WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Potter
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Regressed Assistant Manager Kim Can Read Minds ◈
Chapter 15
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“I think we can sell the remaining 9 tons.”
Park Soyeon, who had looked ready to cry, raised her head.
Everyone on the team turned toward me.
Oh Sangcheol’s face had been bright red just moments earlier. Now his eyes widened as if he’d seen his savior.
“What? Really? Do you know a buyer?”
I hadn’t found a company willing to buy it yet.
But I knew where to start knocking.
Showing them would be faster than a hundred explanations.
I went straight to my desk and typed a name into the search bar.
[CROCS]
Pictures of colorful shoes appeared in the search results.
They had round toes full of holes and thick soles.
Oh Sangcheol stared at the screen for a while.
“Crocs? What are those? Toys?”
“They’re shoes that have become popular overseas recently.”
“Those?”
The others reacted much the same way.
“They look like bathroom slippers with holes.”
“They’d be good for rainy days.”
“Never mind that. You said we might be able to sell the resin?”
I nodded.
Crocs was growing so quickly that it had even been listed on NASDAQ in the United States.
Around this time, people who bought the shoes abroad and students studying overseas were slowly making the brand known in Korea.
It was also one of the stocks in my overseas investment account.
“There should be factories in Korea preparing similar foam sandals. They’ll need EVA resin.”
“So we find those factories and split the stock between them.”
“Yes. We don’t have to sell all 9 tons to one company.”
[Damn it. I wondered what this was about. If it were that easy, Manager Han would’ve sold it already.]
[There are only four days until the shipment arrives. When are we supposed to sell 9 tons?]
Negative thoughts came from all around me.
But not everyone felt that way.
“I’ll start by making a list of shoe factories.”
Kang Minho was the first to find something to do.
Oh Sangcheol looked back and forth between the Crocs on the screen and the document with “9 tons” written on it.
“So those toys are selling that well?”
“They’re shoes, not toys.”
“Whatever they are. Even if we can’t sell all 9 tons, let’s get rid of as much as we can.”
“Assistant Manager Kim, what should I do?”
Park Soyeon wiped her red eyes and looked at me.
“This was my mistake. I’ll do whatever you need.”
“Assistant Manager Park, check with our existing clients first.”
“Yes. I’ll call them right now.”
Oh Sangcheol slapped a hand on a desk.
“Good. From now on, we’re in emergency mode. Nobody should expect to leave on time today!”
“What? But I have plans tonight...”
[Assistant Manager Park made the mistake. Why do I have to suffer too?]
Choi Yeongjin grumbled inwardly, but fell silent when Oh Sangcheol glared.
“Aren’t we Team 2? People might call us idiots normally, but when someone on the team makes a mistake, we have to cover for them together. You think you can just walk away?”
“...I’m sorry.”
[Damn it. Does he think we don’t know he’s making a fuss because he’s afraid he’ll be held responsible?]
Soon, people were picking up phones all around the office.
Manager Han Gyeongsu checked with existing clients, while Choi Yeongjin and Im Jaeho selected factories in the Seoul metropolitan area that they could visit in person.
I narrowed those down to the most promising companies and worked out our prices and contract terms.
“What should we do about the price? Offer the lowest possible price with no margin?”
I shook my head at Oh Sangcheol’s question.
“There’s no need to start at rock bottom. Let’s offer an introductory price for new clients. We’ll start at 5% below our current price and go no lower than a 10% discount.”
“But there are only four days until the shipment arrives.”
“That doesn’t mean we have to sell at a loss. If this works, it’ll count toward our sales results too.”
Manager Han Gyeongsu checked the price list and nodded.
“That’s right. If we show them we’re desperate from the start, they’ll only push the price down further.”
“Fine. Keep the discount within 10%. All right, everyone, start calling!”
Oh Sangcheol looked around for a moment, then sat at his own desk.
“Give me a list of companies too.”
All of Team 2 started making calls at once.
The resin wasn’t the right hardness for the first company. The next had no production plans in the first place.
The answers that followed were much the same. Even the companies that showed interest only asked for a price list. None placed an order.
An hour later, red lines covered more and more of the list.
Han Gyeongsu, who was dialing numbers beside me, finally sighed.
“This isn’t going to work.”
The spreadsheet Kang Minho had put together was packed with shoe companies from all over the country.
If we kept calling them one by one, we wouldn’t get through even half before the shipment arrived.
“Minho, narrow the list down to places with foaming equipment that mold their own soles or finished shoes. Mark any that are preparing new products or running short of raw materials.”
“Yes. I’ll go through it again.”
A little later, I was scanning the revised list when a familiar name caught my eye.
[Bugyeong Footwear.]
It was a large OEM manufacturer that made shoes for foreign brands.
A few years later, it would release foam sandals as the first product under its own name.
“Minho, send this company the material specifications and the quantity we can supply first. Check whether they’re preparing any new products too.”
“Yes. I’ll send them right away.”
Once we narrowed down the companies, the responses changed.
One or two began asking about prices and material properties. Among the calls, Park Soyeon’s went on particularly long.
-“EVA resin? We do happen to need some. Could we start with just 100 kilograms for a trial run?”
It was a small shoe factory preparing sandals for water activities.
They said they planned to make lightweight foam sandals like Crocs.
“Of course. We’ll send it first thing tomorrow morning.”
-“What’s the price?”
“We can offer it at 5% below our current selling price. If the material works for you, we can discuss your next order on the same terms.”
For a moment, I heard the tapping of a calculator.
-“All right. I’ll send a purchase order.”
The fax machine rang as soon as she hung up.
Park Soyeon pulled out the paper and checked the quantity first.
“We got it. A trial order for 100 kilograms!”
“Good. Our first order!”
Oh Sangcheol wrote the numbers in large figures on the whiteboard.
[Sold: 0.1 tons.]
[Remaining: 8.9 tons.]
The first order was on the board.
The amount was barely enough to make a dent, but what mattered was knowing we could sell it.
With the phone wedged between his shoulder and ear, Oh Sangcheol waved a hand.
“Come on, don’t stop! Keep selling! This is when we turn a crisis into an opportunity! And what does opportunity mean?”
“...Sales results?”
“Assistant Manager Choi! If you know that, get on the phone!”
* * *
The lights in Team 2’s office stayed on late into the night.
Every time a small order came in, Oh Sangcheol changed the numbers on the whiteboard and led the applause. Employees from other teams glanced inside as they passed, wondering what was happening.
“You must all be tired. Please have something to eat and drink while you work.”
While Park Soyeon handed out drinks and gimbap, I loosened my tie and reviewed the sixty or so companies we had contacted that day.
We had sold 1.75 tons. We decided to visit the larger companies in person.
‘Not bad.’
Early the next morning, I arrived at work as usual, but bright light was already spilling out of the office.
When I opened the door, Park Soyeon was sorting documents alone.
“Good morning, Assistant Manager Kim.”
“You’re here early.”
“Everyone’s working so hard because of me, I couldn’t sleep. But what about you? It’s only six.”
“I always come in at this time.”
Park Soyeon’s gaze moved to the drink in my hand.
“Is that perhaps for me...?”
[...That’s so touching.]
Sorry, but the drink wasn’t for Park Soyeon.
“This is for Ms. Park.”
“Ms. Park?”
I handed the drink to the older woman who was leaving after finishing the cleaning.
Park Sunja gave me two boiled eggs in return.
“Another employee’s here with you today.”
“...Hello.”
“Team 2 works the hardest. Keep it up.”
Park Sunja started to leave, then stopped and turned to me.
“Oh, Assistant Manager Kim. No, Manager Kim. Congratulations on your promotion.”
I still had an exam left, but I didn’t bother mentioning it.
Park Soyeon watched us with a puzzled look.
[Assistant Manager Kim’s friendly with the cleaning lady too. That’s unusual.]
But Park Soyeon wasn’t the only one who had hurried to work.
Han Gyeongsu and Kang Minho arrived together, an hour earlier than usual.
And, surprisingly, so did Oh Sangcheol.
He came in chewing gimbap, his face heavy with fatigue.
“Department Manager Oh?”
“What?”
“No, I mean, why are you here so early...?”
“Oh, this? Thanks to Assistant Manager Park. How could I sleep with a mountain of work waiting?”
There was a playful note beneath his gruff tone.
“Don’t worry about it. My wife and kids are overseas, so there’s nothing for me to do at home alone. That’s why I came in. Anyway, why are you all so hardworking?”
“We have to come in early if we’re going to do this on top of our regular work.”
“Let’s just do what we always do. Same as usual.”
I gave a small smile.
That was exactly what I wanted to say.
Of all of us, Oh Sangcheol was the one acting the least like his usual self.
“Let’s give it our best today too!”
Team 2 was busy calling down the company list from early that morning.
Manager Han Gyeongsu and Choi Yeongjin visited factories in person.
Kang Minho sent materials ahead to the companies they would visit.
Choi Yeongjin returned as the sun was going down and tossed a crumpled company brochure onto the desk.
After a two-hour round trip, all Choi had managed was to leave a sample.
“They’re all worried about upsetting their existing suppliers.”
“It’d be a lot to ask them to move their existing orders to us right away.”
I checked the company’s monthly production volume in the brochure.
A note caught my eye: their delivery dates were pushed back whenever they ran short of raw materials.
“Then let’s ask them to register us as a backup supplier they can use when they run short.”
“A backup supplier?”
We didn’t have to push out their current suppliers right away.
Even small orders would reduce our stock. Once we established a business relationship, those orders might grow later.
Before even sitting down, Choi Yeongjin picked up the phone again.
“Jaeho, give me that factory manager’s number from earlier.”
About ten minutes later, Choi Yeongjin covered the receiver and held up five fingers.
An order for 50 kilograms of backup stock.
Even small amounts like that could add up to a fair quantity.
Manager Han Gyeongsu was turned down by two factories but still visited a third and secured a trial order for slippers for water activities.
“They’ll take 500 kilograms to start.”
“Oh, that’s our Manager Han!”
Park Soyeon, who had been making calls all day, was learning the ropes too.
She no longer started by explaining the product.
First, she asked whether they were making new products and had foaming equipment. She only sent price lists to companies that met the conditions.
“Assistant Manager Kim.”
Park Soyeon put down the receiver and called to me tentatively.
“I got an order for 300 kilograms too.”
“Is it confirmed?”
“Yes. They said they’d send a purchase order.”
When the fax arrived a little later, she checked the order against the original inquiry.
Only after reading the quantity twice did she add 300 kilograms to the whiteboard.
The calls and factory visits continued the next day.
More companies turned us down than placed orders, even after receiving samples, but the purchase orders piled up one sheet at a time.
With small orders from other companies added in, our sales reached 3 tons.
[Sold: 3 tons.]
[Remaining: 6 tons.]
Once sales passed 3 tons, employees from other teams began slowing down outside Team 2’s office.
[Would those 3 tons count as new sales? Where did they find that much business?]
Manager Shin Jaeuk actually stopped in front of the whiteboard.
After checking the amount sold and the amount remaining, Shin called to Im Jaeho, who was closest.
“Im.”
“Yes?”
“I hear Team 2’s been doing nothing but working on EVA resin for days. Is there some kind of problem?”
“Well... It’s nothing, really.”
“What do you mean, nothing? You don’t want to tell me?”
“Manager Shin! Are you trying to poach even our junior employees now?”
Shin Jaeuk flinched at Department Manager Oh’s shout.
After one more unnecessary look at the numbers on the whiteboard, Shin left.
That afternoon, the company that had bought the first 100 kilograms placed another order.
-“The trial production went well. Could we get another ton?”
“You heard that? Another ton!”
Oh Sangcheol tapped the whiteboard.
“If we sell it all, it’s not a mistake. It’s new sales! Just hang in there a little longer!”
Starting with that first company’s repeat order, other companies began asking about supplies for the following month.
When sales reached 4 tons, only the final figure remained on the whiteboard.
[Remaining: 5 tons.]
We had sold nearly half, but things weren’t looking good.
We had already called most of the companies.
Some were demanding a 15% discount.
“Wouldn’t it be better to give them 15% and get rid of the stock? Think of it as saving storage costs.”
“Then the companies that already bought from us will ask us to match that price.”
Oh Sangcheol closed his mouth.
[Damn it. Word does travel fast in this business.]
If we let the price collapse now, even the new business we had already secured could be at risk.
Just then, Kang Minho approached my desk with a fax.
“Assistant Manager Kim, we’ve had a meeting request from Busan.”
It was the first company we had sent materials to.
[Bugyeong Footwear.]
[Expected EVA resin purchase quantity: 5 tons.]
“Five tons?”
Oh Sangcheol had somehow squeezed in between us.
His voice rose when he checked the quantity on the fax.
“If we land this, we’re done.”
“It’s only a meeting request so far.”
“Still, someone wants 5 tons. Manager Han!”
Oh Sangcheol waved the fax at Han Gyeongsu.
“Go down to Busan tomorrow. Take Assistant Manager Kim with you.”
The next morning, I boarded a KTX train to Busan with Han Gyeongsu.
Unexpectedly, Oh Sangcheol came along on the business trip too.
“It’s a 5-ton deal. It wouldn’t look right if the team leader didn’t show up.”
Bugyeong Footwear was on a completely different scale from the shoe factories we had visited so far.
Several production lines were running at once across the spacious factory floor.
On one side, boxes bearing foreign brand logos were stacked almost to the ceiling.
Samples of foam sandals without brand labels sat on the meeting room table.
With their round toes and thick soles, they looked like Crocs.
Purchasing Director Choi Byeongseok bent a sample with both hands, then let go.
The sole slowly returned to its original shape.
“The quality seems good.”
“It exceeds all the specifications you requested. We can deliver as soon as it clears customs too.”
Choi Byeongseok examined the documents carefully, then leaned back in the chair.
“But the price is a problem. I’ve had quotes from other companies that were 10% lower than this.”
“Anyone can put a low number on a quote. We can guarantee both the quantity and the delivery date.”
I focused on Choi Byeongseok’s thoughts as I asked a question.
“When will your own brand enter full production?”
“Nothing’s been decided yet.”
[We’ve already scheduled the mold work for next month, so the more raw material we have, the better.]
Choi Byeongseok tapped the table, pretending to think it over.
“I understand that Taeseong Trading can guarantee the supply. But this is our first deal. You should give us about 15% off.”
[Seven percent would be enough. Every little bit I shave off will improve my own results.]
“We can offer 7% off for 5 tons.”
“Make it 10%, and we’ll sign right now.”
I paused for a moment.
“If you only take 2 tons, the discount is 5%. The 7% offer is conditional on buying all 5 tons.”
Under the table, Oh Sangcheol’s knee twitched.
[Isn’t Assistant Manager Kim pushing too hard? We’d still make a profit at 10%. We could get rid of all 5 tons at once.]
I let Oh Sangcheol’s thoughts pass and continued my tug-of-war with Choi Byeongseok.
“Five tons is a lot for a first order. Let’s try 2 tons first and decide after that.”
[They look desperate, so let’s start by offering to take 2 tons. If they’re really in a hurry, they’ll lower the price themselves.]
“Understood. Then let’s sign for 2 tons at a 5% discount.”
“What?”
Choi Byeongseok belatedly put a hand on the table.
“No, wait. I didn’t mean we couldn’t take 5 tons.”
“We’re continuing to sell this stock to other companies. We can reserve 5 tons for you today, but I can’t guarantee we’ll still be able to tomorrow.”
As I moved to get up, Manager Han Gyeongsu quietly closed the briefcase too.
“Assistant Manager Kim, tell the next company we can supply 3 tons.”
“Yes. I’ll check with them on our way back to Seoul.”
When it became clear that we were really leaving, the relaxed look disappeared from Choi Byeongseok’s face.
“Who said we weren’t buying?”
Choi Byeongseok hurried to stop us.
Only then did I sit back down.
“Then let’s make it the full 5 tons.”
“But let’s agree on 8%. Surely you can do that much so we can both feel good about this deal?”
“Seven percent is our final offer. We’ll give your entire order priority allocation as soon as the shipment arrives, and guarantee the same specifications as the sample.”
Choi Byeongseok looked at me in silence.
[Won’t back down to the very end. An assistant manager, they said? This one’s no ordinary employee.]
That was enough of the stick.
Now it was time for the carrot. I added one more term.
“But once your own brand enters full production, let’s negotiate again for your next order.”
“Are you adding another condition?”
“If all we wanted was to sell 5 tons and walk away, our department manager wouldn’t have come all the way to Busan.”
Choi Byeongseok let out a short, dry laugh.
“You’re a sharp one, Assistant Manager Kim.”
“I’m in sales.”
After looking at me for a moment, Choi Byeongseok pulled the purchase commitment form closer.
“All right. Five tons at 7% off. We’ll discuss the next order with Taeseong Trading first too.”
Choi Byeongseok wrote down the quantity and unit price, then signed.
[Confirmed order quantity: 5 tons.]
[Supply price discount: 7%.]
Finally, the company seal was stamped on the document.
Choi Byeongseok stood and held out a hand.
“I look forward to working with you.”
“So do we.”
After shaking hands, I collected the purchase commitment.
We hadn’t just cleared the remaining stock.
As Bugyeong Footwear grew its own brand, its future EVA resin orders would remain Team 2’s business.
Once we left the factory, Oh Sangcheol released a long breath he had been holding.
“Whew. Assistant Manager Kim.”
“Yes?”
“Were you really going to sell just 2 tons and walk out?”
“Oh, of course not. I knew they’d stop us.”
“Really? Manager Han, did you know that too? Is that why you played along?”
Han Gyeongsu shook their head.
“No. I just trusted Assistant Manager Kim to handle it and went along.”
Oh Sangcheol looked from one of us to the other.
“So you did all that without even planning it together?”
“Yes.”
“Good grief. You two are really strange.”
Oh Sangcheol was the only one who didn’t know that he was the strangest of the three of us.
He opened the purchase commitment again.
When he checked the figure of 5 tons, the corners of his mouth crept up once more.
[Getting back out there and selling after all this time really does get the blood pumping.]
“Have I ever told you about when I was an assistant manager? I used to travel all over the country selling with the person who’s now Executive Director No...”
Once Oh Sangcheol started telling his old sales war stories, he didn’t stop until we reached Seoul Station.
When we returned to the company, the rest of Team 2 had stayed to wait for us instead of going home.
Park Soyeon was the first to approach and check the purchase commitment we had brought back.
“Is it really 5 tons?”
“Yes. It’s all confirmed.”
Oh Sangcheol handed Park Soyeon a whiteboard marker.
“You write the last one, Assistant Manager Park.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Park Soyeon went to the whiteboard.
With a trembling hand, she erased the remaining figure and wrote new numbers in its place.
[Quantity sold: 9 tons.]
[Remaining stock: 0 tons.]
The moment she added the final dot, cheers burst out across Team 2’s office.
Still holding the marker, Park Soyeon turned toward her teammates.
As she looked at the faces smiling back at her, she finally burst into tears.
“Why are you crying? We sold it all.”
“Never mind me getting fired. Everyone on Team 2 had to work so hard because of me. I felt so awful about that.”
Park Soyeon wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
Then she spoke through her sniffles.
“From now on... I’ll do anything you ask, Assistant Manager Kim. Overtime, business trips out of town, just say the word.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t do this because I wanted something in return.”
“I mean it.”
“Then next time, check your purchase orders twice. No, three times.”
“Yes, I will.”
I heard Park Soyeon’s thoughts.
[No matter what happens from now on, I’m on Assistant Manager Kim’s side.]
Watching us, Oh Sangcheol clicked his tongue and pulled the corporate card out of his wallet.
“All right. We can’t just go home on a day like this. Let’s have a team dinner!”
As expected, he loved a team dinner.
I tidied up my desk and was about to leave when I looked back at the whiteboard.
[Quantity sold: 9 tons.]
[Remaining stock: 0 tons.]
“Assistant Manager Kim, what are you doing over there? Come on!”
Oh Sangcheol called impatiently from the doorway.
I turned off the lights at last.
For the first time in four days, Team 2’s office went dark on time.
“We’re really going for a second round tonight. Got it?”
“Department Manager Oh, are we having beef today?”
“Why stop at beef? We’ll have pork and duck too!”
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