Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Competence vs. Diligence
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"If it were you, Joyruk, who would you pick?"
The rude but competent worker vs. the incompetent but diligent one.
It was the ultimate golden balance game.
When running a franchise business, there are times you agonize over who to choose as a franchisee.
Fox or bear? That is the question. There were times I tore my hair out pondering it. Now, after countless experiences, I've reached a certain conclusion.
Joyruk frowned just like I used to in the old days and fell into deep thought.
"Hmm. That's tough. Can't we just find someone who's both competent and diligent?"
"There's a difference in degree, but in the end, people mostly fall into one of these two categories."
"Is that so? This is just my personal opinion, but if it were me..."
Joyruk paused for a moment, then lifted his head and continued.
"...still, I'd go with the competent one, wouldn't I?"
"Ho ho. And why is that?"
"Because personality can be hidden somehow. Jang Min-gyu shows it a bit, but as long as he acts polite in front of customers, it should be fine."
Joyruk calmly laid out his reasoning.
"In the end, we're looking for someone to do the work. Not a good person. From headquarters' perspective, sales matter more than personal character."
He's right.
On the surface.
"Well, in terms of results, Jang Min-gyu would probably generate far less revenue than Seo Beom-jun and be harmful to headquarters as a franchisee."
"Yes?"
"If I had to pick one, I'd choose Seo Beom-jun without a doubt."
"Why? Sure, Seo Beom-jun is a former athlete with guaranteed diligence and stamina, but he's never run a food business before."
Joyruk immediately countered. It wasn't like he was nitpicking my opinion; he genuinely seemed puzzled.
Yeah. Back in the early days, I made the same mistake as Joyruk plenty of times.
I prioritized people who were rude but quick-handed and good at cooking.
'The results... were disastrous.'
At first, things went well. They were all competent workers, and I gave them my full support.
Many stores recouped their investment in just one or two months and started turning a profit.
But the problem came after that.
"People usually think slumps or mannerism hit when business is bad. But real mannerism strikes when business is going well."
Joyruk's eyes widened.
"When you work every day, doubt naturally creeps in. 'What am I doing? Why am I working so hard?' Since the work is all similar."
"Ah... that makes sense."
"Then suddenly, thoughts like this bubble up: 'Should I open just 10 minutes late today?' or 'Should I close a bit early today?'"
That's the fatal mistake.
Delay it by 10 minutes, just 10 minutes, and before you know it, operating hours have shortened dramatically compared to the start.
"And that's not all. An inferiority complex sets in too. 'I'm making this much money, but I'm actually better than you guys—why do I have to bow and scrape while working hard?'"
You know those shops, right?
The ones where the owner leaves the kitchen to others, drapes themselves in luxury brands and gold necklaces, and just handles the counter or lounges around inside.
No matter how good the food tastes, customers abandon those places quickly.
"Being competent? Shop work is mostly simple repetition anyway, so even talentless people improve with time. Sense? Nice to have, but not having it isn't a big deal."
But diligence is different.
"If they're not diligent, no matter how good they are, they can't overcome mannerism and crash soon enough. So to lower closure rates, you have to prioritize diligent, modest people."
"I see...!"
Joyruk's eyes sparkled as he nodded vigorously.
"Diligence, huh. We should select franchisees based on that... But it would be great if it were as obvious as today, but usually, even undiligent people say they'll work hard in interviews. How do you spot it?"
"You can't figure out everything about a person from a short conversation. Of course not. But there are a few things to check."
Three main ones. I counted them off on my fingers one by one.
"First, hairstyle."
"Ah, long hair won't do."
"In the kitchen, everyone wears hats anyway. No time to fuss with style. Long hair is fine if managed well, but usually, people keep it short because it's a hassle."
Joyruk hurriedly jotted something down in his notebook. I felt a bit embarrassed watching him, but he peeked his head out and asked.
"What's next?"
"Second, watches."
"Ah~."
"Same thing. They get in the way during kitchen work."
"And the last one?"
"Look down."
I pointed at my feet with my fingertip.
"Shoes. Surprisingly, a lot of people show up in slippers or sandals. Or without socks."
"Aha..."
"In the end, that person's hygiene sense determines the shop's hygiene. If they smell, have long nails, or messy hair, the basics are lacking."
This is all basic stuff that goes without saying. Joyruk finally stopped his frantic scribbling.
"Got it. I'll keep it in mind when selecting franchisees from now on."
Good attitude.
"So, should we start preparing the franchise opening with just Seo Beom-jun?"
"Yeah, do that."
"Hmm... But why did you even call Jang Min-gyu for an interview? You could've seen his personality from the application alone."
"......"
If he asks why, I have no choice but to keep my mouth shut. Because it's something I can't tell him about.
'I ran a franchise with him before. Of course, he fell into mannerism, sales plummeted. Still, I wanted to check one more time if this Jang Min-gyu was the same one I knew.'
...Yeah, that'd sound too weird. I just smiled wordlessly. That seemed answer enough for Joyruk.
"Yes, understood. You received another divine revelation, right?"
"Haha. Shall we say that?"
Joyruk shrugged at my made-up excuse. A sign he wouldn't pry further.
That's why it's convenient.
"Alright, then I'll head out on my field visit~."
I stood up and stretched. Ow, so stiff. As I started to step away, Joyruk called from behind.
"What meeting did you say it was today?"
"Oh, didn't I mention?"
I spun around with a grin.
"Investor meeting!"
Whoosh.
Choi Yeo-hae lifted her oversized sunglasses with her fingertip. Even indoors, the resort-style shades suited her perfectly without a hint of awkwardness.
It was overly luxurious for an investor meeting. A suite in a five-star hotel.
With separate bedroom and parlor, I sat facing her in the parlor.
"Oh dear, sorry about that."
She said it in a tone that wasn't sorry at all.
"I forgot my glasses. Only prescription ones I have are these sunglasses?"
That's what it was. I thought it was some new intimidation tactic. Staring at those luxury brand logos for 10 minutes would make anyone think that.
"The investment report is well-written. Feels like it was done by a 10-year veteran entrepreneur."
Busted.
Choi Yeo-hae took off her sunglasses, placed them on the table, and said.
"No cute rookie charm. Can't tell if I'm investing in a fresh young kid or a sly 10-year fox."
Tsk, she clicked her tongue. As if she wouldn't have ripped it apart even worse if it lacked something.
Knowing it was Choi Yeo-hae's roundabout way of praising, I managed my expression.
'Phew. Even at my age, President Choi is intimidating. She has this aura that makes you tense. Charisma, I guess?'
Even I, who doesn't scare easily, broke a bead of cold sweat down my back in front of her.
Others would be drenched.
Thud.
Choi Yeo-hae set the investment report down on the table and said.
"Shall I be honest?"
"Please do."
Choi Yeo-hae narrowed her eyes and stared me down. Her tiger-like presence made me struggle not to flinch.
"It's beyond expectations."
As expected.
"The usage records are clean, and I like the investments. Haha. You even doubled the surplus funds by investing in stocks?"
If you know the future, you use it. Even a novice knows a few big stocks.
"I usually hate wasting investment money on nonsense like that, but the results are too good to complain. You could be a fund manager."
"You're too kind."
"No, really. I'd trust you with our company's assets. Share your portfolio. Let me show it to my team."
Choi Yeo-hae pulled a bottle of wine from the minibar and continued.
"Now, let's celebrate. Have a glass."
"Pardon?"
Caught off guard, I took the wine glass, and she filled it while saying.
"You proved it. That you're a diamond that can shine on your own."
"Haha..."
"Honestly, I was skeptical. No matter how talented and ambitious, starting a company young isn't easy, right?"
Of course it wasn't easy. Before regression, it was truly starting from scratch.
Now it's my second time, so much smoother. To Choi Yeo-hae, unaware of that, I must look like a divinely inspired genius.
"So, President."
I cautiously opened the topic.
"Actually..."
"You want more investment funds?"
"!"
"You think I wouldn't know?"
Choi Yeo-hae chuckled and took a sip of wine.
She poured another glass with a glug-glug, swirled it to smell the aroma.
"You're in the middle of explosive branch expansion, so you need more capital. You even cashed out the stocks for it, right? Obvious at a glance."
"...Yes, exactly. As you said, I came to ask for more investment funds."
I wanted to grow more, faster.
Whether she knew of my thirst or not.
Choi Yeo-hae answered flatly.
"Sorry, but no."