Daeyong Kyung visited Park Jin-hyuk’s office.
Common sense would dictate that Park Jin-hyuk should be summoned up, but neither the person coming down nor the one receiving him thought anything was odd about the arrangement.
Perhaps because the one receiving thought it was natural, the one coming did too. Park Jin-hyuk greeted Daeyong Kyung naturally.
“What brings you here?”
Daeyong Kyung remained standing as he began to explain the reason for his visit to Park Jin-hyuk, who gestured for him to take a seat on the sofa for guests.
“I’ve come to tell you I found a place for the business you mentioned last time.”
“Is that so? Where is it?”
With interest, Park Jin-hyuk went over and sat on the sofa first.
Daeyong Kyung, however, remained standing and replied without sitting down.
“Every year, from mid to late January, JP Morgan hosts the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. Over five hundred bio companies from around the world gather for the world’s largest event of its kind. If you go there, I believe you’ll be able to do the kind of business you mentioned, Executive Director.”
“Oh, there was such a place? If it’s mid-January… isn’t that only a few days away? Why are you telling me just now?”
“We’ve never considered going there to do business before. We only thought it meaningful to attend in order to keep up with recent trends in the bio industry.”
“Is that acceptable? You said companies from all over the world are gathering. Let’s go.”
“Um…”
Daeyong Kyung hesitated before speaking.
After pondering something for a moment, he finally spoke with some difficulty.
“How do you plan to conduct business there?”
“It seems you don’t know much about sales, President Kyung. What’s the matter? Are you embarrassed at the thought of suddenly going with me and trying to do business?”
“Well, that’s…”
“I understand. You’ve always been in research, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Park Jin-hyuk recalled the information about Daeyong Kyung that Kim Jun-woo had gathered last night.
“Rising to an executive position at a world-class bio company while remaining in research is no easy feat. Still, since you’ve always been on the research side, it must be daunting to step into this new world. It’s not your fault, President Kyung. No need to go around looking so downcast. If someone told me to do research, I’d be just like you.”
Daeyong Kyung’s gaze wavered at Park Jin-hyuk’s words.
And Park Jin-hyuk quietly gazed into that shaken look.
Having seen Daeyong Kyung’s profile through Kim Jun-woo, Park Jin-hyuk now understood why Daeyong Kyung was behaving like this.
This was a common affliction for those who had spent their lives at their desks or in labs and were then assigned new positions.
When he had first joined the company under Yoo Jeong-geol, he’d seen someone just like Daeyong Kyung—someone who’d only ever done research—assigned to sales. That man had looked like death warmed over, failed to adjust, and eventually quit after a few months.
He also learned that companies often used such transfers to force research and office staff out.
At first, he couldn’t understand why those who had their positions changed quit. If you had a family to feed and a reason to earn money, you should endure no matter how hard it was—or so he thought as a new employee.
He also didn’t understand why dealing with people was so hard that they couldn’t adjust and went around looking so miserable.
But as time passed, he began to understand.
When you’re young, you have no fear of new fields, but as you get older, it’s hard to change to an unfamiliar environment. Park Jin-hyuk, now in his forties, finally understood that feeling.
It seemed Daeyong Kyung was in just such a situation.
He was capable, had achievements, and was full of enthusiasm, but sitting in the president’s seat, leading the company and meeting people, simply didn’t fit him.
Given time, he would adjust, but would time wait for him? Daeyong Kyung was surely sinking deeper into the swamp of uncertainty.
Knowing exactly what Daeyong Kyung needed, Park Jin-hyuk smiled warmly at him.
“Just trust me. Sales isn’t as hard as it seems. All you have to do is match the other person’s mood and strike up a friendly conversation. People think it’s difficult and scary, but nothing in the world is truly easy, right? To me, development seems even harder.”
Daeyong Kyung found it hard to know how much to trust Park Jin-hyuk, who had just started real work at DS Construction and was now discoursing on sales.
Still, Park Jin-hyuk had shown results.
Even if it wasn’t entirely his own effort, using those around him was a skill in itself.
At this point, Daeyong Kyung couldn’t even do that, so he had no choice but to follow Park Jin-hyuk’s lead.
“Let’s get plane tickets and go. Nothing gets done by just sitting around, does it?”
“That’s true. Let’s do it.”
“Don’t worry so much. Sales isn’t something you succeed at in one shot. Like all things, if you sow seeds and tend the ground, one day sprouts will rise. When those sprouts become trees and bear fruit… that tree will keep bearing fruit. The beginning is tough, but once you try, it’s nothing. I’ll help you. President Kyung, you have ability. Believe in the skills that took you to the top, leading one of the group’s key affiliates.”
Park Jin-hyuk approached and put an arm around Daeyong Kyung’s shoulders, encouraging him.
He believed what Daeyong Kyung needed now was confidence.
Wherever a person reaches the peak, they find it easier than ordinary people to climb to new heights elsewhere.
Even if Daeyong Kyung was lost and lacked confidence now, once he regained his confidence, he’d return to form.
So Park Jin-hyuk just needed to help him regain his confidence.
‘He’ll take care of the rest himself.’
Park Jin-hyuk gave Daeyong Kyung a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and drew him closer.
*****
The number of DS Pharma staff attending the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference ended up much larger than originally planned.
Initially, they had planned for a small group of five or six to attend, mainly to keep up with trends in the healthcare and bio fields.
But a few days before departure, Park Jin-hyuk ordered a large delegation, throwing all previous plans into disarray.
“Who’s going to support the President and Executive Director? Sales Team 3?”
“Yes. Sales Team 3 doesn’t have any special projects going on right now.”
“What about the affiliates? The Executive Director said the key executives from BioLogics must attend, including the President.”
“Even the key executives?”
“You haven’t passed that on? Hurry up. We need the final departure list right now if we want to book flights and hotels.”
“Team Leader, don’t worry about the hotel. The Executive Director said he’s arranged things with the Marriott Hotel through DS Group’s Korean Hotel subsidiary.”
“Really? Well, that’s one thing solved… Now hurry and submit the list to BioLogics. There aren’t many days left before we depart.”
DS Pharma was in a flurry of activity preparing for the conference.
Park Jin-hyuk’s office was no less busy.
“So, backdoor negotiations are underway for the sale of BioLogics to Hanseong Group?”
“Yes. It’s not a deep discussion yet, but Hanseong Group has inquired about a sale, and DS headquarters has responded positively, as far as I know.”
“So that’s what it was?”
Raising it only to devour it.
When it came to BioLogics, it was more accurate to say they watched over it until the factory was built before swallowing it whole.
For Hanseong Group, buying land, building a factory, and starting a test run required time, effort, and risk—but this way, it was all solved at once.
“I always wondered why they didn’t just sell it. We thought DS had a trauma about selling and that’s why they didn’t, but behind the scenes, talks were already underway. Really… you never know what’ll happen next. Why is everything so tangled up?”
“The Executive Director had us keep a close eye on BioLogics, which is how I found out. It’s being handled so secretly by the strategy planning office at HQ that even DS Pharma, BioLogics’s parent, didn’t notice.”
Park Jin-hyuk drummed his fingers on the desk.
Tak tak tak.
It was his habit whenever he was deep in thought.
Park Jin-hyuk spent a moment organizing his thoughts.
Kim Jun-woo quietly watched him, then spoke slowly.
“With the Chairman and Secretary Hwang both away, things are at a standstill. But when they return, the sale negotiations will likely pick up speed.”
“Hmm… Suppose, just suppose, we invested as originally planned—could we stop the sale?”
“The reason for selling isn’t a lack of cash flow, but rather difficulty generating profit… so I don’t think injecting funds alone would prevent the sale.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured. So if we invest, all we get is the profit from the sale?”
“Yes. Even if we delay the sale to maximize returns, making the originally planned five hundred billion won will be tough.”
The plan was for Park Jin-hyuk to invest capital in BioLogics, acquire shares, normalize the company, take it public, and make ten times or more his investment.
That was the method Hyun Yi-su had proposed to make money from BioLogics.
Since BioLogics was already well prepared, as long as it was normalized and listed, capital wouldn’t be a problem.
On top of that, the market would welcome a family member bailing out a struggling company, so the process should be smooth from investment to normalization.
But now, even if they invested and took a large stake, it looked like they’d be swept along and sold off to Hanseong Group during the negotiations.
“The most urgent thing is to block the sale of BioLogics, so how?”
“I’ve passed the information on to President Hyun’s side. He’s going to try to come up with a plan and get back to us as soon as possible.”
“It won’t be easy for him either. With him tied up at DS Construction, getting info on DS Pharma and controlling a subsidiary like BioLogics isn’t simple. Let’s not just rely on him—let’s find our own way too.”
“Yes, understood.”
As Park Jin-hyuk was about to wrap up the conversation, Kim Jun-woo cautiously brought something up.
“Is it alright for you to be away at a time like this? Why not send President Kyung alone?”
“If he goes alone, he won’t get anything done.”
“If you’re worried about his lack of experience in sales, how about sending some experienced executives with him?”
“His problem isn’t just lack of experience. His confidence is rock bottom, and if another executive goes and takes over what President Kyung is supposed to do, it might be worse than not going at all.”
“Would it be different if you went, Executive Director?”
“It would. I’m a member of the owner family. If I make things happen, I can share the credit with President Kyung, or even hand it all to him—it doesn’t matter to me. And for him, it’s easier to accept help from me, since we’re not in competition.”
Kim Jun-woo nodded.
He was right. If anyone was to support President Kyung, it should be Park Jin-hyuk.
But it was still unsettling for Park Jin-hyuk to be away while secret talks about selling BioLogics were underway.
Noticing this, Park Jin-hyuk stopped pacing the office and addressed Kim Jun-woo.
“Don’t worry. Investing in BioLogics isn’t our only option.”
“Do you have something else in mind?”
“Not yet, but I’m sure I’ll think of something soon. If you worry too much, you’ll mess up things that would otherwise go well. Just handle the issues in front of you, and we’ll end up where we need to be.”
Kim Jun-woo was at a loss for words at Park Jin-hyuk’s composure.
At a time when anyone would be walking on thin ice, where did this confidence and poise come from?
It was Kim Jun-woo, not Park Jin-hyuk, who looked anxious.
And he wasn’t alone; he could easily picture Hyun Yi-su and the team leaders under him feeling the same way.
‘Only the Executive Director can stay so calm.’
Park Jin-hyuk was like an oasis in the middle of a desert.
And he remained that way until it was time to leave for San Francisco.
“Let’s go.”
As Park Jin-hyuk stepped out of the building with Kim Jun-woo, everyone waiting outside quickly got into the cars and headed to the airport.
Park Jin-hyuk rode with Daeyong Kyung, sitting side by side as they headed to the airport.
When Kim Jun-woo, seated in the front passenger seat, glanced back, the contrast between the two men was stark.
One looked like he might get carsick at any moment, while the other seemed as relaxed as if going out for a stroll in the neighborhood.
“President Kyung. You don’t need to worry so much. I’ll be right there with you—just follow my lead.”
Daeyong Kyung glanced at Park Jin-hyuk.
And, before he realized it, he smiled.
Here he was, with thirty years of company life behind him, being reassured by a greenhorn who hadn’t even been working in earnest for a year.
The comic absurdity of the situation made Daeyong Kyung’s tense shoulders relax.
“Thank you.”
“There’ll be plenty more chances to hear me say that, so look forward to it. I’ll lead you well.”
Daeyong Kyung gazed quietly at Park Jin-hyuk.
He remembered having dinner with Hyun Yi-su before rumors of Park Jin-hyuk coming to DS Pharma even started.
At that dinner, Hyun Yi-su had told him that Park Jin-hyuk would be coming to DS Pharma, and that an interesting time awaited him at the company.
Back then, he hadn’t really understood what that meant, but now he was starting to get a sense of it.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
“Good. That’s right. Just relax. It’s nothing.”
Park Jin-hyuk gave Daeyong Kyung’s shoulder a gentle pat and laughed.
*****
After settling into the Marriott Hotel in San Francisco, the DS Pharma staff gathered in a hotel meeting room to make plans.
They shared schedules and lists of participating companies, subdividing the companies each team member would handle.
“We’re excluding Korean companies.”
“But there are about twenty Korean companies participating. Should we exclude all of them?”
“You can meet Korean companies back home. Here, focus on targets that are hard to meet elsewhere. Don’t just chat with familiar faces from Korean firms. The goal is to meet as many assigned companies as possible within the given time.”
Park Jin-hyuk divided the DS Pharma staff into teams.
He fairly distributed the participating companies among the teams.
“Don’t overdo it or try to clinch contracts right away. Your goal should be to make our company’s name known. Get your faces out there, make contacts. Forget what you thought before you came here. Make the names DS Pharma and DS BioLogics known to as many people and places as possible. Our real goal here is to promote our CMO business widely.”
The staff looked bewildered at the shift in focus.
As Park Jin-hyuk walked along the wall of the meeting room, he saw their confusion and understood it.
But he knew this was the time to change tactics, even if it was disorienting.
Attending the first day’s meeting, Park Jin-hyuk realized something.
Hundreds of world-famous companies were participating, and thousands of investors filled the place to bursting.
In a place like this, there was no need to focus solely on winning orders.
If they poured all their energy into making the company’s name known, it would pay off more in the long run—Park Jin-hyuk knew this from experience.
“Alright, everyone, distribute our promotional materials as widely as possible. Work hard, and there’ll be rewards waiting when we return. Let’s do our best.”
Eager to be on the move again after a long time, Park Jin-hyuk clapped his hands and encouraged the staff in the meeting room.
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