CH122 | VOC

There was a famous anecdote about the chairman of Saseong Semiconductor burning a pile of defective products and lecturing his employees about quality control.

But were all those defective products unusable?

No.

Most of them were just slightly imperfect: a misaligned plastic case, a loose button, etc. They were still perfectly functional.

Like bruised fruits or crabs with missing legs, they weren’t marketable, but they were still edible.

There would be plenty of buyers if the price was right.

They were discarded to maintain the value of the regular products.

The smell of money was intoxicating, but I held onto my reason.

‘This is too risky.’

It was a trap set by Chairman Wang.

He was luring me with money, using me to acquire defective semiconductors and save Haixin Group, while shifting all the risk to me.

There was no way to do this without being caught by Saseong.

“It’s a good deal, isn’t it?”

I couldn’t fall for his trap.

“Chairman Wang, how about we be honest with each other?”

“Honest?”

“Yes, Saseong’s defective semiconductors. We’ll be caught. Let’s acknowledge that first.”

He smiled. “I’ll remove the logos and serial numbers…”

I interrupted him firmly. “No, that’s not enough. Are you really sure we won’t be caught? Then why did you call me? You know there’s no perfect solution. You might get away with it by removing the logos, since Saseong’s influence in China is limited. But the intermediaries in Korea, the ones who handle the defective chips, will bear the brunt of Saseong’s wrath. Isn’t that right?”

He stared at me and then chuckled. “I’ve underestimated you, CEO Park. I knew you were no ordinary man after hearing about your 500 billion won donation, but you’re even more impressive than I thought. You’re right, Saseong’s control is tight. We’ll be caught. But…”

He took out a Saseong semiconductor chip and handed it to me. “There’s no such thing as risk-free money. This is one of the chips we receive from Saseong. Do you know how much it costs?”

He grinned. “1,800 yuan. 200,000 won. We import a million of these every month. That’s hundreds of billions of won per month, trillions of won per year. And I’m offering you half the price. That’s at least 1 trillion won for six months. It’s a win-win situation. You’re buying the risk with money.”

Although I considered myself a 7 trillion won man, my liquid assets were only a little over 3 trillion won.

It was a tempting offer, but I knew it was a poisoned chalice.

“I like money. Who doesn’t? But you’re still not being honest, Chairman Wang. Why would Saseong pressure a client that generates trillions of won in annual sales? Even if it’s their partner’s competitor, they’re still a client. It doesn’t make sense.”

His relaxed expression faltered slightly. “Does it matter? You just have to acquire the defective chips and sell them to me at a higher price.”

I scoffed. “I don’t want to be crushed between giants without even knowing the reason. And 1 trillion won for six months? It’s a significant amount, yes. But I have a lot of money, Chairman Wang. Enough that I don’t have to risk my life for 1 trillion won.”

I said casually, “Trading 1 trillion won for such a high risk? It’s not enough to motivate me. Maybe 10 trillion won, but not 1 trillion won.”

He stared at me for a moment and then said, “Should I take that as a refusal?”

“No, I want a different kind of relationship with you, Chairman Wang. Not a deceitful one where we’re constantly worried about being betrayed, but a genuine one where we understand each other’s needs and help each other. If that’s not possible, then yes, you can consider it a refusal.”

I met his gaze unflinchingly.

He might be the chairman of Haixin Group, but I was the CEO of Chunha Trading.

My company might be smaller, but I was no longer afraid of anyone.

I had brought down powerful figures and companies.

I wasn’t afraid of anyone anymore.

He muttered, “A mutually beneficial relationship… Do you think you’re worthy of such a relationship?”

I puffed out my chest. “Those defective semiconductors you mentioned. I guarantee you, if I can’t do it, no one can.”

He suddenly burst into laughter. “Hahaha, you’re a remarkable man, CEO Park. You have guts and a sharp mind. I like that. So you’re saying you’ll do it if we have a genuine relationship? Even though you just said it’s a guaranteed failure?”

“We’ll figure it out. There’s always a solution.”

He grinned. “Alright, I’ll tell you.”

Saseong’s price increase was a power play against Haixin Group.

Haixin had been considering diversifying its semiconductor supply chain by adding a Japanese supplier.

Saseong, having learned about it through its intelligence network, had used the price increase as leverage to pressure Haixin and prevent them from switching suppliers, exploiting the fact that semiconductor production wasn’t instantaneous.

Haixin, in response, had explored various options and contacted me, hoping to use defective semiconductors to reduce costs and counter Saseong’s pressure.

“So you agreed?”

“Not exactly. I said I’ll try and asked for more time.”

* * *

Park Jong-bum and Maru’s jaws dropped.

“Sir, do you realize how dangerous this is?”

“Of course, I know better than anyone.”

“Everyone in this industry knows that defective products are profitable. But they don’t touch them because it’s too risky. You could be charged with industrial espionage and face at least ten years in prison. It’s 1 trillion won, yes, it’s a large amount, but it’s not worth the risk!”

I nodded. “Of course not. Why would I risk everything for a mere 1 trillion won?”

“But then why…”

I grinned. “First, we’ve escaped the pressure from the Central Committee member. Thanks to Chairman Wang.”

Of course, it was a temporary reprieve.

If I couldn’t provide the semiconductors, Chairman Wang’s protection would disappear, and the pressure would return.

“Second, this is about creating a new market.”

“A new market?”

“We’ve been dealing with secondhand components and small-time manufacturers. But if we start distributing functional defective components, the impact will be massive. We can expand our market from low-end to high-end. It’s not just a secondhand components market anymore, it’s an electronic components department store. The potential is far greater than 1 trillion won.”

Park Jong-bum said with a dumbfounded expression, “You’re planning to do this openly? We can handle secondhand components because they’ve already been sold, but distributing defective products is incredibly risky!”

“We don’t have to do it ourselves. The department store is still under construction. We can lease the space to retailers and let them handle the illegal goods.”

My eyes gleamed. “We just provide the venue and collect 40% of their sales as rent. The semiconductor companies might protest, but they can’t take direct action against us. We can claim ignorance.”

“Sir… even if that works, Saseong Semiconductor’s annual sales are less than 10 trillion won. How much profit can we make from 40% of their defective products? Is it worth the risk?”

I shook my head. “Is Saseong the only semiconductor company? Yeon-dae Electronics also has a semiconductor division, and the companies in Japan and the US are much larger. The potential profit is enormous.”

Saseong Semiconductor had been growing rapidly, but it was still only ranked 7th in the global market.

The combined sales of all semiconductor companies were astronomical.

“This is an advertisement. An advertisement showing that there’s money to be made from defective semiconductors. A meticulously planned campaign. We’re just providing the platform.”

Park Jong-bum slumped onto the sofa with a sigh.

“I don’t understand… You’re going to do this regardless, aren’t you? Why is our life always so complicated…?”

“But we’re making a lot of money, aren’t we? Just wait and see. I haven’t finalized the details yet, but it’ll be a blockbuster.”

Park Jong-bum sighed again after a long silence. “Fine, whatever. But how are you going to acquire the defective semiconductors in the first place? We can’t sell them or cause trouble without the actual products.”

I smiled awkwardly. “That’s the biggest problem. I have the big picture, but I’m not sure about the details. We’ll figure it out. Let’s start the investigation.”

Saseong’s handling of defective semiconductors was incredibly complex.

Unusable, discarded chips were sold directly to electronic scrap companies like ours, but functional defective chips were strictly monitored and controlled.

The defective chips from the production line were collected in a warehouse.

They were then inspected and delivered to a designated external crushing company.

Even though they were handled by an external company, Saseong’s surveillance continued.

The chips could only be moved and processed under the supervision of Saseong’s inspectors.

The inspectors would even camp out next to the chips if the work couldn’t be completed in a single day.

And only after the chips were crushed and shredded would Saseong sell the scrap to electronic scrap companies.

They maintained constant surveillance until the very last moment.

“Those bastards are thorough. There are no openings.”

I was impressed by their meticulousness. They even had dedicated inspectors for defective chips.

“That’s why they’re Saseong. I heard many people have tried and failed to bribe the inspectors.”

There were countless people who would do anything for money.

They could make a fortune just by stealing a few chips, so there had been many attempts.

“They all failed?”

“Yes. I’m not sure about the details, but I heard the inspectors receive a 10% bonus from the company if they report a bribe attempt. They’re choosing a safe 10% over a risky 100%.”

“They actually…”

The inspectors would eagerly report any bribe attempts.

They could earn a safe and stable income without taking any risks.

And rumors of this policy would deter potential bribers.

It was the perfect anti-bribery measure.

“Bribery… is out of the question.”

I would also choose a safe and stable income over a risky one.

The most common method was blocked.

“This is not easy.”

I had a grand plan, but the first step was proving difficult.

“We can’t steal them from Saseong, and we can’t steal them from the crushing company because of the inspectors. It’s no wonder people give up.”

I had told Park Jong-bum that there were people who would risk ten years in prison for 10 billion won.

But now, I was starting to think it wasn’t about the risk, it was about the impossibility.

Park Jong-bum said in a disapproving tone,

“Sir, do we really have to do this? We knew there would be problems with the China business. It’s just a setback, we can make a deal with the Central Committee member’s son and move on.”

“No, I have a feeling this will be incredibly profitable. And not just a one-time windfall, but a continuous source of income. Chairman Wang is only thinking about his own company, but I have bigger plans.”

“Sigh…”

I ignored his sigh and continued studying the documents, muttering,

“This is driving me crazy. We can’t reassemble crushed chips. How are we supposed to steal them…?”