The secondhand traders started collapsing faster than I expected.
More than half of the existing traders had already given up and were observing the situation, and that number was rapidly increasing.
Then, I received a call from a junkyard owner and arrived to find something extraordinary.
"Wow, this guy is really clever. This isn't really a donation box, is it? Even I would fall for it."
"I know, right? I was surprised when I looked into it. How did he come up with this idea?"
Maru and I were in a residential area in Mapo-gu, Seoul. In front of us was a large, green, mailbox-like metal box with the following words written on it:
[Used Clothing Donation Box. These clothes will be used to help the less fortunate.]
"Is this really installed by an individual?"
"Yes, I asked around. It's not installed by the government or any association."
Volume-based waste disposal had been implemented in January 1995.
Before that, people could throw out any kind of garbage mixed together, and the junkyards or the government would collect it. But after the new system was implemented, people had to separate their waste for recycling, and they had to buy designated bags for garbage that needed to be incinerated.
I knew that junkyard owners were happy about the new system because recyclable items like bottles, cans, and plastic were now separated at home. But this…
"This is brilliant. If people see this while separating their waste, they'll all throw their clothes in here, right?"
"They will. It's already almost full."
"Wow, I'd love to meet the person who came up with this. What's the company name at the bottom? Korea Resources Recycling? This is amazing. Absolutely amazing."
"What should we do? Our plan was to drive them out of business. But at this rate, we'll be the ones running out of goods."
Originally, people would throw out their used clothes with the rest of their garbage, junkyards would collect them, pick out the usable ones, and then sell the rest to us or other secondhand traders. But if these donation boxes became widespread, the clothes would go directly to the traders, bypassing the junkyards.
But I wasn't too worried.
"It's simple. There aren't many of these boxes installed yet, and you said it's not a government or association initiative, right?"
"Right."
I thought for a moment and said,
"Maru, who do you think are the less fortunate?"
Maru scratched his head and said,
"Orphans like me?"
"No, orphans are unfortunate, but it lacks impact. How about people with disabilities?"
"People with disabilities are unfortunate too. But why are you asking?"
I took out my cell phone and called Headmaster Ahn of Seongwon High School.
"You said it's not a government or association initiative? Then we can just partner with an association. Wait, let me see which association has the most influence."
Headmaster Ahn had a wide network, thanks to his connections with other school administrators through the school computer purchases and his colleagues in other government offices.
He was a good source of information. With a little incentive, he was quick to act.
—CEO Park, I looked into it. There are many associations for people with disabilities, but the largest and oldest one is the Korea Association of Persons with Disabilities. They have nationwide recognition and influence.
"Did you find out anything about their president?"
—There weren't any particular rumors circulating.
Hmm, then I couldn't just shower him with money recklessly. I had to be careful who I bribed. It could backfire if I wasn't careful. I needed to experience it firsthand.
I got the association's phone number from Headmaster Ahn. I hummed to myself, and Maru, who had been sitting with a troubled expression, said,
"…Are we sure this is okay?"
"What? The donation box thing? What's wrong with it? Did they patent it? It's first come, first served."
"No, not that. You said you're going to install them using the association's name. That's deceiving people."
"I'm not lying. I'll actually donate the clothes. Well, 10% of them, and only the ones in bad condition."
"…You're really a scumbag, hyung."
I snapped my fingers and said,
"Bingo. I'm a scumbag. But I'm not ashamed. Because it makes money."
Maru sighed deeply.
"We're definitely going to hell when we die."
"You idiot. Life without money is hell. I don't care about the afterlife."
I patted his dejected shoulder and said,
"You'll thank me later. Where else could you earn a 10 million won salary?"
"…Let's do it. It's just a little dirty work. An orphan like me needs money to get married."
"Hello? Is this the Korea Association of Persons with Disabilities?"
—Yes, it is. How can I help you?
"Well, our company is planning to make a donation."
—Ah, a sponsor. Thank you for your beautiful donation to help people with disabilities.
Even I felt a little guilty hearing those words.
"Yes, we're thinking of donating about 100 million won."
I could hear surprise in the voice on the other end of the line.
—Oh my, 100 million won?
100 million won was not a small amount. It was enough to buy an apartment in Gangbuk.
It was a shame, but it couldn't be helped.
'It's an investment. This is an investment.'
—I'm sorry, I was just surprised. It's been a while since we received such a large donation. On behalf of people with disabilities nationwide, thank you.
"Oh, it's nothing. We should all do good deeds, right? Anyway, we'd like to rent your auditorium for a donation ceremony and take some photos. We were wondering if your president could attend."
—Ah, we would be honored. He would definitely be able to attend for such a large donation. And would it be okay to use the photos for our promotional materials?
"Of course, no problem. Then how about we meet in person to discuss the details? I'll send one of our employees."
—Yes, thank you. I'll report this to my superiors.
The donation ceremony was quickly arranged. Even with government support, associations were never truly well-funded.
They were eager to make preparations. The president called me, but we only exchanged brief greetings.
Deals were best made face-to-face.
"There's a reason why I'm going through all this trouble."
On the day of the ceremony, I sat in the VIP seat at the front of the rented auditorium. I had some of my employees dress up neatly and attend the event. The banner read:
'Chunha Trading Donation Ceremony for the Korea Association of Persons with Disabilities'
"Hehehe, I never thought I'd be doing something like this."
"Hyung, stop laughing like that. There are a lot of people watching."
There were even a few reporters with cameras, proving that the association was indeed influential. I hadn't even expected reporters.
"If this goes well, it could even be spun into a positive news story."
As I was thinking about all this, an elderly man who looked to be over 60, dressed in a suit, approached the VIP seat.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Moon Ji-man, president of the Korea Association of Persons with Disabilities."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Park Sol, CEO of Chunha Trading."
We shook hands, and camera shutters clicked. The ceremony went smoothly.
A brief introduction of Chunha Trading, the reason for the donation, and how the money would be used.
The 30-minute ceremony ended with me handing a paper placard that read "100 million won donation" to the president.
After a five-second photo op with the president and me holding the placard on both sides, I returned to the VIP seat and said to him,
"President Moon, if you're not busy, would you like to join me for a meal?"
The president laughed heartily and said,
"Of course. I wouldn't want to let you go after such a generous donation."
"Then I'll see you later."
After the ceremony, the president, his secretary, Maru, and I had dinner together.
We started with casual conversation, covering various topics. As the meal was coming to an end, I said,
"President Moon, I have a new idea for helping people with disabilities."
The president smiled warmly and said,
"I'm so glad to have met such a wonderful person today. I welcome any ideas for helping people with disabilities."
"But… well…"
I glanced at the secretary, and the president narrowed his eyes and said,
"Secretary Kim, would you excuse us for a moment?"
"Maru, you too, please."
After Maru and the secretary left, the president, still smiling, asked,
"What's this new idea for helping people with disabilities?"
"What's the most important thing for people? Food, clothing, and shelter, right?"
"That's right."
The president nodded in agreement.
"I'm not an expert in food and shelter, but I believe my line of work is closely related to clothing, so I wanted to discuss it with you."
"I see. I heard you mention something about exporting to China?"
"Yes, we mainly export used goods from Korea to China."
"Ah, secondhand goods."
"Yes. It breaks my heart to see so many usable clothes being discarded."
The president's eyes lit up with interest.
Was he interested in the feasibility of my proposal or in the potential benefits for himself?
I bet it was the latter.
"To be frank, I want to create used clothing donation boxes using the association's name and collect discarded clothes to help people with disabilities and the less fortunate. Would it be possible to use your name?"
"Hmm, do you think that would work? Not all people with disabilities are poor, and they might be reluctant to accept secondhand clothes."
"Wouldn't it be my responsibility to address those concerns?"
I handed him a shopping bag containing five bundles of 1 million won each.
"I'll give you this every month. And I'll donate the same amount to the association for using your name. Now…"
I smirked and said,
"Is that settled?"
The president glanced at the shopping bag, smiled, and carefully folded it, putting it in his pocket.
"I think we can make it work. We'll need to have a longer discussion about this."
"That old man is greedy. Five million won isn't a small amount, but he's taking another five million on top of that."
I grumbled as I sat in the passenger seat of the Grandeur, which Maru was driving. Maru said,
"Did it go well?"
"It went perfectly. We'll sign a formal contract tomorrow. I'll place an order with the metal box manufacturer and have them distributed nationwide. We need to make at least 1,000 boxes. Even that might not be enough."
"But you said we need to determine if they're the type to accept bribes or not."
"I did."
"But you made that judgment based on a brief conversation during dinner?"
"Ah, that?"
I patted Maru's shoulder and said,
"That's why you still have a lot to learn. I made that judgment at the beginning of the donation ceremony."
"Ow, take it easy. But what did you see at the donation ceremony?"
"You know how the VIP seats are usually filled with important people?"
"Yeah, the branch presidents were there too."
"Right. But didn't you notice anything strange?"
Maru tilted his head.
"Notice what?"
"There weren't any people with disabilities among those who sat in the VIP seats. The actual people with disabilities were placed in the back for show. All the association executives were able-bodied. Not all people with disabilities are fools. Just because someone is paralyzed from the waist down doesn't mean they can't think."
I said with a sneer,
"An association for people with disabilities where all the executives are able-bodied. Do you think the head of such an organization would be any different?"