Episode 47. Is It Okay to Do This? 4.
After Kim Byeongjun left, Noh Hyeoncheol thought for a while longer, then picked up the receiver.
[Yes.]
“It’s me, Executive Director Park.”
It was Park Gwangseok, the executive director of planning and sales.
[Yes, President. What can I do for you?]
“There was a brand-launching project proposal submitted by Sales Team 9, wasn’t there?”
[One moment, President.]
There was a brief rustling sound, as if he were searching for the proposal, and then he answered.
[There is. It came up this morning, but I haven’t opened it yet.]
“Bring it in, together with the executive director of financial management.”
[Yes, understood.]
Noh Hyeoncheol set down the receiver, rested his arms on the desk, and buried his chin in his clasped hands.
His gaze as he stared straight ahead was exceedingly sharp.
It was because he had a hunch that this might be an extraordinary business opportunity.
Along with that businessman’s instinct, he had another instinct—a political one.
The partner Kim Byeongjun had mentioned.
Perhaps that partner was the new employee who had planned the brand-launching proposal.
It truly made no sense, but he could not help thinking—no, sensing—that it might be so.
A little while later, Executive Director of Planning and Sales Park Gwangseok and Executive Director of Financial Management Woo Wonil entered.
Both of them were extremely tense.
It was rare for the president to personally know about a proposal that had not even come up for approval yet and order it brought to him.
Moreover, judging by the fact that he had summoned the people in charge of both operations and finance at the same time, it had to be something quite significant.
“You called for us, President?”
“Give me that.”
Executive Director Park Gwangseok held out the approval folder with both hands.
But even now, he did not understand this proposal.
The president had called, so he had skimmed through it in a hurry, but the contents were far too absurd.
Was there really something to this?
It did not seem the least bit realistic.
It was a proposal so sloppy it was almost unbelievable.
Still, there had to be something.
After all, it was a proposal Noh Hyeoncheol was personally looking into.
And the atmosphere around Kim Inseop that morning had been far from ordinary as well.
In truth, that morning, Sales Department 3 Manager Kim Inseop had personally brought it up, saying he needed to add a verbal explanation, but Park had been busy and told him he would call him in a little later, so he should come back then.
And in the midst of that, the president had asked for it.
Noh Hyeoncheol opened the approval folder and quietly read down through the proposal.
As he examined the proposal with an extremely serious expression, a smile gradually settled around his eyes, and then he suddenly let out a chuckle.
The part that made Noh Hyeoncheol laugh was this.
Investment amount: 1 billion won.
Long-term goal: secure a 15 to 20 percent market share in an 8-trillion-won market.
In the end, unable to hold back, Noh Hyeoncheol laughed heartily for a moment, but he also felt somewhat deflated.
He had called in two executive directors in order to provide full-scale support, but hearing that the investment was only 1 billion won somehow took the wind out of his sails.
Noh Hyeoncheol set the approval folder down.
His face looked exceedingly pleased.
“Executive Director Park. Executive Director Woo.”
“Yes, President.”
“Make sure this proceeds without any snags. Even if the investment goes a bit over, pre-approve it without delay.”
Park Gwangseok asked cautiously.
“Is there perhaps a special reason? I didn’t have time to examine it in depth, but to my eyes, it seems like a completely far-fetched proposal.”
“If you look only at the proposal, yes. Once you hear the explanation from the person in charge later, you’ll understand. It contains things that can’t be calculated with numbers. In any case, make sure they don’t lack support. This is the biggest business opportunity we’ve had in recent years.”
Park Gwangseok and Woo Wonil were not convinced, but they answered for the time being.
“Understood, President. We’ll ensure there are no difficulties in proceeding with the project.”
“Good. You may go. Tell all the planning and sales department managers to come in. And tell them to bring everything they have on Mancheon Apparel.”
After the two executive directors left, Noh Hyeoncheol thought again of the proposal.
It truly was the biggest business opportunity in recent years.
Secure a 15 to 20 percent market share in an 8-trillion-won market.
Was that not a business worth 1.2 trillion to 1.6 trillion won?
But even this was not an exact figure.
Since putting down too much would have seemed excessive, it appeared they had just roughly thrown in a number.
In an enormous market of 8 trillion won, even he probably did not know the precise figure for how much market share they could capture.
However, anyone who heard the strategy for this new brand would never think it would be less than that.
It would not seem lacking even if they secured an even higher market share.
Creating a trillion-won business with an initial investment of 1 billion won? Hah, really, this was...
If it truly turned out that way, it would be a miracle.
That miracle would soon herald the birth of a new legend among office workers.
But alongside his anticipation, he also felt bitter.
Because this project would become the signal flare announcing a generational shift.
And yet, for some reason, a laugh escaped him.
It was simply funny.
His relationship with Chairman Min Yanghong, connected by the fact that he was the son of the man who had saved his life.
A parachute hire.
And the chairman’s illegitimate son caught up in it.
Then there was his own position, holding the key to the succession structure.
All of these circumstances, that is.
It felt as though a massive wheel of fate had begun to turn.
A little while later, two planning department managers and three sales department managers entered Noh Hyeoncheol’s office.
After hearing a detailed report on the actual state of Mancheon Apparel, he rose from his seat.
* * *
A top-of-the-line sedan pulled into the parking lot of Mancheon Apparel.
When the car stopped, Noh Hyeoncheol and his executive secretary got out.
As Noh Hyeoncheol walked toward the entrance, his eyes widened slightly as if he had spotted something.
He had seen Hyeonu standing beside the entrance.
Hyeonu was no less surprised.
He had not expected Noh Hyeoncheol to come in person.
Hyeonu bowed at the waist in greeting.
“Good day, President.”
“You’re Kim Hyeonu from Sales Team 9, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“And you’re the one who submitted the outdoor brand-launching proposal?”
“Yes.”
Noh Hyeoncheol gave a benevolent, gentle smile.
“That proposal was very fresh and good.”
“Thank you.”
“But I heard there was a problem, so I looked into it a little. It seems the head of headquarters here is the problem. Is that right?”
He was about to tear into the head of headquarters, so he was confirming it one more time.
“It seems so.”
“Any other problems?”
“Other than that, I’m not sure.”
Noh Hyeoncheol smiled once more, then began walking as he said,
“Follow me.”
“Yes, President.”
Hyeonu quickly fell in behind Noh Hyeoncheol as he strode forward.
* * *
Noh Hyeoncheol entered the office.
The youngest designer, walking while carrying a board densely covered with sample photos, glanced at Noh Hyeoncheol and simply passed by.
But something was strange.
A few production management employees near the door were startled and hurriedly stood up.
The youngest designer also picked up on the mood and stood straight, but did not know who he was.
Noh Hyeoncheol swept his gaze once over the office, which was chaotic and busy because of the cleanup from the product review, then walked forward with measured steps, while Hyeonu and the executive secretary followed behind him.
After Noh Hyeoncheol passed, the youngest designer asked,
“Who is that?”
“What, you don’t know President Noh Hyeoncheol?”
The name seemed like one he had heard somewhere.
“Is he famous?”
“Good grief, he’s the president of our head office, Mancheon Corporation. And he’s number two in the Mancheon Group hierarchy.”
From the perspective of the still-young junior designer, he was someone from another world who held not the slightest interest for him, but he could tell that the man was impressive.
“But why would someone like him come here?”
The employee tilted his head.
“Huh? Now that you mention it... why did he come?”
* * *
The door suddenly opened.
Jang Dongyeop, who had been sitting on the sofa, started in shock and sprang to his feet when he saw No Hyeoncheol enter.
“Huh! P-President! H-How are you here…”
As No Hyeoncheol walked forward, Jang Dongyeop backed away.
He was yielding the boss’s seat, his own place.
No Hyeoncheol sat down in the spot he had vacated.
“Sit.”
“Yes, sir.”
Looking at Jang Dongyeop, whose eyes had gone round, No Hyeoncheol quietly opened his mouth.
“Mancheon Apparel already existed when I joined the company. Back then, it was Mancheon Textile. But I never once took an interest in Mancheon Textile. At the time, construction and heavy chemicals were growing at a steep pace. Mancheon Textile was too small in scale for me to pay attention to. Well, even if it was small, it was a fairly solid affiliate in its own right, so there was no need to worry about it.”
“……”
“I suppose that’s why this place ended up like this. Because I paid too little attention.”
Under normal circumstances, Jang Dongyeop would have tried to talk his way out of it, but he could not say a single word.
It was because he could not move under the overwhelming pressure radiating from No Hyeoncheol’s entire being.
“How long has it been since you came to Mancheon Apparel?”
“E-Eight years, sir.”
“After feeding off it for eight years, no wonder the organization has rotted this far…”
“……”
“Did you enjoy playing petty tyrant?”
“……”
“Is Mancheon Apparel yours?”
“……”
“If there’s anything here that belongs to you, bring it over and put it on the table.”
“……”
“I said put it on the table.”
“Pardon?”
He had asked because he could not tell whether No Hyeoncheol really meant it.
As if he truly did, No Hyeoncheol said again with a cold expression.
“Bring what belongs to you and put it here. Right now.”
Jang Dongyeop hesitantly got up and gathered his belongings.
Then he placed them on the table.
There really were only a few things.
His coat, his cell phone, the glasses he used when looking over documents. A few small items…
“Is this everything that belongs to you?”
“…Yes, sir.”
“Then take them and get out.”
Jang Dongyeop flinched and looked at No Hyeoncheol.
“I said take them and get out. Take what’s yours.”
The door opened, and Jang Dongyeop trudged out.
His eyes met those of the employees staring blankly at him.
He was embarrassed, but he straightened his back and lifted his head.
Even if he was being kicked out, he could not allow rumors to spread that he had been driven out looking dejected.
If that happened, it would cause problems when he tried to enter another company after being promised good terms.
He had to walk out confidently, as if he and President No Hyeoncheol simply had not seen eye to eye.
For the head of a fashion company’s headquarters, once your face was ruined, that was the end.
It was laughable that this was the first thing he thought of after being treated that way, but it was an instinctive thought that followed the flow of his consciousness.
It was a habit formed from living his whole life this way.
In truth, his mind was in complete chaos.
It had happened too suddenly for him to even sort things out.
Why did it end up like this?
Could it be because of that bastard with the chairman’s backing?
The planning team leader who came yesterday had said that President No Hyeoncheol had even attended that bastard’s family event.
This was not how the plan was supposed to go…
It was a busy time because of the evaluation meeting, and he had intended to force the project forward, create trouble between the employees and that bastard, and wear him down until he collapsed…
He had thought that even if the bastard used his backing, it would not become a major issue, since the department heads would say on their own that there had been no choice because the schedule was too tight.
Even if it did become a problem, it would end with the person who had caused trouble with the bastard, or the department head, taking responsibility.
But he had never imagined this.
Before he could do anything, No Hyeoncheol, the number two man of Mancheon Group, came in person, told him to gather his personal belongings, and simply threw him out.
Far from making excuses, he had not even been given time to test the waters. It was just over.
Without him saying a single word…
He was simply dazed.
The man might have had the chairman’s backing, but he was not in the chairman’s direct line, so Jang Dongyeop truly had not thought they would go this far.
And he had not known that backing could be this frightening.
In truth, he had not been fired because of that backing.
He had been fired because of his own wrongdoings.
Because he knew his own faults, he had not been able to say a single word even as he was being driven out.
And bad luck had played a part as well.
It just so happened that he had met Hyeonu, and his wrongdoings had been exposed.
* * *
The department heads stood in a line before No Hyeoncheol.
No Hyeoncheol looked them over from left to right, then opened his mouth.
“You know why the headquarters director was blown away, don’t you?”
“……”
“I don’t think that bastard was the only one of his kind. Bastards like that always raise underlings. There’s probably someone among you who actively clung to his side and obstructed the organization’s development. And some of you probably tried to maintain an appropriate distance. Since he was playing petty tyrant, you wouldn’t have been able to stand up to him.”
“……”
“Well, I’ll consider that a problem that originated from him and won’t hold it against you. That bastard is gone now, and the old Mancheon Apparel is gone too. I’m saying that if you do well from now on, I won’t say a word. Understood?”
“Yes, understood.”
They all gave the same answer, but one or two of them let out sighs of relief inwardly, while another one or two felt refreshed.
No Hyeoncheol did not mention Hyeonu’s project to them.
There was no need to say it out loud.
Just by taking out the headquarters director, everyone would have understood.
After the department heads left, No Hyeoncheol spoke again.
“Chief Jeong.”
His executive secretary entered.
“Yes, sir.”
“That new recruit is still here, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Tell him to come in.”
“Yes, understood.”
The executive secretary left, and a peculiar smile was etched across No Hyeoncheol’s face.
It was because the part he had been anticipating most among his reasons for coming here today was approaching.
Not a passing exchange with that guy, but a real conversation. This would be the first.
He was extremely curious what kind of fellow he really was.
Hyeonu came in and bowed.
“You called for me, sir?”
“Yes. Sit.”
Hyeonu took a seat.
“When I looked at the proposal earlier, it was a small-scale project with an investment of only one billion won. Does it have to be that way? From what I can see, it seems like you could prepare properly and proceed on a large scale.”
Hyeonu answered calmly, his gaze unwavering.
“For now, I think it would be better to move quickly with a small organization, like guerrilla warfare. As you know from reading the proposal, there are several points we need to achieve strategically, and I think increasing the scale would actually make that more difficult. Once we reach those points, I believe the scale will explode on its own. Like the Big Bang.”
The corners of No Hyeoncheol’s mouth rose on their own.
If he said something like this, it would have been natural for the kid to get greedy, but Hyeonu did not waver at all.
Through this exchange, he learned quite a lot about Hyeonu.
That he possessed an extremely important inner quality: the ability to carry out a strategy rationally and calmly without being swayed by those around him.
On top of that, the very fact that he had come up with such an ingenious idea meant there was no choice but to acknowledge that he had an exceptional mind.
In any case, as far as business potential went, he had passed for now. No, he had exceeded expectations.
“All right. Try doing it according to your convictions. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“Thank you, sir.”
No Hyeoncheol paused for a moment, then tossed out his next words as if in passing.
“By the way, about the Mancheon Transport matter. You designed that too, didn’t you?”
The instant he uttered those words, No Hyeoncheol’s face blurred, and amoeba-shaped protrusions of light popped out with sharp taps.
[Don’t even think about lying. Looking at the SHS matter and this brand launch, I can tell.]
Hyeonu answered in a quiet voice.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Hmm······ I thought so······.”
He looked at him for a moment with a languid, smiling face, then opened his mouth again.
“Which means you know Byeongjun’s true identity······. Don’t you?”
“······Yes, I know.”
“Heh, now this is interesting.”
“······.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking whether you’ll keep helping Byeongjun.”
Hyeonu thought for a moment, then raised his head.
Then he asked in return.
“By any chance, sir, have you been helping the Chairman all this time?”