Chapter 7
< Coca-Cola. (4) >
1897, Washington DC
The Naval Office in the State-War-Navy Building.
“Hmm.”
As soon as the charity party at the White House was over, Admiral Dewey’s urging could not overcome him and he stayed at a hotel near the White House. And a few days later, I went to the Naval Office to make an appointment with Admiral Dewey.
He raised his head and looked up at the Naval Department building.
“Is this the ‘ugliest building in America’? It looks unique.”
Modeled after the French Second Reich architecture, the Naval Office building was clearly different from other neoclassical Washington architecture.
It’s very eye-catching.
At that moment, Admiral Dewey walked out of the building entrance.
“Young Morgan, don’t say that. After all, this building’s designer friend committed suicide because he could not withstand harsh criticism. I’m already talking about seven years ago.”
“sorry.”
“But it’s also ugly.”
“……”
“ha ha ha! Come in.”
Seeing me with cold eyes, Dewey burst into laughter and entered the interior of the Naval Department building.
I came out earlier than the promised time in my own way, but when Dewey Lee came out, he was out earlier than me in this cold weather.
‘How long have you been waiting for this gentleman?’
Are you waiting for Coca-Cola?
ah please
I took out my pocket watch and checked the time, trying to avoid the gaze of Admiral Dewey, who was dazzlingly twinkling next to me.
“Admiral Dewey, the CEO of The Coca-Cola Company has contacted us today to arrive. He said he would arrive at the appointed time.”
“It can be late. It’s going to be hard to get here from that distant Atlanta. Rather, I am sorry.”
“Is that so.”
Admiral Dewey waved his hand.
Well, I have James at the meeting place instead of me, so I will guide you well. If you add one naval officer assigned by Admiral Dewey, you don’t have to worry about getting lost.
More important than that is Admiral Dewey.
“Admiral, what about British Hong Kong fortress? The ink of the Shimonoseki Treaty must not have dried up yet.”
“Oh, I guess I should call it the Morgan family, the young man has a good ear for the international situation.”
“The Sino-Japanese War must have been such a shocking war. It was also featured in the newspaper.”
“Actually, I never imagined that such a large continent would be attacked by an island nation the size of a mouse. However.”
Admiral Dewey’s gaze was sharpened.
“An island country is just an island country, no matter how long it flies. In a nutshell, Japan cannot swallow the Qing continent. It’s good if you don’t pretend to eat.”
It would be more realistic to defeat Russia in the Far East.
Admiral Dewey burst out laughing and patted me on the back, but I couldn’t help but laugh.
‘That Russia. It’s also very tattered like a rag.’
The Baltic Fleet is annihilated.
I followed Admiral Dewey with a face that could neither laugh nor cry, remembering the red-flavored sickle and sledgehammer.
***
“Bad cop, good cop strategy… you mean?”
“Simply put, it’s a dang-geun and whip strategy.”
Candler rolled his eyes.
After waiting for an hour in the Navy conference room with Admiral Dewey, Candler entered.
I dragged Candler to another conference room for a while before signing the munitions contract as an excuse to agree.
Carrots and whips.
It is a classic negotiating strategy that started in England in the 1800s, usually slashing with carrots – no, slashing with a stick and soothing with carrots.
In this strategy, order is important.
This is because if you give a carrot first and then beat him with a whip, you think, ‘This guy has changed badly.’
in conclusion. see you lose once
‘This is also a strategy that can be done.’
And Coca-Cola is right now.
“Isn’t the first contract important? I can’t make it too tight, but I don’t want to be caught by a huge national institution like the Navy. By the way, how was the bottling business?”
“Thanks to you, I established the Coca-Cola Bottling Company with 100% equity and applied for trademark registration.”
“You haven’t found a factory site yet, have you?”
“The corporation was just registered yesterday, so now we have to explore the site.”
“It’s just fine. It would be best if we could get the land for sale, but if we don’t, we can buy it once a huge down payment is made.”
Judging by Admiral Dewey, he risked almost half his life on Coca-Cola.
After all, the US Navy’s military food was atrocious. Western-style military biscuits were bricks that could break your teeth if chewed.
No joke, when you hit a brick with a sheep biscuit, it breaks.
‘Because even weevils are infested.’
Sailors were consuming it, so the moment Coca-Cola is supplied, they will receive God’s grace.
It was the same with soldiers and officers who found military food tasteless.
‘Shall we make biscuits at all?’
Wouldn’t it be amazing if I added star candy?
But, putting aside the emerging business ideas, he coordinated his views with Candler.
***
“Are you going to negotiate?”
After coordinating with Candler, we returned to the conference room with Admiral Dewey. Admiral Dewey was talking to James with a naval officer.
Admiral Dewey found us and waved.
“Oh, young Morgan. It’s finally here. I thought I was dying of waiting. Is the story over?”
“yes. But is Admiral Dewey going to proceed with the contract himself?”
“uh. I brought an officer with me to practice, but I have to actually do it. I drink- big. No, it’s the daily food that our soldiers will drink. ha ha ha!!!”
“……haha.”
Admiral, your officer next to you is looking at you with cold eyes. The authority of the Admiral of the Navy, is it okay as it is?
Admiral Dewey pretended not to see him and turned his gaze to Candler.
“Can I call you Coca-Cola President…?”
“It doesn’t matter as a Candler. You can let it go.”
“Hey big. Good. First, let me know the unit price of how much the Coca-Cola Company can pay per bottle.”
Is it because he’s a navy admiral?
His way of speaking, raging like a tsunami, was straight-forward.
But Candler didn’t panic.
“We can supply it for 5 cents per bottle.”
“Five cents? Are you going to pay the military at the same price as the market price?”
“We’ve been sticking with a five-cent fixed price since Coca-Cola went on sale. Besides, I think 5 cents is a reasonable price.”
For reference, if it was 5 cents at this time, it was 1,500 won in Hyundai Hanwha.
Admiral Dewey brushed his bushy mustache with a dissatisfied face. As soon as Admiral Dewey dared to take the initiative, Candler raised his eyebrows and turned into Bad Cop mode.
“It is true, Admiral. I had a cool conversation when our large shareholder called after paying for military service. In fact, it makes me want to leave right now.”
“……why? Wouldn’t it be nice to get a military contract?”
“Have you heard of surplus bankruptcy? We don’t have a factory, manpower, capital, or anything on the scale to pay the military yet. In such a state, taking the military is almost suicidal.”
I stuck my tongue out inward.
From Candler’s sassy tongue, he didn’t even salivate his mouth, and a stream of lies flowed out. He hid the funds I drew from JP Morgan in the shadow of information asymmetry.
this human. Is it good enough?
‘On the other hand, the working staff over there…
Rumble.
The naval officer who was said to be the working group was tired of peeing from the beginning due to Admiral Dewey’s force, and Admiral Dewey also began to tremble as his child started to burn.
Admiral, the desk is shaking.
bang-!
“…But still, military delivery is military delivery! Isn’t that the military service everyone is crying out for! Sales will skyrocket! The money has been copied!”
“Admiral, what’s the use of going bankrupt before it rises sharply? We don’t have money. None.”
“This profit!!!”
As Candler burst out laughing and waving his hand, Admiral Dewey began to shake his legs even more violently.
No, the person is not too honest.
‘There is no other Coca-Cola addict.’
Anyone who sees it would think it was mixed with cocaine.
As I made eye contact with Candler, I shrugged. The smell of money began to permeate his nostrils.
‘Hogu?’
‘It’s Hogu.’
An evil smile crossed Candler’s face for an instant, but fortunately Admiral Dewey did not see it.
Candler, that man. I think you’re enjoying it.
dread.
“After that, if you attach a few conditions, I will think about it a bit.”
“Condition?”
Disappointed, Admiral Dewey shook his head.
As Satan tempts humans, Candler’s demon-possessed tongue moved dazzlingly.
“As I said, the Coca-Cola Company does not currently have enough factories to supply military supplies. At least it’s a military service, wouldn’t it be solved with just one or two bottles?”
“…what do you want?”
“I want to build a factory on the outskirts of the city near the naval base. My God, doesn’t the Navy Department own the surplus land around the naval base?”
“…are you asking for a refund?”
“Burn it, it’s not worth it. I just want to take it for a ‘reasonable’ value.”
“What’s the difference between that and Bulha-”
Drooling-
“Then our relationship will end here.”
“no. Hmm. Isn’t that young man’s temper too urgent? It’s a little sloppy, so don’t try.”
When Candler got up and confiscated his face, Admiral Dewey was startled and caught Candler’s words.
Now it’s my turn, Good Cop.
“Then how about doing this?”
I smiled and intervened.
Admiral Dewey’s face was straightened like a child who had been given a present by Santa Claus.
After all, Coca-Cola is Santa Claus.
“If the Navy and the Coca-Cola Company can work together to build a factory at the naval base, we will also build our bottling factory in British Hong Kong.”
“In British Hong Kong?”
For a moment, Admiral Dewey’s eyes widened.
It glistened like a great white shark, smelling like the blood of a fish thousands of miles away.
be afraid
‘…Didn’t you mix cocaine again?’
As he glanced at Candler with a suspicious look, Candler shook his head desperately. After all, after the Coca-Cola takeover, I got a promise to eliminate even a very small amount of cocaine, so it won’t happen.
“However, British Hong Kong is a high-risk business for us. I would like the Navy Department to give a brief publicity. Especially, Admiral. All you have to do is bring a bottle of Coke to the press from time to time.”
I’m not a businessman if I don’t put a PPL condition on someone who will become an American hero.
The yellow press, including the Pulitzer, would be a good Coca-Cola trumpeter.
“Payment- no, if ‘cooperation’ is difficult, it doesn’t matter if the terms of the lease are.”
“After… I can’t help it.”
Admiral Dewey sighed and made the decision to save the country with a determined expression on his face. His thick white beard trembled with his snoring.
I reached out to him.
“DEAL?”
“…..DEAL.”
match.
We both held hands.
***
Although he held hands coolly with Admiral Dewey, in fact, the military contract does not go like this in a single conversation.
Rather, the contract was just the beginning.
‘Besides, it must be said that Admiral Dewey has overtaken him.’
However, Admiral Dewey’s status in the Navy was high. Didn’t the Navy officer who was the working group degenerate into a scribe who dictated next to him without making a sound?
In addition, the feud between the new Secretary of the Navy, John Long, and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt, famous for ‘Teddy’, was famous in the military and political circles.
The Navy was not sane now.
“Our Coca-Cola Company wants to build a Coca-Cola bottling plant on the site near Annapolis.”
“no. Annapolis is a place where naval officers are trained, and the character of a school is stronger than that of a naval base! In our Navy Department, we can’t build a facility that would disturb the school discipline. I’d rather go to our Norfolk Naval Shipyard-“
“Hey, shut up that bastard.”
“Oops!”
“There was a commotion for a while. But I’m sure Annapolis will make a lot more sales than the wrecked Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Let’s build a dwelling in Annapolis. We will do our best to support you.”
“…just build both. Instead, we do not have enough capital to build a factory, so coordination of ‘cooperation’ seems to be necessary.”
“DEAL.”
The officers from the legal team, finance team, and the Navy Department, brought in by Candler from Coca-Cola headquarters, fine-tuned the details.
All naval bases were reviewed and reviewed, starting with Portsmouth and ending at the Naval Academy Annapolis and reconstructing the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
This novel was posted at https://readwn.com
Of course, British Hong Kong is stipulated in the first paragraph of the contract.
Let’s go quietly about the strong appeal of someone with a white mustache.
“Admiral Dewey.”
“…Why are you speaking in such a sullen voice to confide in this old man again? You just robbed my underwear.”
Naval Office.
Admiral Dewey, sitting on a bench in the garden, blew out a Coca-Cola bottle, looking tired.
“Do people in the Navy really like Coca-Cola?”
“Hey, how many days can you go without a dirty magazine?”
“……”
“It’s like that. If not, you’re behind. There will be a riot.”
After all, the Navy is Coca-Cola.
Admiral Dewey looked at my shocked face, smiled and blew the bottle again.
‘…Didn’t there have to be a carrot and a stick tactic?’
It’s like negotiating with the opiates.
I feel like I’ve lost something.
bang-!
At that moment, the front door of the Naval Department building opened wildly.
“young master!”
“Morgan!”
Candler and James rushed out of the front door of the office building and quickly approached me. Candler was sweating, and James’ expression darkened.
I jumped up from my seat.
“What the hell is going on?”
“Morgan, listen for a second. It’s urgent.”
“Oh yes”
He kindly lent his ears.
Candler calmed himself down with a deep breath, whispering in a small voice into my ear the synopsis of the incident.
“While we were in the midst of negotiations with the Navy, JP Morgan Bank notified us that it would suspend short-term loans issued to us. If the cash flow is blocked like this, your financial position will be very risky.”
“…James, what do you mean by this?”
James took a deep breath, and spoke quietly with a darkened face.
“J.P. Morgan has just placed a lending limit on speculative-grade companies. So, all loans from The Coca-Cola Company were rejected.”
For a moment, my mind went blank.
“Are you saying you are going to get rid of all the speculative ratings that have been set internally? Oil companies and mining companies would all be speculative in terms of credit ratings, right?”
“…The only thing that was rejected among speculative grades was loans from our Coca-Cola Company.”
In other words, we will collect it according to the special contract.
For a moment, I felt as if I had been hit in the back of the head with a hammer. At the same time, Lamont’s face flashed through his mind.
– You’ll regret it.
“…..no way.”
“Yeah, I think it was done by Jack Morgan.”
< Coca-Cola. (4) > end