Chapter 23: Chapter 23 (1/2)

Hyunwoo went back to the suppliers.

The presidents slipped away whenever they saw his face, but they nodded their heads when presented with a new option by Hyunwoo.

”Thank you. Then, let me obtain the official certificate and submit the application for the Unipa.s.s members.h.i.+p.”

”Sure, go ahead. By the way, may I ask you one question?”

”Yes, please.”

”What is this certificate on material supplies? I have no problem with issuing it because it is free, but I need to know what the heck that is.”

The exact meaning of the supplies certificate is the transfer of the right to the refund of the customs tax. In other words, it means that the suppliers are transferring their right to the refund to Aurum.

If Hyunwoo answered like that, the suppliers would obviously feel greedy about it and say 'Give us our share of the refund, or half the refund, etc.'

If there was any room for negotiation, Hyunwoo would gladly help them out. However, It looked like Aurum wouldn't give a greenlight to it. That kind of answer would create useless conflict between Aurum and the suppliers. Also, the suppliers have a right to the refund anyway because they're eligible only when certain items are exported.

Of course, Aurum couldn't exercise the full right even if it handed over the refund correctly. If it received a refund worth one million won, it can get only 50,000 won when 5% of that amount is exported. As long as the remaining 950,000 won is not used on exporting items, it's no more than a waste paper. Except for this explanation, Hyunwoo gave him the least possible information about it.

”Plainly speaking, this is a doc.u.ment that helps Aurum get the refund when it exports items. If you issue the certificate, we can receive a little more refund.”

'I've never heard about it. There is no possibility that my company will have to pay or incur any damages later, right?”

In fact, it couldn't be ruled out that the supplier might incur some damage.

If any company receives too much refund because of the wrong certificates, the responsibility goes not to the relevant company but to the suppliers that issued such certificates.

But there was nothing to worry about.

”No, sir. If you're worried, you can ask the customs office. Can I give you the customs officer's number?”

Hyunwoo recalled Kwak's number and gave it to him.

Only then did the president express satisfaction.

The president might be able to call the number for verification, but he didn't. It didn't matter because Hyunwoo might have something he didn't mention, but nothing he had said was a lie.

Hyunwoo kept working on Unipa.s.s, downloading the supplier's official certificate and saving it on his computer, and he made sure that the president verified it. If something happened later, it would save him from any trouble.

”I've downloaded your company's official certificate on my laptop. Do you see this?”

Hyunwoo kept visiting the suppliers. Initially, it took some time for him to persuade the presidents, download their certificates, and join the Unipa.s.s members.h.i.+p, but as he got used to it, he saved more and more time.

It was not one day's job because there were many suppliers for Aurum, so he had to go out on a business trip every day.

As it turned out, the more challenging job for him was not to persuade the presidents of the suppliers but Yonggu's hysterical att.i.tude. Whenever the team manager was away from his desk, he found fault with each and every one of Hyunwoo's actions.

”Business trip again?”

”Today I have an appointment with the president of Yongs.h.i.+n factory. Now I have a couple of more companies to visit.”

”Why does it take so long to get their certificates? You are not going to the sauna, right?”

”How could I? If you're in doubt, you can go with me.”

”Do you think I'm such an idle man? Anyway the office atmosphere really sucks whenever we hire a d.a.m.ned new person.”

Hyunwoo pretended not to have heard him. Hyunwoo didn't feel bad about it because he knew that he hadn't done anything wrong and that Yonggu was narrow-minded.

Also, the team manager was also aware of Yonggu's att.i.tude. He gave him a warning in Hyunwoo's presence.

”Hey, Yonggu, why are you taking issue with Hyunwoo's business trip? Are you the manager?”

The manager's warning came as a huge shock to Yonggu, for he was the manager's strongest supporter. Though the team manager was there as a constant presence at the purchasing team, its core member was none other than Yonggu. Because the manager realized this, he made things work out in accordance with Yonggu's intentions. In other words, he was the perfect patron.

But the manager was rebuking Yonggu, and in front of the new hires at that.

This was a clear message that the manager would not favor Yonggu any more. Hearing the manager, Yonggu had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

”I'm sorry. I'll be more prudent, sir.”

When the day was ending, the manager approached Yonggu and said,

”Do you have an appointment in the evening?”

”No, sir.”

”Let's have dinner together.”

”Yes, sir.”

Yonggu and the manager left the office together. Yonggu never took issue with Hyunwoo's business trip since then. It looked like their relations.h.i.+p was also recovered like before.

Thanks to the manager's intervention, Hyunwoo could continue to go on business trips, and he finally collected all the necessary certificates. After one week of toiling, he managed to complete the estimated calculated statement on the refunds.

Hyunwoo reported the paper to the manager, in which he indicated that he would return the simplified refund voluntarily and apply for the individual refunds instead.

The amount of the projected refund was not different from that he had already reported recently.

Waiting urgently for it, the manager was very satisified.