Episode 133: Securing the Fragrance
At first, thinking it might be a signal malfunction, he checked the instrument panel, but nothing was lit up.
The engine oil and coolant were sufficient, and the fuel tank was full.
Upon checking the generator ATS panel, there was nothing particularly wrong with the wiring either.
Lee Chang-jin stared quietly, pondering the source of the malfunction.
‘It’s not a power distribution issue. It doesn’t seem like we need to replace the breaker or rewire the lines……’
There was plenty of time. Calmly examining the sensors, he found no issues with the oil pressure sensor or the temperature sensor. All that remained was a mechanical problem.
Lee Chang-jin tried turning the crankshaft with a pipe wrench. It was quite stiff, naturally raising his suspicions.
He removed the cover and checked the inside of the generator. He could see that the bearing part responsible for the crankshaft was rusted and corroded red.
‘It seems I forgot about the bearing replacement cycle.’
The oil hole in the lubrication system was blocked, and the oil couldn’t properly permeate the machine, preventing the crankshaft from turning.
Fortunately, being a large company, they had spare bearings in the warehouse. After replacing the bearings, Lee Chang-jin checked the resistance and insulation values with a tester.
The factory manager, who had been observing the situation, couldn’t hold back any longer and asked,
“Is it almost done?”
“Yes, almost… I’m going to start it up now, so please cut the power from the power supply.”
The Japanese staff watching showed signs of relief.
The people gathered around watched without blinking.
Thud, thud~ Vroom~!
As the power was turned on in sequence, the machines started to restart with a powerful starting sound.
Exclamations erupted from the mouths of the relieved factory workers.
Wiping the oil off his hands, Lee Chang-jin gave them a word of advice.
“The emergency generator should be working fine now. Just make sure to check the lubricant regularly.”
With the factory back up and running, the factory manager, who had been tense the whole time, breathed a sigh of relief.
Ishihara, the director, was so grateful that he personally shook Lee Chang-jin’s hand and expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, Mr. Lee Chang-jin, we were able to prevent a huge loss.”
“I’m glad I could be of help. So, would it be possible to have that briefing now? It’s a little late, but if you’ll give me the opportunity, I’d like to introduce you to the strengths of our company.”
Director Ishihara nodded as if it were only natural.
“Of course. Everyone, please get ready.”
The atmosphere was completely different from when he first asked for a briefing.
Unlike before, the people gathered in the conference room listened attentively to the briefing.
After the briefing, the employees continued with questions.
Lee Chang-jin answered all the questions without hesitation.
As the Q&A session drew to a close, expressions of admiration filled the faces of the attendees.
They were captivated by this young and knowledgeable entrepreneur.
Director Ishihara, with a delighted face, offered his hand for a handshake.
“Thank you for the excellent presentation. The product you’re making seems to be of high quality and commercially viable. We’ll be happy to provide you with the full quantity of fragrance you require.”
“That was a difficult request, thank you so much for your understanding.”
“Haha, not at all. It’s only right to repay you for the great help you’ve given us. I hope we can have a good relationship in the future.”
Returning to the hotel after concluding the contract, the hotel staff discreetly informed him,
“There is a lady waiting for you in the lobby.”
As expected, Jin Seon-ah was waiting for him. He waved his hand in greeting, but there was no response.
Looking closer, he saw that she had fallen asleep sitting up. After a moment of hesitation, Lee Chang-jin gently shook her awake.
“Ms. Seon-ah. Ms. Seon-ah. Wake up.”
“Ah… When did you get here?”
Startled awake, Jin Seon-ah straightened her clothes upon seeing Lee Chang-jin.
“Just now. You must be very tired.”
“I just got back a little while ago myself. Can you help me up? I think I have a cramp in my leg.”
Lee Chang-jin kindly helped her to her feet.
“Thank you, Mr. Chang-jin.”
“Don’t mention it… How did your business go?”
Jin Seon-ah tucked her hair behind her ear and replied,
“Well, I’ve made arrangements to meet with some Korean-Japanese who run private lending businesses and sign a business agreement with them. Oh, and I met with Mr. Marujin, the pachinko owner, again. Like you said, he’s quite capable. He’s already repaid half of the 6 billion yen.”
“He’s quite something, isn’t he? So?”
“So, I decided to lower the interest rate on his loan and convert a portion of it into equity.”
Lee Chang-jin chuckled, finding it amusing.
“You turned the loan into an investment? How come?”
“Thanks to you, I’ve learned a thing or two about judging people. Wouldn’t it be better to have him as a business partner than just collecting interest on a loan if he has that much business acumen?”
Jin Seon-ah winked. Lee Chang-jin was secretly pleased that she took his advice seriously.
“Well done. An excellent choice.”
“What about you, Mr. Chang-jin? Did you manage to secure the fragrance supply?”
“Of course. I’ve secured almost all of it. By the way, have you booked our flights?”
“I booked them as soon as I got your message. Our flight is tomorrow at 10 am.”
Glancing at his watch, he realized it was still early in the evening.
Turning back to Jin Seon-ah, Lee Chang-jin suggested,
“Then we have some time to spare. Shall we grab some dinner?”
“Sure. I was just about to head out for dinner myself. Do you have a place in mind?”
“Let’s go to Daikanyama. I’ve heard it has a nice atmosphere.”
If Garosu-gil was the trendy street in the future Korea, then Daikanyama was its Japanese counterpart.
Daikanyama was a street that appeared about 15 minutes past Shibuya Station, famous for the statue of the loyal dog Hachiko.
It was an area with many high-end fashion boutiques and delicious restaurants and cafes, but it wasn’t as crowded as Shibuya, making it popular with tourists who enjoyed quieter places.
Time flew by as they admired the medieval-style buildings and watched the occasional street performances.
“Let’s go in there!”
What caught Jin Seon-ah’s eye was a pancake shop.
Unable to resist anything sweet, Jin Seon-ah pulled Lee Chang-jin along.
As they stepped inside, a waitress in a maid outfit greeted them with a smile and handed them menus.
“What can I get for you, sir, madam?”
“Two pancakes and two Americanos, please.”
A short while later, the mouthwatering pancakes arrived at their table.
They were a work of art, with layers of fluffy pancakes stacked high, drizzled with maple syrup, topped with whipped cream, and decorated with strawberries and chocolate.
The plump pancakes jiggled like pudding from side to side with the slightest touch.
“Look at this. It’s completely different from the pancakes we have back home.”
As excited as a kitten, Jin Seon-ah unfolded the triangular napkin on the table and placed it on her lap. It was a blue fabric napkin embroidered with a feather pattern.
Lee Chang-jin suddenly became interested in the napkin.
“Hmm…?”
Upon closer inspection, the embroidery on the napkin became clearer.
It looked old and well-used, but the faded dye actually enhanced the texture, making it look even more luxurious.
“What are you looking at so intently instead of focusing on your food?”
Jin Seon-ah, her mouth full of pancake, looked at Lee Chang-jin with a puzzled expression.
Undeterred, Lee Chang-jin continued his examination.
“Oh, look at this.”
He held up the napkin, showing her the pattern. Jin Seon-ah finally realized what had piqued his interest.
“Isn’t it amazing? It’s like embroidery. How can they dye the fabric so naturally…?”
“You’re right, now that I look closely.”
If there was one thing about Lee Chang-jin, it was his need to satisfy his curiosity.
He called over a passing staff member and asked,
“Excuse me, would you mind telling me where you got these napkins?”
“Ah, those are called ‘tenugui’, traditional Japanese hand towels.”
“Ah, are they famous?”
“Of course. They sell them at the handmade towel shop just up ahead.”
He learned that there was a handmade towel shop called “Kamawanu” nearby.
Made from unbleached cotton fabric, these versatile towels could be used as handkerchiefs, placemats, napkins, gift wrapping, and more. They were popular for their various patterns and lint-free quality.
Lee Chang-jin’s eyes sparkled with excitement at discovering a good business idea.
“Look at this, Ms. Seon-ah. What if we used this technique to enhance our fabrics by imprinting patterns with dye? Wouldn’t that increase the value of the textiles?”
“Oh, that’s a great idea.”
Traditionally, embroidering with a sewing machine required a high level of skill and was very time-consuming. However, this method only required creating a mold and then printing the design onto the fabric, making it much easier.
They had access to the fire-retardant paste needed for mold making, so considering the cost-effectiveness and speed, it was certainly worth trying.
“These would sell well in Korea, wouldn’t they?”
Lee Chang-jin fidgeted with the napkin excitedly.
Jin Seon-ah flicked his forehead with her spoon, scolding him playfully,
“Oh, you’re always thinking about business, aren’t you? Stop brainstorming and eat your food.”
She scooped up a large piece of pancake with her fork and shoved it into his mouth.
Unable to speak with his mouth full, Lee Chang-jin could only manage a sheepish grin.
The sweetness was intense, a mix of strawberry cream and maple syrup.
Despite her playful scolding, Lee Chang-jin made a mental note to try this technique when he returned.
And so, enjoying these small moments of leisure, the last day of their business trip came to an end.
The next morning, after returning home on the morning flight, Lee Chang-jin set to work on his next task. With the fragrance import issue resolved with Takashigo Industries, it was time to begin full-scale production.
The only remaining problem was the marketing campaign to promote the product.
Lee Chang-jin asked Manager Lee Chang-sik, who was in charge of public relations,
“Have you found someone to direct the cosmetics commercial?”
“Yes, I have two candidates. One is Kim Dong-chan, a veteran CF and film director, and the other is Yang Kuk-jin, a rookie photographer specializing in calendar production.”
“What about their skills?”
“In terms of recognition, Kim Dong-chan is overwhelmingly ahead. He’s been working as a director of photography for almost 10 years. On the other hand, Yang Kuk-jin has only been in the industry for about three years.”
“There must be a reason why you recommended Yang Kuk-jin alongside him, right?”
“Ah, it’s because of this ad.”
What Lee Chang-sik brought out was none other than a cola ad commissioned by a famous American beverage company.
The ad, created to promote the cola, depicted water droplets forming on the outside of a glass bottle with carbonated bubbles rising inside.
Amazed by such expressive power in a time before CGI, Lee Chang-jin asked,
“Whoa, how did they do this?”
“They said they expressed it by coating the bottle with varnish and blowing smoke into it. It’s an amazing idea, isn’t it? It’s a pre-launch piece that I happened to get my hands on.”
At that, Lee Chang-jin remembered who Yang Kuk-jin was.
Yang Kuk-jin, who founded the commercial photography studio “Yang Kuk-jin Photography Lab,” was an advertising specialist who dominated the 70s and 80s, filming major commercials for Coca-Cola, OB Beer, Kia Motors, Joongseo Pharmaceutical, and more.
Starting with the cola ad, Yang Kuk-jin rose to fame by producing a series of hit commercials for beverage companies, including beer and coffee. It was he who, in the original timeline, elevated OB Beer, which had been perpetually in second place, to become a strong rival to Hite Beer.
With his ability to create advertising campaigns that shifted market dynamics, Yang Kuk-jin became a blue-chip in the advertising world.
While Lee Chang-jin was reminiscing, Manager Lee Chang-sik cautiously inquired,
“However, this Yang Kuk-jin has quite the ego. When I asked about his fee, he quoted me double what Kim Dong-chan would charge. What should we do, considering the relatively high cost?”
Lee Chang-sik seemed quite concerned about the budget, but Lee Chang-jin had already made up his mind.
“Whether they’re a veteran or a rookie, skill is what matters. The production cost doesn’t really matter, so let’s go with Yang Kuk-jin.”
- To be continued in Episode 134 -
