Chapter 18: Chapter 18 (1/2)
Hyunwoo aggressively started working on claiming the refund. However, the process was more important than the outcome. He could get something big in that process.
That was to network with other people.
If he had to deal with the business of the purchasing team, he would need a lot of information about import and export customs clearance, let alone an increase in the work related to the customs brokerage office and the customs.
In that respect, Hyunwoo felt it necessary to network with the customs.
Suddenly, Lee Yuri and Kwak Junho's faces came to his mind. Even though they might have expressed annoyance at his sudden appearance, they did their best to be kind to him. In some way, he could make a good relations.h.i.+p with them.
Given the choice, it would be better for me to get along with them.
The best way to get close to somebody was to run into him or her often. Meeting face to face would be much more effective than mere text messages or calls. Plus, some gifts would work wonders.
What kind of gift would be good?
4 pm that day.
Hyunwoo visited the local customs office. Lee Yuri and Kwak Junho's faces got a bit rigid when they saw him. But they immediately smiled broadly at him in a show of artificial kindness.
”How are you? You're back again.”
”Thanks so much for your help the other day. You must be hungry, right? Please help yourselves to this treat. I wonder if you like it”
Hyunwoo presented two plates of pizza to Kwak. The pizza was of the best brand, of course. Because there were a total of nine employees at the office, two plates of pizza would suffice as a snack.
Kwak's face brightened a lot.
”Oh, you don't have to buy this.”
”Don't feel burdensome at all because I'm not here to ask you for anything. I just wanted to repay your help from last time.”
”Thanks. By the way, how about your refund application process? Is it going well?”
Actually, Hyunwoo was going to bring up the issue first. He thanked Kwak for mentioning it first in his heart.
”Well, I'm going to apply tomorrow. All I have to do is just apply for it through Unipa.s.s, right?”
”Oh, you have to create a refund account first. If we know your account, we can send the money.”
Come to think of it, Kwak was right.
”This is the paper for the refund account application. You need to have it stamped with the company's official seal, and the attached doc.u.ment is…”
Kwak gave him a detailed explanation along with some tips that could help him finish it conveniently.
”Because this is the first time you are applying for the refund, you'll see a request for the submission of certain papers. Don't do it all at once. Just apply for one export declaration paper according to the item, and it will then be processed in P/L.”
”What is P/L?”
”No submission of papers. In other words, you can claim the refund through an electronic application without visiting the customs office.”
Hyunwoo understood it easily.
If he applied for the refund of every item, that would mean the submission of all the papers. In that case, he had to print out all the export declaration papers and submit them to the customs office.
”Thanks. Let me come back with a completed application paper.”
Hyunwoo didn't hurry. He needed to drag his feet on it so that they would be able to recognize that he claimed the refund after trying really hard.
He applied for the refund account three days later, and four days later he applied for the refund through Unipa.s.s. Though he didn't know much about the process of exports and imports, application for the refund was too easy. Just one application letter and one certificate of export declaration were more than enough. He didn't need to print out a single piece of paper.
The refund was wired into the company's account on the day he applied for it. There was a big fuss within the finance department because they didn't know the source of the unexpected refund.
The president gathered all the employees. He then presented the award money and praised the purchasing team and Yonggu. Yonggu was promoted one more step. All of the employees clapped their hands out of envy, and the purchasing team burst with joy.
The president's praise made the purchasing team dance with joy. The purchasing team's team manager didn't lose his smile all day long, and his team members were lively and spirited as well.
Especially, their att.i.tude toward Hyunwoo was different.
When he got hired, they tended to despise him because he was a high school graduate. Though the team members tried to hide it, Hyunwoo could clearly notice it from their eyes.
When he came up big with the refund matter on the heels of his successful completion of the profit and loss statement, their prejudice instantly disappeared.
On the contrary, they recognized Hyunwoo's capabilities. When Yonggu was absent due to his work, they even approached him for his help.
Hyunwoo was satisfied. Though he yielded everything to Yonggu, he could gain much more thanks to that.
At that moment, he had a call from Kwak, the customs officer. However, it was something like a bolt out of the blue.
”What did you say? Collecting the refund?”
”Yes, Aurum isn't eligible for the simplified refund requirement. You claimed the refund, but you're not qualified.”
”What should we do now? Do we have to return the refund? All of it?”
”Not all the refund. The refund for the exports two years ago was legitimate. There is no additional fee, fortunately, because we found it early.”
Hyunwoo felt like he had been struck by lightning.
Everybody, including the team manager, gathered around Hyunwoo. However, he was just absent-minded and couldn't see anything before him.
Only after he heard Kwak's voice did he come back to his senses.
”If we collect the refund, the additional fee will be large, so you had better report it on your own.”
”May I ask you why?”
”The simplified refund is only applicable to small and medium-sized companies.”
Hyunwoo knew about this, of course, because Kwak had explained it in his video lecture.
Aurum was a small and medium-sized company, but Kwak was explaining it differently.