Chapter 35: La Choy Food Company

“Hello. I’m Yu Ilhan.”

“I’m Lee Jun-hyuk. Pleased to meet you.”

They shook hands.

It was a firm and strong grip.

“I heard you did business in Cuba?”

A flicker of keen curiosity crossed Yu Ilhan’s eyes.

“Yes. I dabbled in the sugar trade for a bit.”

“Ah, then during the recent crash…”

“Luckily, I sold everything at 24 cents.”

Yu Ilhan’s eyes widened in shock.

“24 cents? Then, almost at the peak…”

“I was just lucky.”

“It’s not luck, it’s skill.”

There was a mixture of admiration and envy in Yu Ilhan’s voice.

“I hope one day I can take on a business as big as yours…”

Kim Young-soo made room for the two to talk.

“Both of you are young and capable, you’ll find a lot in common. Have a good conversation.”

After Kim Young-soo left, Yu Ilhan got straight to the point.

“How did you know it was the perfect timing? Even the Wall Street experts swore it would reach 30 cents.”

It was the blunt question of an ambitious young man.

“I judged the market was overheated. Too much speculative capital was pouring in.”

“Still, to pull out exactly at 24 cents…”

“Frankly, it could have gone higher. But it’s smarter to sell at the shoulder rather than at the very top. If you get greedy, you’ll always get burned.”

Yu Ilhan nodded, clearly in agreement.

“You’re right. I’ve dabbled in stocks myself, and greed has cost me more than once.”

Thanks to that, the atmosphere grew much more relaxed.

“So, what kind of business are you planning to do in New York?”

“I’m considering several options. One of them is the canning business.”

“Canning?”

Yu Ilhan’s eyes sparkled.

“I’m actually very interested in canning too… May I ask what kind of canned goods you have in mind?”

“I haven’t decided on specifics yet. I’m still in the market research phase.”

Lee Jun-hyuk deliberately kept the core idea hidden.

“I see…”

Yu Ilhan hesitated for a moment, then spoke as if he’d made up his mind.

“Actually, I’m planning a canning business too.”

“Oh, really? What product?”

“Sprout Canning.”

Yu Ilhan’s voice brimmed with confidence.

“Chinese-Americans in New York are searching for bean sprouts all the time, but the fresh ones are too expensive and hard to find. If only we could mass-produce them in cans…”

He began explaining passionately, as if unrolling a business plan right before their eyes.

Market scale, cost calculation, distribution strategies—he covered it all.

“You’ve definitely got the makings of an entrepreneur.”

Lee Jun-hyuk listened with admiration.

“That’s a truly excellent idea.”

“Do you think so? The problem is, with my current salary at General Electric, it’s impossible to raise enough capital… so I’m looking for an investor.”

Opportunity had arrived.

“How much do you need?”

“At least five thousand dollars… Just enough to rent a small factory and set up basic equipment…”

Yu Ilhan’s voice grew small before the wall of reality.

“So far, I’ve only managed to save eight hundred dollars.”

“Mr. Yu Ilhan.”

Lee Jun-hyuk looked him straight in the eye and spoke seriously.

“What if I invest?”

Yu Ilhan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“In… invest? Really?”

“Yes. The idea is great, and above all, your passion speaks to me.”

“But… this is our first meeting, how can you…”

A natural response.

Lee Jun-hyuk smiled calmly.

“Business ultimately comes down to people. And I’ve heard plenty of praise about you from President Kim Young-soo. He said you graduated Michigan University with excellent marks.”

“Ah.”

Yu Ilhan’s face flushed a little.

“That’s too much praise.”

“I’m not suggesting just an investment. I’d like to propose a partnership.”

“A partnership?”

“Yes. Your idea and management skills, combined with my capital and distribution network. Let’s build a company together.”

Yu Ilhan fell silent, deep in thought.

His eyes darted rapidly—calculating thousands of possibilities in his mind, no doubt.

“And the terms…?”

Ever the businessman.

He asked about numbers before emotions.

“You take 40% of the shares, and I take 60%. In return, you’ll have full responsibility for the company’s management. I’ll focus solely on providing capital and network support.”

“Forty percent…”

Yu Ilhan pondered quietly.

“And how much initial capital are you thinking?”

“Let’s start with ten thousand dollars. If more is needed, we can increase it any time.”

“Ten thousand… dollars!”

Yu Ilhan’s eyes sparkled.

It was probably an unimaginable fortune to him.

“With that kind of capital, we could build a proper factory.”

“Rather than build, it’s quicker to acquire an existing one. There’s a good listing in Brooklyn I have my eye on.”

Lee Jun-hyuk added.

“And if we leverage my Cuba network, we can secure a massive number of cans at a very low price.”

Yu Ilhan’s expression grew ever brighter.

Still, he wanted to confirm one last thing.

“The conditions are almost too good. But… why do you want to do this with me?”

Lee Jun-hyuk paused to think.

‘Because you were a revered entrepreneur in Korea in your previous life’—he could hardly say that.

“First, Sprout Canning is bound to succeed. As a businessman, I can’t let that opportunity slip away.”

That was the truth.

“Second, I plan to run several businesses simultaneously from now on, so I desperately need a competent partner I can trust to handle one field.”

“Several businesses…?”

“Yes. Trade, manufacturing, even media. I plan to enter any field with potential.”

Yu Ilhan let out a breath of admiration.

“That’s… truly an ambitious vision.”

“Which is why I need a partner as capable as you.”

Just then, a bell sounded in the hall.

It signaled the official start of the Korean Association meeting.

“Let’s attend the meeting for now, and discuss the rest in more detail afterward.”

“Yes, let’s.”

After the meeting, Yu Ilhan approached Lee Jun-hyuk again.

“Mr. Lee Jun-hyuk.”

“Yes?”

“That proposal earlier… were you really serious?”

“Of course.”

Lee Jun-hyuk handed over a newly printed business card.

Lee Trading Company
Lee Jun-hyuk

“Your office is on Fifth Avenue?”

“Yes, I opened it just a few days ago.”

Yu Ilhan accepted the card with care.

“I’d like to add one condition.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“I want full authority over product development and production, without any interference from you.”

A sign of confidence. Lee Jun-hyuk liked that.

“Naturally. That’s exactly why I’m entrusting you with full management.”

At last, a bright smile spread across Yu Ilhan’s face.

“Then… let’s do this!”

Finally!

Lee Jun-hyuk cheered inwardly.

“A wise decision. You won’t regret it.”

The two men shook hands firmly.

“When should I visit the office?”

“How about Monday?”

“Perfect. I’ll go hand in my resignation to General Electric right away.”

“Already?”

“When opportunity knocks, you have to seize it. If you hesitate, it’ll fly away.”

As expected, you could tell a promising tree from its sprouting leaves.

On their way out of the Korean Association hall,

Yu Ilhan spoke in a voice thick with emotion.

“Honestly, up until this morning, work life just felt stifling. The same routine day after day… I could see myself stuck as a salaried man forever. But now it’s different. I get to start my own business…”

“It’ll go well.”

Lee Jun-hyuk spoke with certainty.

“No, we’ll make it succeed.”

“Yes!”

Yu Ilhan’s reply brimmed with strength.

The two men crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, talking about the future of their new company.

“What should we name it?”

Yu Ilhan asked.

Lee Jun-hyuk already had the answer.

“La Choy—how about it?”

“La Choy?”

“In Chinese, it means ‘delicious.’ It’s easy for Americans to pronounce, too.”

In truth, it was the very name Yu Ilhan had come up with himself in his previous life.

“Perfect! La Choy… La Choy Food Company!”

Yu Ilhan shouted like an excited boy.

The sunset dyed the East River golden.

A new beginning.

And this time, with the very person he had admired most in his past life.

Lee Jun-hyuk made a vow.

“In this life, I’ll help you achieve an even greater dream. And when the day comes that you resolve to sacrifice everything for your homeland, then I’ll be your greatest support.”

***

Monday morning.

Lee Jun-hyuk arrived at the office earlier than usual.

Today was the day Yu Ilhan would be joining him.

All morning, he personally prepared the partnership contract.

Shortly after lunchtime, Yu Ilhan arrived.

He was wearing a new suit.

“Welcome.”

“I finished submitting my resignation this morning. My boss was utterly shocked.”

Lee Jun-hyuk brought out the prepared contract.

“First, here’s the company incorporation agreement. Please review it.”

Yu Ilhan read the document carefully.

“Forty percent shares, full management authority… just as you said on Saturday.”

“Yes. Do you want any additional conditions?”

Yu Ilhan thought for a moment, then spoke.

“Just one. If the company succeeds within five years, I’d like an option to increase my shares to 51%.”

A sign of confidence. Lee Jun-hyuk liked that.

“Agreed. In return, let’s make it conditional on reaching annual sales of one million dollars within five years.”

“One million dollars… sounds good! Let’s do it!”

The two men signed the revised contract side by side.

“Congratulations.”

Robert and Thomas applauded.

“La Choy Food Company is officially born now.”

Yu Ilhan’s face was filled with emotion.

“Truly… I have my own company now.”

“No, that’s not right.”

Lee Jun-hyuk smiled and corrected him.

“Our company.”

“Yes! That’s right. Our company!”

That afternoon, the two of them became completely absorbed in discussing business plans.

Production schedules, marketing strategies, building a distribution network—everything.

“We need to target Chinese restaurants first. They’ll be our main initial customers.”

“Good thinking. I know several Chinese merchants, so we can get some help there.”

As evening fell, Lee Jun-hyuk pulled out his checkbook.

“You’ll need some immediate funds… Here’s a thousand dollars. You’ll need to move and prepare things, so use it for company expenses.”

Yu Ilhan’s hands trembled slightly as he took the check.

It was probably the first time he’d ever held so much money.

“Thank you. Honestly… it doesn’t feel real.”

“This is just the beginning. You’ll be handling even bigger sums in the future, so think of it as practice.”

Yu Ilhan grinned brightly.

“Yes! I’ll make this a success and repay you!”

He left the office, his steps light as if he could fly.

The first step of a young man toward his dream.

Lee Jun-hyuk was sure.

“It’ll go well.”

This was a man who’d built success from nothing in his past life—this time, Lee Jun-hyuk would give him wings.

The beginning of La Choy.

And with it, the very first step toward an even greater business empire.