RR 33
[033] An Era of Rapid Change 3.
“I’m becoming a middle schooler now, Uncle.”
“What? Already?”
“Yes. I’m starting in March.”
“Not yet, though. Hey! But aren’t you surprised? Don’t you see the box office results? You’re not a kid who doesn’t know the value of the dollar, are you?”
When I reacted indifferently, Oh Se-hyun’s eyes again turned suspicious.
“We invested 8 million dollars out of the 18 million dollar production cost, so our share is 44%. After deducting distributor and theater profits, we get about half of the total revenue, right?”
“Probably. That should be right.”
“If it’s 200 million dollars… today’s exchange rate is 740 won, so that’s 148 billion won. Half of that is 74 billion won, and 44% of that is about 33 billion won. So isn’t that a six-fold profit?”
Oh Se-hyun just blinked. Adults are always surprised by a child’s mental math abilities. The good thing about being young is that my brain works very smoothly.
“Compared to the profit margins of Microsoft or Dell Computer, it’s nothing, isn’t it?”
“W-Well, that’s true. Still, six times profit in just one year is a huge hit. And 200 million dollars is just the U.S. revenue. It’s going to be released worldwide now, so it’ll earn at least twice that much more.”
“Uncle.”
“Huh?”
“Tell the Miracle staff in New York to do their job well.”
“Why? Those guys work day and night.”
“Not just hard, but well! The lowest profit margin among the investments I’ve decided on is six times. What’s the self-investment profit margin that your staff operates?”
“Th-That is…”
“It’s only 22%, isn’t it?”
Oh Se-hyun fell silent. The one who saved a silent Oh Se-hyun was my father.
“Hey! Don’t you know I’m busy? What’s so important that you’re calling me back and forth?”
My father burst into my room, taking off his coat as he spoke.
I heard that my father was currently running around trying to secure screening venues for two films made by his production company.
“Why? Still haven’t secured a screening venue?”
“Ugh, don’t even talk about it. All the theaters have cleared their schedules for the Lunar New Year period.”
“What? They’re not fully booked?”
“They’re waiting for a movie that’s perfect for the Lunar New Year holiday. The one that was a mega-hit last Christmas season. Home Alone. An American movie.”
“Is that movie so great that theaters are emptying their screens and waiting for it?”
Oh Se-hyun’s teasing began.
“It’s a family comedy. Perfect for the Lunar New Year. Plus, it’s already proven in the U.S. It’s breaking box office records for comedies.”
“Is that why your movie can’t be shown?”
“Because they’ll show mine after Home Alone leaves the theaters.”
My father’s expression was grim, as if he was in a difficult situation.
“Damn it, but this movie has a Korean distributor, and I don’t know who it is. The entire Chungmuro is in chaos right now. I need to meet the guy holding the film to adjust the date or secure a movie theater… It’s driving me crazy.”
Oh Se-hyun, who had been thoroughly enjoying the situation, changed his tone to a solemn one.
“You should bow deeply to me first.”
“No time for jokes. Just get to the point.”
“I know who the Korean distributor of that blockbuster movie is. Still no desire to bow deeply?”
“What?”
Oh Se-hyun handed a document to my astonished father. My father quickly snatched the document and read through it, swallowing dryly.
“Th-This is…”
“Surely you haven’t forgotten all your English, have you? Don’t you understand?”
My father’s eyes were fixed on the company name printed in the signature section at the bottom of the document.
“What on earth… How did this happen?”
“Just sign it, and Home Alone is yours. If you don’t want it, then don’t.”
As Oh Se-hyun tried to snatch the document back, my father quickly signed it and tucked it away. Seeing him prioritize the contract without even asking for details, I could tell how desperate he was.
“Father. During the holiday, show your movie first, not that one.”
Both men’s gazes turned to me.
“How about you tell the theaters that show your movie first that you’ll give them Home Alone? Isn’t the Lunar New Year the peak season?”
As soon as I finished speaking, Oh Se-hyun burst into laughter.
“Listen to your son. From now on, listen carefully to Do-jun and do as he says. Then you won’t fail, probably. Hehehe.”
My father looked back and forth between the document and my face before speaking.
“Do-jun. We’ll talk about the details after I handle this.”
My father grabbed his coat and hurried out. I could tell how urgent he was right now.
“Goodness, that guy… Still the same.”
“What is?”
“Huh? Ah, your father. That guy, once he’s focused on one thing, he doesn’t see anything else. Even when he was studying in London, if he found a good play, he’d watch only that play dozens, hundreds of times. Right now, all that’s in his head is putting his movie in theaters. He didn’t even ask why Home Alone is in our hands.”
“It’s a good thing to be focused, I guess.”
I picked up the paper with the 200 million dollar box office revenue written on it.
“Uncle. Let’s invest all this money in movies going into production this year. First, make a list and get opinions from the U.S. side. Then decide and proceed.”
“All of it? Do-jun. One big gamble is enough…”
Oh Se-hyun trailed off.
He must have remembered that he, with a mere 22% profit margin, had no business lecturing me, who had 600%.
Advice is better given looking down from above.
Above and below isn’t about age. It should be divided by results.
“Alright. Let’s secure a list of movies being planned or going into production in Hollywood first. If Miracle wants them, Hollywood producers will push them our way first.”
Oh Se-hyun packed his bag and left.
I, too, needed to devote more time to my studies until I graduated middle school. I had to maintain top grades for Chairman Jin’s expectations not to wane.
Anyway, for the next three years, all I had to do was pick successful movies, so I had plenty of free time.
Our family was quite turbulent, so I just hoped nothing out of the ordinary would happen.
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The Unseen Hand of Sunyang
A few days before the Lunar New Year holiday, a unique editorial was published in the newspaper with the largest circulation.
「The lax management of an ownerless company. Is the professional management system a structural weakness of large corporations?」
『Last year, Ajin Motors’ business performance was excellent.
…[abridged]…
It is standard practice for Ajin Motors, with its professional management system, to pay generous dividends to shareholders. However, Ajin Motors’ management was preoccupied with expanding its own size instead of shareholder profits.
They established new affiliates such as Ajin Machinery and Ajin Precision and poured Ajin Motors’ funds into these companies.
For whom? Naturally, for the expansion of the management team.
Now, dozens of executives have been created. They will decide whether to fill their own pockets or those of the shareholders.
But is it merely the author’s excessive worry that this decision somehow lacks trustworthiness?』
Throwing the newspaper, Song Hyun-chang, the president of Ajin Motors, pressed the intercom and shouted.
“Gather all executives! And the head of public relations! Immediately!”
Pacing furiously in his office, a few minutes passed before he heard a knock, and a dozen or so people rushed in.
There was a sofa that could only seat eight, but not a single person sat down. The chairman was standing.
Some of them also held newspapers.
“What is this? Whose doing is this?!”
President Song snatched the newspaper and shook it.
“S-Sorry. We’re looking into it now.”
Among the people who couldn’t lift their heads or meet his gaze, a man stood trembling like an aspen tree.
Judging by his almost entirely dark hair, he was clearly the head of public relations.
“Aren’t we running ads in Daehan Ilbo these days?”
The man again answered the chairman’s question.
“No, sir. Regularly…”
“Then you’re saying we paid them money and got stabbed in the back? This is…!”
President Song, who had been biting his lip and breathing heavily, yelled at the head of public relations.
“Hey! PR!”
“Yes, Chairman!”
“You go right now and find out what those guys holding pens want, whether you give them money or women or whatever.”
The head of public relations bowed and then fled from the chairman’s office.
“Chairman. You might be overreacting. Isn’t this just a tactic newspapers use to demand more advertising?”
“They’re trying to take credit for our new car’s sensational popularity. A week of full-page ads will change everything.”
The elderly executives, who had barely mustered the courage, spoke cautiously to appease President Song’s anger, but it was like pouring oil on a fire.
“These people! What are you talking about? If that were the reason, they should be criticizing our new car, not the management! Are you in your right minds?!”
Only then did everyone fully come to their senses.
The media also maintains boundaries. When they demand something, they hit the product, not the person. Products have no emotions, but people are creatures of emotion.
Especially attacking management is nothing short of a declaration of war to turn their backs completely.
“This is suspicious. There’s something going on.”
President Song, who had been pacing in his office, gave the executives a fierce look.
“Find out whose doing this is by lunchtime. I trust you can all find out that much information.”
Once the executives had all left the chairman’s office, President Song slumped onto the sofa.
He had had a restless night… The unsettling feeling wouldn’t go away.
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Chairman Jin’s Strategy
Folding the newspaper and placing it on the corner of the dining table, Chairman Jin picked up his spoon.
He still thought it was the work of the chief editor of Daehan Ilbo.
Establishing a subsidiary for the production of core auto parts, which had increased, was a natural course of management.
This was twisted to make it seem as if the professional management team had created unnecessary affiliates to promote their own people.
It was writing that killed two birds with one stone, highlighting the immorality of Ajin Motors’ management and portraying large corporations without owners as lacking safeguards.
Chairman Jin, who had enjoyed his breakfast for the first time in a while, went to his study, and Lee Hak-jae, who was also reading the newspaper, rose and bowed his head.
“My friend. Just eat breakfast here. Can’t I share a meal with you?”
“Would I be able to properly eat if I shared a meal with the Chairman? I’ll just take your word for it.”
Chairman Jin looked at Lee Hak-jae’s hands, which were smiling faintly, and spoke.
“How is it? Well-chosen, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. It came out appropriately as a signal.”
“When does the second round begin?”
“The day before the Lunar New Year holiday, all major national newspapers will open fire. We plan to make Ajin Motors the topic of conversation at the Lunar New Year ancestral rites. We plan to make them chew on Ajin Motors at the dinner table.”
“What about the National Tax Service?”
“We’re coordinating. If we shake them too hard, it’ll be fully exposed. Someone else might drool over it…”
“We can’t let it all go to waste.”
Chairman Jin nodded.
“Yes. Enough to shake up the management? Anyway, the goal is President Song Hyun-chang’s resignation.”
Lee Hak-jae subtly observed Chairman Jin’s expression and pulled out a thick booklet.
“This is the report you asked for. Prepared by the Sunyang Economic Research Institute.”
Chairman Jin merely glanced at the title of the report.
「The Necessity of Restructuring the Domestic Automotive Industry and Government Support Measures」
“How is it? Useful?”
“It’s well done.”
“Honestly, research institutes are tricky fellows. They make good things, but… it took them a whopping 8 months to make this one thing?”
“The matter itself is so big and important that the institute was careful not to be caught off guard. Since it turned out well, let’s move on.”
“Move on, indeed? Do you think I’d go after those kids too?”
“You seem quite sensitive these days. I apologize.”
“It seems you’re more sensitive because we’re on the verge of a big fight, aren’t you? Why? Is your blood boiling?”
Lee Hak-jae lightly scratched his head and smiled.
“Isn’t this kind of surprise attack more thrilling than an all-out war?”
“Surprise attacks are for small guys hitting big guys…”
“There’s also the advantage of less bloodshed. We’ll have to start an all-out war soon enough.”
Chairman Jin felt the fighting spirit in Lee Hak-jae’s intense gaze.
At first, he hesitated and warned of danger, but once the fight began, he was far more excited than the chairman himself.
He proved once again that he was a born fighter.
Chairman Jin felt a little pity.
If Lee Hak-jae’s parents had been lords, he would have become an incredibly strong ruler…
Since his parents were commoners, his role was merely that of an excellent hunting dog.
Thinking about this, another fighter came to mind.
That fellow’s grandfather was a lord who owned vast territories.
How would he grow… He wanted to watch with joy.
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