Chapter 20: Touch My People, and You’re Done For.

Spreading tabloid rumors and executing a smokescreen operation was left to Yuha.  

She’d already done this kind of thing several times at Spectrum, so she was a seasoned pro.  

Making materials that reporters would gobble up would be a piece of cake for her.  

While Yuha prepared to take on the world,  

I met with the bosses to explain our plan and prevent internal confusion.  

“It’s to protect us, so you don’t need to worry too much.”  

“Oh, worry? Nah, I know you’ll handle it well, Mr. Kang.”  

“Haha, thank you for the trust.”  

“By the way, uh… about that subsidy?”  

I was wondering when this would come up.  

“About that. Have you checked the amount we sent you?”  

“Yeah, yeah. But isn’t it a bit too much? It’s more than our monthly revenue…”  

“It’s not too much. You’re trusting us and following along. It’s the least we can do.”  

Those who’ve been with a business from the start deserve proper treatment.  

This kind of return on uncertainty ensures latecomers will expect the same and follow suit.  

That’s how you build a company’s image, step by step.  

Look at this now.  

The subsidy, generous to the point of overflowing, has put the boss in a great mood, hasn’t it?  

If I can buy someone’s trust for a mere million won, it’s a profit and then some.  

“Hoho, so we just do what you say? Like the world’s falling apart?”  

“Yes, but don’t overdo it, or it’ll seem forced. Just put on a convincing act.”  

The big corporations will definitely send people to verify the rumors.  

Those people will see the boss’s stellar performance and buy it.  

Of course, they might notice something off.  

But on paper, those details tend to get overlooked.  

It happened a few times at Spectrum, after all.  

After coordinating with the bosses, I went to meet Factory Manager Lee Jeyun.  

“Manager.”  

“Well, look who’s here, Mr. Kang!”  

“Is the factory running smoothly?”  

“Haha, with all that wheat, it’s running without a hitch.”  

Of course.  

The Tinyfolk are cultivating wheat even now, in a time density dozens of times faster.  

“That’s good to hear. What about the companies that used to buy from us?”  

“Thankfully, they’re coming back. In fact, they’re asking if we have more. Since you got us that cheap wheat, we’ve lowered our flour prices a bit.”  

“Well done.”  

The unit price may have dropped, but we’ve secured our old clients again.  

And those clients will connect us to others.  

That’s how you nibble away at the industry’s pie.  

Quietly, steadily.  

“But, Mr. Kang, what brings you here? Was my last report lacking?”  

“No way. You’re doing more than enough already. I just have a small favor to ask.”  

After hearing the plan, the factory manager smiled gently and said,  

“I get what needs to be done. When their people come, I’ll say the franchise went bust and we’re done, right?”  

As expected of the factory manager.  

Years of running a factory have honed his instincts and experience.  

But I’m planning to add one more trick here.  

“Also, ask them if we can supply our surplus products to them.”  

“Are you trying to build a bridge with them too?”  

“No, that’s not it.”  

Unfortunately, the factory manager didn’t catch this intention.  

Well, it makes sense.  

He’s run his business with nothing but honesty and trust, so he’s not versed in schemes and plots.  

“If you say that, they’ll take the proposal very seriously. Our flour is cheap, after all.”  

“Oh, I see. They’ll just take it, slap their brand on it, and sell it?”  

“Exactly.”  

For a big corporation, this proposal is pure profit.  

No need for anything else—just cover the distribution costs.  

No need to hire more workers to run more machines. Just buy the finished product cheap and sell it high.  

_They’ll calculate the legal risks and returns from their distribution channels.  

But for them, it’s undoubtedly a mouthwatering offer.  

And that temptation will add another weight to this complicated situation.  

Do they keep us alive to milk our flour, tear us apart to take just this piece,  

or stick to their original profits?  

The bigger the company, the more they have to consider. 

And their decisions slow down as a result.  

The deals at the top, the direct profits that could be made separately from those deals—  

their thoughts will get more tangled, and that tangle will buy me time.  

Time to prepare to flip the board.  

“Don’t mention it to every company. Just the two biggest ones.”  

“Leaving one out, huh?”  

“Yes. It’s better that way.”  

“Hmm, alright. If you say so, I’ll give it a shot.”  

“Thank you.”  

“No need to thank me.”  

The factory manager looked at the factory and said,  

“If it weren’t for you, this factory would’ve never run again. I owe you.”  

“That’s an exaggeration.”  

I looked at the factory manager with conviction and said,  

“You’re a good person, Manager. The good people you’ve gathered here are proof of that. And good people always get rewarded, one way or another. The factory would’ve started running again regardless.”  

“…Is that your philosophy on life?”  

“Just something I figured out through calculations.”  

If that were my philosophy, I wouldn’t be getting any rewards.  

I’ve ruined too many lives for that.  

I shook off the pointless thoughts and said,  

“I’ll contact you again later. Until then, keep doing what you’re doing. You’re doing great.”  

“Haha, don’t worry. We’re producing more than before, so we’ll sell more.”  

As I turned to leave after exchanging farewells with the factory manager,  

“Mr. Kang.”  

“Yes?”  

The factory manager smiled gently and said,  

“You’re a good person too.”  

“…I don’t know about that.”  

Considering what I’m about to do,  

you might want to take that back, Manager.  

***

Preparations for internal alignment are complete.  

It’ll take Yuha about three days to finish her preparations.  

In the meantime, I need to renegotiate the previous contracts.  

“Gentlemen, how have you been?”  

“Ahem, how about you, Mr. Kang?”  

“Me? Oh, I’ve been so busy I can barely see straight.”  

Gangi Milling and Yuseong Milling.  

I met the presidents of the two milling companies again.  

Today’s meeting wasn’t at a skate fish restaurant but at a proper Japanese course dining restaurant.  

With a lavish dinner spread before us, President Yoo Hani filled my sake glass.  

A completely different attitude from before.  

No surprise there.  

I froze the wheat prices this month.  

Meanwhile, the price of imported wheat?  

It nearly doubled to $500 per ton in just one month.  

An outright explosion!  

While other companies around us are collapsing, these two survived thanks to their deals with me.  

“I’m a bit late in saying thank you.”  

“No need to think that way. I’m making a profit too.”  

“Even so… to us, you’re practically a savior.”  

President Yoo Hani smiled warmly, speaking eloquently.  

President Kang Chuli, on the other hand, pursed his lips, cautiously gauging the mood.  

I know what he wants to say.  

Staring at the sake in my glass, I voiced what Kang Chuli was hesitating to say.  

“Wheat prices will probably rise even more.”  

As I predicted.  

The war is dragging on.  

Russia’s done a lot of stupid things, sure, but Ukraine’s holding up surprisingly well.  

In that situation, with military contractors and mercenaries milking profits bit by bit,  

the war won’t end anytime soon.  

Which means the breadbasket regions will keep burning.  

“You’ve probably heard that wheat warehouses are emptying out worldwide.”  

“War, huh? What a thing.”  

“We’re still getting some from China, but even that’s gradually drying up.”  

China’s wheat is being sucked up by Russia.  

Of course, I don’t know how long that’ll last.  

From what I see, it looks like China’s about to spit Russia out.  

That’s enough talk about global affairs.  

The groundwork’s been laid.  

“So, I’d like to talk about wheat prices.”  

“Ahem, Mr. Kang. How much are you planning to raise it?”  

They both probably expected wheat prices to go up as of today.  

That’s why they’re trying so hard to stay on my good side.  

But what can they do?  

No matter what they try, they won’t be able to appease me.  

“$700.”  

“Seven hundred…!”  

“Mr. Kang Jisung! Isn’t that a bit much?”  

“Does this look like a joke to you?”  

“R Raising the price twofold! If that’s not a joke, what is?”  

From $380 to $700.  

This is basically saying I’m breaking the contract.  

Exactly.  

I came here today to break this contract.  

I’ve secured enough capital for the business already.  

No reason to keep an unpleasant contract going.  

President Yoo Hani stared at his glass before downing it in one go.  

It must be a tough conversation to endure without some alcohol.  

“…The contract we signed was for this quarter, right?”  

“Yes. Until then, we’ll stick to the original price.”  

That’s about a month and a half left.  

Normally, contracts are signed for a year, but both of them saw our wheat as a surplus buffer, so that’s how the deal was struck.  

Lucky for me.  

“Are you really sticking to that price?”  

“My calculations say it’ll hit $800 per ton. It’ll take over a year to stabilize.”  

Of course, a year from now, it’ll drop to $260 per ton.  

But whether they can survive until then is another matter.  

“Sigh… Alright, so that’s how it is.”  

“Tch, Mr. Kang Jisung. Are you really going to play it like this?”  

“Well, I’ve got to make a living too.”  

President Kang Chuli gritted his teeth and stood up.  

“I’ll use it gratefully until the end of this quarter. I’m leaving.”  

“No need to see you out. Safe travels.”  

“Such insolence…!”  

Unable to contain his anger, President Kang Chuli spat on the floor and stormed out of the room.  

I didn’t even glance at him and looked at President Yoo Hani sitting across from me.  

He met my gaze with unreadable eyes and said,  

“You said $700, right?”  

“Are you rewriting the contract, Mr. Yoo?”  

“…I’m torn. Feels like we’re going to dry up and die either way.”  

Fiddling with his glass, President Yoo Hani poured himself more sake.  

“So, Mr. Kang. What do you think about a different kind of contract?”  

Well, look at that. Yoo Hani’s brain works a bit faster.  

I toyed with my sake glass and asked,  

“What kind are we talking about?”  

“…I heard you bought up some recently closed milling factories. You’re running them hard, aren’t you?”  

“Korea’s a small place. That’s not even in this region.”  

“When you’re in the same market, word gets around. I’ve figured out what you’re up to, Mr. Kang.”  

President Yoo Hani emptied his glass again and said,  

“I’ll help with that plan.”  

While President Kang Chuli chose to go it alone, President Yoo Hani begged for mercy.  

He’s offering to help with my franchise plan, just to stay alive.  

Feels a bit like I’m the villain here.  

Well, those who stand against me have no choice but to see me as the bad guy.  

And that’ll continue going forward.  

If you want to survive, you’d better grab the hand I’m offering.  

I picked up my glass and asked,  

“How exactly are you going to help?”  

“The companies we supply flour to—I’ll work to get them to join your franchise.”  

“Vague proposals like that won’t cut it.”  

“…If they fail, redirect the flour we supply them to your side.”  

He’s betting everything.  

He’s promising to make the franchise succeed.  

This was the best deal Yoo Hani could offer me.  

The timing’s a bit late, but if he’s bowing his head like this,  

I grinned, downed my sake, and said,  

“Alright. Let’s do it at $400.”  

“Sigh. Fine.”  

“Oh, but if you agree to one small condition, I’ll make it $380.”  

$380 is essentially a freeze.  

It’s basically saying we’ll keep going together.  

At my words, President Yoo Hani’s eyes lit up with intrigue, focusing on my mouth.  

He looked a bit wary of what I might ask,  

but it’s really no big deal.  

“You’ve got that distribution employee, right? The one who runs his mouth. Fire him. Today.”  

Anyone who messes with my people  

is done for.