The Bidding War (3)
In Assistant Manager Hwang Yoon-seok's view, Marketing Team 3 was a baffling organization.
Its leader, Deputy General Manager Cho, was a certified psycho, and the team's roster included Hong Dae-ri—king of the jerks among jerks—yet somehow the team's sales figures were running top in the nation. It made no sense whatsoever.
From what he'd seen yesterday, Hong Dae-ri appeared to have pulled off some kind of massive blunder.
The whole team had apparently spent the entire day cleaning up after him, to the point where nobody could even break for lunch.
By the afternoon, the nature of Hong Dae-ri's mistake had become clear. Thank God it had come out the day before the bid deadline—if it had surfaced just today, there would have been blood in the air.
Yesterday, while Hong Dae-ri's mess was being mopped up, Young-hoon had looked positively pitiful.
"Your team's got a bid today, right?"
"Yeah, Hankook University."
"And Hong Dae-ri royally butchered it, didn't he?"
"You're well informed, as always. That bastard just never gives anyone a break in life."
"Tell me about it. Thank God he's on your team and not mine—if he were, I'd have beaten him senseless and quit on the spot. And your team leader's something else for keeping a jerk like that around."
"You're telling me. He's young enough to be a rookie, but he struts around like a senior with twenty years in. It drives me insane. He said he's coming in today, so we'll see how he handles it. Anyway, hang in there."
"You too."
While Young-hoon was trading barbs with Hwang Dae-ri, Deputy General Manager Cho arrived at the office. He wore a slightly tense expression—apparently today's Hankook University bid was weighing on his mind.
The moment Cho sat down at his desk, Hong Dae-ri strolled in, wearing a mildly sickly look. Everyone knew it was an act. You shameless piece of work.
Cho called a meeting, and the whole of Team 3—everyone except Jin-man—filed into the conference room.
"Manager Kim, can you print out the presentation slides for the nationwide team leaders' meeting by this morning? I have to leave for Busan tonight, so there'll be no more revisions. Just make the changes I flagged yesterday and print them for me."
"Understood, sir."
Young-hoon's company operated a nationwide organization, holding regular monthly meetings at regional marketing offices or at hotels, training centers, and resorts across the country. These typically ran two days and one night: formal sessions on the first day, followed by an evening of drinking and merrymaking, then some team-building activity—hiking, golf, and the like—before everyone parted ways.
This month's meeting would be held in Busan. Which meant the Busan marketing team would be run ragged, while marketing staff from every other region effectively got an unofficial day off.
"And what time is the Hankook University bid announcement today?"
That should have been Hong Dae-ri's report to give, but he looked completely clueless. With no choice left, Young-hoon stepped in.
"Bid submission closes at 2 p.m. They usually announce the results within five minutes, so you should have your report by around 2:10 at the latest."
"Then Kim Dae-ri, you go to the venue and observe the bid submission. Better you go than Hong Dae-ri in his condition. If things look bad, be prepared to drop the total by up to 50 million won and throw it in—I already spoke with President Park of New Seoul Distribution about it yesterday. Better to win with a slightly lower bid than to lose and get carved up. If President Park complains about the construction costs, promise him the company will compensate him. I mentioned that yesterday too. And either way, win or lose, you need to report the results—so Kim Dae-ri, call in with the results first, then come back, write up the report, and brief me formally."
The orders came down like an avalanche, and Young-hoon's head was swimming.
"Sir, if Manager Kim has to return from the bid venue and write up the report, I don't think he'll have it ready before you leave for Busan."
Young-hoon was already fuming at the prospect of having to attend a bid that wasn't even his dealership's, and hearing that he now also had to write the results report nearly sent him through the roof.
But Manager Kim, sharp as a ghost, read the situation and covered for him.
"Ah, that's a fair point. But Hong Dae-ri doesn't know the situation either... What do we do? Then Park Dae-ri, you write the results report. Ask Manager Kim whatever you don't know. Got it? Hong Dae-ri stays, everyone else dismissed."
Park Dae-ri was still hemming and hawing, trying to mount a protest, when the meeting abruptly ended.
The moment they stepped out of the conference room, Park Dae-ri dragged Young-hoon into the break room. The two of them each grabbed a coffee from the machine and launched into their grievances in perfect unison.
"Gah, damn it all~ Hong Dae-ri's screw-up has wrecked my whole schedule today."
"You too? Mine's a disaster. Why on earth do *I* have to go all the way to Hankook University? An hour and a half there, an hour and a half back—that's three hours round trip."
"Lucky you, at least you get to see the fall foliage on the way. And all those pretty college girls. Me? Look at my sorry lot. Standing by on call and then having to write the results report—my life is pure garbage. Aigoo~"
"Listen to Mr. Blessed over there. All you have to do is write the report either way. *I'm* the one who has to go play mind games with the bidding committee, and my head's already throbbing. If the bid fails even after we lowered the price, I'll take the fall alone... Tell you what—why don't you go in my place? I'll write the results report all nice and pretty for you. Huh?"
"Hmm... you might have a point. So *that's* why Hong Dae-ri didn't want to go to Hankook University. The guy's a genius when it comes to scheming, I'll give him that."
"Well, he is an S University grad."
"True. But what good's a sharp brain when your character's rotten to the core?"
"Exactly! And wouldn't decent me with the mediocre brain be far better? Besides, you can draft the results report in advance. For the bid status section, you just plug in the reason we won or lost later."
"That was my plan all along. Winning the bid would be great, but losing? God, how miserable would that be. Pages and pages of self-reflection memos."
"Aigoo, whether it's you or me, Hong Dae-ri's got neither of us living our own lives. Let's head back."
"Yeah. Gah, damn it!"
At that very moment, in the conference room, Deputy General Manager Cho was coaxing Hong Dae-ri along, smooth as silk.
"Hong Dae-ri, you're not looking well?"
"Aigoo~ Sir, you know perfectly well I'm putting on a show. I was down with a fever for two days—but a man still needs an excuse, doesn't he?"
"So what happened with the Hankook University account?"
"I thought it over carefully, and about ten days ago, President Park of New Seoul Distribution did mention something to me. I took the bid documents and put them somewhere on my desk, but I haven't touched them since, so I can't say for certain."
"Hong Dae-ri, it's been over ten months since you joined our team, hasn't it? From now on, if a bid of this size comes up, report it to me in advance. Understood?"
"I will, sir."
"And there's a rumor going around that President Hong Sang-gyu of LK Chemical is coming to our company as Vice Chairman. Do you know anything about it, Hong Dae-ri?"
"I don't think anything's confirmed yet. My youngest uncle is moving up to Group Vice Chairman, and after that my father is expected to take the post—but my eldest uncle hasn't signed off on it yet. Still, I'd say there's an eighty to ninety percent chance he will."
"I see. No fieldwork scheduled today?"
"Even a flea has its pride, sir. I'm planning to stay in the office today."
"Got it. You can go."
Young-hoon had just returned from the break room and was trying to focus on work when a storm of KakaoTalk messages came pouring in. He'd ignored them all yesterday, so today he absolutely had to reply.
Figuring the chatter could go on forever if he let it, Young-hoon cut the group chat off at a convenient point.
Just then, Deputy General Manager Cho and Hong Dae-ri emerged from the conference room. Cho called Young-hoon over for one more round of instructions.
"Kim Dae-ri, make sure you leave for Hankook University without delay. Play it smart, get the bid submitted properly, and report the results the moment they're announced—win or lose. If I don't pick up, leave a text at least. And when Park Dae-ri asks you something, give him a proper answer."
"Yes, sir. Don't worry."
"Go get it done."
The moment Young-hoon sat back down at his desk, Park Dae-ri hit him with a storm of questions. After all, a quality report required plenty of advance intel. Full of comradely love, Young-hoon dutifully answered everything within the limits of what he knew.
Just then, Hong Dae-ri happened to pass by and tossed out a remark.
"Look at you two losers, slaving away."
Aargh, that little... I want to flying-side-kick that mouth right off his face.
Should I just beat the hell out of him and quit? Want me to start something today?
Young-hoon and Park Dae-ri swallowed the words and stewed in silent fury. But then Park Dae-ri, seized by some thought or other, stepped boldly forward.
"Tell me about it. Cleaning up after whatever turd some guy left behind is exhausting work."
Hong Dae-ri bristled at that. His face flushed crimson—his blood pressure was clearly spiking.
"What? What did you just say to me?!"
Park Dae-ri just smirked at the provocation and deflected with a straight face.
"Whoa, why are you getting so worked up, Hong Dae-ri? I'm just annoyed because Kim Dae-ri has to skip the report and go tromping off to Hankook University. He's the one who left the mess, isn't he?"
In the end, Hong Dae-ri could only sputter impotently before storming out of the office. He didn't bother grabbing his coat, so it looked like he actually intended to stay in today.
Watching Park Dae-ri needle Hong Dae-ri felt like ten years of pent-up indigestion finally dissolving for Young-hoon—but it also worried him a little.
"Hey, Park Dae-ri. Felt great, but you're in for it all day now."
"Why?"
"Because that bastard Hong Dae-ri apparently isn't going out on fieldwork today. Alright then, take care of yourself, my friend. I'm outta here. Kukukuku."
"What? Ah, damn it! I'm screwed."
Young-hoon packed his bag for the field trip, item by item.
"Hey, it's barely 10:30 and you're already running away?"
"Yup. I'm going to stop by a dealership or two on the way to Hankook University. It's been over a week since I last visited one."
"Must be nice—fieldwork AND a chance to stretch your legs... I had fieldwork planned today too."
"Then just swap with me."
"Nah, I'll write the report. I can do the fieldwork tomorrow."
"Are you insane? Who goes on fieldwork on a holiday? And Marketing Team 2 is sharpening their knives for a rematch tomorrow."
"But... we don't have our ace, do we? Can't exactly call Jin-man back from his training, either."
"We need to find ourselves a Kkakdugi. So give me the bid results as fast as humanly possible."
"Will do. Good luck out there."
And with that, Young-hoon left the office.