Chapter 726

The chairman was a man of power. It was hard to find a man with as much power as him in the country. After all, the reality was that those who had quite an influence in the political field were completely docile in front of him. There was a rumor about how he was the mental support of the current Korean president, but the truth was only known to the two of them.

“Little Hong.”

“Yes, chairman.”

“How is it going these days?”

“I’m doing everything without a problem. I will definitely make the most out of this opportunity you gave me.”

“You know, I have always hated those clowns. They show up on television to sing and dance. They’re practically no different from circus troupes, but the people like them too much. If we were in the Joseon era, people would treat them as nothing more than street fools, so I despised seeing them act like the world was theirs just because they gained a little popularity.”

“You’re entirely right, sir.”

“Until a few years ago, I never changed my mind. I felt like my blood was rushing to my head when they introduced themselves as ‘public figures’. Who are they to call themselves that? They would lose their jobs if businessmen didn’t give them ads. No matter how much the public sucks up to them, who is it that feeds them? It’s us, businessmen.”

“You’re entirely correct.”

Junior director Kim commented every time the chairman finished his thought. The chairman laughed every single time. Janghae just nodded without saying anything.

“But recently, I changed my mind. Before, we were in an era where a business could sell products based on their brand value alone, but it’s not like that these days. I don’t know what these idols are, but I felt really absurd when I received a quarterly report. The public moved when we used those minstrels in our adverts. It was flabbergasting. Little Hong, what is the main product of YM Living?”

“Based on market monopoly, it’s toothpaste. I heard that we were past 70%.”

“You’re quite knowledgeable even though you have taken your hands off logistics.”

“Whether it’s the child company or the parent company, I’m trying my best to know everything related to YM.”

“Yes, Little Hong. That’s how people should be. The lazy ones will get abandoned.”

The chairman lifted his glass and put it against his mouth. Janghae and junior director Kim also drank along with him. This soju, which was created by a master brewer of Andong soju specifically for the sake of the chairman, was on a completely different level from the factory-made distilled soju that was sold in markets. Of course, the alcohol content was completely different as well. Even Janghae, who had a strong tolerance for alcohol, felt heat rushing up from his throat on his second glass.

“It’s a market worth 170 billion won, and it’s YM who controls most of it. Toothpaste was the main item when I succeeded the company. It’s something that has a lot of memories for me.”

The chairman chuckled after remembering the old times.

“The distance my friend and I traveled in order to sell toothpaste back then should be enough to travel around the Earth at least once. It’s nearly impossible for latecomers to increase their market share. But when I did it to the death, I did manage to do it. I had to suck up to bank-men to increase clients and then find out the logistics by sucking up to those clients. I had a hard time raising it. I can say that toothpaste is the core of YM.”

“Of course, of course,” junior director Kim said.

“Toothpaste is my pride. That’s why I’m usually lenient when it comes to anything else, but when our market share of toothpaste fell, I flipped over the household item marketing department. Little Hong, maybe you managed to maintain your position because you’re in logistics.”

“I was lucky,” Janghae said as he lowered his head.

“While it is a petty dream, it was my dream to go past 70% market share in toothpaste. I thought that it was a monumental event to completely get a hold of the market that YM has sprung up on. I even danced in joy when it first went past 60%. No matter what I did though, I could never reach that 70%. No matter how good the ingredients we use to make them, it takes time for people to spread the word. When we first made the toothpaste for toddlers, I thought that we would go past that 70%, but even back then, we weren’t able to do so.”

Janghae was reminded of the toothpaste ad where a popular animation character appeared and sang a song.

“I wanted to use an actor too. However, I was told they can’t do it even if I give them the money because it doesn’t fit their image. It was absurd. Those clowns dare to refuse money? I thought that the world was being crazy.”

“Everyone’s too full of themselves. We must return to a time where they come and go at the beck and call of businessmen.”

Junior director Kim spoke like an automatic answering machine. Janghae thought that it was an ability of his. Flattering wasn’t something that anyone could do.

“But it happened. We’re past 70% just because we used an idol actor. We did a survey about it as well. Why do you buy YM products? Do you know what the answer was?”

“I have no clue, sir,” said junior director Kim.

“I guess a lot of them must have bought it thanks to the actor.”

Should he say he knew or act ignorant? Janghae had debated between the two options before replying. Junior director Kim was in charge of the flattering character, so there didn’t seem to be a need for him to do the same.

“Yes, that’s it. The majority of them said that they bought it after seeing the face of the actor holding that toothpaste rather than considering things like effectiveness or ingredients used. It was totally absurd. A product was not being evaluated as a product. I found it absurd that the trivial reason of ‘a celebrity using that thing’ raised its value more than its improvement in function. But what can I do about it? It’s the solid hard truth. It means that the world has changed.”

The chairman wiped his mouth with some napkins.

“Back in my day, we were treated like adults the moment we entered high school. Even if we smoked with the adults, we might get slapped on the back of the head, but we didn’t get our cigarettes taken away. In fact, the adults even told us that we’re at the age where we should learn to drink. There were many people who started taking care of their families, and there are also those that started working. But these days, the young ones can never leave their parents until they’re twenty or even twenty-five. So what does that make them in their middle and high school days? Practically toddlers. They act like crybabies telling their parents they want this or that. They have no sense of responsibility but are a lot more greedy.”

When the chairman spoke with a hint of anger, junior director Kim respectfully lifted up the soju bottle.

“Chairman, there’s no way the young ones these days understand the harsh reality of the world, is there?”

“Of course they don’t.”

“It’s all because of the efforts and the generosity of people like you that made the world a better place, and as a result, they can live the life they are living now, but they don’t know that.”

“You’re right, junior director Kim. Kids these days are all whiny. They don’t even know what we went through in the past. They don’t know that the things they take for granted are my achievements and the results of my business. They don’t know, so they don’t know how to be grateful either. They call us chaebols and poke the hell out of us on a whim, but what would happen if we disappeared from this country?”

“It’ll be doomed in a blink of an eye. If the YM Group falls, Korea will become a developing, no, poor country in an instant. But chairman, it’s not like everyone on this land is an ignorant fool. I’ve had a look at the public opinion, but there are many youths who think that businesses are the future and the lifeline of this country. So do not worry too much.”

Junior director Kim would very much succeed with his flattery alone. He was a complete smooth-talker. Of course, if that was all he had, he would have lost his position a long time ago. The chairman does not have incompetent people by his side after all.

“Anyway, ever since then, I have had to accept that those clowns have some abilities. Little Hong, I knew that you longed to go to logistics, but I couldn’t let just anyone take over the helm of a new business. The times have changed, so I should step in line as well.”

“I will raise it well and meet your expectations, chairman.”

“I don’t think there will be a problem if it’s you. I don’t put the people I trust in vague positions. I either have them right next to me or send them really far away. Junior director Kim, this guy, he’s very good at flattery. He knows how to make me feel pleased. Meanwhile, Little Hong, you don’t know how to fawn over people.”

“If you so wish, I will do that.”

“That’s no fun. What I want to say is that the two of you have different uses. Junior director Kim, this fella, he’s quite good when it comes to consolidating the internal atmosphere, but he’s not charismatic enough to lead a new business.”

“You’re right, sir.”

Junior director Kim never stopped his honey-coated tongue no matter what the chairman said. The chairman faintly smiled.

“Little Hong, honestly speaking, you don’t have that much luck with relations. You’re very good at coming up with new things, but you lack when it comes to consoling those around you.”

“I think so too.”

“Soul, try raising it well. I’ve given the word, so if you ever get stuck while trying to handle money, you can contact my line. Try reaching out to everyone that’s doing well these days. I’ve been told that SC and DK are also making plans below the waters, so watch out and do not fall behind.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Also, there’s someone I’d like you to look out for.”

“What?”

Janghae put down his chopsticks and looked at the chairman. This was the first time the chairman was asking him to do something. The monarch that ruled a kingdom always gave orders instead of asking for requests or expressing things in an indirect fashion.

“I’m talking about my grandson. He’s doing his activities in the entertainment world without revealing his background, but the world isn’t that easy, is it?”

“You must be talking about Mr. Kang Giwoo, sir?”

“Yes, yes. He’s a smart kid. He doesn’t take after his mother; he takes after me. He’s a boy worth raising.”

“Weren’t you going to call him into the company soon?”

“That was the plan. It’s a pity for a man to waste his life doing clown stuff. But he has big ambitions. Apparently, in America, the words of a celebrity may decide the senator of a state or whatnot. The new generation, was it? Anyway, the things that that little one does are quite cute. As a grandfather, I can’t just sit by doing nothing.”

“Should I bring him over to Soul?”

“Take him in and watch him well. Also, teach him how the world works. Your style should fit him better than junior director Kim’s.”

“I will do so.”

“Of course, don’t tell him that I was involved in it. Although he hasn’t matured, he’s a man. so it should hurt his pride.”

“If that’s the case, I might be a little rough on him.”

“I will let it slide to a certain extent. It’s a good thing to grow up strong, but don’t be too hard.”

The chairman smiled pleasantly. As this was the first thing that the chairman ‘asked’ him to do, he couldn’t make a mistake. Janghae pushed all the reports to the back of his mind and engraved the name ‘Kang Giwoo’.

“And also, while you’re here.”

The chairman stood up. Junior director Kim quickly pushed back his chair and tried to stand up, but the chairman gestured to him to stay seated. The chairman left for a while before returning with two boxes. Janghae could tell with one look that those boxes contained watches.

“Here, take one.”

Janghae lowered his head as he accepted the box. He saw a brand-name logo in the corner.

“Open it and put it on so I can see if it fits you or not. I’d be rather embarrassed if I bought you something weird.”

Janghae felt uneasy the moment he looked at the logo. He barely held back from groaning when he opened the box. Inside was a watch that cost hundreds of millions of won. That wasn’t the bad part. The problem was that Janghae had put dibs on this watch to buy it at the end of the year.

He looked at junior director Kim. He was also a little stiff but soon regained his smile. It seemed that he got the watch he wanted as well.

The watches they wanted – Janghae never told the chairman that he wanted this watch. He didn’t tell anyone about it, yet, the chairman found out and prepared one for him.

“I shall do my best,” Janghae said as he put on the watch.

“Yes, try your best.”

The chairman put on a faint smile and told them to leave. Jangahae stood up from his seat and took a deep bow before leaving through the door. Junior director Kim followed him out.

“He’s a scary man,” said junior director Kim.

“I’ll be leaving now.”

“Yeah, see you later. Let’s have a drink just by ourselves next time.”

“Yes.”

Janghae gave the driver that junior director Kim called over his car keys. On his way home, he rubbed the watch several times. He felt like it was a handcuff instead of a watch.

“I guess it’s better than nothing.”

There was only a paper-thin difference between trust and suspicion. For now, this was proof that he had the trust of the chairman, so now it was time for him to prove his worth. He would have to move busily if he didn’t want this watch to be his retirement gift.

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