People Who Sneer at Starting a Business (1)

The Managing Director read out the names of those who would need to report to the company for the time being, starting tomorrow — the finished products and semi-finished goods already manufactured still had to be processed, after all.

He went on to announce the plan ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for disposing of the company's assets. The extruders, injection molding machines, and testing equipment would be taken by OO Engineering. Four of the machines, he added, had been sold off to the Production Department Head, who had said he wanted to try running a small factory of his own.

The Managing Director also promised that anyone leaving as of today would have their wages calculated through today's date and deposited into their accounts. Even so, the President had conducted himself like a gentleman. He hadn't skipped out on what he owed just because the company was folding. He seemed determined to have the Managing Director wrap everything up the right way.

While the Managing Director was still explaining the disposal arrangements, the President walked out of the cafeteria on unsteady legs. The Accounting Manager supported him as they left. Watching the two of them go, Kim Chirok told himself he must never end up like that.

Once the President was gone, most of the others filed out as well. Kim Chirok went up to the second floor to check over the documents that still needed sorting. The Managing Director came in and spoke.

"You don't have to vacate the factory just yet. The people who won the bid won't be moving in right away."

"I understand."

"So the important documents can be moved to the Booyoung Apartment in town, where I used to live. And we've decided to move the computer the Accounting Manager was using over to my apartment as well. We'll need it there to go through the corporate liquidation."

"What would you like me to do?"

"Just come in for two or three days. We'll calculate your wages through then. You haven't looked into another job yet, have you?"

"No, I haven't. I'll come in for the next few days."

The next day arrived.

Before heading to the company, Kim Chirok stopped by the bank and transferred the remaining payment for the injection molding machines, along with the balance of the factory lease deposit, to the President.

By the time he reached the company it was already past ten in the morning, and even at that hour half the employees still hadn't shown up. The Managing Director had called out a list of people who needed to come in for a few days, but plenty of them had simply walked away for good.

When he went down to the factory floor, people from OO Engineering had already arrived. They were using a large forklift to tear out the extruders, the kneaders, and the injection molding machines. They looked as though they had done this kind of work many times before; they dismantled the equipment with practiced ease and loaded it onto the heavy trucks they had brought, leaving behind only the four injection molding machines that the Production Department Head would be taking.

Then, without warning, men in immaculate suits walked in. They were from Mitsutech. They had come to reclaim their molds.

A man who identified himself as the Mitstec Purchasing Section Chief spoke to Department Head Ma.

"We've come to take back our molds."

"They're here. Go ahead and take them."

"But four of them are missing. What happened?"

"The workers who were here actually left and started their own manufacturing company. They took those molds with them."

"What did you just say?"

"They've agreed to make the same products that were produced here and supply them to Mitsutech."

"What? We signed a supply contract with Hyangnam Tech, not with some separate manufacturing company. Give the molds back."

"We can't do that. We'll take them and produce the products for you."

"What? Hyangnam Tech is shutting down — what are you talking about? I spoke with your President this morning, you know that? Where is the President right now?"

Manager Cho, the Production Manager, spoke up from the side.

"The President didn't come in today. We're going to produce the products with the molds we took — what's wrong with that?"

"You people! We signed a Mold Storage & Custody Agreement with Hyangnam Tech, not with anyone else. Hand them over. Now."

"We can't. We'll produce them and deliver them. We have to make a living too."

"So you're going to embezzle someone else's property? Should I call the police?"

"Go ahead. We're saying we'll take the molds and make the exact same products that were produced here."

"Listen. You're the Production Manager here, right? You stay out of this. Where's the Plant Manager?"

"The Plant Manager watched the engineering company dismantle the machines and then went home."

"Then you — Production Department Head! What's going on here? Hand over the molds!"

"I already told you. We left, and we're going to make the same products for you."

"This is hopeless. I'll have to call the police!"

The Production Manager cut in.

"Even if the police come, it won't do any good. Those four molds aren't here right now."

"What? You call that an answer?"

"Don't talk down to me. I'm a Manager at Hyangnam Tech too."

"What? You think every Manager is the same? Is a manager at a mochi factory a Manager too?"

The men from Mitsutech burst out laughing. The tone made the meaning plain enough: a Manager at their company was a real Manager. Was a Manager at a little outfit like this even worthy of the title?

The Production Manager answered with a sly grin.

"Why? Is a mochi factory manager not a person?"

"What was that? Why you—!"

The Mitstec Purchasing Section Chief grabbed Manager Cho by the collar. Still wearing that sly expression, Manager Cho said,

"Go ahead and hit me. Does a Tier 1 Vendor assault the employees of a Tier 2 Vendor now?"

The Mitstec Purchasing Section Chief could only tremble with rage. Department Head Ma caught the man's hand and spoke.

"Section Chief, please calm down. We've just set up a new factory. We'll make even better products than what Hyangnam Tech used to produce."

"You people aren't even registered as partner vendors, are you? How many of you are there, and where exactly are you going to produce these things?"

"We've rented a small factory near Hyangnam-eup. There are seven of us starting out, but we'll make truly good products for you."

"It's true that products like these can be made with just a few injection molding machines. But you people are pathetically small, and you don't have SQ certification, or ISO, or IATF 16949 — none of the quality systems. You're basically a junk shop."

"We'll obtain those in due course."

"Ha. What can seven skilled workers possibly do? Just hand over the molds. I'm speaking this calmly because I know your face, Department Head."

"We've already signed a factory lease and we have the injection molding machines ready. Please let us work."

"I said no! Don't you know that Hyundai and Kia — the companies we supply — also audit the qualifications of their partner vendors?"

Watching Department Head Ma argue with the Mitsutech people, Kim Chirok felt a wave of unease. It seemed that companies like Hyundai applied strict qualification standards not only to their Tier 1 Vendors but to their Tier 2 Vendors ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as well. In that case, a hole-in-the-wall operation of seven people would have a truly hard time of it.

But for Department Head Ma and Manager Cho, this was a matter of their own livelihoods, and they stood their ground without budging.

The Mitsutec Purchasing Team Leader stepped aside and made a phone call. He seemed to be reporting back to his company that they had been unable to recover the four molds.

Around noon, a man who was a Department Head at Mitsutech ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠came rushing over. This was someone the President and the Managing Director had always received with the utmost deference whenever he visited Hyangnam Tech.

When the Mitsutech Department Head appeared, Department Head Ma greeted him with careful courtesy. The Mitsutech Department Head jabbed a finger at Ma's face.

"Why aren't you returning the molds? Do those belong to you?"

"Please let us make a living. We've already rented a factory and we have the injection molding machines in place."

"These people are impossible. I'll have to call the police."

"We're not stealing the molds. We're just holding onto them for a while to produce the same products for you. If you call the police over something like this, they'll tell you to settle it as a civil matter."

Beside him, the Mitstec Purchasing Section Chief leaned in toward his Department Head.

"Just seven workers from here walked out, and they say they're going to stamp out our products."

"No! We have to get the molds back. And we have to leave them with a registered partner vendor that has the proper scale. If something goes wrong, we're the ones who'll get hurt."

At that, Department Head Ma said,

"We'll be going to lunch now."

"What did you just say?"

Then Department Head Ma and Manager Cho bolted.

The Mitsutech Department Head shouted after them.

"Why, you little—!"

The Hyangnam Tech workers who were still around watched the whole scene unfold. The foreign workers watched too.

After taking it all in, Kim Chirok folded his arms and turned the situation over in his mind.

Would they really report it to the police?

If they did, the products stamped from those molds might not be produced for some time — and if that happened, Mitsutech's assembly line could come to a halt. Kim Chirok figured Department Head Ma believed that holding out would work. Ma knew the industry's circumstances far better than he did, which was why he was acting this way.

Would holding out actually work?

The Mitsutech people huddled among themselves, muttering. They seemed to be conferring over what to do about this headache of a situation. After a long, low discussion, they left. The Production Department Head and the Manager they needed to talk to had vanished, after all.

Fortunately, the cafeteria lady had come in today, so Kim Chirok was able to eat in the company cafeteria. The people eating there looked to number only about a third of the usual crowd.

The cafeteria lady said to those who were eating,

"I won't be coming in starting tomorrow, either."

The Managing Director and the Accounting Manager were nowhere to be seen. They seemed to have gone out for lunch. Kim Chirok figured the company's liquidation would be handled by the two of them.

He went back up to the second-floor office. The sales team and logistics team employees were gone now. They all seemed to have left without so much as a goodbye.

Kim Chirok was drinking a cup of coffee when Department Head Ma called.

It was around two in the afternoon when Kim Chirok went down to the factory floor. The large truck OO Engineering had brought was gone; they seemed to have loaded up every machine they had torn out of the building and hauled it all away. A large forklift had come in and was working on the machines Department Head Ma would be taking. Department Head Ma and Manager Cho had enlisted the foreign workers and were gathering tools and other necessary supplies.

Kim Chirok approached them.

"You're working hard."

Manager Cho smiled.

"The President's over that way."

"Excuse me? What are you talking about! Is there anything I can help with?"

"Then help us when we move the desks and chairs. Not right now."

Then the Plant Manager, who hadn't been seen all morning, came walking over.

"So Department Head Ma's going out to start a business? Heh heh heh. A guy who can't even read a blueprint — what's he think he's going to do? And I hear Kim Chirok is going to be the President?"

"Yes. Th-that's how it turned out. Originally Department Head Ma should have been the President, but we decided to do it this way for convenience."

"Honestly. The moment someone says they're starting a business, every Tom, Dick, and Harry wants in. I'm sorry to say this, but what do you even know that you'd be President? A young guy with no experience!"

"I plan to learn as I go."

"What? Learn? You think running a factory is child's play? Learn as you go? Don't throw away the money you've invested for nothing — just sit still. You think I don't start a business because I don't know how?"

"We've already started, so if I ever need advice down the line, I hope you'll share what you know. You're one of the most respected technical minds in the industry, Plant Manager."

"You've been conned by that bastard Ma. He saw a fresh new hire who looked naive and reeled you in."

"That's not it. I decided to do this myself."

"It's obvious you put in the most money. Heh heh."

"I didn't actually invest that much."

"I don't know how much you've saved up, but if things go wrong, it'll all be gone within a year."

"I'll just have to work hard, then."

At that moment, Assistant Manager Choi from the quality team appeared with a large bag slung at his side. He seemed to have packed his things and was about to head home. The Plant Manager looked at him.

"I hear you found a job?"

"Yes. A company in Asan. It's closer to home, which is nice. They've even set my salary, and it's better than here."

"Good for you."

"It's thanks to working under you, Plant Manager. By the way, I hear those injection molding machines they're moving now are the ones Department Head Ma is taking?"

"Ma started a business. Says he's going to run a company with four injection molding machines. With this Kim Chirok here as his President, no less."

"What? Kim Chirok as President? Ahahaha. I'm sorry to say this with Kim Chirok standing right here, but doesn't he have no experience in a rubber factory?"

"Ma clearly reeled him in. He clearly reeled in a naive guy. Isn't that right, Assistant Manager Choi?"

"Heh heh heh. Kim Chirok really doesn't know how the world works. And can Department Head Ma even read a product specification drawing? Does he know rubber materials? He's not even a chemical engineering graduate like the Plant Manager, is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he?"