Money-Making Bedding (3)
Hanil International headquarters, President Jo Kang-min’s office.
“Rejected? They rejected us?”
Goo Jae-jun, the head of the business division standing before him, said it with an expression of sheer disbelief.
“Yes. They just sent back their refusal by email.”
“Ha... ha ha!”
How many small and midsize companies could turn down a 15 billion won contract when it was right in front of them?
It was 15 billion won in name, but for most companies, winning a deal of that size meant betting everything they had. Cash, liquor, women... they never hesitated to throw every kind of lobbying into the mix, either.
And yet they were rejecting it over a single clause about exclusivity?
“What do you want to do?”
“What do you mean, what do I want to do, you idiot!”
As the startled division head bowed his head, President Jo Kang-min sprang to his feet and began pacing.
“Should we raise the price?”
“You think that brat turned us down because of the money?”
“...I’m sorry.”
“He doesn’t like the exclusivity clause that much, huh... So the punk thinks he can make more than 15 billion if he doesn’t take exclusivity...”
If he were being honest, he could always just forget this and get the bedding from some other luxury bedding company.
The problem was what happened if they launched it as a sleep-concept line and it didn’t land.
Any other luxury bedding company would cost around the same 15 billion won if they ordered in this volume, and the instant it failed to produce the right effect, he would be nothing more than a fool who had burned 15 billion won of company funds.
The safest choice was Haesol Textile’s GyeolBit bedding, the one Chairman Han had specifically pointed to.
That way, even if things went wrong and 15 billion won went up in smoke, he could at least escape responsibility.
“Should I meet him first and talk it through? I’ll go myself and settle it.”
After some thought, President Jo accepted the division head’s suggestion.
“Fine. Set up a meeting and go talk to him. He’s probably pulling this crap because he wants more money.”
“Understood.”
But barely ten minutes after Goo Jae-jun left the president’s office, he came straight back in.
“Sir, they say Director Jung Seung-hyun isn’t at the company.”
“What?”
The division head looked flustered as he continued.
“Sir, I checked, and... according to Haesol Textile, Director Jung Seung-hyun is currently out of Korea on a business trip to Paris. They say he won’t be back for at least two weeks... It seems we can only hold a meeting once Director Jung returns to Korea.”
The sudden news of an overseas trip darkened Jo Kang-min’s face even further.
“Paris for two weeks? What the hell is he doing all of a sudden?”
“They didn’t give an exact reason, only said he was there for a meeting related to a new business venture. Since Haesol Textile has received investment from the LVMH Group, it may be connected to that.”
“Damn it...”
Whether Haesol Textile had taken investment from LVMH or not had nothing to do with him, and he couldn’t have cared less.
The problem was that if Jung was away for two full weeks, no negotiations could happen in the meantime.
Then the chairman would ask why there had still been no report, and he would have no answer to give.
“He sent his refusal by email and then took off on a two-week business trip. Makes you think he might not be persuadable by price.”
That was Jo Kang-min’s conclusion as well.
It was probably his roundabout way of saying he didn’t want to talk anymore.
“This is a disaster... And even if we followed him to Paris... there’s no way we can wrap this up right away.”
After a long stretch of thought, President Jo finally picked up his phone.
Hetty to go to Paris? It was a concept no business executive wanted to be trapped by; the line about losing 15 billion won if it failed forced him to confront the possibility that his best option was simply to wait two weeks. But that was an untenable delay when the chairman was already waiting for a report.
At Mirae Department Store headquarters, in the MD team office.
Cha Hee-ju was reviewing the promotional plan for the fall new products.
After the success of the GyeolBit bedding line, she had become an even more visible talent within the company, and recently she had even been promoted to section chief.
Even so, there was one thing that had been troubling her lately, and that was Haesol Textile’s Director Jung Seung-hyun.
For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, he kept lingering in her mind, and when she later learned that Haesol Textile had landed the GyeolBit bedding line at Okura Tokyo, the feeling had soured into a quiet sense of disappointment.
Maybe, she thought, it was because of the way he had seemed to draw a line between them back then.
But the more she thought about it, the more absurd it felt.
What, was it funny? What had she even done, exactly?
She had done nothing at all, and yet his attitude, as if he needed to draw a line, left her feeling oddly hurt. But there was nothing she could do about it, so she simply stayed quiet.
She had been thinking she should use Han Saet-byeol as an excuse and arrange another meal with him sometime soon when...
All at once, a message arrived from Jo Kang-min, president of Hanil International.
Since calling immediately would be rude toward someone from a royal family, he had sent a message first out of courtesy.
Startled, she immediately asked him to call, and the phone rang at once.
When she answered, she heard Jo Kang-min’s polite voice.
“This is Section Chief Cha Hee-ju, correct? I’m Jo Kang-min of Hanil International.”
“Yes, that’s right. I was a little surprised to hear from you all of a sudden.”
“I’m sorry to bother you when you’re busy. Would you have a moment? There’s something important I’d like to discuss.”
At the sudden request to meet, Hee-ju frowned.
She couldn’t imagine why a president of one of the group companies would suddenly want to see her.
“Could you tell me what it’s about in advance?”
“It concerns Haesol Textile. I understand you successfully launched the GyeolBit bedding line. In fact, Hanil International has been very interested in that bedding as well. I’d like to talk about it, if possible.”
It wasn’t just anyone on the line. It was the president of an affiliated company.
There was no way she could refuse to meet.
“All right. But when...?”
“Would this evening be convenient?”
After a brief pause, Hee-ju answered at once.
More than anything else, the issue involved Jung Seung-hyun, and that made her curious.
“Fine.”
“Thank you. I’ll send you the address of a restaurant not far from the department store where you work.”
After ending the call, Hee-ju immediately informed both her father and mother.
There was no way she could meet the president of an affiliate company without telling her parents.
At the very least, she had to report something like this, and she suspected Jo Kang-min had expected that as well.
“Do well. And don’t make any mistakes.”
As expected, her mother replied coolly.
“My daughter is already being approached by presidents of affiliate companies. You really have grown up. Do well~♡”
Her father, on the other hand, sent back a message so affectionate it was almost absurd.
At a high-end Italian restaurant in Gangnam.
Inside a private room, Jo Kang-min and Cha Hee-ju sat across from each other, with expensive wine and dishes laid out on the table.
“Thank you for making time when you’re so busy, Section Chief. I believe I introduced myself to you once before. Do you remember?” Jo Kang-min said as he poured the wine.
“Of course. You came to greet us at my grandfather’s birthday party, didn’t you? I remember. But you said you wanted to meet because of Haesol Textile. What exactly is it...?”
Since she got straight to the point, Jo Kang-min took a sip of wine before speaking.
“The fact is, not long ago Chairman Han went to Okura Tokyo and discovered Haesol Textile’s GyeolBit bedding there. I was told he had already been using that brand’s bedding before. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s right. I gave it to him as a gift...”
“Then I’m sure you know well, since you personally brought it in and launched it at the department store?”
“No. I only know about bedding sold to individual customers. I haven’t heard much about hotel-only bedding.”
“Ah, I see. In any case, Chairman Han learned at Okura Tokyo that the hotel was running sleep-concept marketing built around bedding made specifically for hotels, and that it was proving quite effective. So he instructed me to look into whether we could adapt that approach in Korea as well.”
“I see...”
Only then did Hee-ju understand how the matter had been unfolding.
“At Hanil International, we want to secure exclusive supply of Haesol Textile’s GyeolBit bedding for hotel use. We already met with Director Jung Seung-hyun, but he is currently in Paris on business, so discussions have been put on hold.”
At his words, Hee-ju tilted her head.
“Then wouldn’t it be enough for Seung-hyun to come back and hold the meeting?”
Jo Kang-min caught the familiar, intimate way she said “Seung-hyun” and relaxed a little, sensing that the two were close.
“Our position is that we want to make an exclusive contract for the hotel bedding.”
“And Seung-hyun is refusing exclusivity?”
“That’s right.”
Already familiar with his personality, Hee-ju frowned and shook her head.
“That won’t work.”
The moment she heard the story, she made her skepticism plain, and Jo Kang-min realized Jung Seung-hyun’s personality was more difficult than he had expected.
“Is he the kind of person who won’t budge once he says no?”
“Kind of... He isn’t inflexible exactly, but... he has his own standards.”
“Hmm...”
“So you came to ask me to solve it, I suppose... but honestly, I’m not confident.”
Jo Kang-min had already suspected it might be difficult, and he said in a measured voice, “This is something the chairman is taking special interest in, so if you can resolve it...”
At that moment, Hee-ju realized that this might be a far more important opportunity than simply giving up on it.
Even now, one word from her grandfather could make impossible things happen.
“Your grandfather thinks this is that important?”
“Yes. Chairman Han experienced the GyeolBit bedding personally at Okura Tokyo and was deeply impressed. Because of that, he ordered our hotels to actively bring in customers through aggressive sales, and the first project is Haesol Textile’s Solinen Prestige bedding.”
Once she understood how important this was, she nodded readily.
“I’ll try.”
“You really will?”
Jo Kang-min’s eyes went wide. He had not expected her to agree so easily.
“Let’s see what I can do. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”
The truth was that because this was a business her grandfather valued, Hee-ju became convinced that even if it failed, it wouldn’t be a major problem for her personally.
Jo Kang-min might run into trouble, but that was his business, not hers, so there was nothing to be done about that...
If it went well, all the better. If it failed, she would still have the fact that she had thrown herself into something her grandfather cared about, and that alone would make her look good.
Besides, by sheer coincidence, the place where Jung Seung-hyun was staying was Paris.
For some reason, she suddenly felt like taking a vacation and going there herself.
So she finished the meal with a generous air, as if she were doing Jo Kang-min a great favor.
At that same moment, in Paris.
Seung-hyun arrived at the Loro Piana headquarters atelier.
Inside the spacious workshop, designers, pattern makers, and cutters were all moving busily.
Antoine greeted him warmly.
“Welcome. I’ve been waiting for you. Ah, have you eaten?”
“Not yet...”
“Then should we eat later and get to work first?”
What was the point of asking, then...?
Still, Seung-hyun ignored the absurdity and handed over his detailed sketches.
“These are the pieces I prepared. Each fabric has a different use. In particular, the Cordura blend will become the key fabric for our Cipher brand. Here are the samples and detailed sketches for each design.”
Antoine touched the fabrics that had been sent ahead by air freight and marveled at them.
“This is it? Incredible! The feel and durability of this fabric are truly exceptional. Let’s show it to our pattern makers.”
They had only just had the chance to inspect it because they were waiting for Seung-hyun’s explanation.
Everyone moved to the large table in the center of the atelier.
Loro Piana’s chief designer and pattern makers gathered around them.
“Everyone, this is President Jung Seung-hyun. He’s the head of Haesol Textile and our partner on this collaboration. And these are the sketches and fabric samples for the military line he designed, so take a careful look.”
The designers began studying the sketches and fabrics in detail.
Excitement and curiosity were clear in their eyes.
Chief designer Marco said, “These designs are truly fascinating. They combine the functionality of military wear with modern silhouettes perfectly. The details on this utility cargo pants, especially, are impressive.”
Pattern maker Julien added as he ran his fingers over the fabric, “And this fabric... astonishing. It’s light, but incredibly sturdy, and it has remarkable stretch as well. I’ve never worked with fabric like this before.”
At that, Antoine cut in with a pleased expression.
“That’s exactly why I proposed this collaboration. Just imagine what happens when President Jung’s sense of design, Haesol Textile’s innovative fabric technology, and Loro Piana’s craftsmanship come together.”
Chief designer Marco asked Seung-hyun, “Could you explain the concept for this line in a little more detail?”
Even the fact that a chief designer from a luxury house was asking him with bright, focused eyes was enough to move Seung-hyun deeply.
“I was inspired by the functionality of military uniforms. Clothing used on the battlefield is a tool that helps people survive extreme conditions. I’ve applied that practicality to the daily life of modern city dwellers.”
He pointed to the sketches and continued, “Each design carries its own mood. The cargo tech jacket combines urban sophistication with military detailing. The utility cargo pants emphasize the toughness and mobility of a soldier. The town field coat began as outerwear meant to block wind and rain, so I tried to bring out a cold, lonely feeling. And the battle messenger bag was meant to evoke the atmosphere of camping in the middle of a battlefield.”
The designers listened closely, admiration written all over their faces.
Then Antoine clapped his hands and said, “All right, let’s start producing the samples. We don’t have much time before the showcase. Marco, I want you to work closely with President Jung and bring these designs to life perfectly.”
“Of course. Creative Director Jung, it’s an honor to work with you.”