Chapter 29: Countering Spectrum

As the business development department filled up, other departments began to take shape one by one.  

Typically, new hires would review past tasks to adapt to the environment, but things were different at Ribbon Corporation.  

“Boss, about this part…”  

“There should be documents organized by the vice president. Proceed based on those.”  

“Understood.”  

“Boss, regarding the expansion of the flour mill, how should we handle it?”  

“There’s a plan I put together. Find it, list the relevant companies from the detailed breakdown, and prioritize them accordingly.”  

“Got it!”  

Before the employees came on board, Yuha and I had essentially handled all the groundwork through our documents, which the new hires used to conduct deeper analyses and identify issues.  

Since Yuha and I had already tackled the critical tasks, the employees mainly focused on checking for gaps or variables during execution.  

The business development department was no exception.  

The employees in that department reviewed the plans and considerations we’d prepared, then covered their mouths in shock.  

“So, you and the vice president put together all of this?”  

“Yes.”  

“…Are you even human?”  

“I’m human, alright.”  

Just put in a lot of effort.  

Plus, my experience as a CEO made it a bit easier.  

“You guys can do it too.”  

“Maybe, but…”  

“Of course, I’m not expecting you to pull this off right away. That would just drag you back into the remnants of Spectrum.”  

If it’s urgent, you squeeze out time to get it done.  

But Ribbon Corporation has time right now.  

Having sprinted ahead, it’s time to refine and polish things.  

So, for now, we maintain lenient working hours and a relaxed work environment.  

“You’ve read the employment contract, so you know we end at 3 PM. If you’re thinking of staying late, submit an overtime request. Otherwise, everyone out.”  

“Ending at 3 PM, isn’t that too early?”  

“If you work efficiently during work hours, it’s enough. Oh, and overtime ends before dinner. If you’re still here after sunset, expect a written warning.”  

“Huh…”  

“Boss!”  

Someone interrupted while I was delivering the announcements.  

Yuha waved her hands wildly at me.  

“That applies to me too, right?”  

“…Vice President, if we have separate meetings, we’ll work extra.”  

“But I’m an employee too!”  

“I’ll take care of you separately.”  

“Oh, right, that’s true.”  

Yuha grinned, and a small wave of laughter spread through the room.  

That alone lightened the company’s atmosphere significantly.  

This was a scene you’d never see at Spectrum.  

Always drowning in work, grinding away.  

Laughter at Spectrum was either sarcastic or fleeting joy from a sudden sales spike.  

So, seeing them genuinely happy felt a bit unfamiliar.  

But it wasn’t bad.  

“Alright, let’s get to work. As we lay the foundation from now on, your work is the most important. Even if it takes a bit longer, make sure to address everything thoroughly.”  

“Understood.”  

“Let’s make today another good day.”  

After the morning meeting, I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my eyes.  

With more people, the things I need to check have skyrocketed.  

For now, I still need to double-check everything.  

Just get through this.  

If we handle this well, we can leap forward later.  

So, let’s grind a bit more.  

***

It took a full week to refine the existing reporting structure and business operations.  

Now, departments were starting to understand their roles and move independently, bringing a bit of vitality back to the company.  

Of course, there were plenty of expenses and resources consumed in the process.  

But I considered that necessary.  

Just as I was wondering which direction to explore next, it was time to step out and make other preparations.  

I was mulling over my options when—  

“Boss!”  

Yuha, as busy as I was, strode over.  

“What’s up?”  

“You’re not calling me Vice President?”  

“There’s no one else around.”  

“Tch.”  

I’d boost her confidence in front of others, but if I do it when we’re alone, her ego might pierce the sky.  

I can’t let that happen.  

“So, what’s the matter?”  

“The business development department submitted something they think is a good idea. Can you take a look?”  

“You could handle that yourself.”  

“It’s a bit ambiguous for me. Just check it out.”  

“What is it?”  

I took the documents Yuha handed me and started reviewing them.  

Maybe because they were former colleagues, the report was impeccably clean.  

It was easy to grasp their main points at a glance.  

“Collaboration with cafes, huh.”  

“Bread and coffee go hand in hand. Even Baguette Paris runs bakeries in a cafe format.”  

“That’s true.”  

“Looking at Local Bakery’s sales and customer share, it’s trending upward. They want to solidify that by adding one more thing.”  

“Hmm…”  

Not a bad idea.  

The listed companies weren’t major players, but they were well-known cafes in regional areas.  

Collaborating with them could create good synergy.  

“This seems like something you’d approve. Is there a problem?”  

“It’s just a concern, but check the back page.”  

“Let’s see.”  

The back of the report calculated the benefits and risks of the collaboration.  

To think they could produce a report like this just a week after starting.  

Work hours have been reduced, but efficiency has skyrocketed.  

Shortening work hours was definitely the right call.  

As I was feeling satisfied with the new system, my hand froze.  

One detail caught my eye and stuck like a nail.  

“…Spectrum is considering this too?”  

“More precisely, it’s a program that helps with collaboration. It manages contracts, shared schedules, progress tracking, and so on.”  

“How’s that related to this collaboration?”  

“If we proceed with the collaboration, we’ll likely use this program. I’m worried our company’s details might get exposed.”  

Spectrum, being an IT company, obviously doesn’t access personal information.  

If word got out that they were accessing inter-company project details, every Spectrum program would come under suspicion.  

The result?  

Straight to ruin.  

But they’d probably find a way to check on our company anyway.  

Without getting caught, completely covertly.  

They’d snoop on our project details and use that to plan various moves.  

Just like Kangseong Foods did.  

“Use a different program. We managed collaborations without this kind of program before.”  

“The thing is, if we don’t use this program, we’ll have to do everything in person. Efficiency will drop by over 50%, and costs will pile up.”  

The fact that the cafes we’d collaborate with are in regional areas is also an issue.  

Travel time would create additional problems, and response times would lengthen.  

I thought it over and handed the documents back to Yuha.  

“Proceed with in-person collaboration only. Even if efficiency drops, prioritize safety.”  

“Got it. I’ll issue those instructions.”  

“If the other companies complain, offer them a bit more incentive. We’re not getting entangled with Spectrum.”  

Letting our business details leak to them is dangerous—very dangerous.  

It’s like giving our enemies an opening at a critical moment.  

Yuha nodded but gave a wry smile.  

“But, boss, that’s not going to be easy.”  

“…Yeah, you’re right.”  

I recalled the news I saw this morning on my way to work.  

Spectrum launched a new SNS called Rainbow, and user response was better than expected.  

An SNS with a large existing user base—they’ve pulled them all in.  

That wasn’t just good business acumen.  

It was possible because of Yoo Jinsang’s development skills.  

…Yeah, that guy’s a genius in that area.  

“Even our employees will start using Rainbow. It’s trendy.”  

“If you draw people in with a trend, it’s easy to make them stay.”  

“And SNS has a great revenue model.”  

“Exactly.”  

Their business is fixed-cost.  

They only need to cover labor and server costs, and no matter how much they earn, there’s no additional expense.  

But we’re a variable-cost business.  

The bigger the business grows, the higher the expenses.  

“Spectrum will keep expanding its business areas. They’ll probably overtake Naver Portal soon.”  

“That’s a terrifying thought.”  

“We can’t stop them.”  

“Can’t stop them, huh.”  

Can’t stop them.  

No, there’s no such thing.  

“Pass the top-priority instructions to the business development department.”  

“What should I tell them?”  

“Have them acquire an IT company and develop security solutions.”  

“…Boss, that’s a bit…”  

“I know.”  

It’s a guaranteed loss.  

Spectrum is already a titan in that field.  

Even if we enter the business, they’ll devour us.  

Swallow us whole.  

But we have to do it.  

“You said just before you left that Ribbon Corporation was listed as one of Spectrum’s key companies to watch, right?”  

“Yes, as a company to keep an eye on.”  

“Then, knowing Yoo Jinsang, he’ll definitely develop a program to counter us. And it’s likely to be a company management program.”  

I’ve known that guy since college, so I know.  

He identifies the opponent’s unmet needs and supplies them.  

I know because I refined that strategy and created an environment to make it more effective.  

“He knows we’re diversifying and growing our business. He’ll conclude that we’ll use a company management program to handle those operations.”  

“…And he’ll develop one?”  

“Yeah. So we need to prepare in advance to avoid being swayed by it.”  

If we run our company with a program developed by Spectrum?  

It’s over.  

We’ll be quietly consumed by them.  

Like a frog being boiled alive.  

“So tell the business development department to find and acquire a company developing security programs and in-house intranet solutions.”  

“What if acquisition isn’t possible?”  

“Then collaborate with them. Invest if needed. But our details must never leak outside.”  

I don’t know how much time and money this will take.  

But one thing’s certain: it’ll be like pouring water into a bottomless bucket.  

“While preparing for that, look into opportunities for entering that field and expanding our hiring for talent in that area. Treat it as a long-term plan.”  

“Got it. But where are you going, boss?”  

“Where else?”  

Thanks to that bastard Yoo Jinsang, money’s about to flow out like water.  

“I’ve got to go make some money.”