WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Potter

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◈ Regressed Assistant Manager Kim Can Read Minds ◈

Chapter 22

──────

The coup I’d been waiting for had happened.

But now that I was actually watching tanks on the screen, my mouth went dry.

Lalita called over the hotel manager, gave some quick instructions, then turned to us.

“I need to go to headquarters. Neither of you should leave the hotel under any circumstances.”

She was speaking faster than usual.

After watching her leave the hotel with her staff, I went up to our room with Kang Minho.

When we turned on the television, tanks and soldiers lining the streets of Bangkok filled the screen again.

Breaking news followed, reporting that the military had seized broadcasting stations and major government offices and dissolved parliament.

“Manager Kim, does a coup mean there’s going to be a war?”

“It doesn’t look like rival military groups are fighting. There’s no gunfire, either.”

“A coup...”

Kang Minho kept looking between the window and the television.

A few taxis and cars passed along the street.

It was noticeably quieter than the Bangkok we’d seen over the past few days.

I knew the coup would end without any major bloodshed.

Bangkok would quickly settle down again in a few days, too.

“Let’s pack our bags first.”

“Yes, sir.”

We left the television on all night, but saw no gunfire or clashes between civilians and soldiers.

Around dawn, reports said the main roads and airport were operating normally.

Then a call came from Korea.

“Manager Kim, where are you? I hear there are tanks on the streets!”

“We’re inside the hotel. Minho’s here with me.”

“The company says to forget about the contracts and come home first. Book the earliest flight you can. Understood?”

“Understood, sir.”

“Good. Don’t go wandering around. Both of you stay together.”

When I ended the call, Kang Minho turned the laptop screen toward me.

“So many people are trying to go home that there are hardly any seats left. The earliest flight is in two days.”

“Book that one.”

Not long after we finished booking, I received a call from home.

“Seongjun, I saw the news. You’re inside the hotel, right?”

“Yes. Everything’s fine.”

“Tell him to stay inside and look for a flight first.”

My father’s voice broke in on the other end.

“I’ve booked a flight for two days from now. The airport’s operating normally, too. Don’t worry too much.”

“Still, be careful. Work isn’t that important...”

I assured them once more that I was fine, then ended the call.

When I checked my screen, I found several messages from Han Ara, too.

[Nothing’s happened to you, has it? The news is full of reports about Thailand.]

[You’re really okay, right? Please text me when you see this.]

I called her right away.

“Seongjun! Are you all right?”

“I’m inside the hotel. I’ve booked a flight home, too.”

It was a short call, but she couldn’t hide the worry in her voice.

Across from me, Kang Minho also finished a call with family.

Minho’s eyes were slightly red after putting down the phone.

“Your parents are really worried, aren’t they?”

“Yes. Watching the news, you’d think a war was about to break out.”

I took out the contract I’d received the day before.

To make use of these terms, I needed to meet Lalita in person.

I called and first asked about the route to headquarters.

She said the roads were safe and offered to send a company vehicle and security staff.

“But if anything happens, go straight back to the hotel.”

“I will.”

Once I ended the call, Kang Minho put the laptop and contract documents into a bag.

“I’m coming, too.”

“You can stay at the hotel.”

“I’d be more scared staying here after sending you off alone.”

I gave a small laugh and stood up.

Athit and two unfamiliar security staff were waiting in the lobby.

We got straight into the vehicle and headed for Anantakul headquarters.

* * *

At every major intersection in central Bangkok, soldiers carrying rifles stopped vehicles to check identification.

Some residents were watching the old tanks from a distance.

The atmosphere wasn’t hostile.

At a checkpoint, the soldiers checked the Anantakul Group vehicle and Athit’s ID, then let us through.

There were more guards than usual outside headquarters.

Inside, staff were busy on the phones, checking orders and shipping schedules.

On my way to the meeting room, I paused at the door.

Lalita was speaking sharply to someone from an overseas client on the screen.

“How can you cancel the scheduled orders like this? I’m telling you, this coup is only temporary. How many times do I have to explain that there’s nothing wrong with our production?”

“There’s nothing we can do, either. Headquarters has ordered us to cancel our orders from Thailand. We won’t be taking next quarter’s supply.”

When the call ended, Lalita fumed and spat out a few words in Thai.

I didn’t understand them, but they were clearly curses.

Then she noticed us at the meeting room entrance and calmed down.

“Mr. Kim, you really came. Was everything all right on the way?”

“Yes. Thanks to your help, we had no trouble.”

Lalita sighed.

“I’ve been getting calls like that all morning. From Japan and Europe.”

I held out a hand to Kang Minho.

Minho took a copy of the supply contract we’d signed the day before out of the bag and handed it to me.

Lalita gave a bitter smile as she accepted it.

“Is Taeseong Trading canceling, too?”

[It’s not a large order, so a cancellation wouldn’t hurt much... But I’d still be a little disappointed.]

I opened the contract to the right-of-first-offer clause and turned it toward her.

I hadn’t come to give something up. I’d come to gain something.

“No. Taeseong Trading will take the quantities the Japanese and European companies canceled.”

Lalita’s hand stopped.

Standing beside me, Kang Minho also turned to look at me.

“...What? What do you mean...?”

“Please show me the quantities now available for next quarter and their shipping schedules first.”

“Wait. Are you really saying you’ll take all of it?”

“If the terms are right.”

Lalita stared blankly at me for a moment, then gestured to her secretary.

Soon, the quantities and shipping schedules previously assigned to the Japanese and European companies were laid out on the table.

The scale was far beyond the concentrate we’d supplied to Mongsil Latex.

But in a few years, Korea’s latex market would grow beyond pillows to include mattresses.

Anantakul’s automotive rubber parts and household goods would also start entering Korea.

What lay before me wasn’t just concentrate that others had given up.

It was a supply network Taeseong Trading had tried and failed to secure several times in my previous life.

I pulled the shipping schedule toward me and divided it into three stages.

“We’ll take it in three batches. The first will go to Mongsil Latex. We’ll take the rest as orders come in from Korea.”

“What if those orders don’t come in?”

“We’ll set deadlines for confirming each batch. If I can’t give you a firm answer by then, you can sell it elsewhere.”

Lalita looked between the shipping schedule and the contract in front of me.

“The government has changed. Does that really not matter to you?”

“Korea changes governments every five years. As a salesperson, what I need to worry about is Anantakul’s factories and products.”

“The problem is that not everyone thinks that way.”

“And that’s why we’re getting our chance.”

Lalita studied me, then smiled faintly.

[Is this man really not afraid of anything?]

“Then let’s draw up a new term sheet.”

“You’ll need to adjust the unit price, too.”

Her smile disappeared, and her eyes sharpened again.

“Give us twenty percent off the orders that were canceled this time.”

“I can offer fifteen percent. Twenty is too much.”

But her thoughts said otherwise.

[Twenty percent would be fine. But I can’t just give him everything he asks for.]

“Only for this volume. I’m not asking you to lower the price on future orders.”

“You want to split the deliveries and cut the price that much?”

“At twenty percent off, I’ll confirm the first batch today. That way, you can set your production schedule.”

Lalita spoke briefly with her secretary, then turned back to me.

“All right. But give me a firm answer before the end of today.”

“I’ll contact headquarters right away.”

Both priority rights remained in place, and we added a two-year term to our priority negotiation rights in Korea.

We’d settled the terms, but the amount was too large for me to sign on my own authority.

* * *

I stepped out of the meeting room and called Oh Sangcheol.

“Sir, I’m at Anantakul headquarters.”

“What? I told you to stay at the hotel! Why did you go there?”

“The Japanese and European companies have canceled their orders. We can get that supply at twenty percent off.”

“Twenty percent? How much are we talking about?”

“Including additional supply, the deal could be worth up to thirty billion won over two years.”

“...Hold on. Thirty billion? Are you sure? You didn’t miscount the zeros like Assistant Manager Park, did you?”

This time, the voice on the other end definitely grew louder.

When I confirmed the figure, Oh Sangcheol gave a disbelieving laugh.

“This is beyond my authority. Take it straight to Director Jeong. I’ll give an initial report first.”

“Understood.”

Together, Kang Minho and I put together the contract terms, the buyer for the first batch, and the funds we needed immediately, then sent everything over.

The documents went through Jeong Eunho to the chairman.

Not long afterward, a call came from a company number.

“Manager Kim Seongjun.”

At the voice on the other end, I was a moment late in answering.

“...Yes, Chairman.”

I tried to keep my voice steady.

“I’ve reviewed the terms. Let’s say the first batch goes to Mongsil Latex. Can you sell the rest, too?”

“Yes. At this price, I’m confident I can.”

The other end went quiet.

The silence felt unusually long.

“All right. Have you secured a flight home?”

“We’ve booked a flight for two days from now. We’re also continuing to check the airport and road conditions. But I’ll finish this contract here before returning.”

“Putting business first even in a situation like that. You certainly have nerve.”

Was that praise or sarcasm?

I couldn’t tell from the voice alone.

But the next words gave me my answer.

“I’ll put you in charge of the Anantakul business. Decide the quantities, unit prices, and delivery dates yourself, and sign the contracts. There’s no need to go through the usual approval chain. Report directly to me.”

“Understood.”

“And put people before contracts. If it becomes dangerous, pull out without hesitation.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Just as Han Myeongcheol was about to hang up, the chairman called my name again.

“Manager Kim Seongjun.”

“Yes.”

“Well done.”

Even after the call ended, I stared down at my phone for a while.

In my previous life, I’d also saved the Thai business when it was on the verge of falling apart.

But the division head at the time had taken the credit.

This time was different.

Along with the responsibility, the authority to make decisions had been placed in my name.

A little later, a letter of authorization from Director Jeong Eunho arrived by fax at Anantakul headquarters.

[Overall responsibility for Anantakul business: Manager Kim Seongjun, Overseas Sales Team 2.]

[Authority to determine supply quantities, unit prices, and delivery dates, and to sign contracts.]

[Reports directly to the chairman.]

Lalita’s eyes widened when she checked the authorization bearing the chairman’s official seal.

“Do Korean companies give managers this much authority?”

“Not normally.”

“You really aren’t an ordinary person, Mr. Kim.”

I placed the authorization beside the contract and checked our agreed terms one last time.

This wasn’t money we could record as sales right away.

But for the first time, I’d personally secured a supply network worth thirty billion won, with products I could sell going forward.

‘I wonder how much of a bonus I’ll get if I sell all of this.’

I signed the last page, then exchanged contracts with Lalita.

“You’re the first person to increase an order after a coup, Mr. Kim.”

“You probably won’t see it happen often in the future, either.”

“You won’t regret this?”

“As long as you send me good products.”

Lalita looked down at the stamped contract, then suddenly looked up at me.

“I know this is a ridiculous question... But you didn’t come here knowing there would be a coup, did you?”

“Of course not.”

She watched me suspiciously for a moment, then closed the contract.

* * *

I immediately faxed a copy of the contract to our headquarters in Korea.

As the rain grew louder, I looked out the window.

The news was also reporting heavy rain and flooding in central Thailand.

I remembered the water marks on the walls in Ban Chainam.

While Lalita checked conditions on the ground, I waited beside her for the reports.

All eight pumps at the hotel construction site were running without problems.

But a report came in that the flow from one of the two pumps in Ban Chainam had weakened.

The river was still rising, and some residents had yet to leave their homes.

Lalita instructed Athit to take the relief team and evacuate them.

I thought of the children I’d played ball with.

Knowing that people would die in this flood, I couldn’t just sit there waiting for reports.

“I’ll go, too.”

“You too, Mr. Kim?”

“You said the flow from one of the pumps has weakened. I’ll take a look while the residents are getting out.”

Kang Minho closed the laptop.

“I’ll come, too.”

“No. The company might call, so wait here.”

Minho hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“Please be careful.”

“I will.”

I headed to Ban Chainam with Athit and Anantakul’s relief team.

The closer we got to the village, the more floodwater lapped over the edges of the road.

The wipers moved nonstop, but even the taillights of the vehicle ahead looked blurred.

The water was already above our ankles at the entrance to Ban Chainam.

Farther inside the village, the two pumps were making rough noises as they worked without stopping.

The river kept rising, but the houses on lower ground weren’t completely submerged yet.

The pumps had held out long enough to buy the residents time to pack their belongings.

While Athit persuaded the remaining residents to leave, I went over to the pumps.

Once I removed the plastic and branches blocking the intake, a strong stream of water poured from the hose again.

I took off my gloves and was heading back to the vehicle when Mai’s grandmother ran up to Athit.

She grabbed Athit’s arm, and I heard Mai’s name several times through her tearful words.

Athit quickly turned to me.

“Mai went out this morning and hasn’t come back. Mai’s grandmother thought they were with the other children, but no one has seen them.”

At Athit’s instructions, the relief team checked the evacuation vehicles one by one.

Calls of Mai’s name spread through the rain, but no answer came from any of the vehicles.

At the rate the water was rising, there wasn’t time to search the entire village.

The child who had been the first to run to the tightly shut study center once the floodwater receded.

I remembered Mai.

‘Don’t tell me...’

I turned toward the study center.

Athit immediately stepped in front of me.

“It’s dangerous. If the water rises any more, even the way back will be flooded.”

“I’ll just check the study center. It’ll only take a moment.”

“You can’t go alone. I’m coming with you.”

The relief team brought life jackets and a rope.

Athit and I put on the life jackets and tied the same rope around our waists.

The relief workers held the other end.

The farther we went into the village, the stronger the current became.

The rain, the pumps, and the residents’ urgent thoughts all mingled in my ears.

I slowed down and focused on their thoughts.

[ฉันกลัว... ช่วยฉันด้วย...]

Thai words I couldn’t understand repeated faintly.

I murmured the sounds I heard.

Athit looked at me in surprise.

“What does that mean?”

“...It means, ‘I’m scared. Please save me.’”

The voice grew clearer as we approached the study center.

It was dark inside.

I pressed close to the window and shone my flashlight in.

The desk legs were almost submerged in muddy water.

A small child sat curled up with knees drawn to their chest on top of the tall cabinet where the books had been placed.

It was Mai.

“Found you.”

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