Episode 10: Daese Industries
Lee Chang-jin went through the HR department and requested a meeting with Executive Director Kim Kyung-goo. Fortunately, the executive director, who was in the office, readily agreed. As Lee Chang-jin entered the executive’s office, he politely greeted him first.
“Hello, Director Kim. It’s been a while.”
“Come in, Manager Lee. I was about to call you, so you came at the right time.”
Executive Director Kim Kyung-goo, the head of the department, was a middle-aged man with a small build and a rat-like face. He wore a wig, which was awkwardly obvious, to cover his bald head.
Standing up from his chair, he greeted Lee Chang-jin enthusiastically.
“Come, have a seat here. Let’s start with a cup of tea.”
As they sat across from each other on the sofa, Executive Director Kim Kyung-goo offered tea with a big smile on his face.
“Actually, I also had something to say to you. But since you came, it saved me the trouble of looking for you.”
“Are you referring to me?”
When Lee Chang-jin, holding the teacup, asked back, Kim Kyung-goo nodded.
“Yes, it’s about the certification allowance this time. To be honest, the company’s budget for incentives this time is quite limited, so it’s a bit troublesome.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I acknowledge that you have worked twice as hard as others, but there are more people who obtained certifications this time than expected. So, the budget allocated for the allowance is a bit tight. Given the current economy, it’s difficult to reallocate additional funds. So, I was thinking… how about making a concession from a broader perspective?”
Lee Chang-jin, suspecting the reason for this sudden talk, calmly asked.
“What kind of concession are you talking about?”
“How about receiving the certification allowance for only two categories this time? Oh, don’t misunderstand. You won’t be the only one receiving unfair treatment. We’ve decided internally to limit the allowance to one category per person. However, since you’re a special case, I’ll make sure you get a bit more. The rest will be actively reflected in your performance review. What do you think? Not a bad proposal, right?”
“……”
As Lee Chang-jin remained silent, the executive director pulled out a fountain pen and handed it to him. On the table was an agreement to receive the allowance for only two categories.
“If you take the lead, other employees won’t have any complaints. Isn’t promotion more important than a few extra bucks?”
Realizing what the executive director wanted, Lee Chang-jin understood that he intended to use him as a shield to justify the reduction in allowances for other employees.
From Kim’s perspective, reducing expenses would be more beneficial for his performance, and he clearly wanted to take credit for this.
Seeing through this obvious ploy, Lee Chang-jin was honestly astonished.
He had always known him to be a cunning person, but this was too petty.
For employees who had devoted themselves to studying with the allowance in mind, it was quite infuriating.
However, Lee Chang-jin did not get angry. The truth was, he had no intention of clinging to the allowance since he had come to quit the company. Not wanting to engage in a lengthy conversation, he took out his resignation letter from his suit pocket and handed it over.
“Well, you can handle it as you see fit, but please accept this first.”
Kim Kyung-goo, receiving the envelope, looked puzzled.
“What is this…?”
“It’s my resignation letter.”
Director Kim Kyung-goo was taken aback by his words. A resignation letter out of the blue.
Seeing the bewildered expression on the executive director’s face, Lee Chang-jin bowed politely.
“Thank you for everything. I apologize for suddenly expressing my resignation without notice.”
“No, Manager Lee, are you playing a trick on me? Why are you doing this all of a sudden? Have you been dissatisfied with the company or with me?”
Lee Chang-jin smiled faintly.
“No, it’s a misunderstanding. How could I harbor any resentment towards you, Director?”
“Then why are you quitting? Did you receive an offer from another company?”
Responding calmly to his sharp attitude, Lee Chang-jin replied.
“It’s not like that. I want to become independent. I’ve always dreamed of starting my own business, and I’ve made up my mind this time.”
Director Kim, fiddling with the resignation letter for a moment, thought it wasn’t right and tried to persuade him.
“Hey, if there’s something that’s upset you, why not resolve it first? The higher-ups have a high regard for your performance. If you’ve received an offer from another company, why not stay with our company? I’ll make sure to support you fully.”
Changing his previously high-handed attitude, Director Kim coaxed gently. In truth, Lee Chang-jin was a notable talent within the company.
He had recently obtained five technical certifications in quick succession, making him a strong candidate for the next executive role. With impeccable skills and a good reputation, it was clear he would rise without much effort.
However, it was a meaningless offer to Lee Chang-jin, who had already made up his mind.
“Thank you for your words, but I am not considering moving to another company. I genuinely want to start my own business.”
“Going solo? But why now? Couldn’t you gain more experience and then become independent?”
Director Kim, anxious at Lee Chang-jin’s rejection, tried to persuade him further. He knew that if Lee Chang-jin left for a competitor, he would be blamed for losing a valuable talent. He continued to coax him gently.
“Think it over again. Do you know how good it is here? You’re the top candidate for a promotion. Why take on unnecessary hardship when you could easily rise up…?”
Indeed, he was right. However, Lee Chang-jin wanted to ask.
Even if you rise through the ranks, does that make it your own company?
A salaried worker remains a servant until death, never the owner.
Lee Chang-jin had realized this truth in his previous life when he ventured into business.
But there was no need to voice this thought.
Someone like Director Kim, who was engrossed in his role as a house steward, would never understand.
Seeing Lee Chang-jin’s silent stance, Director Kim asked again, seemingly frustrated.
“Then, what kind of business are you planning to start? At least tell me your idea.”
“It’s still in the planning stage, so I’ll tell you after I start.”
Who would be foolish enough to reveal their business idea?
However, Director Kim seemed to interpret it differently.
“Business isn’t as easy as it seems. Throwing away a stable job—what kind of foolish talk is that? In five years, you might feel disillusioned with corporate life. But society is a real jungle. What are the chances of suddenly starting a business and succeeding? 10 percent? 1 percent? Stop having such idle thoughts and stay with the company. I may have miscommunicated about the allowance, so I’ll make sure you get the full amount. Take a few days off to clear your head.”
Feeling exhausted by Director Kim’s sly changes in the narrative, Lee Chang-jin stood up abruptly.
“Director, I’m sorry, but my decision won’t change. I’m sorry for not meeting your expectations. I’ll take my leave now. I’ve already informed the HR manager to process my resignation by the end of this month.”
With a polite bow, Lee Chang-jin turned his back without hesitation.
Watching his departing figure in a daze, Director Kim called out in confusion.
“Hey, Manager Lee! Manager Lee!”
Stepping out of the building, Lee Chang-jin took out a cigarette and lit it.
Inhaling the white smoke, he smirked.
He’s probably cursing me out right now.
Taking a deep breath, Lee Chang-jin exhaled the cigarette smoke. The thick smoke scattered like mist.
In fact, Lee Chang-jin was proud of himself for maintaining his composure in front of Director Kim.
In his previous life, Director Kim had played a significant role in ruining his life.
Lee Chang-jin had been falsely accused of smuggling cement and had fallen because Director Kim had framed him to cover up his own embezzlement.
Because of this, Lee Chang-jin had avoided direct confrontation with Director Kim. He was afraid that seeing him again would make him so angry that he wouldn’t know what he might do. However, when he met him again with determination, he was surprised to find himself more composed than he expected and somewhat disappointed.
To think my life was ruined because of such a pathetic person.
Director Kim, as seen by Lee Chang-jin, was indeed a frog in a well.
A person who believed the world inside the well was all there was.
Maybe time had passed, but he didn’t feel much regret.
After all, it was something that hadn’t happened yet in this life.
However, Lee Chang-jin hadn’t forgotten how Director Kim had betrayed him.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Lee Chang-jin was not the type to leave a potential threat that could become an obstacle in his life.
Therefore, before resigning, he had meticulously gathered evidence of Director Kim’s embezzlement and kickbacks and sent them anonymously to the Mannheim headquarters’ audit team and a major domestic newspaper.
“Director Kim, don’t blame me. Everyone reaps what they sow…”
Lee Chang-jin stubbed out his cigarette.
That day, Lee Chang-jin never looked back.
“Large-scale restructuring at foreign company M, embezzlement case worth 1 billion won, is this the moral hazard of an elite…?”
Two weeks later, an article reminiscent of Mannheim was prominently featured in a morning newspaper. It reported that an executive at a certain company had been arrested for embezzlement.
The reported crimes included falsifying output cards by stamping extra seals, inflating labor costs, embezzling holiday work allowances for dispatched field workers, misappropriating various expenses and allowances, and even receiving monthly kickbacks from subcontractors.
Considering that the average annual salary of the working class was less than 1.2 million won at the time, 1 billion won was an unimaginable amount. People at a Chinese restaurant in Mapo-gu, reading the newspaper, couldn’t help but gossip.
“Wow, 1 billion won… What did an executive at such a big company lack to do something like this?”
“It’s always the rich who do worse. Didn’t you see the guy who stole aquatic products while driving a foreign car? He sneaked onto a fishing boat at night and stole crabs and mantis shrimp.”
“Yeah, right. Wow, this guy even embezzled night shift allowances… Such a rotten scoundrel. People like him should be fried in dirty water, seriously.”
“Hey, that’s disgusting. Can’t you see I’m eating jajangmyeon?”
“Oh, sorry, I got excited. But how much jail time do you think he’ll get?”
“I don’t know. If I knew, I’d be a judge. Haven’t they introduced new special laws recently? Looking at the list of crimes, it seems like he’ll get at least a few years… Even if he hires a top lawyer, he’ll probably end up penniless after the lawsuits.”
“Well, his life is ruined then. Why do bad things when good times don’t last forever?”
Enjoying his jjampong, Lee Chang-jin watched the news showing Director Kim Kyung-goo in handcuffs and calmly continued eating.
With his head hung low, wearing a hat and a mask, Director Kim looked haggard.
Lee Chang-jin chewed on a plump octopus head as if it were his sworn enemy.
The spicy seafood jjampong tasted fierier than usual.
While Mannheim was abuzz with intense internal investigations, Lee Chang-jin embarked on his entrepreneurial journey. He secured a 20-pyeong office in Mapo-gu and hired three employees through a manpower agency.
He chose Hapjeong-dong in Mapo-gu because it was surrounded by various industrial companies.
Although the rent was high, it was advantageous for business to be in a high-demand area like Seoul until the business was on track. Additionally, Seoul had established infrastructure, making it easier to procure materials.
Furthermore, with the help of President Kim Cheol-ho, Lee Chang-jin rented an abandoned warehouse in Hapjeong-dong. It took about ten days to convert the 2,000-pyeong site with a 450-pyeong building into a factory.
The equipment he prepared included three second-hand German welding machines, two grinders, an old small lathe, and two milling machines.
However, thinking that this was just the beginning, he felt a peculiar sense of excitement.
The company name was Daese Industries—the same name he had used in his past life.
The name included the characters for ‘great’ (大) and ‘world’ (世), symbolizing his ambition to venture into the big world.
While oiling and tightening the old machines in preparation for the grand opening, Lee Chang-jin recalled a famous quote from a successful future entrepreneur. It was a quote from Chairman Son, the founder of MegaBank, the top IT company and the number one in the business world in Japan.
“In my twenties, I will make a name for myself; in my thirties, I will accumulate 1 trillion won in operating funds; in my forties, I will stake everything on my business; in my fifties, I will achieve an annual sales of 10 trillion won; and in my sixties, I will hand over management to the next generation.”
A speech given on top of an apple crate with only a handful of employees.
At first, no one believed in such reckless ambition.
But he actually achieved each of those goals by the time he reached his fifties.
People achieve what they dream of. Unrealistically ambitious dreams. Realizing those dreams depends on one’s willpower.
Ultimately, one’s own limits are self-determined.
In that regard, Lee Chang-jin believed in himself more than anyone.
Having lived through the future, he was confident he could do no less than Chairman Son.
“By the time I’m sixty, I will build the world’s number one company.”
In the next thirty years, his grand ambition was to create the best company in the world, surpassing even the top companies in Korea.
He had a perfect master plan in mind for what he needed to do moving forward.
- To be continued in Episode 11 -
