Episode 122: Cheongwoo Employee Night
Meanwhile, a state of emergency was declared at both Goryeo Beer and IB Beer companies. Daese Beer, which everyone thought was doomed, not only made a miraculous comeback riding the chicken boom but also began to threaten the dominance of the existing giants.
As “chimaek” (chicken and beer) became a social trend, the market shares of both IB and Goryeo plummeted.
Desperate, Park Il-san started to pressure his executives.
“Does this make any sense? You can’t even take down a beer company that’s about to collapse? What are you going to do about this?”
“Well, it seems the popularity of chicken has caused this… We’re sorry.”
Park Il-san exploded at the lame excuse.
“You idiots! Are you saying we’re losing because of some fried chicken?”
“We’re sorry.”
“Enough with the excuses, bring me a solution! We can make that damn fried chicken too!”
Under the fierce command of the owner, the beer companies hastily set up a few outlets and opened pubs.
The response was swift for a large corporation, but the results were disappointing.
Customers who had experienced chicken at Daese Beer reacted coldly.
“This isn’t chicken, it’s basically just refried whole chicken.”
“If you’re going to make it like this, why not just sell whole fried chicken? Why refry it?”
“Ew, it smells like raw chicken. I can’t eat this.”
The batter was loose, and the unseasoned chicken was dry. Compared to Daese Chicken, the taste was significantly inferior, and customers’ reactions were harsh.
To an outsider, it might seem like anyone could make fried chicken, but it wasn’t that simple. The lack of specialized kitchens with pressure fryers and mixing bowls was a problem. Moreover, learning the frying technique was easy, but figuring out the secret ratios for batter mix and brine solution was impossible in a short time.
Thanks to the competitor’s blunders, Daese Beer’s pubs continued to thrive. The quick response from the competitors had only fueled the chimaek craze. As more people lined up to take out chicken from the pubs, the beer consumption naturally increased as well.
「Ijenmak Beer Skyrockets, Market Share Surpasses 20%!」
「Beer Three Kingdoms: Wei, Shu, Wu Beer Battle!」
In November, Daese Beer celebrated surpassing the daunting 20% market share.
Soaring in popularity at a terrifying speed, Daese Beer overtook IB to secure a new ranking.
“Congratulations on Daese Beer achieving 2nd place!”
To celebrate the massive sales, Lee Man-soo’s pub was chosen as the venue for the company dinner.
As the celebration dinner was winding down, Lee Chang-jin spoke.
“Ah, Manager Park Seung-hoon. This time, start by reinforcing the marketing department staff, and contact athletes who have performed well in national competitions to identify those with medal potential.”
“Uh? Why the sudden interest in athletes?”
“Well, I plan to use the upcoming Asian Games in December to establish brand recognition. In reality, in the food and beverage industry, the product’s recognition has a bigger impact on sales than the taste itself.”
“Ha, that would require quite a marketing budget…”
“We must do it. Now, since the chicken was just launched, there are no significant competitors, but with time, similar products will surely be released. Before that, we need to expand our market share and increase brand awareness as much as possible.”
Lee Chang-jin had no intention of settling for just second place in the beer industry. Since he had started, he might as well aim for the top. After scanning the people drinking, Lee Chang-jin checked his watch and stood up.
“I need to get going. I have an appointment. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“No, are you leaving already? How can the man of the hour leave early?”
“Haha, it’s not proper for the president to stay too long at a staff dinner. It’s polite to leave at an appropriate time.”
In fact, Lee Chang-jin had a prior engagement. A black official vehicle was waiting outside.
“Please get in. Mr. Lee, the Vice Chairman is waiting.”
Cheongwoo Employee Night
On the evening of Cheongwoo Corporation’s founding anniversary, the reception hall was lined with party food.
The year-end event was scheduled to take place in a standing party format at the Delight Hall of the Square Building.
When Lee Chang-jin entered, the banquet hall was already bustling with guests.
The prepared food seemed quite elaborate, as if great care had been taken by the finger catering company.
Spicy shrimp tapas, grilled vegetables with wine sauce, bruschetta with olive oil and prosciutto, cheese fondue, plump salmon sushi, canapés topped with boiled tofu, and vibrant Vietnamese spring rolls — all small finger foods were laid out.
Lee Chang-jin, looking around, soon spotted Jin Seon-ah.
Unlike the others, who were engaged in conversations, Jin Seon-ah was focused on her meal alone.
Seeing Jin Seon-ah in a black long dress, Lee Chang-jin felt a sudden urge to play a prank.
Silently approaching from behind, Lee Chang-jin stared at her over the shoulder.
Startled, Jin Seon-ah turned around and let out a surprised scream.
“Oh my gosh, you scared me!”
“What are you doing, young lady?”
“You scared me coming up all of a sudden without a sound.”
Jin Seon-ah scolded Lee Chang-jin, lightly hitting his arm with her small hand.
Lee Chang-jin gently wrapped his arm around Jin Seon-ah’s shoulder and sat down next to her.
“You came early. When did you arrive?”
“About 10 minutes ago.”
“For someone who just arrived, your plate is too clean.”
Indeed, there were three neatly emptied plates stacked next to Jin Seon-ah’s seat.
Hearing this, Jin Seon-ah nonchalantly murmured.
“Oh my, indeed. I wonder who ate all this food.”
As Jin Seon-ah continued to feign innocence, Lee Chang-jin squinted his eyes at her.
“Princess, didn’t you say you were starting a diet today?”
“Hey, you need to be flexible. There’s a lot of effort put into this. Wouldn’t it be disappointing for the chef? I’ll enjoy the food today and start dieting from tomorrow.”
While enjoying the banquet and chatting, the host with a microphone appeared on the podium.
“Hello, everyone. Please direct your attention this way. Today, we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Cheongwoo Corporation. First, I would like to thank everyone for gracing this occasion.”
The host briefly explained the history of Cheongwoo and its achievements this year. During the reception, Jin Seon-ah, looking bored, leaned her head on Lee Chang-jin’s shoulder and dozed off.
‘She must be very tired from all the year-end events.’
Attending various year-end gatherings without a break seemed to have taken a toll on her. As someone dealing with money, these events were important for networking, and she couldn’t afford to neglect any of them.
Lee Chang-jin let her sleep for a while. The dim lighting helped keep her napping unnoticed.
A while later, as the host finished speaking and Kim Joong-oh made his rounds to greet guests, Lee Chang-jin gently woke her.
“Princess, wake up for a moment. This isn’t your bedroom.”
“Oh dear, was I sleeping?”
Jin Seon-ah, slightly flustered and blushing, hurriedly checked if she had drooled, and Lee Chang-jin reassured her.
“It’s okay. It wasn’t that noticeable; you looked quite natural.”
After freshening up and adjusting her clothes, Jin Seon-ah saw Kim Joong-oh approaching with a wine glass, looking welcoming.
“Mr. Lee, thank you for attending despite your busy schedule.”
“Not at all. I’m honored to be invited on such a meaningful day.”
“Haha, thank you. And who is this beautiful lady?”
“Ah, this is Ms. Jin Seon-ah from Daeheung Trading, attending in place of Chairman Jin Tae-chun.”
Hearing the name Jin Tae-chun, Kim Joong-oh’s eyes lit up.
“So, Chairman Jin is…”
“Yes, he is my father.”
“Ah, I see. I didn’t know Chairman Jin had such a mature daughter. I’m pleasantly surprised. May I ask what your relationship with Mr. Lee is? You both seem very close.”
“We are fiancés. We’re getting married soon.”
The way she linked arms with him seemed to claim him as her own.
Surprised, Kim Joong-oh’s eyes wavered slightly.
“Oh, I didn’t know Mr. Lee had such a lovely fiancée. This is quite surprising.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Chang-jin. He said you’ve been a great support in his early business days.”
“Haha, thank you for the kind words. By the way, may I borrow Mr. Lee for a moment? We have some business matters to discuss.”
“Sure, but return him once you’re done.”
Taking Lee Chang-jin aside, Kim Joong-oh whispered.
“Hey, I thought you were getting bolder, but you had a solid backup. How long have you known each other?”
“About five years.”
“You sneaky one, keeping it hidden all this time?”
“I never hid anything. You never asked.”
“I thought you were sticking to being single as you claimed before. You once said you’d live alone forever.”
“Did I? People change, you know.”
“You’re inconsistent.”
“Not as much as you, hyung. You once said you’d become a monk but ran away from the temple in three days. You even wore a beanie for a while after falling for a nun. If we start talking, it’ll never end.”
Kim Joong-oh, feeling slightly embarrassed, cleared his throat.
“Ahem, don’t bring up old stories. Anyway, what about the second batch of military uniforms?”
“Just wait. Once the first batch is shipped, we’ll negotiate right away, so you’ll see it around March next year.”
“How much is the total?”
“About 65,000 sets, so around 40 million dollars.”
“Not bad. You know we get half of that, right?”
“Well, seeing how Cheongwoo is handling things, it might not be that easy. Due to high defect rates, we’re thinking of reducing the TO.”
“Hey, that’s unfair. You can’t just take back what you gave.”
“Then reduce the defect rate. Isn’t it embarrassing for a big company? We’ve had to redo a lot of the items because of poor finishing. If it weren’t for me, you’d have been rejected.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll make sure to handle quality control.”
Lee Chang-jin smirked at Kim Joong-oh’s plea. Although he said he’d handle it, he had no intention of doing so.
Just then, there was a commotion, and a young man entered the hall. He had a noticeably athletic build, drawing attention as people recognized him. Seeing who it was, Kim Joong-oh grumbled.
“Ah, that guy again. He’s got no shame.”
“Who is he?”
“Park Sang-myeon, the new president of the Korea Football Association.”
Despite his young age, he looked too young. Observing him mingling with the businesspeople, Lee Chang-jin asked Kim Joong-oh.
“He looks too young. Is he from a chaebol family?”
“Even worse. He’s from the VIP line. The son of the late elder brother.”
“Ah, I see.”
Looking closer, he did resemble the VIP.
Kim Joong-oh, feeling candid, continued to criticize.
“He’s incompetent but overly enthusiastic. His specialty is extorting funds. He always asks if we’re starting a professional team or demands development funds. You should avoid him. He’s a real pain.”
“Hmm, a professional soccer team…”
At that moment, noticing their conversation, Park Sang-myeon waved enthusiastically and started heading toward them. Kim Joong-oh quickly bowed his head, but Park Sang-myeon’s target was already set.
- To be continued in Episode 123 -
