Is the Corporation the Underdog, or Is the Bank? (2)
"As of now, Min-guk Bank, Naehwan Bank, Seonhan Bank, and Ivy Savings Bank have presented concrete interest rates. Of course, there is still room for change once we enter detailed negotiations."
Yoon-gi nodded, looking satisfied at Ryu Geun-tae’s seamless response. "In that case, I’d like you to handle those four banks, Uncle. Would that be alright?"
"I don't mind."
As he nodded readily, Yoon-gi gave a slight bow. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. It’s the right way to do things anyway. There’s no reason for me and President Ryu to have some pointless power struggle, is there?"
Ryu Geun-tae also bowed toward Choi Cheol-kyu. "I apologize. Technically, you should be the one sitting in the President’s chair, Chief Choi..."
"Hey, does the order matter? I’ll be taking a seat of my own later anyway. I’m not the type to kick away my future rice bowl just because I’m a little disappointed now."
The reason Yoon-gi was being so cautious in his request to Choi Cheol-kyu was because of the hierarchy at YK Department Store. Officially, Ryu Geun-tae was first, and Choi Cheol-kyu was second. Furthermore, Yoon-gi was intentionally solidifying that arrangement. If Ryu Geun-tae were perceived too much as an "easy-going president," it would cause problems for the YK Department Store brand image.
It’s a relief that my uncle is the type to prioritize practical benefits above all else. If it were someone else, they might have clashed with Secretary Ryu.
Thinking of his eldest uncle-in-law, who was waiting impatiently for the district prosecutor's office to summon him, Yoon-gi smiled inwardly and opened his mouth.
"Secretary Ryu, just so you know, my uncle is not your subordinate."
"Yes, of course. That is something I am always mindful of."
Yoon-gi turned his head to look at Choi Cheol-kyu. "Uncle. Regardless of the reasons, Secretary Ryu is my number one talent."
"Of course. Honestly, it’s a bit of a shame. If I had been close with my brother, I would have been the first subordinate."
At Choi Cheol-kyu’s joke, both Yoon-gi and Ryu Geun-tae laughed, and thanks to that, the office atmosphere, which had been on the verge of becoming stiff, melted away.
"I should hurry up and become an adult so I can spare you two the trouble."
As Yoon-gi joined in on the joking, Ryu Geun-tae jumped up in a panic, waving his hands.
"Absolutely not! We’re only useful if you stay young for a long time; why would you want to grow up? If I had my way, I’d want you to stay a minor forever!"
"Hahahaha!"
Choi Cheol-kyu, who had initiated the joking, burst out laughing, and the atmosphere didn't just melt—it became sweet as honey.
"Good. Since the two of you get along so well, this matter will surely be pushed forward successfully. Uncle, since Phase 1 is over, I’ll leave Phase 2 to you."
"Of course!"
Phase 1 was Ma Seok-il dealing with the miscellaneous sales staff. Phase 2, dealing with the heavy hitters, was about to begin through Choi Cheol-kyu.
"Hmm, are these the terms from Seonhan Bank?"
At Choi Cheol-kyu’s words, Ahn Dae-ho, the sales manager of Seonhan Bank’s Jongno branch, bowed his head.
"Yes, that is correct. Is there perhaps a part that you are not satisfied with..."
Because these were the conditions reached after arduous meetings with the branch manager and other branch executives, Ahn Dae-ho was truly on pins and needles. Since he had even involved the branch manager, if this deal failed, his standing within the branch would undoubtedly plummet.
"Hmm."
Choi Cheol-kyu set down the documents Ahn Dae-ho had brought and took a deliberate, audible sip of his coffee.
"Manager Ahn."
"Yes? Yes! Please, go ahead."
"As you know, YK Department Store isn't just looking to deposit sales revenue."
"Oh, I know. Of course, I know."
People think the reason corporations receive preferential treatment from banks is because of their unimaginably large deposit amounts. But that’s not actually true. From a bank’s perspective, corporate deposits aren't necessarily a welcome matter. Since banks make their profit from the margin between loan interest and deposit interest, corporate deposits that require incentives can sometimes even result in losses for the bank.
Of course, in the South Korea of the 80s, money could be made anywhere you invested, so deposits were never rejected, but by the 2010s, it became common for banks to refuse corporate deposits. So why do banks want to deal with corporations?
"If the conditions are good, we are willing to switch all of our employees' salary accounts to Seonhan Bank."
This was the reason they had approached them in the first place, but knowing it was a negotiation tactic, Ahn Dae-ho didn't push Choi Cheol-kyu.
"Oh, we would be very grateful if you did that."
For a bank to make money, they need many individuals depositing money into their institution. However, if a corporation consolidates all its employees' salary accounts into one, the bank instantly secures hundreds or thousands of customers. After all, not many individuals use multiple banks.
"For now, I will report this positively to my superiors. I’ll be in touch."
As Choi Cheol-kyu stood the papers on his desk and tapped them into alignment, Ahn Dae-ho cautiously handed over a box.
"Chief Choi, um, this..."
"What is this?"
With an impassive expression, Choi Cheol-kyu accepted the box and immediately opened it to check. Inside, along with some medicinal sweets, were two bundles of ten-thousand-won bills. Choi Cheol-kyu immediately closed the box and returned it to Ahn Dae-ho.
"Uh..."
Ahn Dae-ho looked utterly flustered. He wanted to ask, "Is it not enough?" but such a comment was practically taboo in this situation, so his expression turned into one of pure embarrassment.
However, Choi Cheol-kyu hadn't rejected the money.
"I don't think it's time to receive this yet."
"Ah... I understand."
Ahn Dae-ho, having received the box back, breathed a sigh of relief and put it back into his paper bag.
"Then, let’s stop here for today."
At Choi Cheol-kyu’s words, Ahn Dae-ho bowed and left the office. Choi Cheol-kyu took a sip of coffee and began waiting for the sales representative from Naehwan Bank, who was due in 20 minutes.
I wonder which bank will bring the best interest rate and the most gifts?
Yoon-gi had clearly told Ma Seok-il through Ryu Geun-tae to return the money. However, even after seeing Ma Seok-il’s case, Choi Cheol-kyu hadn't completely rejected the money. That was due to the unique nature of "money."
Gifts like ginseng or hotel vouchers have a price limit, no matter how expensive they are. But there is no limit to "money gifts." Therefore, while you can accept a general gift and act like nothing happened, you cannot do that with money. You only accept money when the deal is finalized. Just like with the mini-department store, you can only accept it from the bank that has secured the deal.
This is why the role of Chief isn't so bad.
Ryu Geun-tae’s mysticism is good for his image, but it has the disadvantage of making it difficult to get any side benefits. Since everyone Ryu Geun-tae meets is essentially a "superior," it’s hard to receive anything. On the other hand, Choi Cheol-kyu could reap practical benefits while serving as Chief. For Choi Cheol-kyu, it was a personnel assignment he had zero complaints about.
The coffee is sweet.
Drinking the coffee made by Ryu Geun-tae’s nephew, Choi Cheol-kyu happily fulfilled the rest of his meetings.
"In terms of conditions, Seonhan Bank and Min-guk Bank were the best."
At Choi Cheol-kyu’s report in the study, Yoon-gi nodded.
"Are their conditions equal?"
"The bracket ratios vary slightly depending on the deposit amount, but ultimately, they are the same."
"What do you think, Uncle?"
"If the conditions are the same, wouldn't it be better to go with the bank with the larger scale?"
"Then are you recommending Min-guk Bank?"
"If I had to choose? But since it’s the same regardless of which one we pick, I think it might be good to leave it to Manager Ma’s choice."
Choi Cheol-kyu, who had been speaking up to this point, closed his mouth for a moment, thought for a bit, and then spoke again.
"Or, is there perhaps a Phase 3?"
At Choi Cheol-kyu’s words, Yoon-gi showed a bright smile.
For a diligent laborer, there is at least one day of rest. But for a diligent entrepreneur, there are no holidays. However, today, on a Sunday, Yoon-gi was enjoying a drive for the first time in a long while.
"Sometimes, rest like this is a good thing."
At the words of Cha Pil-gyu, who was sitting in the passenger seat, Yoon-gi, who was sitting in the back, nodded.
"That’s true. The scenery of Seoul is quite worth seeing, too."
"Are President Ryu or Chief Choi not joining you today?"
"No, not today."
A drive accompanied only by the driver and Cha Pil-gyu. Since this was the first time such a thing had happened, Cha Pil-gyu in the passenger seat felt quite intrigued. At first, he wondered if Yoon-gi had something to say to him, but after an hour of driving, Yoon-gi hadn't said a word, leading Cha Pil-gyu to think, "I guess not," along with a feeling of slight disappointment.
However, that thought was fleeting. Cha Pil-gyu attempted a conversation he hadn't been able to have with the usually busy Yoon-gi. Although he had often been by his side as a bodyguard, he hadn't had many chances to talk because Yoon-gi was always so busy.
"Come to think of it, you rarely take breaks like this. Don't you want to rest at least one day a week?"
"Hmm? Are you trying to convert me right now?"
At Yoon-gi’s joke, Cha Pil-gyu let out a gasp and shook his head and hands vigorously.
"No, no. I’m non-religious."
"I’m joking."
Cha Pil-gyu, who had been relieved, let out a small, dry laugh and continued.
"It’s just, watching you from the side, I often feel that you’re amazing. I mean, the way you live so passionately every day is impressive."
A smile formed on Yoon-gi’s lips.
"If I don't live diligently, it’s an insult to those who have talent."
"Pardon?"
Yoon-gi thought of himself back in his "dirt spoon" days.
"In this world, there are many people who are born with talent but wither away without even knowing they have it. I have to live diligently, if only for their sake. For someone who has grasped the right to let their talent bloom to throw that right into the trash is truly the worst."
Cha Pil-gyu seemed slightly moved by Yoon-gi’s words, but in reality, Yoon-gi’s words were also directed at his past self.
If I miss this opportunity that I grasped by pure chance, there won't be a next time for me.
Does Cha Pil-gyu even know one-hundredth of the fact that Yoon-gi is currently staking his life on this life? In fact, this drive wasn't just simple recreation or a vacation; there was a reason for it, but Cha Pil-gyu couldn't even dream of what Yoon-gi was thinking.
It’s a rare holiday, so I should serve him well.
It was a slightly misguided thought, but thanks to Cha Pil-gyu’s assistance, Yoon-gi was able to tour Seoul, Suwon, and Anyang, and issue the Phase 3 order to Choi Cheol-kyu.
It’s done. It’s done!
When Choi Cheol-kyu called him, Ahn Dae-ho was convinced that Seonhan Bank and its Jongno branch had become a partner of YK Department Store, and he ran to Choi Cheol-kyu in one breath.
"Ah, welcome."
Choi Cheol-kyu’s demeanor was distinctly different from last time. Because of that, Ahn Dae-ho also smiled brightly and bowed toward Choi Cheol-kyu.
"Hello, Chief Choi. I’ve been waiting only for your call today."
Now that the deal was finalized, there was no longer any need for troublesome mind games. Therefore, Ahn Dae-ho immediately offered the rice cakes to Choi Cheol-kyu.
"Chief Choi. Are you free after work today? I will serve you with a full course today."
Ahn Dae-ho had offered the same box he had brought last time, but Choi Cheol-kyu shook his head.
"This is not what I’m asking for."
At Choi Cheol-kyu’s refusal, Ahn Dae-ho, judging it to be a feigned refusal, smiled even more broadly.
"Hey, why are you like this? I packed a bit more than last time. You won't be disappointed."
"No, no, that’s not it. I called you because there is something truly important today."
"Yes...?"
Only then did Ahn Dae-ho, detecting an strange atmosphere, stop moving.
"Sit down first."
Ahn Dae-ho sat down in a daze. However, Choi Cheol-kyu did not open his mouth.
What on earth is going on?
Eventually, a situation was created where Ahn Dae-ho, feeling frustrated, had to speak to Choi Cheol-kyu first.
"Chief Choi, did something big happen?"
"In a sense, it is a very big deal."
Phase 3, as instructed by Yoon-gi. That Phase 3 began to flow from Choi Cheol-kyu’s lips.