Those Who Sneer at Starting a Business (2)

Kim Chirok thought the Plant Manager was going too far.

Hyangnam Tech had shut down, which meant the man was no longer his superior. They were strangers now, more or less. The thought of just putting his head down and charging the man crossed his mind.

"You can't even offer a word of encouragement to people starting a new business — and instead you stand there sneering at them?"

"Wh-what did you just say?"

The Plant Manager clearly hadn't expected some green staff kid with no seniority whatsoever to talk back to him.

That was when Assistant Manager Choi from the Quality Team clapped Chirok on the shoulder.

"Hey now, Kim Chirok! The Plant Manager's only saying this because he's worried about you. A man really does need a proper university education, you know. Without it, your thinking stays simple — no capacity for understanding others."

Chirok was speechless. Just how much more education did these people think they had, to be talking like this?

But the Plant Manager's anger hadn't cooled. He turned on Chirok.

"Shortsighted fools, the lot of them. They're going to start a business with molds they stole, and they think that's going to work?"

"We'll make it work."

"Hah! If Manager Ma ever manages to supply a single part to Mitsutech, I'll sear soybean paste on my own fingernails."

"This is a business that people with nothing put two hundred million won into. The least you could do is offer some encouragement."

"What?"

"These were all people who worked under you, weren't they? So please — just give them a word of encouragement."

"If Assistant Manager Choi here went out and started a business, I could understand that. But you? You don't even know the first letter in 'rubber.'"

"I think that's enough. I'm going upstairs. The Managing Director asked me to take care of some things."

When Chirok reached the second floor, Ayako was packing something up. She looked up when she saw him come in.

"Kim Chirok! I hear you're going into business with Manager Ma?"

"Yes. We're going to set up four injection molding machines and start small. We've already found a factory space."

"Oh my! How dashing of you two. I think you'll do wonderfully in business, Kim Chirok."

"Me? The Plant Manager just told me I don't have what it takes."

"That's not true at all. You've always had such a positive way of thinking. And you have a wonderful attitude toward learning. And..."

"And what else?"

"You have a bright face. Ho-ho."

"I'd say you're the one who's always bright, Ayako. You're always laughing like that — ho-ho-ho."

"Ho-ho. Did I really?"

Ayako covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. The company had gone under, and yet laughter still rang out in the second-floor office. There was no one else around at the moment — if the Managing Director or the President had been there, they would have gotten an earful.

"You'll be looking for work elsewhere, won't you, Ayako?"

"I'm going to take some time off. The kids' father told me to rest."

"The factory Manager Ma and I are starting is in Songgok-ri. Once we've gotten on our feet, you should come visit."

"Ho-ho. I will."

"And when that friend of yours in Japan comes to Korea, let me know."

"Ho-ho. I will. But Kim Chirok — it's not my friend you're interested in, is it? It's Hirosue Yoshiko."

"Then I'll serve as the president of Hirosue Yoshiko's Korean fan club."

"Ho-ho-ho. I'll be sure to tell her that when she comes."

Just then the Managing Director came up the stairs. The moment he appeared, Ayako hurried downstairs to the factory floor.

The Managing Director turned to Chirok.

"Everyone's running for the hills now that the company's shutting down, but Ayako at least seems determined to wrap things up properly before she leaves. This place had too many zombies who weren't even half the worker she is."

"It must have been hard on you and the President, steering a struggling company for so long."

"I hear you and Manager Ma are starting a business? Apparently Mitsutech called the President and told him to get those molds back."

"Mitsutech did?"

It seemed Mitsutech was starting to put real pressure on the President.

"The President was going to return the molds, but he told them they were already gone and he had no idea where they were. Then Mitsutech's purchasing team said they'd file a complaint against him."

"They're going to file a complaint against the President?"

That would be a disaster. A pang of guilt hit Chirok — he hadn't thought it would put the President in this kind of bind. The man was already heartbroken over the company's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠closure. To drag him through something this ugly on top of it... Chirok felt terrible.

"But apparently the President tore into the Mitsutech department head. Told him to go ahead and do whatever he wanted."

"He tore into them? Aren't we the ones more at fault here?"

"Truth is, the President has a lot of resentment built up toward Mitsutech."

"Is that so?"

"Mitsutech froze their supply prices for three years straight. That's a big part of why Hyangnam Tech struggled as much as it did. Of course, there was plenty of debt too."

"I see..."

"Meanwhile, they raised Ilryung Precision's ring manufacturing fees every single year. Those Ilryung Precision people must have been good at lobbying."

"Who at Mitsutech sets the supply prices?"

"The purchasing team. Originally the chairman and president of Mitsutech said not to squeeze the partner companies too hard, but the middle managers got a little too eager to prove their loyalty."

The President had started this business because he knew Mitsutech's chairman well. But the actual work wasn't done by the chairman — it was done by middle managers. Hyangnam Tech, Chirok realized, had been vulnerable when it came to lobbying those people.

Then again, Mitsutech's middle managers had done well by their own company. They'd squeezed their partners, yes — but that was precisely why Mitsutech's operating profits had been so strong, and why the stock price had climbed steadily upward.

That afternoon, Chirok helped the Managing Director load the office's important documents into his car. He helped move the computers as well. Once everything had been transferred, the Managing Director spoke.

"Do well with Manager Ma. His schooling may be short, but the man's got real technical skill. He's spent his whole life making rubber products — of course he has."

"That was my impression as well."

"Manager Ma did well to bring you along. Technical skill is important, but you also need someone who can back it up on the administrative side."

"Thank you."

"That said, a brand-new factory that isn't registered as a Mitsutech partner... you're going to run into some difficulties."

"We're prepared for that."

"If you're not registered as a partner company, you can't access Mitsutech's ERP system..."

"Ah. I see..."

Chirok realized that was a genuine problem. An ERP system was a company's integrated management platform. Partner companies needed access to it just to see purchase orders and the like. Without that access, doing business with Mitsutech would be nearly impossible. That would mean Hyangdong Tech, as a newly established corporation, would have to give up on Mitsutech entirely and go around pitching to smaller outfits instead.

Chirok let out a faint sigh.

Did I decide to start this business too hastily?

But the money had already been invested, the factory had been leased, and the injection molding machines had already been moved. It was far too late to turn back. Come what may — whether it turned out to be porridge or rice — they had no choice but to push forward.

The Managing Director patted Chirok on the back a couple of times and climbed into his car. He rolled down the driver's side window.

"Kim Chirok. Thank you. You haven't bought desks for the new factory yet, have you? If there are any decent ones in the office, take them."

"Thank you."

"The raw materials suppliers will come ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swarming in tomorrow. Those people will be scouring the factory with fire in their eyes, looking for anything they can haul away."

"Understood. I'll take four desks."

The next day, Chirok stopped by the Songgok-ri factory.

The four injection molding machines had already been moved and set in place. Manager Ma and Section Chief Cho were drying out the raw rubber compound they'd brought from Hyangnam Tech.

"Tomorrow I thought I'd go with Section Chief Cho to visit a rubber compounding company. We need to secure the raw materials to start producing rubber products."

"It's Manager Cho now, not Section Chief. And you're the Factory Manager."

"Haha. Right, of course."

"When you visit the supplier, take a copy of our business registration certificate. That's how they'll issue the tax invoices in our name."

"Got it. I'll get their account number while I'm at it. Though they won't give us anything on credit."

"Tell them we'll pay in cash. Take the corporate card when you go."

Chirok handed the newly established Hyangdong Tech corporate card to Manager Ma — no, to the Factory Manager.

"Having a card is nice."

"And this afternoon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'll be bringing over some desks — could you give me a hand? The Managing Director said we could take the ones from the office."

"Did he? Then I'll rent a delivery truck and come. We couldn't take the truck that was at Hyangnam Tech, by the way. One of the logistics team employees claimed it."

"Then buy a used truck."

"Will do. I was thinking a one-ton truck — around five million won should cover it."

"Don't buy anything too beat-up."

"Understood."

"I'll head over to Hyangnam Tech, then."

As Chirok was leaving, he noticed a shipping container in the corner of the yard. Through the window, he could see the heads of the Bangladeshi workers.

Huh. They've already moved the container over, too.

Chirok went to Hyangnam Tech. Almost none of the employees were left. Just a handful of people wandering around inside the factory, looking for anything they could take.

The factory, which had always been kept so tidy, was already filthy. Trash was scattered everywhere, scraps of paper drifting across the floor. Bits of Styrofoam tumbled about in the air.

Chirok went to the office that had belonged to the Plant Manager. The Quality Team had shared the space as well. The drawers of Assistant Manager Choi's desk were all standing open.

This guy packed up his things and didn't even bother closing the drawers.

The bookshelf held a great many files — quality control regulations, audit documents, and the like. Chirok gathered them up, just in case they might prove useful.

That afternoon, Manager Cho pulled up in a one-ton Bongo truck.

"Manager Cho. You already bought a truck?"

"Nah, I rented it. Still feels weird being called Manager Cho, though. Hehe."

Chirok and Manager Cho hauled the desks together. They also moved the documents from the Quality Team.

"Oof. Why are there so many documents?"

"They're from the Quality Team. Figured we might need to reference them later."

Once the desks were in, Hyangdong Tech finally started to look like a proper office.

Chirok also went to check on the container the Bangladeshi workers were using. The foreign workers were lying on the floor, apparently exhausted from a long day's work. They sprang to their feet the moment Chirok stepped inside.

Chirok smiled.

"Is it livable in here?"

"Yes. It's fine."

"Once we're making more money, I'll get you proper rooms."

The foreign workers broke ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into grins, flashing their white teeth.

Chirok turned to Factory Manager Ma.

"Factory Manager. The injection machines and desks are all moved. Everyone must be exhausted — shall we go out and get a meal?"

"I'd rather we hold a gosa first..."

"A gosa?"

"We've got to pray to the spirits for the business to succeed, haven't we?"

Chirok's mouth fell open at the absurdity of it. Manager Cho, standing beside them, chimed in.

"Hehe. I already bought the pig's head and the sirutteok for the gosa. Got candles too, so let's do it right now in front of the injection machines."

Manager Cho untied a bundle, and sure enough, a boiled pig's head emerged.

Chirok figured this must be standard practice in this industry. It was something he'd never even witnessed during his days at a conglomerate. The people in H Group's Strategic Planning Team would have burst out laughing if they'd seen this. They would have called it primitive.

But if a gosa would boost the workers' morale, Chirok thought, then it was worth doing.

Manager Cho set a cardboard box in front of the injection molding machines and placed the pig's head and a dried pollack on top of it. He added the steamed rice cake and fruit as well. He lit the candles. He even spread out a straw mat.

Manager Cho called the foreign workers out and lined them up in front of the pig's head.

"Hey. You guys are Muslim, right? This isn't a religious thing. Just watch."

The Factory Manager turned to Chirok.

"The boss goes first. You bow."

And so Chirok bowed toward the pig's head sitting in front of the injection machines. After offering a cup of liquor, he tucked a fifty-thousand-won bill into the smiling pig's mouth. The foreign workers watched the scene with curious expressions.

Next, Factory Manager Ma bowed. As he did, he even asked aloud for the business to succeed. Then he tore off a piece of the rice cake and a bit of the meat, tossed them into the air, and shouted the Gosure.

The Factory Manager tucked two ten-thousand-won bills into the pig's mouth.

Next, Manager Cho bowed. He tucked a single ten-thousand-won bill into the pig's mouth.

The Bangladeshi workers pressed their palms together and dipped their heads briefly in lieu of a full bow.