Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

“President Min-Hyeok Kim? It’s me, Gun-Ho. How is the factory going?”

“I’ve paid all of the overdue wages and rents with 3 billion won that you had sent earlier for the factory operation cost. All of the machines in the factory are working fine except for two.”

“Is the factory generating revenue?”

“Of course. Even though we haven’t earned any new business, we are working with all of the customers that the company previously had worked with. We didn’t lose any old customers.”

“That’s nice. It’s really good to continue to work with existing customers.”

“Well, they should prefer to work with us because we have the specific moulds customized for their products.”

“Tell them that we apologize for our temporary suspension of the production for the past months. I believe they will understand our situation. Nothing much the factory could have done because its parent company was suffering from a financial crisis.”

“Oh, I was going to ask you. Can you send Jong-Suk to us for three days?”

“Jong-Suk Park? He is very busy now in the production field. He still has a lot to learn.”

“Well, I just need him for three days.”

“Hmm. Okay. I will talk to the factory manager and will let you know.”

“Thank you.”

Gun-Ho asked for the factory manager.

“How is Manager Jong-Suk Park doing in the field?”

“He certainly has a lot to learn in the production field; however, he is doing very well since he has extensive experience in the maintenance and repair in a factory.”

“Please train him as much as you could. I’m counting on you.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“By the way, I will need to send Manager Jong-Suk Park to China for maybe about three days. Is it okay with you?”

“We need him here. We have a lot of maintenance work here.”

“Let’s send him just for three days. We have many other workers here too, compared to the factory in China.”

“Okay then.”

Gun-Ho asked for Jong-Suk.

“I was told that you wanted to talk to me, sir.”

“Cut it out, man. Call me brother when we are alone.”

“I was worried that maybe someone could hear us. Haha.”

“How do you like the work here?”

“The factory manager is very strict, but he is extremely experienced in this field. There is a lot to learn from him.”

“You need to go to China for three days.”

“To Min-Hyeok bro?”

“Yes. He needs your help there. Go and help him.”

“Haha. I haven’t seen him for a while.”

Gun-Ho asked for the general affairs manager.

“The general affairs manager is not in his office right now. He went to the city hall.”

“Then please ask the assistant general affairs manager to come to my office.”

The assistant general affairs manager entered the president’s office. He was wearing a suit with a tie neatly.

“Manager Jong-Suk Park here needs to go on a business trip to the factory in China. Please get him the Chinese visa and a flight ticket to China.”

“Yes, sir.”

The assistant general affairs manager gave a 90-degree bow to Gun-Ho before leaving the office. He was about the same age as Gun-Ho and he was a good looking man.

“Bro, I feel sort of embarrassed whenever I see the assistant general affairs manager.”

“Like what?”

“He is at the same age as you, right? And I am two years younger than him. But I am a manager and he is an assistant manager.”

“You don’t have to think that way.”

“Moreover, he was born and raised here in Asan City, and he graduated from Dankook University in Cheonan City as an honor student.”

“You have skills, Jong-Suk. You deserve the position you have now. Did you receive your salary this month?”

“Yes, I did. It’s 4 million won. I could save some money now.”

“That’s good. All of the departments are currently full, but once the factory manager retires, I guess we will have many positions available in the production department. Let’s see which position you want to take then.”

“No, no. I am getting more than enough now.”

Gun-Ho asked for the sales director—Director Kim.

“How is the new production development going for S Company that we met the other day?”

“The research center is working on it. They reviewed the product drawing that they sent to us and started making the moulds referring to the product drawing. We will need about two bags of the raw materials from Lymondell Dyeon though, so we could produce samples.”

“Can we just call Lymondell Dyeon and ask them to mail the materials to us?”

“It won’t work that way. It’s not like they have the raw materials ready for us. They will need to make specific compounds for us. But the real problem is that they won’t take an order from us.”

“Let’s go to Japan then. Let’s go to Lymondell Dyeon’s Japan office to see the president with me.”

“People say that the president of Lymondell Dyeon’s Japan branch doesn’t like to meet with people from Korean companies. I once went to Japan to see him with the previous president of Mulpasaneop, but he refused to meet us at that time.”

“Really?”

“Sir, I am sorry to ask you this, but are you really a friend of the president of Lymondell Dyeon’s Japan office?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I thought you were bluffing when we talked with the vice president of S Company last time, to get their business.”

“Let’s just go to Japan with me and see for yourself.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I will need to ask for another friend of mine to help me talk with the president of Lymondell Dyeon’s Japan branch office since I don’t speak English. This friend is fluent in English. He is an attorney of Kim&Jeong Law Office and he is also a very good friend of Amiel.”

“Kim&Jeong Law Office?”

Director Kim didn’t seem to fully believe what Gun-Ho said. Gun-Ho made a call to Attorney Young-Jin Kim while Director Kim was still at his office.

“Attorney Young-Jin Kim? Are you busy now?”

“Hey, President Goo. It has been a while. I heard you acquired a business in Asan City. Are you still there?”

“Hey, I need to go to Japan to see President Amiel from Lymondell Dyeon.”

“Why do you need him?”

“It’s about business. Can you tell him that I will visit him next week?”

“Sure. I will call him. Can I go with you? I want to play golf again at Yonehara Golf Club.”

“Of course. Let’s go together then.”

“Oh, shoot. I can’t go next week. I have a patent case I need to work on. When you get there, say hello to Amiel for me.”

“Okay, I will do that.”

After getting off the phone with Attorney Young-Jin Kim, Gun-Ho asked the sales director.

“Do you speak English? President Amiel from Lymondell Dyeon is American.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I can’t speak English.”

“What about Japanese then? President Amiel has lived in Japan for a long time and he speaks Japanese.”

“I don’t speak Japanese either, sir.”

“Same as me.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

The sales director smiled while scratching his head in embarrassment.

“Umm, I know someone who can interpret for us though.”

“Who is it?”

“A friend of mine has a nephew who is studying in Japan now. This nephew went to Japan when he was little, so he speaks Japanese very well. He used to interpret for us and our previous president—Se-Young Oh when we went to Japan.”

Once the sales director left Gun-Ho’s office, Gun-Ho sat at his desk by himself. He moved to the sofa in the office and leaned back on the sofa, and then he closed his eyes. He thought about Mori Aikko. She had a gorgeous face.

“I want to see you, Mori Aikko. I will put your hair up. Me, Gun-Ho Goo will do it.”