Regressed Assistant Manager Kim Can Read Minds - Chapter 9

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Potter

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Regressed Assistant Manager Kim Can Read Minds ◈

Chapter 9

──────

Jingle.

Han Ara looked up at the cheerful ring of the bell.

Her long hair went quite well with her brown apron.

“Seongjun, you’re here.”

Han Ara greeted me with a warm smile.

Several kinds of green coffee beans and small roasting tools were laid out on a long table at the back of the café.

There were six students, including me.

They ranged from office workers in suits to someone studying for a barista certificate.

Before the lesson began, we briefly introduced ourselves.

When my turn came, I stood and bowed.

“My name is Kim Seongjun. It’s nice to meet you all.”

The woman across from me, who had introduced herself as a university student, stared at me before speaking.

“Wow. You’re handsome. Has anyone ever told you that you look like a celebrity?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Oh, you look like Cho Seungwoo!”

I glanced to the side. Han Ara was looking up at my face as though seeing it in a new light.

“What is it?”

“Hmm. Nothing.”

[Come to think of it, tall and handsome too.]

Hearing Han Ara’s thoughts made the back of my neck tickle for no reason.

I cleared my throat and sat back down.

Once the introductions were over, the lesson began.

Han Ara placed beans that had been dried with the fruit still on them beside beans that had been washed with water, then had us smell them first.

The green beans I’d only seen in pictures were harder than I’d expected. The pale green seeds smelled more like grass than coffee.

“Is this your first time seeing green coffee beans?”

“Yes.”

“They smell grassy before they’re roasted. As they roast, that turns into the coffee smell we all know.”

Han Ara started the sample roaster.

The fresh, grassy smell faded, replaced by the rich aroma I was used to smelling in cafés.

Crackle.

A small sound came from inside.

“Did everyone hear that?”

“It sounded like popcorn popping.”

“Exactly. We call that a crack. From this point on, the flavor of the beans changes quickly.”

Once the roasted beans had cooled, Han Ara gave each student a small portion.

I ground mine and put them in a dripper as I’d been taught.

But pouring the water was harder than I’d expected. The stream kept getting thicker, then thinner.

“Try pouring a little more slowly. If you pour it all at once, the flavor gets harsh.”

“Even having a cup of coffee isn’t easy.”

“That’s what makes it fun. The same beans taste different depending on who brews them.”

Han Ara lightly placed her hand over mine and moved it in a circle.

I followed her movements, slowly pouring the water.

After trying it myself, I thought I understood what she meant.

We’d used the same beans, but some cups were strong and others were weak. Mine tasted harsh from the first sip.

Once the coffee was ready, the students exchanged cups to taste one another’s.

“Do you think you know what type you like now?”

“Sorry?”

Han Ara pointed at the coffee cup in my hand.

Only then did I realize she was asking about coffee.

“Oh, yes. I prefer a nutty, full-bodied flavor to strong acidity.”

“Good. That’s how you learn, one thing at a time.”

After class, I helped Han Ara clear the table.

We carried away the cups and plates and put the remaining green beans back into their separate bags.

“Ara, can I ask you something?”

“About coffee?”

“Yes. When you import green coffee beans, does the actual shipment ever turn out different from the sample?”

Han Ara put down the bag she was holding.

“Is this related to your work?”

“Yes, though I can’t go into detail.”

During the lesson, I’d learned that Han Ara had studied coffee and baking overseas, trained at a roastery, and even completed a corporate internship.

She knew far more about importing and storing green coffee beans than I’d expected.

“So the sample is good, but you’re worried the actual shipment might be different?”

“Exactly.”

Han Ara thought for a moment, then sat across from me.

“Have you heard of the Westbridge case?”

“No.”

“It was a coffee franchise in Britain with 214 stores. They had to stop all sales because of a new shipment of green coffee beans.”

She spread a handful of green beans on the table and picked one dark bean out from among the healthy ones.

“The samples they received before signing the contract were top grade. But most of the beans that actually arrived were rotten. Their losses alone came to over five million dollars.”

“What about compensation?”

“They took it to court and lost.”

That wasn’t the answer I’d expected.

“Why?”

“They couldn’t prove that the supplier had sent rotten beans in the first place.”

With her finger, Han Ara separated the healthy beans from the one she’d picked out.

“Green coffee beans are sensitive to temperature and humidity. It’s hard to tell whether they spoiled before shipment, whether something happened on the ship, or whether they were stored incorrectly after arrival.”

The supplier claimed there had been nothing wrong with the beans when they left the warehouse.

Westbridge argued that the beans had been bad from the start, but there were no records proving where things had gone wrong.

In the end, Westbridge had to bear the loss.

“So choosing good beans isn’t enough.”

“No. Proper handling matters more than getting a good sample.”

Han Ara studied my serious expression, then spoke.

“Write down your email address. I’ll send you some training materials I saw in Britain.”

“Thank you.”

“If your project goes well, you’re buying me a meal.”

“I’ll treat you to an expensive one.”

Han Ara smiled.

I was glad I’d come to the class.

For several reasons.

* * *

Early Monday morning.

I arrived at work earlier than usual.

I handed an orange drink to Ms. Park Sunja, who had finished cleaning.

“Thanks. You’re even earlier today.”

“I have a presentation to prepare.”

“There’s someone else who’s been coming in early lately.”

“Who?”

“You know that scary-looking deputy general manager. Seo...”

“Deputy General Manager Seo Jeonguk?”

Ms. Park Sunja nodded.

“Before you started coming in this early, Assistant Manager Kim, that one was always the first here.”

I hadn’t known that.

Seo Jeonguk hadn’t become a deputy general manager at thirty-seven through luck. Seo was already starting the day before everyone else came to work.

Ms. Park Sunja held out a small bag.

Inside were two boiled eggs.

“You haven’t had breakfast, have you? Eat these while you work.”

I accepted them without refusing.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy them.”

I sat down and turned on my computer.

I opened the training materials Han Ara had sent and laid out Mekong Green’s company information beside me.

The price was good, and the supply was more than enough. Even the sample evaluation was flawless.

Before the incident, Mekong Green really had looked this perfect.

As I went through Han Ara’s materials, I underlined one sentence.

[Samples must be taken from the actual shipment.]

I’d spent twenty-eight years looking at more contracts and shipping documents than I cared to remember. Clean paperwork didn’t mean the contents of the sacks were clean too. Once a problem broke out, an even more tiresome fight began over who was at fault.

On a blank sheet of paper, I listed the points we needed to check.

[Proposed Four-Step Verification Process for Overseas Green Coffee Suppliers.]

[Confirm the actual shipping lot and warehouse.]

[Take random samples on site and seal them.]

[Keep records of storage and transport conditions.]

[Pay the balance after inspecting the shipment on arrival.]

I combined the inspection methods I’d learned from Han Ara with lessons from the disputes I’d experienced.

These conditions would help prevent trouble and keep those responsible from escaping blame if something did go wrong.

I included the Westbridge case in my presentation, backed by overseas reference materials.

By the time I finished organizing everything, the dark sky outside the window had grown light.

After a moment’s thought, I typed a sentence on the first slide.

[The Sample’s Betrayal: Are Your Green Coffee Beans Safe?]

I’d borrowed the title from a documentary I’d once seen.

* * *

Thirty minutes before the task force’s first meeting, Overseas Sales Team 3 Leader Jang Taeho and Manager Shin Jaeuk sat facing each other in the lounge beside the main conference room.

Both belonged to President Cha Myeongguk’s camp.

“Manager Shin, you know there’s a fight over positions at the top these days, right?”

“Yes, I’m aware.”

“The former chairman died all of a sudden, and the old guard are leaving one by one. That means positions are opening up.”

President Cha Myeongguk and Vice President Baek Seungwon were locked in a power struggle over those positions.

Under those circumstances, this project was a major opportunity.

Those hoping to rise through the ranks had come ready to fight for recognition.

“The executive director said Sales has to deliver something this time, whatever it takes. Do you understand what that means?”

Jang Taeho wanted a general manager’s position, while Shin Jaeuk wanted a place on the next overseas business trip and in the new business venture.

“If this goes well, you’ll get your chance too, Manager Shin.”

“I’ll make sure I do this right.”

Jang Taeho flipped through the presentation schedule, then stopped at the last name.

“Huh? Team 2 is presenting too?”

“Deputy General Manager Seo Jeonguk added them at the last minute.”

“Probably just threw someone in to make up the numbers.”

Jang Taeho closed the list.

Shin Jaeuk paid no attention to the name Kim Seongjun either.

What mattered to them was who would get the credit for this project.

Shin Jaeuk checked the presentation materials one last time.

[Domestic Coffee Market Growth Outlook and Strategies for Expanding Green Coffee Supply.]

Word came that the meeting was starting in the main conference room.

The two gathered their materials and stood.

* * *

People entered the main conference room one by one.

I checked who was attending and greeted them with small bows.

Executive Director No Seungpil sat at the head of the table, with the sales teams and the purchasing and logistics teams divided along either side.

Just seeing who sat beside whom revealed the current power structure at Taeseong Trading.

I was the only one there who belonged to neither side.

Shin Jaeuk, sitting next to me, casually spoke.

“Did you get your presentation ready?”

“Yes. I did my best, though I’m not sure what everyone will think.”

“Haha, it’s all experience. Don’t work too hard. Just do enough. Enough.”

Shin Jaeuk didn’t look particularly interested in my answer.

Apparently, Shin thought the outcome was already decided before the presentations were even over.

Once everyone had taken a seat, Seo Jeonguk opened the meeting.

“You’ve all read the materials, so let’s begin. You have ten minutes each. Start with your conclusion. We’ll go in the order of Team 1, Team 3, then Team 2.”

No one objected.

Manager Jeong Minseok of Team 1 went to the front first.

Just as the manager finished greeting everyone and was about to begin, the door opened and someone entered.

A tightly set mouth and a gaze as sharp as a blade.

It was none other than Chairman Han Myeongcheol, accompanied by Jeong Eunho, head of the Management Planning Office.

The people seated around the table jumped to their feet in surprise.

“C-Chairman! What brings you here?”

“Why? Am I somewhere I shouldn’t be?”

“Not at all!”

“Don’t mind me. Carry on with the meeting.”

Han Myeongcheol sat down and surveyed the room with a fierce gaze.

A figurehead chairman.

But I was the only person here who knew that the chairman was a tiger hiding its fangs.

While the factions fought and blood was shed, that tiger was quietly growing stronger and would soon swallow them all.

As Han Myeongcheol looked around, our eyes met.

Despite the chairman’s sharp features, those large, clear eyes seemed strangely familiar.

Before I could search my memory, the lights went out and the projector lit up the screen.

“...I’ll begin Team 1’s presentation.”

[Cost Reduction and Profitability Improvement Through Expanded Direct Imports of Green Coffee Beans.]

It was a grand title.

But Manager Jeong Minseok’s conclusion was simple.

“In the end, it comes down to price and volume. We need a stable supply of the quantities we require at the lowest possible price.”

A graph showing the expected profits from direct imports appeared on the screen.

Shin Jaeuk’s presentation followed a similar direction.

[Domestic Coffee Market Growth Outlook and Strategies for Expanding Green Coffee Supply.]

The coffee market would continue to grow, so the proposal was to increase imports now and secure suppliers capable of handling that volume ahead of the competition.

After the presentation, Shin Jaeuk returned to the table looking satisfied.

At last, it was my turn.

As I stood at the front, Shin Jaeuk put down a pen, while Jang Taeho checked the schedule for the next meeting.

No one expected to hear anything new from my presentation.

Only Seo Jeonguk watched me with a calm gaze.

“Go ahead, Assistant Manager Kim.”

“Yes.”

My first slide appeared on the screen.

[The Sample’s Betrayal: Are Your Green Coffee Beans Safe?]

I got straight to the point.

“Our current import process is risky. If things go wrong, this project could go down as a massive failure.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Did Kim just say ‘failure’ in front of the chairman?”

Questions rose from different parts of the room.

But that also meant more people were paying attention.

I ignored the comments and continued.

“The British coffee franchise Westbridge signed a contract based on top-grade samples. But the beans that actually arrived were rotten.”

The next slide showed photographs of Westbridge’s stores and the amount of its losses.

“Sales were suspended at 214 stores, and the losses exceeded five million dollars.”

I moved to a slide showing the result of the lawsuit.

“Westbridge sued the supplier for damages but lost. They couldn’t prove at which stage the beans had spoiled.”

On the next slide, the stages of the beans’ journey appeared in order, from warehouse to ship to arrival in the country.

There were no records left to prove where the problem had occurred.

Jang Taeho opened Mekong Green’s sample evaluation sheet again.

Shin Jaeuk also looked away from the market forecasts.

Teams 1 and 3 weren’t wrong about the outlook.

They were right to argue that we needed to increase supply and secure deals ahead of others.

There was just one thing.

They had left the assumption that the shipment would match the samples we’d received unexamined.

Seo Jeonguk looked at the screen and asked,

“So what do you suggest we check, Assistant Manager Kim?”

“We need to check the actual goods being shipped, not just the samples.”

I changed the slide.

[Proposed Four-Step Verification Process for Overseas Green Coffee Suppliers.]

“First, we confirm the actual shipping lot and warehouse. A third party takes random samples from several sacks on site, then seals and stores some of them. We also need temperature and humidity records for storage and transport.”

“What if the beans that arrive are different?”

“We compare them with the sealed samples. With the records as well, we can determine where the problem occurred. We also shouldn’t pay the balance until the shipment passes inspection.”

Seo Jeonguk quickly scanned the procedure on the screen.

“Can this be applied to every prospective supplier?”

“Yes. We can require the same standards from all of them. If any refuse, we should first find out why.”

As the questions continued, my presentation ran beyond ten minutes.

But no one mentioned the time.

“There’s an old saying: even with cooked crab, take the legs off before you eat it. We may not be able to avoid every risk, but I believe we need to put basic safeguards in place. That concludes my presentation.”

The lights came back on, but the conference room remained quiet.

Only the rustle of paper filled the room as people reread the presentation materials I’d submitted.

Even if the factions were fighting over credit, the project had to succeed before there would be any credit to claim.

Everyone seemed to have plenty to say, but they watched Chairman Han Myeongcheol for a reaction.

The chairman was also reading my presentation materials.

Soon, Han Myeongcheol looked up at me.

“Assistant Manager Kim Seongjun, was it?”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Where did you find this information?”

“I referred to overseas incident reports and local inspection materials.”

The chairman nodded without further comment.

“Even with cooked crab, take the legs off before you eat it. That’s right. There’s no harm in being careful. Especially when you can see the danger.”