Chapter 8: The Exhibition (2)

While solving this matter, I realized something.

How much of an advantage it is to be the only one in the world who can use magic.

'The combination of science and magic is better than I thought.'

Perhaps if I had a bit more knowledge about science, I could have tried various things there.

I thought magic might not be very useful in a world with science.

That thought itself was foolish.

Even though I was proud of knowing more about magic circles than anyone else.

'There was no need to think about it separately.'

Science and magic were not disciplines heading in different directions.

They are like twin brothers.

Different yet similar, and when they work together, they match better than anyone else.

Tonight's side dish is bulgogi.

Recently, meat or fish has never been missing from the table, and it seems to be because of me.

Placing a few shiitake mushrooms stir-fried with beef bulgogi on a perilla leaf and adding a finely chopped green chili, the spicy and salty flavors blend well, quickly emptying a bowl of rice.

"So, did you resolve the matter well?"

You must have been curious all day, and I wonder how you managed to hold back until the end of dinner.

Mom brought out strawberries for dessert, and then Dad's question finally came.

"Yes, I was just about to tell you."

"Good. Then how did you...?"

"What's going on? Did my brother cause trouble again?"

Again? I glared slightly at Seul, but she didn't budge.

"Dear, what do you mean? What did Seonwoo resolve?"

Mom, surprised that something was going on, asked back.

Dad gave me a look that said to tell the story myself.

"It's not a big deal... I managed to process the inventory at the factory today."

"Inventory at the factory?"

"The items we were supposed to supply to Sungwang Industries."

"Sungwang? ...Ah! But how did you...?!"

I knew the gist of the story, but even Seul, who didn't remember the company's name, finally opened her eyes wide.

I knew how much stress Mom and Dad had been under recently because of this issue.

"Thanks to good luck, I was able to make some improvements. It was a simple idea, but a company was willing to pay a high price for it... Anyway, it worked out well."

"How much did you get for it?"

"A bit more than the amount we agreed with Sungwang. 350 won per heat sink."

Mom and Seul looked relieved, but Dad was different.

Mom and Seul only knew there was a problem with the product, not the exact price.

So, Dad was the only one surprised by this price.

"What, how much did you agree to get?!"

"350 won per unit."

"Dear... Why are you like this? Did you sell it too cheaply?"

"Is my brother going to ruin our family?!"

"Really? 350 won per unit?"

Dad's expression was peculiar, almost resigned.

Even I, who knew the whole situation, couldn't understand his feelings.

"Why are you like this? What's wrong?"

"No, no. The price is just... too..."

"Too?"

"You, you... got a really good price. How did you manage to get that price...?"

Dad, usually a man of few words and rarely flustered, made Mom and Seul's expressions change in surprise.

"Too good a price? So, it's a good thing, right?"

"Of course! This is really... We can even pay off the overdue machinery installment in one go!"

Running the factory wasn't as easy as I thought.

The machines, though not many, were all debts.

I felt guilty for not knowing this until now.

'He never showed it...'

My nose tingled a bit...

"Dad, does that mean you'll raise my allowance?!"

I almost said it.

***

I left the contract matters entirely to Dad.

I didn't know, but since the factory is a company, there must have been a contract lawyer to check for any poison pill clauses.

'Honestly, what do I know about contracts?'

I just need to do what I'm good at.

And today, I went to the factory to pick up the contract.

"Seonwoo, you!"

"Im Seonwoo. I heard the story. You really caused a stir? Wow, to see you again. You had that kind of ability?"

As soon as I stepped into the factory, two people approached and patted my head.

Standing in front of them, I felt like I was back to my childhood.

I'm taller now, but...

"Uncle Hosuk, Uncle Manho."

"That thing that's been giving us a headache for so long, how did you solve it so quickly? You've become a sales manager, and now I'm the one who's all over the place."

"It's not like that. I just got lucky..."

"You don't need to be so modest. Luck is also a form of skill, you know? Everyone will be grateful to you, even if they don't say it."

A few employees in the factory, who are older than me, nodded their heads from a distance to show their gratitude.

I bowed back instinctively.

"You're going to sign the contract today, right? How about I go with you?"

"Hey, Sales Manager. Are you trying to horn in? Don't be greedy and focus on your own sales."

"Just kidding, just kidding."

Uncle Manho's face brightened.

Uncle Hosuk, who had been working hard to save the company with a heavy heart, was probably best known to Uncle Manho.

They are irreplaceable friends to each other.

"Since it's my doing, I'll see it through to the end."

At that, the two men's expressions became oddly pleased.

What is that look...

"Go on, get into the office. Brother Yeongil has been waiting for you."

"Yes, I'll go. See you next time."

The atmosphere inside the factory was different from the last time I visited. Entering the office, Dad greeted me with a bright face.

"You're here? I've prepared the documents."

"Is everything in order?"

"Of course, it's just a standard contract with a few details changed, so they won't have any specific requests for modifications."

I was curious and amazed.

Mostly, I didn't want to show that it was my first time seeing it, so I took out the documents first.

The representative's seal for Yeongil Factory was already stamped.

'I'm seeing this for the first time.'

I hadn't paid much attention or needed to before, so it was natural.

But now, things that felt natural before seem a bit regretful.

"By the way, Seonwoo. I got an email from Isis."

"From Isis?"

I pretended not to know, but I did.

"Right. Can I ask why you made that decision?"

The public auction at the cafe a few days ago.

It was technically an auction, but it was more of a bidding process.

In other words, the company would write down the amount, and we would choose the supplier based on the price.

On that day, the highest bid came from Isis.

"Just because."

"Just because? There was a difference of at least a few million won, and you have no reason?"

I said that, but of course, I didn't choose Youngseong Industries for no reason.

As soon as I sat down, I offered 350 won, and the person from Youngseok Industries, Manager Yi Wookgi, never made an additional bid.

Not even 0.1 won, while the bidding continued.

'He laid all his cards on the table at once.'

Without any hesitation, he played his best hand.

But his eyes were not those of a person who had given up.

A firm, unwavering something that only a person full of self-belief and confidence could have.

I chose Youngseong Industries because of that.

"Because he seemed passionate."

"Passionate?"

Dad, looking slightly puzzled at my embarrassed smile, eventually nodded.

Passion, enthusiasm, confidence.

These invisible values are gradually forgotten as one ages, but they resonate because he, too, had been young and full of such emotions.

Yeongil Factory also started that way.

"Right. Seonwoo, I trust your choice. Thanks to you, the company can overcome this difficult period."

"It's because Dad, Uncle, and our employees made good products. I didn't do anything special."

"Kid..."

Dad knew this was a polite response but didn't press further.

"Will you come back after the contract? We're having a company dinner tonight. It would be good if you could join."

"Ah, I have plans with friends tonight."

"Ah... I see?"

He looked disappointed but understood.

I haven't properly met my friends since waking up from a coma, and he knows it's more comfortable for me to meet friends than to be with the factory uncles.

"Right, I get it. Be careful."

"Yes, and don't drink too much, Dad."

"Hmm, I will."

They work with oil and metal in a dusty environment all day.

With the weekend coming up, they're having a celebratory dinner, and alcohol is inevitable.

My words might not significantly reduce the amount they drink, but if they remember my warning during the dinner, that's enough.

***

Youngseong Industries Representative Office.

"Are you really confident about this?"

"Of course. You saw the sample's performance yesterday, didn't you?"

The representative scratched his head.

"I did see it, but..."

Honestly, it was surprising.

While performance is important for computers, achieving that performance requires excellent cooling.

This maintained a temperature that defied conventional wisdom.

"But... Can we really not make it?"

"I checked, and the patent hasn't been applied for yet. But we can't make it anyway. We can't figure out the mechanism behind this performance no matter how we look at it."

"You can't figure it out at all?"

The representative looked surprised.

Manager Yi Wookgi isn't a world-renowned developer, but he hasn't disappointed since joining Youngseong Industries.

He didn't expect to hear "I can't even understand it" from him.

"Anyway, the contract is already signed... Now we just need to sell it."

"As long as it sells well, we've already agreed to additional orders at the same price."

"Wait, so this... isn't exclusive to us?"

We paid 350 won per unit for a thin aluminum plate, and it's not exclusive?

'No, 50,000 units isn't a small number... But if something goes wrong, this might be safer.'

Manager Yi Wookgi is confident it won't fail, but if it does, this might be the safer option.

"Representative, there's no need to worry. You saw the performance. Give a few units to the new product reviewers on Nertube, and once the word of mouth starts, it'll be a sensation. I guarantee it."

"Alright, alright. So, what price are you thinking of? Considering the cost, taxes, and the downtime for modifying the process, we need to charge at least 60,000 won, no, 70,000 won."

"What are you talking about? I'm thinking of 100,000 won or more."

What, is he crazy?

The representative had that exact look.

"Manager Yi, even if it's good, 100,000 won is too much, right? There are many cheap water coolers these days."

"I told you. Most water coolers can't even compare to this."

He meant "can't even show their face," but the representative didn't nitpick.

"Still, it doesn't seem to have an advantage over water coolers."

"Many people don't like water coolers. Regularly refilling the coolant, the pump noise, and the risk of leaks are all issues."

The computer market spreads news faster than the fashion industry.

With this level of performance, it will naturally become known, but...

"So, what I'm saying is, let's do some promotion."

"We always do promotion. We'll put it in magazines, and we'll do Nertube and platform banner ads..."

"No, no, not that kind of promotion."

Interrupting the representative might be a bit rude, but Manager Yi Wookgi didn't care.

"Then what kind of promotion?"

"Let's do a very aggressive and proactive marketing campaign."

"Exactly how aggressive?"

The representative started to feel a bit scared by Manager Yi Wookgi's manic look.