Chapter 10

010 Fantasy and Reality

Now, all I need is a call from the industrial park. Once I get it, I can immediately draft the contract and head to Seoul to wrap up the remaining procedures.

“Deokjun, no matter how I think about it, the schedule is really tight. So, you’ll have to pull some strings for me.”

“What kind of beautiful words are those?”

I’ve come up with a plan. We need to start construction on the factory by early next year at the latest. With only three months left, I need to find the right people, purchase various equipment, and visit potential clients. I also need to prepare all the necessary documents for running the company.

I’m planning to take about three months to build the factory, and as soon as it’s completed, I’ll bring in the factory manager and the executive director. I need to quickly obtain various certifications, finish product development, secure certification from the Electric Research Institute, and get an inspection exemption. The annual bidding for Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) is around August, so I need to finish everything before then.

Then, 800 billion won will come in! It’s going to be amazing!

It’s going to be amazing, but the schedule is tight. Since I haven’t received any messages yet, it seems I’m on the right track. This makes me even more anxious. What do I need in this situation? That’s right, a cigarette.

“So, you’re asking me to take care of all the miscellaneous tasks?”

“Yes, Manager Han.”

“How much are you going to pay me? By the way, you’ve been using me since yesterday without even a labor contract. Do you know that’s illegal?”

The first step in any project is to sign a labor contract. It’s time for Deokjun to set his price.

“I took a rough look at the previous company, but that’s too low. While it’s not generous, to fully focus on work without worrying about money, I need to provide enough. Since it’s the early stage, I can’t pay too much, but for executives, 50 million won plus a car, 40 million won for department heads, and 35 million won for managers. What do you think?”

“Since I’m a manager, 35 million won… It’s not bad, but…”

“What’s the problem?”

“I feel like I’m losing out.”

“Just bear with it as a manager for 1-2 years. I’ll promote you rapidly, and I’ll provide excellent benefits. How about unlimited cigarettes?”

“That sounds good. They say if you multiply your age by 100, you can live comfortably while maintaining your dignity.”

“Shit. I’ve been living like I’m in my early 20s. Damn.”

The anger towards my previous company resurfaced. To think they exploited me so much with that low salary! I’m going to bring that company down!

“But will it be okay? Since it’s in Naju, you’ll need to provide accommodation, and without decent salaries and benefits, no one will come. Are you confident it won’t fail?”

“Once we secure the supply qualification for KEPCO, we’ll at least hit 800 billion won in sales! You’ve heard about Manager Lee from the Innovation Industrial Park, right? And there’s the Minsoo transformer market, so we just need to produce as much as we can. That’s why we need to hurry before August next year.”

“Alright. Let’s work hard starting tomorrow. So, what’s for dinner tonight?”

“Besides ox bone soup, what else is famous in Naju?”

“Naju… How about hongeo (fermented skate)?”

“Bingo!”

I shouldn’t rush into things. I created a beautiful scene where we encouraged each other to eat more, like good brothers. The smell of hongeo seemed to reach the motel. I will beat you, hongeo.

* * *

With nothing much to do, I enjoyed a rare moment of leisure in the motel until I received a call to check out. When will the call come?

Ding dong ding dong ding dong.

It’s here, the call!

“Mr. President, please visit our office. The qualification review is complete.”

Let’s go!

“First, read the announcement, contract terms, and precautions. You need to confirm all of these to proceed with the contract process. Also, here are several plans related to the industrial park, which you need to review.”

Manager Lee Jeong-yong from the Innovation Industrial Park handed over a thick stack of documents. Since the local government specified these steps, we have to follow them to receive the grant. After skimming through the documents, which I couldn’t fully understand, an hour had already passed.

“Thank you for your hard work. Do you have your seal and seal certificate? This is the land purchase contract.”

“It’s for 1.5 billion won. Haha.”

“Complete this, and the deposit is 10%, so let me do some calculations. Yes, 188 million won. The contract is based on the listed price, but the local government will provide up to 30% support after document review. Part of the purchase price can also be supported by national funds. As the first investment company, we’ll do our best to secure the maximum support.”

“Thank you very much.”

The signing is done. I’ve taken the first step into uncharted territory. There’s no turning back now.

“Oh, by the way, there will be various events soon. You can look forward to them.”

“Events? Like hanging a banner and signing it?”

“Yes. As the first contract company, the governor will likely visit, and the KEPCO president will definitely come.”

It feels like the scale is getting bigger. It’s a bit overwhelming. Am I entering the upper echelons now? I need to learn how to drink wine.

As I left the Innovation Industrial Park office, all the staff came to the door to give me a grand send-off.

“Oh, Mr. Ji, thank you. I wish your business success every day.”

They bowed so deeply it seemed their backs would break. They also gave me various souvenirs.

Let’s head to Seoul! There’s a lot to do!

* * *

Three days later, I returned to my cozy attic. From what I found online, it takes about a week to register a business, assuming all the documents are perfect. Now, I need to prepare the documents.

“Check if there’s a company with the same name at the registry office? It can be checked online.”

“Let’s see.”

I cursed. ActiveX! I had to install it frantically. After installation, it asked me to reboot. What a pain! I had to suppress my boiling anger for nearly 10 minutes.

“PrimeElectric. It’s not there. Thank goodness.”

“But there’s a problem.”

“What problem?”

“To establish a manufacturing company, you need a factory. You only have a contract, not a factory yet.”

“Isn’t a land contract enough?”

“It doesn’t seem to be. Let’s start with wholesale or something else and add manufacturing later.”

The law is definitely complicated. I thought having a land contract would allow me to register a manufacturing company, but Deokjun has a different opinion. I need to interpret the law. Can’t they make the law clearer?

“It’s complicated. Let’s register something first. We can figure out the rest, right?”

“Sure. Trust me. We need to set up incorporators and draft the articles of incorporation. Let’s incorporate based on the articles.”

“Why do you always sound so low when you open your mouth?”

“Low?”

Please don’t think about it. Right brain, just stay quiet.

While preparing for the company registration on my laptop, Deokjun looked at me with a pitiful expression. This doesn’t feel good.

“Um… Jungsoo. No, Mr. President.”

“What is it again!”

“I can’t do it. Let’s go to a lawyer. It’s too complicated.”

My hand could only be used as a tool of violence. This is a loving blow.

* * *

Now, I need to meet the factory manager and Executive Director Kim to explain the Naju plan. People in the Seoul area often think that leaving the region will lead to disaster.

Moving to a new place is never easy. It might be easier for me and Deokjun since we’re single, but for those with families, it’s not as simple.

“Hey, Manager Ji. What? Tonight? I’m fine, but I’m not sure about the factory manager. Let me check. I’m out, so just let me know the time and place.”

“Sure, Manager Ji. Tonight… Let me see. I was going to have a drink, but I’ll cancel it. Since Manager Ji called, I have to go, right? Hehe.”

Once again, the four of us, including the always complaining Deokjun, are united. We need to push through, no matter what.

“What? You’re building a factory in Naju? Can you find people there?”

As expected, the executive director had the strongest reaction to the mention of Naju. Moving during the kids’ growing years is not easy. What about the factory manager?

“I’m fine since my kids are independent and I’m alone, but isn’t Executive Director Kim in the middle of raising his kids? Will it be okay?”

“Why is the factory manager alone?”

The executive director poked my thigh. Did I say something I shouldn’t have?

“I sent my wife ahead to avoid her nagging. Hehehe.”

“But last time when I suggested a drink, you said you were scoring points with your wife?”

“I meant scoring points with my nagging wife. Hahaha.”

I shouldn’t have said that. How hard it must be for a man to live alone without a wife as he gets older. I’ll pretend I didn’t notice.

“Since we’ve decided, I’ll manage. I can be a weekend couple or something. Don’t worry. But finding people will be a problem.”

The quick-witted executive director swiftly changed the topic.

The factory manager and the executive director are both worried about finding people. I understand why company owners are hesitant to leave the metropolitan area despite the high land prices. It’s not just about finding people, but skilled workers.

“There are issues with the workforce, but moving to Naju has many benefits. The biggest benefit is that KEPCO will allocate 20% of the bids to us. That’s 800 billion won. We have to do it, right?”

The factory manager, with an unshaken expression, spoke. 800 billion won, and he’s not even surprised!

“Manager Ji knows, but transformers are made by hand, right? I can find skilled workers, but being greedy can ruin things. Meeting deadlines is crucial in manufacturing. If we fail to meet the deadline, it’s over. 800 billion won sounds great, but how do you plan to produce it?”

“Minsoo, if I work hard on sales, it won’t be a problem, but it’s different for Gwansoo. The scale is different. You know, even successful companies start to struggle with late payments and can’t recover.”

The executive director also expressed his concerns.

Am I too captivated by the 800 billion won? Am I trapped in a fantasy? Listening to the seasoned professionals, I feel a bit more grounded, but I can’t help but think they’re over-worrying.

I have a picture in my head. It’s still a sketch, but I believe it will turn into a beautiful picture. Since we haven’t even started, being too confident can be toxic. I’ll keep it to myself for now.

“We can start production as early as March next year. The factory manager and the executive director can join by the end of this year.”

“What can we do there? Come early and waste money? If it’s March, we can finish by January. I don’t need to prepare much, just a phone.”

“Understood. The factory manager can come a bit earlier, right?”

“The workforce is the issue. I’ll do my best to find people here, and Manager Ji should prepare accordingly. By the way, you’re not Manager Ji anymore. Our President Ji! Hahaha.”

“Haha. I’ll do my best.”

“Manager Han, help our President Ji well. He’s worked hard for our company.”

“Ah… Yes. I’ll support President Ji wholeheartedly.”

Deokjun’s unusual tone almost made me choke on my food. This guy is a great actor.

“President, by the way, how much will the salary be? I need to know the approximate amount to start looking for people.”

Executive Director Kim Hee-chul subtly asked about the salary.

The most important part is hard to say. Everyone works to earn money, but mentioning money can make you seem materialistic. Stories of working day and night without pay for months are often romanticized.

It’s natural for people to come for the money and to know the salary. It’s my fault for not mentioning it earlier.

I hated it when people said they treated the company like family or their own home. When I mentioned the salary, it often came back as, “I treated you like family, how could you do this?”

It meant they wanted to use you like a slave without complaints. In reality, that’s what happened. Who would make a family member work that hard for that little money?

I explained the salary table I had prepared for the factory manager and the executive director. It wasn’t the best in the industry, but I was proud it was decent enough. The company won’t go bankrupt with this. I can take a bit less.

“President Ji, will it be okay? The benefits are good for a new company.”

The executive director, who had heard a lot from his sales trips, genuinely expressed his concern.

“Director! We need to earn more than we do now, right? We need to provide enough to attract good people. And as a benefit, cigarettes will be provided unlimitedly!”

“Wow, this is great! President Ji, you’re a good person. Hahaha.”

We finished the warm dinner and safely escorted them to a karaoke room. Deokjun, who was shy at first, went wild in the karaoke room, and the three of us embraced each other like brothers from the same womb. Yes, teamwork is key.