New Employee Kim Chul-soo

Chapter 18

The car driven by Kennedy stopped in front of a large mansion with a white fence.

“Quite a large mansion, huh?”

“Yeah. He’s a pretty famous person in this neighborhood.”

“Is that so?”

He thought Kennedy was going to introduce him to a local figure, but it was unexpected.

An armed guard approached, confirmed Kennedy and Kim Chul-soo’s identities, and opened the main gate.

“Do you know Jomo Kenyatta?”

At Kennedy’s words, Kim Chul-soo’s eyes widened.

He was the figure who led Kenya to independence from British rule and the first president of Kenya.

But there was no way a person who died long ago could be living here.

“Of course, I know him.”

Kennedy grinned at his words.

“The person living here is his fourth son. Buhoho Kenyatta.”

“Ah. He’s a big shot.”

Kennedy shook his head at Kim Chul-soo’s words.

“Uhuru Kenyatta, who lost the presidential election last year, is the big shot. Buhoho Kenyatta runs a business with the funds he inherited from his father. He won a government project for poverty alleviation, and it seems he likes the popcorn machine Kim brought.”

‘A government project. If it goes well, the scale could be bigger than expected.’

After parking in the parking lot inside the mansion, Kennedy took a guitar out of the trunk.

“Buhoho Kenyatta loves music. So he loves musical instruments. I bought it for 350 dollars, but I’ll sell it to Kim for a special price of 400 dollars.”

“I don’t have that kind of money right now.”

“Just take it first. After seeing Kim work at the port, I thought he was a trustworthy person. You can pay me when you arrive at the airport.”

The commission was 50 dollars.

It must have been the price Kennedy set himself for arranging the meeting with Buhoho Kenyatta.

However, Kim Chul-soo knew that this meeting was worth more than 50 dollars.

Kim Chul-soo readily nodded at Kennedy’s words.

“I’ll give you 500 dollars if the deal goes well.”

‘Is that a way of saying, “Keep up the good work”? I really like this guy. He makes me want to keep doing business with him.’

Kennedy smiled broadly, revealing his white teeth, and said,

“We are good partners after all.”

I think I know what you guys want

‘Ah! He said it was a party.’

Kim Chul-soo followed Kennedy, observing the scene of a multi-racial gathering of people in dresses and suits, listening to soft music, and pretending to be sophisticated while sharing drinks in the well-decorated outdoor garden.

As they entered the grand mansion, a large portrait of a young Elvis Presley in a funky style, incongruous with the sophisticated atmosphere of the garden, hung in the front.

Next to it were LD records on display.

Going up to the second floor and entering a room, a middle-aged black man, deeply puffing on a cigar and looking out the window, turned to Kim Chul-soo.

The sparkling rings on all ten fingers and the flamboyant necklace around his neck contrasted sharply with his formal suit.

As the black man approached, Kennedy greeted him lightly.

“Young man. You are at the age when energy is vibrant. Nice to meet you. I am Buhoho Kenyatta. I run a small business in Mombasa.”

Kim Chul-soo quickly took out his business card and replied.

“I am Kim Chul-soo, an employee of Han-Young Corporation.”

Buhoho received the business card Kim Chul-soo handed him and offered him a seat.

“You brought interesting food.”

“Yes. It’s a traditional Korean food that I think will sell well here.”

“I see. You came here to sell the machine that makes it?”

“If this machine is distributed in Kenya, it will be well-received by the people and generate income.”

Kim Chul-soo immediately showed the relevant documents from his bag and took out a digital camera to show the video he had taken at the market.

Buhoho seemed genuinely interested, listening attentively to the explanation and watching the video on the digital camera.

“It’s quite a nice machine. What’s the supply price?”

“About 800 dollars per unit.”

“That’s quite expensive.”

“Considering the durability of this machine, it’s not that expensive.”

“600 dollars would be more tempting.”

Buhoho said, puffing out smoke with a languid look in his eyes.

Kim Chul-soo had initially quoted a high unit price because it was the traditional African way to push hard from the start.

Then, he put on a very troubled expression at Buhoho’s words.

“Considering the casting mold required to make this machine, 600 dollars is impossible. If it were 700 dollars, I could negotiate with the supplier.”

“700 dollars……”

Buhoho put the cigar in his mouth, took a long drag, and exhaled the smoke with the same languid look.

“Alright. I’ll think about this.”

Buhoho said so and got up, and Kim Chul-soo had no choice but to rise as well.

“When you go outside, you’ll see people who came to see me for similar reasons as you. Perhaps you’ll find people who can be of help to you. Thank you for the gift.”

With those words, the 15-minute meeting ended.

Kim Chul-soo shook hands with Buhoho and left the room with Kennedy.

“Buhoho doesn’t seem to be in a good mood today. He’s always been like that lately, though.”

Kennedy said in a disappointed voice.

“It seems so.”

Kim Chul-soo vaguely sensed that Buhoho’s languid look wasn’t because of the popcorn machine.

Judging by the way he ended the meeting vaguely as if the negotiation was unfinished, he didn’t seem like a money-grubber.

As he was about to leave through the front door on the first floor, Kim Chul-soo turned around and looked at the large portrait hanging on the second-floor wall.

“Kennedy. What kind of person was Buhoho?”

Kennedy followed Kim Chul-soo’s gaze and looked at the portrait before pointing outside.

“I used to be his driver when he was young, and he was a very passionate person. He was always where there was exciting music. Ah, come to think of it, he loved music. His taste seems to have changed recently, though.”

“Hmm……”

‘I need a way to win Buhoho’s heart.’

He had to return to Korea by plane tomorrow, so his only chance was tonight.

Kennedy pulled on the sleeve of Kim Chul-soo, who was lost in thought.

“It’s not a loss if you eat and drink here for the price of the guitar. Kim!”

Kim Chul-soo chuckled and nodded at his words.

Going outside, he greeted and occasionally exchanged business cards with the people he made eye contact with.

Most of them were residents of Mombasa who had close relationships with Buhoho.

The ‘people like you’ that Buhoho mentioned seemed to have left early, disappointed by Buhoho’s reaction.

As the party was in full swing, Kennedy, who was enjoying the food, grabbed Kim Chul-soo’s glass.

“Why are you drinking so much? Are you worried about the price of the guitar? You could end up spending more money if you collapse.”

Kennedy cautioned him with concern, and Kim Chul-soo burst out laughing and said loudly,

“This much won’t affect me!”

For a salesman, alcohol was something you could drink endlessly but never get drunk on; it was a love-hate relationship.

Feeling sufficiently tipsy, Kim Chul-soo stood up unsteadily and went up to the stage, where the music had stopped for a while, and stroked the various instruments such as the drums and electric guitar tucked away in a corner.

People’s attention turned to Kim Chul-soo as the neatly dressed young Asian man went up on stage and touched the instruments.

Kim Chul-soo fiddled with the electric guitar and then turned his gaze offstage.

People’s eyes seemed to be filled with a mixture of cold curiosity, ‘What is he doing?’, and anticipation, ‘Can he do something?’

Kim Chul-soo unsteadily took off his jacket, picked up the electric guitar, and slung it over his shoulder.

Then, a few people stood up.

Kim Chul-soo, with the electric guitar strapped on, stood in front of the stage microphone.

‘I think I know what you guys want.’

Before he went to the military, Elvis Presley was in his rock and roll era.

It would be a lie if someone who loved rock and roll enough to hang a portrait of such an old figure in his mansion said he was excited listening to the music at the party.

Was his languid look due to the pretentious party, or was it because he was old enough to be formal?

Kim Chul-soo shouted loudly into the microphone.

“Aren’t you guys bored? Aren’t you?”

A whistle came from somewhere, and most of the people in the garden focused their attention on Kim Chul-soo.

Kim Chul-soo loosened his tie and unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt.

Then, he ruffled his neatly combed hair.

Just like Choi Hye-na had done.

Everyone was putting on a sophisticated smile, but he didn’t know if they were actually enjoying themselves.

Buhoho, who had a bored expression while watching this kind of party.

And he remembered the first words Buhoho had said.

━Young man. You are at the age when energy is vibrant.

“I’ll make you guys excited tonight. I’ll show you what a real party is.”

Kim Chul-soo connected the electric guitar cable to the receiver on the stage and lightly plucked the strings.

A sharp, thrilling sound from the surrounding speakers cut through the garden, and anticipation appeared on the faces of the people in suits and dresses.

The band members made eye contact with Kim Chul-soo and nodded as if to say, “Give it a try.”

Kim Chul-soo looked up and scanned the window for Buhoho’s shadow, who would be watching from the mansion.

‘Let’s have a blast tonight.’

━Elvis Presley. Jailhouse.

Buhoho, startled by the crazy scratching sound of the electric guitar, got up and flung open the window.

The young Asian man, who had seemed so straight-laced, was playing the electric guitar like a crazy heavy rocker, and his hips involuntarily started to move.

It was even Buhoho’s favorite song.

‘Could it be?’

━The warden threw a party in the county jail

━The prison band was there and they began to wail

As he sang the first two lines in an amazing voice, people started cheering and shaking their bodies, and some of the band members grabbed the drums and bass, filling the garden with exciting rock and roll music.

As the song reached its climax, people forgot all about the dignity they had been displaying and danced madly in front of the stage, shaking their hips, stretching out their hands, and spinning around.

‘I can’t stand it anymore. Yes! This is it.’

Buhoho finally took off his tight-fitting suit, unbuckled his suspenders that were constricting his shoulders and waist, unbuttoned his cuffs, took off his shoes, and ran barefoot into the garden.

Dignity was a prison of passion, and that prison was meant to be opened by another passion.

******

“Kim! Wake up! We have to go to the airport!”

Kennedy, worried that Kim Chul-soo, who had done something incredible(?) and drunk a lot yesterday, might not be able to wake up, went to the hotel 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time and knocked on the door several times.

Thanks to Kim Chul-soo’s performance(?), he had witnessed the rare sight of Buhoho, one of the most prominent figures in Mombasa, coming out barefoot and dancing with people, shaking his large hips.

━Click.

Contrary to Kennedy’s worries, Kim Chul-soo came out, impeccably dressed in a suit and smiling.

“I had an upset stomach, so I spent a long time in the bathroom.”

“Kim, are you human? How can you look so fine after drinking so much?”

“I told you I wasn’t drunk. Let’s go.”

As Kim Chul-soo walked ahead with steady steps, Kennedy shook his head in amazement.

The tremendous energy and madness he had shown yesterday were gone, replaced by the image of the company man he had first met.

‘He’s truly an extraordinary person. It’ll be good to maintain a good relationship with him.’

******

“I heard you consulted with HR about the possibility of being assigned overseas next year?”

Park Joon-hyung, who came up to the rooftop, asked Lee Jun-hak with a cigarette in his mouth.

Lee Jun-hak lit Park Joon-hyung’s cigarette and answered.

“Yes. Deputy General Manager Park.”

“Well, there are guys who go overseas right after becoming Assistant Managers. Since you’re a senior Assistant Manager, you should be given a chance, but you know it’s not easy, right?”

Lee Jun-hak was a new employee who joined when Park Joon-hyung and Ahn Jeong-gyu were Assistant Managers in Sales Team 5.

At first, he seemed a bit slow, but after getting married and having a child, his work speed became dazzlingly fast. Every business item he proposed was approved and successfully implemented, significantly boosting Sales Team 5’s performance.

Lee Jun-hak also politely smoked a cigarette and nodded.

“Yes, I know. Deputy General Manager Park.”

“If you know the relationship between Team Leader Ahn and me, it’s not a very favorable situation. But if you join my line, I’ll try to help you. You should go overseas, gain experience in HR and planning, and become an executive, right?”

In fact, Lee Jun-hak also knew that joining forces with Park Joon-hyung was the fastest way to climb the corporate ladder.

However, he was too satisfied with his work in Sales Team 5, where everyone worked closely together.

He liked Team Leader Ahn Jeong-gyu, the affable Section Chief Pyo Il-soo, and the new employee Kim Chul-soo.

This guy, despite being a newbie, was handling work almost at the level of an Assistant Manager.

Thanks to him, Lee Jun-hak could handle even bigger projects.

“You don’t know that I put Kim Chul-soo in your team for you, do you?”

Lee Jun-hak thought, ‘No way,’ but nodded and replied.

“How could I not know how much you care for me, Deputy General Manager Park? Thanks to him, I can focus on my work, and it’s great.”

Of course, Park Joon-hyung also read Lee Jun-hak’s thoughts, but he believed that to climb to the top, you had to be able to act like a professional.

“I’d like to hear your confirmation today, if possible.”

Lee Jun-hak smiled and replied.

“There’s still a lot of work I’m covering in the team. I’ll tell you what I think after the major projects are finished.”

Park Joon-hyung was satisfied enough just by the fact that Lee Jun-hak didn’t flatly refuse.

“Alright. But don’t make me wait too long.”

“Yes. Deputy General Manager Park.”

“Oh, there will be an order from the Chairman next month. He’ll ask the sales teams to submit business ideas. Those who prepare first are the ones who succeed.”

As Park Joon-hyung subtly leaked high-level information, Lee Jun-hak smiled and bowed.

“Thank you for looking out for me, Deputy General Manager Park!”

After quietly finishing his conversation with Deputy General Manager Park, Lee Jun-hak saw Ahn Jeong-gyu hanging up the international call with Kim Chul-soo.

However, Ahn Jeong-gyu’s expression was strange, so he quickly rushed over and asked,

“Team Leader. Did something happen?”

“That Kim Chul-soo…… What is he doing in Kenya?”

The Kenyan coffee bean project was directly linked to Lee Jun-hak’s performance evaluation, so his expression hardened.

‘That bastard!’

“Let me contact him and see how things are……”

“No! No. It seems like that kid brought back a deal from Kenya.”

“Uh…… a deal?”

As Lee Jun-hak’s eyes widened, Ahn Jeong-gyu grinned and nodded.

“Those dark-skinned guys seem to want to buy quite a lot of Korean popcorn machines. Hahaha! But how did they even know about popcorn machines? They’re hard to find even in Korea. Call Chul-soo. I want to know how things went.”

Lee Jun-hak looked at his watch.

“It’s time for him to be on the plane, Team Leader.”

“Is that so? Then it’s fine. Go and drag Section Chief Pyo, who’s wandering around somewhere. We need to have a meeting.”

“Yes! Team Leader.”

Lee Jun-hak said so and got on the elevator going down to the first floor.

If he considered promotion, Deputy General Manager Park Joon-hyung was the better choice, but in terms of work alone, Sales Team 5 was much better.

‘Sales Team 5, or overseas assignment? But that kid Chul-soo is flying high from his rookie days. He’s already bringing in contracts.’

If the team’s performance evaluation goes up, his individual evaluation also goes up, and he gets a bigger incentive.

He’s not someone who will compete with him for a promotion to Section Chief next year.

‘He’s a lucky charm, anyway.’

Only the elevator mirror knew that the corners of Lee Jun-hak’s mouth were slightly raised.

Strange rumors are circulating

Friday morning.

Baek Jeong-gu, the General Manager of the Ethics Management Department, received a report via email recently.

It said that a certain employee in Sales Team 5 has been collecting information about Chairman Choi Kyung-hoon since joining the company.

The level of information was comparable to an X-file, and if it were leaked outside, it could tarnish the Chairman’s image.

Moreover, considering that he hid his abilities and joined the company, there was a high possibility that he was a spy from a competitor.

‘A spy? That’s ridiculous. But collecting information about the Chairman?’

“Assistant Manager Park.”

Assistant Manager Park Eun-sook got up and went to General Manager Baek Jeong-gu’s side.

“When Kim Chul-soo from Sales Team 5 leaves work, take an IT team member and check his computer to see if there’s any information about the Chairman stored there. Then report back to me.”

“Understood, General Manager.”