WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: LilGuyBlastoise
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Second Life of the Trade King ◈
Chapter 8: Come into One’s Own (2)
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I woke around dinner after falling asleep past noon, ate, went back to bed near midnight, and finally opened my eyes at nine the next morning.
It showed both how poor my stamina was and how exhausted I had been.
When I went downstairs, my older brother was working at the counter. He glanced at me and spoke.
“You awake? What about breakfast?”
“I’ll eat out.”
It was already too late to prepare breakfast at home.
After greeting my father, I went back upstairs, washed up, dressed properly, and left the house.
I had a simple breakfast of gimbap and ramyeon at a snack bar before heading to the Yeongju-dong office, where Mr. Park welcomed me.
“You’re here? Our young boss from Yeongdo, Busan.”
He grinned as he playfully talked me up.
“Haha, I’m only just starting.”
“Just starting means you’re not a boss? A boss is a boss. Mr. Kim raised a fine child. Hold on a minute. Hey! Miss Kim, bring our young boss here a coffee.”
“Oh, I’m fine without coffee.”
“Really? He says no coffee. Go back to work.”
Mr. Park sat down, brought me a glass of cold water, and spoke.
“They say you did such a great job that David is sending a report to head office. Apparently, it’ll be full of praise for you. I heard your English was good too?”
“I studied English pretty hard at school. I thought I’d have to talk to a lot of foreigners.”
“You did well. Smart children show promise from the start. Anyway, they said the payment would clear in three business days, so that means Friday. The Australian shipping company handles our agency commission separately, so your share will come in untouched.”
“Understood.”
“And Hyun-woo, you need to have business cards ready by next week. You have to send them formally to the Australian shipping company too. Have you picked a company name?”
“I was thinking of Yeongdo Trading.”
“Really? It’s similar to your father’s company name.”
“Wouldn’t that be more natural?”
“Fine, I understand. Make sure you eat properly, and don’t lose your temper and charge in just because Daeseong Fisheries & Produce comes looking for you and says something. You can’t conduct business according to your temper.”
“Of course. I know that.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll do fine. Once the money comes in, wrap everything up cleanly so nothing goes wrong.”
He meant that I should take the money and fulfill my promise.
It was also a warning not to get foolish ideas after getting my hands on a large sum and ruin my life.
I had no intention of doing that, of course. Still, it would have been strange for an adult not to worry about such things, so I reassured Mr. Park that there was no chance of it happening.
I had to wait another day for the payment to clear, so I went home, rested, and planned what to do next.
Then came the long-awaited payment day.
At the Korea Exchange Bank branch in Yeongdo District, I walked confidently up to the counter and confirmed that a USD-denominated deposit worth 32 million won had cleared.
The moment I saw the number printed in my account book, I felt something impossible to describe.
As a vice president at Glencore, I had handled transactions worth hundreds of billions of won under the company name and earned annual salaries of several billion won. But these 32 million won felt different.
It was the first payment I had ever received under my own name.
After withdrawing the money I needed in checks, I headed straight to Young-tae Shipping.
“Boss!”
Choi Young-tae broke into a broad smile when he saw me.
“Well, if it isn’t Boss Kim Hyun-woo.”
I placed an envelope on his desk.
“Boss, this is 4.8 million won for the freight charge and 2.2 million won as the risk premium for the first deal, seven million won total. Just as promised.”
Captain Choi grinned, took the envelope, pulled out the checks, and checked them. Then Captain Choi flicked the money lightly with his hand.
“Reliable. I can’t call you Mr. Kim’s son anymore. I should call you Boss Kim Hyun-woo now, but you haven’t even given me a business card. What am I supposed to put in my address book?”
He was not asking because he did not know my name or title.
Until now, he had done business with me once based on trust in my father’s name. For proper business going forward, he was asking for my company name.
“Yeongdo Trading.”
“Yeongdo Trading? It sounds like your father’s company, Yeongdo Shipping. Are you keeping it like that?”
“Yes. I’m doing business under my father’s registration, so I should stick with that name.”
Captain Choi nodded, leaned toward me, and asked quietly.
“Boss Kim Hyun-woo of Yeongdo Trading, can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“I hear you have a ship scheduled to arrive next month. What are you aiming for after that?”
Captain Choi clearly thought highly of my abilities. The captain wanted to keep this profitable business going.
“My next deal with Pacific Grain Lines is next month. I’m also looking into other Australian grain majors, the five companies with regular arrivals at Busan Port.”
“...Five companies? Ha... Boss Kim Hyun-woo, you’re no ordinary man. You’re going to sweep through Yeongdo. Then I suppose Young-tae Shipping will have to grow with you.”
The word “with” had come from Captain Choi himself. Naturally, I had no reason to dislike that.
“Of course, Boss. Let’s do it together.”
“Hahaha! You’re straightforward. I like it. Contact me right away if you hear anything.”
“Yes, I will.”
Once I finished there, my next destination was Jagalchi Market.
Park Jong-ho, owner of Hae-seong Fisheries at Jagalchi, was also pleased to receive the money. But Park looked at me with a strange anticipation in their eyes.
“Do you know the word has already gotten around?”
“About me?”
“They’re saying a young boss swallowed up a whole foreign ship, and the rumor has spread all through this business. They say the people at Daeseong Fisheries & Produce are grinding their teeth over it.”
“That’s probably true. I expected it.”
“Right, be careful... And when the next foreign ship comes in, we’d be happy to be included too.”
“Haha, don’t worry. I’ll contact you.”
Lee Jeong-hwan, owner of Dong-gwang Meat in Bujeon-dong, was much the same.
After we settled payment for the meat, Lee approached me with a sly smile.
“One of our employees told me everything they saw at the docks. The Australian captain said the captain wanted to see you again next time?”
“Yes.”
“...Then it’ll return next month. Wouldn’t it work out if we got everything ready too?”
“Haha, that would be great for me.”
I had settled accounts with all three shops and promised them future business, but I did not trust them one hundred percent.
It was not that the three owners were untrustworthy people. Circumstances could always change, and people’s hearts could change overnight.
On Saturday, I took a bus for Masan from the intercity bus terminal.
After arriving at the Masan wholesale meat complex, an hour away, I entered a small shop.
The owner was a stern-looking man in his late fifties.
“I’m Kim Hyun-woo of Yeongdo Trading in Busan. I run a foreign ship supply business, and I’m here to secure a backup supplier for Australian beef.”
“...Busan? And Yeongdo Trading? Never heard of it.”
“We’re a new company. I’m the owner.”
He looked at me suspiciously, as if I had only just graduated from university.
“Well... I have to be able to trust you before I can send you goods.”
“I thought you might say that, so I came prepared. Here is the record of supplies we delivered to an Australian grain ship. It was for twenty-eight people over twenty-five days, and the 32 million won payment has been completed.”
Only then did curiosity appear in his eyes.
“Really? But if you’ve already opened up good suppliers, why come all the way here?”
“I’m here to establish a backup supply line.”
“You’ve only just completed your first deal, and you’re going that far?”
“Masan is an hour farther away than Busan, so regular business would be difficult. I only want to use you as an emergency backup supplier. You can charge your usual wholesale prices. However, if we do business even once in an emergency, there is a chance it could become regular business at that same rate.”
After thinking for a moment, the Masan butcher shop owner spoke.
“All right, let’s see how it goes. Give me your business card.”
“My cards will be ready by next week. Please contact Kim Sam-sik’s parts shop in Yeongdo.”
“Come on, you’re making me uneasy. You don’t even have business cards?”
“Haha, I completed a bid and a deal for an Australian grain ship without business cards. Trust is something you build up, isn’t it? I’m a young owner working hard, so please trust me.”
“You do seem diligent enough. All right.”
After securing my first backup supply line, I finally felt that I had finished what needed to be done. I spent Sunday lying down and resting.
But the rest did not last long.
On Monday afternoon, my older brother, who was working at the shop counter, answered a call.
“Hyun-woo, it’s Park Jong-ho from Hae-seong Fisheries.”
It was the first time Park Jong-ho had called me directly.
When I took the receiver, I heard Park Jong-ho’s heavy voice.
“Hyun-woo, Deputy General Manager Kim from Daeseong Fisheries & Produce just came by the shop.”
“...What did he say?”
“Come to the shop. Let’s talk in person.”
After hanging up, I immediately put on a jacket, slipped my account book and payment statement into the inner pocket, crossed Yeongdo Bridge, and headed for Jagalchi Market.
When I arrived at the main entrance of Hae-seong Fisheries, the shop door opened and two men in suits came out.
Deputy General Manager Kim Min-su and the assistant manager beside him.
Park was following behind them to see them off.
I came face-to-face with Deputy General Manager Kim at the entrance. Park, who had been watching us from inside the shop, stopped in their tracks.
The shock was clear on Park’s face.
Deputy General Manager Kim saw me and gave a faint smile.
“Mr. Kim Hyun-woo, you came quickly.”
“Park called me, so I had to come. You came all the way to Park’s shop too. You’re more diligent than when you were carrying around that list of five companies you gave me at the coffeehouse.”
The smile on Deputy General Manager Kim’s lips froze at my blatant response.
“Mr. Kim Hyun-woo, you seem to think we’re very gentlemanly.”
Deputy General Manager Kim stepped closer and lowered his voice.
“I don’t know what you’re relying on to act this way, but we are a company that can truly cut off two of Park’s clients. If we want, we can call all five Jagalchi wholesalers within an hour. Park’s shop would lose half its sales starting that evening. If the owner of a new company comes in and buys at a five percent discount on the unit price, how do you think Park can endure that?”
“...”
“I understand you’re trying hard, but take that glare down a notch. You’re starting to piss me off.”
With that, Deputy General Manager Kim grinned and patted my shoulder. Then, as Kim passed me with a mocking smile, Kim said,
“Mr. Kim Hyun-woo, if we meet again, I may not be as gentlemanly as I was today.”
Once Deputy General Manager Kim and the assistant manager disappeared into the alley, Park burst out in anger.
“Damn those bastard punks. Threatening people...”
“Boss, let’s go inside and talk.”
“Fine.”
Once we sat down in the office, Park poured tea, let out a deep sigh, and spoke.
“You probably heard it, but... Hyun-woo, I’m sorry... I can’t help you from the next deal onward.”
“...”
“You saw how openly Deputy General Manager Kim came at us, right? They said those two clients would cut us off if they found out I was lowering prices for you. Those two alone make up thirty percent of our sales, around 50 million won a month. If that gets shaken, our shop gets shaken too.”
With a troubled look, Park took a sip of tea and continued.
“The first deal is already over, so that stays as it is. But from the second deal onward, I can’t give you my prices. I’m sorry, Hyun-woo. We have to survive too.”
I had expected this, so it did not shock me much.
This was something that should have happened.
That was why I smiled and answered calmly.
“Boss, I understand completely.”
Perhaps because I was too calm, Park looked surprised.
“...Really?”
“Yes. They’re such large clients. Naturally, you have to take care of them first. Just helping me with the first deal was more than enough help from you.”
“Ah... You’re more of an adult than I am. I have nothing to say.”
I had nothing to feel wronged about.
This business was winner-takes-all from the beginning.
Still, I had no intention of helplessly giving up just because I could not do business with Park.
“However, Boss, may I ask you one thing?”
“...What is it?”
“You only found out this time that you had been supplying Daeseong Fisheries & Produce at normal prices for five years while they took the inflated markup, right? Do you want to go back to those days, or do you want to get out of that situation for good?”
“...Of course I want out. Would anyone who saw where five years of inflated markup went want to return to those days? I’m just afraid of them shaking thirty percent of our sales right away.”
“Exactly. Then there is one path. Would you hear me out?”
Park’s eyes changed slightly.
“Well, tell me. Keep it short.”
“I’m looking into lines with other Australian grain ship companies. I think there may be a way for you to become the first Korean direct food supplier certified by Australian head offices at Jagalchi wholesale prices.”
“...What are you talking about?”
“The Australian head offices have been frustrated with Korean line prices for five years, and this first deal has begun to resolve that. It is not just Pacific Grain Lines. All five Australian grain majors have the same question. If even one of those five companies registers Hae-seong Fisheries as a certified direct food supplier, it will not be one ship. Every ship coming in from Australia will receive food supplies from your shop. Two or three ships arrive every month. Sales could become not 50 million won, but two or three times that.”
Park’s mouth fell open.
“C-Can that really happen?”
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