This Is How I Became a Chaebol

004 : Young Tiger

“Who did you say you were?”

“It is said to be Chansu Wu of the trending unemployment. I lost all my luggage at the airport, so I don’t even have a business card to give you.”

Unbeknownst to me, the name Daese popped out.

It didn’t exist yet, but that was all I had to do when I returned home.

“Mr. Ura of the mainstream unemployment… I’m hearing about it for the first time.”

“It is the first company to enter Singapore, but it is a company that is growing like a flame in South Korea. We will easily achieve $400,000 in annual sales this year.”

It’s absolutely not a lie.

Now, with the contract through this man, Daese Unemployment will record 400,000 dollars in sales in the first year of its founding.

“Hmm, $400,000 in annual sales is not a small company. So, what kind of equipment does the general unemployment use?”

Are you asking me for equipment?

It was a question to test whether he was a fraud or not.

“We use 100% Kalmeyer equipment. I can also say that this is the reason I came to see Razak.”

The Daese Group and the German company Karl Mayer had a very close relationship.

I heard that when Chairman Woo started the fabric business, he hit the jackpot with Karl Mayer’s equipment and the recognition was very good.

Ah, since the era is now divided into East Germany and West Germany, I must call it West Germany’s Karl Mayers.

Perhaps because of this, Chairman Woo preferred to collaborate with European companies, especially West German companies, rather than Japanese ones.

Of course, I think West Germany is better than Japan.

“Why did you come to see me?”

“Since the overseas Chinese have taken over cotton yarn, isn’t it time for Razak to go all-in on chemical fiber? The Karl Mayer machine our company uses is the best for weaving fabrics with synthetic fibers.”

“……”

Razak made a slightly embarrassed expression.

It was natural. It was because he gave the correct answers to the test questions he gave, and even taught him a strategy to compete with the overseas Chinese only when he dominated the chemical fiber market.

When I was a new employee, I didn’t know that memorizing Chairman Woo’s founding anecdotes and even taking tests would be so helpful.

That I still remembered the name of the weaving machine maker, Karl Mayer.

“Would you like a drink?”

“I’m still thirsty, but it’s very good.”

“Come here.”

After talking in the hallway in front of the elevator, we were invited to the suite.

It was an impressive room with colorful decorations unique to India.

No, it was more like an office than a room.

Squeak.

Razak offered me some cold champagne.

It means to discuss business in earnest.

“Here is a sample. If you choose a sample you like, we will supply it as much as you like.”

“Where should I see you?”

Razak touched and rubbed over 100 samples one by one.

As a giant in the fabric industry, you can feel it once you touch it.

“I like numbers 24 and 87.”

It was a nobleman with good senses.

Both of them seemed to be a nylon-based product blended with around 5% cotton for No. 24 and 35% to 45% cotton for No. 87.

The blending ratio was just right, and since it was all warp-knitted fabric, it seemed that the yarn would not come undone.

It was the representative of a fabric called a tricot.

‘What, what do I know so well?’

Even though it’s a heroic story that he was trained as a new employee, he remembers even the type of fabric like this?

What was more surprising was that it was not a blurry memory, but that it came to mind clearly as if seeing the ppt material the lecturer gave directly in front of his eyes.

Obviously, my major is construction or heavy industry plants. did you become a genius?

“Why but? Is that fabric difficult to supply?”

‘Ugh! I’m thinking of something else in the middle of this!’

I wanted to slap my cheek.

Thinking about useless things ahead of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“no. It’s possible enough. I just thought that since it is a tricot product, the unit price will go up a bit…”

“It does seem a bit expensive. Yes, how much can you deliver to me?”

“How much would it be beneficial for Razak-nim to deliver?”

If I set the price, it will be cut.

It is better to readily accept A’s request than to lose the initiative.

Later, when my company’s market dominance grows, the right to determine pricing naturally falls into my hands.

“… I wish I could get it for 70 cents… no, 65 cents a yard.”

Fabric is sold by length.

A yard is a unit for measuring the length of a fabric. One yard is approximately 91 cm. This is the road that clothing vendors often call ‘one horse’.

“Sixty-five cents a yard… that’s good. We deliver.”

“!!!!”

When I agreed to it once and for all, Razak was taken aback.

It must have been the delivery price I paid with the intention of raising it up to 70 cents, but I didn’t raise a single penny.

In its original history, it would have contracted for 65 cents.

Could Chairman Woo, who is only 27 years old, have made a proper deal ahead of Razak?

It was obvious that he would have signed the contract for the amount he suggested.

In other words, it is a business that remains even if you sign a contract like this.

“Look, Mr. Wu. Why not raise the unit price? If you are a merchant, negotiating the unit price is basic.”

“My opinion is a little different. Since you offered the lowest price, why not order the maximum quantity?”

“!!! Lowest price, maximum quantity!”

“The high-price separation strategy is the reason why our mainstream unemployment is soaring. Surely you won’t hit the unit price at 65 cents and order only 10,000 or 20,000 yards? Razak, the hope of Indian merchants.”

“Ha ha ha ha ha!!”

Razak smiled as much as he could, as if my words made him feel better.

Then I drank a glass of champagne.

“200,000 yards! How is it? This is the maximum amount I can give you right now.”

“good. Do you have a contract?”

200,000 yards at a unit price of 65 cents is a total of $130,000.

130,000 dollars is a huge amount in Korea in the 1960s… uhhh? What was the exchange rate at that time? I guess it was roughly 500 won?… If the exchange rate is 500 won for 130,000 dollars… 65 million won?

what? Not even 1 billion?

‘Eh? Wait… Wait, $130,000, right?’

I asked for a handshake to sign a contract, but after going through mental arithmetic, I felt dizzy.

In the original history, I heard that the contract was worth 400,000 dollars… Could it be that I agreed to an absurd unit price? It was because I was thinking.

Did you ask for a $400,000 contract for $130,000?

Cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck.

Goddamn… not a kid, but excited like a rookie.

“Hahaha, I can’t believe you signed a contract right away. That’s not it.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Fortunately, Razak put the brakes on.

“We Indians make big contracts only with people who have a meal together. How is it? Is it time for dinner tonight?”

“It is an honor to invite you.”

Did you adjust the unit price at the time of meal in the original history?

In the 1960s, I had no idea about the cost of yarn (thread), processing costs, logistics costs, and taxes, so it was difficult to determine whether the unit price or quantity was wrong compared to the original history.

If you use roughly 2 yards to make a pair of pants with tricot fabric, the cost of the fabric material alone is 1.3 dollars, or about 650 won in Korean currency.

I think it would have been around 1,000 won if I added the expenses here. In the 1960s, did a pair of pants cost about 1,000 won in Southeast Asia?

I think a pair of elephant pants cost about 2,3,000 won on a trip to Southeast Asia in the 21st century?

Adjusting for inflation, a unit price of 65 cents per yard in the ’60s didn’t seem outrageous.

‘So, is the exchange rate calculation wrong? Or is it out of stock? Damn, are you saying you have to bump into it after all?’

No matter how hard I tried, it was difficult to determine whether it was a loss or a gain.

I decided to bump into it, but it made me feel more at ease.

“The restaurant is this way.”

“thank you.”

Razak took me upstairs.

I was using a part of the hotel sky lounge all by myself.

When Razak appeared, the neatly dressed people flocked to serve, as if they were royalty.

***

“Haha, you bought that suit for $100?”

“Because I’m not much of a salesman who cuts prices.”

“Did you say Indylan Tailor Shop? I need to give him some soul. How dare you rip off my guest.”

“no. I got a shirt as a bonus, so that’s enough. You did a good job.”

Read at readwn

Judging by what he said, he didn’t seem to be the kind of person who overcharged me.

So, 65 cents per yard seems like a good unit price?

Did you mean that in the original history, more quantities were received?

I don’t think it’ll give you more at 200,000 yards?

As expected, exaggeration seems to be mixed in heroic stories.

Where is the $130,000 contract for a rookie merchant?

It would be enough to start with this.

“Where are you staying? I’ll send a formal contract to my practitioner. All you have to do is sign it.”

“I plan to stay at the Grand Hotel across the street. If you tell me my name, I will make sure you come right away.”

“Not so. Now, shall we toast?”

“Cheers, please.”

“For the Young Tiger of South Korea.”

“Young Tiger?”

“Whoa, in India we compare a good young man to a tiger. In particular, it is said that a white tiger is born once in a hundred years. If possible, become a white tiger.”

Razak gave me a good word.

Young Tiger, the name of the fabric product looked good.

Crack!

“For Young Tiger!”

“for!”

We toasted and finished our meal.

I had the Adelphi Hotel front desk staff book a room at the Grand Hotel.

At the word that he was a guest of Razak, a room was created that did not exist at first, and all kinds of benefits were given to him, saying that he could use the Executive Club for free.

It was a luxurious room. After taking a bath in warm water, I couldn’t help falling asleep.

***

Adelphi Hotel, Sky Lounge.

Razak was enjoying the lingering afterglow after eating with Woo Chan-soo.

“Senior, why do you want to sign a big deal with a kid like that?”

“Did you look like a kid in your eyes?”

The person who pretended to be a waiter poured champagne next to Razak.

He was his right-hand man.

Not only does he take care of the company’s housekeeping, but he also has an extraordinary eye for people, so when signing a new contract, he would bring them to the Sky Lounge as an excuse for meals.

“I felt like I wasn’t even 30 at the very least. Judging by the level of conversation, it seemed that they couldn’t properly calculate the unit price, let alone delivery experience.”

“Haha, right. The experience seemed a thousand. But, have you seen his eyes? The look in his eyes that says he doesn’t care what a contract for only $130,000 is.”

“I don’t know whether to say that the barrel is big or not. That much was surprising.”

Razak’s right-hand man had no choice but to agree.

How many fabric merchants do not blink an eye at the quantity of 200,000 yards, and treat a large sum of $130,000 as a penny?

“You think you can break even $130,000 in exchange for a deal with me. Would you have the guts to do that if you were that kid’s age?”

“……”

Razak’s right hand hesitated to speak.

He is below Razak, but always above when compared to others.

The only person better than him was Razak. It had to be.

“I ask. I have to answer.”

“I wouldn’t have the guts to do that.”

“If you are, Mr. Wu is a special person. right?”

“… I can’t deny it.”

“Take special care. If you do well, you might become a real white tiger. A tiger that rules the world.”

“Yes, old man.”

Razak decided to treat Woo Chan-soo specially.

***

next day.

Follow Leureung. Follow Leureung.

“what? from morning.”

I didn’t even ask for a wake-up call, but the phone rang.

I looked at the clock and it was 7 in the morning.

“hello.”

＜Sir, your guests are waiting in the conference hall. Shall we prepare breakfast separately?＞

Are you ready for breakfast? what?

“What do you mean?”

＜Oh, sorry. You want to keep it simple. Then, I will simply prepare a cup of coffee.＞

“…???”

It was absurd, but it was a call from the front desk, and I just said that I would prepare coffee and hung up.

It was as if they were not going to the conference hall and were gently wiping out what they were doing?

Has Razzak already sent a practitioner?

Do Indians have a culture that is as fast as Koreans?

I simply washed my face, got dressed, and headed to the conference hall.

Originally, any hotel has a conference hall right above the lobby, so it was not difficult to find.

“welcome. Everyone is waiting.”

The hotel staff was waiting for me in front of the elevator.

clap clap clap.

“welcome. Mr. Wu.”

“Nice to meet you. It is called Fourth Avenue Kumar.”

“My name is Sixth Avenue Zohar. It is an honor to meet Razak’s guest.”

When the hotel staff opened the conference hall door, many people were waiting for me.

All of them greeted me by mentioning Razak.

“Yes, this is Chan Su-wu, a popular businessman. Nice to meet you.”

We shook hands in response to the applause.

I managed my expression, but I was confused.

I glanced around and saw that there were five or six round tables filled with merchants.

“You’re delivering 200,000 yards to Razak?”

“Um, that’s roughly it.”

I didn’t have to confirm.

“Haha, then can we also get the fabric that Razak ordered?”

“How much do you need?”

“I am 20,000 yards. Adding 20,000 yards to 200,000 yards doesn’t sound like much of a stretch… does it?”

It was obvious.

He must have thought that if he made clothes with the same fabric as Razak, there would be no business going on.

If Razak penetrates the market, he is trying to push clothes of the same fabric.

For a small dresser, getting a fabric like Lazark was tantamount to buying insurance.

“I am 15,000 yards. I also collected the 4th Street merchants. A total of 67,000 yards.”

“I am 18,000! I collected 6th Street, which is a total of 52,000 yards.”

Orders came from all sides.

There were also a number of people who brought the orders from the merchants around them. Roughly put together, it seemed to be 300,000 yards.

“It’s a small package in different colors. Isn’t that what you’re saying asking us to share the unit price with Razak-sama for this amount?”

“Oh, of course. Still, please look at the situation for a little bit.”

“Even if it’s 5% more expensive than Rajak-nim, I’ll be grateful.”

“It’s 85 cents per yard for less than 10,000 yards and 80 cents for more.”

“Ugh! The unit price is so high…”

“There is no negotiating as it is a unit price that even Razak-nim would agree to. If you don’t want to sign a contract, you can leave.”

“no. Who says no contracts? I will sign first.”

Despite the unit price rising to 80 cents, contracts lined up, and the hands signing the contracts moved quickly.

Looking at the sum of the contracts… $400,000!

Aha, that’s why it was originally a $400,000 contract in history.