Waves of Talent (2)
The first to set foot on American soil were the laborers ready to jump straight into farm work and the core technicians who would run the smart farms.
Most of them had no experience with large-scale farming, but the selection criteria were ironclad: no criminal record, and a proven track record of diligence.
Having endured Korea's cutthroat competitive society in silence, they adapted quickly and without much fuss. Thankfully.
"Um... are you really offering these terms?"
Kim Jin-su sat before me, the contract in his trembling hands. He looked like he couldn't believe it.
"Of course."
I replied with firm conviction.
Truth be told, if the goal was just making money, the company should own all the farms outright and hire these folks as salaried managers.
But I wanted symbiosis. More precisely, I wanted to ignite human desire.
Work hard here in America, and it can be yours. You can get rich.
Humans go berserk when they see hope—and believe the rewards will truly be theirs.
That so-called "sense of ownership" doesn't come from drawing a paycheck at someone else's company. It comes from being the real boss.
I reminded Kim Jin-su of the proposal once more.
"The terms are simple. Hansang will fully fund and build the large smart farm complexes and facilities."
"......"
"And we'll buy every last crop produced here. No need to worry about sales channels."
That was the key.
Farmers fail not because they can't grow crops, but because there's nowhere to sell them—or they have to dump them at rock-bottom prices.
"You'll repay the initial construction and investment costs from the profits. Until then, the farms stay under company ownership. But the moment the debt is cleared..."
I met Kim Jin-su's eyes directly.
"From that point on, this smart farm becomes your personal business, Mr. Kim. You'll be president of Hansang's primary supplier."
This was a form of incubation—a franchise system.
Managing millions of square feet of farmland directly would waste manpower and be inefficient.
Better to cultivate young, ambitious bosses like this. They'd pull all-nighters tending crops, hiring help, and boosting quality on their own.
The company cuts management costs, recovers funds safely, and secures a stable supply chain. Perfect win-win.
"To... to go this far for me... I can't thank you enough. Truly... thank you."
Kim Jin-su's face flushed red.
For now, he was working at existing farms to learn the American system while his own was under construction.
I slid the pen across the table.
"So, shall we make it official?"
Jin-su signed with a shaking hand. His three firm strokes screamed desperation.
"You're in America now—you have to succeed, right?"
"Yes! I will succeed, no matter what! Thank you, President!"
Kim Jin-su bowed a full ninety degrees, nearly snapping in half.
His eyes no longer held the listless gaze from Korea. They burned with venom and hope.
He wasn't the only one.
Aquaculture experts, specialty crop growers—everyone I made the same offer to reacted with disbelief, then embraced it with fervor.
For them, it was ultimate motivation. For Hansang, it meant fresh ingredients via direct deals, no middlemen markups—a rock-solid pipeline.
I organized the signed contracts with a satisfied smile.
Kim Jin-su played a crucial role in building the smart farm specialty crop facilities.
America was an agricultural superpower, but its focus differed wildly from Korea's.
They excelled at "mega open-field farming"—endless plains of corn or wheat, pesticides sprayed from planes.
But Korea-style precision container smart farms—stacking crops in tight spaces with climate control—lacked their finesse.
Especially for finicky Korean specialties like perilla leaves, chives, or crown daisies. American brute-force systems couldn't hack it.
"The humidity controls need their own line here. Rely on their ventilation-only setup, and the leaves will shrivel up."
Jin-su poured out his hard-won Korean knowledge and hard lessons from failures.
Even the execs from Mark Chairman's connected U.S. construction giant were impressed by his meticulous feedback.
"This guy's no joke. Knows more than our engineers."
With construction firm and Jin-su collaborating, blueprints finalized, and work kicked off immediately.
Vroom—! Boom!
The Land of Opportunity's scale was unreal.
One hundred thousand pyeong. Bigger than forty soccer fields combined.
Dozens of bulldozers and forklifts churned the earth in a dust-choked spectacle, leveling the site in no time.
Fired up by the massive project after a dry spell, the builders conceded on materials and labor costs.
But this vast smart farm complex wasn't just for Kim Jin-su.
Ji-hoon had divided the land into precise "sectors" like a go board.
Jin-su was merely No. 1 boss for a slice of prime Sector A.
The rest would fill with ambitious Koreans who'd aced interviews back home.
This was Ji-hoon's solution to labor cost risks.
America's killer wages and strict labor laws.
If Hansang HQ ran the whole 100,000 pyeong directly, hiring hundreds? Costs would devour profits.
Make them bosses, though, and everything changes.
"From now on, hiring is up to you presidents."
They'd slave day and night for their own success.
And handle grunt work by hiring smart or roping in family—whatever was efficient.
HQ escapes HR headaches; bosses get their own businesses. Win-win.
Overlooking the site, Ji-hoon smiled with quiet triumph.
The skeleton of Hansang's corporate city was rising.
Farm construction costs? Think of it as prepaying for materials.
Crunch the numbers, and it added up.
The small town of Bakaville buzzed with unprecedented energy.
Not fleeting tourists dropping cash then bouncing. These were healthy young folks putting down roots to live.
Koreatowns usually clustered in big cities like LA or New York, where money and people flowed.
I twisted that formula.
Production bases weren't just Bakaville.
California's nooks, America's untapped rural gems—plenty out there.
A Korean seaweed farmer who'd lost his big operation applied. I sent him not to California, but Washington's Puget Sound.
A ria coast like Korea's West or South Seas, perfect water temps.
With the K-Food boom exploding kim popularity stateside, local production there would slash costs beyond imagination.
Start small, scale with output.
"Hmm~"
I hummed idly, hands loose on the wheel.
Lily rode shotgun as we cruised Bakaville's serene countryside.
I always brought her on these farm inspections.
Excuse for work, but really my way of dating—getting her out of the house, since she got cabin fever.
"Sniff sniff. I smell grapes, honey!"
Lily stuck her nose out the open window, wrinkling it cutely.
"Yeah. Sweet."
The air hung thick with grape scent.
Bakaville's wine country fame meant endless vineyards flanked the road—a stunning vista.
One breath, and you'd get drunk on sweetness.
Lily's silver hair whipped in the wind from her open window.
I glanced at her while driving.
Post-charity, her Daol outfits from YouTube vids sold out like mad. Things got weird.
Luxury brands begged her to wear their latest, shipping piles. Daol promised quarterly top-tier womenswear in thanks.
Lily? Set for life, wardrobe-wise.
"Hm. Maybe time for a bigger house?"
"Huh?"
"Clothes piling up. It's plenty for us two, but security... and you need a real dress room."
I floated the idea. Lily shook her head.
"It's great now."
"Wouldn't a bigger place be nicer?"
"Anywhere with you is perfect~ This is our first newlywed home. I wanna stay longer."
Lily cherished this simple bliss.
I smiled and nodded.
"Okay. We'll move when the baby's here. Need space to raise 'em."
"Yay! Moving when baby comes—sounds good!"
Beaming at the thought, Lily squeezed my hand tight.
We pulled up at the farm HQ office.
I hopped out, grilling the site manager on progress and staffing.
"Dorms: foundation work on schedule."
"Smart farms: prep wraps next week."
The reports felt solid.
Direct from farm to kitchen, no middlemen? At least 50% off current ingredient costs.
Straight to profits.
As I issued orders with a straight face, Lily sat prim on the office sofa, watching me work.
So different from home life—fascinating her.
Meeting wrapped; we headed out for home.
Doorly car, Lily's eyes sparkled.
"Honey~ Watching you handle all that tough business stuff was so fresh!"
"Yeah? Home's different. Out here, I'm the boss."
"Ooh~ So this is my man's business side~!"
Lily squealed, clinging to my arm.
I stroked her hair.
"Really? What'd you think?"
She pondered, then whispered in my ear.
"Mmm... sexy!"
"......!"
"Made my heart go wild."
Her gaze turned sultry. Like a switch flipped.
The look she gave in bed when things heated up.
Tonight promised fun.
"Head home?"
My voice husked a bit.
"Yeah! Got something I wanna do. Heehee."
Lily's teasing reply.
I grinned and floored it.