CH51 - Nike

'Does Chansu know? That we've surpassed three million dollars in sales just from military uniforms and boots, and if you add in other military supplies, construction costs, and transportation fees, we've hit eight million dollars.'

This was just the confirmed sales so far. Considering the construction costs, transportation fees, surplus supplies, and the value of the timber stockpiled, it seemed like it would easily exceed twenty million dollars.

It felt like money was pouring down from the sky.

When Daese employees visited the Industrial Bank, the bank president personally served them coffee. Daese's reputation was growing day by day.

Honestly, with five large factories and twenty-seven sewing lines, and producing yarn at Daese Chemicals, it could be said that it was the best textile company in Korea.

If anyone said they achieved all this in just one year of starting the company, people would call it an outrageous boast.

Even Sam-bok, one of the founding members, sometimes felt like he was dreaming.

"Director, please sign this. The President urgently needs cement sent by telex again."

"When was it ever not urgent? How many sacks?"

"As many as we can load on the LST. They need at least three thousand sacks."

"At least three thousand sacks? What is he starting now?"

"The telex says they're paving a runway? Should we contact Hyeonsan Cement?"

"A runway? They really are doing everything. Contact Hyeonsan right away and secure the supply. Tell them we'll pay for the cement immediately."

"Yes, Manager, I mean, Director."

Sam-bok quickly stamped the approval documents.

Everything Chansu did was a big hit.

"It's good to have lots of work, but... does this guy ever think about coming back?"

Sam-bok gulped down cold water and picked up the documents again. There was a lot of inventory that had to be managed today.

He hoped Chansu would spend the New Year in Korea, even if he missed Chuseok. After losing both parents, he always invited Chansu to his home for rice cake soup.

'Well, the promised one year isn't up yet.'

He promised to return in a year, and there were about six months left.

"Director, there's a call from the exhibition room."

"Why? Is a buyer here?"

"Yes, an American buyer wants a consultation."

"Okay, tell them I'll be there soon."

The exhibition room they opened at the Bando Hotel was also getting established. Sam-bok put on his suit jacket and left the office.

*******

Bando Hotel.

"Who could it be today? Republic? Starlight? CBS? NYMCO? NYMCO is the most profitable."

Before entering the exhibition room, Sam-bok adjusted his appearance in the bathroom and retied his tie.

Originally, they started with the low-priced Southeast Asian market, but gradually American buyers began to show interest.

Tricot and Politech had both been huge hits in the Southeast Asian market and since they broke into the U.S. military supply market, there was confidence in their quality.

Of course, they hadn't yet landed a major export contract with American buyers.

The American market was still dominated by Japanese clothing companies, and Japanese companies had far superior sewing quality compared to Daese.

The fabric quality was similar, and Politech fabric even outperformed Japanese products, but the sewing somehow lacked finesse.

It was difficult to pinpoint what exactly this detail, known as the finesse in sewing, was.

'NYMCO... if only we could break into New York.'

No matter how he thought about it, this finesse seemed to be the ability to reflect the customer's subtle requirements for the product.

Daese Shilup's clothing finish quality had improved significantly after working on several sample projects with NYMCO (New York Merchandise Co, NYMCO).

Though exports to the U.S. proceeded smoothly, they always fell through right before signing.

Japanese companies would drastically lower the prices of similar designs, making it unnecessary for NYMCO to place orders with Daese Shilup.

In a way, they could be using Daese Shilup to buy Japanese products at a cheaper price.

Since they couldn't refuse to make samples, the best approach was to take it as a learning experience and respond calmly.

Ding.

As Sam-bok entered the exhibition room, a bell rang.

The exhibition room's floor was tiled, making the bell sound clear and clean.

"Miss Lee, where's the buyer?"

"They're in the consultation room. Do you want ground coffee?"

"Yes, with two sugar cubes."

"Got it."

Sam-bok smiled at Miss Lee.

"Hello, I'm Lee Sam-bok, Director of Daese Shilup."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Phil Knight from Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS)."

"Oh, yes. Blue Ribbon Sports!"

Sam-bok pretended to know.

In fact, it was a company he had never heard of.

"It sounds unfamiliar, right? Our BRS imports shoes from Asics and sells them to track and field athletes."

"Selling shoes to track and field athletes?"

Only to athletes? Can you make money with that?

Anyway, we only deal with military boots... Chansu isn't interested in shoes other than military boots... What to do?

"Yes, my partner was my track coach in college. Our company's goal is to develop and sell high-performance athletic shoes."

"Ah, I see. That's impressive."

"Well, it's not that impressive. Our company's sales so far have only reached eight thousand dollars."

"No, it's impressive. We also understand the feeling of starting with nothing, having been in business for less than a year."

Sam-bok was sincere.

He remembered how nervous he was when he went to the bank to borrow money or when developing subcontractors.

Handing over a business card and introducing yourself confidently was quite something.

"Daese Shilup has been in business for less than a year?"

"Yes. We're also growing, just like you."

"You must have great technical skills. I thought a company that makes these military boots must have been around for decades at least."

President Phil Knight placed Daese Shilup's prized jungle boots on the table.

He had scrutinized them so thoroughly that they were covered in black smudges from his hands.

"Uh, this is our military supply. How did you get this?"

"Our partner is Japan's Asics. Recently, Japanese shoe companies have been busy analyzing Daese Shilup's jungle boots. So have I."

"Didn't you say you sell athletic shoes? These are military boots."

"Boots are shoes too. The design using durable synthetic fabric instead of leather for the collar is really outstanding."

"It's a fabric called Politech. It wicks sweat well and dries quickly, making it perfect for jungle boots."

"Exactly. I came all the way to Korea for Politech. I felt like I was walking on clouds when I saw it."

"What do you mean..."

"I'm sure using this material in athletic shoes and track uniforms would be a huge success. Please invest in us."

Sam-bok struggled to keep up with Phil Knight's words.

It wasn't just because his English was lacking, but because he couldn't grasp the picture this man was drawing.

Politech was already being used in clothing.

It was selling very well in Southeast Asia.

However, American buyers hadn't shown significant interest yet. No, to be precise, they had shown interest, but it was quickly replaced by Japanese clothing.

Moreover, it was late autumn, making it less attractive seasonally in the U.S.

Blended tricot with a higher cotton content might be a better choice.

"Athletic clothing? And you want an investment..."

"Frankly, our sales can't support the launch of our own model. We want to collaborate with Daese Shilup on athletic shoes and uniforms."

Oh, a bold idea just like Chansu. He wants to collaborate on the product idea alone, without being able to place an official order due to a lack of funds and uncertainty about sales.

Is he a genius or a madman?

"By collaboration, you mean..."

"We don't have manufacturing technology, but we know better than anyone what functions athletic shoes and uniforms need based on our field experience. Trust us with the marketing."

'Just a crazy guy...'

He wanted Daese Shilup to take the risk if the product didn't sell, and share the profits if it did.

Even though he was American, treating Koreans as fools seemed too much.

"Right now!"

Just as he was about to shout for him to leave, something Chansu said before going to Vietnam flashed through his mind.

<If a foreigner shows up talking about marketing, business items, or collaboration, send them to me.>

He never thought there would actually be a foreigner wanting to collaborate with a Korean company, but here he was.

"Right now? Just do it?"

"No, no. I think you should go to Vietnam immediately. Our owner is there. You need to discuss the collaboration with him."

"Vietnam?"

"He's in Quy Nhon. There's a ship leaving the day after tomorrow. If you want, I can arrange for you to board it. It'll take about a week by ship..."

No way, would an American endure that hardship?

It's amazing he even came from Japan to Korea.

"Of course, I have to go. Thank you."

...Wow, this guy is as fearless as Chansu.

There wasn't a second's hesitation in his decision to go.

Sam-bok was astonished.

There must be some connection between crazy people.

*****

"Slowly, plaster slowly."

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"We're not paving a regular road, we're paving a runway. Think of it as creating a smooth mirror surface and do the plastering."

"Yes, I understand."

The runway must allow for smooth takeoff.

With cement paving, it needs to be plastered as smooth as a mirror to achieve just the right level of friction.

If the runway surface is too rough, planes can't gain enough speed for takeoff, and if it's too smooth, the brakes won't work well.

Especially in tropical regions, the air density is low, requiring longer and better-quality runways for takeoff.

"No, why are you shaving it down? The center part needs to be slightly higher than the edges! I deliberately set the angle."

"Huh, I'm sorry."

"Get out!"

"Huh! Boss."

"You're disqualified. Get out!"

Once taught, workers must remember and execute properly. Anyone ruining others' work is out of that task, even if they are my employee.

They should be assigned to less important and easier tasks.

"Plastering team leader! Aren't you managing your team properly!"

"I'm sorry. There was a lack of training."

Plastering, as the name suggests, is about beautifying the surface of the concrete. Like makeup completes fashion, plastering must be done by the best of the best.

"No more additions to the plastering team. Got it!"

"Yes, I understand."

The existing plasterers looked delighted, while the rest of the staff showed disappointment.

I had raised the daily wage for plasterers by 10%. However, I couldn't tolerate any more trial and error in training employees. This was the field.

I immediately moved to the next area.

I had to check on the joint-cutting work.

The area where they were cutting joints was filled with unbearable noise.

The 'squealing' sound made my head throb.

It was the process of cutting the cured cement pavement like slicing tofu.

Cutting it into pieces at lane-width intervals and approximately 60 meters along the length ensured that the concrete wouldn't crack easily with temperature and weather changes.

Without segmenting it this way, the repeated temperature differences between day and night would eventually cause cracks and breaks.

Cracks in the runway could lead directly to accidents, making the joint cutting work crucial.

"Boss, I have a question."

"Don't."

It was employee Ko Yeong-gil.

He was the one who used to provoke me with talk of quitting but now refrained from running away after being made to run laps around the field a few times.

He still had questions, though.

"Just one question."

"One or none, don't ask. I don't know."

"Why are you like this? Here, have your favorite cola!"

Ignoring my words, he offered me a cola. It was chilled to the point of freezing in an ice bucket. He wasn't entirely clueless.

"Isn't this place noisy? Why do you have to ask questions here?"

I couldn't just chase him away.

Unlike other university students, he chose to help with the most gruelling tasks on the site. Bamboo mat work, joint cutting, and even repair work at the base under Mark's supervision.

At least he wasn't someone who only moved his mouth.

"I understand the need to cut the concrete into pieces to prevent thermal expansion damage."

"Okay, then no more questions."

"That's not it. Why do we cut some joints partway here? What good does a mere 4cm groove do?"

"It's to prevent planes from slipping during landing. Isn't it obvious?"

"No way. If that were the reason, you would have told us to rake the concrete during curing. You're not someone who complicates things unnecessarily."

"..."

This was why, even when it was annoying, I had to answer his questions.

It felt like he was challenging me, but he was really smart.

No, smart wasn't the right word. He seemed to see things from different angles.

"First, tell me your thoughts. Why do you think we cut some joints partway? Why not cut them all the way?"

"Maybe because concrete can't withstand the test of time?"

"Give a proper answer, or should I leave?"

"No, no. I really think it's because concrete will eventually crack and break, so it's better to control where it breaks. If it cracks where you intend, you can repair it."

"!!!!"

What? That's the correct answer!

Se... Seriously... Could it be...

"Are you really a Ko?"

"What? Why suddenly ask about my surname?"

"Tell me. Are you really a Ko? No lies?"

When I first heard the name Ko Yeong-gil, I was taken aback.

"... I'm sorry. I said that to avoid being sent back... I won't ask any more questions. Please don't send me back. Please spare me. I have four younger siblings. I must succeed, boss."

He grabbed my pants and clung to them.

I felt dizzy.

"Puff out your cheeks."

"What?"

"Quickly!"

When he puffed out his cheeks, I sprinkled cement dust from the ground onto his head.

I squinted my eyes and looked from a distance.

"This is..."

"Please, I beg you, don't send me back. I have four younger siblings. I must succeed, boss."

With his hair greyed and his face plumped up, he looked just like Professor Ko Yeong-gil.

He was a renowned material science professor famous enough for a mechanical engineering student like me to have taken his classes.

Korea's first NASA researcher from K University.

Recognized worldwide for developing superalloys for jet engines in the 80s.

He was a rare professor who played ball with students and passed away unexpectedly while playing with them.

Though opinions varied on his personality, everyone agreed on two things: his terrible handwriting and his brilliance.

'Professor, why are you here?'

I swallowed the words that came up to my throat.