Chapter 53
“Team Leader Oh.”
“Your complicated financial circumstances are none of our concern.”
“What?”
“Listen carefully to what I'm about to say.”
Team Leader Oh seemed too surprised to respond immediately.
“Our manufacturing side has reached its operational limit too.”
Choi Inwoo opened the final Bongau-tang supply agreement from his desk drawer.
It was the contract that bore Han Danghyun's official seal.
“You seem to have forgotten the legally binding special provisions in our contract.”
“So let me read them to you.”
“What the hell are you...”
“Tomorrow at exactly 6:00 PM marks seven full business days of unpaid supply invoices from headquarters.”
“So what?”
“Which means...”
“This is our final notice to headquarters.”
Choi Inwoo's voice spread across the office.
Manager Kwon approached him in surprise.
But Choi Inwoo ignored him and continued speaking to Team Leader Oh.
“If the entire outstanding payment is not confirmed in WG Food's corporate account by 6:00 PM tomorrow...”
“WG Food will immediately begin the contractually agreed procedure to assume Bongau-tang's nationwide franchise-distribution authority and brand-distribution trademark rights under the special provisions covering overdue logistics payments and deferred settlements.”
“Assistant Manager Choi!”
Only then did Team Leader Oh's tone suddenly become polite again.
Choi Inwoo had no intention of listening.
“There will be no extension of even one minute.”
“Not even one won.”
His voice was terrifyingly calm.
Firm.
Unyielding.
“Wait...”
“No, Assistant Manager Choi.”
“How can you conduct business while cutting everything off so rigidly...”
Team Leader Oh coughed awkwardly.
Choi Inwoo drew a clear line through the phone.
“Tomorrow.”
“6:00 PM.”
“Prove it through payment.”
“Goodbye.”
Click.
The call ended.
The corner of Choi Inwoo's mouth curled upward.
The hunter had pulled the trigger on the final ultimatum...
Aimed directly at the snake's throat.
And everything was moving exactly as Choi Inwoo had planned.
Manager Kwon and CEO Jeong...
Who had witnessed the entire call...
Were overwhelmed by this side of Choi Inwoo they had never seen before.
Neither dared add a single word.
They simply stared at him.
At the same time.
Inside the CEO's office at DD Franchise Consulting headquarters in Gangnam, Seoul.
Team Leader Oh ended the call.
Then he burst into incredulous laughter.
“Seriously...”
“Ha ha ha.”
Han Danghyun lounged on the sofa, lazily exhaling cigarette smoke.
He glanced toward Team Leader Oh.
“What's wrong?”
“Ha.”
“That lunatic Choi Inwoo.”
Han Danghyun smirked.
“What?”
“Are those small-company bumpkins from Gwangju whining for payment again?”
“He was until a minute ago.”
“And now?”
Team Leader Oh laughed.
“CEO Han, listen to this.”
“That bastard Choi Inwoo has completely lost his mind.”
“He doesn't know his place at all.”
Han Danghyun looked amused.
“Oh?”
“How exactly has he lost his mind?”
“He says if the money isn't deposited by six tomorrow evening, they'll invoke the special contract clause.”
“He claims they're legally taking over the nationwide franchise distribution rights and trademark distribution rights.”
Team Leader Oh clicked his tongue.
“He was spouting legal terminology like some dramatic fool.”
“Kept saying there wouldn't be even one minute of extension.”
For a moment...
Han Danghyun simply stared at him.
Then...
He grabbed his stomach and exploded into laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha!”
His mocking laughter echoed across the luxurious marble walls.
“Ha ha!”
“Transfer of distribution rights?”
“Transfer of trademark rights?”
“And what exactly do they think they're going to do after legally taking them?”
“Exactly.”
“I thought the bastard had completely lost his mind.”
“A little assistant manager at some provincial manufacturing company reads a few legal sentences in a contract...”
“And now he thinks he's holding some incredible weapon.”
Han Danghyun chuckled and crushed out his cigarette.
“By tomorrow afternoon we'll already be walking toward the LA departure gate at Incheon Airport.”
“If they legally transfer distribution rights at six...”
“Or summon a bankruptcy trustee...”
“What does any of that have to do with us?”
He stood and laughed while looking out the window.
“Tell them to cling to their empty ghost corporation and sue in court if they want.”
“Ha ha ha!”
To Han Danghyun...
Choi Inwoo's cold warning seemed like nothing more than the desperate last struggle of an incompetent employee from a small company.
A useless threat against scammers who were already moments away from disappearing.
If anything...
Han Danghyun and Team Leader Oh were even more intoxicated with victory.
They believed their escape schedule was unfolding perfectly.
“Anyway.”
“Still no company paid for the broth recipe?”
“...No.”
“What?”
“I told them this was an exclusive opportunity for them.”
“And none of them have transferred anything?”
Han Danghyun had planned one final scam using the broth-sauce recipe.
He had stolen the recipe from WG Food and intended to sell it to another company.
Of course...
Han Danghyun was not planning to sell it to only one buyer.
He intended to scam several companies at once.
Each company would be told the same lie.
That they alone were being given access to the secret recipe.
That they alone would receive the opportunity to manufacture broth for all Bongau-tang franchise branches.
Han Danghyun had made the offer to five different companies.
“We're offering them an unbelievable opportunity for five hundred million won.”
“Five companies means 2.5 billion.”
“And not even one of them sent the five hundred million?”
“No.”
“Strangely...”
“We haven't heard anything from any of them.”
“What kind of idiots are these?”
“I'm giving them an opportunity this huge and none of them are paying?”
Han Danghyun had no idea.
There was something wrong with the recipe.
It was a recipe Choi Inwoo had deliberately altered.
The moment a genuine manufacturing expert looked at it...
They would immediately realize the formula would cause serious factory problems.
Han Danghyun knew none of that.
He simply could not understand why none of the five companies were responding.
“Tell them today is their last chance.”
“Lower the price by one hundred million won.”
