8 episodes
China, which has been called the world’s factory, has grown.
Its basic basis was a low-cost offensive with enormous labor and low labor costs as weapons.
In particular, light industries such as the textile industry, where low-skilled workers can work enough with only a few days of training, as they do not require great skills, are really fighting over labor costs.
Naturally, Korea’s light industry, which cannot compete in such a labor cost battle itself, was pushed to the brink of collapse and collapsed by China, and now it is almost in a state of disrepair.
By the way, are you saying that the skeleton is the final boss in this field of labor costs?
“It’s light industry… This is fine.”
The market has already been slaughtered, but who can say it?
If transportable skeletons take away the jobs of porters in Korea, this means that they bring back jobs and industries that have been lost abroad.
Of course, Chinese workers who have lost their jobs and companies may be in trouble because of this…
I said with a smile.
“Originally, capitalism is about taking and taking away.”
Even before being summoned to the Seron, there is no reason to hesitate any more, as he has been exposed to Chinese quack games on the news every day.
In the first place, I’m a grown man, so I don’t care about people’s reputation.
I’m just doing this to build a peaceful environment after I retire.
Then, it is not enough to only hear good things in Korea, where you are planning to retire.
“No matter how you look at it, it’s perfect for skeletons.”
They roll a skeleton that neither eats nor sleeps for 24 hours to make and sell things at low prices.
In addition, people might be cheering for the fact that China has regained the industry it had lost.
I said with my eyes shining.
“Would you like to try this?”
*
“Whoa.”
Kim Deok-bae, who ran a shoe factory that has been passed down since his father’s generation.
There was a time when it was doing quite well by building a 3 million dollar export tower as the country’s export powerhouse, but it was already 20 years ago that the related industry itself began to collapse due to China’s low-price offensive.
Until then, there were quite a number of shoe factories in the industrial complex, but they were closed one by one, and now the only thing left in the industrial complex is Kim Deok-bae’s shoe factory, who was unable to let go of his hope.
But that was now the limit.
As the margins were forcibly lowered in order to compete with Chinese products, it became difficult to cover the staff’s labor costs, and Kim Deok-bae’s shoe factory, which was always in deficit, was eventually pushed to the brink of bankruptcy.
“…I should have cleaned it up earlier.”
At that time, the wealth that had been earned in those days remained.
At least hundreds of millions of dollars could have been saved if the factory had given up and cleaned up before it went into debt as it is now.
But what is the regret of that guy, he hypnotized himself that it will get better, and the result is a pile of debt.
Kim Deok-bae, who was thinking with his eyes closed, said with a determined expression on his face.
“Let’s file for bankruptcy.”
Now I had to admit it.
The footwear industry is already a declining industry, and Korea is no longer competitive.
So Kim Deok-bae decided to go bankrupt, but this time, what happened after that was on his mind.
“By the way, what about the staff? our family is?”
Employees who did not pay a lot of wages as it is a declining industry, but have worked for many decades for many years.
And even the families who are watching only themselves at home.
Bankruptcy was not the end, it was just another beginning.
It is also the beginning of a penance full of thorns.
“ha.”
But then an old, gray-haired employee came in and said,
“President Kim!”
He was the head of the factory, Cheon, who had been with him since his father’s generation.
I’ve seen him since I was very young, so Kim Deok-bae and Director Cheon are so close that they call him uncle in private.
Kim Deok-bae said with a smile.
“What are you doing? It’s like knocking, but you’re still a boss.”
However, Director Chen said in an urgent voice.
“Now that’s not the problem. What is that, a bone? Anyway, do you know a company called Ceron beyond the industrial complex?”
“Seron? I know.”
A company with a CEO who embarrassed people by pouring out hundreds of transportable skeletons at the same time.
As it turned out, it was a company that was growing at an unbelievable pace, with estimated monthly sales reaching billions of dollars as soon as it opened.
“You’re an enviable person, how lucky you are to awaken your abilities and make a lot of money like that.”
Ceron, who is exploding without being able to fully realize his potential, and his shoe factory, which has completely lost its growth engine and is declining.
It was Kim Deok-bae, who felt even more bitter at the appearance of the two companies compared so much.
“If I had awakened, wouldn’t it have been different from now? Is it true luck and time to be human?”
However, Director Chen said with a puzzled expression.
“Oh, no, Mr. Kim. Wait a moment······.”
At that moment, a young man’s voice was heard from behind the director.
“Luckily…. I honestly can’t agree, but I’m not going to point it out, because I didn’t come here for that.”
“uh?”
Then a young man came into the boss’s office.
It was Han Ji-hyuk, the representative of Seron.
“Nice to meet you. Representative Kim Deok-bae, right? Nothing else, I’m here because I’m interested in the footwear industry. May I ask for a brief introduction? If you like it, I will take over.”
*
For Kim Deok-bae, Han Ji-hyeok’s visit was nothing short of a Dong-a line.
It was a much better choice for Kim Deok-bae to take over all the debts, rather than going bankrupt and running into debt.
In addition, the company can survive if it is taken over, so employees’ worries can be relieved by an hour.
‘It must be sold unconditionally.’
It is a shoe industry that no one pays attention to as it is classified as a decline industry, and even the representative of the recently rising Seron?
For Kim Deok-bae, this was truly his last chance.
“Using this machine, each component of the shoe is printed, and then these parts are sewn together….”
Han Ji-hyuk said to Kim Deok-bae, who desperately appeals to the factory.
“Does the machine look old?”
Kim Deok-bae, startled at those words, said.
“Well, instead, the staff are so proficient that it would be better than running a clumsy machine.”
“is that so? OK. Please continue.”
“Hmm. Anyway, these parts are sewn together by the staff of this department, then bonded to dryness……”
When Deok-bae Kim explained so hard, Ji-hyuk Han said with an interesting expression.
“Is it mostly handmade? Do you have any automated machines?”
Han Ji-hyeok is looking for an automated machine even before taking over.
Kim Deok-bae, who thought he was doing this to save labor costs, said urgently.
“Due to the manufacturing process, it is virtually impossible to make shoes like ordinary products. Cutting can be done by machines, but everything else has to be done by humans in the end.”
“Is it a labor cost battle after all?”
Kim Deok-bae swallowed dry saliva and said.
“All of them are outstanding employees with decades to decades of experience. You will never regret it. And, if you run the plant in full, you may need more staff. There are only 20 now, but there was a time when there were 100.”
“Ohh.”
Han Ji-hyuk said with an interesting expression.
“That’s good.”
I don’t understand why it’s good, but when it seemed to go well, Kim Deok-bae sighed in relief and said.
“Whoa. Anyway, it gets more complicated when you go into the details, but the basic manufacturing goes like this.”
“Do you think this will be enough? It’s so easy compared to fighting.”
“Yes?”
“No, just talking to myself. So how does sales work? Market?”
Thinking that something was coming, Kim Deok-bae looked at Han Ji-hyuk and said.
“Most of the business is made-to-order.”
“order?”
“It’s a way of adding changes to the basic base shoes that we have made and adding the changes customers want.”
“Can’t we just make it once, stack it up, and then sell it?”
“It’s possible, but if you do that, and you build up a bad inventory, you end up with a loss. And to be honest, the demand itself is obvious when we say that they are shoes from a small shoe factory like us.”
Han Ji-hyuk said with a smirk.
“You are honest.”
“There is no such thing as a secret.”
“Anyway, good. Due to the problem of the production method, a lot of manpower is required, and there is no place to sell even if we have made our own, so we only accept custom orders. So, do you export?”
“We are not exporting. No, it would be correct to say that you can’t. As you can see, we have no choice but to use human hands, because we cannot compete in price with Chinese or Southeast Asian products.”
Kim Deok-bae was to the point of regretting that he spoke too frankly while answering.
Even from his own eyes, the strengths of the shoe factory were nowhere to be found even after washing his eyes.
“Are you saying this is the case here, or is it all Korean shoes?”
“Everyone is in a similar situation.”
“Then the export route for Korean footwear is completely blocked, isn’t it safe to look at it like this?”
Han Ji-hyuk continues to look back on the painful reality.
Kim Deok-bae was upset, but eventually nodded and said.
“Yes. Almost like that.”
But, isn’t Han Ji-hyuk suddenly nodding his head with a look of great satisfaction?
“Price competitiveness is being pushed back. It requires a lot of manpower. But even exports of Korean shoes were blocked? This is so perfect.”
“Yes?”
“If we mass-produce and export cheap shoes with very, very low labor costs, is there any chance of success?”
Then Kim Deok-bae said in an urgent voice.
“Hey, that’s not as easy as it sounds! Shoes are not a problem that can be solved by automated machines! If it were that easy, the famous brands would have to go to countries with low labor costs and make shoes……”
“no no. I’m sure you’re misunderstanding something, but I’m not interested in automated machines or anything like that, the better it doesn’t exist in the world. Just answer my question. Do you have a chance?”
“…Of course there is. Cheap stuff works everywhere.”
Then Han Ji-hyuk said with applause.
“Good good! I love it!”
Han Ji-hyuk said with a bright smile.
“I will take over.”
“Are you really?”
“Instead, there are conditions.”
President Kim Deok-bae swallowed dry saliva thinking that something was coming.
‘What? Isn’t that just asking for money? Will all the employees be fired? what?’
However, the conditions that came out of Han Ji-hyeok’s mouth completely overturned Kim Deok-bae’s expectations.
“The condition is that CEO Kim Deok-bae continues to be the president and all the employees continue to attend. I also pay a salary.”
“Me, even me?”
“Yes. Then I will take over.”
There was nothing to think about.
Kim Deok-bae immediately bowed his head and shouted.
“thank you! Thank you very much!”
*
I said as I looked at the confirmation of acceptance stamped by President Kim Deok-bae.
“So, with this, this factory is now mine?”
“of course.”
Kim Deok-bae bowed his head and said.
“thank you. I will work really hard.”
It would be worth it.
Because if it wasn’t for me in the first place, the factory would have collapsed.
If it had already been eroded by debt and went bankrupt, I wouldn’t have been able to save a penny, but it would be nice to have up to 10 million won in the purchase price.
In addition to that, he not only fully hired employees, but also appointed Kim Deok-bae himself as the salary president.
Kim Deok-bae clenched his fists and said.
“For now, I will run around and secure the spell! You have done this to me, but I have to repay you!”
Deokbae Kim speaks with a face full of passion.
I looked at it and shook my head.
“no. That’s not what we need right now.”
“Yes? No, I can make shoes only after receiving an order…”
“We are against it. We will make and sell it once, and that export route is completely blocked.”
According to Kim Deok-bae, Korean shoe factories are barely living in Korea’s domestic market.
There is no need to cut off the last line of dying Korean shoe factories for a wide overseas market, right?
So, Ceron goes to export unconditionally.
Kim Deok-bae said with a worried expression.
“Well, that’s….”
“Do not worry. Is it a labor cost fight? Let me introduce you.”
When I raised my hand, the entrance to the subspace opened and the skeletons came out.
“Uh-huh!”
So I pointed to the skeletons and said as if introducing Kim Deok-bae.
“This is our new intern. The boss teaches me a lot.”