chapter 24
“That’s a good analogy. We draw in the quantity while pretending to be saturated, and then suddenly increase it again and win the order.”
“Exactly.”
I said with a thumbs up.
“Good good. Nice idea. I do. Something seems to be getting better, President Kim.”
At my praise, Deokbae Kim scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed.
“Go, thank you.”
“Then how long do you think it will take to reach saturation?”
At my words, Deokbae Kim calculated for a while and then said,
“Honestly, at the current pace, I don’t think it will take long. Even if Skeleton 2,000 only produces shoes 24 hours a day, it is about 5 million pairs per month, but we are not only making shoes.”
The reason for purchasing a large factory is to have a hybrid system that makes everything in one factory.
Therefore, if roughly half of the production is invested in shoes, it would be 2.5 million, but Rocco alone had already filled a quarter of that amount.
“Good, good. Then set standards. When production is saturated, let’s pretend it’s too much for just one week and then add five hundred.”
“I don’t think that’s bad enough… No, but if you keep making five hundred pieces, how many do you want to make?”
“Until it is.”
“Anyway, I wonder if our company is bringing all the shoes from China. hahahaha. It sounds like a dream, of course.”
“How many workers do you have there?”
“Don’t be alarmed.”
Deokbae Kim said with a tired expression.
“There are more than one million people involved in shoe making alone, one million people. Anyway, one Chinese man-made tactic must be acknowledged.”
You might think I would be surprised by the sheer number of employees and the size of the industry, but I was the opposite.
“Baby?”
Is that all it is?
With that, the shoe-related industry raises sales of tens of trillions?
“Baby… baby?”
is not it?
After all, large Korean companies, including subcontractors, would not be hundreds of thousands of employees, but their sales would be in the hundreds of trillions.
Looking at that, it is definitely a low value-added industry, so it seems that sales are small compared to the number of workers.
Anyway, that’s enough to make tens of trillions of sales possible, right?
What can I do?
After all, China’s role as the world’s factory was created by stealing jobs from other countries with cheap labor costs.
don’t be too sorry
It’s all because I’m thinking of writing it in a good place.
“You mean 1 million skeletons can eat all of China’s shoe industry? no Skeletons work 24 hours a day without weekends, so 300,000 seems like enough?”
“Are you serious?”
“You know? Will I really make 300,000?”
I am the one who made and dragged 500,000 combat units.
At least 300,000 skeletons to make shoes, but 3 million won’t be a problem?
Deokbae Kim said with an awkward expression.
“Now I can’t tell if it’s a joke or serious.”
“I guess that’s just how it is.”
I’m too lazy to explain.
just see and feel
I said with a grin.
“If I were to be in quantity again, I would be the kind of person who wouldn’t fall out anywhere. Let’s see what happens.”
*
When it became saturated, I dragged the time a bit, added a skeleton, and added it again.
It was a series of simple infinite repetitions, but the effect was enormous.
The shoe makers, led by Rocco, who had tasted Seron’s products, took out the amount to be given to other factories and pushed it to Seron.
Thanks to this, Saeron is growing at a terrifying rate day by day.
However, there was one thing that was disappointing.
“Why are all the proposals from mid-sized manufacturers coming?”
When people think of shoes, the world’s top 10 manufacturers come to mind right away.
Those makers are the most coveted prey, recording sales of more than 10 trillion won a year, but they do not bite.
“I heard that a place like Nice is worth tens of trillions of dollars in annual sales alone. It would be a complete bunch of money if we got the stock there.”
Deokbae Kim shook his head and said.
“At that level, the position is a bit different from that of mid-sized manufacturers.”
“why?”
“Usually mid-sized makers compete with design and marketing. However, when you become a global top maker, you tend to put your technology first.”
“Technical skills…”
“We develop and apply various new materials needed for shoes, and show off our technological prowess by wearing shoes with our technology applied to famous sports stars. The problem is that manufacturers do not simply develop these new materials alone. A new material has been developed through technical cooperation or joint research with a long-term partner, but suddenly the production line is moved to our side? It’s not that easy.”
Unlike mid-sized makers that make from materials widely available on the market, top makers have thicker barriers to entry.
I said with a sad expression.
“Technology.”
The only thing Seron lacks is technology.
Our main weapon is the ultimate cost performance that is not available in the world.
“Of course you don’t have to worry. It’s something that will be resolved with time anyway. No matter how technical the relationship is, the relationship will never last forever. In the end, if Seron continues to grow, the response will come first from there, and we will transfer technology, so why not cooperate? If we build a relationship like that, someday, the quantity from that manufacturer will naturally come to us.”
“How are you so sure?”
Then, Deokbae Kim said with a bitter expression.
“…because the Korean shoe industry has gone bankrupt like that.”
“ah.”
“Mid-sized makers who have a lot of room for maneuver and lack a penny get out first. And top-tier makers, who are big and have technical barriers, slowly exit. It is a natural cycle for the footwear industry.”
In other words, the theory is the opposite.
First of all, the mid-sized makers come first, then the top makers.
“Then shouldn’t we also develop some skills to prepare for the future?”
“There is nothing to lose by developing your skills.”
“Should we make a research institute?”
As I thought about it for a while, Kim Deok-bae looked at me and said.
“CEO, do you know the Korea Footwear Association?”
“What is it?”
“This is an association that was created when Korea was in full swing for shoes. Originally, it was an organization representing the interests of shoe companies… Well, now it has become virtually infamous. It’s because the shoe industry itself, which is the foundation, has completely collapsed. Still, it is the largest and only organization in Korea with hundreds of shoe factories as members.”
“Why is there a shoe association all of a sudden?”
“I am talking about technology. The factories belonging to the association are truly elite, having survived even in China’s low-price offensive. Of course, the skills accumulated so far are at a considerable level. This is especially true for special footwear such as safety boots. Wouldn’t it be possible to reinforce the technology lacking in Seron the fastest if we have a technical partnership with those factories?”
“Ohh?”
Shoe factories that have competed with technology against China’s cost-effectiveness.
Of course, even if it were, it would fall far short of the top-tier maker’s technology boasting tens of trillions of sales, but it would still be quite high compared to Seron.
Deokbae Kim said with a shy expression.
“In fact, I am also one of the long-time members of the association, and the association has been constantly contacting me and suggesting that the representative join the association. In the meantime, I’ve been rejecting all of them because it was obvious that the CEO’s personality would bother me, but since you talked about technology, I remembered.”
I said with a smile.
“You understand it well.”
If it wasn’t for the technology story, I probably wouldn’t have even looked at it.
Join the association because I miss something?
However, technical cooperation with association members is quite appealing.
“In addition, most of the association members have been in the shoe industry for decades, so they have a lot of personal connections, so it won’t be bad to get along.”
That’s right…
I thought about it for a while and said.
“Then sign up. President Kim is also a member anyway, so what difference does it make if I add one more?”
Deokbae Kim nodded and said.
“hahahaha. All right.”
“You won’t be territorial and bother me, right?”
“Oh, what a terrifying person. I am a 25 year association member, and my acquaintance there is a truck. Who would dare bother the CEO?”
“Then, President Kim, please coordinate it yourself.”
Deokbae Kim nodded and said.
“All right. I will talk to the association.”
*
Shortly after I expressed my intention to join through Deok-bae Kim, Deok-bae Kim and I were invited to hold a welcome ceremony to join.
however.
“Is the welcome ceremony really big and grand like this?”
The Footwear Association rented an entire large hall and hosted a welcome ceremony.
Then, even Kim Deok-bae, who pushed for joining the association and a 25-year-old member of the association, said with a puzzled expression.
“This is the first time I’ve seen something like this…”
Deokbae Kim, who was embarrassed for a while, smiled and said.
“Doesn’t that mean that the CEO’s position has changed?”
“Hmm.”
I said while looking at the banner that said, “Chairman Han Ji-hyeok sign-up ceremony.”
“We’ve come this far, let’s go inside.”
When I went inside like that, I saw about 200 people filling the hall.
Then a middle-aged man came up to me and grabbed my hand.
“Welcome, Representative Han. This is Yoo Yoo-oh, president of the Footwear Association.”
“Nice to meet you, Chairman.”
Then the people sitting in the hall clapped and shouted.
“welcome!”
“and!”
Yoo Yu-oh said with a smile.
“Everyone rushed at the thought of a representative joining the association. hahahaha.”
“ah. yes.”
“Let’s go to the front for now, since you are the main character today.”
As I was walking alone under the guidance of Yoo Yu-oh, I spoke to Kim Deok-bae in a small voice.
“Can you understand the situation?”
Then, Kim Deok-bae, who was greeting acquaintances in the hall, also said that he felt strange.
“Something is strange. I’ve never had such a high attendance rate at a regular general meeting…”
“is it so?”
An unprecedented large-scale signup event that surprised Deokbae Kim.
And to the absurdly high participation rate.
I quietly walked along Yu Yuo and said with a smile.
“It’s fun.”
I don’t know the exact situation, but this one thing is clear.
This place is absolutely not just a place to celebrate my joining.
I am more confident because I have endured envy, jealousy, and hatred for nearly 30 years.
After sitting in the seat that Yoo Yu-oh guided us to, Yu Yu-oh went up to the podium, grabbed the microphone, and started talking.
“Now that the main character has arrived, let’s start the welcoming ceremony in earnest.”
The members of the association applaud enthusiastically at those words.
“First of all, before we begin the welcome ceremony, we need to reexamine our reality. As you know, Korea was once the world’s second largest exporter of shoes.”
I said to Deokbae Kim with a slightly surprised expression.
“Second place? Are you serious?”
“yes. There was a time like that.”
That’s why it fell like this in just a few decades.
Rather good.
Saeron goes in exactly the reverse order with the Korean shoe industry, so the fact that the Korean shoe industry quickly collapsed means that Saeron can grow that fast.
At that time, Yoo Yu-oh continued his speech.
“At that time, there were thousands of shoe factories across the country and hundreds of thousands of people working in related industries. On the other hand, how about now?”
Yoo Yu-oh said with a sad expression.
“There are only a little over 300 companies left in Korea, and none of them have more than 500 employees. The number of workers, which reached hundreds of thousands, has become less than 10,000, or 7,000, and even that is not enough, and it continues to decrease with negative growth every year. Everyone said, the Korean shoe industry is over.”
wow.
I thought it was ruined and jumped in, but it was really ruined.
All of the industries that were ranked second in the world are going bankrupt, and all workers are in the 7,000 range, and even that is decreasing every year.
Then, excluding office workers, how many actual workers are there?
I said in a quiet voice.
“It wouldn’t work for us even if we combined all the remaining factories in Korea.”
Deokbae Kim nodded and said.
“It’s been a while since that happened. Didn’t I tell you, you can’t play games with China and Southeast Asia? In fact, it’s a dragon that has survived so far.”
Then Yu-Oh shouted.
“but!”
Yoo Yu-oh said with a spirited expression.
“That’s when CEO Han Ji-hyeok appeared! And with a new construction method using a skeleton, he personally showed that there is still hope for the Korean shoe industry!”
“We are taking back the shoe industry from China, which took away the whole Korean shoe industry using cheap labor! Isn’t this the dream we’ve always longed for? Rebuilding the Korean shoe industry!”
“and!”
Receiving applause from the association members, Yoo Yoo-oh exclaimed.
“If CEO Han Ji-hyeok shares that power with us, we can all stand up together! Informing the world of what coexistence is and that simply cheap labor costs are not everything! Isn’t that so!”
“you’re right!”
“I am confident that CEO Han Ji-hyeok’s joining the association will signal the revival of the Korean shoe industry! Together with CEO Han Ji-hyeok’s skeleton, we all stand up together!”
As if responding to the words of the president, the association members shouted.
“Han Ji-hyeok! Han Ji-hyeok!”
I said with a smile.
“I did something and it was this.”
In the end, I turned around and asked to borrow a skeleton.
I’m just going to go out.
When are you dealing with this many annoying people?
okay.
technology what technology
Just export as usual…
“for a moment!”
Deokbae Kim, who was sitting next to him, jumped up from his seat and said.
“As a member of the association and as an employee of Seron, I would like to say something. President of the association, this is something we haven’t talked about before, so can we talk about it at an official event like this?!”
Deok-bae Kim said with blood in his eyes, as if he was genuinely angry when he heard a strange sound when he tried to sign up.
The members of the association who cheered at Kim Deok-bae’s words began to hum.
“uh? Wasn’t that just a rough talk?”
“what?”
hmm?
what.
that reaction.
I heard that it was just a story?
At that time, Deokbae Kim said with an angry expression.
“Skeleton is a core resource of our Seron, but at the same time it is representative Han’s unique ability. How is this different from asking the Awoken to share their abilities!”
Then the president of the association said with a calm expression.
“Come on, calm down. Isn’t that just discussing possibilities? And I’m not asking you to borrow it for free, but for a fair price…”
“Then you have to make a formal request, how can you drive the situation like this!”
I thought as I listened to the conversation between the two.
‘The members of the association are embarrassed by receiving strange comments in advance. And the president of the association who continues to drive the situation.’
I said with my eyes shining.
“This, someone is cheating on you from behind.”
It was clear that someone who coveted the skeleton’s labor force was leading the situation after cheating on the association and its members.
“Ohh······.”
I was thinking of just ignoring everything and going out, but that would change the story.
How dare you launch a campaign against me?
If you needed a skeleton, you should have knelt in front of me and begged.
Then I would have at least pretended to think about it from my point of view, trying to be a good person.
I closed my eyes and thought, ignoring the head of the association and Deokbae Kim who were arguing.
‘how will we do it.’
It’s burdensome to deal with me directly, so the opponent who put the association in front.
The reason that was possible was that, although there was wind in it, all the members of the association coveted my hand called Skeleton enough to be shaken by the wind.
then······.
I said with a smirk.
“Can I just eat the association?”
If you eat away only the association, the soles of Korean shoes will be completely mine.
At the same time, it’s like stealing all the weapons from those who cheated on you from behind.
The reason I didn’t enter the Korean domestic market in the first place was because I was concerned about the backlash from the existing companies, but if I eat the whole association, I’ll make all the existing companies on my side, so I don’t have to worry anymore.
I turned my head to examine the expressions on the faces of the other association members.
The members of the Association, who were taken aback by the wrong words, look darker as the debate between Kim Deok-bae and the president of the Association gets longer.
“…You mean you won’t lend it after all?”
“The good ones will only be written by them.”
“sh*t.”
The more the president of the association and Deok-bae Kim argue, the more the atmosphere becomes more and more negative towards Sae-ron.
It’s like we’re becoming selfish?
Perhaps this is the situation the guys in the back are aiming for.
“Even though······!”
I said while holding the arm of Deokbae Kim, who kept getting angry.
“Stop it, Mr. Kim.”
If we argue further, we will only lose.
“yes?! But, boss!”
“You can stop.”
I got up and said.
“The president of the association.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Looks like we’re having trouble communicating with each other.”
I said with a bright smile.
“For now, why don’t we break up today, settle our positions and meet again soon?”