115 : Two lunatics
“How can I repay you for introducing me to the owner?”
I thanked Vice President Corkins.
There are no simple favors in the business world.
If you don’t reciprocate, the relationship will end as a one-time thing.
It shouldn’t end like that with Vice President Barclays.
“Hey, it’s enough to build a relationship with President Wu. However, my friend Livanos won’t be so easy. On the condition of opening a deal with a fledgling shipyard, they would want a reward beyond the usual level.”
Corkins meant to pay me the debt.
“Above the normal level?”
“I’ll hit Seonga too much.”
“If you are sincere in negotiating, there will be good results. Where can I meet Livanos?”
The price is up to negotiation.
And it’s only me that the price competitiveness is overflowing.
It’s because the shipyard construction cost is a bit burdensome, aren’t steel material costs and labor costs the lowest in the world?
To be honest, I bought the blueprints from the Kingston Shipyard at a bargain price.
“Every year at this time, I will be at the Swiss Clubhouse. I have an invitation. Take it. I don’t have time to go this year.”
Vice President Cockins handed me an invitation.
It was an invitation decorated with ornate gold leaf.
It would be like a membership to their own VIP club.
Sure enough, when I opened the invitation, it said that I was invited to the St. Moritz Clubhouse.
Isn’t St. Moritz a place where European aristocrats and rich people enjoy skiing?
A place where you can’t even eat at a restaurant without a reservation, no matter how much money you have.
“I will take care of you once the contract is concluded.”
“I will wait with a happy heart.”
I greeted Vice President Corkins politely and parted ways. Somehow, following the UK tour, I came to see Switzerland.
I decided to share the luxury of enjoying the winter in Switzerland with Chairman Longbottom.
**
a few days later,
“As expected, the Alps are always good.”
“You have a lot of money, so let’s build a villa here.”
“I don’t have that much money yet, but with President Woo, it might be different.”
Chairman Longbottom sneakily lifted me up.
“Let’s go.”
We rented a car and set out to find the road as written in the invitation.
Away from the tourist spots where many people can be seen, I followed the winding trail that made me wonder if there was a road here, and at some point it suddenly widened.
The European-style mansion blended with the picturesque scenery really seemed to be in a movie.
“Where are you from?”
It looked like they had come to the right place, judging by the uniformed security guards blocking the way.
“I came at the invitation of Mr. Livanos.”
I waved the golden invitation.
“Ah, excuse me. Follow this road all the way to the clubhouse.”
“thank you.”
Several layers of iron gates were opened, and inside there was an endless garden and a ski slope.
Damn, this wonderful place is a VIP club and they monopolize it among themselves!
Even if you have heard of a private beach, there is no private ski resort in the 21st century.
no i didn’t know
In any case, the taste was bitter.
There are plenty of people on the other side of the globe who are starving, but how could someone spend so much money on a mere social club?
“Mr. Wu, Chairman Longbottom! I heard that you came with an introduction from Barclays Bank’s vice president, Cockins.”
“you’re right.”
Upon entering the clubhouse, we were greeted by a secretary who looked like it. It seemed that he had already been contacted by Vice President Corkins.
“I have contacted Livanos. You are coming down now. Shall I bring you a drink?”
“Coffee, please.”
“I would prefer black tea.”
While enjoying the wonderful Alps scenery with a cup of hot coffee, I heard a loud noise.
“ha ha ha! Welcome to Switzerland! Have a good life!”
Livanos entered the guest hall with a loud welcome.
As if proving that this was their social club, they welcomed us with arms wide open.
“How long has it been since, Livanos-sama?”
“welcome. Chairman Longbottom.”
The two hugged each other lightly and even kissed the cheeks in the air to express their delight.
Perhaps because he was Greek, or because he was a network-oriented shipping agent, it was an overly intimate and cheesy greeting unique to Southern Europe.
“This is Daesae Chosun’s CS Woo. Nice to meet you.”
“welcome. A friend of mine told me he was a future giant.”
“The Giant isn’t me, it’s Livanos. You are the Greek shipping magnate.”
I also shared a light hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“ha ha ha! It’s been a long time since I received a compliment, and I feel like I’m going to blow up.”
He was the kind of person who would liven up the atmosphere at a social party with an extravagant gesture.
“What are you doing? Come on, bring a drink! Jackcock to Mr. Wu, Mr. Longbottom is the Royal Salute Straight.”
“Yes, boss.”
In line with the appearance of Livanos, even women who were serving alcohol came to liven up the atmosphere.
Seeing that he knew I liked Jackcock, it meant he had already done his research on me.
On the outside, he looked like a nerd, but on the inside he was a businessman.
“Haha, thank you for remembering my whiskey taste.”
“It’s because my hobby is serving whiskey that is perfect for a wonderful person. It’s been a long time since I signed a contract, so I’m nervous about this, so I’ll have a drink too. Let’s toast.”
Shaking casually, he filled an on-the-rock glass with whiskey without ice and proposed a toast.
“For future giants.”
“For a great contract!”
“For the Greek shipping magnate!”
Each proposed a toast for the other, and Livanos drank a full glass of whiskey in one shot as if to show off his masculine beauty.
“As expected, after riding the slopes, you have to drink like this to keep your body warm. If you sign a wonderful contract, I think you can spend the night passionately with a woman. ha ha ha.”
Livanos suddenly brought up the topic of women.
This type of speech is characteristic of the shipping industry.
The competitiveness of the shipping industry is not about technical issues, but about who can preoccupy the net exhaust logistics line first.
In a word, the shipping industry is a game of money and money, so if you are a big hand like Livanos, it is indispensable in a way to competitively show off your wealth and personal connections as well as your female pilgrimage.
If you can’t show off such luxury, you have to return the title of ship king, and it became the basis for judging that the situation of shipping companies is difficult.
Therefore, the big-timers of shipping companies had a lot of flirts of the century, and they tended to be proud of it.
Of course, it was the story of the days when I was smoking a tiger, but it was unfolding right in front of my eyes.
“Livanos-nim, I heard the sad news. I heard that two oil tankers got stuck in the Suez Canal?”
I hooked and screamed, and Rivanos flinched in an instant.
how do you know that
why don’t you know
How many Greek ships out of the 15 trapped in the Suez Canal I can research.
“… It sucks. Damn cowards blocked my stomach from the front and back, and I couldn’t get them out. What, is there anything special? All you have to do is buy a new boat. Money is meant to be used at times like this. ha ha ha.”
Either he has good guts or good acting skills, but it was clear that he was a bit crazy.
With two of their own ships out of service, what human being would be skiing like this?
Anyway, no matter how crazy you are, you will have to solve the problem.
Due to the nature of the shipping industry, it is rare to own a large ship alone, and in most cases, several shippers are gathered to share shares and profits.
Therefore, only when Livanos comes up with a countermeasure in some way for the two ships that have stopped operating, so that shippers can continue to leave their cargo safely.
“…then, let’s change the music a bit so you can talk comfortably.”
Women who served alcohol in revealing clothes disappeared at some point.
Looking at Livanos’ expression, it was clear that he had noticed that it was time to talk about business.
They were also well-trained pros.
“Mr. Wu is a trustworthy customer. Our syndicate loan association has also completed technical review, and we plan to help from the establishment of a shipyard to the construction of large ships.”
“If it’s something that President Longbottom would step up to, it would be credible. However, the most important thing in actual contracts is whether or not they make money.”
Rivanos grinned at me.
In his eyes, I look like a kid.
“Tell us what conditions you want, and we will meet them as best we can.”
“I would like to order two at $27.6 million per 230,000-ton tanker. I hope to receive the ship within 2 years and 6 months. Would that be possible?”
“There is no problem in timing the delivery of the ship, but the ship price is rather absurd. $140 per ton is the lowest price in the world, and you cut it by another 15%.”
From presenting the ship price as a complicated number of 27.6 million dollars, it meant that he was aware of not only the lowest global price but also that the shipyard’s net profit rate was around 15%.
In a word, it was the sound of me asking for a boat at the original price.
“Mr. Wu, we should pay that much premium to the first ship owner. It’s a profit, so take care of it for the ship owners who come after you.”
“Did Livanos also sell at cost to the first shipper when he started his business?”
At my question, Rivanos’ eyes shook slightly.
Merchants should never trade at cost.
If an unavoidable variable occurs in a business that started with cost, there will inevitably be a big problem with liquidity.
If there is a problem with liquidity, even the largest company can be blown away in one shot. I’d rather not do that kind of business.
“Haha, if you accept my terms instead, I will give you the down payment right away. hey what are you doing bring it!”
“Yes, Lord Rivanos.”
Out of nowhere, a secretary appeared, opened the contract on the table, and piled up cash like a mountain.
“The down payment is 10%. Two ships, 5.52 million dollars. Just sign the contract here and the money is yours.”
Like Livanos going all-in on a gambling table, they pushed $5.52 million towards me.
Well, since it came out like this, in the original history, President Wang was overtaken.
By the way, what? I am not Chairman Wang.
Chairman Wang, building a shipyard was a top priority, and you may not have been sure whether it would succeed or not, but I am different.
“Sorry. A contract like this is difficult.”
I pushed $5.52 million back to Livanos.
“Mr. Wu, are you misunderstanding something? You don’t have a shipyard to build an oil tanker, your technology hasn’t been tested, and you don’t even have the money. Denying a deal like this when all there is is bluff? There will be no crazy person in the world who believes in you like I do.”
He said he was crazy with his own mouth.
“What? Because I’m just as crazy as you.”
“……”
“Livanos, let me make an offer. Why don’t you make a 260,000 ton instead of 230,000 ton? Instead, let’s make concessions to each other and set the unit price at $125 per ton. So, $32.5 million per ship, or $65 million total.”
“260,000 tons… $32.5 million per ship…”
“It increases the size by 30,000 tons and gives it 10% cheaper than the Japanese ship price. I am the only lunatic in the world who sells boats under such unconventional conditions.”
Because I am, I can present these conditions.
You can mobilize the cheapest steel and the cheapest wages in the world.
“Ha, I don’t know what to do between these two lunatics. However, I would like to raise Mr. Wu’s hand if possible. It’s like buying 260,000 tons at the price of a 230,000-ton tanker.”
“If you know Japanese Zen, you know the quality level, right? Can you guess?”
“We will hand over the ship after receiving certification from the US Register of Shipping. It’s okay to send a separate class.”
The classification society is a supervisor who inspects and approves the ship from design to completion of construction.
Since the US classification is a globally demanding classification, it was sufficient for quality assurance.
“Are you that confident? If so, how about a special contract that compensates for the full amount of the principal and interest and the loss due to the inability to operate if the delivery time and quality are not met?”
“No problem. I accept it.”
“her!”
Rather, Livanos was taken by surprise.
To make fun of it, it’s my first customer, so I have to provide that level of service.
match!
“Let’s sign. Madmen!”
Chairman Longbottom was the first to sign the Livanos contract after listing the ship price and special contract.
Me and Livanos, like lunatics, signed without hesitation.
“Let’s toast!”
Everyone raised their glasses at President Longbottom’s words.
“Is this a very expensive drink? Are you willing to pay five million dollars for this cup?”
I deliberately shuddered.
It sounds like you cut too much.
“ha ha ha! Mr. Wu sounds like Santa Claus to me. A very hot Santa Claus!”
When I picked up the contract, my mouth caught in my ears.
It was a natural reaction to buy a 260,000-ton class top-of-the-line oil tanker guaranteed by the US Register of Shipping at the lowest price.
“Merry Christmas!”
If you imitate Santa Claus, I’ll give it to you at least a hundred times.
“What are you doing? Let the party begin! Enjoy yourself. The swimming pool here is good, the ski resort is good, and there are plenty of women and alcohol. Everyone come in!”
After throwing the room key at Chairman Longbottom and me, Livanos started dancing excitedly.
As if it was a regular occurrence, women who were not sure whether they were employees or dancers gathered and performed dirty dances with Livanos. Before I knew it, sticky music was filling the hall.
“For me, whiskey and this view are enough. Ah, a telex would be perfect.”
“ha ha ha! What are you doing? VIPs who only know about work are looking for Telex. Let me guide you.”
“I’ll take you this way.”
I sent a telex from the office I was directed to.
Coincidentally, today was the day to deliver the news to Sambok.
“To. Sambok.
Arrive in Switzerland. Completed contract for 2 oil tankers worth 65 million dollars.”
The guy will be very happy.
I didn’t say anything good about the atmosphere here.
Piririk. Piririk.
“yes?”
As soon as I sent the telex, I got a reply right away.
Were you waiting in front of the telex?
“To. Chansu.
Swiss? Envy you. It’s better if you made a lot of money. By the way, if you’re going to Switzerland, take a look at Shim Jae-hong’s temple. At some point, I keep returning the support money.”
“Ew? Shim Jae-hong?”
I sent it to the US, but here in Switzerland?
Sambok wouldn’t have been wrong.
This is because I was fully in charge of supporting international students before being assigned to Incheon Steelworks.
Tiririk. Tiririk.
“The address is the Sulzer Brothers Machine Works, 28 Winterthur, Zurich.”
“What? At the Schultz factory?”
Somehow, it felt like Santa Claus came to me too.