I’d Rather Live as a Villain

I’d Rather Live as a Villain – Part 17

(It was in the midst of being reborn)

Daeyoung Corporation, European Regional Office.

After the storm-like personnel issue, the European Regional Office had barely regained peace when another significant disturbance arose.

“Do you know about this issue, Director?”

It was because of a phone call from the Spanish Madrid overseas branch.

Choi Jang-ho, the manager in conversation with the Madrid branch manager, felt a cold sweat running down his spine.

The Andalusian olive farm had colluded, firing a warning shot for renegotiation.

The initial planning of this project was five years ago, but the exclusive contract to solely purchase the entire production for five years was signed four years ago.

Executive Director Yoon Taesik, upon his arrival as the head of the department, had first issued a work directive to check and proceed with the extension of this exclusive contract.

The Madrid branch, holding 12 percent of the entire dealing turnover of Daeyoung Corporation’s trading division in Europe.

Within that, the Andalusian olive farm-related business was a crucial sector.

Though there was still a year left until the renegotiation, no one knew when or how the capricious and quick-witted Spanish farm owners would change their current stance, just as Director Yoon Taesik had predicted.

“Are you saying they want to raise the price to 4.5 euros per liter, which is 30 percent more than what we’re currently guaranteeing?”

-For the past four years, with war and whatnot, the wage increase rate was tremendous, especially during the coronavirus period, the additional costs incurred to forcibly meet the shipping quantity were also significant on their side.

Such frustrating talk.

Manager Choi Jang-ho would have yelled at the Madrid branch manager for making such nonsensical claims if he weren’t his senior.

“Considering all that, wasn’t the contract initially set at 3.3 euros per liter? It’s hard to predict exactly, but our Daeyoung Economic Research Institute had calculated the five-year inflation rate, wage increase rate, and even drafted a proposal in the form of a report for them.”

-So what they’re saying is that’s rubbish. Based on that, we gave them the five-year exclusive shipping contract. When entering a new contract, it’s only natural that those figures should rise accordingly.

“Then ask them what they think about the times they couldn’t meet the shipment quota within the deadline due to their own circumstances, and how we never imposed a penalty for it.”

– Hey, Chief Choi. This isn’t something to get emotional about. We still have a year left. We should negotiate slowly, not go in there looking for a fight, right?

“Director.”

– Yes, I’m listening.

“If our headquarters hadn’t checked on this matter in advance, what would you have done later?”

The exact offer of 4.5 euros is on the table.

As the branch manager said, there’s still a year left, so there’s plenty of room for negotiation. However, it was clear that the front-line commander, not the main base, shouldn’t be so relaxed.

Perhaps because it’s not his own money, he might just be thinking that as long as he safely completes his appointed time as branch manager and returns to Korea, it’s fine. Even if he raises the margin base to 4.5 euros, all that matters is a successful renegotiation.

Chief Choi Jang-ho.

Just being a nice guy isn’t enough to hold the position of chief in Daeyoung Mulsan, the country’s leading trading company, and in the European division, which, along with the overseas construction department, forms one of the two pillars.

Although he’s been outmaneuvered by the political schemer Park Je-dong and lost all his teeth, it doesn’t mean he’s lost the wolf’s temperament.

Especially now, as the office atmosphere has been transformed in an instant by the new head, his presence is being newly established.

Although the opponent is a senior colleague, and the branch manager holds the executive title, Chief Choi Jang-ho oversees all overseas branches related to the European division and the entire office at the headquarters.

Such sharp criticism from him would surely make the branch manager tense.

That’s the power of the headquarters.

– That part is… Yes, I understand. That part is indeed our oversight.

Just then.

Head Yoon Tae-sik entered the European division office.

“The head has arrived. I’ll contact you again in a little while.”

Chief Choi Jang-ho quickly ended the call and hurried towards Head Yoon Tae-sik.

“Have you arrived?”

“Did you receive the call from the Madrid branch manager?”

“Yes, I just received it.”

Expressionless.

It’s impossible to predict the head’s mood.

Head Yoon Tae-sik, who had briskly walked into the center of the office, stood in front of the round meeting table and said to the Spanish team.

“Could someone bring me the Andalusian grand map?”

The eyes of the current employees of the European division, especially those who had never worked with the ace businessman Yoon Tae-sik, began to shine sharply.

The grand map, much wider than the upper half of the round table.

It was Deputy Manager Oh Ji-won who spread it out on the table.

“Director.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

Executive Director Yoon Tae-sik stepped back and gave an order to Director Choi Jang-ho.

It was a very concise yet vital directive.

“Director, first connect with the financial risk team and request a calculation of the final excess amount we have to shoulder when the margin base for olive oil is raised from 3.3 to 4.5 euros.”

“Yes.”

“And the re-contracting issue from the Andalusian farm, please pass that along to the other branches as well.”

“Yes.”

“After you’ve passed that on, pull out a list of projects that each branch is holding that need to be re-contracted within six months, and prepare for a video conference tomorrow morning with you, me, and all the branch managers.”

“Yes, I will do that.”

There was nothing rough about the work of Yoon Tae-sik, who had even earned the wings of an executive director.

Although a junior at the company, he was an existence that always kept him on his toes and stimulated him with his clean and perfect work capability.

That existence was now Vice Director Oh Ji-won, who felt like a distant wall.

“Is it from here to here?”

Vice Director Oh Ji-won, who had been lost in thought, quickly gathered herself and stepped towards the map at Executive Director Yoon’s question.

“What are you referring to?”

Executive Director Yoon Tae-sik turned his head slightly towards Vice Director Oh Ji-won.

One corner of the executive director’s mouth was lifted.

“The project that Vice Director Oh Ji-won had personally planned while in the Spanish team, which got shelved due to the olive project.”

“Could it be…”

The project that would have surfaced eventually if Vice Director Oh Ji-won hadn’t been demoted to the ETC team, if she were still living the Spanish team life.

The project she had started in her own way at work, hating to produce results for people she despised, kept tightly in her heart.

The fact that Executive Director Yoon Tae-sik remembered and hadn’t forgotten about it made goosebumps rise on Vice Director Oh Ji-won’s skin.

“Yes, Jerez.”

The Jerez wine, also known as Sherry, had captivated the taste buds of wine lovers worldwide and was the representative wine of the Andalusia region.

“The winery that Vice Director Oh Ji-won personally inspected and confirmed, it’s from here to here, right?”

“…Yes, it is…”

“Form an inspection team.”

Saliva began to swirl in Vice Director Oh Ji-won’s mouth.

“It will be different this time. As the head of the department, I will personally, and our entire European division office will support your planning.”

“…”

“Wasn’t it a project you were going to propose someday? It’s been upgraded since then. Or maybe you’re already preparing it. As the final decision-maker, I’m fully aware of the plan, and under the assumption that there’s no greater expert on Spain in our European division than you, do we really need to go through the procedures?”

“…”

“That plan. Honestly, from the company’s perspective, it was more profitable than the olives. It’s just that the novelty slightly waned because Bulldog was already doing wine. But now, we’ve even created a justification that makes it imperative. Set up an inspection team right now and submit a business trip plan. The executive presentation on financial risk will be prepared after the inspection.”

Like checking the volume of wine to be shipped from a certain area, Director Yoon Tae-sik laid his palm over the map of Andalusia.

He then rolled up the map with eyes full of conviction and handed it to Deputy Director Oh Ji-won.

“At times like this, we should have uncorked the wine in advance, shouldn’t we? If Deputy Director Oh Ji-won can salvage just the sherry wine as you had planned, we won’t miss out on the olives either.”

“…”

“Now, since the Madrid branch’s arsenal is weak beyond olives, and the contract renewal is approaching, those country bumpkin farm owners are taking us for fools, aren’t they? Get ready.”

Deputy Director Oh Ji-won nodded firmly and replied.

“Yes, I understand. I’ll prepare right away.”

***

10 minutes?

What’s this about 10 minutes?

Did he even stay for 5 minutes?

He entered the office with a no-nonsense stride, found the map, and instructed the manager on how to handle the emergency.

The instructions were brief but clear enough for anyone to understand.

And he ordered the new deputy director to prepare a plan that could replace olives in the worst-case scenario and left.

All of this was completed in less than 5 minutes.

What if it had been the previous head of the department?

He would never have come down to the office himself.

Instead, starting with the manager, then the deputy director, and the related employees would have been summoned to the head’s office in turn, returning mentally crushed.

And the office atmosphere would have been frantic, trying to maintain the profit margin by squeezing the Madrid branch, which was on the same side.

However, the current head of the department, Executive Director Yoon Tae-sik, changed the entire office atmosphere from crisis to opportunity in that short span of 5 minutes.

Son Jae-kyu, the senior manager from Bulldog (Italy, France, Germany), felt all the strength drain from his body.

Could it be that a skilled worker, once called an ace, who had lived as an owner of Daeyoung Group for about 3 years and returned with wings, could sit in an executive position like this?

He didn’t want to admit it, but it was a situation he had to accept.

Manager Son Jae-kyu thought that for the sake of the entire European division’s teamwork and atmosphere, and even for himself, he shouldn’t be absurdly buried in the lost chance of his promotion to deputy director.

He’s not the kind to give candy for tears.

From the start, he seemed like someone who had parachuted into the position of division head without any intention of using carrots, only wielding a whip.

Yet strangely, the whip he swung was not initially aimed at the European division, but rather at the forces threatening its organizational strength.

And he began to wonder if he, having been struck by that whip, might not have been one of the threats to the European division in the division head’s eyes.

“Hmm…”

Without a word, Manager Son Jae-gyu turned around the partition and knocked on the director’s office divider.

“Oh. Manager Son.”

“Are you done with your call?”

“Yes, it’s finished. Why?”

“Is there… anything I can help you with?”

“Huh? What…”

Manager Son Jae-gyu’s unusual demeanor seemed to surprise Director Choi Jang-ho, who blinked and tilted his head in confusion.

“It’s about the Madrid branch. I overheard the division head’s instructions earlier, and it seems you’ll be having a simultaneous video conference with all the branch managers as soon as you come in tomorrow. Should I make the calls regarding the bulldog matter?”

“That… would be a great help. Yes, Manager Son, please contact Paris, Munich, and Milan branches. The meeting is scheduled for 9 AM Korea time tomorrow.”

“The branch managers will have to stand by late into the night tomorrow, unable to leave.”

“What does leaving matter in an emergency?”

“9 AM tomorrow? I’ll have our team set up the video conference room camera in advance.”

“…”

“It’s the division head’s first official simultaneous call to all branch managers. I’ll make sure it’s prepared.”

Director Choi Jang-ho’s gaze shifted from unfamiliarity to relief as he watched Manager Son Jae-gyu, who briefly bowed his head before leaving the director’s office.

Yes.

This was the right thing to do, and it felt more comfortable this way.

Returning to his seat, Manager Son took a deep breath and, feeling as if he was starting anew in this tiresome European division life, instructed his team members.

“For the division head’s international branch managers’ video conference tomorrow morning. Our team will handle it. Book the conference room, and set up everything new, from notepads, bottled water, stress balls, to pen trays.”

At this, the team members, who had been disheartened by the missed promotion opportunity, slowly began to smile.

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

Daeyoung’s trade division.

The European division of the trade department was being reborn.