The Umbrella They Tried to Take Away
"Companies that can't move to another bank because of their shaky financials..."
I rested my chin on my hand and turned the problem over in my mind.
To the bank, a company like that was a big risk — the kind of client you might want to push out the door. But from the company's side, the bank was nothing less than a lifeline.
And what happens when the bank holding that lifeline starts treating them like a lump of potential bad debt, with nothing but contempt?
Of course the resentment would pile up.
But looked at from the other side, it was an opportunity. Nowhere else to go meant that if I solved their problem here, they could become the most loyal client this branch had ever seen.
"Assistant Manager Choi, could you pull the Seoul Systems file for me? And all three years of their credit and foreign exchange transaction history, too."
Assistant Manager Choi gave me a puzzled look but fetched the documents anyway.
"Here you go, Team Leader. Though honestly, I wouldn't get your hopes up about Seoul Systems. The last team leader went over there and got the door slammed in his face. We've done nothing but notify them of rate hikes every time their loan comes up for renewal, so relations are about as bad as they get."
"I see. Let me take a look, for now."
I stacked the pile of documents on my desk and took a deep breath.
Three full years of transaction history, sprawling and dense. I went through it line by line.
Seoul Systems Co., Ltd. was a manufacturer of semiconductor equipment components. It was true that rising raw material costs had eaten into their operating profit lately, but their technical foundation was rock solid.
The problem was currency risk.
They paid for imported materials in dollars, and they had made no preparation whatsoever for exchange rate fluctuations. On top of that, the interest rate on their existing loan had been set far higher than their creditworthiness warranted — a flat surcharge tacked on simply because they were classified as a push-out target.
No wonder they were angry. The bank was trying to snatch away their umbrella on a rainy day.
By the time I'd finished building a full picture of Seoul Systems, it was six in the evening.
"Team Leader, you're not heading home?"
Assistant Manager Choi asked first.
"Go on ahead, Assistant Manager Choi. I've still got work to do."
"No, sir. I'll leave when you do."
"Really? I'll be done soon anyway, so go ahead and get ready to head out."
Wednesday, 6 p.m.
The moment my forty-hour work week came to a close.
"Ability check!"
What would it be this time?
Surely another ability that would help with the job.
Ability: I Hear Your Voice!
Effect: You can hear the other person's unspoken thoughts.
Grade: ★★★☆☆
Caution: Consumable ability. (5/5)
Thursday, 3 p.m.
Department Head Kim of Seoul Systems arrived at the branch right on schedule. He'd been scowling from the moment he walked in — the expression of an ox being led to the slaughterhouse.
"I'm Kim Dong-su, team leader. Thank you for making the trip all the way out here."
I greeted him courteously first and held out my business card. Without so much as a glance at it, he took it roughly and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Just hand over the paperwork. I'll stamp it and go."
Department Head Kim dropped heavily into the chair and spat the words out brusquely. His whole manner was steeped in resignation and distrust.
Beside me, Assistant Manager Choi fidgeted anxiously and reached for the documents. I held up a hand to tell him to wait a moment, then looked steadily at Department Head Kim.
Now was the moment.
I Hear Your Voice.
Ability: I Hear Your Voice!
Effect: You can hear the other person's unspoken thoughts.
Grade: ★★★☆☆
Caution: Consumable ability. (4/5)
I activated the ability.
I needed to understand what this man really wanted. Was he genuinely opposed — or was there room to turn things around?
A moment later, a crackling static rose above Department Head Kim's head, and his true voice began to come through.
'Ugh... this is driving me insane. If they raise the rates again this time, the CEO is going to tear into me. Just last month I got chewed out over the interest costs. I've looked into other banks and not a single one will take us... Am I seriously going to spend my twilight years begging this place for mercy? Please, God, just a freeze. Even a freeze would be enough...'
So it wasn't anger at all. It was anxiety.
His shaky standing inside the company, the pressure from his boss, the desperation of having no alternatives — all of it was coming out as a defensive front.
I smiled and spoke up.
"Department Head Kim, you're here today about the loan renewal, right? But before you stamp anything, I'd like to make you a proposal."
"A proposal? What, another product to sign up for? We don't have money for that. We can barely cover the interest as it is!"
Department Head Kim barked. Assistant Manager Choi shot me a warning glance, as if to hold me back, but I pressed on without missing a beat.
"No, sir. I'm not going to ask you to spend money — I'm going to save you some."
"I'm sorry?"
"The interest rate Seoul Systems is paying right now is, frankly, far too high. It's been set well above what your credit rating justifies. And I'm going to correct that."
Department Head Kim's eyes went round as saucers. He had probably never once seen a banker volunteer to cut a rate.
"Wh... what on earth are you saying? I heard the headquarters sales division is practically salivating to kick companies like ours to the curb. And now you're telling me they'll lower our rate?"
"Yes. Yesterday I went through all three years of your transaction history. The drop in your operating margin came from rising raw material costs, not from any fundamental weakness in your company's technology. And your biggest problem, frankly, is currency fluctuation risk—"
I spread the currency-risk hedge simulation materials I'd prepared the day before across the desk.
"If you keep paying in dollars the way you are now, your losses will balloon like a snowball every time the exchange rate climbs. But if you link our bank's Exchange Rate Protection Guarantee product to your loan, you can lock in the range of exchange rate movement. Restructuring it this way reduces your risk — which naturally lets me lower your surcharge by at least 0.5 percentage points."
Department Head Kim listened to my explanation in a daze, then suddenly started hammering at his calculator.
'Half a percent... that's fifty million won in interest saved a year? And no more exchange rate worries either... If I report this to the CEO, it'll be a total home run. I can tell them I solved it myself!'
I could hear his inner voice brimming over with elation.
I drove the point home.
"Don't you think that's the kind of result that would earn you some real praise from your CEO, sir?"
Color returned to Department Head Kim's face. The furrow between his brows smoothed out, and his tightly clenched jaw went slack.
"Well, I'll be... Kim, was it? Team Leader Kim. No — this new team leader is quite the find. All the previous ones just barked 'it's headquarters policy' and rushed to raise our rates... You can really do this for us?"
"Of course. I'll personally see the approval through. In return, though—"
I let the pause hang for a beat.
"There's one condition."
Department Head Kim swallowed nervously.