The monthly supply was 500kg, but since they also had to deliver to Baekdu Hotel, they could only allocate about 400kg for export to Japan.
Maintaining the domestic distribution network was very important to Jeon Seongryeol, so he had no intention of reducing the supply further.
Meanwhile, the employees were internally surprised.
“What do you think President Ha thinks of our president?”
“Anyone listening would think our president is the eul in front of that guy.”
“Well, isn’t he actually the eul? Since that guy exclusively supplies us with matsutake mushrooms.”
“Yeah, he’s the eul. That guy is definitely the gap.”[1]
While everyone was cautiously observing the situation, Park Gisu spoke up again.
“Should I meet with West Sea Foods?”
“You, Gisu?”
Jeon Seongryeol asked, clearly unconvinced.
It was obvious he meant, What difference would it make if you met them?
“Actually, I haven’t mentioned this before… but I have a friend working in the export management department at West Sea Foods.”
“Really? Why are you telling me this now?”
“My friend only recently transferred there, and we haven’t had much to do with West Sea Foods until now.”
“But do you think meeting your friend will solve anything?”
“Honestly, President, you wouldn’t agree to these terms anyway. It would be better to look for another company or just take a shot in the dark.”
“That’s true.”
“We’ll show them how strong we are. There’s no need to upset a big corporation, so let’s approach it smoothly through my friend.”
“Alright, Gisu, go ahead and meet them.”
Park Gisu immediately headed to the headquarters of West Sea Foods.
His friend from the export department, who had been informed in advance, greeted him warmly.
As soon as they sat down with their coffees, his friend asked meaningfully,
“How did it go?”
“It seems like our president is halfway convinced. Now we just need to handle the matsutake side well.”
“He’s only twenty, right? If we offer good terms and leverage our company’s name, it should be easy.”
“Do it well.”
“But where does Ha Suyoung get those matsutake mushrooms from?”
“It seems like he owns a mountain where they grow well regardless of the season. Can’t your company investigate?”
“To find out something like that, headquarters would have to get involved. Our company is just a minor branch, so we don’t have the capability.”
His friend, Lee Wonjae, fiddled with his interlocked fingers, his eyes gleaming.
“With 500kg of matsutake mushrooms a month, if we auction them in Japan, it would fetch at least 700 million won. After deducting his share and other expenses, about 200 million won would be left monthly.”
“It started with 50kg, but once he found our president reliable, it increased to 500kg. I don’t think 500kg is the limit. We can increase it further.”
“Gisu, can I really trust you to push this through?”
“Hey, what do you have to lose? The risk is much greater for me.”
“I know, man. Don’t worry. If this goes well, I’ll even give up my position to get you into our company.”
“Do it well, seriously.”
Park Gisu smiled faintly.
He had always watched Ha Suyoung with suspicion, wondering where he got the matsutake mushrooms.
Then, at some point, he realized that instead of doubting, he should reach out.
Depending on how he used it, it could be a great opportunity for a turnaround.
Yeah, I can’t just rot away as an employee at a small company forever. If I join West Sea Foods as an experienced hire, work for about ten years, build connections, and then go independent…
A rosy future shimmered before his eyes.
Park Gisu thought of his newborn son and then his wife, who sighed while looking at the household ledger.
“Gisu, the manager approved it. I’ll go negotiate with that guy, Ha Suyoung, today.”
“Don’t make it too obvious. If they find out someone is working on them, who knows how they’ll react? Make it seem like it’s his own ambition driving the decision.”
“Don’t worry. I may look like this, but I’m a manager at a big corporation.”
***
Ha Suyoung was staring intently at his mobile account balance.
[219,873,992 won]
Just shy of 220 million won.
All earned from selling matsutake mushrooms.
“I guess it’s time to register as a business. To avoid a tax bomb, I need to quickly invest this money in equipment. Should I skip being a sole proprietor and go straight to a corporation?”
He had earned over 200 million won in just a few months.
But achieving his dream of becoming a building owner in Cheongdam-dong seemed far off.
“I need to use this as seed money to start another business.”
Ha Suyoung had no intention of selling only matsutake mushrooms forever.
“I should sell matsutake, golden silk umbrella mushrooms, and other things too. How can I make Cheongdam-dong mine by digging just one well?”
The matsutake mushroom well was now somewhat established.
It was time to prepare for the second well, and he chose golden silk umbrella mushrooms as the item.
“If I have to climb a mountain anyway, it might as well be a big one. It’ll be beneficial in the long run.”
With his mind made up, Ha Suyoung immediately made a call. It was to a real estate agent.
– “Hello, President.”
“Yes, it’s me. Did you find what I asked for?”
– “There are a few good properties on the outskirts of Gyeonggi-do. It’s quite rural, but a person who tried farming couldn’t handle country life and is selling everything to return to Seoul, so the properties are very cheap.”
“Really?”
– “Yes, there’s a 100,000-square-meter mountain listed for 910 million won.”
What? 910 million?
– “It’s priced at just under 30,000 won per square meter, which is excellent for a mountain like this. It’s close to a major road, too. Such mountains usually go for 40,000 per square meter, or even 50,000 on the high end.”
“910 million…”
– “There’s also a newly built three-story detached house at the mountain’s entrance. It’s less than two years old. The garden is very spacious, built like a chaebol chairman’s villa. Electricity, water, and communication are all set up.”
“The property sounds good, but I don’t have that kind of budget…”
– “How much can you mobilize right now?”
“The maximum I can mobilize immediately is about 220 million won.”
The agent was silent for a moment.
Well, even I think that’s a bit much.
Of course, Ha Suyoung had no intention of quietly enduring embarrassment as a young man ignorant of the ways of the world.
“This is just for now. I think I can cover the remaining balance comfortably in about three to four months.”
“Really?”
The agent’s voice brightened.
– “Wow, you must be running a solid business with great cash flow. You should have mentioned it earlier.”
“I’m doing some farming. I sell high-value crops, so I handle cash monthly.”
– “Ah, so that’s why you’re buying a mountain.”
“By the way, is price negotiation possible?”
– “Ah… I think that’s a bit difficult. The mountain is already listed at a very good price.”
“Is there anything in the world that can’t be negotiated? Large mountains like this don’t sell easily. I can look for another mountain, but it would be tough for the owner. There’s no development planned there, right?”
– “Hold on. I’ll talk to the owner.”
After about 20 minutes, the agent called back.
– “They’re willing to go down to 880 million won.”
“Hmm, I’ve been thinking. How about this?”
– “Yes?”
The agent’s voice carried a hint of unease, worried that he might have changed his mind.
“Keep the sale price at 910 million won but let me use the mountain immediately after signing the contract.”
– “That’s a bit…”
“The crop I want to grow there will be out of season in 3 to 4 months. I need to start now. In return, I’ll set the down payment at 200 million, keep the sale price, and pay the balance within four months.”
– “I’ll discuss it again.”
This time, the agent called back within five minutes, sounding very cheerful.
– “The owner agrees. When would you like to sign the contract?”
“I’m fine with doing it right now.”
– “Great, I’ll head over immediately. The owner is in Seoul, so he can come right away.”
“This place is quite far from Seoul.”
– “No problem. I’ll leave right away.”
Feeling relieved, he put down his phone, which immediately rang again.
The caller was an unknown number.
“Hello, this is Ha Suyoung.”
– “Nice to meet you, President Ha Suyoung. I’m Lee Wonjae, a manager at West Sea Foods. I’m contacting you regarding your plans to export matsutake mushrooms to Japan. Do you have some time to talk?”
[1] 갑 (gap) and 을 (eul) refer to power dynamics in Korean business culture. Gap is the party with power while eul is the weaker party.
