It was time to show sincerity to the Charlotte Group.
Only by placing the Arnault family's brands in Charlotte Duty Free, as promised, could we move on to the next step.
For that, I sought out Delphine Arnault.
Since she was still actively collaborating with Taewoo Electronics through the Korean branch, it wasn't difficult to meet her.
"You must have forgotten about me. How can you not visit me once when we're in the same
country?"
"I promise to visit more often from now on. But that doesn't mean I take our collaboration lightly. I receive daily reports and personally control the process."
"No matter how many reports you get, it's much easier to understand when you meet face to face and talk."
Why is she so prickly today?
Delphine, heiress of the Arnault family, was uncharacteristically sharp-tongued.
"I promise to visit at least once a month from now on."
"Only once a month? Make it three times."
"If I don't have overseas trips, I will."
"Well, alright then. Have a seat."
Now was the time to be humble.
After all, I was the one who needed her.
And honestly, I didn't mind Delphine's teasing.
"How does your family view collaboration with Taewoo Group?"
"They view it very positively. I heard the Vice Chairman gifted premium products to a Saudi
prince? Thanks to that, there's good talk among Europe's elite."
Most of Europe's upper class were of noble descent.
Nobles wanted products that matched their status, and if a Saudi royal used them, the products upheld their dignity.
"We plan to promote the collaboration through various methods. We actually avoid mass media like TV ads because they tend to cheapen the brand."
"That's right. Our customers don't want products that are overly exposed."
"I'm glad you like the collaboration products."
"The Korean market itself is also viewed very positively. The number of luxury buyers increases every year, so it's considered a market with great potential."
Finally, it was time to get to the main topic.
Full-fledged entry into Korea meant placing various brands here, where I could act as the
intermediary.
"I recommend Charlotte Group's duty free. They are ready to create a special pavilion dedicated to the Arnault family's brands."
"I didn't expect the Vice Chairman to recommend Charlotte Group. Have you secretly signed a contract with them?"
Was I too hasty?
Delphine seemed to sense something.
In times like this, pretending to be innocent was the best tactic.
"I'm helping the Arnault family enter the Korean market. If the Arnault family's value rises,
wouldn't that benefit Taewoo Group as well?"
"Hmm, well, if it's a place recommended by you, it's always welcome. The elders of the family trust you, too."
"The elders of the Arnault family trust me?"
"They said to visit them in France sometime. Bring Chairman Kim Tae-joong along, too."
The Arnault family was showing me more favor than I expected.
Although the projects with Taewoo Group had been very successful, was this level of goodwill really warranted?
"I'll try to schedule a trip to France as soon as possible."
"Don't schedule it too quickly. I still have many things to do in Korea."
"Are you inviting me to go to France with you?"
"Of course. What meaning would it have if you went to France without me?"
I couldn't quite understand what she meant.
What really mattered?
That I could place the Arnault family's brands in Charlotte Duty Free, just as I wanted.
"Alright, I understand. I'll start building a bridge with Charlotte Duty Free."
"We'll decide which brands to place after discussing with Charlotte Duty Free. That's okay with you, right?"
"Of course. All decisions are entirely up to the Arnault family and you, Delphine."
"Then let's go get some food. I found a restaurant in Seoul that serves authentic French cuisine."
Before I knew it, Delphine naturally linked her arm with mine.
Is this kind of physical contact normal in Europe?
Or does she have a personal interest in me?
Based on her behaviour so far, it seemed she might have feelings for me.
Her suggestion to go to France together also felt like she wanted me to meet her parents and the elders of her family.
A few days later, I met with Vice Chairman Jin Dong-gu at the Charlotte Department Store.
He greeted me with a very satisfied smile, clearly pleased with how the negotiations with the Arnault family had gone.
"Thank you very much. Thanks to you, we were able to bring in five brands from the Arnault
family to Korea for the first time."
"I was just the bridge. It's thanks to Charlotte's excellent department store and duty-free
operations that the Arnault family agreed."
"No, no. The Arnault family openly says they chose Charlotte Group because of your
endorsement, Vice Chairman Kim."
They even mentioned my name in the deal? I hadn't expected that.
"I did my best to keep my promise."
"My father is very pleased as well."
"So, can we start the contract for the Gangnam land that Charlotte Group owns now?"
"Not yet, he says it's too soon. Once all the other promises are fulfilled, then he'll sign the
contract. By the way, can you tell me what those other promises are?"
Vice Chairman Jin looked genuinely unaware.
Wow, Chairman Jin is something else — he's picked Jin Dong-gu as successor but hasn't said a word yet.
I'm the one stuck in the middle, in an awkward position.
I can't just tell Vice Chairman Jin that he's the next chairman.
"The promise is to help Charlotte Group enter the Chinese market."
"The China entry project is under my responsibility. So you're saying you'll help me with that?"
"I will work together with Vice Chairman Jin Dong-gu to help Charlotte Group succeed in
China."
Charlotte Group was desperate to enter China.
No wonder — the Chinese market is several times larger than the Korean one.
If they succeed there, they expect to multiply their sales several times over.
But will Charlotte Group really succeed just by entering China?
Charlotte Group was both Korean and Japanese in nature.
The Chinese market had a strong tendency to dislike Japanese companies, and that sentiment was only growing stronger with time.
But that wasn't all.
A few years later, a similar trend of rejecting Korean companies would also emerge.
In other words, Charlotte Group was facing double the resistance.
Knowing this, I still decided to help Charlotte Group enter the Chinese market.
What I promised was to assist with the entry; whether they succeeded was entirely Charlotte
Group's responsibility.
"May I ask what kind of help you can provide?"
"Taewoo Group has deep ties with the Chinese political circles. We can assist with obtaining
permits to selecting sites."
"Thank you so much! Honestly, I'd want to hand over the Gangnam land to Taewoo Group
immediately."
Words are easy — I had to listen politely and take them with a grain of salt until the Gangnam land contract was actually sealed.
"I'll personally go to China and help set the stage. These contacts are very valuable even to
Charlotte Group."
"I feel guilty taking without giving anything in return. I will do my best to persuade my father so we can proceed with the Gangnam land contract as soon as possible."
"Chairman Jin is not the type to break promises. It's fine to draft the contract only after
everything is settled."
Though I had met Chairman Jin only twice,
I had a rough sense of his personality: no matter what anyone said, he wasn't the type to sign a contract until the deal was truly finished.
So Vice Chairman Jin Dong-gu's words were just empty flattery.
"Excuse me, Vice Chairman Kim Min-jae, may I ask you one more thing?"
"Please, feel free."
"I want to ask if you're helping me because my father hinted at something about the management rights?"
"That's not something I can speak on. I suggest you speak directly with Chairman Jin."
"That answer is good enough for me."
Was there a positive implication in my tone?
Vice Chairman Jin Dong-gu beamed with a broad smile.
"I'll contact you once the schedule for China is set."
"Please take good care of things. If we succeed in entering the Chinese market, I'll personally
make sure to repay you — and that's aside from the Gangnam land deal."
"People doing business in Korea have to support each other, don't you think? Besides, Taewoo and Charlotte focus on different core industries."
"Absolutely! If you ever need my help, don't hesitate to ask."
There were a few overlapping business areas between Charlotte and Taewoo.
But which Korean conglomerate hasn't expanded like an octopus reaching into multiple sectors?
At least the Charlotte Group had little connection to automotive or electronics manufacturing, so I could say that with some confidence.
After finishing my business with the Charlotte Group, I returned to the office.
But my grandfather was already there, leaning against the window of the vice chairman's office, waiting for me.
"Did you get the message too?"
"What message, grandfather?"
"The Korea-Russia Energy Cooperation Committee is holding an urgent meeting this month. I heard that officials from the Russian government and representatives of energy companies will visit Korea sometime next week."
"I knew they would visit Korea soon, but I didn't know it would be as early as next week."
There was an upside to dealing with an authoritarian regime.
Russia might not appear as a dictatorship on the surface, but all power was concentrated in
Putin's hands.
So when he made a decision, everyone below had no choice but to follow orders precisely.
Otherwise, they might be served a poisoned cup of tea.
"In Korea, the Minister of Industry and the head of KEPCO decided to respond. And the Russian side specifically requested Taewoo Group's participation to the Korean government, the Minister of Industry told me personally."
"I'll attend. After all, it's better to have someone at the vice chairman level so the minister won't lose face."
"Do you think I'm some nobody? Didn't I say I'll handle the follow-up? You know how much Korean politicians care about age, right? If you go, you might be looked down on."
"Surely they wouldn't do that?"
"If you speak strongly, they'll say you're rude. If you say something negative, they'll claim
you're too young to understand. So I need to go first and break their spirit. Then the work will go smoothly."
Grandfather's words were true.
Negotiating with government officials was his expertise. No matter how capable I was, I couldn't catch up to him without his years of experience.
"I've already aligned things with the Russians."
"I'll handle the rest. I'll make KEPCO offer its land willingly."
"If you pull that off, the groundbreaking of the new headquarters can be brought forward by at least a year."
"I'm just waiting for the day when the view from this window finally changes."
He still stared out at the window.
He seemed tired of the same old scenery he'd seen for so long.