Chapter 6

006 The Road Not Taken

Now, all that’s left is to run. I’ll do as much preliminary research as possible before I quit, and once I do, I’ll set up a corporation and buy a factory. The factory manager and executive director have promised to join once everything is ready.

As expected, President Choi’s retaliation began. A barrage of instructions came down. Go ahead, do your worst. I’ll meet with suppliers and diligently prepare for my new venture.

I was told to create a manual for the materials management process and get it approved. No one had ever done this before. It was clearly a way to get back at me. But I had already created manuals for all my tasks. Isn’t making manuals the basic thing to do?

I submitted a manual over 30 pages long, complete with photos. A few hours later, it was returned to me, marked up with red ink. How cute.

It was filled with nitpicks: poor readability, hard to follow, typos, missing periods, and so on.

Of course, he only knew how to act superior. He had no idea what the employees actually did, so he had no choice but to nitpick. I had fully anticipated this. What else could an incompetent and foolish person do?

After four rejections, I finally got it approved. What a bitch.

I was told to compile and bring the monthly changes in purchase amounts for each supplier and material over the past three years. He’s trying to find something to nitpick, but it’s ridiculous that he’s asking for this now.

As a president, shouldn’t he have been checking these things monthly and quarterly?

I had nothing to hide. I had never taken bribes from suppliers or embezzled materials. I edited the data in Excel and submitted it. It took less than 30 minutes.

Sure enough, it was rejected again. He didn’t like the table. He criticized the thick borders. She’s not just vicious; she’s insane. Her actions are so cute. The future of this company is clear.

What’s next? Just tell me, and I’ll do it! What? Report the inventory levels and values of the materials we have? Sure. I’ll tell you everything, down to the last penny. The more you push, the more it will show how hard I’ve worked, and the more you’ll regret it.

I was told to investigate and report the reasons for the excess materials. Really, what a hassle. It’s clear that he’s been just playing around for the past two years since he became president. He doesn’t even understand if it’s possible for materials not to be left over. Such incompetence.

I handled his harsh criticism without batting an eye. I felt a bit disappointed. Is that all? I’m prepared to handle even more demanding requests, but this was too weak. Boring.

Thanks to this, I could meet with suppliers and ease the tension. They all seemed to like me and welcomed me warmly. Sure, when I set up my company, I’ll place big orders for materials!

* * *

Finally, I’m free from the slave contract. On the last day, the president called me for a drink.

"Manager, thank you for all your hard work. I wish we could continue working together for a long time, but it seems that’s not possible."

His smile now looks evil. Honestly, I can’t figure out why he called me. He wouldn’t have just invited me for a drink without a reason.

"Our relationship ends here, but I wish your company success."

Do you even know what irony is? Go ahead and flourish.

"Yes, that’s right. Just because you’re leaving the company doesn’t mean our relationship ends. Come visit often, and let’s keep in touch."

I realized his intention. Even though I’ve left the company, he wants me to keep answering his calls and answering his questions. The idea itself is extremely unpleasant. I need to clear my throat a few times.

Grrr, grrr, grrr, phew!

Adios. It was dirty working with you, and I never want to see you again.

Ding.

At midnight, the slave contract was legally terminated. I feel relieved. As if to celebrate, a text message arrived.

-Naju Energy Valley. 20 billion investment.

What is this? This is like losing a tooth while eating rice cakes. I was thinking about getting a factory in Incheon or Gimpo, where it would be cheaper, but Naju is completely unexpected.

Wait a moment. Naju... I remember hearing that Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) is moving its headquarters to Naju and trying to gather related companies in the area. I also remember laughing at the idea of anyone setting up a factory in such a remote place.

For most small and medium-sized enterprises, especially in this industry, it’s all about labor costs. To put it bluntly, the amount of money the boss takes depends on who can hire skilled workers at a lower cost.

In the capital region, there are so many people that the workers are the ones who feel sorry. It’s a place where ‘I’ll give you this, will you work?’ and ‘If you don’t like it, too bad’ is the norm. But in Naju, it’s different. It’s a place where ‘Please come’ and ‘I can’t work for this money’ are possible.

I’ve always been determined not to treat people like disposable newspapers, so I’m not worried about that issue.

The real concern is the scale. I need to buy a plot in an industrial complex and build a factory from scratch, which means the scale has jumped from an indie film to a blockbuster.

I thought 500 million won would be enough as capital when setting up the corporation. I boasted that I wouldn’t settle for a small rented factory, but I have no idea how much I’ll need for Naju. I was happy thinking I had won the lottery, but now it might all be gone in one go.

Did the text message guy send the lottery numbers to do this? The only thing I did with my lottery winnings was buy a pack of cigarettes at a convenience store and not take the change. It’s a bit frustrating. This is a problem that needs careful consideration. I can’t make a hasty decision.

What will happen if I don’t do what the text message says? It said it was a warning because I didn’t follow the first message. It’s a bit scary. Maybe I should change my phone? Yes! My phone is old anyway, so I should get a new one.

Ding.

-Already warned.

What? Text message guy! I’m scared. I don’t know how he does it, but it’s clear he can read my thoughts. Was I just freed from one slave owner to be sold to another? The only hope is that I don’t know who my new owner is. Damn.

I took out a cigarette to clear my thoughts. After smoking about five, I couldn’t even think clearly. The only side effect was a thick phlegm.

Yes. There must be a reason. If he can read my thoughts, he must know that my dream is not to survive by selling a couple of transformers in a corner of the Incheon Namdong Industrial Complex. He must know my grand dream.

Let’s give it a try. Let’s do it!

I searched the internet for factory construction. From various blog posts filled with emojis, I confirmed that it costs about 1.5 million won per square meter.

How big should the factory be? It’s past midnight, and the former company, Taiyang Electric, was about 1,000 square meters. Would that be enough? 1,000 square meters would cost 1.5 billion won. Already 1.5 billion gone.

How much is the land? I tried searching. As soon as I typed in Naju, the automatic suggestions were Naju Innovation City and the Innovation Industrial Complex Support Center.

The Innovation Industrial Complex Support Center. I spent the night reading through the site in detail. There are some grants available. If used well, it could be a sweet deal.

* * *

As soon as it was light, I called the Innovation Industrial Complex Support Center.

"Hello."

A gruff male voice that sounds exactly like a civil servant. I want to hang up.

"Thank you for your hard work. I have a question."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Innovation Industrial Complex? I want to set up a factory there. How do I do it?"

"Excuse me, which company are you from?"

Is he suspecting a prank call?

"I’m preparing to start a transformer company."

"Oh, I see."

His tone changes, and it’s clear he’s a civil servant. I want to hang up.

There are various sweet support measures. He says I should visit if I want to know the details. I called to know the details, but he seems to lack a sales attitude. I should have bought a box of Vit500 and visited his attic myself.

I need to go to Naju and check it out. I should find out how to get there first.

The options to get to Naju were poor. There are only four express buses a day from Seoul, with a 3-hour interval. If you miss the bus, you’ll have to play 10 rounds of StarCraft at a PC room or soak in a sauna until your fingers wrinkle.

Alternatively, you could go to Gwangju and take a bus or taxi from there. Since buses to Gwangju run frequently, it seemed better to take an express bus to Gwangju.

The KTX takes a whopping 3 hours. The express bus takes 3.5 hours, but 3 hours for the KTX? Is this the KTX? It takes 2 hours to get to Busan, so what’s going on? There’s no dedicated KTX line. I heard that the infrastructure in the Honam region is poor, and this is why.

I wanted to take a taxi for 200,000 won and go comfortably. Since I won the lottery twice, shouldn’t I spend that much to contribute to the national economy? But I can’t bring myself to do it. I have 2.8 billion won, but it’s barely enough to build a factory.

I dreamed of making a billion won while earning less than 1.5 million won a month. Now that I have a billion, the scale of my spending is in the billions. It’s easy for someone who has made money from money, but not for a commoner like me.

Should I go alone or try to convince a friend? I need a solid ally when I start the company. A talented but unlucky genius who couldn’t find a job came to mind. Yes, he’ll do.

"Why?"

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"What am I doing? I’ll wake up around 4, cook a bowl of ramen, and do some self-cultivation."

"You game addict. Go outside and breathe some fresh air."

"You’re calling out of the blue and giving me a lecture? Did you miss my voice that much?"

Friends are called this and that, but this guy will be a talent the world hasn’t discovered yet. Be my partner!

"Let’s go to Naju together tomorrow. I’ll treat you to a good meal."

"Which Naju? For ox bone soup? But don’t you have to go to work tomorrow?"

"I quit my job."

"Congratulations. Why are you going to Naju?"

It’s a reason to celebrate. Thanks, friend. But I can predict his reaction when I tell him I’m starting a company. He knows how I’ve lived, so it will be even worse. This too shall pass.

"I want to set up a factory. Let’s work together."

"What are you talking about? Jung-su! What’s wrong with you?"

"Let’s go to Naju together. I want to check out a site for the factory."

"Have you been through a lot? I feel bad for not taking care of you while I was doing self-cultivation."

"Stop talking nonsense. I’m serious!"

"Then why are you talking nonsense!"

"I’m really starting a company. Let’s go to Naju to check out a site for the factory!"

This is how friends talk. We’ve always been rough with each other. I understand because he knows me too well. Still, even if you make tofu from beans, you have to shell them first. I’m serious! In calligraphy style!

"How do you have the money to start a company? You’re not a scammer, and I know how much you earn, so it’s impossible. What happened? Did you get some money?"

"I got a big break. They want me to set up a factory in Naju and run a company."

"What? You got a big break? Tell me the truth. Did you go to a cabaret? Did you win the lottery?"

The conversation is going off track. It’s embarrassing to talk on the phone with a man for so long.

"Let’s talk about that later. Come to the terminal by 9 tomorrow."

"9? I’ve only been up for 2 hours. How can I get there by 9 in the morning?"

"Why is 9 in the morning?"

In the end, I talked for another 5 minutes, and finally, Deok-jun was convinced.