Chapter 5

Capitalism's Hyenas - Chapter 5 (5/215)

'Waste disposal fee? I mean, for items like these, I just need to deliver them, right? For this, I should at least get 1000 won per kg, right??'

I was surprised but didn't show it, fiddling with the aluminum rod while thinking.

And I could tell how much of a scoundrel the only scrap dealer in this industrial complex had been.

Even though he could make a lot of money by buying and selling, he even charged a disposal fee.

I was conflicted.

Should I also talk about the disposal fee and take it, or should I pretend to do a favor and take it for free?

"…Let me take a sample first for analysis. I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

"Sure. Is this enough?"

Manager Han picked up a few short aluminum rods and we said our goodbyes before leaving the company.

"Waste disposal fee… waste disposal fee… What a scoundrel. He's been taking advantage of people not knowing for so long? I need to get even. Hmm… There's a code of conduct. Should I go and talk to him? If we collude, it will be good for both of us."

The thought of making a profit while charging a waste disposal fee made me laugh.

If this continues, I could really become rich.

"Indeed, I made the right choice."

I started visiting the next companies.

Mostly, there was a lot of waste, but in companies with a lot of aluminum, copper, or scrap iron, the waste disposal fee was always mentioned.

I only said I would take samples but brought a little each time. Some required work, and some were in poor condition, which would lower the price, but they didn't deserve a waste disposal fee.

As the day came to an end, I loaded the waste from the last company and left the industrial complex. A truck approached and honked.

Looking over, I saw a truck with "Changjo Resources" on it pull up next to mine.

The window rolled down, and a grandfather, who looked well over 60, leaned out and smiled.

"So, I heard a new scrap dealer opened in Ansan Industrial Complex. Is that you?"

I felt my mood drop. When did we meet to use such informal language?

"Nice to meet you. I'm Cha Seung-ho from Changjo Resources. It's nice to meet another scrap dealer. How about a drink? I'll buy."

I followed the Changjo Resources truck to the outskirts of the industrial complex. There, a scrap yard with "Changjo Resources" in large letters was visible.

The fence was a concrete wall, and the office was a small but proper concrete building.

"It looks like the land is almost 400 pyeong?"

The scale was incomparable to my own hard-earned scrap yard.

I saw two 1-ton trucks and a forklift with a grabber.

'With that grabber, it must be really convenient to pick up and lift the scrap.'

"Come on, let's go to the office for a drink. I've got it chilled in the fridge."

As I was about to enter the office, I noticed a Mercedes parked next to it.

Our CEO's New Grandeur was impressive, but a Mercedes? He must have made a lot of money!

Sitting in the office, the scrap yard owner brought soju and snacks, pouring soju into paper cups while talking.

"I was curious about the new scrap dealer, and I didn't expect such a young person. I've never seen someone so young in the scrap business. How old are you?"

"I'm 24 this year."

"You must have been in the military. Anyway, it's nice to meet you. Let me introduce myself again. I'm Cha Seung-ho from Changjo Resources, so you can call me Cha Manager."

"I'm Park Sol from Cheonhaja Resources."

"Right, Park Manager. Let's have a drink."

We took a shot each, and Cha Manager started talking, but it was mostly irrelevant.

He talked about how hard his life had been, how much he had struggled to get to this position, the current market conditions, and so on. After a while, he started to get to the point.

"So, how was your collection here?"

"There's a lot to do. They all said to come and take it."

Cha Manager clapped his hands.

"That's right. Ansan Industrial Complex is large, but there's only one scrap dealer, so it's been hard to handle. Now that Park Manager has started, it will be a relief. Just collecting the waste here regularly can make a decent amount of money, right?"

I nodded, drinking the soju.

"That's true. There are so many factories."

Cha Manager looked at me intently.

"So, since it's just the two of us, why compete? If we divide the areas, there won't be any conflict, and it will be much better. We small business owners suffer when competition reduces our margins, right? A young guy like you should get something out of investing in a scrap yard. I know from experience."

He patted my shoulder.

"If we stick to our designated areas, there will be fewer conflicts, and it will be better. What do you think?"

"There's no problem. I'm new, so I appreciate your guidance."

Cha Manager smiled widely.

"You understand, right? In this business, having a large volume is key. Even with the same waste, selling 10 tons is better than selling 1 ton."

"I understand."

"So, how about you specialize in waste paper?"

"Excuse me?"

What kind of nonsense is this?

"Since we can't cover the entire complex with just our scrap yards, how about we each specialize in one type of waste? You can collect waste paper and deliver it to the paper factory. It's easier to trade and calculate. Handling multiple types of waste is just more work."

He's a real scoundrel.

"High-value items like scrap iron and aluminum require more work and labor. As a new scrap dealer, you might even lose money by taking them. Waste paper is easy to collect and sell, so you won't lose money."

He treated me like a complete novice. I wasn't angry, but I was speechless.

After a week in the scrap business, you'd know this is nonsense. Does he really think this will convince me?

"Here's a tip. Before selling waste paper, sprinkle water and then salt. The weight will increase when they measure it. So…"

I cut him off, tired of his nonsense.

"Thank you for your consideration. So, you want me to specialize in waste paper, and you will handle scrap iron, aluminum, and non-ferrous metals?"

"Exactly. You're a smart young guy. In exchange, I have a list of where and how much waste paper is available. I'll give it to you. It will save you a lot of effort. What do you think?"

"Let me see the list first. I'll think about it."

Cha Manager immediately pulled out a list showing how much waste paper each factory produced weekly and explained it.

He started explaining how much to collect from each factory and how much to earn weekly.

The next day, I headed to Ansan Industrial Complex early in the morning.

"You really think I'm a fool. It's amusing. This list will be useful. I need to show this scoundrel what justice is."

He must have been used to monopolizing without competition. I drove, chuckling to myself.

I went to Samhwa Metal, where I had taken samples yesterday. In the office, I said to Manager Han,

"Manager Han, I have the estimate."

"Is that so? What's the estimate?"

"400 won per kg. A truck can hold about 500 kg, so it would be around 150,000 won."

Manager Han looked displeased.

"That's expensive. The previous company charged 100,000 won per truck."

I acted like I didn't know.

"Really? Then my estimate is better, right?"

"What? 100,000 won is cheaper than 150,000 won, isn't it?"

"If I give you 150,000 won, isn't that more than 100,000 won?"

Manager Han hesitated, not understanding.

"What do you mean by giving 150,000 won?"

"Exactly what I said. I'll buy a truck of this quality for 150,000 won."

"Buy it for 150,000 won?"

"Of course. I offer the best price."

Manager Han was flustered, unsure if this was a scam.

"The previous company charged 100,000 won for disposal…"

I feigned surprise.

"Really? They took it for free and even charged a disposal fee? What a scoundrel. They must have been monopolizing for a long time. It's too much."

Manager Han's face turned red with anger. He felt cheated, especially by a scrap dealer.

I watched calmly as a middle-aged man entered the office, and Manager Han stood up.

"Welcome. Mr. CEO."

"Hey, Manager Han. Who is this?"

I explained the situation, and the CEO's eyes narrowed.

After a moment, he said to me,

"Mr. CEO of Cheonhaja Resources?"

"Yes, I'm Park Sol."

"Is your estimate genuine? You won't suddenly lower the price?"

"Absolutely not. Try trading with me."

The CEO nodded.

"Manager Han, from now on, deal with this CEO. It's just a few thousand won; it doesn't matter. He's been ripping us off. It's embarrassing."

I started with Samhwa Metal, visiting all the places where I had taken samples yesterday, giving estimates and explaining how much of a scoundrel Changjo Resources was.

I couldn't visit hundreds of companies at once. I focused on those with "metal" in their names, quickly giving estimates.

It took three days for the news to spread, and it took four days for Cha Manager to find me.

"…You, you little…"

"Hello, Cha Manager."

Cha Manager trembled.

"I clearly suggested we divide the work and you specialize in waste paper…"

"I never agreed."

"You little… You're stabbing me in the back?"

"What? I just gave estimates when asked."

Cha Manager shouted.

"What do you know about giving estimates! I've been in this business for five years. I know the items in these companies better than the number of chopsticks in my house! I don't know what price you gave, but if it's lower than what I get, you'll definitely lose money! You're disrupting the market. You'll end up losing money and bleeding. Stop your nonsense and go to the companies and tell them you made a mistake and can't do it at that price!"

I smiled.

"No."

"You little… I have a son older than you!"

"I'm not your son. Tsk tsk tsk. You should have been nicer. I'm leaving. Let's avoid seeing each other."

I laughed and left, leaving the trembling Cha Manager behind, heading back to my scrap yard.