Yes, I am 27 years old. And yes, I am currently sitting at the head of the conference table in my section, facing the CEOs of the most talked-about companies in South Korea's outskirts: Mihalk Solutions, a firm focused on manufacturing basic materials and apparel, and the Haneul Group, an investment fund known for snapping up distressed companies worldwide.
And what am I, Kang Do-yun, doing among these giants? Well, as I mentioned, I am a civil servant. I represent the glorious Monetary Solutions Fund of South Korea—a division of the Ministry of Economy created to mediate deals and contracts between local and foreign firms, provided they bring high returns to the country, whether in capital or strategic shares.
It was by using the full bureaucratic weight of this institution that I just finished speaking for twenty minutes straight.
There. I played my hand. The perfect, unshakable speech about long-term growth.
But that strange woman won't stop staring at me as if I were a piece of meat. A maniacal, almost sociopathic gaze. While the CEOs chat in a more friendly manner—thanks to my efforts and the government's insistence, I might add—the employee from Mihalk opens her mouth and drops the question:
"But how does that solve the issue of immediate purchase values?"
I wonder how she thought that was a good idea. I see the glint in her eyes, like a demon's. I don't understand what she stands to gain by interfering; she's apparently just an employee and won't be fired in the merger. I remain calm on the outside, thinking of how to pivot, but it's already too late.
I notice, almost visibly, the gears in the mind of Mr. Jang, the CEO of Mihalk, working at full speed.
"She's right," he says, his voice rising a notch. "You talked so much about potential growth and long-term profit, when I made it clear that I only care about immediate gains from the sale. I've already told you that 1 billion won is not enough!"
He stands up and slams his hand on the glass table.
"I'm starting to doubt you're actually a public official, Mr. Kang. This is starting to look like a scam. As Ms. Yeong-su pointed out, you keep changing the subject."
I ask for calm. I ask him to sit, and he obeys. I look at the 'Demon Lady' Yeong-su, and I could swear that, besides the ear-to-ear grin, I heard a silent "hooray" coming from her.
I call Mr. Chris for a side conversation. He's an American with a cheerful face.
"So, are you sure you still want to close the deal with Mihalk? As you've noticed, convincing him will be quite difficult."
He doesn't think twice, smoothing back his gray hair.
"I'm sure. I knew it would be tough from the start, but I imagine there aren't that many good companies in Korea, right?"
I nod and offer the alternative of scheduling another meeting to better align the objectives. He agrees, as does Mr. Jang.
The two shake hands and leave the room, while I lean over the table and go back to organizing my report, trying to ignore the damage.
I look at the other side of the table and see that Yeong-su hasn't finished packing her things. I approach her, my voice dropping to the very edge of my professional patience:
"Are you some kind of sociopath? Why did you do that?"
She simply shrugs, picks up the last folder, and says as she turns her back to leave:
"Because I didn't like you."
I stand there, watching her walk through the door, while my brain tries to process what kind of answer that was.