Everyone has their own Weapon
Heading right back to the office, I called for Manager Ma, making him jump out of his seat, “Manager Ma!
“Yes, Team leader!”
“From this moment on, make calls to the manufacturing, distribution, import, warehouse, and the hand carry (package dealers) that you are familiar with. Please prepare more than 10,000 products that can be bought by next Thursday.”
“But why…?”
“Ah, at the same time that the site opens, a 12 hr time event begins. The consumers must spend more than 30,000 won, and the product needs to be something that they are aware of. The products shouldn’t be over a year old or damaged in any way. Oh, and, please set the supply price to below 30%.”
“30%?”
“Why? Is it not possible?”
“Ah… No. it can be done.”
From the way he answered, it seemed to doubt himself.
Turning my head, I gave the same instructions to assistant Kim Kyung-il who was next to Manager Ma, “Assistant Kim heard it right?”
“Yes.”
“The ad time is 12:00, and 12 products will be running. Both of you should bring one product each.”
“Understood.”
Assistant Kim replied with a calm expression as if he believed that he could come up with something.
I placed the diary on the desk and hung my coat on the hanger.
“Mr. Daesung, head down to the freezing warehouse and secure a space for us, and Mr. Woojin, if another team’s list is revealed, organize it and send it by email.”
“How much space should we need in the warehouse?”
“More than 10,000 medium-sized boxes must fit.”
“Yes, I understand.”
He got up and moved right away. Kim Daesung wore the jacket he hung on his chair and walked quickly.
Ha Yeondu, who was still sitting with huge eyes blinking at me, raised her hand, “Team Leader, anything I can do?”
“Huh?”
“Yeondu, please come with me.”
“Sorry?”
“We are going to have a meeting with the manufacturer.”
** *
After one hour, I arrived at a small factory in Pocheon.
I parked my car at an empty parking lot, approached the container office which was on one side, and knocked on the hard iron door.
Knock knock!
“The hygiene status check came out.” A voice from inside, and a laugh.
I thought of listening closely when the door popped open.
“What! Team Leader Won, you surprised me!”
A man in his 40s with curly hair and distracting fat stomach looked at me with shock.
President Ham Jung-sik of Yangji Foods.
He is one of the people who helped me greatly when I was in One Small.
“Did you end up getting involved in some mess?”
“No! No, I wasn’t. You know how I am! I never get involved with dirty people to get work done.”
“I know. I know. How have you been?”
“Everything is the same as ever with me but I was told that you went over to BO Foods as a team leader?”
“Not BO Foods, it’s BO Commerce, the site will open up in 2 weeks.”
“Is that so? What’s the name?”
“Market Fresh.”
“The name seems good? But why did you come over here without a calling me beforehand?”
“But, I don’t see the fried dumplings online these days? Not being sold?”
Yangji Food’s flagship product was their fried dumplings.
It is a product that cannot be sold without huge amounts of stock. They would always sell out within an hour after putting them for sale online and they aren’t delivered to the offline marts at all. In short, Yangji Food’s fried dumplings are the rarest of rare items.
“No, they work so well that I am thinking of expanding the factory. Hahaha!”
I smiled as I sat down near President Ham’s desk and began to touch all his things.
Monitor, ballpoint, diary, notebook, ashtray.
And read all his thoughts.
“Was it because the factory utilization rate is less than 50%?”
“Who said that? Not at all, we are doing great!”
“Eh… You don’t have to hide it.”
“Uh, really?”
“What is going on? I need you to tell me so I can help you. Who would know if you keep things all to yourself?”
“Well, the truth is…”
I listened to Mr. Ham speak for around 30 minutes.
He received a PB (Private Brand) product offer at a large mart and ended up making an unreasonable investment to produce his products. However, the large mart had absurdly reduced the supply price the day before the delivery date and said that the meat and vegetables were rotten.
This was quite common. Innocent manufacturer owners were often deceived by retailers who act as such.
I shook my head as I slowly opened my mouth, “You should have called me when the proposal came in! So, you are unable to use all those ingredients now?”
“The disposal would cost us over 2 thousand products.”
“Those bastards… You let them run you over?”
“It happened 3 months ago… nothing can be done now.”
President Ham tried to pretend to be calm but his eyes were shaking.
“Firstly, run this factory.”
“How?”
“We need 10,000 units for BO. Of course, the price is all upfront.”
“Really?”
“Obviously! I like the fried dumplings of Yangji. If it doesn’t sell, I’ll just buy and eat them all. So don’t worry.”
“Right? Our fried dumplings are the best.”
“Yes! Yangji fried dumplings are top-class!”
Who wouldn’t like to listen to their products being called the best? President Ham laughed at my words.
“Hahaha! Did you see the article published in China some time ago?”
“I did. I saw it. Top 1 most delicious dumplings in Korea. Yangji dumplings! I saw that.”
“You have no idea how much I liked seeing it.”
“Hmm… Hmm. I guess so.”
“Enough of that. Team Leader Won. At what price will you get them?”
“400g per bag for 1,200 won.”
President Ham, who was smiling till a moment ago, went blank.
“Team Leader Won! Are you kidding me? It won’t go at that cost! Why are you speaking as if you don’t know how this works?”
“Ehh…. That is because you are running the factory at 50%. If you do it fully, you can set the rate for 1,000 or even less. I am being fair here.”
“This… Did you decide to dry me up? It won’t! I can’t!”
President Ham stared at me with a boisterous look.
“President! I am Won Jihoon! Won Jihoon!”
“Can I really trust you?”
“Did you ever see me let you down?”
President Ham wrote down something in a book. He tore off the paper and handed it to me with a smile.
“1,350 won. Not a penny less!”
“Okay! The contract will be sent to you by email. You know how to use computers, right?”
After the meeting was done, Ha Yeondu, who had tagged along, thought before asking me, “Ugh… Team Leader.”
“Yes?”
“What was written on that paper that the President of Yangji Food tore and gave you?”
“Why? Curious?”
“Yes… a little…”
“Now that is troublesome… Not seeing it would be good for your mental health.”
“Team leader! Now I really want to see it. I don’t think I can hold back my curiosity any longer.”
It was my first time seeing Ha Yeondu speak in such a loud voice, so I handed her the torn piece of paper which I had placed in my pocket.
I LOVE YOU.
Shocked by the content, Ha Yeondu dropped the paper to the ground and looked at me with a strange expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that? It was a joke. President Ham’s jokes are normally a bit severe.”
“Really?”
Ha Yeondu continued to see me strangely. I hurriedly clasped my hands and said, “I told you! This is why I told you to not see it. Ugh… You really are…”
** *
6 PM.
My car came to rest finally as I was done with work. I parked the car at the public market parking spot and entered the market.
“Yeondu, you can head home first. It’s time to leave anyway.”
“No.”
“You can go. You don’t have to stay till the end.”
“I want to learn everything.”
“Do you like soup?”
“Sorry?”
“Soup with meat?”
“Yes. I like it.”
After a 10 minute walk, I opened the door to a shabby soup restaurant that was in the middle of the public market.
And…
“Mom, give me food!”
An elderly lady, more like a grandma with a crooked waist, walked out, “Wh… why am I your mom?”
“If you are giving me food, then you are my mom. You hate it when I call you grandmother! Give us two soup and rice.”
The crooked grandma went into the kitchen then soon served us two large bowls of soup and cabbage kimchi on a plate.
“Leave after eating.”
The menu of the restaurant was simple. Rice, ramen noodles with soup, and chopped small pieces of meat making it easier for kids and the elderly to eat.
At one time, it was a place where people would stand in line to eat. As the business flourished, grandma’s health began to deteriorate and doors to the restaurant couldn’t be opened. Without missing a single day, I would always pass by the closed restaurant.
Using the path would take more than 30 minutes but I still had to since the restaurant was like the home that was always open for me.
It has been six months.
I made a proposal to my grandmother who opened the store once again.
Kimchi.
A suggestion to sell cabbage kimchi, Kim Ok-soon kimchi, which would make the soup taste best.
I ate the soup and tried to eat the kimchi with chopsticks.
Grandma, who was looking at me, seemed frustrated as she approached me and tore the kimchi with her hands for me.
“You lazy brat. This is how you eat kimchi, by tearing it with your hands.”
I put the piece of kimchi she tore for me into my mouth and raised my thumb, “Mom’s kimchi is the best.”
Once I was done eating, “Mom, I will do the dishes!”
“Just pay the money and go! You can go, I will do them later…”
“Your back hurts! Just take a break.”
“Huh?”
I forced her to sit down and entered the kitchen. I folded my shirt and began to wash the dishes when Ha Yeondu jumped into the kitchen.
“I will do it.”
“No. Be my grandma’s companion.”
There was one reason I wanted to wash the dishes. To read the memories from the kitchen utensils that she frequently used.
<I am supposed to go to college.>
<Jeongsu is coming and I am sick again.>
<This lazy brat is such a kid.>
After washing the dishes, I wipe my hands with a towel, “Mom, it’s time for your grandchildren to enter college, right?”
“Why are you asking?”
“Is there no trouble with your son? Not me, the other one.”
“Where is this coming from?”
“Uhh… I just want to know. Shall we sell some kimchi again? I even thought of a name for it.”
“You can go ahead. Since my back hurts, I can’t do those things anymore.”
“Ahh, you should just manage. Sit down and instruct the aunts to this and that.”
The memories I hear from objects are accurate.
My grandma is in desperate need of money, so she won’t be able to turn down my offer.
“How much do you need?” Asked my grandma carefully.
Holding onto her hands, with a bright smile I answered, “How about a thousand or more?”
“You’re crazy!”
“Sorry… Is that a lot? Organize and send the ingredients as before. Then this pretty girl will prepare everything.”
I smiled brightly pointing to Ha Yeondu, who was next to her.
“I… Me?”
“Who else is as pretty as Yeondu in here?”
I couldn’t hold back the smile.
“Next week. Monday”
“This is really… what are you up to?”
“I am asking you earnestly. Huh? I used the wrapping paper and will print it on. If mom refuses to do this, my company will fire me!”
“Ugh… Such a mess. You need this grandmother to live, you lazy brat.”
Once I got her permission, I left the restaurant with a free mind. Walking next to me, Ha Yeondu asked me. “How do you know her…?”
“Miss Yeondu, You know Kim Ok-soon Kimchi?”
“Yes! I know! Even our house buys that kimchi!”
“That grandma is Mrs. Kim Ok-soon.”
“Really?”
“True. She is a master in it. A master in kimchi. Miss. Yeondu will stop by here tomorrow and pick up all the ingredients that she will write down.”
“Okay. Team leader… Manager Ma and assistant Kim must be doing their task well, right?”
“Why are you so worried?”
“Ugh…”
“Miss Yeondo, all MDs have their own weapons. And when in hurry, everyone takes out their best weapon. Don’t worry about it. Both of them will bring us good news by tomorrow.”
She looked at my face with a strange expression. It could be some kind of illusion but I felt faith in her eyes that were looking at me. Just like Lee Eunji, who worked at One Small for two months…
Maybe a feeling of virtue? I was sure.
Manager Ma and Assistant Kim, who have been at it for more hours will bring out their best weapons.