At the Paper Mill, Part 2
A few moments earlier, in the conference room.
Department Manager Baek Gyumin, who had just arrived, spotted Director Tae Giseong already seated.
Tae was reviewing documents with a stiff, sour expression.
Ugh, what an eyesore.
But the expressions of the other employees in the room were grim.
Everyone is so tense.
Something must have happened before he arrived.
Judging by how they were walking on eggshells around Tae Giseong, that bastard was undoubtedly the culprit.
What a nasty piece of work.
Baek felt sorry for the employees who had to work under him.
If he was acting like this in the conference room, it must be a nightmare in his own office.
I should probably break the ice.
With that in mind, Baek forced a friendly smile and greeted Tae Giseong.
“Director Tae, did you have a good weekend?”
But the response was cold.
“Why do you care?”
“Well, we're colleagues. I'm just asking. Is it a crime to make small talk?”
“Don't bother me. I'm busy right now.”
“Unbelievable...”
Baek Gyumin scratched his head at the prickly response and sat down.
Instead, he struck up a conversation with the other executives to ease the tension.
“Manager Kim, you said you liked malatang, right?”
“Pardon? Oh... yes, I do.”
“A new place opened up in the alley over there. We should grab a bite sometime.”
“Oh, really? Today works for me.”
“Let's do that then. Assistant Manager Park, want to join us?”
“I'd love to, if you're inviting me.”
Thanks to that, the atmosphere thawed a bit.
Though Tae Giseong glared at Baek Gyumin with a deeply displeased look.
“The president is coming.”
The entrance of the president put an end to the chatter.
“Alright, everyone take a seat. We're running late, so let's get right to the meeting.”
The meeting began.
“Therefore, to prepare for these rising raw material costs, we need to secure additional suppliers...”
Time passed as various agenda items were discussed.
Eventually, it was Director Tae's turn.
“Before it's too late, we must install an eco-friendly wastewater purification system.”
As expected, he brought up the issue.
“Since the environmental laws have changed, it's something we have to do anyway. It's better to prepare in advance.”
In truth, his words weren't wrong.
If it was inevitable, doing it sooner made sense, especially considering the public interest of environmental protection.
But he's rushing it too much.
There was still plenty of time before next year.
There was no reason to rush into such a high-cost project.
Even if they did, they should look into other, cheaper vendors.
But Tae Giseong seemed to have no intention of doing so.
There's definitely an ulterior motive.
Even then, Director Tae continued to push for the technology.
“That's why I believe we must place the order immediately.”
“But the cost is too high. Are there no other options?”
“Mr. President, Veolia's microbial cultivation method is currently the most efficient technology in the world. Although the initial cost is high, there are no additional maintenance costs, making it highly profitable in the long run. It is our best option.”
“Hmm...”
The mood in the conference room was leaning toward Director Tae's proposal.
This was because there was no viable alternative.
Even according to Baek Gyumin's own research, Veolia's system was indeed the best available.
Although Baek found it suspicious, he couldn't find a reason to object.
Under normal circumstances, I would have had no choice but to watch him get his way again today.
But.
“What if there is a better product?”
Baek Gyumin's sudden intervention drew everyone's eyes.
“Hmm?”
“A better one?”
Tae Giseong, who had been waiting for the president's approval, glared at him in confusion.
“...”
Baek Gyumin smiled and addressed him.
“Director Tae, you said the quote from the German side was four billion won, correct?”
“...Yes. Roughly so.”
“I have found a supplier that can provide a purification system of comparable quality at a third of that price.”
A quiet murmur rippled through the room.
“Oh, a third? So about 1.3 or 1.4 billion won?”
“Whatever the exact number, that's incredibly cheap.”
“But can the performance really be similar at that price?”
“Manager Baek must have vetted them thoroughly.”
The room quickly grew hopeful about the new option Baek Gyumin presented.
His face hardening, Director Tae demanded sharply.
“Where is this supplier?”
“See for yourself. They are waiting in the next room.”
“I'll go in first.”
“Alright.”
I agreed with my father.
Having my father, dressed in the company's uniform, enter first would establish a sense of familiarity, far better than a high school student leading the way.
Slide.
“You may enter.”
As we stepped into the conference room, all eyes fell upon us.
Someone recognized my father and spoke up.
“Supervisor Ji?”
“Ah, yes, Factory Manager.”
“What are you doing here...”
Meanwhile, the man sitting at the center of the table—presumably the president—addressed Manager Baek.
“He's wearing a uniform. Is he one of our employees?”
“Yes, sir. This is Supervisor Ji Yonggeon, who has served our company faithfully for twenty years.”
“Ah, hello.”
As expected, the atmosphere turned welcoming.
Nodding with a satisfied smile, the president pointed at me.
“And who is that beside him?”
“This is Ji Hyunwoo, Supervisor Ji's son. He is also the developer of the technology I mentioned.”
“Hmm?”
The moment he introduced me as the developer, the mood in the room soured.
The executives muttered in disbelief.
“A student?”
“What is this?”
One man stood up and scoffed.
“Pfft! Mr. President, there's no need to hear any more. How could a young student develop such technology? It makes no sense.”
“No, if you just listen to his explanation, you'll change your mind—”
Manager Baek tried to argue back, but he was cut off.
“Now, Manager Baek. Have you even properly verified this?”
The man's sharp question made Baek flinch and fall silent.
“...”
I understood his hesitation.
He lacks confidence because he hasn't verified it himself.
For Manager Baek, this was a desperate, last-minute gamble.
He had been swayed by my pitch earlier, but hearing the opposition made him doubt himself. After all, he hadn't tested the technology.
By the way...
I glanced at the man who had just spoken.
That must be Director Tae Giseong.
I could tell instantly.
The way he dominated the room left no room for doubt.
On the other hand...
Manager Baek, despite his initial momentum, looked lost.
At this rate, my opportunity would vanish before it even began.
I can't just stand by.
I stepped forward before the window closed.
“The performance is guaranteed. Please, listen to my explanation first.”
Director Tae immediately tried to shut me down.
“Look here, kid. This is no place for a student—”
Ignoring him, I addressed the president at the center of the table.
“Mr. President.”
“Yes?”
“May I present my pitch?”
“...Go ahead.”
Director Tae tried to protest again.
“Mr. President?”
“Quiet, Director Tae. Let's hear him out first.”
Fortunately, the president granted me the floor.
But I won't have much time.
Since this wasn't an official presentation and expectations were rock bottom, I had to be quick.
Yet, I found the situation rather thrilling.
This is actually quite exciting.
In my past life, I had given countless presentations for various research projects.
At academic conferences, or when pitching to secure funding for new research.
But back then, it was easy.
I had a PhD and peer-reviewed papers to back up my credibility.
People listened to me without me having to fight for their attention.
But that's not the case now.
They were only giving me a chance out of mild curiosity or courtesy.
My time was limited, and I had to captivate them within minutes.
So...
I went straight to the point.
“Minus four billion won versus minus 1.4 billion won. If you have to choose between the two, the answer is obvious.”
To these executives, the bottom line was money, not the environment.
They just needed to meet the government's new environmental regulations at the lowest possible cost.
“I have developed an eco-friendly wastewater purification technology. It offers the exact same efficiency as the leading German technology, but at a third of the cost.”
The only question left was whether the system actually worked.
If it didn't, they would fail to meet government regulations.
I had to prove it right here.
“I built a prototype and had the purified water tested by the Waterworks Headquarters. Here are the results.”
Testing Agency: Waterworks Headquarters
Sample: Purified Wastewater (Prototype System)
Result: Grade 1 (Potable Water Quality)
Compliance: Fully meets Article 32 of the Water Environment Conservation Act (Permissible Discharge Standards for Water Pollutants)
“As you can see, it received a Grade 1 rating, meaning it is clean enough to be used as drinking water. This fully complies with the permissible discharge standards for water pollutants under Article 32 of the newly revised Water Environment Conservation Act.”
As I spoke, the expressions in the room shifted.
From absurdity to anticipation, and from anticipation to sheer astonishment.
First, they were struck by my flawless presentation, and then by the sheer weight of the data.
Once they examined the documents I handed over, their amazement only deepened.
“Therefore, rather than spending unnecessary capital, I recommend adopting our system at a fraction of the cost. Thank you.”
There was no need for a long-winded explanation.
Having grasped the core concept, the executives were already hooked and began asking questions.
The president spoke first.
“How did you develop this technology? It doesn't seem like something a student could create.”
“I studied online, referencing various papers and patents. After conducting several experiments, I was able to finalize it.”
“In that case, wouldn't this infringe on existing patents?”
“No. It is an entirely different technology, so there is no risk of infringement. The primary microorganism used in Veolia's SL-20—the closest comparable system—is white sludge bacteria. Our system, however, utilizes actiphlogenic bacteria. They are completely different species.”
The president let out a low groan at my seamless, unhesitating response.
“Well...”
Other executives chimed in with their own questions.
They were all questions I had anticipated, so answering them was effortless.
“How did you calculate the cost to be exactly one-third?”
“By comparing the public data released by Veolia with the specifications of the system I designed.”
“What is the underlying principle that makes it so cheap?”
“The core of my system relies on a microorganism called Actiflo, which has a far superior pollutant removal capacity compared to Veolia's white sludge. This results in roughly three times the efficiency.”
The tide had completely turned in my favor.
Manager Baek, who had been sweating bullets earlier, regained his confidence and gave me a subtle thumbs-up.
And as for Director Tae...
Director Tae Giseong watched the scene unfold with utter disbelief.
Damn it. What the hell is happening?
He had thought the game was already won.
He had formed the task force for the facility upgrade, personally directed the vendor selection, and finalized the quote.
All that was left was the president's final signature.
But then this brat suddenly shows up!
The kid Manager Baek brought in.
His appearance had completely derailed Tae's carefully laid plans.
The president was actually listening to him. At this rate, the company might choose a completely different system instead of the one Tae had pushed for.
That absolutely cannot happen!
In truth, Tae stood to make a massive profit if Veolia's system was selected.
He had made a backroom deal, and if this plan fell through, he would have to face the disastrous consequences.
Therefore.
Damn it, I have to step in before it's too late.
He raised his voice.
“Wait a moment!”
Once he had everyone's attention, he spoke quickly.
“Everyone is overlooking the most critical point here.”