Money Likes Me Too - Chapter 71



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Episode 71.

Director Han Jang-soo did not easily say good things this time either.

“The Uber model will be difficult.”

It was as expected.

“It’s disappointing that you say something like that before we even start.”

“Uber is a service that started from the concept of a town car. It refers to a regular driver who takes money and gives rides instead of a taxi. Because that culture existed, there was less resistance. It’s a base that we don’t have.”

“You know, carpool.”

“That’s different. And carpooling is also illegal if you go beyond the designated destination and route.”

The law is stricter than I thought. I raised a question.

“If the laws are so complicated, how did Uber start its business in the first place?”

“He must have done it without any reason. Just like the CEO,” said Director Han. It seems that he himself doesn’t know exactly.

“Director Han has a point.”

Lee Jong-suk intervened.

“Uber was a startup. It was small at first. It didn’t get much attention. Once you start a service, there’s something called inertia. Even if you later regulate it by law and the government sanctions it, the market will never turn away from the needs and demands of customers who have experienced good service.”

But our circumstances are different, he continued.

“What’s different?”

“We are already on the verge of being designated as a major corporation. We can’t start without anyone knowing. The aftermath will be enormous.”

“Are you saying we shouldn’t do it?”

“I just explained the difference in position between Uber and our Cocoa.”

One manager nodded.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

He added as if remembering something.

“Even Silicon Valley guru Ron Conway shook his head at Uber and said, ‘This service will probably go down in flames fighting regulators all over the country.’ That turned out to be wrong. It’s going to be a tough fight. It’s not a fight they need to fight.”

If the market is not ready to accept it yet, you can be a cheetah and come later while the first mover goes through trial and error, like in the case of Lycos and Google. That was the story Han Jang-soo wanted to tell.

Lycos······.

That was my role model. That’s it. Those words made my heart stronger.

“There is one more problem.”

The manager, unaware of my feelings, continued to speak passionately.

“What now?”

“For Cocoa Taxi to become established, taxi drivers need to download and install the app.”

“No, why is that a problem?”

I wondered what was going on.

As if he had been waiting for me to speak, one manager picked up his phone and showed me some statistical data.

“Look.”

This was the smartphone usage rate by age group.

“As of last year (2015), those in their 50s and above accounted for 80%, while those in their 60s and above accounted for less than 50%. It may have gone up a bit now, but that’s about it.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Taxi drivers are one of the oldest occupations. This means that smartphones are being adopted later than in other occupations. Can drivers without smartphones properly use our service?”

He has prepared thoroughly. As expected, he is a great general.

“So does that mean I can’t do it?”

“Yes. Only after we don’t buy you the latest smartphones······.”

Oh no, suddenly one of the managers covered his mouth with his hand.

But it was already too late.

‘Eureka.’

The shape of my mouth was forming the word he hated the most. He looked dejected. He hit the player.

“You know what I’m going to say, right?”

“······I think so.”

It was tears of sorrow.

‘After all, it’s best when many people put their heads together.’

This is why we have daily scrums and focus meetings. They solve problems right away. Most of Cocoa’s services were born that way. Just like the business model of ‘Cocoa Taxi’ just came to light.

“Let’s sort it out.”

I finished it.

“Cocoa Farm TF is already being handled by Team Leader Lee Chae-min, so let’s leave that out. We’ll need someone who can take charge of Cocoa Taxi in the future. Director Han will be in charge of this and will arrange it well.”

My eyes turned to Lee Jong-suk.

“CEO Lee Jong-seok, please come see me for a moment.”

I knew that the two were secretly plotting something inside KSH Holdings. Lee Jong-suk looked embarrassed.

As expected, you are quick-witted.

“If you have anything to say······.”

“Tricell Holdings, you invested without my permission, right? Even though the past cannot be undone, I must tell you this.”

“······Please speak.”

It was a guilty expression.

“It’s 5%.”

1% is no longer feasible. A harsher penalty was needed than the last Bitcoin.

“You two will be jointly responsible for 5% of the results of this investment. Mr. Lee as a manager, and Mr. Lim as a practitioner. I want you two to decide the ratio of responsibility. Do you understand what I mean?”

* * *

The day at the Hwapyeong Individual Taxi Association, located in a three-story building near the intersection, always started with the same words.

“Have a good day today too.”

Union leader Lee Bong-du sat down with a newspaper in one hand and a paper cup in the other. It was a habit he had maintained without fail for over 30 years.

It was a peaceful morning.

There was no computer in his office. The only work device he could use was a typewriter, and he used the Eagle Typing method.

Ring, ring.

‘Who’s calling at this hour?’

The taxi picks up passengers and drives away. The union just watches. There is little to do. The only phone calls he gets are occasional drinking appointments.

“Hello.”

He answered in a gravelly voice.

– No, look here, Mr. Union Leader. What the hell is going on?

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about, washing away ghosts?”

– How can someone who is called the union leader be so obscure? Tsk tsk. Haven’t you heard the rumors? There’s already no one in Hwapyong who doesn’t know.

rumor?

– Haven’t you really heard that Cocoa is making some kind of app for private taxis? Oh my, really. They’re saying they’re going to do a pilot project in Hwapyong, but isn’t that just them trying to take away our jobs? That’s what I’m saying.

Lee Bong-du repeated his words stupidly.

“Taxi Dad?”

– I guess you really didn’t hear me.

The roots of his ears turned red.

I already had a bad memory of hearing some of the union members gossiping about what the need was for a union leader who just played around. It wasn’t a matter of being embarrassed. The position was dangerous.

– With this, why are we trusting you and re-electing you as the union leader? Do you know that Sang-gu is holding on to that position? Behave properly, union leader.

The phone call was disconnected.

‘This is not the time.’

He came to his senses and picked up the receiver again.

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– I am Jo Wang-beom······.

“Congressman Cho! If something like that happens, shouldn’t you tell me first? I’m upset.”

– What are you talking about? It’s so endless.

This time it was Jo Wang-beom’s turn to get angry.

That evening, Lee Bong-doo and Lee Jong-suk met through Jo Wang-beom’s arrangement.

“Nice to meet you. This is KSH Lee Jong-suk.”

“I am Lee Bong-du.”

Lee Bong-du expressed his complaints on behalf of the union members.

It means that he won’t stay still.

He started by saying that he would file a complaint with the government and city hall and, if necessary, report it to the media to start a full-scale fight, but his words ended up as a threat asking if he wanted to see all taxi drivers from across the country gather at Hwapyeong Intersection.

It was an overt threat. Lee Jong-suk snickered.

“Don’t worry.”

“How could I not be worried? I am the head of the union representing all taxi drivers in Hwapyung.”

“Union leader.”

It was a gentle voice.

“Have you ever seen anything detrimental to the citizens of Hwapyung in our cocoa?”

For a moment, Lee Bong-du was speechless. It was true.

“You may not believe it, but I will share here what our CEO, Kang Si-Hyeon, said. You can listen to it and then decide again.”

He then stated some conditions.

First, the dispatch algorithm currently used by the union will be operated by Cocoa instead. Fees will be waived for one year.

Second, all taxi drivers will be able to replace their mobile phones with the latest model smartphones free of charge. This condition is that, as long as the contract with Cocoa is maintained, if the smartphone breaks down, it can be replaced with a new smartphone.

“Do you think that will be enough?”

But the voice had already softened.

“It’s a matter of making a living. If the income is not good, what’s the use of changing that cell phone? What am I wrong about?”

“Listen to what I have to say.”

Lee Jong-suk glanced at the old feature phone on the table. It was Lee Bong-doo’s. It was clearly an old phone that was over ten years old.

“Try it somewhere.”

Yes, Lee Jong-suk continued.

“If the Hwapyong Individual Taxi Association can just make this contract, we will arrange for all taxis owned by the association members to be repaired free of charge within Hwapyong City. We at Cocoa will cover all the costs. Do you think this is enough?”

“······Hmm.”

This was a truly groundbreaking condition. It was only after Jo Wang-beom had passed the halfway mark that he finally shouted at him.

“Look at that. You didn’t even listen to me and just got angry, but now what? Under these conditions, wouldn’t you be able to do anything?”

That’s how the negotiation ended.

On the way back, Lee Jong-suk thought.

‘This isn’t Uber, but rather an original Cocoa model that even Uber Grandpa can’t imitate.’

Before coming, Kang Si-hyeon dismissed it like this.

‘Let’s spread the word properly in Hwapyung. If other regions don’t do it, they won’t be able to learn. Let’s take a long-term view. If you’re afraid of entering the market, you won’t be able to do anything. Don’t leave out my suggestions.’

* * *

[ ‘Cocoa Taxi’ gets off to a smooth start. ······ ‘Please expand nationwide quickly.’ ‘I want to ride a Cocoa Taxi too.’ Complaints continue. ]

It was as expected.

It hasn’t even been a few months since we launched simultaneously on the App Store and Play Store, and we’ve already spent a lot of money on Hwapyung alone.

The number of downloads and usage continues to increase.

But my heart was strong. It didn’t waver.

I have no doubt that it will become a money-eating hippopotamus in the future. As it expands its market to other cities in the future, its costs will go up even more.

‘At first I thought it was just a taxi.’

It was more satisfying than I expected.

It was different from Oi Market.

At the time of Hwapyeong Market, there was no profit model, so the future was optimistic. However, as time went by, things went differently than expected. The same goes for Hwapyeong-gil. As word of mouth spread, people from all over Gyeonggi-do flocked to the area.

It was heartbreaking to realize economies of scale. I could never let the ‘Cocoa Taxi’ take the same route.

So, I had Lee Jong-suk propose some groundbreaking conditions to the union.

The apparent reason was to suppress opposition from individual taxi drivers and their unions and to revitalize the local economy by providing support for repair costs. However, the real reason was different.

‘It’s going well.’

Well begun is half done.

I already spent half of the investment I had expected on taxis. I had no idea how much money it would cost to start cocoa farms and cocoa flowers. I liked it.

“An official document has arrived from the Fair Trade Commission.”

A manager came in.

“Tomorrow. If our cocoa is designated as a large corporation, you will also become the same person, the CEO. If you become the CEO, you will have much more responsibilities than you do now. Regulations will also become stricter.”

It’s nice to hear that.

“Special relationship person, this doesn’t really apply to you, CEO.”

“Is there anything else you need?”

“If you have any questions, I will answer them right away.”

He answered coolly.

“There is one thing I’ve always wanted to do.”

One of the directors’ eyebrows twitched. ‘What are you going to say next?’ His eyes were filled with fear.

I continued talking as if I didn’t know.

“It’s the same with Google and Apple. Even though the founders serve as CEOs, don’t they eventually become chairman of the board?”

“That’s true.”

“I think it’s time for me too.”

We are now a large corporation. When I said that we need to have a suitable status, a question mark appeared in the eyes of one of the directors.

“Please, Director Han, take over the work I was doing. I mean, be the CEO.”

The moment has finally come.

It was something I had always wanted to do. The salary of a manager is too low. You have to be a CEO to spend some money. I finally achieved my dream.

“······.”

Director Han’s expression hardened.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“It was so unexpected that I didn’t know what to say.”

“You don’t hate it, do you?”

He barely managed to answer.

“How could I not like it? I just don’t know if I have the skills to take on the job.”

It was a moved voice.

“I’m not lacking in ability, but I’m a bit lacking in cars.”

I continued.

“In that sense, I have already instructed Team Leader Choi Dong-hoon. He is to immediately prepare 11 Benz E450s, including drivers, for the new CEO of Cocoa to drive.”

“11th?”

What soccer team is that? he mumbled.

“Of course, each manager should only use one.”

I said cut.

“The rest of the cars will be used by the Cocoa Taxi business division. The service name is ‘Cocoa Taxi First Class’, and we plan to start a premium service that any Hwapyong citizen can use like a regular taxi.”

‘Damn. I knew it.’

It didn’t take a second for the emotion to fade from Han Jang-soo’s face.

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