Park Jin-hyuk stepped out of the car and looked around.
Glancing at the familiar scene of people lined up in front of the building, he spoke to Kim Jun-woo.
“If I ever have to move companies again, make sure to send out a notice ahead of time not to do this sort of thing. What is this, seriously? They did this last time too, and now again here. Doesn’t anyone have anything better to do? Acting like someone amazing is coming or something.”
Finishing his words, Park Jin-hyuk walked through the crowd.
“Hello, sir. Executive Director, do you remember me by any chance?”
“Nice to meet you for the first time. I am…”
“I am…”
As Park Jin-hyuk appeared, the executives rushed at him as if they’d met a K-POP star, each introducing themselves in turn.
Startled by their sudden approach, Park Jin-hyuk took a step back.
At that moment, the security guards who usually followed him quickly stepped in, forming a barrier between Park Jin-hyuk and the executives.
“Come on now. You’re not a bunch of fans mobbing a celebrity, so what are you all doing at your age? Secretary Kim, clear the way.”
The DS Pharmaceuticals executives, who had come out early that morning hoping to leave an impression on Park Jin-hyuk, saw the displeased look on his face and realized they’d made a mistake.
Some even seemed to think it would be better not to draw his attention, awkwardly turning their heads all at once.
Park Jin-hyuk glanced at the values floating above their heads and muttered to himself.
“DS Construction was like this too, but there are plenty of parasites here as well.”
It was a moment that made him think there’s always a reason why a company doesn’t succeed.
He figured the rank-and-file staff were all the same wherever you went—the real problem was the higher-ups. The company’s fate, he believed, depended on the abilities of those at the top.
In that sense, he thought DS Pharmaceuticals had failed to show real results for years, despite significant group investment, precisely because of people like these.
Entering the lobby, he was greeted by Kyung Daeyong, whom he’d seen a few times at group president meetings.
“You’ve arrived?”
“President Kyung, why are you out here yourself? It looks bad for the president to come out and greet the executive director. Please don’t do this next time.”
“It’s your first visit; of course I came out. Besides, you’re not just any ordinary executive joining DS Pharmaceuticals, are you?”
Kyung Daeyong wore a bitter, somewhat dejected expression.
His demeanor made it clear he’d only come out because others told him to.
Seeing this, Park Jin-hyuk nodded.
“As long as you understand, that’s a relief. Let’s go.”
Park Jin-hyuk’s quick agreement was as much a warning as it was a response: don’t try to press him with rank.
Though he was only the executive director and Kyung Daeyong the president, the answer implied that he should remember the difference between someone inheriting the group and a mere salaried president.
Kyung Daeyong, unable to tell whether the warm Park Jin-hyuk he’d met before or the current frosty one was the real one, was left confused.
As the two, along with their attendants, rode the elevator in silence, Park Jin-hyuk was the first to speak.
“You need to straighten things out. There seem to be a lot of unnecessary people in the company.”
“Are you referring to the executives?”
“You know what I mean, don’t you?”
“Well… Yes, I do.”
Kyung Daeyong looked as if he wanted to say something more, but soon gave up.
Though no sigh could be heard, the elevator felt thick with tension, and Park Jin-hyuk turned to look at him.
With his head lowered and staring at the bottom of the elevator doors, Kyung Daeyong looked like a man with something to atone for.
Park Jin-hyuk looked at him for a moment, then turned away.
The elevator stopped at the 28th floor, where Park Jin-hyuk’s office was located.
Kyung Daeyong stepped out first and introduced the office.
It wasn’t as large as the president’s office he’d had at DS Construction, but it was just as neatly organized.
Park Jin-hyuk looked around, satisfied.
From the side, Kim Jun-woo watched everything carefully, thinking he should tell Kyung Daeyong he could return to his own work now.
It was odd: in what company did the president personally attend to the executive director? The whole situation was anything but normal.
Seeing Kyung Daeyong’s uncomfortable, funereal demeanor since their first meeting made Kim Jun-woo feel sorry for keeping him any longer.
Normally, Park Jin-hyuk would have noticed and dismissed him long ago, but today, for some reason, he seemed to be deliberately ignoring Kyung Daeyong’s discomfort.
As Park Jin-hyuk settled into his chair, making sure he was comfortable, he looked up at Kyung Daeyong.
“Let’s gather the executives after lunch for a brief meeting—an introduction to the company and each other.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And tomorrow, please assemble the presidents of the subsidiaries. I should get to know their faces.”
“Yes, I’ll arrange that as well.”
Park Jin-hyuk gave his orders naturally, and Kyung Daeyong accepted them just as smoothly.
It was hard to tell who was president and who was the subordinate.
Finishing up, Park Jin-hyuk directed Kyung Daeyong’s secretary on what his office needed and what preparations should be made.
Kyung Daeyong and his secretary took note of his instructions, bowed, and left the office.
Kim Jun-woo, as if waiting for Kyung Daeyong to leave, immediately approached Park Jin-hyuk.
“Executive Director.”
“I know what you’re going to say. But first, what do you think?”
Realizing that Park Jin-hyuk already knew what he was going to say, Kim Jun-woo swallowed his words and answered the question instead.
“Are you referring to President Kyung?”
“Yeah. He was the same last time I saw him, and again today. He looks like he’s about to drop dead.”
Kim Jun-woo glanced at the door Kyung Daeyong had just exited through, then turned back to share his thoughts.
“I don’t know the reason, but he seems to have no motivation.”
“Right? Even when I tried to provoke him, he just sighed. President Kyung makes me lose my energy just by looking at him. What’s wrong with him?”
If it had been just some ordinary person, Park Jin-hyuk might not have cared.
But Kyung Daeyong was one of the main reasons he’d come to the pharmaceutical division, so he couldn’t help but be curious.
“Secretary Kim, collect some information on President Kyung.”
“Are you asking because you think he’s someone we need?”
“You’re quick on the uptake, Secretary Kim. Yes. I’m thinking of having President Kyung play the same role here as the current president at DS Construction.”
“You’re planning to bring him in too?”
“Of course. I need him. With President Hyun at DS Construction and President Kyung at DS Pharmaceuticals, I’ll have a grip on both sides. Right now, my support base is shaky, so I’m feeling uneasy.”
Feeling reassured by Park Jin-hyuk’s clear vision and actions, Kim Jun-woo realized even Park Jin-hyuk’s attitude toward Kyung Daeyong was part of the plan.
He smiled silently and left to carry out the instructions.
After Kim Jun-woo exited, the secretaries assigned to the executive director’s office came in one by one to greet him, and Park Jin-hyuk finished his morning by getting to know them.
After lunch and a bit of leisure, Kim Jun-woo returned to the office.
“Executive Director, everything is ready.”
“Already? Everyone’s diligent.”
Park Jin-hyuk rose and headed for the meeting room.
When he first joined DS Construction, he’d arrived with fifty people in tow, intimidating the existing staff. Now, just his presence alone was enough to overawe DS Pharmaceuticals.
Such was the power of experience.
The existing staff of DS Pharmaceuticals couldn’t even look him in the eye, intimidated by Park Jin-hyuk’s confident stride and gaze.
And it wasn’t just the ordinary employees.
Even the executives who’d waited outside the building for him earlier stood up as he entered the meeting room but didn’t dare meet his eyes.
“Did everyone have a good lunch? It’s quite cold today. Shall we begin right away?”
As he sat down, Park Jin-hyuk spoke, prompting the executives to follow suit.
The planning team leader stepped forward, introduced himself, and began to speak.
“DS Pharmaceuticals was established in 1983. At the time, we focused on producing what were called health supplements, mainly tonics. Then, in 1988, we launched XXX to commemorate the Olympics, which saw explosive demand, and—”
“Are you going to recite the entire company history right now? Let’s skip all that. I’m not here to listen to it. Tell me about the current state of the company.”
Stung by Park Jin-hyuk’s words, the planning team leader looked down nervously.
The other executives waved their hands, signaling him to move on quickly.
Park Jin-hyuk smiled at their reaction.
‘First impressions are important, that’s for sure. And judging by their past performance… This’ll be easy work.’
Just as he’d cut the executives down to size at DS Construction when he first arrived, his presence now had a strong impact on the people at DS Pharmaceuticals.
They were desperate not to give him any reason to criticize them, and Park Jin-hyuk could see it all.
“Currently, DS Pharmaceuticals owns five subsidiaries. The subsidiaries are…”
Perhaps spooked by Park Jin-hyuk’s earlier words, the planning team leader skipped the history and began explaining the current structure of DS Pharmaceuticals.
As he listened, Park Jin-hyuk’s gaze fixed on one spot.
‘DS Biologics.’
DS Biologics, the company pointed out by Hyun Yi-soo and confirmed by Park Jin-hyuk, was listed among the subsidiaries.
“Let me explain DS Biologics. It was established about three years ago as a new revenue model for DS Pharmaceuticals. Instead of focusing on stalled new drug development, the company specialized in contract manufacturing. The second plant has been completed, and the third is scheduled to begin construction within the year.”
“What’s the operating rate at DS Biologics?”
The previously silent Park Jin-hyuk suddenly showed interest at the mention of DS Biologics, causing every executive to tense up.
Especially Kyung Daeyong, who had tried to transform DS Pharmaceuticals from a health supplement seller into a specialized contract manufacturing company, looked deeply troubled.
The planning team leader glanced at Kyung Daeyong’s expression, then answered in a defeated voice.
“Currently, Plant 1 is running at 30% capacity, and Plant 2 isn’t even reaching 20%.”
“So it’s basically sitting idle and losing money. What about revenue and operating profit?”
“Well… Last year, we had two hundred billion won in sales and posted an operating loss of one hundred eighty billion won.”
“A loss of one hundred eighty billion. Ha ha ha. Impressive. It’s unlisted, right?”
“Yes, it’s currently unlisted.”
“I suppose you established it in hopes of listing it, provided it performed well.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Park Jin-hyuk laughed as he looked around at the people present.
Some wore a ‘see, I told you so’ look on their faces, while others hung their heads as if guilty of some crime.
Kyung Daeyong, in particular, had sunk so low his forehead was nearly touching the table.
“What was the original plan? Tell me about the goal you set at the start.”
The planning team leader, resentful that he’d been chosen as the spokesperson for this mess, answered.
“In fields like semiconductors and mobile phones, the separation of design and manufacturing has become the norm. We anticipated the same trend in the bioindustry. Our goal was to seize a leading market position by providing production facilities for companies with drug development technology but lacking manufacturing capacity, so we invested heavily starting three years ago.”
“So, you managed to get your foot in the door, but now you’re realizing the market hasn’t actually materialized yet?”
“That’s part of it… Also, some of the companies we planned to manufacture for failed their clinical trials, so our plans were derailed.”
“Then what do you see as your breakthrough?”
“Um… If the new drug currently under development at DS Pharmaceuticals passes clinical trials, we plan to produce it at DS Biologics…”
“Haa~.”
Park Jin-hyuk shook his head, cutting the team leader off.
His sigh echoed throughout the meeting room via the microphone.
Everyone had been bracing themselves, but Park Jin-hyuk’s candid attitude left them clearly uncomfortable.
Still, no one dared show it.
Though Kyung Daeyong sat in the president’s seat, it was obvious to all who actually wielded power at DS Pharmaceuticals.
Park Jin-hyuk might only hold the executive director title, but everyone knew he had the company by the throat.
“President Kyung.”
“Yes?”
Kyung Daeyong, who had invested heavily in the CMO business as soon as he became president, believing it was the future of pharmaceuticals, couldn’t hide his shame as Park Jin-hyuk spoke.
He knew that although Park Jin-hyuk had come as executive director, in time, the president’s seat would naturally fall to him.
That was why he had seemed so dispirited.
“Let’s go.”
“Sorry? Where to?”
“Where else? If the plant isn’t running, what’s there to do? We need to get business, bring in orders, and get those plants running. So, let’s go drum up some business.”
“Uh?”
While Kyung Daeyong looked on in confusion, Park Jin-hyuk’s face radiated confidence.
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