I Became an Officer in Another World in Just 5 Minutes - Chapter 137

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 137

‘Everyone must have been quite cautious.’

For reference, bidding is different from auctions – you write down the price just once and submit it.

“Hand it over to Captain Bern and Sergeant Major Kairon.”

“Yes, they’re probably organizing it right now anyway.”

“Okay.”

So far, everything has been very nice.

‘If this goes well, I might be able to leave work early today.’

Of course, I’m not getting my hopes up too much.

After doing this, I haven’t left work on time once in the past week except for the first day.

‘If the winter gloves are handled this well, what should I do next?’

In order of urgency: underwear, cotton blankets, scabbards, etc.

It’s just complete chaos.

“I don’t know. It’ll work out somehow.”

For now, the only important thing is the winter gloves.

“Section Chief, here’s the second half combat uniform supply plan and bidding summary report. Please review and approve.”

“Leave it there and I’ll check it and sign it.”

“Understood.”

Sergeant Major Kairon handed me the combat uniform supply plan and bidding documents while I already had a headache from the winter gloves.

‘Well, you’re good at combat uniforms.’

Originally, since everyone wears the same combat uniforms, if there had been problems, there would have been chaos long ago.

“And today Captain Bern suggested going to a newly opened restaurant for lunch. What do you think?”

“A new restaurant opened?”

“Yes, a noodle shop opened in front of the headquarters gate the day before yesterday.”

‘Noodles would be quite delicious.’

It’s a very tempting proposal, but unfortunately I have a prior engagement today.

“I’ll go next time. I’m having lunch with a friend from my class today.”

“Your friend must be stationed here.”

“Yes, not in the support unit, but currently in the intelligence division.”

“By any chance… is that friend Captain Ion Velburn?”

“Oh? You know him. Did he cause some trouble?”

It’s almost impossible to know someone from a completely different department and headquarters.

“It’s not that, he was famous when he first arrived. After all, he’s from the Velburn Noble Family.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

The eldest son of a ducal family.

Thinking about it again, his existence alone is enough to be well-known.

‘Even if a celebrity came to the military camp, everyone would know, so there’s no way they wouldn’t know the eldest son of a ducal family.’

In Korean terms, it’s like the heir of a company ranked 1st or 2nd in market capitalization coming.

“Have you chosen a restaurant?”

“That guy said he’d pick one himself, so I’m just planning to show up.”

“I was going to recommend one, but that’s too bad.”

“Haha, let’s go together next time.”

Since Sergeant Major Kairon has been working here for 9 years now, he probably knows all the good restaurants.

“Let’s do that. Get back to work.”

After finishing our brief conversation, he returned to his seat.

‘What time is it now?’

Since lunch came up in conversation, I looked up to check the clock.

‘9 o’clock… not much time.’

Since there’s a meeting at 10 AM, I need to review the organized content within 40 minutes at the latest.

“Well, it’ll work out.”

I pushed the combat uniform plan thing aside and opened the bidding summary report.

【Dolphin Factory】

Bid Item: Cowhide Gloves

Bid Price: 26 silver per pair

Delivery Quantity: 7,000 pairs (monthly)

【Aceto Factory】

Bid Item: Sheepskin Gloves

Bid Price: 24 silver per pair

Delivery Quantity: 5,000 pairs (monthly)

【Saerom Factory】

Bid Item: Sheepskin Gloves

Bid Price: 23 silver per pair

Delivery Quantity: 5,000 pairs (monthly)

<Cambedia Factory>

Bid Item: Sheepskin Gloves

Bid Item: 17 silver per pair

Delivery Quantity: 7,000 pairs monthly

‘Everyone’s production capacity is quite impressive.’

It’s not like they have machines like in South Korea, so I don’t know how they can produce so many gloves.

‘Plus the prices have come down too. Competition really is good.’

Of course, for those competing, nothing could be more frustrating than this.

But what can you do.

That’s how the world works.

“But Cambedia? What’s this place that it’s so cheap.”

Not only the price, but they also sent word that they can deliver 7,000 pairs per month.

‘The quantity might be possible if they invest the entire factory in gloves, but the price is unmatched.’

17 silver per pair.

It’s an innovative level.

“Sergeant Major Kairon.”

“Yes, Manager.”

Sergeant Major Kairon, who was sitting at a somewhat distant seat, turned his head to look at me.

“This Cambedia Factory? Do you know this place?”

“You’re looking at the same part as me. First of all, it’s a factory I’m seeing for the first time.”

“Then doesn’t that mean they have no experience making winter gloves?”

“That’s right. Still, since they sent a prototype, they must have calculated the cost. But I have connections with factory owners, so I know… at 17 silver per pair, there’s really nothing left over.”

Even I think that would be the case.

‘Even if sheepskin is cheap because it’s the Western Front, gloves would require quite a bit of labor costs.’

Plus, isn’t it wartime right now.

According to the newspapers, I heard that production worker wages have risen by 20 percent in one year.

‘How on earth do you get such a miraculous price?’

Of course, if goods really come properly at this price, it would be a blessing.

I could achieve the miraculous result of drastically lowering the unit cost of winter gloves.

But the problem is… the situation when these turn out to be a shoddy company.

‘I could show them the majesty of the law, but that’s all a waste of time too.’

Since it would end up wasting a month’s time, contracts require caution.

“I’ll have to go see it directly once.”

“I was actually thinking the same thing. Should we set up an appointment today?”

“No. Let’s do it another day, not today. I have too many schedules.”

Going to visit the factory takes quite a bit of time, and I’m not that leisurely.

“Understood.”

“Phew, how should I present this.”

I put a check mark on it for now and finished preparing for the presentation.

And so at 10 AM.

My first participation, and the breathtakingly tense weekly staff meeting began.

“In yesterday’s meeting too, His Majesty the Emperor repeatedly pointed out the lack of supplies. Especially the excessive purchase costs and inventory management were key points…”

Since it’s a situation where heads could roll at any moment, the meeting atmosphere was suffocatingly heavy.

What’s really scary is that there are several empty seats.

‘Those must be people who went far away.’

They probably won’t be coming back.

“Colonel Cotton, how is inventory management going.”

At General Velom’s question, the Western Support Unit commander, Colonel Cotton, the supplies manager, stood up from his seat.

“Yes, we are conducting essential item inventory surveys and inspecting inventory management status of battalion-level and above units to correct deficiencies.”

“Are there many deficient places?”

“Well… during wartime, goods go out and come in frantically, so management isn’t easy.”

Well, that’s natural.

‘If you were managing that perfectly during wartime, that would be strange instead.’

However, that’s from an overall perspective.

Supply Command’s thinking has to be different.

“Make sure to correct the deficiencies in key areas. If an accident happens at this rate, it’s over, over.”

“I will personally go around the field to check.”

“Make sure related reports continue to come directly to me.”

“Yes!”

“Phew.”

General Velom took off the glasses he was wearing and rubbed his face once.

‘He looks tired.’

Well, even I would find it difficult.

‘I could be purged tomorrow, so how could my mind be in a normal state?’

He’s probably not sleeping properly either.

“Next is the procurement costs and correction of insufficient supplies. Lieutenant Paran, how is it progressing?”

“Yes, I’ll explain while referring to the materials distributed before the meeting.”

I stood up from my seat and headed to the podium.

“Currently, the Planning Division is prioritizing the contract for winter gloves, which His Majesty mentioned as an insufficient item.”

The beginning of the presentation.

This part was prepared, so there were no obstacles.

“Currently, we need 20,000 pairs of sheepskin gloves in the short term, and in the long term, we need to secure up to 50,000 new pairs.”

50,000 pairs of gloves.

Just imagining it makes me dizzy.

‘The problem is that this is a conservative estimate.’

After the Southern Region operation ended, the current forces are regrouping in the west.

‘Normally it wouldn’t matter, but since they’re troops returning from battle, there will definitely be losses.’

Having been present at the scene of intense combat, I could predict that their gloves wouldn’t be in normal condition.

“Where do you plan to suddenly procure 50,000 pairs of gloves? Don’t we also need cowhide gloves?”

“Yes, but cowhide has almost no defective products, so we have some leeway.”

There’s also remaining inventory, so contracting with just one reliable factory should keep things flowing smoothly.

“That’s fortunate. 50,000 pairs of sheepskin gloves… that’ll cost quite a bit.”

“Yes, if we proceed with existing contracts, we’d need to spend 13,000 gold just to purchase 50,000 pairs.”

The amounts of money I handle regularly are so brutal that this might seem like nothing.

But this is a considerable sum.

“So we need to burn over 10,000 gold right now just on winter gloves?”

“Yes, so the Planning Division introduced a bidding system to minimize these costs, and we’ve currently reduced the contract amount to 10,000 gold.”

Following what the Cambedia factory sent would lower it further, but there were parts that needed confirmation, so I quoted it slightly higher.

“A bidding system…? What’s that.”

General Velom seemed not to understand well.

Having anticipated this reaction, I proceeded with a brief explanation of the bidding system according to the prepared sequence.

“When the Planning Division issues an announcement, factories hoping for contracts… compete through this system to lower prices.”

“Oh, such a method exists.”

After hearing the full explanation, General Velom looked at me with a surprised expression.

“If we introduce this system to all areas currently having problems… we could save a lot of budget.”

I could hear the sound of calculators running in the General’s head.

‘How’s that, perfect, right?’

I thought it was a method everyone would have to be satisfied with, but it’s not that easy.

“Lieutenant, wouldn’t this mean factories that quote cheap prices end up taking all the work?”

Colonel Gavel from Personnel Administration frowned as he threw out the question.

“We do go through an inspection process, but essentially, yes.”

Places that quote cheap prices get the work.

It’s beautifully simple, but Colonel Gavel’s aesthetic sense was vastly different from mine.

“This way, people with no military experience might end up making the products. Didn’t you consider the problems with that?”

‘Hmm, what kind of crazy talk is this.’

For a moment, it was such nonsense that my brain briefly shut down.

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