"A store? You want to open a store?"
Maru nodded.
"Yeah, if our goal is distribution, it wouldn't be strange to have a flagship store. We keep this as a production factory, and all sales and purchases are handled at the store."
I agreed with his idea.
"That makes sense. It would be easier to manage."
"It's just a suggestion, so think about it. We might come up with a better solution."
"I will. Anyway…"
I mimed drinking.
"We should celebrate our reunion. Business aside, let's have a drink first. How about some Chinese baijiu (white liquor)?"
Maru chuckled.
"I was wondering when you would say that. I've already stocked up, so let's get drunk."
As we were enjoying our drinks, CEO Wu and Manager Han joined us.
"I'm offended that you two are drinking without me."
I said with a smile at CEO Wu's playful complaint,
"It was a spontaneous gathering, so we didn't have time to contact you. Sorry."
"Well, congratulations on your expansion into China."
"Thank you."
The atmosphere became even more lively with CEO Wu and Manager Han joining us.
"CEO Wu and Manager Han helped us a lot with setting up the factory. I don't speak a word of Chinese, so I wouldn't have been able to handle the permits, purchases, and everything else."
I expressed my gratitude to CEO Wu at Maru's words.
"It was all thanks to you, CEO Wu. I wouldn't have known what to do without you."
"Don't mention it. We should help each other out."
As we were chatting, CEO Wu said,
"How long are you planning to stay this time? I don't think you'll be staying here permanently."
"Maru will be returning soon, and I'll probably stay for a few months until the new business is on track. I'll only go back to Korea for urgent matters."
CEO Wu nodded.
"You have high expectations for this new business, I see."
"Of course."
"Hmm, it's not a field I'm familiar with, and you're such a talented businessman, CEO Park, so I'm sure you'll do well. But let me emphasize again that safety is paramount. And there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I've been assigning my employees to Managing Director Kim and you, but I can't do that forever. You need to build your own team. People you can trust."
I agreed with him about safety being paramount, but people I could trust…
I could trust Maru and my family, excluding my brother, of course. And I could trust Park Jong-bum to some extent.
But everyone else was bound to me by contracts and money.
My trust in people was strictly based on mutual benefit.
The reason I implemented the incentive system wasn't just to reward the employees, but to prevent fraud by giving them a legitimate way to earn more money.
"People I can trust…"
CEO Wu, sensing my hesitation, smiled and said,
"Haha, it must be difficult since you're Korean and don't speak Chinese. You could bring in people from your own country, like Manager Han."
He misunderstood my concern, but I smiled and said,
"It's not a problem. I'll just have to rely on you for a while."
I had my own way of managing people.
If there was no one I could trust, I would create a situation where they had no choice but to be trustworthy. And I was confident I could do that.
"Anyway, I feel bad about always receiving help from you. I should do something in return."
CEO Wu waved his hands.
"Don't mention it. We've known each other for a while, I'm happy to help."
He was being modest, but favors needed to be reciprocated.
One-sided help could damage a relationship.
"I can't make any promises, but I'm establishing many overseas branches. Once they're stable, I'm planning to start buying secondhand goods there too, and I'll sell them all to you."
CEO Wu was surprised.
"You're establishing overseas branches? That's impressive, CEO Park. That would be great, of course. It's an unexpected gift."
"It's just business. I'm just selling you goods for a profit."
CEO Wu smiled, raised his glass, and said,
"Let's have a drink to celebrate!"
***
I took over the factory from Maru and started running it.
"I understand why Maru suggested opening a store. These customers are a pain in the ass."
I had clearly told them to take into account the possibility of defects, but they were using all the working chips and then asking for refunds for the faulty ones. After a long argument with a company CEO, I was exhausted.
The constant phone calls and the occasional customer barging in and causing a scene were making the factory atmosphere chaotic.
"Just focus on the sales. Just the sales."
But the hard work was paying off. We were buying IC chips for 10 yuan per kg, about 10,000 won in Korean currency, and selling them for ten times that price. And then we sent the remaining scrap to the smelter for additional income.
Thanks to this exorbitant profit margin, our net profit in the first month under Maru's management had already exceeded 10 billion won.
And that was after excluding the initial period when we struggled to find buyers due to lack of publicity. We had earned that much in just two weeks.
The door to my office opened, and the Korean-Chinese employee in charge of interpretation entered.
"Sir, we have a problem."
"What is it? Another refund?"
"Inspectors from the Environmental Protection Agency are here. Someone must have reported us."
I put my hand on my forehead.
"What now…"
I arrived at the main gate and saw a man pounding on the metal door and shouting.
Two other men were standing behind him.
The interpreter said nervously,
"He says he's Inspector Cui Jian from the Environmental Protection Agency. He says he received a report about environmental pollution at our factory and needs to inspect it."
"Damn it."
The security guards, who usually blocked all other visitors, were hesitant to confront a government official.
"Tell him I'm the CEO and ask him what's going on."
The interpreter translated my words, and the man replied,
"He says he's Inspector Cui Jian from the Environmental Protection Agency. He received a report about environmental pollution at this factory and needs to inspect it."
I frowned.
"What's he talking about? Our factory was just built a month ago. We installed top-of-the-line ventilation and toxic gas treatment facilities and passed all the environmental assessments."
The interpreter said nervously,
"We did pass the environmental assessment. I don't understand this either."
I was willing to do anything for money, but I didn't disregard human lives.
They might be Chinese, not Korean, but they were working for me to earn a living, not to risk their health.
And as a foreigner running a business in a foreign country, I was aware of the potential for scrutiny, so I had followed all the regulations when building the factory.
We had invested heavily in top-of-the-line ventilation systems for the production buildings, where lead fumes were a concern, and provided the employees with high-quality protective gear.
We had also installed toxic gas treatment facilities to prevent leaks. So why the report?
"Is he really a government official?"
"The security guards checked his ID and the official document."
"Is it forged? It's strange for them to show up without any prior notice. Shouldn't they contact us first?"
The interpreter remained silent.
"We'll have to verify his identity, but assuming he's a real inspector, what was the report about?"
"It seems someone complained about a bad smell coming from the factory."
I was speechless.
We had top-of-the-line toxic gas treatment facilities operating constantly to purify the air. How could there be a smell?
"Maybe someone reported us maliciously. There have been many people complaining about not being able to buy enough IC chips."
I said with a glare,
"If that's the case, I won't let them get away with this."
I decided to stall for time and said to the interpreter,
"Tell him our factory was just built a month ago and passed the environmental assessment, so there couldn't possibly be any smell."
Cui Jian replied confidently,
"He doesn't care and says he needs to inspect the factory since he received a report."
"Damn it. What's the usual procedure in China in these situations?"
"They usually accept bribes and leave. The authorities are very powerful in China… I think it's best to just give him some money."
I sighed.
"Bribes, bribes everywhere. I hope we can resolve this with just a bribe… There are a lot of people watching, so let's let him in. And…"
I took out my cell phone and handed it to the interpreter.
"Give this to the security guard discreetly and tell him to call the office and stop all factory operations, just in case. Tell them to clear out everything they're working on. And contact the Environmental Protection Agency and verify if they actually sent an inspector today."
The interpreter nodded and discreetly handed the phone to the security guard. He returned after the call and said,
"He's saying to stop wasting time and let him in."
I clicked my tongue.
"Let him in."
The gate opened, and Cui Jian and his entourage entered the factory. I extended my hand to him.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Park Sol."
Cui Jian looked at my hand for a moment and then shook it.
"He's Cui Jian, and he asks for your cooperation."
I nodded.
"This way, please."
I planned to lead them to the office, offer him a bribe, and send him away after verifying his identity.
But Cui Jian looked around the factory and then said,
"He's asking if we're going to the office."
"Tell him we'll have some tea at the office first."
Cui Jian shook his head firmly.
"He says he doesn't have time and needs to inspect the production lines first."
I cursed internally but smiled and said,
"We also need time to prepare. I've asked my employee to contact the Environmental Protection Agency, so please wait."
I watched Cui Jian closely as the interpreter translated my words. He seemed more annoyed than worried.
'Is he really a government official?'
"He says he'll wait here, not in the office. He wants us to hurry up."
"Out here in the sun? Sigh…"
We waited for about ten minutes under the scorching sun, and then the employee who had contacted the Environmental Protection Agency returned.
"He says Inspector Cui Jian is scheduled to inspect the factory today."
"He's really an inspector? Sigh."
I was relieved and disappointed at the same time.
"Let's just give him some money and send him away."
I checked the money in my wallet and said to Cui Jian,
"We confirmed it. You're a real inspector."
"Then let's go to the production lines."
"He keeps insisting… Don't translate that. Ahem."
I cleared my throat, smiled, and approached Cui Jian.
"Thank you for your hard work. This is a small token of our appreciation for your visit."
I took out 500 yuan from my wallet and handed it to him.
It was about 50,000 won in Korean currency, but it was almost a month's salary for a Chinese worker.
I assumed he would accept it without any problems.
Very few factories followed the regulations as strictly as ours.
Following all the regulations required a massive investment in facilities, so most Chinese factory owners just bribed the inspectors and got away with it.
But Cui Jian suddenly raised his hand and said sternly,
"He's asking what you think you're doing. He says bribing a government official is illegal."
The interpreter, also surprised by his refusal, stammered,
"Maybe it's not enough?"
"Th-that could be it."
I gritted my teeth and took out another 500 yuan.
"1,000 yuan. What does he say?"
"He doesn't need it."
"This bastard… Offer him 5,000 yuan. That's about a year's salary for a government official."
Cui Jian's eyes wavered at the sight of the 50 100-yuan bills in my hand.
He clearly wanted the money, but he hesitated and didn't take it.
I thought he was trying to extort more money from me and said,
"Alright, let's go to the office. I'll give you another 5,000 yuan there, a total of 10,000 yuan. Just have some tea with me and leave."
Cui Jian's eyes wavered at the interpreter's words.
But just as I thought he was about to accept, he hesitated and said,
"He doesn't need it. He just wants to inspect the factory and leave."
The reason I was offering him money and trying to prevent him from seeing the production lines was to protect the secrecy of our IC chip restoration process.
We had banned our employees from leaving the factory premises to maintain our monopoly for even a few months. If a government official saw our operation and spread the word, it would be a disaster.
Of course, he might just inspect the factory and leave without saying anything, but there was always a chance he might not.
I was willing to pay much more than 10,000 yuan to maintain secrecy, but something felt off.
He seemed to want the money, but he was hesitant. And he was insistent on seeing the production lines.
A thought crossed my mind, and I glared at him.
"You bastard, you're not here for the money."
TL/n -
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