A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 87: The First Button (5)

That boy was speaking of the resolutions of those days as if it were nothing.

Saving people.

I will not drive families out onto the streets.

The company changes only when the people change.

All those words were perhaps in contact with the world Manager Cho Minki had dreamed of when he first started this work.

Manager Cho Minki rubbed his forehead with trembling hands.

The word admiration alone was not enough.

Perhaps it was a kind of inspiration.

He murmured quietly to himself.

'Let us start again. This time, with all my heart.'Min Kyung-ho did not ask further.

Looking at his expression, it seemed Manager Cho Minki had also changed his mind.

The two of them merely looked at the lights spreading outside the window without a word.

***

As I, Hyunjun, came down to the hotel parking lot, the cool air brushed against my skin.

Getting into the car that was waiting, I stared blankly at the scenery outside the window.

I could clearly feel it was a clear day without a single cloud, with stars sparsely embedded in the sky.

Assistant Manager Moon looked at me every now and then while driving.

He ran along the road, looking after me carefully, as I must have had a tiring day.

I took out the cell phone I had put in my pocket and pressed the number.

The recipient was Chief Jeong Jin-woo.

-This is Jeong Jin-woo.

I continued speaking in a calm voice.

"Chief, the matter I requested regarding Manager Cho Minki today must be postponed for now."

Jeong Jin-woo answered without hesitation.

Since I had met Manager Cho Minki at Taeseong Hotel, he sensed that something had changed there.

-Yes, I understand.

It was truly a simple answer fitting his personality.

Even though the work he had been preparing until now without being able to leave work went to waste, he did not utter a single complaint.

Such things were common while working.

It was a tiring thing, in a way, to consume emotions every time.

However, for some reason, a strange curiosity arose.

Jeong Jin-woo asked for the reason for the first time.

-May I ask the reason?

A smile was drawn on my face at that change.

The moving car came to a stop.

The traffic light outside the window emitted a red light.

"The person has changed. I felt that he sincerely wanted to do it."

At the honest answer, he was silent on the other side of the phone.

It meant that Jeong Jin-woo also understood my judgment.

I opened my mouth again.

"You have worked hard, Chief."

With that one word, Jeong Jin-woo's day became light.

-I only did my job.

After the call ended, I quietly placed the cell phone on my knees.

I looked at the scenery outside the window again.

Somewhere within my composed expression, an unknown emotion blossomed.

Perhaps I myself felt that today was a day beyond a simple negotiation for me as well.

That smile spread to Assistant Manager Moon Jong-beom.

The car was running toward the destination while quietly cutting through the darkness.

***

After the news that Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering was selected as a target for the restructuring consortium was officially announced, the workplace was engulfed in silence.

The machines were still running, but the people could not focus at all.

It had been a long time since voices mixed with laughter had completely disappeared.

Only the friction sound of work boots walking on steel plates and the sound of welding sparks flying filled the place.

The eyes of the employees were consistently sunken.

No one continued speaking for long, and they merely ate their food quietly even during mealtime.

The bustling lounge was also very quiet.

The television that was turned on had its sound lowered all the way, so only eyes reading the subtitles on the screen moved busily.

At that moment, a middle-aged welder wiped his sweat-soaked forehead with a calloused hand and said in a low voice.

"Just what on earth is going on!"

Someone also said this.

"We are still working, so at least that is a relief."

But even those words scattered dryly as if breaking into the air.

Anxiety was not a problem only for the headquarters, which became a target for restructuring.

Dozens of small and medium-sized partner companies that supplied parts to Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering were also shaking together.

A representative of a partner company, who had been working overtime for several days to adjust the material supply, clutched his head while looking at the unpaid volume piling up in one corner of the warehouse.

"If I had known in advance...."

Deep resignation was buried at the end of his words.

It felt as if their fate was swaying helplessly like a leaf placed on a palm.

From young parents worrying about their children's academy fees to senior technicians facing retirement in a month.

For people, every day was like walking on thin ice.

Anxiety spread into distrust, and distrust subsided into resignation and anger.

And that evening, an emergency press conference related to Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering was broadcast and transmitted nationwide.

A boy stood before the reporters on a platform with the Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering logo clearly embossed.

A youthful face that suited the suit very well.

However, his gaze looked firmer than anyone else's.

The words spat out in front of the microphone were unhesitatingly clear.

"I am Lim Hyunjun, the representative of HJ Partners. This restructuring will have no staff reduction."

Those watching the television screen let out cheers as if they had made a promise.

Someone raised the television volume.

"What we intend to do is to save the company and protect the lives of the employees."

Unlike my youthful face, my voice overflowed with weight.

It strangely touched the deepest part of people's hearts.

"Of course, we will correct corruption and misconduct. However, there is no reason for the numerous workers who have worked silently and even the partner companies to be sacrificed together. The company must take responsibility for the company. We intend to proceed with the rehabilitation process while making employment maintenance a principle."

Those few short words spread like a ripple.

The gazes of the workers in the workshops, offices, lounges, and partner company offices, which had been filled with silence, were all focused on the screen.

"They say that person is a high school student?"

"But he is already the representative of a large company?"

"It seems we can continue working!"

One female employee wiped her eyes silently.

Her husband and brother-in-law were also working at the same company.

To her, who had been tossing and turning every night with the fear of not knowing when she would receive a dismissal notice, my message was a more reassuring comfort than anything.

That night, my remarks spread rapidly on SNS and communities.

[People change the company. This is exactly what hope is.]

[So cool! What kind of high school student is like that.]

Warm words were exchanged in the comment section for the first time in a while.

Hope always comes suddenly and quietly.

A middle-aged man working at the Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering workshop lifted his head.

The welding mask held in his hand was heavy.

However, his heart was much lighter.

He murmured with joy.

"...Thank you so much."

The mechanical sound echoing while cutting through the darkness sounded different that night.

Hope was starting like that.

***

Thanks to the start of winter break, I, Hyunjun, was able to go to the office every day without worry.

Even though it was early morning when the darkness had not yet faded, I arrived at the headquarters in a neat suit as usual.

I went straight to the conference room without delaying for a moment.

As the door opened quietly, several figures were already taking their seats inside.

General Manager Yu Hyeon-seok, who is in charge of the restructuring practice for Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, arrived first and was looking into the documents.

Beside him, Financial Director Choi Seo-jun, Legal Advisor Baek Yu-jin, Strategy Planning Director Han Seung-woo, and Risk Management Team Leader Lee Hyeon-seok and Fund Management Team Leader Park Jae-woo were all seated.

"Good morning."

I offered my greetings first.

Everyone stood up from their seats and briefly exchanged greetings.

However, the atmosphere was somehow strangely heavy and thick.

Not knowing the reason, I examined them one by one.

Glancing at the documents piled up on the table, I grasped this and sat down quietly.

It was probably because of the internal reality of Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering under review.

The first one to speak was General Manager Yu Hyeon-seok.

"Representative, this is the asset list organized as of yesterday. It has been confirmed that the actual value is much lower than what was previously reported."

He continued speaking while opening the file placed in front of him.

"On the surface, it looked as if some core facilities and subsidiaries remained, but the reality is different. Major assets have already been preemptively sold off separately or transferred by the Daehan Group side."

Director Choi Seo-jun took over the words in the middle.

"Even if there are assets remaining on the books numerically, many of them have almost no marketability. To put it simply, what could be sold has already been sold off, and you can consider what remains to be nothing more than a sign for display."

General Manager Han Seung-woo let out a short sigh.

"It is a situation where literally only the shell remains. In a state where real assets that can support the market capitalization are absent, attempting acquisition or restructuring like this is a big risk even from an investor's standpoint."

Team Leader Park Jae-woo nodded and added words.

"Some of the factory facilities are seriously aging, and the departure of technical personnel is progressing faster than expected. Moreover, concerns about sequential debt defaults are already spreading among subcontractors."

In an instant, the air inside the conference room became heavy.

Even the hands turning the documents became sluggish.

Every single one of them had a serious expression.

Even if they wanted to establish some measures, specific means were not clearly visible.

At that moment, I, who was quietly organizing the data, opened my mouth.

"It seems everyone did not expect it to be this much."

I paused for a moment and looked around.

Not even a hint of wavering was visible in my gaze.

"I also know well that we are not the ones to stop at this level."

After finishing my words, I quietly picked up the file that General Manager Yu Hyeon-seok was turning with my fingertips.

"If it is a company with only the outer shell remaining, it is rather an opportunity. Once the outside is organized, changing the internal constitution will be much easier. Do not lean on assets that remain half-heartedly. Money can be prepared sufficiently."

Advisor Baek Yu-jin asked cautiously.

"Representative, do you happen to have a specific model?"

I nodded my head.

"I have thought of a few directions. First, we should discard strategies trapped in the framework of existing industries and consider an interlocking structure with advanced marine technology startups by utilizing the reputation of Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering itself. Instead of the existing high-cost, low-efficiency prefabricated structure, let us also consider a transition into a shipbuilding technology platform company."

Everyone's eyes became serious.

My words were not a simple ideal.

I continued speaking quietly again.

"I fully understand your concerns. In a normal situation, it would be impossible. However, please pay attention to the possibilities rather than the fear. What we seek to save is not just a company on the verge of bankruptcy, but the future of the industry itself."

In an instant, a minute tremor arose within the silent conference room.

The atmosphere of the conference room, which had sunken down, gradually changed.

A new drive began to appear in the eyes of the working-level staff.

Director Choi Seo-jun said quietly.

"I understand. The feasibility might be difficult, but it is worth a try."

General Manager Han Seung-woo nodded.

"If we are thinking like this, then the employees working at Daehan Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering must be even more so. We need to set a direction quickly. I will start the internal reorganization right away."

I nodded and added.

"Good."