The Effect of Connections, Part 1
It was a rural farm in the Polish countryside, but there was no difficulty at all in moving the contract forward.
The farm had a computer with internet access and a printer, and along the way Yousef Lema even sent over the standard(?) contract he usually used when purchasing geese. With that in hand, both sides agreed without dragging things out for long.
If Yousef had not been introduced by Antoine Arnault, the chairman of Loro Piana, and if Antoine had not said the contract itself should pose no major problem, they would have had no choice but to spend at least a week reviewing it before proceeding.
“But how am I supposed to send this...?”
That small concern had crossed Seung-hyun’s mind before the contract was finalized, and Yousef Lema helped him with that too.
“If you’re not shipping it by air right away, send it to Hamburg. I’ll connect you with a vessel bound for Korea.”
“Thank you.”
After drafting the contract with Yousef and checking the quality inspection procedures, Seung-hyun immediately instructed the remittance to be sent to Korea.
Once the purchase and shipping were both settled, Stanisław saw the money arrive not long after and broke into a wide grin.
Now that his urgent cash problem had been solved, he was simply relieved he would not have to dump the down from a quality farm at fire-sale prices.
“Thanks to you, we’ve gotten through a serious crisis. I truly appreciate it.”
“I’m glad.”
“Then, if you would be so kind, please take me as far as Warsaw at least. In return for your help, I’d like to offer my thanks with...”
Yousef waved a hand.
“No. I don’t need repayment. I’m only doing this because Antoine asked me personally. I owe Antoine a debt, so just forget about my help.”
“Still...”
“More importantly, you’re planning to catch a flight from Warsaw to Korea, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“Since you’ve already set foot on European soil, why not make a detour to France?”
“Pardon?”
Seung-hyun looked baffled at the absurd suggestion, and Yousef smiled faintly before continuing.
“Mr. Antoine is looking for you. He asked me to pass along that he would like you to stop by Paris if things end well.”
“Ah...”
It was an unexpected invitation, but when he thought about it, it did sound like something Antoine would say. The president of a company that had invested ten billion won so far away in the East had finally come to Europe after a long time, so of course he would want to hear how things were going.
Of course they sent reports to LVMH every quarter, but Seung-hyun figured there was a difference between seeing numbers on paper and hearing the story directly.
“Thank you. Then I’ll have to take the train from Warsaw.”
“By all means.”
In the end, Seung-hyun rode with Yousef to Warsaw, then took the route he recommended and headed for Paris.
He had to transfer in Vienna along the way, but the train had beds, showers, and meals, so he traveled in comfort, enjoying the trip as though he had become a European nobleman.
The next day, after arriving at Gare de l’Est, Seung-hyun stepped off the black BMW 7 Series sedan that had been waiting for him and smiled at the woman getting out of it.
“It’s been a while, Mr. Jung.”
Camille Dubois, Antoine’s secretary, remained as elegant and polished as ever.
“It’s been a while.”
“Please get in.”
Once Seung-hyun was in the car, she turned in the passenger seat and handed him a tablet.
Wondering what it was, he looked down and saw Loro Piana’s official website displayed on the screen.
“Since you’re in Paris, the chairman said he’d like to give you a few gifts. Would you choose one suit, one coat, and one pair of shoes?”
Even the cheapest pair of shoes easily cost over a million won, and the coats started at over two thousand euros.
If it had been in the past, he might have trembled with gratitude while choosing them, but by now Seung-hyun earned quite a lot himself, so it didn’t feel especially burdensome.
“Then I’ll choose a few things I really like.”
They moved along while Seung-hyun happily picked out gifts, and after about twenty minutes they arrived at the Loro Piana building.
By now, he could take in the luxurious boutique without feeling either intimidated or dazzled; he simply observed it with calm appreciation.
“You’re here. Sit.”
Antoine Arnault pointed to the sofa without so much as a greeting, as though meeting someone he saw every day.
Rather than bothering Seung-hyun, that easygoing attitude suited him better.
He didn’t act puffed up because he was an investor, nor did he bark orders as if everyone had to obey him because he was a giant of the luxury industry. He simply watched with relaxed attention.
Seung-hyun almost wanted to imitate him.
“Thank you for the goose issue. It was quite a headache.”
He shrugged, as if it had been nothing.
“Not just for you. With avian influenza, goose is hard to get in general. Still, if the amount were small, it wouldn’t have been much of a problem. But for you to come all the way here yourself, I’d say GyeolBit bedding must be selling quite well.”
Seung-hyun laughed and explained about the new fabric he had made, and how much of a ripple effect it had caused in Japan.
“So that means you’ve already signed contracts for over eight hundred sets?”
“That’s right.”
“Ha, no wonder you were in a hurry if you have to use up nearly a ton of goose down in just a few months. Still, that’s impressive. What on earth is that fabric?”
“Ah, I brought a sample set with me, but I gave it to the farm owner as a gift, so I’m empty-handed.”
“Ah... now I’m curious.”
He looked genuinely disappointed, then grinned and asked, “I heard you ran into Frette again?”
There was a teasing glint in his eyes, clearly meant to provoke a reaction.
“Ah... yes, that happened.”
“I already heard from Yousef during the transaction, but before you arrived, I also heard another story from Frette’s side. Apparently, it was a farm they had spent a long time cultivating, only for another company to take it from them. I imagine by now they’ve realized that the company that snatched their meal was family.”
Frette was also invested in by LVMH, and Haesol Textile was as well, so that was probably why he put it that way.
“They must hate Haesol Textile over there.”
“They already did.”
“Pardon?”
“Strictly speaking, it isn’t Frette itself but Delphine Arnault, who pushed to acquire Frette, who dislikes you. Still, the farm she had her eye on got snatched away by you! It’s a funny situation, I’ll give you that. But there’s no need to dwell on it.”
Seung-hyun looked apologetic, feeling that the situation had become rather strange.
“I didn’t know that. Still, I seem to have made things awkward.”
“I told you not to worry about that. In fact, I’m pleased. My sister always thinks she’s the best. Sometimes a small setback is necessary. What you did was just ordinary business. From your position, weren’t you already getting pushed around by Frette in Europe?”
“That’s true. Frette kept sticking close to us and undercutting our prices, so I’ve heard we’ve been struggling quite a bit in European sales.”
“I understand. From Delphine’s point of view, maximizing Frette’s sales and widening the gap between it and Haesol Textile was probably the best move.”
“It’s fine. We’ve opened other avenues.”
Antoine liked this young president’s attitude even more.
Most young Europeans would make their displeasure obvious toward anyone trying to take what belonged to them.
Thinking that Asian culture really was different, he asked, “Still, it’s good that everything worked out. Tell me about Haesol Textile’s recent situation. I’m curious how it has grown since LVMH’s investment.”
In response, Seung-hyun began talking about Haesol Textile’s recent achievements.
Less Factory’s entry into Japan, the expansion of the hotel bedding business, and even the U.S. military combat uniform contract. As Antoine listened, his eyes grew wider and wider.
“You signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense? For combat uniform fabric?”
“Yes. Dualtex fabric met the U.S. military’s requirements. It should generate a substantial amount of annual revenue through the royalty contract.”
“How much are we talking about?”
“We don’t know yet. Since it’s a licensing agreement, the U.S. procurement office places the order through a designated company, so we’ll only know the exact sales once the accounts are settled.”
“Still, haven’t you heard a rough estimate?”
Seung-hyun answered with an embarrassed smile.
“Haha, I was told the total sales would easily exceed one hundred million dollars. The royalties should be around seven million euros, which is roughly 11.2 billion won.”
Antoine could not hide his surprise.
“This is a truly remarkable achievement. To be honest, when we invested in your company, we did so because we saw potential for growth in the Asian market. But to land a U.S. military contract this quickly as well... it exceeds expectations by a long shot.”
He fell silent for a moment, then continued.
“Then how on earth should we value the company? Ha ha ha! Delphine will lose her mind when she hears this.”
More than anything else, the thought of getting one over on his older sister seemed to delight him the most.
“Are you thinking about going public?”
Since he had invested and gained equity, Seung-hyun figured he might be thinking about an IPO if he wanted to maximize its value.
“Well... I’m not considering that yet, but if you decide to do it, I have no reason to stop you. We’d be pleased.”
“Hmm...”
“There’s no need to rush. Good investment makes a company grow, but exposing internal materials is not always a good thing.”
“I’ll think about it.”
He looked at Seung-hyun with obvious satisfaction and said, “You are an exceptionally talented craftsman. In a way, you’re a developer as well as a designer. I’ve seen very few people who are as outstanding a developer, executive, and designer all at once.”
“Thank you for such a generous assessment.”
“I’m saying this not merely to praise you, but to push you.”
“Pardon?”
Seung-hyun looked puzzled, and Antoine tilted his head with a peculiar expression.
“Did you know that Burberry’s trench coat originally began with the coats worn by British officers in the First World War? Military uniforms often become important inspiration for fashion. Especially when practicality and design come together, their value shines all the more brightly.”
“...”
“While working on military uniforms to supply them, did you not feel anything? If you’re a designer, you must have felt some kind of inspiration.”
Surprisingly, he had pulled out the inner desire Seung-hyun had never told anyone about.
“Well...”
“Exactly. You did feel something, didn’t you?”
“As a matter of fact, I’ve been playing around with military design as a hobby.”
He clapped his hands, delighted.
“Ha ha ha, see? That’s why you’re a designer! So? How far along is it?”
“It’s not something I can really show yet.”
“Good. I’ll wait. Once it’s finished, send the file here right away.”
“Pardon?”
“What’s so surprising about that? Of course it should become a brand. I’ll help you, so don’t worry. And you know that if you want to be recognized as a global luxury brand, you have to show up at Paris Fashion Week, right?”
“Are you saying you want me to attend the fashion show as a designer?”
“If you don’t like that, then go find yourself another designer to put forward.”
He grinned and rose from his seat.
“You must be tired, so rest today.”
“Rest today?”
“Of course. Were you planning to fly straight back to Korea?”
“Well...”
He cut Seung-hyun off immediately.
“No. That wasn’t the plan, but after hearing what you just said, I don’t think I can let you leave that easily.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll find out tomorrow. I’ll have Camille arrange a decent hotel, so rest there tonight. And let’s meet at lunch tomorrow. Now go on and get some rest.”
As if no further discussion was needed, he effectively showed Seung-hyun the door.
After waiting in the showroom for a while, Seung-hyun left again with Camille, and as if he had been waiting for the chance, he asked, “It sounds like Chairman Antoine has something planned for tomorrow. Do you happen to know what it is?”
At Seung-hyun’s question, she answered with an elegant smile.
“Since he didn’t tell me, I can’t know either. But I can give you one hint.”
“Yes!”
“Tomorrow, you will probably meet someone.”
Having given him that one clue, she turned her head away.