going to be difficult.

Yonggu’s expression turned hopeless and asked,
Why?


Na wouldn’t persuade the presidents. I think we have to give him more benefits. Only then can he move, I think.


Benefits? What kind of benefits does he want?


How about making a provisional contract for him?

Yonggu tilted his head and asked,
Provisional contract?


As you know, he hired a new technical expert. If he can introduce the new machines by, isn’t it clear that he can improve the quality of the parts?

That was true. Yonggu knew that Na’s products had failed the quality standard by just a little bit.

So?


We’re making a contract with him that we’ll purchase all of his parts as soon as the parts satisfy the quality standards.

Come to think of it, Yonggu felt that it was not a difficult matter. As soon as the quality of the parts were guaranteed, there was no reason for Aurum not to use them.

What if Na doesn’t meet the quality standards?


The contract will be cancelled automatically, of course. Let me persuade Na on that.

Yonggu had no reason to reject Hyunwoo’s suggestion.

Okay. How much should we set the unit price then?


Na wants us to increase the unit price on the condition that he persuades the local presidents.


How much?
Yonggu asked with a tense expression.

90% of the Taiwanese products,
Hyunwoo said casually.
Yonggu was a bit surprised. It was 5% more than the price he had first mentioned to them. Yonggu hesitated to say okay, but Hyunwoo prodded him, saying,
I didn’t reply to Na because this was something I couldn’t decide on my own. What should we do?

Yonggu was kind of troubled at that, but after some more thought, he felt that it was not something he had to agonize over. It was no more than a provisional contract.
Hyunwoo then said something new to Yonggu,
If you get assurance from management on that, Na told me he would be responsible for persuading the other presidents. In return, he said 80% of the Taiwanese product was the bottom line on the unit price.

80%?

This time, Yonggu’s jaws dropped at that because he felt even 85% was something the local presidents could not accept, given that they were holding their heads high right now.
Yonggu nodded his head strongly and said,
Okay, done deal!

Yonggu made a draft contract on the spot and emailed it to the team manager. He then called him immediately and said,
Manager, I’ve just send you a draft contract. Please review it.


Sure, good job.

After the call, Yonggu waited for his reply nervously.
It was about one hour later when he got a reply from the manager. As soon as he got on the phone, the manager asked him about the provisional contract,

What is this? A provisional contract?


The local presidents here are united like a cartel. Mr. Na proposed a provisional contract on the castor on the condition that he could reduce the unit price of the other parts by 5%. If you don’t agree, I’m afraid we have to make a contract on 85% of the unit price as before.

Yonggu persuaded him with plausible excuses, something even Hyunwoo admitted were pretty persuasive. The manager’s tone was cheerful now.

Really? If we sign the provisional contract, the other factories will lower the unit price to 80%, right?
the manager asked.

Yes, if you look at the provisional contract, we don’t have anything to lose. Though the unit price increased by 5%, I drafted it so that if they don’t meet the quality standard, it will automatically fall apart. Please review that section, too.


Got it. Sir, this clause is about…
the manager said to the president, holding his phone.
It looked like he had called Yonggu while reporting to the president.
A little later, Yonggu was on the phone with the manager.

The president signed it. Let me email it to you, so you just go ahead with the contract.


Yes, sir.

After the call, Yonggu clenched his fist and said,
Wow! We’ve made it

Hyunwoo smiled brightly.
Soon, the contract with the signature of the president was emailed, and Yonggu printed it out.

Shall we meet the presidents again?
Hyunwoo asked.
Yonggu made an awkward expression at that.

I think I had better not go with you. They might feel bad again when they see me. As the draft contract is done, all you have to do is get their signatures.


Okay then. Let me go and meet them alone.

Holding the contract, Hyunwoo left the hotel.
The local presidents gathered at the N&C factory.
Hyunwoo presented each of them with the contract.
One of them asked cautiously,

Then, the unit price is as you mentioned…


Yes, I’ve gotten approval of 75% of the Taiwanese product. But if you maintain the product quality for one year, the unit price will increase to 80%. All of this is included in the contract. So, please confirm it.

They confirmed the contract all at once. Each of them carefully reviewed the clauses, checking the clauses, and even comparing their contracts with each other.
Then, they shook hands and encouraged each other.

Great! We’ve survived now.


Thanks so much. We all owe it to you, Mr. Jang Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo was as happy as them.
But there was one thing that puzzled him about the presidents’ attitude.
Now, he felt that he could ask them,

In fact, there is no big problem even if you don’t deal with Aurum, right? Of course, it’s better for you to expand your markets, but honestly, I couldn’t understand why you were so anxious to conclude the contract with Aurum.

One of them grinned and answered,
Actually our contract with Aurum means more than just another market to us. We all want to develop markets in Korea. In that respect, Aurum is opening the door for the Korean market to us. In addition, Aurum has a good reputation, so the successful conclusion of the contract means the recognition of the quality of our products. That’s why we were so anxious to get this contract done!


Oh! That makes sense,
Hyunwoo said. Only then could he understand their thoughts.
At the same time, he thought about Yonggu.
I wonder if Yonggu was insightful enough to detect their thoughts. Was that why he was so confident that he could make the deal even with such a deep drop in the unit price?
If Yonggu had approached them with that in mind, he must be a better employee than Hyunwoo thought. Of course, it might be Hyunwoo’s own imagination.
Hyunwoo made the contract again. It had an additional clause on the unit price, and he got the signatures of each of the presidents.

All done. Thanks so much, everybody.

Hyunwoo shook hands with each of them, and they left the factory with light hearts.
At the conference room, only Na and Kwon were left.
Hyunwoo made the contracts for Na. One was a provisional contract with Aurum, and the other was a contract on Hyunwoo’s investment.
Then, Na asked cautiously,

Sorry to say this, but can you invest a little more? Actually, I have yet to pay the factory workers’ wages…

Hearing Na, Hyunwoo was a bit worried. That meant that his financial situation was severe enough to be unable to pay their wages. Hyunwoo didn’t know how much more he would spend in the days ahead, but he had already crossed a bridge that he could not return.

How much more do you need?


Currently I pay about 4 million dong per month, and their wages are overdue for two months now. I need 500 million dong immediately. Also, it would take about three months for the factory to get back operating normally…

After all, about 1.2 billion dong would be needed for normal operation. 1.2 billion dong would be about 60 million Korean won. However, if the factory needed to run at full capacity, Na needed a little more money.
Phew… one is not supposed to invest too much in one company.
Suppressing his natural sigh, he made the contract. His investment increased to 300 million won, up 100 million won from his promised 200 million won, and in return he agreed to get 13% equity of the factory.
After concluding the contract, he asked Kwon,

By the way, how can you get the machines you mentioned the other day?


Well, I’m contacting my acquaintances in Korea about it. As soon as the machines are available, I’ll let you know.

Kwon’s expression became much brighter than before. He seemed to think Hyunwoo as his family member once he concluded the contract with Na.

Got it. I’ll wait for the update then.

Hyunwoo left the factory to go back to the hotel.
Yonggu, nervously waiting for him, approached him quickly.

What about the contracts?

Hyunwoo presented several contracts with the signatures of the local presidents. Yonggu reviewed them carefully one by one, and asked, a bit surprised,

What is this? How come the unit price is decided like this?

Hyunwoo grinned at that. Actually, it was like a surprise gift to him. Though he agreed on 75% with them, Hyunwoo had mentioned 80% to Yonggu before. And at the decisive moment, Hyunwoo revealed it.

I really had a hard time getting it, but it’s valid for only one year. If they maintain their quality for one year, I’ve agreed to increase the unit price to 80%.


Great, and…

Yonggu was going to say something but stopped. Then, he hesitated before continuing,

Thanks.

Hyunwoo said with a smile,
You don’t have to say that between friends.

Yonggu also smiled, but he was not as happy as Hyunwoo expected him to be.
Yonggu was only surprised at his negotiating ability.
Hyunwoo seemed to figure out the reason a bit.
Dude, you have to recognize that this is my own performance, not yours.
Regardless of the process, the Vietnam trip was a great success not only for Yonggu but also for Hyunwoo.

Including the provisional contracts, there are a total of six contracts.


Good job!

The team manager carefully reviewed the contracts. His eyes opened wider at the unit price, though.

How come the unit price has been lowered like this? Is this true?


Yes, sir. We agreed on that finally.

The manager smiled brightly, and he stood up abruptly to grab Yonggu’s shoulder strongly.

Great job. You deserved to go to Vietnam!

However, Yonggu’s face clouded over because the manager thought that it was his credit.
That was his misunderstanding. If the misunderstanding deepened and the truth was revealed later, the shock would be even greater. Yonggu was nervously trying to open his mouth when the manager interrupted, saying,
Let’s go and see the president. You come with us, Hyunwoo. You deserve the most credit for the contract.


Yes, sir.

Hyunwoo and Yonggu followed him. While Hyunwoo was calm, Yonggu’s face clouded deeply.
Holding the contracts, the president was surprised at the negotiated unit price. 5% difference was as much as 30,000 dollars per year.
With a big smile on his face, the president asked,

Great! I thought a 20% cost reduction was a great success. Now, we got an additional 5% reduction. Looks like I got a bonus.


This time, Kim Yonggu did a great job. Why don’t you say some nice words about him?

At the manager’s remarks, the president looked at Yonggu.

Sure, I should. Good job.


No, sir. All this should be Hyunwoo’s credit.

As soon as the president praised him, Yonggu said what he wanted to. He must have plucked up a lot of courage to reveal the truth before the president.
Hyunwoo thought that Yonggu’s behavior was worth praise.
The president cast a suspicious at him.

Jang Hyunwoo’s credit?


Yes, he secured all the contracts. I didn’t contribute that much in Vietnam.

The manager was a bit embarrassed at Yonggu’s confession, and so was the president.
Then he asked Hyunwoo,
Mr Jang, is Mr. Kim true?

It was finally time to put an end to his secret plan. It was his last gift of reconciliation to Yonggu. If Yonggu didn’t accept his reconciliation efforts…

Yes, it’s true. I got the contracts from them, but it was Kim Yonggu who cut the unit price.

Yonggu’s shoulders trembled when Hyunwoo said that. Apparently, he had never thought that Hyunwoo would give him credit, but Hyunwoo had been thinking about that from the start. He had just been waiting for the right moment.
The president this time became more suspicious.

I just don’t know what you guys are talking about. Can you explain it so that I can understand?

Hyunwoo walked a step closer to the president and said,

Actually, Kim Yonggu played a bad cop role on my behalf. In the first negotiation, he dampened the local presidents’ ardor by insisting on a 20% reduction in the unit price.


20%? Did he mention 65% of the Taiwanese unit price? It’s too big.

The president was stunned at that. Yonggu lowered his head deeply as if it was his mistake.
But he then raised his head again when Hyunwoo said,
But it was his negotiating strategy.


Strategy?


Yes, the local presidents strongly dissented with the proposed unit price, but at the same time, they were pretty nervous that their contracts would fall apart, so I came forward with an 80% compromise. They then easily signed the contracts.


If that’s the case, this can’t be only Mr. Jang’s credit. Rather, Mr. Kim’s credit might be greater.


That’s right, president.

Hyunwoo nodded his head, and the president laughed satisfactorily.
The president gave the company credit card to the team manager.

Let me direct the general affairs department to plan the award money for you. Also, have dinner with this card today.

The company card was the highest show of appreciation that the president could give to his employees.
As soon as work was over, the purchasing team members headed to the restaurant. The manager ordered foreign hard liquor, and the team members got drunk pleasantly.
However, Yonggu’s expression was not that bright. While he emptied his cup, he kept reading Hyunwoo’s facial expression. He then slipped away with the excuse of smoking a cigarette. Leaving the scene, he placed his hand on Hyunwoo’s shoulder and said,
Let’s go out for a moment for fresh air.

Outside, Yonggu lit a cigarette, and then said first,
Thanks.


Don’t say that. We’re friends,
Hyunwoo said, smiling.

Why did you say that?


Why?


Why did you give the credit to me? You must want something.


Something? Just get a quick promotion, man! That’s my real reason.

Yonggu looked at Hyunwoo, wondering about Hyunwoo’s real motivation.
Turning to him, Yonggu said, puffing smoke into the air,
Let me give the award money to you.


No thanks, dude. That’s a gift. Just take it.


In addition to a promotion, I get appreciated by the president. That’s more than I can rightly get. I really can’t receive the award money. I’m going to be a really bad guy if I receive that money.

Yonggu insisted on it, and only then did Hyunwoo nod.

Okay, let me take the award money then. But I have one condition for that.


What is it?


Tell me honestly.

Only then did Yonggu looked him full in the face.
In a quiet and heavy voice, Hyunwoo asked,
Why do you hate me so much?? What the heck is the reason?