TOIGC 67

Chapter 67 …

Red-Hot Treatment (2)

The words coming out of Yoongi’s mouth were exactly what Ryu Geun-tae and Choi Chul-gyu had been desperately wishing for.

“I’m going to give you both stock options allowing you to purchase a five percent stake in YK Department Store each.”

As things stood, YK Department Store was entirely owned by Yoongi—a hundred percent single-owner setup. Offering stock options meant transitioning into a three-way structure, percentages aside. Of course, while that was the surface-level reality, there was a far more significant underlying implication.

“Thank you very much!”

Ryu Geun-tae leapt to his feet and bowed at a ninety-degree angle, while Choi Chul-gyu grabbed Yoongi’s hand and bowed his head.

“Thank you, Yoongi.”

Watching the two men express their genuine gratitude, Yoongi nodded.

“If stock options aren’t to your liking, I can pay you out a bonus equivalent to their current market value.”

Naturally, both men vigorously shook their heads.

“No way, sir! I prefer the stock options!” “Me too! Stock options all the way!”

Their reactions were by no means exaggerated. Given Yoongi’s innate capability and his deep-rooted connections with the new military regime, YK Department Store’s meteoric rise was a guaranteed future. Ryu Geun-tae and Choi Chul-gyu were already picturing what the department store would look like a decade down the line.

If YK Department Store ever goes public…

Just as Ryu Geun-tae envisioned, YK Department Store would eventually list on the stock market. And why do companies go public? To cash out shares. While silver-spoon heirs in the 2010s might dabble in unlisted stocks chasing a massive windfall, unlisted shares in the 1980s were typically worth less than scrap paper. Unless you were looking at the subsidiary of a major conglomerate or a spin-off founded by top-tier corporate alumni, most small and medium enterprises operated merely as subcontractors with minimal social footprint, meaning their shares would never see a public listing.

That left holders with illiquid unlisted shares that saw practically zero trading volume. In fact, some scummy CEOs were known to force-sell company shares onto their managerial staff under the guise of “the company will buy them back from you when you retire.”

This situation, however, was entirely different. What kind of value would a five percent stake in YK Department Store hold if left to mature over thirty years? Three hundred million won? Three billion? Thirty billion? There was no doubt it would amount to a staggering, unimaginable sum. Driven by that realization, Ryu Geun-tae and Choi Chul-gyu resolved to prioritize exercising their stock options, even if it meant risking their lives.

“Let’s see… do you two have the cash on hand to exercise the options right now?” “I’ll figure out a way to pull it together.”

At Ryu Geun-tae’s reply, Yoongi shook his head.

“No need for that. Consult with the corporate lawyer and take out a loan from me at a legally sound interest rate.” “Y-you’re willing to do that for us?”

Ryu Geun-tae’s trembling voice overflowed with an absolute tidal wave of emotion.

“Once YK Department Store launches its operations in earnest, those shares are bound to skyrocket in value, even as an unlisted entity. It’s much smarter to acquire the stock options as quickly as possible anyway. Besides, once you take out the loan, won’t you be pouring your entire salaries into paying it off for a while?” “Obviously! Thank you so much, sir. I’ll pay it back as quickly as humanly possible.”

Yoongi chuckled softly and waved a hand.

“Take your time, there’s no rush. I can at least afford to grant you that much leeway.”

The conference room atmosphere was practically dripping with warmth, and both Ryu Geun-tae and Choi Chul-gyu wore expressions of peak, unadulterated bliss.

“Secretary Ryu, handle the paperwork for the stock options as fast as possible. Uncle, make sure you coordinate with Secretary Ryu to track the progress.” “Got it!”

Watching the two eagerly nod, Yoongi steered the conversation back to business.

“Since Secretary Ryu’s report is done and the bonus matter is settled, does my uncle have anything else to bring up?”

Prompted by the shift in atmosphere, Choi Chul-gyu quickly slipped into a serious expression and nodded.

“I certainly do.”

“Director Choi, President Kim has arrived.” “Send him right in.”

At Choi Chul-gyu’s words, the office door swung open, and Kim Soon-ho—set to manage one of the mini department stores shortly—walked inside.

“Ah, hello there, Director Choi!”

Beaming with an exuberant smile as he entered, Kim Soon-ho immediately reached out to shake Choi Chul-gyu’s hand.

“It’s great to see you. Have you been well?”

Choi Chul-gyu warmly grasped Kim Soon-ho’s hand in return, making their relationship look tightly knit and chummy.

“Thanks to you, I’ve been doing great. By the way, you mentioned you had something to tell me regarding the product shipments today—has it finally been finalized?” “Yes, we’ll need to start getting things ready soon. You’ll feel a lot more at ease once it’s locked down, won’t you, President Kim?” “Hahaha! I’m putting all my faith in you, Director Choi.”

In his early fifties, Kim Soon-ho had spent the last half-year working as a department head at a major conglomerate before getting pushed out during a fierce promotion race. Hearing rumors about YK Department Store’s mini department store initiative, he had eagerly jumped at the opportunity.

“I’ve drafted up the basic contract right here. Go ahead and look it over. I’ve prepared everything meticulously.”

At Choi Chul-gyu’s prompting, Kim Soon-ho began scanning the pages of the agreement.

I heard they’d hook me up with good luxury goods, but what do I know about high-end brands anyway?

Even glancing through the brand list printed in the contract, Kim Soon-ho could only inwardly tilt his head in confusion. Having spent years climbing the ranks at a large corporation, he managed to mask his puzzlement with a practiced poker face, but the truth was he lacked the foundational knowledge to fully grasp which specific product lines he was being allocated.

We’re close friends, so he naturally looked out for me. Besides, look at how well I’ve treated this guy over the years.

Even though he was investing his entire retirement fund—scraped together by bleeding his subordinates dry during his corporate days—Kim Soon-ho just shrugged it off with a hearty laugh.

“Hahahaha! This looks wonderful to me.” “Splendid. All you need to do is stamp your seal right there, and you’ll be set for a wonderfully comfortable retirement, President Kim.” “Fantastic, absolutely fantastic.”

After stamping his seal on the contract, Kim Soon-ho pulled out a set of traditional Korean sweets (hangwa) from the shopping bag he had brought along.

“It’s not much, but take this home to enjoy with your family after work. I tried them myself, and they’re exceptionally tasty.” “Oh, you really shouldn’t have. Thank you so much.”

Choi Chul-gyu accepted the hangwa gift without a trace of hesitation, and shortly after, Kim Soon-ho strode out of the office with another booming laugh.

Twenty minutes later, Choi Chul-gyu picked up the intercom and called his assistant.

“Has President Jang arrived yet?” [Ah, he’s just walking through the entrance now.] “Show him in with the utmost respect.” [Yes, sir!]

A moment later, a sharp knock sounded at the office door, and as it opened, Choi Chul-gyu immediately bowed at a forty-five-degree angle.

“President Jang! Welcome. I’ve been expecting you.”

The beaming, hyper-hospitable demeanor Choi Chul-gyu put on displayed a completely different universe of treatment compared to how he had handled Kim Soon-ho.

“Every time I visit, Director Choi rolls out the red carpet like this. I honestly don’t know what to do with myself.”

Possessing plenty of wit on the sides of his head, though virtually barren on top save for five sparse strands of hair, Jang Byung-chul maintained a stern, dignified posture as he addressed Choi Chul-gyu. Jang Byung-chul’s former profession up until a few years ago had simply been a pushcart fruit vendor. However, ever since JSD became a close confidant of JD, Jang Byung-chul’s life had undergone a radical transformation. As JSD’s second cousin, Jang Byung-chul had leveraged JSD’s backing to graduate from pushing a cart to owning a small shop, eventually becoming the proprietor of a fairly sizeable mercantile store.

That was how he got introduced to the mini department store project through JSD, landing him an introduction to Choi Chul-gyu. Back when he was pushing carts, he used to wear threadbare rags and curse up a storm, but thanks to JSD’s patronage, his life had completely flipped—and by now, his outward appearance had undergone a total metamorphosis. Dressed in a sharply tailored suit with his thinning hair neatly slicked back with pomade, complete with a solemn, authoritative tone and demeanor.

They always say environment crafts dignity.

Though Choi Chul-gyu knew the rough outlines of Jang Byung-chul’s impoverished past through construction site gossip, he didn’t let it show for a second as he shouted toward the outer office:

“Bring in two cups of coffee, extra sweet, nice and strong!”

A short while later, a female employee walked in carrying two cups of heavily creamed and sugared coffee, placed them before the two men, and quietly stepped back out.

“I came because I heard we’d be signing the contract today. Is everything ready?”

A subtle air of condescension. Being the close second cousin of the powerful JSD carried immense weight, and Jang Byung-chul thoroughly enjoyed wielding that influence. Choi Chul-gyu matched that exact energy, playing right into Jang Byung-chul’s ego.

“Of course it’s ready, sir. That is precisely why I asked you here today.”

Smiling warmly, Choi Chul-gyu slid the contract forward. Jang Byung-chul picked it up, skimmed it briefly, and let his brow furrow. After all, his roots lay in pushing a fruit cart. No matter how much he dressed up his exterior, his business acumen was entirely borrowed from JSD’s political backing, meaning his commercial instincts remained remarkably shallow.

“Can’t you explain it simply?” “Ah, that copy is just for your general reference. Comparing it side-by-side with this one will make it much easier to understand.”

Choi Chul-gyu pulled out Kim Soon-ho’s contract and placed it flat on the table right next to Jang Byung-chul’s.

“Everything else is identical. However, take a look right here. The volume and tier of available brand inventory allocated to you are vastly superior. Furthermore, your settlement margins have been given preferential adjustments.”

Even Jang Byung-chul could easily handle a basic visual comparison, and upon realizing the sheer volume of high-end inventory being shipped to him dwarfed standard allocations, a wide grin broke across his face. While Jang Byung-chul wouldn’t fully realize the details, Kim Soon-ho’s contract completely lacked the high-end luxury lineups, omitting top-tier brands like Hermès entirely. Kim Soon-ho’s peak items barely scraped two tiers below Hermès—proving just how drastically different the treatment between the two men truly was.

“As expected, Director Choi really knows how to deliver.” “Just between us, I’m only showing you this because it’s you, President Jang. Please make sure you never mention seeing a different contract to anyone else. If word gets out, my head’s on the chopping block.”

Who on earth would ruin their own special treatment? Jang Byung-chul understood that keeping Choi Chul-gyu securely in his position benefited him just as much, so he nodded with absolute, supreme confidence.

“Obviously! A real businessman knows how to keep his mouth shut, don’t you think?”

Jang Byung-chul extended his hand, and Choi Chul-gyu bent forward to grasp it, shaking it firmly up and down. Beaming with profound satisfaction, Jang Byung-chul finally strolled out of Choi Chul-gyu’s office.

Once he was gone, Choi Chul-gyu let out a wry chuckle and popped open the box of hangwa gifted by Kim Soon-ho.

“Let’s see what we have here~.”

Tossing the individually wrapped traditional sweets haphazardly onto the table, Choi Chul-gyu lifted the inner packaging cushion lining the bottom of the box. Neatly laid out underneath was a thick bed of one-hundred-thousand-won bills, filling him with a quiet, triumphant smile.

Right at that moment—

Squeak—!

The office door swung wide open, and Yoongi walked in.