Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 482

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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482. I’ll do it. Please, let me do this!

Seok-won’s unexpected bombshell sent shockwaves through the Conference Room.
The Union Representatives, along with Lee Gwang-yeol and the senior executives of Manyoung Machinery seated beside him, couldn’t hide their astonishment, their eyes wide with disbelief.
In the wake of the IMF crisis, companies across the board were desperately restructuring, slashing costs and cutting personnel in a frantic struggle for survival.
So when I offered not only employment succession and five years of job security, but also the year-end bonuses they’d missed last year, their reaction was understandable.
Among everyone in the room, only Seok-won, Yun Ki-hun, and Yu Hyun-seok—those who’d been briefed beforehand—maintained their composure.
Yoon Dong-hyun, the first to regain his composure, leaned forward and fixed me with a skeptical gaze.

“You’re saying you’ll really do everything you just mentioned?”

His probing question drew curious looks not only from the Union Representatives but also from Lee Gwang-yeol and the senior staff.
Though the concentrated attention could have been uncomfortable, I answered with complete composure.

“I wouldn’t make promises here that I can’t keep.”

If I issued empty checks and failed to honor them, the already strained labor-management relations would deteriorate beyond repair. Yoon Dong-hyun nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

“Of course, it’s not something I’m offering for nothing.”

The Union Representatives, who’d been brightening up, now grew cautious at my next words, wondering what conditions I’d attach.
Yoon Dong-hyun’s expression suggested he’d anticipated this.

“What is it?”

I met his gaze and replied.

“In exchange for employment security, we proceed without wage negotiations for five years.”
“…!”
“Only with that kind of commitment can we overcome our current difficulties and not just restore the company to normal operations, but push it to the next level of growth.”

With five years free from labor disputes, management could focus entirely on stabilizing operations. Lee Gwang-yeol found himself nodding unconsciously.
But Yoon Dong-hyun’s expression hardened immediately.

“Asking for five years of wage freezes in exchange for employment security—isn’t that asking too much?”

When Yoon Dong-hyun raised his objection first, the Union Representatives standing with him furrowed their brows and began voicing their complaints.

“That’s right.”
“Five years is too long—it’s not just one or two years.”
“This won’t do.”

As they grumbled, Seok-won spoke in a low voice.

“You believe my demands are excessive?”

Yoon Dong-hyun responded as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“Yes. We could make concessions if it were around three years.”

In that instant, Seok-won’s expression wiped clean of all warmth, and he spoke in a measured tone.

“It seems you’re laboring under a considerable misunderstanding.”
“…?”
“I’ve made this clear from the beginning—I’m a businessman, not a social activist.”

Though I hadn’t raised my voice, my aura dominated the room, and everyone present—Yoon Dong-hyun and the Union Representatives, as well as the Manyoung Machinery executives beside them—felt themselves involuntarily shrink in the face of it.

“I’ve presented the best possible solution where both sides could win. If you reject it out of hand, there’s nothing I can do. I’ll have to choose another path.”
“Are you threatening us—saying you’ll sell off the factory and lay everyone off like the Rothschild Fund did?”

Yoon Dong-hyun, bristling with indignation, deliberately raised his voice further.
But Seok-won maintained his composed demeanor, his gaze steady and penetrating.

“That’s one option among many. And if it’s not a threat but something I’ve genuinely decided to do, then I’ll execute it exactly as planned—so consider this a warning.”

The sight of him calmly responding with an expressionless face, rather than matching their raised voices, weighed far more heavily on Yoon Dong-hyun and the Union Representatives’ hearts.

“Everyone in this nation knows that labor relations here are unstable because of the strikes and the deployment of public force. Moreover, the finished-vehicle manufacturers whose production lines nearly ground to a halt due to the disruption in parts supply must now harbor serious doubts about Manyoung Machinery’s reliability as a core supplier.”

Faced with this observation that struck at their vital weakness, Yoon Dong-hyun and the Union Representatives had no rebuttal, and even the Manyoung Machinery executives, including Lee Gwang-yeol, could only emit low, reluctant sighs.

“If I were a finished-vehicle manufacturer myself, I’d diversify my supply chain from risk-management perspective—finding another supplier to dual-source the components I’ve been procuring solely from Manyoung Machinery.”
“…The strike was unavoidable action to protect our right to survival.”

Yoon Dong-hyun spoke as if making excuses.

“I’m not blaming the strike itself. I’m trying to explain why a five-year moratorium on wage negotiations is necessary to normalize the company going forward.”

As I leaned back in my chair and spoke, Yoon Dong-hyun closed his mouth as if to say something but thought better of it.

“A five-year moratorium on wage negotiations would at least guarantee no strikes during that period, which should reassure the finished vehicle manufacturers, shouldn’t it?”

Several of the Union Representatives nodded in apparent agreement upon hearing this.
Seeing that, I continued speaking calmly.

“And even without wage negotiations, I’ll increase wages every year by the inflation rate for five years. On top of that, if sales and net profit grow, year-end performance bonuses will be paid up to 400%.”

The Union Representatives, who had been reluctantly accepting that wages would be frozen for five years as better than losing their jobs immediately, widened their eyes upon hearing my words.

“A 400% performance bonus!”
“It’s not perfect, but that means wages aren’t completely frozen, right?”
“That’s right.”

Until now, no matter how much operating profit was made, year-end performance bonuses had topped out at 100-150%.
But hearing that I’d give 400%, more than double that, their eyes couldn’t help but widen.
The Union Representatives’ excited expressions made sense because Manyoung Machinery was a critical component supplier whose strike had caused domestic finished vehicle manufacturers to worry about halting production lines—a profitable company generating hundreds of billions of won in annual sales.
So even if sales remained at current levels, they could receive far more performance bonuses to more than offset forgoing wage negotiations.

“You should have mentioned this from the beginning.”

One of the Union Representatives, slightly balding, spoke with an attitude far more favorable than before.
Then I gestured with my chin toward the proposal laid out on the conference table.

“It’s all written in the proposal I distributed. It wasn’t me who jumped to conclusions assuming complete wage freezes without properly reading it—it was all of you.”
“Hmm.”
“Ahem.”

The Union Representatives, embarrassed, made unnecessary throat-clearing sounds or belatedly picked up the proposals to flip through them.
Yoon Dong-hyun too felt awkward, having taken a defensive stance based on the prejudice that I’d try to squeeze out only the sweet parts like Lim Jong-myung or the Rothschild Fund.

“I’ve shown all my cards. How will you accept this?”

Seok-won remained seated in his chair, raising both hands slightly as he posed the question directly.
At that, Yoon Dong-hyun, the union chairman, exchanged whispered words with the Union Representatives before turning his gaze back to Seok-won.

“Since this appears to be the best proposal available at present, we will put it to a union vote and ask all employees for their approval or disapproval.”

No matter how authoritative the Union Representatives were, they couldn’t unilaterally decide such an important matter—seeking the collective will of all employees through a union vote was only natural.

“Of course that’s how it should be. Since we seem to have reached a conclusion, shall we end today’s meeting here?”

As Seok-won rose to his feet, Yoon Dong-hyun and the other Union Representatives, no longer stiff in their demeanor, stood up in turn.
Yoon Dong-hyun paused for a moment upon seeing Seok-won’s extended hand, then grasped it respectfully.

“I apologize for my rudeness at the beginning.”

As he apologized with a somewhat humbled expression, Seok-won’s lips curved into a gentle smile once more.

“I understand that nerves have been on edge given the turbulent circumstances, so I accept your apology.”

After exchanging handshakes with each of the other Union Representatives, Seok-won turned and left the Conference Room alongside the company representatives.
As the door closed, the bald Union Representative smacked his lips and spoke.

“I thought he was just some young heir from a wealthy chaebol family, but he’s anything but ordinary for his age.”
“Right. The way the conversation just naturally concluded without dragging on shows his charisma is no joke either.”
“And it’s not even a one-sided unfavorable deal—it’s actually favorable terms for us.”
“With layoffs happening left and right these days, just having job security is already a blessing. Plus, if performance is good, we can expect substantial bonuses, so I’d say this is more than satisfactory.”

Listening to what everyone was saying one by one, the overall atmosphere was decidedly positive.
Yoon Dong-hyun, though he didn’t show it outwardly, shared the same sentiment as his colleagues.

Meanwhile, Seok-won, having left the Conference Room, relocated to the Factory Director’s Office in the same Office Building.
He then had everyone else step outside briefly before sitting face-to-face with Lee Gwang-yeol on the sofa, just the two of them.
After the Female Secretary set down the coffee and left, an awkward silence settled over the room.
Lee Gwang-yeol, glancing cautiously to gauge Seok-won’s mood, was the first to speak hesitantly.

“As you could see, they all took a hardline stance, so I thought persuading the union wouldn’t be easy. Yet you concluded the discussion in less than an hour—truly impressive.”

Seok-won replied in an offhand tone.

“Rather than engaging in tedious tug-of-war, if you give employees what they want most and in return ask the company for something commensurate, creating a genuine exchange between both parties, negotiations become far less difficult to navigate.”

It was easier said than done, but seeing Seok-won demonstrate it firsthand before his eyes left Lee Gwang-yeol with no choice but to marvel once more.

‘He certainly possesses leadership, and his caliber is different.’

Recalling how Yoon Dong-hyun, the union chairman who had been so militant, had bristled a few times at the outset but was thereafter helplessly drawn along throughout the entire negotiation, he murmured inwardly.
In the meantime, Seok-won picked up his teacup, took a sip of coffee, and broached the main topic as he regarded Lee Gwang-yeol.

“Setting that aside—I’ve observed that unlike the other executives who have already departed, you not only enjoy an excellent reputation both inside and outside the company, but have also achieved outstanding results in the development division to the point where there is scarcely a Manyoung Machinery product that hasn’t passed through your hands.”
“Thank you for the kind assessment.”

Seok-won crossed one leg and spoke with a serious demeanor.

“My goal is not merely to restore Manyoung Machinery to normalcy, but to establish it as the leading domestic automotive parts supplier and a company recognized globally.”
“That would certainly be wonderful.”
“To achieve that, investment in technological development to create products with superior performance and quality compared to what we have now would be essential.”

Lee Gwang-yeol nodded in agreement.

“That’s why I’d like you, who understands the company well and has worked in the development division for so long, to take the helm. Will you do it?”
“Me, you mean me?”

Lee Gwang-yeol asked in astonishment, his expression one of complete surprise.

“Yes. The reason I replaced all the existing executives while leaving only you untouched is precisely because of this.”

Lee Gwang-yeol, feeling pleased yet slightly burdened, hesitated before speaking.

“I honestly don’t know if I can lead the company well.”

But Seok-won shook his head and spoke with unwavering conviction.

“You will certainly be able to produce excellent results.”

He could speak with such confidence because he knew from his memories before regression that Lee Gwang-yeol had taken the helm of Man Young Corporation, the automotive parts manufacturer among the two divisions of Manyoung Machinery, and had led it brilliantly.

“I’ll guarantee a six-year term, and if you double both sales and net profit within that period, I’ll provide a one-billion-won incentive.”
“…!”

Lee Gwang-yeol’s eyes widened so dramatically that he looked as though he might spring from the sofa at any moment, stammering.

“Did you say… a hundred billion won?”
“That’s right.”

Lee Gwang-yeol responded without hesitation, as though there was nothing left to deliberate.

“I’ll do it. No, please—let me do it!”

Seok-won smiled knowingly, as if he had anticipated this exact reaction.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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