[Strawberry PC] President Hwang Il-ho’s proposal was met with a thoughtful hesitation from Lee Hyun-woo.
While a 4% profit was certainly beneficial, the offer to spread the word for a 6% commission was an even better deal.
Moreover, unlike Kim Yoon-soo, Lee Hyun-woo knew well that Hwang Il-ho had considerable influence in the Yongsan Electronics Market.
‘I’ve got an opportunity to take a step further.’
But he didn’t bite the bait immediately.
“If you actively promote it… we can negotiate.”
“Of course, I will promote it. It’s a great site.”
“Hmm…”
“I don’t lie. I came here to strike while the iron is hot; if we sign the contract today and you post the announcement later, I’ll spread the word everywhere.”
He couldn’t trust the lie that claimed not to lie.
However, there is no negotiation where only one side takes 100% of the profit.
Pretending to yield, Lee Hyun-woo negotiated again.
“Then I’ll lower it to 4.5%.”
“Ah, Mr. Lee, you’re really a pro. A real expert.”
“I recently bought a mid-sized server. You see it over there?”
When he pointed to the server, Hwang Il-ho’s gaze followed.
“If you know the price, you should understand why it’s hard for me to lower the commission. And that’s not all. The salaries of the employees and the rent here are also quite substantial.”
“But since I’m selling it for 1 million won, I’m also losing money. And you’re taking this much commission…”
“Do you really need to sell it for 1 million won?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Offer a variety of prices. One Computer produces only one type of low-cost computer for events, but Mr. Hwang, you can go with more variety.”
“But they won’t sell. If there’s a 1 million won computer, who would look at the more expensive ones? Besides, these days, the bidding prices in the computer auctions on the [Jungle] site are dropping rapidly. It’s disheartening to check the prices they sell for, making me reconsider whether to keep listing them.”
Lee Hyun-woo also confirmed this.
And he thought it was very natural.
If a thousand units could sell instantly, other computers wouldn’t catch the eye.
In fact, the number of bids in the computer auctions on the [Jungle] website had significantly dropped in the past few days.
But did Lee Hyun-woo not consider this?
‘It’s a very natural result.’
Anyway, in the online auction sector, there are many individuals trading small items besides computers.
As these ‘individuals’ increase, the overall users of [Jungle] also increase.
While online shopping absorbed these users, everything was flowing as Lee Hyun-woo had planned.
‘No, it’s progressing faster than I thought.’
Even for someone living life for the second time, he didn’t expect it to progress this quickly.
So he could continue to boast confidently.
“Even in stores, they display cheaper bait items along with higher-spec computers.”
“Well, that’s because it’s a store.”
“You can see a website the same way. One Computer focused on the ‘1 million won limited event for a thousand units,’ but Mr. Hwang, if you focus on ‘starting from 1 million won’ and emphasize the event, you can increase sales.”
“Ah, I saw the event page too. So after the contract, you’ll post the event, right?”
“Of course.”
“Very bright, and big, and lastly, it should stand out. It seems a bit dull now.”
He had a natural knack for business.
A glance showed that Lee Jung-woo, who designed the event page, was fuming.
‘But it actually looks a bit lousy.’
Though he thought this internally, outwardly he continued to deal with Hwang Il-ho without showing it.
“These are the conditions we can offer. A 4.5% commission, no further concessions.”
“Hmm… okay. Since it’s the first deal, I’ll take a bit of a loss.”
Hwang Il-ho, whose every word was a lie, nodded, claiming he was taking a loss.
It was obvious that both sides knew they were deceiving each other.
Lee Hyun-woo also threw the same line.
“I also did this deal, hearing that you’d introduce us to many others in the future. I was firm on 5%, but my heart is too soft.”
Then they discussed the detailed conditions.
Which computers to include, what specifications, and at what prices.
After concluding everything, Hwang Il-ho left, and Lee Hyun-woo quickly called One Computer to inform them of the situation.
A single misstep in communication could have led Kim Yoon-soo to ruin the deal.
After all this, three employees marveled at him.
“Wow, boss, you’re really good at sales.”
“You really know how to handle people.”
“I’m envious, how do you speak so well?”
He let their compliments pass through one ear and out the other.
Not to maintain humility, but because this success was still too meager.
‘Better than I expected? Should I aim higher and achieve my goals faster?’
Having been reborn, he had already decided to dream bigger.
Now, he felt he could focus on achieving those dreams faster.
In that context, there was something else he needed.
“Mr. Lee Jung-woo, can you post another announcement, apart from the event page with Mr. Hwang?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“We need to recruit a sales representative.”
It seemed like it was time to find someone to share Lee Hyun-woo’s work.
That way, they could quickly expand from computers to other products.
Whether he read Lee Hyun-woo’s mind or not, Lee Jung-woo swiftly created the announcement.
“Boss, it’s done. Please take a look.”
“Oh, okay.”
Lee Hyun-woo immediately checked it.
Once again, he felt it was quite crude.
‘Does he lack a sense of design?’
At that moment.
“The colors don’t seem to match…”
A soft voice came from behind.
Lee Hyun-woo turned his head to see Yu Jin-young avoiding his gaze with a flushed face.
“You think the colors don’t match?”
“No, no.”
“It’s okay. Be honest.”
“Yes, it’s fine. Actually, I’m not good at design, so I’m open to any advice.”
Everyone has different talents.
Lee Jung-woo had also grown up knowing what he was good and bad at.
Moreover, Hwang Il-ho had openly said it was dull earlier, so he must have felt something.
So, being frank, he asked Yu Jin-young her opinion, and after overcoming her shyness, she began to speak.
“There’s too much black, making it feel dark and dreary. It would be better to use more white…”
“White is also a color that gives a sense of trust.”
Lee Hyun-woo had tried many things.
Marketing was also a field he had dabbled in, and he had picked up various insights over the years.
So while he couldn’t do it himself, he could identify areas for improvement when pointed out.
“Let’s go with white as the background, as Yu Jin-young suggested. It will make the company seem more reliable. And let’s make it a bit brighter and more cheerful.”
“Yes, boss.”
“Also, have Yu Jin-young review it after you finish. She seems to have a better sense of it than us.”
“No, I don’t…”
“You’re truly better than us. Please check it once it’s done.”
“Yes…”
A little later, the recruitment ad for a sales representative, with much better color coordination, was posted as a site announcement.
“It looks good, very nice.”
Now, the dull parts were completely gone, and it exuded a sense of trust and sparkle.
“Can I post it right away?”
“Yes, post it right away.”
Finally, Lee Jung-woo posted the announcement with a relieved expression.
Was it because it was so eye-catching?
Or because they didn’t impose educational restrictions?
The response was very enthusiastic within a day.
The next day, as soon as he arrived at work, Lee Jung-woo and Jang Yoo-chul reported the response.
“There are quite a few applicants.”
“Yes, there are already dozens of messages.”
“Does that mean more people are using our site?”
“Then, they must be people who are familiar with computers and the internet.”
In fact, the reason they posted the announcement on [Jungle] was for this very reason.
Deciding to continue recruiting in this manner in the future, Lee Hyun-woo quickly gave instructions.
“Print the messages in the order they were received.”
Yu Jin-young also helped with this task.
Soon, an A4 paper stack, showing more applicants than expected, was in front of Lee Hyun-woo.
He only needed to hire one person, but more than a hundred people showed interest.
Lee Hyun-woo reviewed each one.
And for various reasons, he began to exclude some applicants.
‘This person is overqualified.’
‘They’re older than me. That won’t work.’
‘They don’t seem sincere. This isn’t a joke.’
After narrowing it down, he gave further instructions.
Send notifications for interviews in the order of the messages received.
The new employee had to be taught everything by Lee Hyun-woo from start to finish, so there was no need for high qualifications.
Also, in Korea, it’s difficult to manage someone older than the boss.
Lastly, someone with strong pride and stubbornness was not suitable for sales, which would be confirmed during the interview.
After another day of dedication, Lee Hyun-woo finally selected a suitable candidate.
The new sales representative’s name was Han Se-jin.
He was twenty-five years old, two years younger than Lee Hyun-woo, having graduated from a vocational college and completed his military service.
Lee Hyun-woo had him shadow him from his first day.
The first place they had to visit was, of course, their top client, One Computer.
“Han Se-jin, greet Mr. Kim Yoon-soo, the president of One Computer.”
“Hello.”
“You hired a sales rep, huh?”
“Yes, I’m taking him around for introductions today.”
“Han Se-jin, was it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good, you’ve met a great boss. You’ll understand why I say this soon enough.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You respond well and have a good impression.”
“Yes, I think he’ll adapt quickly. My expectations are high.”
After ending the first conversation between the three, Lee Hyun-woo asked about One Computer’s situation.
“Are you busy?”
“Oh, extremely busy. I think we need to expand the factory a bit.”
Lee Hyun-woo knew well why he said that.
It wasn’t just selling well online.
Through word of mouth, group purchases were increasing here and there.
Recently, a nearby private high school heard about them and bought twenty units.
They then introduced other schools, increasing orders, necessitating more hires.
Even though sales outside [Jungle] meant no commission for him, Lee Hyun-woo didn’t mind.
As One Computer grew, affordable computers would quickly establish an IT ecosystem in South Korea.
‘By the way, shouldn’t I prepare for the future?’
Immediately, advice flowed from Lee Hyun-woo’s mouth.
“If you hire more people, have some of your brother’s smart friends do research.”
“Research?”
“Yes, you won’t always be selling 1 million won computers. Competitors will keep emerging.”
“That’s true.”
Currently, even without Kim Yoon-soo’s sales skills, they were selling like hotcakes due to their value for money.
But by market principles, competitors with both sales skills and value for money would inevitably appear.
A few days ago, Hwang Il-ho of [Strawberry PC] was one of those people.
“No one can deny that One Computer’s greatest strength is its value for money. Since they are computer science students, let them research how to improve specs while lowering costs. It will give you an edge in the future.”
“You’re saying not to be satisfied with the present and to prepare for the future.”
“Exactly.”
“Got it. Then instead of expanding the factory right away, I’ll hire more staff. And run two shifts…”
“If you find a suitable person, appoint them as a team leader.”
“Oh, I was thinking about that. Currently, we’re running three shifts, and I’ve appointed diligent and smart guys as team leaders. I’ll make the best one the head.”
“Also, don’t forget to invest in delivery and after-sales service.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and always check the finances. Expanding recklessly with debt can be disastrous.”
“There’s no need to incur debt right now. But, I got it. Thanks for the advice.”
“Lastly, no promissory note transactions. Understood?”
Whenever he visited, he would repeat some advice and add new ones.
It made him feel like he saw Kim Yoon-soo as family.
But did Kim Yoon-soo feel the same?
“Ah, Mr. Lee.”
“Yes?”
“My father wants to meet you. Can you spare some time?”
“…Me? Why?”
“Well, partly because you helped his son….”
“……”
“He mentioned he wants to invest in [Jungle].”
“……!”
