Real Man

Translator: MarcTempest

Chapter 65

Many of the products made by Hansung Electronics use parts from Semi Electronics.

But the problem was that the parts were so basic that the competition was fierce, and they didn’t make much money.

So the president of Semi Electronics changed the company’s business model to a comprehensive electronics company.

They not only produced parts, but also products such as MP3, PMP.

“You know how hard it is to enter that market as a latecomer, right? We have the technology, but our brand name is weak, so who would buy our stuff?”

“It must be tough.”

“Yeah. Especially since ApplePod came out, even the domestic companies that were doing well are on the verge of closing down. It’s hard.”

“I heard about it.”

Yoo-hyun nodded.

The reason why Semi Electronics survived was because of the electronic billboard system they made in the meantime.

Especially last year, they received a large order from a public organization.

But that was also temporary.

“The president knows that there is a limit to selling directly to consumers.”

“You’re right.”

Yoo-hyun nodded, but Lim Han-seop frowned as if he had a headache.

“So do you know what his conclusion was? Selling our products to Hansung or Ilseong. Hahaha. Isn’t that funny?”

“It is funny.”

“No, it’s very funny. Trying to sell something to a company that does better than us. But what’s even funnier is that we don’t have a decent item yet. And he just sent me out to find one.”

Lim Han-seop drank soju and sighed.

He said that, but he didn’t come out without a decent item.

Yoo-hyun looked over the Semi Electronics product portfolio that he had handed over again.

It looked like they put a lot of effort into it.

Inside the thick portfolio, there were Semi Electronics’ history and the parts and products they made.

They definitely did too much for their size.

There were also many unnecessary parts.

But it wasn’t hopeless.

It meant that they had the basic technology.

If they wanted to, Semi Electronics had the technology to make cell phones easily.

They probably knew that they wouldn’t make it in marketing, so they didn’t do it.

As he thought, Lim Han-seop’s cheerful voice was heard.

“Hahaha, thank you. I feel much better after talking to you. Just think of it as a poor senior’s complaint.”

“No, I enjoyed listening to you. Especially this part is good.”

Lim Han-seop’s eyes widened when he saw where Yoo-hyun pointed his finger.

“Touch?”

“I like the vision of being able to produce and supply not only parts but also modules.”

“Oh… You’re interested in this part because you’re in mobile panel. But it’s hard. You know. They don’t use new company parts. Even if we try to break through with this, it doesn’t work.”

“But touch is a growing trend, so maybe there will be a chance?”

“That’s true.”

With the advent of smartphones, touch panels took off.

There was a limit to foreign companies, so the impact fell on domestic new companies as well.

He wasn’t sure if he remembered correctly, but it was likely that Semi Electronics became a partner of Hansung Electronics because of touch parts.

‘And they make electronic billboards, MP3s, PMPs…’

It wasn’t concrete yet, but he thought he could help in other ways as well.

To be precise, he would be in a position to get help from them.

‘Not bad.’

That was Yoo-hyun’s conclusion.

The employees below might have complaints, but the president of Semi Electronics looked like he had competence.

He proved that he had a broad vision by pursuing constant change.

He had enough financial power to withstand such a large scale.

He also had business skills to get orders from public companies.

Despite that, Yoo-hyun had no way to help Lim Han-seop at this point.

“I’m sorry I can’t help you right away.”

“No, no. Don’t say that. You helped me a lot. Thanks to you, I also learned what LCD business division wants.”

“I’ll introduce you next time if I get a chance.”

“Don’t do that. If you do that as a newbie, you’ll get on your seniors’ nerves.”

Lim Han-seop was genuinely worried about Yoo-hyun.

How can he use someone who is so soft-hearted in sales?

Yoo-hyun asked carefully.

“Senior, didn’t Semi Electronics hire new employees this time?”

“Oh, they did. Do you know anyone?”

“My friend got hired. His name is Kang Joon-ki.”

“Really? He joined Gasan-dong branch, right? If he came in this time, he must be in development.”

“I guess so.”

Lim Han-seop’s eyes widened when he heard Yoo-hyun’s words.

He lightly tapped his chest.

“I’ll take good care of him if he’s your friend.”

“No, please make him suffer a lot when you see him.”

“I’ll have to work him hard. Don’t worry, that’s my specialty. Hahaha.”

Lim Han-seop laughed and drank.

He didn’t have any intention of burdening him.

He just hoped that Kang Joon-ki would have a good senior too.

Like Yoo-hyun had Park Seung-woo.

When the sun set, the remaining alcohol was gone.

“I was so happy to see you today. Thank you so much.”

“I had fun too. Let’s see each other often.”

“Can I do that? Kid. Even your words are helpful. I’ll find that Kang Joon-ki guy and raise him well.”

“Thank you.”

Lim Han-seop poured out his feelings in a drunken state.

“You’re going to do well, Yoo-hyun. I think you’ll go up very high.”

“Don’t say that. I don’t have that kind of ambition.”

Go up high?

No way.

That wasn’t the life Yoo-hyun wanted.

“I have a sense of these things.”

“…”

Yoo-hyun couldn’t answer Lim Han-seop’s words.

At some point, people who Yoo-hyun didn’t even notice appeared around him.

New relationships that had never been filled before appeared.

Park Seung-woo, Kim Hyun-min, and his colleagues were all the same.

He felt that he was getting along with people he had never met before.

What would the top look like with them?

He suddenly wondered.

A few days later,

Park Seung-woo and Yoo-hyun were sitting side by side on a train heading to Ulsan.

“I can’t believe we’re going on a business trip together. I didn’t think that stuffy team leader would allow it.”

“Manager Kim helped a lot, right?”

“He helped. He just nagged him a lot. Anyway, he’s weird too.”

“Why?”

“He didn’t care before, but now he acts like it’s his own business.”

Manager Kim Hyun-min did help.

Of course, even if he hadn’t, Team Leader Oh Jae-hwan would have allowed Yoo-hyun’s business trip.

It wasn’t just a trip, but a way to prepare for the seminar.

Yoo-hyun made an excuse to help Park Seung-woo with his work.

Yoo-hyun asked Park Seung-woo, who was grumbling about Kim Hyun-min manager.

“Do you hate it?”

“Of course not. I like it. It’s just that you’ve changed so much. You know what they say, when someone changes a lot, it’s time to go.”

“Hey, that’s not true.”

If that was true, Yoo-hyun would have gone to the other world several times already.

-Park, I don’t care if you can’t do your work, but you have to buy a souvenir from your trip. Got it?

Yoo-hyun suddenly remembered what Manager Kim Hyun-min had said before the trip.

His work style had changed, but his playful personality was still the same. 

Yoo-hyun asked him casually.

“Where are you going to buy the souvenir?”

“I don’t know. Who would buy walnut cookies for someone who takes a train? I’ll just buy something from anywhere.”

He didn’t say he wouldn’t buy anything.

Yoo-hyun thought of Manager Kim Hyun-min and Park Seung-woo’s bickering and chuckled.

What a funny bunch.

Maybe that’s why he felt more attached to them.

Then Park Seung-woo suddenly asked as if he remembered something.

“Hey, do you have plans tonight?”

“Yes, I have a friend here.”

“That’s too bad. I wanted to have a drink with you tonight.”

“Me too. Let’s drink when we finish the trip and go back.”

Yoo-hyun made an excuse.

The trip was for one night and two days.

They had to stay at an accommodation for one night.

They couldn’t find a place to stay with their travel expenses, so they had no choice but to stay at a motel.

It was ridiculous to book two motel rooms for two men.

It was lucky if they could use the money left over from staying at a cheap inn to drink.

He was close with Park Seung-woo, but he didn’t want to do that.

He might not have minded if he didn’t have any plans, but Ha Jun-seok had said he would put him to sleep first.

Clatter clatter.

Yoo-hyun talked with Park Seung-woo against the background of the train noise.

“Yoo-hyun…”

“You’re amazing.”

It was amazing that they had something to talk about even after a few hours.

Park Seung-woo was very talkative, but he was also surprised that he could naturally respond to him.

Before he knew it, they arrived in Ulsan.

Ching ching.

As the train door opened, the scenery of Ulsan Station unfolded before his eyes.

Yoo-hyun felt a new emotion as he stepped on the ground.

Was it 18 years ago?

He used to come and go here as if it was his home.

He even lived here for a year during his dispatch period.

There were many things that happened during that period.

“Are you nervous? Are you scared already?”

“Of course not. Why would I be scared when you’re here?”

“Hahaha, right. Just follow me well.”

It wasn’t hard to find Hansung Electronics LCD factory in Ulsan.

There were many signs because many people stayed there.

The problem was that unlike Gimpo, where all the factories were in one complex, six factories were scattered in different locations.

If they weren’t careful, they could go to the wrong place.

The place Yoo-hyun was going today was Ulsan 2 Factory.

It wasn’t where he usually stayed, but he remembered coming here a few times to meet the people in the quality department.

Soon after, Park Seung-woo entered the entrance of 2 Factory and asked.

“What do you want to do? I’m going to greet some people first. Do you want to come with me?”

He knew what Park Seung-woo meant by greeting.

He wanted to say hello to the people and managers who would attend the meeting this afternoon.

It was a good way to ease the atmosphere before a rough meeting.

There was no reason for Yoo-hyun to join him there.

“No, I’ll stay here if that’s okay.”

“Okay. The atmosphere is not so good right now anyway. If you go this way, there’s a lounge. Just hang out there. I’ll call you around lunchtime.”

“Okay. Have a good time.”

Park Seung-woo tapped Yoo-hyun’s shoulder and went inside the first floor office.

Yoo-hyun chose the stairs instead of the lounge.

He wanted to meet someone.

It would be nice to find an old connection, but Yoo-hyun mostly stayed at 6 Factory.

Of course, he didn’t have any deep connections here either.

Instead, there was a new connection that he had to take care of.

Yoo-hyun went up to the second floor and looked around the office.

There were no partitions, and the desks were bigger.

It was called an office.

It was a place for the development department, so there were various measuring and power equipment on the desk.

Compared to Hansung Tower, where they had to wear suits, the people in the factory office were very casual.

Then, he saw a man in a gray hoodie shouting at his junior employees who were pulling a folding cart.

“Hey! Hurry up and move. We don’t have time!”

The atmosphere was so free that the tone was rough.

It felt like it was normal to shout in the office.

-Mobile Development Planning Team

Yoo-hyun walked to the corner and stopped when he saw the team sign.

He leaned his head forward and looked for someone.

Where Yoo-hyun’s eyes stopped, there was Jung Hyun-woo, his junior and colleague, who was bowing his head in front of his senior.

“What did I tell you? I told you to order quickly.”

“I asked you to wait a little…”

“What? Hey, Jung Hyun-woo. When did I say that?”

“Back then…”

Jung Hyun-woo tried to speak, but his opponent got even angrier.