135: Increased water content
“There is no Mexican embassy in our country?”
“No, boss. And if you plan to go to Mexico, it will take you three months just to get a visa.”
I came up to Seoul and told Bill Bain that I should contact the Mexican embassy first, but I heard an absurd reply.
“No, isn’t there a Korean embassy in Mexico too?”
“There is a Korean embassy in Mexico. However, Mexico does not have an ambassador to Korea, let alone an ambassador.”
“Are you sure you put Koreans on the blacklist?”
“It’s not externally, but in reality it is. Mexico’s Immigration Law considers over 30 countries on the blacklist, including most Asian countries, communist countries, and once aggressor Spain.”
I asked if it was possible, but Bill Bain even added an explanation to my words.
“Can’t you even get a tourist visa?”
“In Asian countries, only Japanese who are making industrial investments in Mexico can get a tourist visa. If you want to enter Mexico, you must obtain a ‘special visa that the ambassador directly guarantees’ through the Korean ambassador to Mexico. That will also take time.”
They treat you like an illegal immigrant.
Seriously, does Mexico treat Koreans like this?
The 60’s are the 60’s…
Anyway, it wasn’t going to go through negotiations with the embassy.
If you ask the embassy for help, it’s time, but shouldn’t you tell them everything about my business?
If you say that you plan to support polyurethane for tracks and get official sponsorship, you will be thanked by the general group at once.
What kind of Olympic sponsorship does a guy who has no money for the defense industry spend money on?
Then, you have to report on the export strategy, expected sales, and Nike brand marketing.
It is better to obtain post-approval after signing a contract than to inform the government in advance and obtain approval.
It would be much smoother if I decorated it with exports through Nike, USA, rather than actively creating a business.
“Cheap… Then, you’re saying you can go there if you invest in Mexico.”
“Are you investing?”
“A branch can be set up. It will take a long time to build a general branch, so let’s make a nike branch. Since it is an American company, business approval will come soon.”
“That’s a good idea. Then, invite the boss from the Nike branch and the problem will be resolved.”
“Ask Phil Knights to set up a branch. Let’s send a sample in advance as well.”
“Yes, I understand. I will hurry.”
Somehow, the first Nike office was set up in Mexico.
***
3 weeks later
Mexico City International Airport.
Invitations and business visit visas flew as if roasting beans in a flash of lightning.
The absurd thing happened to go to the US embassy to get a visa to enter Mexico, but somehow Phil Knights’ skill solved the problem.
It took two days to travel by plane, passing through two stopovers.
“The air is really thin.”
At 2200m above sea level, the air in Mexico City was thin and full of the characteristic soot.
“I consider it. president! Here you go!”
“Phil!”
“welcome. You worked hard to come.”
“You worked harder to get the visa. thanks.”
“You’re welcome. The thought of doing Olympic marketing here is exciting. Isn’t that the event you promised in Quyen?”
“Right. haha.”
Half of the time, half of the other, marketing for the Olympics was done with Phil Knights.
Originally, I was going to set up a framework and entrust follow-up measures, but I ended up putting it together from the first button.
After all, without the help of Phil Knights, it would be too late to enter the country…
“Let’s go by car. Oh, eat this first.”
“What is it?”
Phil Knights gave me a pill out of the blue.
“Mehohala is a tranquilizer. When travel poisoning and altitude sickness overlap, headaches are very painful. After a day or two of eating this, you will get used to the atmospheric pressure here.”
“thanks.”
I swallowed my mehohal and got into the car.
It was only natural that the foreign athletes protested to the IOC, saying that they would have to take medicine to adapt to the current situation, saying that they could not perform at their best in Mexico City.
“I have set up a meeting with the Mexican Olympic Organizing Committee. This is the material you mentioned. Let’s go and see.”
“It is well organized.”
I asked for an investigation by the members of the organizing committee, and the contents were well organized.
“The head of the Olympic Organizing Committee is Carlos Krak… former Minister of Defense?”
Why is a military veteran serving as the head of the Olympic Organizing Committee? Originally, the chairperson was responsible for overall responsibility for hosting the Olympics, negotiating with participating countries, and sports diplomacy, so most of them were large politicians or heads of conglomerates.
“It is said to be the pure-blood lineage of the Mexican Revolutionary Family. Although he was a soldier, he is also a big politician and the head of a large corporation.”
“… okay.”
Mexico had a successful revolution in the early 1900s with workers and farmers at the forefront.
Centered on a single hegemonic party called the Institutional Revolutionary Party, it achieved economic growth of 6% per year until the early 1970s.
Thanks to that, it was even called the miracle of South America.
But, absolute power absolutely corrupts, corruption in politics and business collusion intensified, and the economy fell into abyss after the oil shock due to mismanagement of foreign debt.
There will be oil, the land will be large, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean will be on both sides… This is the fundamental reason why Mexico has not been able to get out of the middle income country despite having a much better environment than Korea.
“Because he is from the military, he likes sports very much, and he is said to be very enthusiastic about soccer in particular. As long as you defeat General Krak and obtain the qualifications as a sponsor, please leave the sponsorship of each country’s national team to me. You can do really well.”
Phil Knights did a lot of self-PR to ask him to do the job while driving a long drive.
It was natural confidence.
It wouldn’t be too difficult to sponsor the US delegation with the Nike brand, and it wouldn’t be a problem for the US delegation to sweep medals.
Moreover, seeing our samples with their own eyes, it was a natural reaction.
You must be certain that sneakers and swimsuits will not only succeed in the Mexico Olympics, but also in the US market as well as gold skins.
“Let’s discuss it after the customer meeting.”
“All right.”
Phil Knights drove the car, all the way south from the airport through the city center.
A little out of the city center, the Olympic main stadium revealed a magnificent appearance, and dozens of stadiums were gathered with signs saying ‘Sports City’ in succession.
‘Mexico could have ignored Korea?’
It was much more beautiful and modern than I thought.
“Isn’t Sports City great?”
“How many alternate stadiums are there?”
“It is said that there are 69 soccer fields alone. 22 of them are youth soccer fields. In addition, I heard that there are 23 basketball courts, 51 volleyball courts, 28 baseball fields, and 3 large swimming pools.”
The number alone made me drool.
Mexico Is this country serious about sports?
So literally, Sports City was right.
“How do you know so well? The road seems familiar.”
Come to think of it, I was driving calmly as if I was going on a road I knew.
“I was going to sell something, but I did research. Oh, and Gil has been to the Caribbean a few times in college. At that time, I also did a city tour of Mexico.”
He is also the child of the house.
No, it is a place that can be reached by car from the United States, so it is possible even if you are at least the middle class.
One day, I and my staff will be able to enjoy a vacation in the Caribbean without any hesitation.
***
Mexico Olympic Organizing Committee,
“hello. This is the person who made an appointment with the chairman today. Please guide me.”
“Ah, you say you are from Korea. Come this way.”
When Phil Knights spoke, the front man’s response was very natural.
As I followed, he stared at me with strange eyes.
“Boss, please come this way.”
Phil Knights noticed and deliberately pronounced the boss with force.
“Uh, is that the boss?”
“sure. You are the president of Daesae Group. It is one of the largest companies in Asia.”
Phil Knights joked.
Am I the tallest in Asia?
It still has a long way to go to catch up with Japanese conglomerates.
Anyway, the frontman froze at Knights’ words.
“Ah, yes. You see. Go up this elevator. You can go to the top floor.”
What is this, being racist in Mexico?
When they go to the US, they get angry at racism. It was expected, but bittersweet.
Come on, Korea has to be rich so this doesn’t happen.
Anyway, if I were the secretary, I would talk to Phil Knights first. Would I wait in the back?
The sample carrier is also held by Phil Knights.
Again, racism is an emotional judgment beyond reason.
***
Srureung…
“Welcome to Mexico! welcome. haha.”
As soon as the chairman saw us, he greeted us and greeted us before introducing himself.
It seems that such an exaggerated welcome is polite in Mexico.
“Nice to meet you. My name is CS Woo, the chairman of Daese Group.”
“I greet you too. This is Nike’s Phil Knights, American partner of Daesae Group.”
“Haha, are you the one who called me? I heard that the owner is very interested in sponsoring the Olympics. ha ha ha.”
He passed the topic on to me using Phil Knights as an excuse.
“Yes that’s right. Our Daesei is also in the petrochemical and construction industries, so we came here to solve the track problem that the committee is worried about.”
“T-Track? Isn’t that a donation?”
As a Mexican chairman, you were thinking of touching the money first. I have no intention of paying a bribe myself.
If it is revealed, it could be a violation of the Foreign Exchange Act and even go to the goal by being caught as a criminal offense.
My country’s government knows that I have no liquid funds at all.
“I heard that there are great concerns about safety accidents since the Olympics are held at 2200m above sea level. is not it?”
I deliberately turned and poked at Mexico’s weak point.
“Ah, that’s right. That’s why I’m struggling with the track. We plan to apply an all-weather track that does not slip even when it rains.”
An all-weather track refers to an athletics track that can be played under the same conditions as usual even when it rains.
“We make all-weather tracks, as well as tracks that set new world records. That is the support we give to the chairman.”
“Why and why is that sponsored… No, I’m just curious. What kind of skills do you think you have to make tracks that break world records?”
“We make our tracks out of polyurethane. You could say it’s a world first. It drains well and has excellent elasticity, so it is excellent for preventing injuries to players and improving records. Phil, give me the data.”
“Yes, boss.”
Phil Knights acted as a secretary by his side.
The report has already been sent by international mail, so you can show it here.
“Oh, a track with this structure… It is similar to the natural rubber track that advanced companies in Europe and Japan talk about. It seems that a lot of natural rubber is produced in Korea, right?”
After looking at the report, Chairman Krach immediately asked.
It seemed to think of Korea as a Southeast Asian country with lush rubber trees. well, i can’t
Honestly, would Mexicans even be interested in where South Korea is now?
This is because Korea is just emerging from the poorest countries.
Frankly, the meeting wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for Phil Knights.
“The track is made of polyurethane, not natural rubber. It is much more elastic and durable than natural rubber. Of course it is much more expensive.”
“Is it more expensive than natural rubber?”
When he said it was a more expensive material than expensive natural rubber, Chairman Krach frowned.
“If you look at it, you will understand that it is expensive. This, I can’t show you the track… Oh, let’s try on the sneakers. Phil, I recommend it.”
“Yes, boss.”
As I already talked about when I got out of the car, Phil Knights recommended a pair of sneakers in a nice box.
When I opened the box, a pair of golden sneakers were revealed.
“Ohhhh…”
It was the look in his eyes that recognized that the chairman was also a sports person, and that it was not an ordinary pair of sneakers.
“Oh my God. It’s amazing that there are sneakers this light.”
“Try it on. Only then can you appreciate it.”
“Shoes like this are burdensome to wear. You have to put it on the shelf and enjoy it.”
Well, these early samples will cost you thousands of dollars later if you keep them well.
Try it on though.
Doesn’t that qualify me as a sponsor?
“Sneakers are made for running. You can feel the elasticity because polyurethane is laid in the middle layer of the sneaker.”
“okay. then…”
Chairman Krach put on his sneakers and took a few steps in place. His eyes widened, and finally he was running on the spot.
“Uh, what is this? It is so thin and light, but it seems like a spring is attached to the sole of the foot. It’s bouncing.”
“Doesn’t the weight feel light?”
“okay. My knees don’t hurt at all. ha ha ha.”
The chairman walked round and round the office.
He was a typical Mexican.
“That’s the nature of polyurethane. It has excellent shock absorption and elasticity. If you put it on the track, it goes without saying that world records will pour out.”
“Are you asking me to place an order for track construction?”
“Exactly. Did another builder say they pave their tracks with natural rubber? We will do it for 80% of the construction cost. The other 20%… Well, whether or not you return it to the treasury is not for me to decide.”
I mass-produce polyurethane and have a construction company. Even if you receive only 80% of the other construction costs, there is no loss at all.
“Haha, you could say 20% is a rebate.”
“Well, there’s no reason to use that in the contract, right?”
Side by side, Phil Knights and Chairman Krach mentioned kickbacks as if they were joking or serious.
Rather than backing it up with money, it’s far better to let it remain from the original construction cost.
It’s the money that comes out of your organization, but can’t you eat it without getting caught on your own?
“Chairman, there are conditions before the contract.”
“The condition is, of course, that you want to be an official sponsor, right?”