Chapter 34
Chapter 34
“Assistant Manager Lee.”
Going on business trips overseas, despite the considerable expense, is often necessary. Seeing the partner company firsthand and presenting samples in person builds trust more effectively than email exchanges.
This particular deal was especially significant. If a contract was signed with the buyer, it could lead to a long-term partnership.
Kim Chul-soo set a date to meet with the buyers in the Philippines and requested flight tickets and hotel reservations through the company’s affiliated travel agency.
This deal was Kim Chul-soo’s responsibility, and if he successfully closed it, he would be the first among the new recruits to exceed the required performance targets.
A salary increase would be a given, and it would also give him an advantage in the annual salary negotiations next year.
So, he prepared quite meticulously.
What could be sweeter for an office worker than a salary raise?
“Yes?”
“Departure is on August 3rd, and return is on August 6th. Please confirm the schedule once more, and then I’ll contact the travel agency for confirmation.”
At Kim Chul-soo’s words, Lee Jun-hak checked his diary.
“Proceed as planned.”
“Yes, Assistant Manager Lee.”
Kim Chul-soo stretched after contacting the travel agency to finalize the itinerary and flight tickets and sending a follow-up email to the buyers confirming the time, date, and location of their meeting.
GSFMO in Australia had a strong reputation, having traded with Han-Young Corporation for over a decade. As long as they could agree on a price, securing the supply wouldn’t be an issue.
“Do you happen to know anyone in the Philippines?”
At Kim Chul-soo’s question, Lee Jun-hak briefly turned his head to look at Section Chief Pyo Il-soo.
“Section Chief Pyo used to have a strong presence in the Philippines. Aren’t you planning to utilize a local agency there?”
“It seems everyone in other teams is busy and unable to spare the time.”
Pyo Il-soo, who had been listening to their conversation, got up and approached Kim Chul-soo.
“Oh ho! You need my help, then?”
“Yes, Section Chief Pyo.”
“What do you need to know?”
“I need to know the actual local reputation of the buyers we’re meeting. The information from KOMPASS and KOTRA is quite limited.”
At Kim Chul-soo’s words, Lee Jun-hak, who was standing next to him, spoke.
“Exclude any buyers who have scheduled meetings outside their company premises from the priority list.”
Pyo Il-soo nodded in agreement.
“Those who don’t want to show their own company are usually shady.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Also, exclude those who demand large-volume transactions.”
Lee Jun-hak seemed to be sharing the know-how acquired only through practical experience. While Kim Chul-soo had a general understanding, he looked at Lee Jun-hak with sparkling eyes.
“Wouldn’t it be good to have large-volume transactions?”
“Most of those who demand large imports before the effectiveness of the feed has been verified are scammers. They often nitpick later and demand rebates, leading to the cancellation of the deal.”
“Ah, I understand.”
Pyo Il-soo widened his eyes and looked at Lee Jun-hak.
“Jun-hak has definitely changed. Sharing his know-how so readily.”
“These are common mistakes that inexperienced newcomers often encounter during their first deals. He’s sharing this because the kid seems quite diligent and understands quickly. He’ll work hard enough to justify the effort of opening his mouth.”
“That’s right, that’s right. He’ll follow your lead anyway, won’t he?”
“An assistant should act like an assistant.”
At those words, Pyo Il-soo quietly said to Chul-soo,
“Let me give you a piece of advice. Be most cautious when Lee Jun-hak speaks like that. He’ll jump at the slightest mistake or opening. Especially in a sensitive deal like this.”
“Oh, come on, Section Chief Pyo. If you tell him that, it’ll be awkward when he gets angry, won’t it?”
“What’s awkward about it? You’re always like that, aren’t you? When you get angry, I’m always grateful that I was your mentor. Heh heh. Let’s grab a smoke before the team leader arrives.”
At those words, Lee Jun-hak got up with a grin.
“You seem to be smoking quite a lot these days?”
At Lee Jun-hak’s question, Pyo Il-soo looked at Ahn Jeong-gyu’s empty seat and said,
“They say I smell like perfume. I need to get rid of the scent.”
Kim Chul-soo instinctively turned his head and sniffed at Pyo Il-soo, who had placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I can definitely smell a woman’s perfume.”
At those words, Lee Jun-hak gave Pyo Il-soo a sly look and whispered,
“What are you up to in the office?”
Pyo Il-soo’s face flushed red.
“Chul-soo, I’ll introduce you to a local friend in the Philippines later. Lee Jun-hak…… you punk, come here!”
Pyo Il-soo covered Lee Jun-hak’s mouth and dragged him out of the sales department office.
******
Ahn Jeong-gyu, lost in thought, left the conference room after attending the executive meeting regarding the new project led by Vice President Shin Byung-hoon.
There were rumors of a major organizational restructuring at the end of the year.
As a team leading a large-scale project, it was definitely a good opportunity to achieve significant results.
‘It would be a perfect scenario if I became the team leader.’
Suddenly, Ahn Jeong-gyu unconsciously sniffed the air, catching a whiff of perfume from a female employee passing by.
“Team Leader Ahn Jeong-gyu?”
Ahn Jeong-gyu turned around to see the female employee he had just passed staring at him with a cold expression.
“What was that just now?”
“Ahaha! Assistant Manager Park Eun-sook. Sorry, your perfume smelled so good that I unconsciously sniffed it. You understand, right?”
“Don’t ever do that again. This is a warning.”
“Ahaha. Okay. I’m sorry. It was a genuine mistake.”
Ahn Jeong-gyu waved his hand dismissively and turned away.
Making a wrong impression on an employee from the Ethics Management Department, which handles internal disciplinary issues, could have serious consequences.
‘That Il-soo…… is he dating Assistant Manager Park Eun-sook? I wouldn’t think she’s his type…… I’m getting curious.’
Phew, finally some peace and quiet.
“Hello, I’m Lee Jeong-seok.”
“Ah, Jeong-seok-ssi. Have a seat. We met during the new employee interviews, didn’t we?”
“Yes.”
As Lee Jeong-seok sat down, Park Joon-hyung looked at his personnel card and said,
“It’s been tough lately, hasn’t it? The team atmosphere is quite unsettling.”
“It’s alright.”
“Good. In times like these, it’s important to stay focused and work even harder.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know anything about the current situation?”
At Park Joon-hyung’s question, Lee Jeong-seok recalled Kim Chul-soo’s words.
━Keep the matter about Assistant Manager Shin Dong-hyun to yourself, even in death.
“I’m a new employee, so I don’t know much.”
Park Joon-hyung nodded as he observed Lee Jeong-seok’s calm demeanor.
Even Park Joon-hyung, the head of the HR department, was completely unaware of how the situation had unfolded.
He had only granted the request for an urgent transfer to a regional branch because it came from Senior Managing Director Jeong Se-yang.
Judging by the commotion caused by Team Leader Bae Kwang-mu after his return from his overseas business trip, it seemed like the issue wasn’t internal to the team but rather connected to Senior Managing Director Jeong in some way.
Curious to understand the background for future reference, Park Joon-hyung was interviewing each member of Sales Team 4 individually.
“I see. Hmm. You wrote that your parents are civil servants. What exactly do they do?”
“They’re both stationed overseas.”
“……Both of them are diplomats?”
“Yes.”
Park Joon-hyung’s mouth formed an ‘O’ in surprise.
One of the most sought-after qualities in employees of export-oriented companies was having parents or relatives who were diplomats.
Such employees could leverage their family connections to open up export opportunities and establish a foothold for participating in various projects overseas.
“Why didn’t you mention that?”
“I heard that having diplomat parents gives you preferential treatment in employment, so I wanted to compete fairly, and that’s why I wrote civil servant.”
“Ah.”
Park Joon-hyung nodded and looked at Lee Jeong-seok’s personnel card again.
None of his top three preferred departments were in sales.
And his hobby was watching martial arts movies?
Didn’t the chairman of the giant conglomerate that collapsed a few years ago due to the financial crisis, defying the notion of “too big to fail,” have the same hobby?
There was no way this model student type would excel in sales.
However, a treasure had been discovered in an unexpected place.
“I see. There will be an organizational restructuring next year. Do you have any preferred departments?”
At Park Joon-hyung’s words, Lee Jeong-seok’s eyes widened.
It was the question he had been longing to hear since joining the company.
Observing Lee Jeong-seok’s reaction, Park Joon-hyung smiled inwardly.
‘Should I try to bring him over to my side?’