God-Given Business Genius - Chapter 155

"...Therefore, as the candidate locations for 'Salad Time' were selected based on areas frequented by young people and those interested in health management, as well as places familiar with foreign cultures, the rent tends to be somewhat high."

Jo I-ruk said while pushing up his glasses.

This was about the opening of the main branch of <Salad Time>, the seventh brand to be introduced by <The Song>, specializing in salads.

As it's an experimental brand and immediate sales are difficult to expect, we decided to operate the main branch directly.

I nodded and continued listening.

"It's as you predicted, CEO. If we make the store size small and focus on takeout, the forecast is that we'll somehow be able to break even."

Hmm. I see.

"...But CEO."

"Yes?"

"Did something good happen?"

"Pardon?"

What a sudden question. As I looked at him with wide eyes, Jo I-ruk tapped the corners of his mouth with his fingertips.

"You've been smiling continuously."

"Ah~.... Hahaha. Was I? I didn't realize."

"Come to think of it, you took some personal time yesterday. You said you were going to a class reunion, it seems you had a good time."

A good time, huh.

I ruined the atmosphere of the gathering and left before the first round ended because I felt uncomfortable. Can that be called a good time?

"Well..."

I smiled vaguely, deflecting the question.

"Your classmates must be mostly college students. Given that public attention is already focused on you, didn't many of them try to act familiar?"

"They did."

They seemed to know everything about me. They were even ready to ask about our company's financial statements.

"You must have felt good."

"Is that how it works?"

"It's an achievement worth boasting about. The role of the CEO was absolutely crucial in <The Song>'s growth. If it were me, I would have boasted."

Jo I-ruk's eyes sparkled. Does he unexpectedly have a desire to show off in this area?

As I gestured for him to continue, Jo I-ruk quickly added:

"Of course, openly boasting would make you seem unpleasant, so you wouldn't have done that. But surely others must have added a word or two. Wouldn't that make you feel proud?"

"Haha......"

"Weren't you smiling thinking about such things, CEO?"

Oh dear. How unfortunate. Of course, there were situations like Jo I-ruk described, but they were very brief.

And I'm not particularly fond of such exaggerated praise anyway.

I tapped the table with my fingertips and said,

"I left early."

Jo I-ruk's eyes widened. It seems this was unexpected.

I'm sorry I couldn't maintain the illusion. But reality is often crueler than one might think.

"One person started picking a fight. I responded appropriately, but it felt awkward to stay any longer."

It felt somewhat immature to have seriously engaged with that child. Of course, we looked the same age on the outside.

Jo I-ruk's face instantly hardened upon hearing my words.

"By picking a fight... you mean."

"Hmm. What did he say? Something about how I must have struggled a lot without parents to ask about business. That kind of nuance."

"......"

"Of course, I'm not the type to just take it quietly. I gave him a proper response, so don't worry."

"That's a relief."

Jo I-ruk's face relaxed considerably at my words. He's the type whose thoughts are clearly visible on his face.

"But why were you smiling? It seems closer to an unpleasant memory than a good one."

"It was, indeed."

I grinned as I recalled yesterday's events.

It certainly didn't seem like a good mood.

Because I had left my car behind since I planned to drink, I had to catch a taxi to get home.

Even then, I was engulfed in deep regret.

'Regardless of success, I still haven't properly put down roots here.'

That's what I thought. A strange sense of emptiness left my chest feeling hollow.

Right at that moment, Choi Min-hyuk approached me.

"Still... maybe it's because I heard what I wanted to hear. I don't feel bad."

I suppose humans are beings that constantly need confirmation. Seeing how comforted I feel by the fact that I wasn't wrong, that there's someone who empathizes with me.

When everyone is shouting that you're wrong, is this how it feels when one person quietly approaches and whispers that they think you're right?

"It seems even you have worries, CEO."

"Of course."

The reason it looks like I handle everything smoothly is just because my accumulated experience is different. If Jo I-ruk had seen me before my regression, he might have looked down on me too.

"Human hearts are truly difficult, aren't they? That's why running a business is hard work."

It's much easier to look at financial statements. Numbers don't lie. Usually.

But people's inner thoughts are much more complex and difficult than that.

Since business is about people meeting people and exchanging goods and feelings. It doesn't always add up neatly like 1+1 equals 2.

"Anyway. I wasn't unable to focus on the meeting."

"I didn't mean it that way."

Jo I-ruk hastily added.

"...Still, seeing your bright face, it seems yesterday's reunion was a good stimulus for you."

"I suppose so."

It's something to be thankful for. If it weren't for Choi Min-hyuk, I might have been in a bad mood even today.

"Well. Shall we continue with the meeting now that we've discussed this?"

"Yes, understood."

"These places written here are the current candidate locations, right?"

"Yes, that's correct. Around Itaewon, Gangnam Station, Teheran-ro..."

Oh.

I paused momentarily at the bothersome place name. Although I haven't given any specific directions since Jo I-ruk took full authority over location selection.

It seemed better to exclude this place from the candidates.

"Let's remove Gangnam Station."

"Gangnam Station? Of course, the rent is expensive, but I thought it was quite a good candidate location because there are many young people and it's sensitive to trends."

"Hmm... You're right. Sensitive to trends, lots of young people. But the areas near Gangnam Station and Teheran-ro have somewhat different characteristics."

Jo I-ruk looked puzzled at my words.

He seemed to be thinking, how much difference could there be in such a short distance?

"Just because they're close doesn't mean the consumer base is exactly the same. It might sound a bit funny, but the Gangnam Station area is more conservative than you might think."

"Gangnam Station?"

Conservative?

It wasn't an adjective that suited Gangnam Station, which naturally evokes images of glamorous night streets.

But the 'conservative' I meant wasn't about political leanings or sexual norms.

I added a detailed explanation.

"It's a place where hit products go, not where trends are created."

"Ah...!"

"Now you understand what I mean?"

"Yes. I think I do."

"On the other hand, Teheran-ro has many IT companies, so there are quite a few people familiar with foreign cultures, and if you go up further to Apgujeong, it goes without saying."

This side is more suitable for opening a salad specialty shop. More so than the Gangnam Station area.

"So it's better to exclude Gangnam Station."

"Yes. Understood."

Jo I-ruk drew something with his pen. It was probably content related to Gangnam Station.

"I learned one thing. Even if geographically close, consumer tendencies can be different. It's amazing how it can change just across one street."

"It's easy to overlook. In most cases, there isn't much difference. It's because this brand is so future-oriented. The food service industry shouldn't be like this."

I said with a smirk.

"This is an investment we're making because our current financial state is good and we have confidence to endure. Usually, you can't even dream of it."

"Is that so?"

"The food service industry has high costs, so operating profits aren't large."

Would net profits even reach 10% of total sales? If it exceeds 10%, it means the headquarters is fattening its belly by sucking the backbone of franchisees.

It's unimaginable unless the company is considerably large. It was possible because every brand without exception was working hard to earn money as a cash cow.

"It means we're in a situation with that much leeway."

We're moving forward smoothly like a ship with a tailwind.

If only we could keep moving forward like this, there would be no regrets.

"Then please let me know when the candidate locations are finalized. After that, we'll choose the specific location..."

Just as we were about to wrap up the meeting.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

Who could it be? Usually, no one interrupts when Jo I-ruk and I are in a meeting.

I looked at Jo I-ruk, and he nodded, so I raised my voice.

"Come in."

Swoosh.

The door opened, and in came Hyun Ye-won with a troubled expression.

"Ye-won-ssi. What's the matter?"

"Um, CEO......"

Hyun Ye-won opened her mouth with a timid voice. She kept glancing outside nervously, clearly indicating that something had happened.

I quickly approached Hyun Ye-won and asked.

"Did something happen? What's wrong?"

"Well, I think you need to come out. A franchisee has arrived..."

"A franchisee, at this hour?"

I couldn't hide my surprised expression. Usually, they would be running their businesses at this time on a weekday, wouldn't they?

Moreover, instead of contacting the headquarters, they came directly? This doesn't usually happen unless it's something serious.

"I don't think it was on the scheduled appointments."

"No, it wasn't. They came suddenly without any prior notice, so we're all very flustered right now."

"I can see that. Did they ask for me?"

Hyun Ye-won nodded.

I don't know for sure, but it seems they must have had some considerably unpleasant issue. In cases like this, people often approach aggressively, so I felt a bit tense.

"Did they not say what the issue was?"

"They did. But it's so absurd that..."

"Pardon?"

Just as I was about to ask her to explain in detail what she meant,

"I said I'm here to see the CEO!"

A loud shout was heard from outside.