I’d Rather Live as a Villain - I’d Rather Live as a Villain chapter 43

Rather Than a Villain – 43rd Edition

(I’m assuming the tone of the typical businessman)

Kang Soon-im.

A 30-year-old woman who has been named one of the most influential women in Asia for four consecutive years by Forbes, the American economic magazine.

The daughter of Kang Ki-young, the former president of Daeyoung Group, and the wife of Yu Seong-hwa, the son of Yu Seong Chemical, who became the CEO.

From that time on, Kang Soon-im’s strong leadership began to emerge.

She changed the name of Yu Seong Chemical to Yu Seong Cosmos and focused only on lifestyle chemistry, achieving the greatest victory in the company’s history.

The name of the president is not well-known, but the name of the vice president is as familiar to Koreans as the company itself.

As a sister company of Daeyoung Group, it began to gain recognition worldwide and eventually became one of the world’s top three cosmetics companies, led by Yu Seong Cosmos Vice President Kang Young-jin, who is known for his K-beauty wave around the world.

“Grandma.”

The red-gold rimmed glasses with a slight reddish hue are Kang Soon-im’s trademark.

Her bold makeup and hairstyles always match her role as a businesswoman at Cosmos.

In front of her, a strong aura that is hard to approach for anyone who is not as bold as her, wearing a battle uniform-like outfit.

But even her, who wore an iron mask to the world, naturally let it slip away in front of her nephew.

“Why did you come so early?”

She rose from her desk with a bright smile at her beloved nephew’s visit and quickly headed for the sofa.

Though known as a steely female executive, to him, she was endlessly kind and warm.

When Kang Young-jin married Ju Yeon-hee, making the VR Group their in-laws, his grandfather had asked what he wanted for a wedding gift.

Kang Young-jin requested the vice president position at Daeyoung Chemical, which, though different in main business, was related to Yuseong Cosmo in some way, largely due to the powerful influence of his aunt within the family.

“It’s not that early. I intended to come sooner, but the hospital took up too much time.”

While Vice Chairman Kang Soon-im took her seat, the secretary who had ushered Kang Young-jin inside stood motionless by the door.

After signaling for two glasses of water to be brought in, Kang Soon-im asked,

“Hospital? Why the hospital? Are you not feeling well?”

“No, it’s not that…”

A pleasant smile was spreading across Kang Young-jin’s face.

“Director Ju, she’s pregnant.”

At that, Kang Soon-im almost jumped off the sofa, lightly hitting her nephew’s forearm several times.

“Oh my! What are you saying? What did you just say? How wonderful! Oh, this is great. Well done. Oh my, my Young-jin, you’re going to be a father now?”

“Hehe.”

“Then why didn’t you bring Yeon-hee with you today?”

“Should I have?”

“You really should have…”

“I was out of my mind. We got the initial check-up at a different hospital. It took longer than expected to transfer all the medical records to Daeyoung’s affiliated hospital and sort everything out.”

“Why did you get the initial check-up somewhere else?”

“There was a… bit of an incident. Hehe…”

“What happened?”

Kang Young-jin cautiously began to recount the day his grandfather sternly reprimanded his wife Ju Yeon-hee in the underground collection space of the family’s Pyeongchang-dong residence.

He skillfully mixed the nuances that it was Ju Yeon-hee who had been thoughtless, and that it was only natural for his grandfather to have sternly spoken to her.

“It was my thoughtless act in the middle. Director Ju said so.”

“What did she say?”

“That it doesn’t seem right to continue managing her family’s business affairs even after getting married.”

“That’s not necessarily wrong of Yeon-hee.”

“Yes, that’s all I thought too. It wasn’t another major affiliate, just planning work she wanted to learn, so I thought it wouldn’t be too much. And at that moment, I thought of you, Aunt.”

“Me?”

“Yes. That person may not be as capable as your aunt, but they’re not without talent. They’re as ambitious as your aunt when it comes to work, but you can’t just let them continue their family business even after marriage. I thought maybe grandfather or father would create a suitable position in planning, so I suggested they talk about it. But looking back, I think I was short-sighted.”

Kang Soon-im nodded as if she fully understood the positions of both her niece and her father.

“Your grandfather, the formidable Chairman Kang Ki-young. Everyone knows he’s ruthless, but at times like this, he really is. To compare people to art pieces, of all things… Sigh. So, did your in-laws not express any disappointment to you?”

“You know as well as I do, Auntie, about my father-in-law. He’s clear about separating personal and professional matters. He firmly drew the line, saying it was a thoughtless act by the chief director, but he still seemed to convey a sense of disappointment.”

“Of course, they would. Why else would they be investing so much money into expanding Songam Gallery’s land? It’s a business with a significant stake from Daeyoung, and above all, there’s a promise that Songam will lead the restoration project with your grandfather’s collection later on…”

“Hehe, well, there was a bit of an incident.”

“So, everything’s fine now?”

“Yes, they’ve asked me to come over for a meal at the main house tomorrow morning.”

For a little over an hour.

The niece who had spent time talking about business, family matters, and trivial world affairs left.

In the place where the niece had departed, an exhibition invitation card, which the aunt regularly received, was placed on the sofa table.

And Kang Soon-im’s expression had returned to its usual sternness, as if her bright smile had never existed.

Staring at the invitation card brought by her niece for a long while, Kang Soon-im called someone on the internal phone.

“Yes, Vice Chairman.”

“Executive Gong, do you know people at Daeyoung Corporation?”

“Yes.”

“Suddenly, I’m curious about our niece’s son-in-law.”

Kang Soon-im thought to herself.

It seems Yeong-jin is feeling rushed about the succession.

Otherwise, why would he make such an uncharacteristic mistake?

That impatience.

It’s probably because of the recognition her son-in-law has been receiving everywhere lately…

“Can you gather information based on ability, not character? We need to judge based on what’s said outside the family to be objective, right?”

“Yes, I understand what you mean.”

***

In the operations office of Daeyoung Distribution’s headquarters.

In front of Executive Kang Moon-jung, FP’s Im Hyeong-jun chose his words carefully.

“There’s no risk in the numbers on our side.”

Daeyoung’s side is offering perfect conditions.

So perfect that it necessitates doubt.

Yet, for the Marco Machine case, Executive Director Yoon Tae-sik of Mulsan personally conducted the presentation.

And it was clear that this presentation was not for the decision-makers within Mulsan, but for Lim Hyung-jun himself, who oversees the business operations of Goldline and Black Bean.

“Is there such a thing as a risk-free business?”

“Yes, that’s why I see that aspect as the greatest risk.”

Lim Hyung-jun is not one for lengthy speeches.

From noble mtl dot nete

He believes that most answers in business don’t come from his own head, but from the mouth of the other party.

And Executive Director Kang Moon-jung had great trust in such a man as Lim Hyung-jun.

“Could you explain it a bit more simply?”

Lim Hyung-jun briefly sorted out the necessary words in his mind.

Soon, a sharp and concise statement regarding the business at hand leapt from his lips.

“I’m concerned that this might not be a business viable for the long haul.”

“Not viable in the long term?”

“Mulsan has priced the capsule machine at 259,000 won for the domestic market, and the single-unit semi-automatic machine for home use at 482,000 won.”

“Go on.”

Sitting cross-legged, Executive Director Kang Moon-jung meticulously read through the Marco coffee machine business proposal that Lim Hyung-jun had brought from Mulsan after completing the risk analysis with his team.

“Our internal investigation suggests that the capsule machine is somewhat reasonably priced. Of course, ‘reasonable’ from the seller’s perspective, not the consumer’s. More precisely, it’s reasonable from Mulsan’s perspective, considering they’re willing to consign the goods at that price.”

Kang Moon-jung nodded silently in response.

She had long been aware that Mulsan had created an unrealistic market price.

“But the problem lies with the single-unit semi-automatic machine. 482,000 won. It’s an impossible price. A semi-automatic machine from a high-end brand like Marco below 700,000 won? Especially since Marco belongs to the higher price range even within the high-end bracket.”

“Yes.”

“The reason we see this as a risk is twofold.”

“Yes.”

“Firstly, even after scouring every overseas direct purchase site to compare prices for the same model, such a price is unattainable, which poses a risk of future issues.”

“Indeed.”

“Of course, since Mulsan holds the domestic license, there shouldn’t be any problems from other companies, at least not within Korea. However, we should check what stance Marco’s headquarters, CMG, takes on this pricing.”

After laying the business proposal neatly on the table, Kang Moon-jung nodded her head.

“From CMG’s perspective, the Korean market isn’t significant enough to warrant such a substantial commercial privilege.”

“Yes.”

“And the second risk we’ve internally considered is whether Mulsan can sustainably supply these machines at that price point in a stable manner.”

Not a single doubt was excessive.

That’s why Executive Kang Moon-jung could only nod in agreement, unable to do anything else.

“Offering to send goods without any profit margin, I have serious doubts about whether such a business model can generate any operational profit for Mulsan.”

“…”

“Dumping a flash bomb of supply and then suddenly stopping it because the margins don’t add up, the brand image of Goldline and Blackbean, as well as the trust of the franchisees towards the headquarters, could be jeopardized.”

“It’s an event that must never happen.”

“We need to meticulously check the details for that part. If the business from Mulsan’s side is prepared for the two risks we’re seeing…”

Im Hyung-jun licked his lips with the tip of his tongue and swallowed once.

“I believe Goldline and Blackbean could enter the overseas market right away.”

The Im Hyung-jun that Kang Moon-jung knows doesn’t make promises lightly.

He only makes promises he can keep.

As such, he doesn’t express confidence easily unless he’s certain about the content.

From the mouth of such a man, the words came out that even the yet-to-be-launched brand Blackbean could enter the overseas market right away.

Kang Moon-jung knew that at times like this, he needed to be even more calm and judge the situation rationally.

“The Marco Machine collaboration was introduced by me to the director, or was it recommended? Anyway, it was at the request of Director Yoon Tae-sik that I bridged with Mulsan.”

“Yes.”

“I told you before when I first brought it up to the director, but this is something the director needs to judge objectively, whether to try it or not.”

Im Hyung-jun could tell that the words coming from Executive Kang Moon-jung’s mouth were not just lip service for saving face.

“The Spanish sherry wine that Mulsan started handling. I guaranteed the entire volume. Of course, I won’t push all of it our way, but even so, we can handle that kind of item, that kind of volume.”

“Yes.”

“And…”

A shy smile appeared on Executive Kang Moon-jung’s face.

“Can I speak frankly?”

“Yes.”

“It’s also my husband’s first business venture, so I wanted to support it as much as I could. But not with Marco. It’s not just about receiving and selling in the distribution market.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Forget that it’s a project pushed by Director Yoon Tae-sik, and just look at the business itself. Objectively, see if it’s necessary for our distribution, for FP, if it’s a helpful business. That’s all you need to consider.”

“I’m doing just that.”

“If you still decide that proceeding with it will be beneficial for us…”

“…Yes.”

“If it goes well, it’s a win for the director and the FP division, and if not, it’s on me. So don’t feel too pressured and proceed comfortably. I trust you, Director. So, take a broad view of the risks and be as conservative as possible in assessing the chances of success, and approach those two risks you mentioned earlier.”

Those words from a moment ago.

Im Hyung-jun knew all too well that Executive Kang Moon-jung’s statement was an indirect expression of his immense confidence in Director Yoon Tae-sik’s abilities.

And Im Hyung-jun himself was all too familiar with the man named Yoon Tae-sik, hence his anticipation.

“Did you say the meeting with Director Yoon Tae-sik is at 2 PM?”

“Yes.”

“Please scrutinize everything thoroughly and come like that. These days, I’ve been avoiding my husband at home because of that Marco issue.”

At that, Im Hyung-jun’s cheeks slightly lifted.

“It seems even at home, the tenacity typical of Mulsan men shows.”

“Even if I’ve handed over full authority to you, Director, the moment I open my eyes, it’s all about Northern Italy this and that… Ugh, I’m tired of hearing it. Please, if you’re going to do it, do it, and if not, wrap it up cleanly so I don’t have to hear about it at home anymore.”

“Understood. I’ll go and then after a reevaluation of the details with the risk team, I’ll come back to you with only the results.”