Chapter 59

: Translator: – – Editor: – –
Park Daebong, the president of Aurum, shook his head as if he didn’t want to hear more.

No way!


Please think about the promotional effects,
demanded Park Youngsu, his nephew and manager of the purchasing team. He explained to the president about the patriotic marketing that he had heard from Hyunwoo, but he dug in his heels and wouldn’t change his mind.

No, it’s impossible. Think about this. Currently, we pay 800 million won per year for the castor imports. Do you know how much we have to pay when the unit price is increased to 530 won? It’s 1.4 billion won. Aside from the existing products, we have to pay an additional 250 million won when we apply the adjusted unit price to our new products. How can we afford to pay it?
said the president. He then looked at Hyunwoo, continuing,

The reason I mentioned 450 won for our new products was because we cut the budget significantly thanks to Mr. Jang Hyunwoo’s efforts. We saved about 150 million won. But your proposal doesn’t make sense. Business men should not be affected by kindness. Let them adjust to a unit price of below 450 won unconditionally. Get out!.

There was little room for Park and Hyunwoo to interrupt for further persuasion.
Both came out of the president’s office even without making their case.
Manager Park went back to his office, and Hyunwoo went into the conference room alone.
Standing nervously near the conference room, Kim Dohyuk rushed to Hyunwoo.

What ..? Kim couldn’t ask properly because he could read from Hyunwoo’s look what the result was.
Hyunwoo lowered his head and said,

Sorry. We did our best, but…


Haaaa….
Kim let out a sigh as if he was hopeless. He then feebly squatted on the ground.
Hyunwoo couldn’t raise his face.

I’m really sorry. Because of my limited capability…


No, you don’t have to feel sorry. I know you did your best.


But the result is not good, as you know…

Hyunwoo was at a loss for words. How could he comfort Kim in such a situation?
Like Kim, Hyunwoo could not help but heave a sigh.
Several days later.

How about the situation?
asked Hyunwoo over the phone.

Looks like Kim has been idling away his time drinking. He seems to be extremely disappointed. I wonder if he’s going to end up as a crock,
said Paek Sungwoo.
Hyunwoo’s face grew dark at his remarks.
In fact, Kim’s failure wound mean Hyunwoo’s opportunity. As Kim failed to form a dream team in Korea, the only choice now was for Kim and his dream team to move to Vietnam.
From Hyunwoo’s perspective, this was something he should be really happy about. However, he could not just clap his hands over somebody’s failure.

So, did you find any other way?
asked Hyunwoo.

Do you think it’s easy to win over a person’s mind?
replied Paek.
In fact, Pake could not find one no matter how hard he thought about it.

What did you do for the past month?
demanded Hyunwoo.

Hey, you try to do it, man. Do you think I can find any clues to tempt Kim even if I gather all the information about him?
complained Paek as if Hyunwoo’s reproach was not fair.
Still, he had to find out something about him.

Did you say his daughter’s name was Unhye?

At Hyunwoo’s asking, Paek recited all the tips he had found out about Kim and his family as if he was arguing that he hadn’t wasted his time for the past month.

Yes, she is a student of Japanese language and literature at Chungju Univ. Her grade are all A+. Her Japanese is excellent enough to pass as a native Japanese. She wants to study in Japan, but because of her family’s bad financial situation, I’ve found out that she has been thinking of studying in Japan while doing part-time job there.

At that moment, Hyunwoo’s eyes opened wide suddenly.

Yes, that’s the solution!


What?


We can help his daughter study in Japan. Then, Kim will change his mind, I think.


Don’t you think it’s the tail wagging the dog? Based on my calculations, she needs at least 100,000 yen for her monthly expenses. And we can’t pay only 100,000 yen, right?


I’ll take care of that. Anyway, nice job, dude. You just focus on doing your job as a salesman from now on,
said Hyunwoo.
After the call, Hyunwoo approached manager Park.

What’s the matter?
asked Park.

I want to meet Mr. Kim again.


I understand his case was closed.


Though he failed here in Korea, I think he can succeed in Vietnam.


Vietnam?


Yes, I’m thinking about sending Kim’s dream team to the N&C factory in Vietnam. Then, I think they can meet our president’s demand for the quality and the unit price.

Park’s eyes became wide open at that, as if he had never thought about that.

Oh, that’s a good idea. By the way, I wonder if they can go as far as Vietnam to work there.


That’s why I want to meet Kim. Let me go down to Chunju and persuade him. Please send me out on a business trip there.


Sure, will do.


I’ve got one more favor to ask of you.


What’s that?

Park’s face brightened instantly, suggesting he could do him any favor.

The old guard at the main gate said that he was a former teacher of Mr. Kim, and he promised to help me. Can you ask the president to approve my request to go with that guard?


Was he a former teacher?


Yes, he said he was once the principal of a high school.


I see. That’s why he sounds elegant, something I don’t feel from a typical guard. Okay. Let me report to the president for approval,
said Park.
Hyunwoo felt that it was a done deal, for Park Daebong recently approved Park Youngsu’s proposal without any objection. And most of Park’s ideas or proposals came from Hyunwoo or Yonggu, which were mostly beneficial to the company.
As he had said, Park got the president’s approval, and Hyunwoo called Kim.

Oh, Mr. Jang, how are you?

Though Kim’s tongue didn’t trip, he obviously spoke in drunk voice. He seemed to be drunk even though it was still the middle of the day.

I’ve got something to tell you about your dream team. Can I see you tomorrow? Let me come down to Chungju.


Well, I thought it was a closed book, right?

Kim’s voice was feeble. When Hyunwoo mentioned his dream team, he felt Kim would react differently, but it seemed he lost the will to do anything completely.

I think I have to meet you on that. And you must know Mr. Oh Youngsu, right? He’s promised to come with me.


What? Mr Oh, my teacher?

Oh Suyoung was the old guard’s name.
When Hyunwoo mentioned Oh, Kim’s tone changed, which meant that he had great respect for his former teacher.

Are you available tomorrow?


Sure, I’m…


Okay, I’ll see you then.

After the call, Hyunwoo headed for the guard office with a light heart. He felt things would work out smoothly, given that Kim’s tone changed the moment he heard the name Oh Youngsu.
Mr. Oh gladly greeted Hyunwoo with a bright smile.

What brought you here at this time?


I’ve got a favor to ask of you, sir.


Favor? What is it?


Actually, I’m going down to Chunju to see Mr. Kim Dohyuk. I hope you can come with me. As the president already approved our business trip there, please decide to come with me.

Oh had no reason to say no.

Sure, I will. By the way, how can I help you? Last time you told me something about him, but…

The following morning.
Hyunwoo told Oh about some of the details about Kim and his dream team while he was driving down to Chungju with him.
Nodding his head, Oh said,

Oh, I see there was something going on about N&C like that. Mr. Na Sungji and Kwon Sangtaek are beholden to you, Mr. Jang, a lot.


That’s not my point, sir. N&C is a workplace of opportunity for Kim and the other technicians. They can make a successful comeback there if they want.


Now I see how I can help you. Don’t worry. Kim is not such an adaptable person.


I will just rely on you, sir.

While they were having a conversation on their way to Chunju, they soon arrived at their destination.
Was it because of his former teacher’s visit? Until yesterday, Kim had been drunk, but today, he was completely sober. With a clean shave, he obviously paid attention to his appearance, too.

How come you drove so far down here, sir?
asked Kim.

I heard you were having a difficult time these days. How could I do nothing?


It’s cold outside. Please come inside. Unhye, peel some apples for us.


Yes, daddy.

Hyunwoo heard Unhey’s voice somewhere in the house.
It was warm inside. Obviously, Kim turned on the boiler to heat the room when he heard his former teacher was coming, too.
A little later, Unhye came with some apples. Hyunwoo stole a glance at her, who looked plump and cheerful. She must have felt a lot of stress because of her slump-ridden father, but she didn’t show her feelings at all.
‘Is it because she’s the senior? She seems rather mature,’ Hyunwoo thought.
After she went out, Oh made some well-wishing remarks. And then, Hyunwoo brought up the main topic.

Your dream team. Don’t you think it’s too regrettable for your team to disappear without doing nothing? Why don’t you think of working in Vietnam now?

Kim heaved a sigh instead of replying. He didn’t even have any motivation, let alone going there for a comeback.

Vietnam is not as far as you think. If you want, you can come back anytime you want. Don’t think Vietnam as a foreign country. Just assume you are travelling to Cheju island on a business trip.

Kim stayed silent, though. Hyunwoo continued to persuade him,

I’ll fully support your accomodation there. And let me pay 100 million won per person for the technology transfer fee, plus additional 50 million won as an annual salary. If you want, I can give you stocks in the company. And, I’m going to send you a plane ticket once a month, so you can travel to Korea back and forth.

The more Kim listened to him, the more dramatic Hyunwoo’s proposal was. Kim even wondered how Hyunwoo could make any profit after paying such a huge amount.
But Hyunwoo thought he could make money. He already discussed this matter with Na Sungji and Kwon Sangtaek.
Of course, the size of the dream team members should not be too big. Kwon said two or three was the right size.
Kim still could not open his mind.
This time, his former teacher began to persuade him. Rather than technical things, Oh told him about what he had seen and felt about Hyunwoo.

I don’t know much about business, but I know something about life. The most important thing is not what to do but who you have to do business with. In that respect, Mr. Jang is the man you can trust and work with.


Of course I highly think of Mr. Jang, sir.


Then, what is your biggest headache? Don’t you think Jang can come up with a solution when he knows what it is?

At Oh’s asking, Kim asked himself.
‘Why am I hesitating now?’
Maybe it might be his lingering obsession. Obsession with the potential opportunity he could find in Korea. Even though he had experienced such a big hurdle, he still failed to get over that kind of obsession. On the other hand, there was some fear in his mind. Fear that someone might take advantage of him fully and then desert him.
When he looked at Hyunwoo, however, he felt that he didn’t have to worry about such fear. Hyunwoo was a man certified even by his former teacher.
Still, he could not make the decision easily. Despite Mr Oh’s persuasion, he could not nod his head easily.

Please give me some time. Let me think about it.

In fact, Hyunwoo thought he could not persuade him away immediately. And, he had one more ace card to show to Kim.

Sir, let me get out for some fresh air and come back. Can both of you have a conversation a little more?
said Hyunwoo.
Hyunwoo had already discussed with Oh about this.
Oh nodded, as if he recognized Hyunwoo’s intentions.

Okay, go ahead.

Hyunwoo went out of the room alone and walked slowly here and there inside the house.
Then, he saw Unhye over there.

Ms. Kim Unhye?


Oh, are you done?


Can I talk with you a minute?

At Hyunwoo’s abrupt suggestion, Unhye seemed surprised.

With me? What’s it about?

Hyunwoo said, with a smile,
Business.