Hyun Joong

“Director Zhang, may we recommend that these departments to be divested to interested parties? We have, on hand, some companies and agents who may be keen to buy them over. We would next evaluate the divestment value of the departments with your finance department and the manpower shuffles with your human resource department if you are agreeable to our recommendations. We would also draw up the communication plans to internal staff and external.” I clicked on the last slides and stood beside the screen, awaiting comments from the director.

Director Zhang pondered for a while and then started, “I am fine with your overall proposal but I only have concerns about divesting the business departments, especially the optoelectronics department. This department has been my cash cow for the past decade and our staffs’ competences lie in this area.”

At the corner of my eye, I saw Jinx Girl shot up from her concentration from her minute taking with passion in her eyes, as though she had a burning desire to voice her views.

And indeed, she spoke her mind with confidence in a well-delivered speech.

“Director Zhang, as explained earlier, from our SWOT analysis, we had definitely drew up that your company’s strength is in optoelectronics and test assemblies. But we also deduced that the future opportunities for your company to dvelve is in the test assemblies. From financial perspective, we had forecasted that if the semiconductor components, including the optoelectronics, remains in your company, your NPV will fall into a negative value. The NPV will only be increased with more profits from the test assemblies. Furthermore, we had analysed that the core competencies of your company is not in optoelectronics, rather it is the marketing capability that could have possibly pushed up sales during the period where demand for optoelectronics was strong. Moreover, the market for test assemblies is thriving and it is less capital intensive to maintain this line. Therefore, we concluded that the long term strategy for your company is to concentrate the finances and build up the competencies in the test assemblies, and to divest the semiconductor components for financial and reputation sustainability.”

As soon as she ended her speech, a muffled ‘wow’ escaped my lips unwillingly. Not bad for a greenhorn, I admired. I was beaming with pride that my understudy performed so well in her first formal meeting with a major customer.

She turned to wink at me mischieviously, which earned a succumbed laugh from me. Since the incident on the plane a couple of days ago, her attitude towards me had turned around miraculously. She now initiated conversations and smiled more in our daily interaction. While we brainstormed and toiled over the project for the past four days, she had been taking good care of me. She ensured that I was fed well and snuggly covered me with a blanket if I fell asleep on the working desk. I came down with a high fever one of the nights, probably due to exhaustion. She volunteered to stay up the whole night in the room, making sure that my forehead was always not overheated by my fever and nourishing my body with medicine and water constantly.

And I, on the other hand, played along with her friendliness. Yes, I admitted that I had not been able to forgive her completely even though we had shared a heart to heart night on the plane the other day. I seriously wondered what had been wrong with me too, to feel moved by a simple hug. I dismissed that I must had succumbed to her because I was weak and vulnerable that lonely night. I should not waver from my original intent, and that was to return the ‘favor’ she had served to me. As long as I had not had my revenge, my pride still felt hurt and deep sleep would not engulf me at night.

I returned my attention to Director Zhang. Brows knitted tightly, Director Zhang intensified his gaze at our proposition on the presentation slides. He took down his dark rimmed spectacles to massage his temples with his thumb and ring finger. “Mr Kim, Ms Jung, both of you had done a great job in the strategic review for my company. Your analyses are valid..but this empire that I built up with my bare hands and every single staff here is like family to me. Particularly, the optoelectronics unit was wholly thefruits of my late wife’s labour.” He sighed and slid on his glasses again. “I am well aware that in the business world, emotion should be set aside in all considerations. But I could not lie to you that I am deeply attached to this company, my family. It brings back too much memory of my wife painstakingly setting up every single thing from scratch with me. Is there any other way we could go around this?”

Silence followed.

 I stared at Director Zhang, momentarily blank. Working out an alternative way was not an option. It had been four days, working day and night with Jinx Girl over the final proposal and I wanted to go back to Seoul on the last flight back today. I was so darn tired and worn out from this project from the late nights.

He almost begged, “I’m sorry that I am asking too much from you. But I really want to keep the family together.”

His foolish attachments were getting in the way of his company’s future and my desire to return to home sweet home. He either take our proposal or leave it, I thought angrily. I did not care about the emotional strings he had for whatever sob story he had. I was going to reject his plea and packed up and go home tonight.

 “We will explore other alternatives and will come back to you next week.”

 My eyes darted to Jinx Girl in disbelief. What did she just say?

So Min

Looking at Director Zhang’s melancholic face, a sentimental feeling stirred in me. I was touched by the deep love this aged man had for his late wife and the compassion he had for his people. He would hold on to the littlest thing that meant a lot to her even after her demise, and even it could mean jeopardizing his business. His wife must be the luckiest woman in the world. Envious, I could only wonder if there was someone out there who would love me so unconditionally.

His undying love should be rewarded and encouraged, I decided. I wanted to do something for him. On impulse, I told him that we would try to work out an alternative. Director Zhang rejoiced after my announcement. I, too, was delighted to witness hope gliding back into his wrinkled, tired face. However, I felt a menacing aura emanating from sunbae’s direction.

True enough, his face was crumpled into a snarl, like a tiger waiting to pounce. I knew I had exerted my empowerment way too much by agreeing to review the proposal without first consulting my senior. I slouched slightly in my seat, wondering how he would torture me later.

Hyun Joong

“Sunbae! Please wait up!”

I did not decrease my speed though I knew that her short legs were having difficulty catching up.

“Ouch!”

I stopped in my tracks and retreated my steps. She was on all fours and the files she was carrying were sprawled on the floor around her.

“GET UP! Clumsy woman!” I scolded.

She pouted miserably while rubbing her aching bottom, mumbling softly, “I sometimes wonder if you are human. How could you still scold me with my condition like this..”

Perhaps she did not mean for me to hear her complaint. If she had known it would make me madder, she would had said it in her mind instead of through .

“Did I hear just hear you defaming me? I growled at her

She jumped up immediately, like a frightened puppy and profusely apologized, “Sorry, it was a passing remark. Sorry.”

The callous expression on my face softened and on seeing this, she pleaded, “If you are angry with me for agreeing to Mr Zhang’s demand, I could understand why you are. I knew I had been rash back there, but I am confident with both our great minds put together, we will certainly think of something.”

“No no..there is no ‘WE’. It is only ‘YOU’. I’m going home tonight.” I corrected.

“Sunbae..” She surpassed my steps and stood right in front of me, almost begging for my understanding. “Director Zhang is very pitiful. I couldn’t reject a request from a man so dedicated to his wife.”

Scowling at her over sentimentality, “So, that is your personal decision. So you will settle this on your own. Anyway, you were very gung ho just now. I’m sure you will be able to solve this issue yourself. So, IT’S YOUR PROBLEM!” I continued walking only to be stopped by her outstretched arms.

”From the perspective of work, we should do our best to satisfy the request of our clients. This is the motto of our M&A department- To meet and exceed client’s expectations, isn’t it? Furthermore, I think we really had not explored all alternatives.” She ranted with exasperation.

I looked away with irritation and took in a deep, long breath in resignation. She was not wrong. We had only developed one option due to time constraint. Moreover, we should respect our client’s decision and always evaluate their requests thoroughly before closing the case.

“FINE! YOU WIN.”

She smiled gratefully, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We should start working on it tonight.”

I sighed. Exploring more alternatives meant extending our stay here for possible another week. I wondered why she was not eager to go home. I thought she told me that she missed her mom.

“Shall we grab dinner first before we hit back to the hotel?” She interrupted my thoughts.

I merely nodded and followed behind her as she continued to rattle on and on about what to eat and where to go, seemingly to have forgotten the argument we just had.

However, I was not at peace again as she had raked up the rage in me for showing to her sunbae that I was wrong again and she was oh-so-right. Once more, she had bruised my pride and it only exponentially assured me more that I should really teach her a good lesson.

I looked around and realized that the by standers around us did not look like the decent crowd we normally came acrosso. Flanked on both sides of the streets stood scantily dressed girls with inviting look. Ogling at these seductress hard at work were men with lustful desires, waiting to be satisfied through paid services.

We had mindlessly walked into a renowned red light district in Shenzhen amidst our squabble.

Suddenly, an evil plan hatched in my head. I grinned devilishly as my mind started to lay down the frames of a plan to avenge myself.