Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Chapter 305: Joint Venture (1) – Part 2

The three workers were standing at the Busan port the next day. They verified two machines and 50 tons of raw materials which Dyeon America shipped from Seattle in the U.S. When they received the machines and the raw materials which pass muster at customs, Mr. Adam Castler received a call from Dyeon America. The call was about three of Dyeon America’s engineers who were coming to join Dyeon Korea for a period of three months. Director Dong-Chan Kim made a call to Gun-Ho.

“Sir, it’s Director Kim.”

“Oh, yes. How are things going there?”

“We received the machines and raw materials without any problem. We are trying to load the truck with them. The machines are too long to be loaded to a truck, so Director Park is dismantling the machines right now.”

“Oh, really?”

“And, Mr. Adam Castler just received a call from Seattle. They sent their three engineers to Korea and the engineers will arrive at Incheon International Airport tomorrow morning. They are asking if we can send someone to pick them up at the airport.”

“I will ask Director Kang in Seoul to pick them up.”

“Thank you, sir. We will be heading to Asan City as soon as we load things here.”

Gun-Ho asked for the general affairs assistant manager who was just promoted to that position,

“We will have three engineers from Dyeon America tomorrow. They will arrive at the Incheon International Airport. Since they will arrive here in Asan City tomorrow afternoon, please make a room reservation at a hotel for them, and once Director Kim comes back from Busan, discuss with him about the American engineers’ OneRooms where they will stay for three months.”

“Yes, sir.”

Gun-Ho then called GH Development to talk to Director Kang.

“Director Kang?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Three of Dyeon’s engineers will arrive at Incheon International Airport tomorrow from the U.S.”

“Oh, I see. I can pick them at the airport just like I did last time.”

“Please take Secretary Yeon-Soo Oh with you. Let me see... Your car is probably too small to accommodate five people; especially the American engineers must have large body frames. Why don’t you call a car rental company and ask if they have a van like Starex?”

“Okay, sir.”

“You know how to drive a van, right?”

“Of course, sir. I can handle a van.”

“Well, then get a van before you leave to pick them up.”

“Yes, sir.”

GH Media sent the third and fourth books of the cartoon series of world history to Gun-Ho.

“Well, once I receive all of their thirty books, my bookshelf here will be filled with cartoon books. Hmm. I’m not sure if I want to display cartoon books in my office since this is the president’s office. Maybe I’d better send them to someone once I finish reading them. Who would be a good person to send them to? Oh, yeah. I can send the cartoon books to Jeong-Ah to Incheon City.”

Jae-Sik Moon crossed his mind while Gun-Ho was reading the cartoon, and he gave him a call.

“Jae-Sik? I received the third and fourth books of the cartoon. Are they selling well?”

“Yes, they are doing very well. We are already selling the third edition of the first and second books. And we sell more than 100 books per day for the third and fourth ones.”

“I guess you can make enough living with it.”

“The Japanese book, ‘the person who wakes up in the morning’ is doing very well too. We sell at least 200 of them per day. You know, Korean people are sensitive to trends. I guess that book is trendy now.”

“200 books per day? Let me think. Assuming the book costs 10,000 won, then the book brings 2 million won per day. It’s 60 million won per month. Well, since GH Media has only five workers, I guess you can’t just have meals with it but you can also get some drinks with it.”

“Not really. You need to take account of the necessary expenses. We are paying fees to the large bookstores like Kyobo Book Center and Youngpoong Bookstore. Also, we are paying to the author, and we are bearing the shipping costs. So nothing much left for us in the end. But according to President Shin, if we maintain the current level for one year, we would be able to get your investment fund back to you.”

“Hey, Min-Hyeok’s wedding is this Saturday. Maybe we can get together after his wedding for another round of drink or something.”

“Why not? I’m sure everyone will join us, especially, we will be in Incheon, our hometown.”

“You said, you are seeing your ex-wife, right?”

“Yes. She actually moved into my home already.”

“Really? Congratulations. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, it’s not something I’m proud of.”

“Why don’t you have a wedding too? Min-Hyeok is having his second wedding. You can have your first wedding now.”

“Nah. It’s okay. We can just live together as we have before.”

“Do you talk with your parents sometimes?”

“It has been a while actually. I think I will need to go see them.”

“Do you know where they are living?”

“Yes, I do.”

“They will be happy to see you, man. I understand you should have your own reasons why you haven’t seen your parents, but they are your parents.”

“I know.”

“Okay then. I will see you at Min-Hyeok’s wedding.”

Gun-Ho talked with President Jang-Hwan Song about Director Yoon who had been in charge of the construction of Dyeon Korea.

“I think we’d better give a permanent position to Director Yoon with Dyeon Korea.”

“Director Yoon?”

“Yes.”

“Actually I was thinking that we have way too many executives here in GH Mobile. We had construction work going on, so we needed them. But, with our current sales revenue, I think we can afford to have only five executives in GH Mobile.”

“If we send Director Yoon to Dyeon Korea, we still have six executives with GH Mobile.”

“The average annual salary for our executives is 150 million won. So if we let one person go, we can save 150 million won per year, assuming we are maintaining the same level of our sales revenue. I’m saying we can reduce our debt by 150 million won. I know I am the last executive who joined GH Mobile. If our sales revenue didn’t increase, I would have had to be the one who gets laid off first.”

“Haha. I can’t let you go, President Song.”

“You shouldn’t involve your emotion in the business. You need to see the person’s work performance.”

“Haha. I see your point.”

“This company is generating more and more revenue and in the process of reducing debts. After three years, we can possibly go public too. However, you shouldn’t expect to make money with Dyeon Korea in its first year.”

“Hmmm.”

“But you will have your fun with Dyeon Korea. While GH Mobile is slowly but gradually increasing its sales revenue, Dyeon Korea can increase the sale revenue dramatically. There is a distinctive difference between a company that is manufacturing products and the company that is producing raw materials.”

“Are you saying that if we are lucky enough, maybe we will make money even in our first year?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm. I see. Well, I will relocate Director Yoon to Dyeon Korea for now.”

“Sounds good. Oh, I will have to get off from work early today.”

“Are you going to Seoul?”

“The new minister who is just appointed is my friend. I have a party with my friends to congratulate him.”

“Oh, the minister who used to work as a congressman?”

“Yes. When we were in college at Korea University, we used to do protest together.”

“You probably want to keep a close relationship with him. It seems that he will gain a lot of political power in our current administration.”

“With all due respect, I beg to differ. I believe that a businessman shouldn’t have a close or distant relationship with politicians and high-ranking government officials. I will keep an adequate and proper distance from them.”

“Hmm. I will keep that in mind.”

“Thank you.”

President Jang-Hwang Song gave a bow to Gun-Ho respectfully and left the office.