I’d Rather Live as a Villain

“I’d Rather Live as a Villain – Part 40”

(You should have gone to bed)

The presentation is ultimately a battle of wits and a twist between the presenter and the observers.

Whether a spoonful of emotion is added or not determines the victory or defeat of the presentation.

I received the presenter’s space from Manager Cho of Bulldog.

I had already displayed the PowerPoint materials I would use on the laptop screen and extended my hand to Manager Cho, who had given up his seat, to thank him for setting the stage.

Manager Cho lightly touched and then detached his hand from mine behind the podium, out of the observers’ view, and entered the seating area.

“Yuntaesik Yoon from the European Division.”

The slender microphone stand made for the podium.

He bent it slightly towards himself and bowed his head in greeting, then turned around the podium and stepped forward.

And this time, he bowed even deeper towards the observers.

Then he immediately attached the thumb-sized microphone on the stand to his jacket lapel and took a step forward.

“Based on last year’s data, the average closure rate for self-employed individuals in South Korea reached 43 percent.”

There was no reason to rush into the main topic.

I’m not sure why that person attended, but everyone here, except for President Min Byung-jin, is intensely focused on this presentation.

And Deputy Manager Im Hyung-jun, who is trying to find any fault to free himself from this project, will also need to understand the specific business model.

“But this statistic doesn’t specify the exact period when the surveyed businesses started and closed. Moreover, since the data isn’t categorized by business or region, starting our discussion with the 43 percent figure would mean falling into the trap of averages right from the start.”

Using the remote control, Manager Jo transferred the laptop screen he had prepared earlier to the projector.

Displayed on the screen was the number of chicken specialty stores nationwide, registered without brand distinction.

43,566.

“In the past, it was common for people to quit their jobs and say, ‘Why not open a chicken place…’ It’s astounding, isn’t it? Just the number of registered stores is forty-three thousand… So, how many coffee specialty stores are currently registered, without distinguishing between franchises and individual cafes?”

He pressed the remote control button once more.

Next to the number of chicken specialty stores, the figure of 92,103 registered coffee specialty stores appeared.

With another press of the remote control, a graph materialized, showing the difference in numbers between the two at a glance.

“The number of coffee shops is more than double that of chicken places. Now, it’s the coffee specialty stores that are considered easy to start. Our country, South Korea, is said to have the highest number of coffee shops per capita in the world. Let’s return to the initial topic of the self-employed closure rate. Ignoring other business sectors, what do you think is the closure rate for self-employed individuals who have started franchise coffee specialty stores?”

This was content that didn’t necessarily need to be displayed here.

“So, how many coffee specialty stores that have been open for more than two years do you think are still in operation? Goldline representative.”

“Yes.”

“Goldline is about to open its 450th store, right?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask how many closures have occurred during Goldline’s remarkable growth to 450 stores over the past two years?”

“Twelve locations failed to fulfill their contract term and had to close.”

At this point, I had to acknowledge Goldline’s management.

“Wouldn’t you say they’ve done quite well? After the pandemic, the trend in coffee shops shifted rapidly from standing-room-only to take-out specialty stores. Even so, Goldline has continued its rapid growth over the past two years, excluding just twelve locations. That’s quite an accomplishment.”

But the real issue starts now.

“But in Goldline’s case, the initial franchise contract period is set for three years, and if there’s no mutual termination intent afterward, it’s automatically extended annually, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“That means all the franchise locations are still bound by the franchise contract period, as the brand is only two years old.”

The person in charge on their side was deliberately avoiding answering this.

“It would be great if you could maintain your current success after one year, and the year after that. But realistically, the number of franchise locations opting out is likely to increase proportionally with the termination percentage, right? That’s why Daeyoung Distribution’s FP team is staking everything on launching the new brand, Black Bean.”

At this point, I had to interrupt the flow.

Inviting a guest to your home and then continuously digging into their weaknesses at the gathering can only lead to an accumulation of fatigue.

I shift my gaze towards President Min Byung-jin.

He’s not someone I’ve invited, so why is he observing this meeting?

Does he know that I’m pondering this internally?

President Min Byung-jin, with his lips tightly sealed, nods at me with an intrigued expression, as if he’s already quite pleased with the presentation that has yet to get to the point.

I press the remote control button once more.

This time, the screen changes completely, and these words start appearing one by one:

Why must Goldline and Blackbean be Marco?

The question that Deputy Manager Im Hyung-jun had just thrown at Manager Jo was now displayed on the screen.

Perhaps that’s why Deputy Manager Im Hyung-jun’s eyes narrowed significantly as he watched the phrase.

The silence I maintain.

Because of that silence, the sound of presentation papers being turned could be heard loudly in the quiet presentation hall.

“Deputy Manager.”

“Yes.”

I called out to Deputy Manager Im Hyung-jun.

It’s as if I’m saying, “The real deal starts now, so buckle up tightly and follow closely.”

“May I ask what percentage of Goldline’s sales per establishment comes from ETC (cookies, cakes, or other peripheral products like the brand’s cups or coffee beans) excluding beverages?”

Deputy Manager Im Hyung-jun, still fixing his gaze on me, lends an ear towards the person in charge of Goldline.

“It’s around 12 percent.”

“Well-designed ETC products can be seen as a profitable category for franchise headquarters and franchisees, as they can generate decent sales without incurring additional labor costs, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then, if we exclude the ETC items that are counted as losses for the store if not sold within the deadline—cookies, macarons, croissants, paninis, cakes, tiramisu, and other snack items—may I ask again what percentage of the sales they represent in the overall sales per establishment?”

None.

Not that there are none, but it’s almost negligible.

“…Around 2 percent.”

Not rounded up?

I was expecting it to be in the 1 percent range.

Fine, let’s say it’s around 2 percent.

“So, strictly speaking, shouldn’t we consider that 98 percent of the total sales generated by the current Goldline stores come from pure F&B sales? Products that necessarily require labor, and therefore, franchisees must consider labor costs. The actual concept of ETC sales is merely 2 percent. Indeed, how to compose those ETC products to induce additional sales remains the most crucial task in the franchise coffee business.”

Deputy Manager Im Hyung-jun appears ready to counterargue the point.

So, I quickly flipped to the next screen with the remote control.

“…”

The models of Marco’s capsule-only and single-serve semi-automatic home coffee machines appeared clumsily on the screen.

Im Hyung-jun, the division manager, and two representatives from the Distribution FP team cocked their heads, puzzled as to why these capsule-only and single-serve semi-automatic coffee machine models were being presented on this screen.

And the moment I pressed the remote control button again.

Unable to hide their astonishment, Im Hyung-jun and the two representatives from the Distribution FP side’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.

One representative’s mouth hung open so wide, it seemed a fly would have flown in, considering it was summer.

This was because the brand logos of ＜Goldline＞ and ＜Blackbean＞ started to be engraved next to the Marco brand logo within the images of the home coffee machines that had been displayed on the screen earlier.

Simultaneously, the unique colors of the ＜Goldline＞ and ＜Blackbean＞ brands were applied to the machines, and new images such as specific patterns and simple floral designs, which were not present in the original models, were added.

“These are the new models. Not yet released in our country. The capsule machine is priced at 259,000 won in the domestic market, and this single-serve semi-automatic machine is 482,000 won. Of course, we have no plans to distribute them through offline stores in domestic department stores and duty-free shops, nor through online shopping malls.”

Then, Im Hyung-jun, the division manager, asked a question.

“About this image. So, has Marco agreed to include the Goldline and Blackbean brand logos next to the Marco brand logo on the screen as shown now?”

I shook my head briefly and looked at Im Hyung-jun and the two representatives.

And I said,

“Even if it’s just an image, we can’t arbitrarily add our brand to specific products and use it in such a presentation.”

“…?”

“All these images were carefully designed by Marco’s side, and they included the Goldline and Blackbean logos before sending them to us.”

Unlike the two representatives who were still too shocked to close their mouths, Im Hyung-jun continued his skepticism.

But it’s still too early to be surprised.

There’s still one more big reveal left.

Im Hyung-jun asked,

“So, does this mean that we can sell these models as ETC products in our stores?”

“Marco. A brand that you can’t get at any other franchise coffee shop, right? Goldline can now have it as the ETC product they’ve been missing. The same goes for Blackbean, which is in the final stages of its launch. If we place coffee machines in the ETC product line, it will naturally be a great help to the sales of the coffee beans currently sold at Goldline, and at the same time, we expect to expand the product line by adding coffee capsule products.”

Here’s the inevitable question from Im Hyung-jun.

Swallowing once, the division manager asked his question.

“It seems like Goldline and Blackbean could become strong ETC products that come to mind alongside Starbucks’ mugs and tumblers.”

That’s why I respect Im Hyung-jun, the division manager.

He’s calm.

And rational.

“However, the individual cost of each machine is too high for franchise owners to bring them into their stores and sell them as ETC products.”

“Consignment.”

The moment the term ‘consignment’ left my lips, Deputy Manager Lim Hyung-jun and the two in charge of distribution looked not at me, but at our finance director who was also attending the presentation, as if to ask if such a thing was indeed possible.

“Of course, there will be a limit on the number of items per store, but our plan is to pass on the goods in a consignment sales format, not through our usual Goldline or Black Bean sales channels. As for the pricing, if the distribution side can just send us the POS system related to the Marco machines, we intend to proceed by billing 50 percent of the consumer price on a monthly basis, based on the sales made in each individual store.”

Deputy Manager Lim Hyung-jun stared at me and the images of the Marco coffee machines still on the screen, his face a picture of disbelief for quite some time.

I looked at Deputy Manager Lim and the other two in charge in turn, speeding up as I neared the end of the presentation.

“If Goldline and Black Bean manage to secure such strong ETC products as the Marco machines, I’m confident that we’ll be able to secure more franchises than we do now, and at the same time, significantly reduce the risk of contract terminations or closures associated with Goldline.”

“So, you’re saying that the franchisees, from their perspective, will receive these products as Goldline’s ETC goods on consignment without any additional investment, start selling, and then settle accounts a month later?”

Deputy Manager Lim looked at our finance director again as if to say, ‘Is this really a feasible consideration?’ But this was already approved content on our side.

So, I simply replied,

“In a business where the best join hands with the best, how could it not be the best?”

“…”

“I rather think it would be harder for this not to succeed. What do you think, Deputy Manager?”

***

That evening, while having dinner at home with her, I broached the topic.

I tried to make it sound as effortless as possible, but it took a lot of thought and courage to bring it up.

“Would you like to visit my father this weekend?”

“Your father?”

“It feels too one-sided, I’m a bit… sorry?”

“Sorry about what?”

“It’s not that I’m truly sorry, it’s just that it seems like I know everything about you. It might seem unfair to you.”

“…”

“While offering a drink at your mother’s memorial service, I wondered… maybe you’d want to meet my father too. Or it’s fine if not.”

After a moment, Moon-jung said,

“Saturday, Sunday. I’m free this weekend. Let’s go together.”

“But if we go, we’ll have to stay overnight.”

I was gathering my courage.

“Is it far?”

“No, it’s not that far.”

“Then we can leave in the morning and come back the same day.”

“Even if you go… you’ll have to stay overnight.”

It was then she seemed to realize that I was in the midst of making a certain confession to her.

“If you think it’s okay, then let’s go together.”

“…Someday we have to go. If we have to stay overnight, then Sunday won’t work.”