Corporate Villain
Copyright© 2025 by K.W
Chapter 39
“Still, since the executive personally called the division head and even asked for it, wouldn’t it be better to just say okay because it’s good to be good?”
Inside the car heading to Daeyoung Trading’s headquarters.
In it, two representatives of Daeyoung Distribution’s FP Division were struggling to persuade the principled Division Head, Lim Hyung-jun.
But no matter how hard they tried, it was to no avail.
The two representatives felt like they were talking to a wall.
“What promises do we make to potential franchisees when we conduct franchise acquisition sales?”
“...”
Those darn principles.
No matter how much they prodded, the deputy manager wouldn’t budge, leaving the two in charge feeling utterly drained.
“It’s the role of the franchise headquarters to create an environment and system where franchisees can make money, and to help maintain it. It’s not about squeezing the wallets of the franchisees for the sake of one individual’s performance.”
Who doesn’t know that?
But the one who requested this was none other than the chairman’s only son-in-law, Yoon Tae-sik, the head of Mulsan.
And the person who relayed the request was none other than Executive Director Kang Moon-jung.
Yet, this principled deputy manager didn’t even blink an eye.
Instead, he was even more adamant about the principles, leaving the in-charges feeling bloodless.
“When this project is connected to us, identify every single risk we’ll take on. Don’t miss any, and tear into those risks. This is a project we should not be involved in. The moment we are, it’s the franchisees who will bleed. Where do you think that blood will eventually go?”
“But...”
“There are no buts. What can’t be done, can’t be done. Even if it were the chairman’s grandfather, not his son-in-law, it wouldn’t change. You, Manager Jung.”
“ ... Yes.”
“Imagine you quit the company and opened your own store with a franchise brand. What would you think if the brand headquarters forced you to replace a machine that’s less than two years old and still perfectly usable?”
“...”
“It’s not just a matter of twenty thousand won. Even if they give you the same margin they’re getting, it’s fifteen hundred, fifteen hundred. Do you know how many of our franchisees are still struggling to drop even four hundred won into their hands after a month of hard business, with labor costs, rent, and everything else? Do you know, or not?”
“Yes, I know.”
“And they want to force a fifteen hundred won item through us to the franchisees? And we should pass it through with our hands? Hey, Manager Kwak. You answer this. Do you think the franchisees will talk about this, or not?”
They were truly in agony, unable to move forward or back.
“ ... They will.”
“But what are you both worrying about? Does it make sense to worry about a problem that already has an answer? We’ll attend because Executive Director Kang secured the spot, but our role today is to find the exact loophole to reject the involvement of this project with us. You both understand what I’m saying, right?”
With that, the people from Daeyoung Distribution FP Division were heading to the Daeyoung Mulsan headquarters.
At the presentation venue.
Im Hyung-jun from Distribution made his appearance.
On either side of him were the current managers of the brands ＜Goldline＞ and ＜Black Bean＞, matching his pace as if to assist him.
Yoon Tae-sik, the head of the headquarters who had arrived at the presentation venue first, spotted them.
With a bright smile, he rose from his seat and approached them, and Deputy Manager Im Hyung-jun internally reaffirmed his role upon seeing Yoon Tae-sik approaching.
“...”
For Im Hyung-jun, Yoon Tae-sik was a consistently difficult person to deal with, regardless of his position, then as a deputy manager and even now.
Back when he was the deputy director, playing the shadow to Executive Kang Moon-jung.
Despite being an executive assistant, ‘despite’ rather than ‘because,’ his business acumen was cruelly sharp.
From the planning to the launch of the coffee shop brand “Goldline,” there wasn’t a place his suspicion didn’t follow.
So much so that people, tired of the doubts he cast, would sometimes irritably beg for information about Yoon Tae-sik, not as Executive Kang’s shadow, but as an individual.
He was as knowledgeable as the division head himself, especially regarding the launch of the coffee shop brand.
That’s why Director Lim Hyung-jun couldn’t afford to be careless or relaxed about the brand launch in front of Executive Kang.
If he ever let his guard down, even slightly, Deputy Director Yoon Tae-sik’s sharp criticism would inevitably whisper into the executive’s ear, soon to be voiced by the executive himself.
He was said to be from the European division, one of the two pillars of the conglomerate.
A star player, no less, who had been the ace of the Spanish team.
A conglomerate man who could sell anything, even dung.
And among them, the best talents gathered at Daeyoung Conglomerate, Korea’s number one, to hone their skills.
Lim Hyung-jun knew well what it meant to be called an ace in such a place.
“Have you arrived?”
“I hurried to come early, but it seems we’re the last to arrive.”
“Well, we just have to take the elevator, so it’s only natural for us to wait.”
And now, Yoon Tae-sik, as a member of the owner family, overseeing the European division of Daeyoung Conglomerate as the head director.
His demeanor, exuding both confidence and ease, made him an even more formidable presence to Lim Hyung-jun.
But today, Lim Hyung-jun hadn’t taken the difficult steps here just to be intimidated by the head director.
“This gentleman here is our Finance Director Kwon Cheol-yong. I’ve been bothering him for over a month with this project, haha. Director, please exchange greetings. This is Lim Hyung-jun, the head of the distribution division.”
A medium-sized conference room.
Before the presentation started, Lim Hyung-jun was introduced to several of the conglomerate’s key players by Head Director Yoon Tae-sik and exchanged greetings with them.
On one side, the presenter was carefully checking the microphone volume.
Even then, Lim Hyung-jun didn’t know that today’s presentation was prepared solely to persuade the FP division of distribution.
But then...
“Oh? Mr. President!”
Someone exclaimed the title “Mr. President.”
At the same time, President Min Byung-jin of the conglomerate was actually entering the presentation hall.
A look of surprise appeared on Head Director Yoon Tae-sik’s face.
“May I observe today’s presentation?”
At the same time, in the director’s office of Songam Art Hall.
Director Joo Yeon-hee sat behind her desk, holding a pregnancy test with two distinct lines visible in her hands.
After enduring an unspeakable insult from her grandfather at the family home in Pyeongchang-dong and even considering divorce...
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