New Employee Kim Chul-soo

Chapter 15

Mid-May.

“What kind of fruit did you buy so much of?”

Yoon Jin-sook took a few black bags from Kim Chul-soo’s hands.

“Summer is coming soon. You have to eat well to avoid heatstroke. And I’m going on a business trip for a few days. I feel bad if I eat well alone on a business trip.”

“Oh my. I told you not to spend money on things like this. But where are you going on a business trip?”

“Uh, I’m going to Kenya.”

“Where is that place?”

“It’s in Africa.”

“Hmm. Be careful when you go there. I turned on the boiler. Go wash up.”

“Okay.”

While Kim Chul-soo was washing up, Yoon Jin-sook washed some of the fruit that Kim Chul-soo had bought and took it to the room where her sons were.

As he entered the room, drying his wet hair with a towel, he saw Young-soo smiling brightly, eating fruit and studying.

“I heard you got first place in the whole school on the midterms?”

“Did Mom tell you?”

“Yeah, she bragged about it so much on the phone today.”

“It’s thanks to you, hyung.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. You feed me good food like this every day, so I can’t not do well in school.”

Kim Chul-soo put the towel he had used to dry his hair in the laundry basket and took a white envelope out of the pocket of the suit he had worn during the day.

“What’s this?”

“My brother got first place in the whole school, so I can’t just sit still.”

“Wow! 100,000 won? Really this much money?”

“You wanted to buy those sneakers, right? I didn’t know what they were, so I couldn’t buy them, so go ahead and buy them yourself.”

“Wow! Thank you. I’ll put it to good use!”

“You’re going to get first place in the finals too, right?”

“Of course!”

“Fighting!”

Kim Chul-soo clenched his fist and held it out, but Kim Young-soo glanced at him with a childish expression and then turned his eyes back to his book.

Kim Chul-soo smiled pleasantly at Young-soo’s reaction, then turned on his laptop and sat down in front of it.

Then he opened the stock window and saw that all the stocks he had invested in were marked with red arrows indicating an increase, and he smiled with satisfaction.

Total investment amount: 11.2 million won.

Estimated assets in the current account: 16.1 million won.

Current rate of return: 43.8%.

‘Good! If things keep going like this, I’m not far from buying a house.’

After happily picturing his future while looking at the stock window, Kim Chul-soo closed the window and immersed himself in thought as he searched the internet for information about Kenya.

‘Coffee beans are Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak’s. It’s not mine. Then I have to prepare to sign a new contract there.’

What could he possibly sell to Kenya, a country suffering from severe famine?

Kim Chul-soo recalled the popcorn machine he had seen when he visited Gadeok Machinery.

It was a neighborhood where food was scarce.

Perhaps the people there would also like puffed rice, which was a favorite of Koreans who suffered from terrible poverty after the war?

‘Let’s see. The production cost was 300,000 won, right?’

Good times

Eels look just like snakes, and silkworms look like butterfly larvae.

People are afraid when they see snakes, and women are disgusted when they see larvae.

However, if a fisherman sees an eel, he will be delighted and catch it at once, and a woman in a silkworm farm will touch the silkworm without hesitation.

When Park Joon-hyung talked to Hwang Dae-hoon, he told him a story from Han Feizi.

“What do you think it means, Hwang Dae-hoon-ssi?”

Hwang Dae-hoon racked his brains at Park Joon-hyung’s question, but he could not accurately understand what Park Joon-hyung was trying to say.

“People’s reactions are different depending on their experiences……”

Park Joon-hyung sighed and shook his head at Hwang Dae-hoon’s answer.

With Chairman Choi Kyung-hoon’s intervention, the game had been completely ruined, and Park Joon-hyung had been completely outdone by Kim Chul-soo’s unexpected skills.

He was even called in by President Yoo Ji-hoon and chewed out mercilessly.

On top of that, Ahn Jeong-gyu’s promotion was now set in stone for the next performance evaluation.

He had been in the company for a long time, but this was the first time he had lost without any recourse.

It was infuriating.

“People these days say they study a lot, but their wisdom can’t keep up with the ancients. Fishermen make money from eels and farm women make money from silkworms. That money is a lifeline for ordinary people who are worried about their next meal. The thought that they might not be able to survive without this money makes them grab scary snakes and disgusting larvae. It means people will do anything for their lives.”

Hwang Dae-hoon lowered his head at Park Joon-hyung’s scolding.

“You may have caught the chairman’s eye, Hwang Dae-hoon-ssi, but there’s someone running ahead of you. Who is it?”

“Kim Chul-soo.”

“That’s right. Everyone thought it was a huge crisis. And since he turned the crisis into an opportunity, he must have made a good impression on many people. If time passes quietly like this, you’ll only ever be called the second-in-command, Hwang Dae-hoon-ssi. Are you satisfied with that?”

“No, sir.”

“You said your dream was to be president, right?”

“Yes, Bujang-nim.”

Park Joon-hyung really didn’t like Kim Chul-soo.

Thinking back on the things Kim Chul-soo had said about Sales Team 5, it was all praise.

‘This bastard was playing with me all along?’

But Kim Chul-soo’s way was incomprehensible.

If he had shown his excellent ability from the beginning, Kim Chul-soo, not Hwang Dae-hoon, would have been under Park Joon-hyung.

The capable Kim Chul-soo, who had gotten on President Yoo Ji-hoon’s and his own good side.

‘It would have been a dream lineup, but there’s nothing I can do.’

Park Joon-hyung organized his thoughts and opened his mouth.

“If you want to be president, it’s time to act.”

“Act? What kind of action should I take?”

“You have to grab the back of the neck of the guy running ahead of you and make him sit down! Like the fisherman and the farm woman. Bring down Kim Chul-soo.”

But seeing Hwang Dae-hoon stupidly tilting his head, Park Joon-hyung clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘This fucking idiot.’

Hwang Dae-hoon gulped as he saw Park Joon-hyung’s cold gaze.

“Bring down Kim Chul-soo. What do you mean?”

“Rumors, you see, are a means without clear accountability, and it’s difficult to prove misunderstandings. I hear Kim Chul-soo is going on a business trip in a few days. If bad rumors about him start circulating while he’s gone, it will be difficult for him to deal with them when he returns.”

“Are you saying I should slander Kim Chul-soo?”

“That’s right.”

“But that’s unfair……”

Seeing Park Joon-hyung’s expression turn fierce at the word “unfair,” Hwang Dae-hoon quickly changed his words.

“Ah, never mind. But I don’t know if there’s anything to slander him about. He’s just started taking on tasks, so he’s not receiving bribes from anywhere.”

“Think carefully. It doesn’t have to be something big. Just something small. Just one small rumor is enough to create ripples in a calm lake.”

“……I’ll think about it.”

“Let’s see. How much you can satisfy me. The results will determine whether you get on President Yoo Ji-hoon’s line or not.”

“……Yes, I understand. Bujang-nim.”

******

After finishing some work outside, I made a lunch appointment with Assistant Manager Gong Jeong-hoon from Han-Young Logistics.

“Hello, I’m Kim Chul-soo.”

Kim Chul-soo took out his business card.

Assistant Manager Gong Jeong-hoon, who would be in charge of forwarding operations in Africa with him, was a rugged-looking man.

A square jaw, ears that looked like they had been flipped from exercising, and a crew cut.

‘People who exercise are competitive and have a tendency to work fairly and justly. There must be a reason why Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak has worked with this man for so long.’

“Yes, hello. I’m Assistant Manager Gong Jeong-hoon.”

He also took out his business card and exchanged it with Kim Chul-soo.

“I’ve always wanted to meet you face-to-face since we’ve only spoken on the phone.”

“I was curious to see what kind of person you were after talking to the prickly Deputy Manager Lee and finding you quite easy to talk to.”

After ordering galbi, Kim Chul-soo made some small talk with him.

“Are you experienced in this field?”

Gong Jeong-hoon asked, and Kim Chul-soo shook his head.

“No, sir. But I received hard training from Deputy Manager Lee.”

“From Deputy Manager Lee? Hahaha. It must have been tough.”

Kim Chul-soo liked him because he was unexpectedly down-to-earth as they continued their conversation.

“I heard you’re going to Kenya to observe the shipping process. Have you found a local guide?”

Gong Jeong-hoon asked, and Kim Chul-soo shook his head.

“Actually, I asked Deputy Manager Lee and he said that this contract was made under your arrangement, Gong Dae-ri-nim, so I was hoping to get some help from you.”

Gong Jeong-hoon nodded and replied.

“I see. I have some local friends I got to know when I was doing NGO volunteer work in Kenya. There’s a friend named Kennedy who speaks English very well. He’ll need a little fee, but taking him with you will be helpful when you’re checking the shipping operations.”

“Thank you, Gong Dae-ri-nim.”

“You’re welcome. We’re going to be working together now.”

“I look forward to working with you. I’ll buy lunch today as a token of my appreciation.”

“Corporate cards are nice, aren’t they?”

“Hahaha.”

When Kim Chul-soo laughed, Gong Jeong-hoon laughed along.

Han-Young Logistics is a subsidiary of Han-Young Corporation.

Since they focused only on forwarding operations and their main client was Han-Young Corporation, there was subtle bullying and disregard from the parent company’s employees.

At least Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak, although demanding and with a lot of orders, never made unreasonable requests, so they had maintained their relationship for a long time.

Gong Jeong-hoon carefully said.

“If you don’t bully us and handle things reasonably, we’ll be able to work together quite easily.”

That was the one thing he wanted.

Reasonable handling of work.

Kim Chul-soo smiled and nodded vigorously.

“Yes.”

After finishing lunch and shaking hands with Gong Jeong-hoon, Kim Chul-soo stopped by a nearby luxury chocolate shop and bought a box of chocolates as a gift.

Today was Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak’s wife’s birthday.

When he returned to the office, the team leader and Manager Pyo were not at their desks, and Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak was sitting at his desk diligently working on documents. Kim Chul-soo stealthily slid the chocolates he had bought next to Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak’s desk.

“What’s this? Did you do something wrong?”

Lee Jun-hak glared at Kim Chul-soo with narrowed eyes.

He probably thought it was a gift to appease him for some mistake.

“No, sir. Isn’t it your wife’s birthday today?”

At Kim Chul-soo’s words, Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak’s narrowed eyes softened and returned to their normal shape.

“Put it away quickly before Manager Pyo sees it and takes it.”

Lee Jun-hak checked the chocolate brand and put it in his desk drawer.

“How did you know this was her favorite?”

“You said you don’t tell trade secrets.”

“You little rascal.”

Lee Jun-hak smiled, pleased.

“Remember this. Giving a gift just once can have the opposite effect.”

“Of course, sir. Isn’t it a subordinate’s duty to take care of his heavenly mentor?”

Lee Jun-hak chuckled at his words.

“About Assistant Manager Gong Jeong-hoon.”

“Yes.”

“I met him for lunch today, and he seems like a decent person.”

“He is a decent person. You’ll be in charge of the Africa region for the next few years, so get close to him. He’s been working with NGOs for a long time, so he has good connections in that field.”

“I understand.”

“You’re leaving on Sunday, right?”

“Yes, Deputy Manager Lee.”

“What about the vaccinations?”

“I got them all done today.”

“Good. When you get there, don’t go out at night just because you’re lonely. It’s not a safe neighborhood.”

“Yes, sir.”

“If you come back with AIDS, I’ll chop your head off.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Thank you for the gift. I’ll give it to Hye-young.”

Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak turned his attention back to the monitor, and Kim Chul-soo also sat down at his desk and began checking his emails.

How much time had passed?

“Kim Chul-soo-ssi.”

Kim Chul-soo, who had been absorbed in his work as if he was being sucked into the monitor, raised his head at the sound of a woman’s voice calling him.

It was Jang Yoo-mi.

“Yes?”

“Can you help me for a moment?”

“With the copier?”

“No. I have something I don’t understand, but all the superiors are away from their desks.”

At her words, Kim Chul-soo looked around.

Deputy Manager Lee was also not at his desk.

“What is it?”

She spread out the printout she had brought in front of Kim Chul-soo.

“I think I made a mistake.”

Jang Yoo-mi made a sad face, and Kim Chul-soo examined the printout she had spread out.

“Please explain in detail.”

“Well, you see……”

General trading companies play the role of mediating and making contracts by coordinating the requirements of suppliers and buyers that overseas branches have found.

Overseas branches do not have the authority to sign contracts independently, so contracts are handled by traders like Kim Chul-soo.

These contracts are established by offer and acceptance between the parties involved. An offer is an expression of intent to buy or sell. Usually, the supplier’s intention to sell is called an offer, and the buyer’s intention to buy is called a bid.

So, they always ask the supplier branch to get an offer from the supplier and the buyer branch to get a bid from the buyer, and these offers and bids contain key elements related to the contract.

These key elements include price, quantity, delivery date, quality, payment terms, and offer validity period.

When exchange rates fluctuate significantly or when raw material prices fluctuate significantly, suppliers or buyers sometimes play games with the dates or prices in these terms to make up for their losses.

Especially if the other party is a newbie, they might deliberately do such things.

“So, the buyer said they could receive it from July, but the supplier said they could ship it from June, and you responded with ‘Nice’. This means the offer has been accepted, and the nickel ore that will be shipped in June is up in the air. Right?”

Jang Yoo-mi nodded vigorously at my words.

It was a basic mistake made by new employees who did not have a clear understanding of contracts.

“Can’t you persuade them?”

“They won’t budge. What should I do?”

If they handled this inflexibly, the contract would fall through, and Sales Team 2 would be liable for huge damages.

Of course, there was a way to resolve this situation, but it was not something that he or Jang Yoo-mi should do.

It required the power of trust and reputation that a trader had built up over many years.

“Listen carefully, Yoo-mi-ssi.”

“Yes.”

“Go straight to your team and contact your team leader. And tell him exactly what happened. No one can solve this except for the Sales Team 2 team leader. You might get scolded, but you’ll be able to prevent a major problem.”

Jang Yoo-mi looked dejected at the mention of being scolded, but she nodded at Kim Chul-soo’s words.

“I guess there’s no way around being scolded, is there?”

‘You knew what to do, so why did you ask me?’

As Kim Chul-soo met Jang Yoo-mi’s gaze with a suspicious look, she blushed slightly.

“Yes.”

“Thank you. Do you have some time today?”

“Time?”

“It’s Tuesday. We have a gathering with our colleagues. Everyone said they wanted to see you, Chul-soo-ssi.”

“I’ll attend if I don’t have any work.”

“Okay.”

Just then, Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak entered the office, and Jang Yoo-mi was startled and quickly gathered up the materials that had been spread out on Kim Chul-soo’s desk.

“What are you doing?”

“Yoo-mi-ssi said she had something to ask.”

“Is that so?”

Jang Yoo-mi bowed her head to Lee Jun-hak.

“Then I’ll be going. Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak.”

Watching Jang Yoo-mi leave, flustered and seemingly embarrassed, Lee Jun-hak quietly observed Kim Chul-soo, who was turning his attention back to his monitor, and then chuckled.

‘Good times.’

One tight-lipped colleague is enough

Near closing time.

Bae Gi-seong, the team leader of Sales Team 2, who had been on edge, finally exploded.

“Why did you confirm this? Damn it! Assistant Manager Park, come here! What did I tell you? I told you to follow up properly!!!”

Shouting finally erupted from Sales Team 2, and Assistant Manager Park Dong-jin, who already had a bad temper, talked back to the team leader, and all kinds of curses shook the office.

Everyone was distracted, getting up to look at Sales Team 2.

“What’s going on?”

Manager Pyo Il-soo asked Deputy Manager Lee Jun-hak, looking at Sales Team 2 with worried eyes.

“It seems like they had a problem and can’t fix it.”

“What kind of problem?”

“The supplier in the Philippines moved up the shipping date, and it seems like the newbie confirmed it without checking.”

“They can’t negotiate?”

“If it were a wealthy area, it could be resolved quietly.”

“Oh my. How much is the presidential election cost? Nickel ore can be a big problem if it’s not managed properly.”

“It’ll cost at least hundreds of millions of won.”

“I understand why he’s flipping out.”

Manager Pyo Il-soo clicked his tongue and looked at Jang Yoo-mi, who couldn’t even lift her head, with pitying eyes.

Then he turned his head and said to Kim Chul-soo, who was organizing receipts.

“Don’t be like that, Chul-soo.”

“Yes, Manager Pyo.”

“Don’t worry, Manager Pyo. I’m keeping a close eye on him.”

“Good, Jun-hak.”

Kim Chul-soo finished all his remaining tasks after the team members left and got up. As he turned off the lights and came out of the office, he stopped by the copy room to grab some prints. He was about to enter when he saw Jang Yoo-mi wiping away tears in a corner.

Her smudged makeup looked a bit eerie, but her beauty was still evident.

Jang Yoo-mi quickly got up and turned around when she saw Kim Chul-soo enter.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

She answered with her back turned, as if she didn’t want him to see that she had been crying.

Kim Chul-soo picked up his prints and quietly said to her.

“If you want some fresh air, come up to the Sky Garden.”

Kim Chul-soo said that and went up the stairs to the Sky Garden.

He bought two sodas from the vending machine installed there and sat on a chair, looking up at the sky. Although he couldn’t see as many stars as in the countryside, the crescent moon was showing off its elegant figure.

A few minutes later, Jang Yoo-mi came up to the Sky Garden, looking refreshed.

“Soda?”

Kim Chul-soo offered her a drink, and Jang Yoo-mi nodded and sat down next to him.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I’m buying it because I’m grateful.”

Jang Yoo-mi stared at Kim Chul-soo with wide eyes.

No matter how much she thought about it, there was nothing he could be grateful for.

‘What is it? What is it?’

As her curious and strange gaze met Kim Chul-soo’s eyes, Jang Yoo-mi was startled and looked up at the sky.

“For keeping my secret.”

Kim Chul-soo said, looking at Jang Yoo-mi, who was slightly fidgeting.

‘Why is she acting like that?’

Jang Yoo-mi nodded at Kim Chul-soo’s words.

She had not told anyone that Kim Chul-soo’s Russian was very good.

She was originally not the type to blab about other people’s secrets, so she was quite tight-lipped.

“Haha, it’s nothing.”

Kim Chul-soo knew how tight-lipped she was because he had experience with her in the past.

She was the type of person who kept her promises even if it meant she would be at a disadvantage.

If he had to choose one person among his colleagues to work with, it would definitely be Jang Yoo-mi.

They opened their sodas and looked up at the sky in the same direction for a while.

Jang Yoo-mi gulped down her soda due to thirst, then unconsciously burped and covered her mouth. Kim Chul-soo chuckled at the sound.

But once a burp starts, it’s hard to stop.

“Brrp…… ugh.”

As Kim Chul-soo giggled, Jang Yoo-mi quickly got up and went to the side of the fence to let out all the burps she could muster.

‘Oh my! This is so embarrassing.’

Jang Yoo-mi came back with a flushed face, and Kim Chul-soo crushed his empty soda can with one hand.

“Don’t be too upset.”

Jang Yoo-mi sighed deeply and shook her head slightly.

“I’m not upset, I just don’t know what to do. The team leader told me to fix it. He kept calling and emailing me until they left work. They won’t even listen when I say it was our mistake and we’ll lower the price next time we trade.”

Jang Yoo-mi said, pulling at her hair that reached her shoulders with both hands.

“I never made mistakes like this before coming to the company, so I can’t help but feel upset.”

She complained for a long time, and Kim Chul-soo listened silently.

After pouring out everything she had bottled up, Jang Yoo-mi felt relieved.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Your heart is so sincere, Yoo-mi-ssi. Who knows? Maybe someone up there will hear you and make it happen?”

At Kim Chul-soo’s words, Jang Yoo-mi looked up at the sky with a pleading look, as if praying.

“God, Jesus, Buddha, Allah. Whoever you are, please help me resolve this situation. Please!”

Jang Yoo-mi said prayerfully, looking up at the sky at Kim Chul-soo’s words.

“I’m sure it will be resolved in two days.”

Jang Yoo-mi tilted her head at Kim Chul-soo’s words.

Not tomorrow, not someday, but two days later.

“Two days later? Sigh…… I wish it would be resolved before June!”

“Worrying and fretting won’t change anything. I’m sure it will work out. Cheer up.”

As Kim Chul-soo got up, Jang Yoo-mi felt a pang of disappointment.

She wanted to talk a little more.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you going to the gathering?”

“Not really.”

“Why not?”

“How should I put it……”

Kim Chul-soo stood up, leaned against the rooftop fence, and turned his gaze to the neon signs in the middle of Seoul, brilliantly illuminating the night streets.

“I came to the company to work, not to socialize.”

“Wow, you’re a very rigid person, Chul-soo-ssi. But isn’t it best to vent your frustrations with your colleagues?”

“Colleagues are the best, but one tight-lipped colleague is enough.”

Jang Yoo-mi felt good knowing that the one colleague he was referring to was her.

Kim Chul-soo straightened up and turned around.

“Well then, cheer up. I have to go down now.”

“Okay. Ah…… let’s leave together. There’s nothing to do if I stay at the company after work anyway.”

“What about the gathering?”

“I don’t really feel like going today.”

“Then I’ll wait for you on the first floor.”

“Okay.”