Chapter 27: Chapter 27 (1/2)
The following afternoon.
”You want to go out on a business trip again?”
”Yes, sir. As you know, we're supposed to receive the samples from Vietnam. I want to learn about customs clearance by stopping by the customs office on this occasion.”
Yonggu's face distorted. Although he suppressed his feelings because of the manager, he felt Hyunwoo's att.i.tude was getting more and more arrogant. Whenever he had free time, he was away from the office, but he didn't show any sense of sorriness.
Above all, for a new hire, he was busier going on business trips than his superiors. It looked as if he spent more time going on business trips than staying in the office.
But what angered Yonggu was something else. It was that the manager took Hyunwoo's side.
”Good idea. You can learn and get familiar with the customs office guys. That's the way you should learn the purchasing team's business.”
What more could Yonggu say when the team manager was making a judgement call like that?
Yonggu looked at his watch. It was 3 pm.
”You can go out now, but the timing is rather awkward. If you go out now, when are you going to come back?”
When Yonggu's asked, the manager once again took Hyunwoo's side, adding,
”I think you can't come back to the office if you go out now. You didn't take a break after you came from the working trip to Vietnam. Just go back home when you're done.”
”Thank you, sir.”
Though Yonggu stared at him, gritting his teeth, Hyunwoo pretended not to see him.
Once he was out of the office, he headed to the customs office. He handed out the cookies that he purchased in Vietnam, and with Kwak's help, he greeted the other public servants in the office.
After saying h.e.l.lo to them, he went out of the office. It was only 4:30pm. Actually, that's why he came out early.
When he came out of the customs office, he headed directly to Saeto Park. Because it was near the customs office, he didn't have to move that much. Once he arrived there, he called someone. A little later, a senior man's voice came out.
”h.e.l.lo”
He was Kwon Sangtaek, the person Song introduced to him.
”How are you, sir? This is Jang Hyunwoo, who called you yesterday. I'm here at Saeto Park. Where are you now?”
As instructed by Kwon, Hyunwoo was moving to a place where there were many old men gathered. A middle-aged man waved his hands toward Hyunwoo.
”Do you see me waving my hands?”
Hyunwoo's eyes opened wide. Though he thought Kwon was older because he was Song's friend, he was much younger than expected. Hyunwoo waved his hands too.
”Yes, I saw you. Let me come to you.”
Hyunwoo approached Kwon. The nearer he approached Kwon, the stranger he felt.
When he looked at Song, he looked well over 70, but Kwons' appearance showed he was only in his early 60s. He couldn't believe Kwon was Song's friend.
”How do you do, sir? My name is Jang Hyunwoo.”
”Nice to see you. My name is Kwon Sangtaek. What's the matter? Song hardly contacts me first without a compelling reason.”
Hyunwoo was all the more surprised because he called Song derogatively. That meant he was the same age as Song or one or two years junior.
Hyunwoo asked Kwon, unable to suppress his curiosity,
”I'm sorry to ask, but are you the same age as Song? You look much younger…”
Then, Kwon heartily laughed and said,
”Ha ha ha. Well, I may look younger, but Song looks older than his age. How old do you think he is?”
”Over 70?”
”No way. He's only 63.”
Hyunwoo was stunned, but at the same time he became sort of expectant. If Kwon was only 63, he might still be enthusiastic about working. He really hoped Kwon would be. He might accept Hyunwoo's offer for him to go to Vietnam for work. When he talked with Kwon, his skill was the kind of skill Na needed by all means at his factory.
Hyunwoo brought up the topic cautiously.
”In fact, I'm with the purchasing team of Aurum.”
At that moment, Kwons' glittering eyes turned sharp, and his warm expression turned sinister.
”What? Aurum?”
Kwon's response was expected. Hyunwoo knew through Song that Kwon had a very negative perception of Aurum, but he had to confront Kwon and persuade him that Aurum's decision at that time was inevitable.
Hyunwoo refreshed his determination.
Let me make Kwon my man by all means.
”I know that you have a grudge against Aurum, and I know the reason, too.”
”Then, why did you come to see me?”
”As you know, Aurum didn't do that because it hated you. That was inevitable at the time.”
Hyunwoo persuaded him in every way, and Kwon seemed to understand.
However, he couldn't dissipate Kwon's anger.
”So, what are you going to do about it? Why did you suddenly come to see me? You want me to run my factory again?” Kwon demanded.
After taking a deep breath, Hyunwoo said cautiously,
”Yes, please operate your factory again.”
At that moment, Kwon made a blank expression.
”What? Operating the factory again?”
Hyunwoo felt that Kwon's eyes were animated instantly. That meant that Kwon was still willing to work. However, there was an obstacle, though.
”Yes, but there is something different now. As you know, you don't have any compet.i.tiveness in the domestic market. I know a factory in Vietnam. Are you willing to work there?”
Kwon made a blank expression at that moment. His staring at Hyunwoo suggested that he couldn't understand. Then, he seemed to understand, but his expectant eyes gave his anger away.
”How dare you suggest that? What? Vietnam? You want me to go to Vietnam for work? Do you think that makes sense?”
”There are already many Korean businessmen in Vietnam…”