Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Wednesday came around.

When Gun-Ho went to work in GH Mobile, Jiksan Town that morning, he called a meeting for the executive officers.

“We will have visitors today from China. The Antang City’s transportation department’s director and the president of their terminals are coming to our factory this afternoon. Our company doesn’t have any concrete plan to have a business with them for now, but it is a good idea to build a close connection with local government officials in China. Who knows? We might get into the Chinese market someday.”

“Are there any specific things that we need to prepare for their visit?”

“We just need to show them our clean factory. Please have the production site organized and cleaned, especially the bathroom.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Do we have any workers who can speak Chinese?”

“The quality control department’s Team Lead Kim used to work at a factory in Qingdao City, China. He joined us last year with his work experience there.”

“Please send him to my office later. They will arrive at Cheonan Bus Terminal around 11 pm, and we will need to pick them up there. Chan-Ho Eum should remember their faces. Go there with Chan-Ho Eum.”

“Okay, sir.”

“Once they arrive, Mr. Director Park, please give them a tour of our factory. And, Mr. General Affairs Director, please make a reservation with the restaurant— Seungjiwon— in Baekseok Town for lunch. Everyone else, just do your job.”

“Yes, sir.”

After the executive officers left the president’s office, Gun-Ho made a call to Jae-Sik Moon.

“Come and join me for lunch today around 11 am. Come to Jiksan Town.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“The director of Antang City’s transportation department in China and the president of the bus terminals are coming here today. They are in the transportation field, and I want you to meet them.”

“Me?”

“Even though you are not doing any business directly with them right now since you are running a transportation business, it should be beneficial for you to know people in the same field in China.”

“Okay. I will be there by 11 am. Our application for a permit for farmland conversion is still in process. According to the staff at the city hall, it will definitely be approved since there are so many factories in the area anyway.”

“Hmm, I see.”

The team leader person— Mr. Kim— from the quality control department came into Gun-Ho’s office. He looked nervous. He was probably two or three years younger than Gun-Ho.

“Sir, you wanted to see me?”

“Please have a seat.”

“Yes, sir.”

Team Lead Kim sat on the sofa carefully.

“I was told that you had worked in China before. How long had you stayed there?”

“I worked in Qingdao City for two years, sir.”

“Do you speak Chinese very well?”

“Not fluently, but I can speak Chinese at a conversational level.”

Team Lead Kim scratched the back of his head with a smile as he talked about the fluency level of his Chinese speaking.

“We are expecting people from China today around 11 am. They are Antang City’s department of transportation’s director and the president of their bus terminals. I want you to pick them up at a bus terminal and bring them here.”

“That’s all I need to do?”

“Yes.”

“But, how do I recognize them…?”

“Go with my chauffeur. He knows them.”

Chan-Ho was having a chit chat time with the truck drivers of the logistics department when Gun-Ho called for him through the interphone. Chan-Ho came to Gun-Ho’s office right away.

“You will need to go to Cheonan Bus Terminal. Antang City’s department of transportation’s director and the president of their bus terminals will arrive there at 11 am. Please pick them up. Team Lead Kim here can speak Chinese. Take him with you.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you think you can recognize them? The transportation department’s director has a dark complexion with a sturdy build, and the terminal’s president is wearing glasses.”

“I think I can recognize them once I see them, sir.”

“Good then. I think you’d better leave now not to be late.”

Jae-Sik Moon came to GH Mobile to see Gun-Ho. He was driving the SM5— President Shin’s old vehicle. As he entered the GH Mobile’s factory, he was amazed.

“I knew it would be clean since it is a newly constructed factory, but it’s extremely clean. Everything is very well organized, and the workers’ uniforms are neat. I’m wearing the same uniform as theirs, but they look sharper. I guess Gun-Ho is doing an incredible job here.”

Actually, it was President Jang-Hwan Song who influenced the workers’ behavior and mindset to achieve the current level of cleanliness at the factory and the workers’ focus on the job. President Song’s strict and meticulous personality was well reflected in the company culture. President Song had been working in the manufacturing industry for thirty years. He was very well aware that potential buyers would conduct their own inspection on the company, where they would place a product order form, before signing the contract.

Buyer company’s inspectors highly recognized the cleanliness of a factory, their workers’ meticulous attitude towards their job, and a strict quality control system, in evaluating their potential vendor company’s manufacturing factory.

Jae-Sik Moon knocked on Gun-Ho’s office door before entering it.

“President Moon. Please have a seat.”

“This factory is really clean, and the workers are working in a very organized way. You, President Goo, are unbelievable.”

“I can’t say that I’ve contributed a lot to achieve all that because the executive officers and the workers worked so hard until we reached our current level.”

At that moment, Director Jong-Suk Park came into the office.

“Huh? Jae-Sik bro is here.”

“Hey, Director Park! How come you don’t come to see me at GH Logistics these days? You used to stop by my office pretty often.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Busy in doing what? Busy in spending more time with your daughter, huh?”

“Yeah… I can’t stop thinking of my daughter. She is so cute when she smiles. You, bros, will understand what I said when you have your own kid someday.”

“Why don’t you guys have a cup of tea? I already have my tea.”

Gun-Ho called for the secretary— Ms. Hee-Jeong Park.

“Please bring us two cups of tea.”

“By the way, bro, what are you planning with those Chinese people?”

“Well…”

“I heard that Antang City’s department of transportation’s director and the president of their bus terminals are coming to our factory today. Are you going to do a terminal business? Or are you going to run a bus company?”

“I haven’t decided anything yet.”

“If you plan to do a terminal project, it will cost you substantially.”

“I know. If we decide to do a business with them, GH Logistics will work with them rather than GH Mobile since they are in the transportation industry.”

“We?”

Jae-Sik Moon’s eyes widened, and he looked at Gun-Ho’s face.

“The terminal project in China is a 50 million dollar-worth project. Jae-Sik, are you interested in it?”

“Did you say 50 million dollars? How much would that be in Korean won? Is it 50 billion won? Wow! I don’t think I can handle it!”

At that moment, they could hear people talking outside the office. It seemed that Chan-Ho Eum and the quality control department’s Team Lead Kim came back from the bus terminal with the Chinese guests.