ACTSV chapter 34

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He recalled the common tactics used in the pyramid scheme videos he had watched.

“…Recruiting acquaintances.”

It’s the easiest and most convenient method.

There’s less suspicion because the person isn’t a stranger, but someone they already know.

Jingyeom sat at the edge of the bed, leaning against it, staring at the ceiling. The bright sunlight streaming through the window dazzled his eyes for a moment.

He lifted his limp right arm. The sunlight made his skin look even paler.

He straightened his bent fingers. His hands were the epitome of the phrase “delicate hands.”

“Jinwoo.”

Jingyeom’s voice echoed low in the quiet house. After saying the name, he gently folded his thumb.

“Soohyuk, Wonbeom, the doctor, Sanghoon hyung…”

He folded each finger one by one as he named them.

Only five fingers were folded.

He looked at his fist and then unfolded the last finger he had folded.

Sanghoon was someone connected only to ‘Baek Jingyeom,’ not to his previous self. He didn’t know how long the bond formed through the part-time job would last, but it was enough for now.

Now, there were only four folded fingers left.

“I really don’t know many people.”

It was a natural thing, but somehow it felt bittersweet.

Jingyeom, who had been blankly staring at his hands, suddenly squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them again. The corners of his mouth, which had drooped down, quickly turned upwards.

He was now a person he would never see again. Even if they met on the street, they would just pass by each other like strangers.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t disappointed, but there was no need to continue a relationship with someone who would use him.

“Well, in the future, I’ll just meet people I can count on both my fingers and toes!”

The world is vast, and there are many people to meet in the future. From this experience, he learned not to trust others unconditionally, and that was enough.

Jingyeom clenched both his fists tightly and swung them through the air. He was mimicking a self-defense move he had learned from a YouTube video yesterday.

As he did it while sitting, his body shook and his legs moved naturally. It might have looked like he was flailing, but to himself, it was an act of encouragement.

“Hiya!”

With a spirited yell, he shook off all the bad feelings he had experienced.

---

On the way to the company, Jinwoo asked the question that had been on his mind since earlier.

“What do you plan to do?”

“About what?”

“The contract. I’m curious why you did it that way.”

Wonbeom tapped his leg with his index finger.

“Curious?”

“…Yes.”

“Then you’ll have to work overtime from today.”

“What?”

He only asked why, and suddenly it was overtime.

Jinwoo blinked in disbelief.

After checking the time, Wonbeom turned his head to look at Jinwoo, who was driving.

“When we get there, help Secretary Yang find out where to receive the goods and take the lead.”

“…The goods?”

“Yeah. Didn’t we include it in the contract terms earlier? If they can’t deliver the goods, they’ll have to pay a penalty. Let’s make good use of that.”

Jinwoo gripped the steering wheel tightly. The blue veins on the back of his hand bulged and then faded away with a sigh of resignation.

From the moment he presented his business card as the sales manager of HAM Electronics, he had a feeling something was up. But he didn’t expect this kind of move.

“Did you plan this from the beginning?”

“Yeah.”

Wonbeom’s method wasn’t wrong.

Moreover, when he specified the penalty clause, he demanded quite a high multiple.

[I’m 33 years old this year. Should we go with 33 times?]

[33 times? That’s too high. 3 times is enough.]

[If you think you can’t meet the delivery date, back out now.]

The implication was that he was sure they wouldn’t be able to meet the deadline.

The constant condescending attitude from the start had made Im Gipyo dislike Wonbeom, and his attitude didn’t change even during the contract negotiations.

Being looked down on by the other party was quite unpleasant. The large amount and the fact that no one had ever requested such a large quantity made Im Gipyo hesitate.

But in that moment, he made up his mind.

He wanted to meet the delivery date and bring down that arrogance. Even if their attitude didn’t change, knowing he made a significant profit would make him feel better.

[…Fine. Let’s go with 33 times.]

Even as he signed the contract, the uneasiness didn’t go away. He was unsure if it was a deal he should really be making. Furthermore, the delivery deadline was three days later, a very tight schedule.

[I’ve prepared the contract. Please check it.]

When he handed over the printed contract, Wonbeom glanced through it and signed it immediately. It didn’t take long. His eyes just scanned from top to bottom.

Moreover, he immediately transferred the payment to the account listed in the contract.

Im Gipyo tilted his head in confusion.

Of course, as a sales manager, he might have the discretion to finalize contracts. But for a large deal, higher approval would usually be needed, yet the payment was made on the spot.

Additionally, the payment was made to Im Gipyo’s personal account, not the company’s, which lowered his guard.

That action made Wonbeom seem like a person unaware of how the world works, despite being a sales manager.

Initially, there was no incentive, so the 50 million won would go directly to Im Gipyo.

Above all, if he played his cards right, the transaction could continue in the future. That’s how the hefty contract was signed so hastily.

It was a really foolish move. He felt something was wrong, but by the time he came to his senses, the contract was signed and the payment was received.

Jinwoo recalled the situation earlier and did some calculations in his head.

50 million won. A penalty of 33 times. A total of 1.65 billion won.

He wondered if the company had enough funds. And he thought about the opposite scenario of Wonbeom’s plan.

“What if they manage to deliver on time?”

“Did you forget the instruction to prevent that?”

“That’s why you chose only in-house products earlier. If the factory is abroad, they wouldn’t be able to meet the deadline… So it must be in Korea. You plan to block the production line or steal the goods?”

“You understood well. Then you know what you have to do next?”

If the company was large and had significant sales, it might be a different story.

But since they aimed to sell famous products at low prices, there was no need for in-house production. In fact, it could be a loss.

Jinwoo thought for a moment before speaking again.

“What if they really have the stock?”

With a cold smile, Wonbeom answered.

“Do I look like someone who would make a move without prior research?”

He had chosen in-house products that couldn’t be substituted with others.

Since Im Gipyo had taken the bait himself, Wonbeom only needed to reel him in.

“Secretary Yang didn’t work overtime for nothing.”

Jinwoo, recalling Wonbeom’s words, let out a hollow laugh.

Yesterday, while he left on time, the two of them worked late. Director Tak often worked late due to his heavy workload.

But when Secretary Yang, who hated overtime, said she would stay, he found it strange.

‘No wonder. She was late this morning, which she never does. It was because of this.’

Usually, if work was piling up, he would stay and help. But yesterday, he was worried about Jingyeom and left.

“Secretary Yang made that business card earlier, too. And she did the research.”

“If you understand, go help.”

“…Yes, sir.”

Feeling sorry that Secretary Yang had to handle something he should have taken care of, and that it wasn’t even company-related, he decided to buy her coffee on the way back.

---

After the three of them left the company, Im Gipyo immediately started securing the quantity.

Though the contract was made, the products weren’t usually stocked in the warehouse due to their unit price.

After checking with the staff managing the factory and warehouse, he found out there was only a third of the required stock, and it was old stock.

After assessing the situation, he contacted the president right away.

“What should we do?”

― What do you mean, what should we do? Pull every available line. If we start tonight, we can meet the quantity.

“Do we have enough materials?”

― If we don’t, make do. Do you think consumers would know if we reduce the content a bit? They wouldn’t. Absolutely not! Cut it by half and just add a strong scent.

“But these are corporate promotional items. Are you sure it’s okay?”

― Are you going to pay the penalty? If you made the contract like that, just follow through without complaints!

“…Understood.”

The boss, saying there was no time to waste, hung up the phone, telling him to contact the factory.

Im Gipyo frowned and tilted his head, but concluded there was no other way to deliver the goods on time. He promptly contacted the factory.

The factory reported that they were short on cosmetic containers and ginseng packaging, and there were not enough workers to meet the demand, but Im Gipyo was insistent.

“Tell them the cosmetic containers are being renewed and use something else. Do the same for the ginseng packaging. There are so many renewals these days that no one will notice!”

― Renewals take time too. We need to make labels and packaging boxes. How can we produce this volume in three days?

“Just make them. No excuses! If this deal falls through, the factory will also be held responsible!”

― What? Hey, Mr. Im!

Im Gipyo, after hanging up, sat back and put his feet on the desk. He believed the factory would find a way to produce the goods after such strong words.

People unfamiliar with the site and the factory’s system might think products are made instantly, but that’s far from reality.

To complete a product, parts must be systematically prepared on various lines.

If a defect is found in one part, the entire product might need to be recalled, so meticulous care is essential.

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