Chinese Business Partner: Li Keqiang
Young-hoon had resolved to pour every ounce of the strength he had been so carefully preserving back in Korea entirely into Langlang today. Along with it, he felt a genuine sense of duty to raise the spirit of the Great Korean Man to new heights.
The two of them changed into their athletic gear and opened the first half of the match at a light pace. At first they traded tentative shots, feeling each other out, but before long the flow tipped completely to one side. Unleashing the monstrous stamina he had held in reserve all this time, Young-hoon pushed Langlang right to the edge of unconsciousness.
An hour into the match, Langlang called for a timeout. He granted her five minutes of rest, then restarted the game. Around the two-hour mark, she raised the white flag. Young-hoon felt a pang of regret—he hadn't even used half of his strength yet, while his opponent was utterly spent. He ordered room service to help her recover, and after a short break, the second half began.
This time, too, barely an hour in, Langlang threw in the towel once more. If she kept collapsing when they'd only just reached the middle of the second half, he had no idea how she planned to survive the three hours remaining. Ah, whatever. He sent the pleading Langlang completely off to heaven. She knelt and begged, but he pressed on without mercy, and Langlang, seemingly wandering the fields of paradise, cried out in ecstatic delirium. And so the second half came to an end.
After three or four hours of sleep, he and Langlang reached an agreement to play an overtime match. The two athletes rose at five in the dawn hours, steeled themselves, and threw themselves into the extra period. As it was the final showdown, they filtered in breakfast along the way and played all the way through to the penalty shootout. The result: Langlang went out like a light, sprawled across the bed as if dead.
Young-hoon glanced at the clock. Nine in the morning. With his business meeting with Chairman Xu Jiayin scheduled for an hour from now, he took a quick shower and headed down to the first-floor lobby. There, the heroes of the counterattack greeted him with bright, cheerful faces. Chairman Choi came up to him, grinning broadly.
"Ah, youth is a wonderful thing. You're the last one down, CEO Kim. I take it you showed them the true fighting spirit of the Great Korean Man last night?"
"You could say that. She's out cold, flat on the bed as we speak."
"Good for you. When you come to a place like this, you've got to have your fun too. Little brother Xu is waiting, so let's get going."
Young-hoon and his party rode the limousine Chairman Xu had sent over to the headquarters of Zhonghua Media Group. The company seemed to occupy an entire building of sixty to seventy floors, and Chairman Xu's office was on the sixty-sixth. It was done in grand mainland style—no exaggeration to say it was nearly the size of a sports field. Waiting inside were Chairman Xu and his lady, along with a man who appeared to be in his late sixties. Interpretation duties were to alternate between Director Park and a staff member from Zhonghua Media Group.
"Welcome, welcome. I trust you were satisfied last night?"
"Yes, sir. Thanks to your exceptional care, I had a most restful night."
"Hehehe, I'm truly glad to hear it. The reason I asked to meet at this hour is to introduce you to the gentleman here. He is my wife's younger brother, and in China he runs a department store chain and a distribution company of considerable size. Please, exchange greetings."
The man in his late sixties rose from his seat and bowed his head politely.
"How do you do. My name is Li Keqiang. I heard that honored guests had arrived from Korea and came to pay my respects. As my brother-in-law mentioned a moment ago, I operate some thirty department stores across China, as well as a beverage distribution company."
Young-hoon guessed that Chairman Xu must have given him a heads-up about the liquor business and the coffee-and-tea venture—that would explain why Chairman Li had shown up at this meeting. Chairman Jang and Chairman Choi said nothing of their own after Li Keqiang's introduction; an unspoken agreement seemed to have settled over the room that Young-hoon would take the lead here. Reading the two elders' intentions, Young-hoon steadied his breath and spoke with calm composure.
"How do you do. I am Kim Young-hoon, CEO of YH Corporation of Korea. I oversee our liquor business as well as our coffee and tea ventures. Have you, by any chance, had the opportunity to drink what's called the Elixir, from Chairman Xu Jiayin?"
"I have. My brother-in-law shared a glass with me once."
Thanks to Director Park's interpreting, Young-hoon had no great difficulty carrying on the conversation—but at this rate, the schedule for Shanghai was bound to fall behind. So he asked Chairman Li carefully, "Would you happen to speak English?"
"Of course. I too believe that speaking directly, rather than through an interpreter, lets us move the discussion along faster."
"Then let's continue in English. Since you've already tasted it, this should go quickly."
From that point, the conversation proceeded in English. Naturally, Chairman Jang and Chairman Choi followed the discussion through Director Park, and Chairman Xu listened in through Xu Linhong.
"As I mentioned, you're already aware of the Elixir's effects?"
"Of course. If you're willing to sell it, I'll buy every bottle you can produce."
"Chairman Li, I'm afraid that will be difficult. The Elixir is produced in quantities of fewer than one hundred bottles a year, and buyers around the world are lined up waiting. If a bottle promises to make the body nearly twenty years younger and guarantees more vigor than a man in his twenties, customers will never be in short supply, will they? So I can't give you a firm answer on supply. By the way—how was the taste?"
"The taste was extraordinary too. Living nearly seventy years, it was the first time I'd ever had wine that delicious."
"Well then, here's the thing. We're currently researching a downgraded version of the Elixir. The effects will be weaker, but we intend to keep the flavor at the same level as the original. If we succeed, would you be interested in purchasing that product, Chairman Li?"
"Absolutely, I would. That said, if the price is absurdly high, it would naturally be a burden."
"I understand. That's why we're considering an export price of around two hundred dollars from Korea. It would retail in China for, say, four to five hundred dollars. What do you think? Would that be competitive?"
"Isn't that far too cheap? No—wine aficionados would pay ten times that without blinking."
"And what if we applied the same effects to baijiu, the sorghum liquor that Chinese people love?"
In that instant, Chairman Li's eyes began to gleam and sparkle.
"CEO Kim, could you grant us exclusive distribution rights for your exports to China? I would be sincerely grateful. If, as you say, the liquor we Chinese love gained those same effects, it would literally turn the tide of the entire liquor market."
"Thank you for the kind words. For now, I'll regard your company as our top candidate—but I do still have other people to meet."
"I understand, I have no choice. But please, do consider us first and foremost."
Judging it best to wrap up the wine discussion there, Young-hoon changed the subject.
"Understood. Now then—Representative Xu Linhong, could you have some tea brought to us?"
Xu Linhong was startled. She realized they had not offered their guests so much as a cup of tea this entire time—which, viewed a certain way, was undeniably rude. But the moment Young-hoon mentioned tea, she understood it wasn't mere thirst. The herb powder. In a word, she sensed intuitively that he intended to demonstrate its mysterious effects firsthand.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I'll have it brought in right away."
Shortly after, a secretary brought in tea for the number of people present. But as she moved to set the cups before the guests, Young-hoon gently stopped her with a request.
"Would you wait a moment, please? Kindly place everyone else's teacups in front of me."
The secretary hesitated, flustered, but at a glance from Xu Linhong she gathered the cups and did as he asked. Young-hoon took out the Magic Seasoning—the herb powder—he had brought, dissolved a small amount into each cup, and handed them around. Chairman Xu and Chairman Li hesitated for a moment; the presence of an unidentified powder had put them slightly on guard. But seeing the Korean delegation and Xu Linhong savoring the tea with evident pleasure, they worked up a little courage. Slowly, they raised their cups and took a sip...
The tea Chairman Xu habitually enjoyed was Pu'er tea grown on Yunxue Mountain, produced in such tiny quantities that it commanded an exorbitant price. But for Chairman Xu, price had never been a reason to deny himself a indulgence. Naturally, he drank several cups of Yunxue Mountain Pu'er a day and knew its flavor intimately. When Young-hoon drew something from his bag and dropped it into the Pu'er, Chairman Xu felt a flash of irritation—surely the man had just ruined his absurdly expensive tea. Then, recalling what had happened with the Elixir, he changed his mind. He found himself curious what magic Young-hoon would show this time.
Young-hoon handed over the cups, assuring them the powder contained no harmful ingredients whatsoever and they could drink with ease. Everyone, his daughter included, wore expressions of delight as they savored the tea. So, deciding to let himself be fooled, Chairman Xu took a sip.
It was as if fireworks were going off inside his skull. A fragrance filled his mouth, and the texture slid down, silky smooth. It tasted several times better than what he normally drank. Compared to the Pu'er he'd been having all these years, it wasn't even a contest.
Chairman Li, too, seemed deeply moved by the flavor, and launched into a string of accolades.
"Ahhh~ this is truly wonderful. This Yunxue Mountain Pu'er is what I drink every day, so I know its taste well. But the Pu'er you've given us, CEO Kim, is on another plane entirely. I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to what I've been drinking."
Chairman Xu added his own line with a hint of theatrical despair.
"Same for me, CEO Kim. This is honestly the first time in my life I've tasted tea like this. Hehe, this is a problem. From now on, I don't think I'll be able to bring myself to touch any other tea..."
Young-hoon resolved to keep this splendid momentum rolling.
"You've probably gathered already, but this is also under active development. At this level of quality, would you be willing to purchase it?"
"Of course. Please, I beg you to give me the opportunity. I'll let you devour the Chinese market whole."
"Then I'll keep you in mind as our top candidate, as before. I do have to give others a chance as well."
"Then when could supply begin?"
That was a question Young-hoon couldn't answer himself. Chairman Choi, who had been following the discussion through Director Park, finally spoke up. Since he knew no Chinese, Director Park and the interpreter Li Keqiang had brought along relayed his words.
"We're preparing for it in Korea, but even at the very fastest, it'll take a year or more. We're only just at the stage of setting up the factory."
"Then we'll simply have to prepare well in advance and wait, won't we."
"Yes. We'll no doubt have quite a lot to discuss with you in the process, Chairman Li—we plan to import the raw materials from China."
"Naturally. If the opportunity arises, I'll bring a team to Korea whenever you like. Just say the word."
"Very well. Please do come to Korea when the timing is right."
Suddenly, Chairman Xu, apparently curious about something, put a question to Young-hoon. Director Park interpreted for him once again.
"CEO Kim, how many bottles of the Elixir can you supply per year?"
"You'd best ask these two chairmen that question. The authority to sell the Elixir rests entirely with them."
At those words, Chairman Xu turned to the two elders with the pleading eyes of a puppy and begged, "Then, big brothers, please sell me plenty."
"Come now, friend, didn't you hear what CEO Kim just said? Fewer than a hundred bottles a year. And we charge fifty billion won apiece to other customers—we gave you yours at only forty billion. And two bottles is enough to enjoy yourself for a whole year. Why such greed?"
"It's not that... it's just that there are many people around me like myself. I thought it might be good to sell to them..."
"Don't bother with that—just connect them to us directly. In exchange, no more than ten people. Then we'll shave a little off the price when it's your turn."
"Big brothers, do I look like a man short of money? You know perfectly well that I've already entangled myself with you and can't pull loose no matter what I do. Little brother is wounded."
Once the talk of the Elixir had more or less wound down, Xu Linhong turned to Young-hoon.
"CEO Kim, when might you be able to give us the Returned Love track?"
"The track opens today, so early next week, just have your staff make contact with ours. And there's something I'd like to ask of you, Representative Xu."
Young-hoon felt he ought to bring up the drama he would be producing while he was at it.
"What would that be? Please, tell me."
"I'm planning to produce a twenty-episode drama around February of next year. At that time, I'd appreciate it if you took an interest in our drama as well."
"You needn't even ask. I'll come to Korea around February."
"Good. Then we'll meet again then."