Chapter 27: A New Partner
Chapter 27: A New Partner
Beast Mode: On.
I met a lot of people during my time at the company.
Nurses and doctors at the hospitals.
Even though I was a sales rep, there were people who would offer me coffee or candy.
The hospital I'd just taken a taxi to after arriving in Changwon was one of those places.
“You’re quitting Arcor?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my. What happened? Did someone give you a hard time?”
The head nurse at Isan Hospital had always been fond of me.
She’d even tried to set me up on blind dates with the other nurses many times.
Though I always turned her down, reluctant to spend money on dates.
Her husband, an ophthalmologist, had opened his own clinic and moved down to Changwon last year.
I wanted to see her before I left Arcor for good.
“No. I’m just going to try living my own life now.”
“Is that so? Hoho. Whatever you do, I’m sure you’ll do well.”
* * *
On the KTX from Changwon to Seoul.
I was moving busily, but my mind was clear.
- Next stop, Osong. Osong Station.
Osong, home to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and a life science complex.
It was where many small and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies had their factories and headquarters.
One of the reasons for this business trip to the provinces was to stop by here.
‘It's a bit late, but he should still be working.’
I got off at Osong Station and hailed a taxi.
“Leons, please.”
“Yes, sir.”
Leons was a company I'd gotten to know while working at Arcor.
They had formed a strategic partnership fourteen years ago, producing eye drops like artificial tears via OEM, and had aggressively expanded their factory whenever they turned a profit.
They produced a variety of pharmaceuticals, including asthma inhalers, vitamins, hyperlipidemia treatments, sedatives, anesthetics, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory painkillers, and their quality was excellent.
‘Team Leader Seo had mentioned it. The president is incredibly driven and crazy about his work.’
They were different from the nerds of Silicon Valley, but I felt that people who were crazy about their work were the driving force behind the Miracle on the Han River.
I arrived at the main gate of Leons and made a call.
“It's been a while, President Yoo.”
“Yeah. What's up this late?”
“I’m in front of the factory right now. I was hoping I could see you for a moment if you’re nearby.”
“At this hour? Who are you with?”
“I came alone. If it’s inconvenient, we can meet tomorrow.”
Because of the strategic partnership with Arcor, I had visited a few times with directors or team leaders.
Coming from Seoul, we usually arrived in the middle of the day, but it was now past 6 PM.
“No, it's fine. I’m at the factory now. I’ll be right out.”
After a short wait, a man in his early fifties wearing a jacket came out of the factory.
President Yoo Seok-tae.
Judging by his clothes alone, it was hard to guess his position; he was dressed so simply.
“President Yoo!”
“Yeah, you’re here. Have you had dinner?”
“Not yet. I stopped by on my way up from Changwon.”
“Let’s eat first. Oof, it’s cold. There’s a great gukbap place nearby. Sound good?”
“I love it.”
“Hahaha. Then let’s go grab a bowl.”
We went to a restaurant near the factory and had sundae-gukbap.
The kind of food you eat salty and spicy, pouring in the radish kimchi broth. I had missed sundae-gukbap when I was in the States.
“President Yoo, things must be tough these days, right?”
“Well, that's life. Thanks to all the orders from Arcor, we’re managing okay.”
It was a factory equipped with various facilities that produced pharmaceuticals on behalf of other companies.
Naturally, the profit margins weren't very high.
Their revenue grew with production volume, but recently, the patents for many new biologic drugs from Europe and the US had expired.
They'd built a biosimilar factory to produce generic drugs, but the lack of cash flow had put them in a difficult financial position.
Rumors were also spreading in the market that a domestic company, Daesan Pharmaceutical, was targeting them.
‘A small company targeted by a conglomerate. That means it's a proven blue-chip company.’
Looking at their transaction records with Arcor over the past fourteen years, I was certain.
A steadily increasing transaction volume and almost no defective products meant they were a reliable company.
“I was thinking of investing some money in your company.”
“Haha. Money?”
Even for a production-focused small company, their annual revenue was in the tens of billions of won, so an office worker's salary would seem like a joke.
President Yoo Seok-tae looked at me as if I were a commendable child.
“It’s tough, but we can hold on. It’s not like running a company in Korea has ever been easy. We’ve endured it all.”
“But this time, besides the financial difficulties, I hear Daesan Pharmaceutical is targeting you.”
“Because of that, other domestic pharmaceutical companies seem to be treading carefully. We’ve had quite a few order cancellations, but we should be fine if we can just hold out for a few months.”
Just like in R&D, the production sector is a fierce battlefield with constant technological development and the application of new methods.
In such a world, they had consistently turned a profit and expanded their factory.
The financial trouble was due to expanding without sufficient reserve funds. But that was also why they had become a company coveted by large pharmaceutical firms.
“I consider you an excellent businessman, President Yoo. If you truly don't need help, feel free to refuse. But if you do need help, please accept my funds.”
“Haha. To be honest, I am in desperate need of money.”
President Yoo Seok-tae poured the soju he'd ordered with his meal into a glass and drank.
“I’m barely managing to pay my employees’ salaries each month. And if the company gets taken over, I won’t be able to pay back your investment. Whether it’s tens of millions or a few hundred million won, you should use it for something important.”
“Is the situation that critical?”
“Honestly, it’ll be hard to last three months. If I give up and sell the company, I’ll manage to get by, but…”
Domestic conglomerates like Woosung and DK are making large-scale investments in the biologics sector, trying to make it their next-generation growth engine.
Pharmaceuticals had high growth potential and a promising business outlook.
“President Yoo. Then how much capital do you need?”
“How much?”
“This isn't an investment in the hundreds of millions of won. Tell me the amount you need.”
Then I opened my banking app and showed him the account I had prepared with 40 million dollars.
“Is this real?”
“Yes. I want to make a proper investment in your company.”
No matter how dire the situation, it wasn't something that could be decided over a bowl of gukbap.
After hearing a few conditions and the current situation, we agreed to meet again in Seoul on Saturday.
* * *
I took a taxi from Seoul Station to my apartment and went up to my unit.
The 11th floor. The moment the elevator doors opened.
A familiar blonde beauty was standing there.
For a moment, I was so tired I thought I was seeing a ghost and jumped in surprise.
“Ellie?”
“I wanted to come to Korea more than Miami. You’ll let me stay for a few days, right?”
She said she'd boarded a flight to Korea as soon as she got accepted into JP Morgan.
When she sent the text, she had been at Incheon Airport.
“How did you know my address?”
“I asked Khan. And I told him to keep it a secret from you.”
That's what friends are for, isn't it? Sharing secrets.
Beep-beep-boop!
I entered the passcode for the apartment and opened the door.
A large apartment with a view of the Han River!
I wanted to show it off a little, but it was nothing compared to an apartment in Manhattan.
“But there’s only one bed.”
“That’s fine. We’ve already spent a night together, haven’t we?”
A hint of fatigue lingered in Ellie’s playful smile.
She must have come straight from the US and been waiting all this time.
If I had known, I would have gone to Changwon and Osong a few days later.
“Go wash up first.”
“Okay.”
We showered in separate bathrooms and then lay down in the same bed, dressed lightly.
It felt like we were a married couple.
The unfulfilled night in New York came to mind.
‘What does Ellie feel for me?’
I was worried about putting my closest friend, Oh Myeong-woo, in a difficult position.
The truth was, after Han Chae-won, I had developed a deep distrust of women.
I trusted her, but whenever she tried to get closer, I would try to push her away.
I hated the idea of getting into a complicated relationship with someone again. To be precise, I was afraid.
‘Meeting and breaking up with people feels like wounding your soul.’
But...
In the early morning, Ellie hugged me in her sleep.
Even though I had just returned from Changwon and my body was tired, my mind was wide awake, and I couldn't sleep.
On impulse, I lightly kissed her forehead.
I kissed her eyes, her nose, and then her lips. Her tongue came out to meet mine, letting me know she was awake.
Her tongue felt like a sweet, moist jelly.
‘I can't hold back anymore.’
In the end, I decided to go for it.
When I was with Han Chae-won, I always did my best in bed.
I would caress her until her body was heated, and once we began, I put all my effort into making sure she felt pleasure as a woman.
To awaken every single one of her senses, I researched, studied, practiced mind control, and even exercised.
I never wanted to disappoint in bed.
When it came to sexual matters, Han Chae-won and I had never argued or had any complaints.
‘She's beautiful.’
As I moved, I thought how beautiful Ellie looked, drenched in sweat.
I watched as her abdomen and the muscles all over her body convulsed like waves.
“Haaaah.”
After completely pouring everything out, Ellie let out a long sigh.
Then, after calming down for a while, she spoke.
“There’s something I don’t understand.”
“Hm?”
“Your ex-wife. How could she have left you?”
For a man, that was the highest praise.
* * *
On Friday, I left work right on time and came home to a late-night date with Ellie.
We went to the movies and drank beer at a pub.
Everywhere we went, eyes gathered on us—men and women, adults and children alike.
‘I want to go home.’
The movie was boring, and couldn't we just drink beer at home?
Honestly, the seal had been broken, to the point where I wondered how I had managed to restrain myself during the trip to the US.
If I went to the US now, even a month in Las Vegas would feel too short.
I was holding back because I was afraid it would create an awkward atmosphere if I showed it.
Ellie leaned her head on my shoulder as we walked. The physical contact with her was just...
“Yawn. I’m sleepy.”
“Should we go home?”
And so we spent another passionate, hot night at home. Then came Saturday. A day off from work, but I had an appointment.
“I have to meet someone today. I’ll be negotiating an equity investment.”
“You’re making an investment?”
Ellie’s eyes sparkled at the word ‘negotiating.’
She was beautiful when I saw her in the US, but was it just my imagination, or had she become even more beautiful now?
“I’ve decided to invest in a pharmaceutical company. Do you want to come, Ellie?”
“I can come with you? I’d love to.”
We met with President Yoo Seok-tae at a coffee shop in Gangnam.
He had brought an accountant with him, along with a pile of ledgers and documents.
“This is…”
“You can call me Ellie.”
“Hello.”
We exchanged brief greetings and sat down.
I had decided to invest, but the specific terms hadn't been settled.
“These are the business, sales, and profit reports for the last five years. I also brought all the data on the newly completed factory.”
“Okay. I’ll take a look first and then we can talk.”
Ellie helped me go over the documents.
Given that she was good enough to get into a global financial firm like JP Morgan, I figured she had the basic ability to analyze financial statements.
“I’m a certified public accountant.”
“Huh?”
“I got my license a while ago.”
I didn't know much about Ellie. She was clearly a genius, too.
Together, we analyzed the company's data until late in the afternoon.
“I don’t know much about Korean pharmaceutical companies, but this seems like a good one.”
“You think so?”
“The cash flow is poor due to excessive investment, but the existing factory has a high operating rate, and they maintain long-term deals with large-scale buyers. That would be difficult without confidence in their quality.”
“And when the new factory is up and running?”
“They’ll need to secure orders, and there will be costs for raw materials, labor, and operations. The defect rate will probably be high at first, too. Once the company stabilizes, I think its value will rise quite a bit.”
Leons was a pharmaceutical company, but it was closer to a manufacturer that didn't do research, so I decided to take a 40% stake and invest 20 billion won twice over the course of a year.
The entire investment would go into the company, not President Yoo Seok-tae’s pocket.