New Employees With an Annual Salary of 1 Trillion Won - Chapter 148

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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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Chapter 148. Talented People Flocking In (2)

Dr. Robin, the founder of ATL, had finally come to Korea completely.

He entered the country with 20 core ATL researchers, and I personally welcomed them.

“Thank you for coming all this way.”

“I’m sorry for being so late. I was delayed because I had to persuade the core staff to come with me.”

“Not at all. I really didn’t expect 20 core researchers to come together. I’m truly grateful.”

Hong Kong was still a city that served as a financial and trade hub.

Leaving a city with Asia’s highest standard of living to come to Korea must have been a difficult decision.

Of course, it was possible because I provided high salaries, housing, and even supported their children’s international school admission and tuition to facilitate the core researchers’ relocation to Korea.

“Still, with this many people, we can continue our research. And if we conduct joint research with GL Battery, the research speed should accelerate.”

“With both Korea and Hong Kong research institutes running simultaneously, the speed will definitely increase, won’t it?”

The ATL Hong Kong research institute was still operating continuously.

Although core personnel had left, there were still 200 researchers remaining in Hong Kong, so we couldn’t close the Hong Kong research institute.

Therefore, we planned to operate two research institutes simultaneously.

Dr. Robin and I agreed that core research would be conducted in Korea, while other research would continue in Hong Kong.

“I’d like to meet and greet the GL Battery researchers quickly. If we share our respective technologies and know-how, we should be able to produce results faster, shouldn’t we?”

“Of course that’s how it should be. I’ll arrange a meeting for everyone within this week.”

GL Battery was in chaos.

It was because they had suddenly separated from GL Group and lost their center.

Dr. Robin’s joining was urgently needed for them to adapt to the new environment and regain stability.

***

The executives of GL Battery’s business division were in confusion.

Since they had suddenly moved from being under GL Chemical to under Tiger Fund, the unsettled atmosphere continued daily.

The executive team was no different.

Rather, while employees could continue their existing work, the executives on contract had no choice but to worry about the future.

“Vice President, do we really just need to stay put like this?”

“What do you want to do? Are you talking about changing jobs?”

“If it comes to that, we might have to change jobs.”

“Let’s wait for now. Usually when you’re acquired by a fund, they give retention bonuses. We should get that before leaving, whether we change jobs or open a chicken restaurant.”

Like a duck egg on the Nakdong River.

In this situation, complaints were exchanged about at least securing bonuses.

“And I heard there’s talk about merging with a Hong Kong battery company called ATL. Do you know anything about that?”

“I don’t know the details either. I only know it’s a company with lithium polymer core technology.”

“If we merge with them, won’t the initiative go to their side?”

“Would that really happen? The lithium-ion market is dozens of times larger than the lithium polymer market. Would they push lithium polymer as their main focus?”

The executive team was endlessly puffing cigarette smoke on the rooftop.

Just as they were about to take another drag to soothe their frustration, the development manager belatedly came up to the rooftop.

“Department Manager Park, you’re a bit late today.”

“Vice President! I’ve brought some good news.”

“What is it?”

“Isn’t there a department that was at GL Electronics and got sold to Tiger Fund?”

“We’ve spent our whole lives at GL Chemical, so we don’t know much about the electronics side. Was there such a department?”

Most executives had spent their entire careers only at GL Chemical, so they knew nothing about GL Electronics.

“The product development department went to Tiger Fund and has now changed its name to Nexpin.”

“Nexpin? I’ve heard that name somewhere.”

“It’s the company that’s doing joint research with Apple and Microsoft. It’s been reported in the media several times.”

“Really? Do you know some people there?”

The development manager showed a meaningful smile.

“A senior from my university club is now the president of that company. I just talked to that senior.”

“What did he say?”

“He earnestly urged me to hold on no matter what. He also said we’d earn much more than when we were at GL Group.”

“Anything else?”

“He said we won’t need to worry about office politics anymore, and the atmosphere will be much freer. Above all, he emphasized that performance comes first.”

The executives who had been crouching down simultaneously nodded at the development manager’s words.

They were people who had always been distant from office politics anyway.

Being assigned to the battery business division, which was essentially a new business, itself meant they had been pushed out in office politics.

“So they really only look at performance?”

“I heard the bonuses are much higher than when they were at GL Electronics. And crucially, we don’t need to worry about headquarters anymore. He said we won’t have to struggle making approval documents anymore.”

More than half of large corporation employees’ work consisted of creating approval documents and meeting materials.

To push forward even a small project in the battery business division, you needed approval from the business division, then GL Chemical approval, and finally headquarters approval before execution was possible.

Dozens of meetings followed in that process, and ultimately, whatever you wanted to start, negative thoughts had to come first.

This tendency was especially strong for business divisions that weren’t subsidiaries.

“If you want to do business, they just let you do it?”

“They only hold meetings about once a month, and for projects, you just need to submit a simple report and they’ll provide support automatically.”

“Is such a structure possible?”

“It seems to be a method possible because it’s a foreign fund. Instead, we have to take responsibility for the results.”

The executives’ expressions changed subtly.

It was regrettable that they could no longer survive with a civil servant mindset.

But at the thought of not having to endure humiliation while watching headquarters’ mood, their lips naturally curved upward.

“There’s an executive meeting this week, so we’ll definitely know then whether this is better or worse.”

“I’m definitely staying. I need to try all the projects I couldn’t do before with this opportunity.”

The executives felt both anticipation and anxiety simultaneously.

But their eyes were gradually regaining vitality.

***

I convened the first GL Battery business division executive meeting.

This meeting was held at the GL Battery Research Center in Daejeon, and Dr. Robin also attended the meeting with me.

“Nice to meet you for the first time. I’m Lee Jung-hoo, in charge of Tiger Fund Korea Branch. And this is Dr. Robin, the founder of ATL.”

Applause louder than expected filled the meeting hall.

Contrary to expectations that they would be helpless in confusion, the GL Battery executive team’s eyes were rather clear and full of life.

“First, Tiger Fund welcomes all members of the GL Battery business division. Unless there are special problems, we will work together without reducing a single person.”

“Thank you. Although we suddenly became family with Tiger Fund, we will do our best to focus on our assigned duties.”

Manager Jang Gi-hun of the battery business division answered as a representative.

Strictly speaking, he could be called a senior.

I had also once belonged to GL Group.

“Tiger Fund has planned investments of over a trillion won annually for the battery business. From now on, you’ll be able to conduct all research without worrying about funding.”

“Could we know what proportion of the investment will be allocated to research expenses?”

“Although considerable investment will go into factory expansion and facilities, nearly half the amount will be allocated to research expenses.”

The executive team couldn’t hide their surprise.

Last year, GL Battery spent only about 20 billion won.

But now they could use more than 50 times that amount, so their surprise was natural.

“We don’t have the scale to handle such large research costs. Even if we execute existing projects and planned projects simultaneously, it would be difficult to use even 20%, let alone half.”

“The situation will change when we introduce new equipment and facilities. We can handle more projects, and when we join forces with ATL to newly enter the lithium polymer business, research expenses might actually be insufficient.”

Only people who had spent money could spend it properly.

Since GL Battery had been just one business division, not even a subsidiary, they couldn’t hide their embarrassment.

But now things had to change.

If we could preoccupy the market, trillion-won investments wouldn’t be wasteful at all.

Now the GL Battery executive team had to learn how to buy time with money.

“Do ATL and GL Battery together receive a budget allocation of 1 trillion won? Then how should we understand the future relationship structure?”

“You can think of it as one company now. Of course, ATL’s Hong Kong research institute will continue operating, but Korea will become the main research institute.”

“Will we also conduct lithium polymer research in parallel?”

“That’s right. While continuing existing lithium-ion battery research, I hope everyone will join forces on lithium polymer research. Dr. Robin will provide detailed explanations.”

It was Dr. Robin’s turn to step forward.

Lithium polymer research was his domain, after all.

[Let me introduce myself. Please feel free to call me Robin.]

Clap clap clap!

Applause followed as he greeted them in English.

As befitting executives, they could all understand basic English conversation.

[We’ll form a new dedicated lithium polymer research team. We need at least 100 personnel, so I ask for your generous support.]

[Many staff members aren’t familiar with lithium polymer technology – will that be alright?]

[It’s not fundamentally different from lithium-ion technology in principle. Rather, wouldn’t having various experts gather together help us find new solutions? Besides, personnel from the Hong Kong Research Institute will also provide support, so you don’t need to worry too much.]

The executives exchanged glances with each other.

If the executives reacted this way, the employees would likely show similar reactions.

So I decided to change the executive team’s minds first.

“I’m confident that lithium polymer technology will lead the future. Of course, lithium-ion batteries dominate the market now, but as time passes, the importance of lithium polymer will grow.”

“Do you have grounds for viewing it that way?”

“Just look at Apple, can’t you see? The iPod is creating a worldwide sensation. Apple wants lithium polymer to enhance the iPod’s performance. More companies will seek lithium polymer in the future.”

Lithium polymer wasn’t even at a stage that could be called a market yet.

Since commercialization hadn’t been properly achieved, it couldn’t be used even if companies wanted to use it.

However, once commercialization was achieved, it would inevitably be adopted for portable devices, and it was an indispensable technology for the plans I had established.

But the world didn’t yet know the importance of lithium polymer.

Even GL Battery’s executives were viewing it with skeptical eyes.

“Currently, lithium-ion batteries are used in most portable devices.”

“But as you well know, mobile phones are developing remarkably every year. Sound ranges have expanded beyond 16-polyphonic to 40-polyphonic and 60-polyphonic, and now the release of phones that can play original sound quality is imminent. Ultimately, to properly utilize these functions, lithium polymer batteries will have to be used.”

“It’s true that as mobile phone functions diversify, lithium-ion batteries alone have limitations.”

There was no need for longer explanations.

I conveyed part of my plan with a confident voice.

“We can dominate the mobile phone battery market with lithium polymer. If that happens, annual sales of over 10 billion dollars are possible.”

“Do you mean 10 billion dollars, not 10 billion won?”

“The mobile phone market is growing explosively even now. Not just 10 billion dollars – much more is entirely possible.”

“That would be possible if we completely dominated the market.”

The executives were half-believing, half-doubting.

To turn their hearts around, I needed an incentive strategy.

“I won’t demand immediate results. I won’t force performance either. But if you achieve results, I promise corresponding rewards for certain. In just a few years, the lithium polymer team will be the team receiving the most performance bonuses at GL Battery.”

The executives glanced at each other.

Especially the younger executives’ eyes wavered greatly.

The lithium-ion department already had a complete system making it difficult to advance further, but the lithium polymer team was a newly established department overflowing with opportunities.

“Is it possible to apply regardless of position?”

“Of course. However, team member selection will be entirely up to Dr. Robin’s decision. Well then, I’ll take my leave now.”

I finished the executive meeting and stood up from my seat.

At that moment, numerous executives flocked toward Dr. Robin.

Seeing that scene, it seemed like at least here I wouldn’t have headaches from factional fighting or office politics.

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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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