A Chairman Who Has No Regrets - Chapter 182



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The Chairman Who Has No Regrets Episode 182 – In America (3)

Beep beep beep, beep beep beep.

Kim Kang-min opened his eyes to the sound of the alarm, frowned, and turned it off.

“after-”

Kim Kang-min felt bad about starting his morning at this time in the United States, where the start of the day is slower than in Korea, as he felt like he was still tired from the previous day.

“Money is the enemy.”

He got up from his seat, muttering to himself, and went into the moldy bathroom and started showering with the water pressure running low.

He couldn’t even dream of hot water because the heating and cooling costs were no joke, but he didn’t care because he had lived in worse environments in Korea.

After taking a shower and opening the curtains, his room was pitch dark, with only a little light streaming in from the forest of buildings.

“under-”

The house was not sunny, so it seemed like there was a musty smell here and there. He was shocked that the rent for this kind of crappy room was 100,000 won a week. Fortunately, the company was supporting the housing expenses, but the rent was so expensive that his salary would be nonexistent if he paid the rent for the week.

“Tsk.”

It smells like shit.

Kim Kang-min, who frowns as he wears a suit that smells of poverty, sprays expensive perfume on himself.

It didn’t take long for Americans to realize that appearances matter more in business than you might think.

It was a shitty country where if a black man walked around in sweatpants he was treated with all kinds of contempt, but if he showed up in a robe he was treated with respect.

So he bought two suits from a mid-priced brand that would cost him three months’ salary.

Anyway, he felt that wearing these clothes gave him a little more confidence, so he never thought of it as an overspend.

“Someday.”

Kim Kang-min, who had craned his neck to look up through the window blocked by the exterior wall of the building next door, gazed endlessly at the blue sky between the buildings before walking away from the window and going outside.

The place he moved to was the hotel where the boy who had guided him according to the instructions from headquarters yesterday was staying.

“Was it Jeon Gang?”

The boy, who looked like a high school student at first glance, was staying in a luxury five-star hotel, while I was staying in a cheap, moldy apartment. I could already sigh.

Kim Kang-min, who tries to suppress his sudden jealousy, thinking that he must have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, enters the hotel.

“Welcome.”

A white man dressed neatly in a uniform opens the door with a slight bow of his head. Kim Kang-min, who thought that it was a good idea to buy a high-quality suit, nodded his head somewhat arrogantly and went inside.

Ding.

As the elevator opened, he saw the boy named Jeon Kang, who he had to take care of.

“Oh, you’re up already?”

“yes.”

“Wow, it looks like you even worked out.”

“Yes, it’s a routine.”

I don’t know why he came to America, but he must have had such a leisurely life that he woke up at the crack of dawn to exercise.

“It’s definitely… different.”

Kim Kang-min swallowed a bitter smile at the sight of Jeon Kang’s life, which was different in quality from his own.

Kim Kang-min bit his lower lip as if he didn’t care about people like him. To him, people like him were just passing subordinates, since most of his superiors were like that.

Kim Kang-min was smart and greedy. That’s why he never forgot his duty. He had experienced for too long that he had to look good to these people in order to get a piece of cake.

“There are three meetings scheduled for today.”

“It’s generous.”

When I talk about work, he finally shows interest. Kim Kang-min continues with a faint smile.

“We scheduled our first meeting for a generous 10 AM.”

Take care of it.

That was the duty of a subordinate.

And it was a shortcut to the top row.

“Shall we have breakfast together?”

Kim Kang-min opened his eyes wide for a moment, then answered cheerfully.

“Yes, I understand!”

Dining at such a high-class hotel, I felt like I would be full even without eating. I would have to pay extra, but it wasn’t my money. I thought I had seized a good opportunity because I didn’t know when I would get to eat at a place like this. Kim Kang-min thought to himself that his skills in serving superiors had not died.

Kim Kang-min, who arrived at the restaurant, bragged about the information he had found out in advance.

“The veal steak here is excellent.”

Since he was the son of a wealthy family, he could only guess that he had studied abroad or received private tutoring. Of course, he swallowed those thoughts and only gave compliments. Kim Kang-min spent a long time choosing his words as he watched the boy take it lightly.

“You seem much better than me.”

This shareholder named Jeon Kang, who sat in front of me and didn’t respond to compliments, was really difficult to deal with. He was considerably more difficult than any of the higher-ups I’ve ever dealt with. I didn’t know his tastes, I didn’t know what he liked, and he didn’t like anything fancy. Looking at the dizzying mini-bar inside the hotel, I thought he was a rascal who liked alcohol, but his routine, his speaking style, his apparent confidence, etc., it was hard to know at all.

So the conclusion was that he was just a weird person. It was also a situation I had never experienced before. To be exact, it was difficult to understand because he was different from me.

As he started eating, Jeon Kang was not following the dining etiquette. Kim Kang Min, who thought that it was understandable since Korea was still unfamiliar with Western culture, felt a strange sense of refinement in this uncultured appearance.

“Pfft.”

“Ugh.”

“phew-”

Kim Kang-min finally came to his senses at the reaction of the white men who were sighing and laughing here and there. He glared at the snickers, regretting that he should have explained the etiquette to the boy who needed to be treated a little sooner.

“Those things.”

Out of the mouth, the boy never forgot to say anything that would make him happy.

“Don’t worry about it.”

However, Kim Kang-min felt puzzled again by the reaction that was different from what he had expected. The person receiving the ceremony this time was really not an easy person.

“Some of those people are blatant in their disregard for Asians or black people.”

White supremacy.

People who haven’t experienced it don’t know. There are many people who think that the reason they treat other races well is because they are superior. They don’t think about how much that makes people who have experienced it feel small.

Kim Kang-min felt his lips drying out.

why.

Does that boy take racism lightly? He must have been raised by a rich family all his life.

“We have a strange culture where if you stay quiet, they ignore you even more.”

“it’s okay.”

“hmm.”

A face that doesn’t want to hear any more.

But Kim Kang-min’s mouth was twitching.

If you refute them loudly, they will shrink their necks. If you keep quiet, they will quietly figure it out. Americans tend to think that there is no need to protect the pride of someone who has no pride. That is why I had to speak up.

The moment Kim Kang-min decided to add something, Jeon Kang’s tightly shut lips slowly opened and he was the first to speak.

“A barking dog doesn’t bark.”

In that moment, the boy sitting in front of him no longer looked like a boy.

Was it an illusion that the voice that spoke softly and clearly sounded like a huge roar? Kim Kang-min, who had never experienced anything like this before, felt his hair turn white.

“yes?”

So, I asked a question that should never be asked to someone who is supposed to be treated with courtesy. And I asked a short question, “Huh?”

Kim Kang-min was left speechless with no thoughts or words as he looked at her with eyes that said they would not allow even a single word to be said.

“Well, that’s what I’m saying. Please have some.”

Kim Kang-min blinked his eyes as he watched Jeon-gang, who had returned to his boyish appearance as if nothing had happened, answered in a bewildered manner and began to move the knife and fork mechanically.

Kim Kang-min was so nervous that he didn’t know what he was chewing on, even though the beef was clearly supposed to be delicious. What on earth was that just now?

Kim Kang-min, who used to speak his mind confidently even in front of the chairman of the Imperial Group. After Gyeongseon absorbed Imperial, he was speechless in front of the chairman of Gyeongseon Group for a moment because of the boy in front of him.

Gulp.

Even now, sweat was running down his back. It was truly a very strange moment for him. The boy was chewing meat absentmindedly. Wasn’t he accepting the racial discrimination that he couldn’t stand as if it were nothing, like he was a veteran who had experienced a lot?

Kim Kang-min was not aware of the question he was asking himself. He was just saying whatever came out of his mouth. It was a stream of consciousness, like a habit that had been ingrained in him for a long time.

“Oh- Do you have any good information?”

Kim Kang-min, who was not aware that he was making a mistake.

“Yes, there is.”

“Oh.”

I began to become consumed by greed and desire after hearing Jeon Kang’s answer.

Since he doesn’t have much money, it may be difficult to make a lot of money, but even if he doubles his income or triples his income, he can make much more money than his monthly salary. That’s the concept of stocks and investments that he knows.

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me a little bit more?”

The boy’s face turned cold at Kim Kang-min’s question. It was only then that Kim Kang-min realized his mistake, as if he was asking why to someone like him.

“ah···”

Kim Kang-min thinks he was too hasty, thinking he should have hidden it a little more and watched quietly.

“How is the US economy these days?”

Kim Kang-min, who was licking his lips in regret as he looked at the boy who suddenly changed the subject, answered obediently.

“How are the sales of Pfeiffer?”

“Oh, that has increased a bit. It is slightly increasing, but it is on the rise.”

“What do you think about that part?”

“yes?”

Kim Kang-min felt like his head was going to explode as he wondered what the intention of the question was, whether it was about what he thought or not.

“Where is that department?”

“This is the sales department.”

“What is your sales strategy?”

“Well, it has excellent quality and competitive price.”

“Price competitiveness. Does that mean that these shoes are cheaper than other shoes?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Kim Kang-min thought that the boy in front of him was testing him. He couldn’t help but feel bad and resentful for trying to get information.

“When the economy is booming, everything will sell well, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then what about when the economy is in a recession?”

“It’s not for sale.”

You must not make mistakes.

He stopped moving his fork and knife and focused on the conversation. He thought that the answer should come out like a knife.

“What if it’s ambiguous?”

Another unexpected question.

“yes?”

He was so nervous that he asked the question again.

Oh my god, this is totally screwed.

He knew very well that the reality for subordinates was that they were swayed by a single word from their superiors.

“I think I would consider cost-effectiveness?”

“Value for money?”

Kim Kang-min, whose hair had turned white, once again did not realize that he was asking a question.

“I would first consider the value for money I spend. If it is less than twice the price, I will buy it even if the quality is slightly lower.”

Kim Kang-min understood what the boy said.

The fact that PFEX is growing now is a roundabout way of saying that the US economy is not doing well. To Kim Kang-min, who had heard about demonstrations taking place everywhere recently, it was a refreshing shock, as he had thought that demonstrations were rampant in both Korea and the US.

He was predicting the US economy based on Pfex sales. The thought crossed his mind that those who grew up in a good environment and learned good things from a young age are different.

“So I’m going to bet that America is going to fail.”

Daughter.

For a moment, Kim Kang-min forgot that he had dropped his fork and knife.

‘America is going to fail?’

The world’s most powerful country.

The face of the boy who was betting that America would perish was never more calm.

For a moment, I wondered if he was making fun of me or if he was giving me false information because he felt bad about himself, but the expression on the boy’s face…

‘confidence.’

Really, Kim Kang-min found the boy in front of him very difficult. He couldn’t understand why he could believe the words that he was spouting, which were like delusions.

The meal ended in a heavy atmosphere. While Jeon Kang went up to the hotel for a while to prepare for business, Kim Kang Min sat blankly in the lobby.

‘A barking dog doesn’t bark.’

I still can’t get over that expression from back then. When I think about it and imagine it, my stomach churns and I swallow dry saliva.

“Manager!”

Kim Kang-min came to his senses only after his subordinate called him.

“Oh, Chief Choi.”

“Here are the documents you mentioned.”

Kim Kang-min looked the woman up and down as she arrived, nodded, and accepted the documents.

Up until now, whenever I was handling people from Korea, I always brought Chief Choi Min-ah with me. She was very pretty, and since most people from Korea were men, they tended to be gentle when a woman was present. To be precise, she was easy to control.

“Just wait a moment.”

“Yes, sir.”

Choi Min-ah sat across from him, smiling brightly.

Crack, crack.

Kim Kang-min goes through the documents one by one.

These were documents containing information about the previous generations that had to be ceremonially conducted. Background information documents that listed things like where they were born and how they lived, in numerical or written form.

“Is this really for me?”

“Yes! That’s right, sir.”

Kim Kang-min was difficult to understand.

This document, which recorded Jeon Gang’s short life and career, could not explain Jeon Gang’s current appearance.

More precisely, it was a document that thoroughly shattered all of one’s thoughts.

Jeon Kang, who thought he grew up eating good food, wearing good clothes, and seeing good things, found that his life was filled with people who were even more miserable and impoverished than he was.

‘Why…’

Did Jeong-gang, who grew up in a more unfortunate situation than me, become a greater person than me?

Deep down, I felt so pathetic that I kept comforting myself by saying that we were all different because we were born with different spoons.

This document gave only one answer.

‘I was… wrong?’

For success.

For money.

For power.

It was the first time in Kim Kang-min’s life, when an incomprehensible being appeared, as he had been running towards high places.