Original subtitles

THE ORDINARY JACKPOT

Ma'am, can you please put up your seat?

Thank you.

Mr. Gong Eun-tae?

Hello.

I'm Martina, Mantua's CMO.

Oh, hello. I'm Gong Eun-tae from Hongsung's Sales Division.

Are you flustered to hear me speak Korean?

Yes, I assumed you'd be Italian.

I am Italian.

I haven't been to Korea in a while.

You didn't have to pick me up. We could meet at Hongsung.

- Of course, I should... - Rolling out a red carpet

makes you transparent.

Are you bracing to broach a difficult topic?

Shall we head out?

I can't wait to find out why you asked me to make the trip.

THE ORDINARY JACKPOT

EPISODE 9: INTERPRETING THE PAST

Mr. Yang, about Mantua.

The ownership is complicated, and they're all sole proprietorships.

How can there be no financial data at all?

What do you have on that Martina woman?

- Did you look her up? - Well...

I can't find anything on her.

How come?

Did she work at Mantua her whole life?

It looks like it.

What the heck is she, really?

Your coffee is ready.

- Thanks a lot. - Sure.

The Chinese market...

What do you think about it?

Well...

It's not a bad idea

but I don't see you taking the plunge for this kind of margin.

CGM entered Korea.

You should've started with that.

Isn't CGM here as a vendor?

They established a branch here to become a brand controller.

Of course, they're not just after the Korean market.

They'll use Korea as a distribution center

from where they can enter China and avoid the tariffs.

So Hongsung wants to use Mantua to enter China first?

If Mantua were to enter China first

CGM can no longer put pressure on Korea with its capital.

Do you have an in-house café?

We have a coffee machine, but the temperature is never right.

I brought this from my favorite place.

Do you know that coffee reflects the barista's soul?

This person isn't into it for the money.

He didn't make this for someone else.

Mr. Gong.

I don't want to fight CGM.

They fight dirty.

You don't mind if CGM were to monopolize the Chinese market?

Do you know the Bible?

There's a parable about a worker who was hired in the morning

and another who was hired in the evening.

Yes.

Their employer paid them the same amount.

There would be complaints.

They got paid the same when one of them worked longer.

The man who worked since morning complains

and the master asks why

when he was paid the amount they agreed upon.

We're doing the work we agreed upon, and for that, we're paid well.

Which market CGM enters and how much they make?

It has nothing to do with us.

Then you don't mind if the evening worker

were to take the pay meant for the morning worker too?

More than 60 to 70% of Mantua's customers

sell to East Asia, that is, Korea, China, and Japan.

And most of your products end up in China.

If CGM were to establish a warehouse in China

people in Guangzhou and beyond

will have no reason to do business with you.

If CGM enters China

Mantua will lose not only China, but all of East Asia as well.

How much of our business do you think is retail?

That's not enough reason to go to war with CGM.

The war has already begun.

And we're demanding

that Mantua join in.

I will need some time to think.

Sure, we'll give you time.

But could you tell us how much time you need?

Not long. I'll decide before my stay is over.

Can you assign someone to show me around?

It's been a while since my last visit.

- I will take you around. - No.

The youngest on your team.

If we end up doing business together

I'll deal mostly with your current rookies.

It'll be a long-term thing

and you two could get promoted to managerial positions.

Ji-hye, I need you to act as a liaison.

What? Me?

I'll explain later.

Request a car and driver first.

Okay.

What about Mr. Gong?

Don't ask. This Martina woman is impossible to talk to.

I can't tell what she's thinking.

KOREA BRANCH MANAGER JEONG SEON-HYUK

Come in.

Mr. Jeong.

HONGSUNG TEAM LEADER JEONG SEON-HYUK

BELMORE VP KIM SUN-UK

- Hello, Mr. Kim. - I missed your call.

That's fine, sir.

It's about the store, isn't it?

Yes.

Why was the commission increased?

I just heard about that myself.

It must be the company policy.

Mr. Kim.

You lost Hongsung's 20% commission when they vacated your mall.

You should let us pay just 20% too.

We can't pay you 22% when there's no Hongsung store.

Is that so?

Didn't you agree to pay us 22% if Hongsung paid us 20%?

Yes, only if Hongsung pays you 20%.

Pay 22% as if it happened.

Mr. Kim.

Come on. This is just...

- Mr. Jeong. - Yes?

Think about it carefully and don't take it to heart.

We cut off a stable partner in Hongsung

to join forces with you.

Business may seem complicated, but it's actually quite simple.

We demand what we think we can get away with.

If you don't think you can manage, you can say no.

Say so now if that's the case.

Don't change your tune later.

Okay, 22% it is.

I'd be grateful if you could freeze the commission for other lines.

No, I can't do that.

It should be the same.

Okay, then. We have a deal.

Great. Bye.

Damn it! That rat bastard.

- Ms. Joo. - Yes?

I need to find out what Hongsung is up to.

Do you think they have a plan?

I think they'll take the penalty fees to stall.

No, they won't back down like this.

They're up to something.

If we take a hit from them on top of these circumstances

we have to shut down. Do you get what I mean?

Find out what Hongsung is planning.

Okay?

Yes, I'll do that.

Hello, I'm Lee Ji-hye.

She'll show you around while you're here.

She speaks pretty good Italian.

Let's go.

Call me whenever something goes wrong.

We'll be on standby.

Yes, Mr. Gong.

I'd like to drop by somewhere first.

Is that okay with you?

Yes, where would you like to go?

I'd like to see where you bought your clothes.

My clothes?

I don't see any price tags.

How much is this?

It's yours for just 50,000 won.

- But don't tell anyone. - Okay.

Let's see. That's about 30 euros.

Did you buy your clothes here?

Yes, there are a lot of options here.

Back in the day, whenever there was a fashion show

in Milan, Paris, London, or New York

you could find something similar here the next day.

Anything left after three days got destroyed.

It's not as popular as it once was

but you can still find the trendiest items in the world.

This place would still be popular, then.

Other than the price, what else makes you shop here?

This is where I fell in love with fashion.

This place could be the reason I ended up working at Hongsung.

You know clothes with the same design aren't all the same, right?

It's the detail that counts.

There are many good items here too.

A lot of brands buy from here to resell.

And you chose to buy those?

Do you not like my clothes, ma'am?

The top is a copy of Barnessa's 2022 summer one-piece

and the skirt is similar to Mareige's 2023 collection.

The fabric is a blend of Chinese cotton and polyester

and they sewed pieces together ignoring the grain of the fabric.

Let's forget about the fabric.

Do you even know how to take care of such materials?

Not all doctors are completely healthy

and bartenders don't have to be heavy drinkers.

But fashion is different.

People who sell clothes

must know them well.

- Mr. Gong. - Yes?

Can I ask you something?

You will, anyway.

Why did you send Ji-hye with her?

Because she's the youngest, and that's who Martina asked for.

You could've lied and sent Gi-tae.

It's not like Martina would know.

I thought Ji-hye would do well.

Then why are you standing here all worried?

I'd be worried whoever I'd sent.

Me too.

I'm so worried that I can't concentrate.

- Mr. Yang. - Yes?

Are you looking for something?

I can't find my favorite coffee.

Don't do this. I can manage.

I could do with a cup myself.

Come on...

- Don't add too much water. - Okay, I'll make you a nice cup.

You're busy, aren't you?

Don't even ask. I'm dying over here.

I can tell.

Did you get a call from CGM?

No, I guess they have no use for me.

What?

Would you have joined them if they'd called?

I'd have thought about it.

There's more to life than loyalty

and we'll end up jobless if CGM takes over Korea.

We don't go down that easily. Don't worry.

How come? Does someone have our back?

You bet. So wait patiently.

Oh, I noticed you booked a conference room earlier.

Is it related to that?

- Don't ask for details. - Why not?

I swear I won't tell anyone. Please?

I'm anxious, that's all.

May I explain the menu?

No.

Order for us.

We'll order in a short while.

Okay.

GLUTINOUS RICE DONUTS, PÂTÉ, BEEF, FRIED KIMCHI...

Is there anything specific you'd like?

Don't ask me.

Order whatever you want.

Oh, yes, ma'am.

A Batasiolo Barolo 2020 vintage.

May I confirm this is your selection?

Yes.

Would you like a taste?

Let me.

It's nice.

Thank you.

Who recommended this wine?

I chose something I'd tasted before that I thought would pair well.

You've had this wine before?

Yes.

You speak some Italian?

Yes, I'm learning the language.

Is there a special reason you chose this place?

They have a good selection of wine.

I thought whatever the food was, it should be paired with wine

and if we should have wine, we should go where they have

good Italian wine.

And?

I thought we should have something you can't have in Italy

and since you haven't visited Korea in a while

I thought modern Korean cuisine would be better than traditional.

That's why I chose this place.

They serve Korean cuisine that goes well with good wine.

That's nice.

I'm glad you like the place.

The food one eats

shows what one is like just as much as what one wears.

Did you figure me out?

You're either a gifted liar

or someone broiled in vanity.

Pardon?

I know how much you earn.

You wear clothes worth 30 euros

but you say you've tasted this wine.

It's one or the other.

You haven't had this wine before

or you spend beyond your means.

What do you say?

Either way, that makes you hard to trust.

TEAM 5 LEE JI-HYE

Hello, Ji-hye.

Mr. Gong.

How are things going?

I think...

I think Martina is insane.

Is it that bad?

She seems determined to nitpick every single thing.

How much should I put up with?

Ji-hye.

You know we need this deal, right?

- Yes, I do. - But...

Don't give in to her every whim.

If we lose Mantua

we can find another solution.

However desperate we are

we can't do business with someone who thinks they control us.

Even if it's unfair, they must pretend it's fair

and they must show some consideration.

We can't do business with someone

who won't show even that much hypocrisy.

Then...

Don't feel obligated to meet unreasonable demands.

Okay, Mr. Gong. I'll do that.

- I'll be in touch. - Okay.

Will we be okay?

Do you need anything before we drop you off at the hotel?

Why ask me? You're in charge.

We sent to your suite

some wine, cheese, prosciutto, and cantaloupe for you to snack on.

We also asked for extra towels and bottled water.

A list of tourist destinations and restaurants will be on the table.

I'd like to know if you need anything other than that.

Do you think that's enough?

Tell me what else you need, and I'll get it for you.

The current size of the Chinese market

the profit we stand to gain if we enter

the loss we'll incur if CGM enters China.

Don't you think I need those numbers more than wine or towels?

Ma'am.

I'll call the office and get the details you asked for.

They should be on hand already.

They were on hand. I forgot to bring them.

That's the problem.

Did you think all you had to do was placate me?

Is this how Hongsung does business?

Tell Mr. Gong

to send someone else tomorrow.

TEAM 5 LEE JI-HYE

- Hello, Ji-hye. - Mr. Gong.

I apologize.

What happened?

She went to her room in a foul mood.

She asked for someone else tomorrow.

I did my best, but it wasn't good enough.

I'm sorry.

No, don't apologize.

I sent you with her.

If it wasn't enough, that's on me.

No.

I should've done better.

I'm sorry.

You did great today. Go home and get some rest.

Yes, Mr. Gong.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Doesn't this mean we're done for?

TEAM 2 ASSISTANT MANAGER CHOI JU-HUI

Hi, Ju-hui. Do you have anything?

Ms. Joo, it's Mantua.

- Mantua? - Yes.

They think CGM will use Korea to enter China.

Hongsung wants Mantua to sign an exclusive deal to move first.

You mean they want to enter China?

Yes, Mantua's CMO was here this morning.

I'm sure of it.

- Hello? - Mr. Sponza.

Mr. Jeong, I was expecting your call.

I heard your CMO is in Korea.

Are you worried that I might take their offer?

You know, this is important to me.

You don't need to worry.

Not necessary to stand against CGM.

Have you made up your mind?

Thieves fight if they want the same thing.

Okay, we will consider Mantua having no interest in China.

I'll see you soon.

Sure.

You must be busy these days.

Yes, I am.

Can you tell?

You notice things if you run a café.

Whether a person is busy or relaxed

whether they like their job or not.

You seem busy.

Don't you dislike coming across a busy person in the morning?

Don't be silly.

That's exactly why I open early.

Everyone is constructive in the morning.

"Constructive."

That's a nice word.

I thought

you'd become more relaxed, but you got even busier.

It's interesting.

Have a good day.

Thank you.

PRICE, DATE OF TRANSFER

ORENDAA OUTLET 5.36 BILLION WON

PAID IN FULL

CONFIRMATION OF TRANSFER

PENALTY FEE PER CONTINENT AND BRAND

RISK MANAGEMENT

CONFIRMATION OF PENALTY FEE

...TO PREVENT FUTURE LEGAL DISPUTES

UPLOADED PENALTY FEE FILE

PENALTY FEE PER CONTINENT AND BRAND

PARADI MALL OUTLET

Paradi Mall hasn't sent the fee yet.

Bug them.

Mr. Yang, Paradi Mall hasn't sent it yet.

I'll make the call.

Will it be okay?

For me, or for them?

HONGSUNG BULLY

Damn it.

- Why... - Send the penalty fee.

- Finance... - Make it quick.

We'd love to sue you.

- If you want to sue... - Call when it's done.

This fucking bastard.

Any news on the penalty fee?

Finance said they'd handle it.

Tell them to hurry so I don't have to take his calls.

Okay.

Do I tell them to wire the fee and fax CGM...

Yes, exactly!

Ms. Joo?

PARADI MALL TO HONGSUNG INTERNATIONAL

CONFIRMATION OF TRANSFER

TEAM LEADER JOO SEON-A

- Yes? - We handled Hongsung's penalty fees.

Good.

- Send the new contract. - Okay.

Congratulations, sir.

You can deal them a heavy blow.

We shouldn't be celebrating.

The power dynamic in this industry always changes.

Put both palms and knees on the floor

stretch out your right leg, and lift it toward the ceiling.

Now raise your left arm and hold it horizontal to the floor.

And breathe.

Bring your left arm back and touch the back of your raised foot.

Stretch your quad as you look straight ahead.

Good.

Place one hand firmly on the floor

and lift the other toward the ceiling.

That's it.

Well done.

Keep breathing.

- I need a break. Sorry. - Okay.

What is it?

What?

BELMORE VP KIM SUN-UK

- The call cannot be connected... - What?

He won't pick up?

What the heck?

I need to make one important call.

Excuse me.

BELMORE VP KIM SUN-UK

- Hello, Mr. Kim. - Hello?

What do you think you're up to?

It's as you saw.

The commission for luxury goods will be 15%.

Do you think that makes sense?

I broke the deal with Hongsung because you said you'd pay the fee.

Turn off the music.

You do this as soon as the penalty is cleared?

Isn't this unfair?

Are you trying to do business or messing around?

Turn off the music!

Mr. Kim.

You know that business is quite simple.

I demanded what I thought I could get away with.

If you don't think you can manage, you can say no.

If you don't sign the new contract

I won't wire the penalty fee you paid Hongsung.

You'd better not do this to me.

You're not just turning me against you.

You're turning every other mall against you too.

Do you think you can handle that?

We're not doing this to all the malls out there.

Some saved themselves by agreeing to a compromise.

We secured more than enough stores than we set out to.

If you don't like the new terms

you can always go back to Hongsung.

Hey, Mr. Jeong!

Can you not shout, Mr. Kim?

So what if you're the VP of a mall?

How dare you talk to me like that?

Mr. Kim.

How about we watch our manners when we do business?

Read the contract carefully and get back to me.

Oh, and work on your health.

Many executives fall ill after they retire.

Some of them even die shortly after.

Hey, you...

Hello? What the...

Any news on the penalty fees?

Everyone paid in full.

They assumed CGM would cover it, so there was little pushback.

I might end up with indigestion.

- Let's begin. - Okay.

Reporter Park?

You can run the article.

Yes, thank you.

The rent and commission are decided by foot traffic...

Hello?

What?

Okay.

HONGSUNG FIGHTS BACK CGM FAILS TO ENTER KOREA?

I just heard about it myself.

Let me check. I'll call you back.

Mr. Kang.

Did you see this?

What is this?

CGM THREATENS KOREAN COMPANIES, BUT WHO WILL FALL?

MALLS HAVE IT COMPLICATED HONGSUNG VS CGM

Shoot.

Mr. Jeong, what's going on?

I thought Mantua wasn't going to partner with Hongsung.

Hongsung just took over all storage units in Shenzhen.

Eighty percent of Mantua's brands clash with ours.

If they enter China first,

everything we've been working towards is useless.

I made it clear so many times

that we don't need to enter the Korean market this way.

Are you listening to me?

HONGSUNG ENTERS CHINA WITH MANTUA

I swear I won't tell anyone. Please?

I'm anxious, that's all.

Is the coffee hot?

- What? - Put it down. You'll get a burn.

Okay.

Will you unlock it for me, or do I have to call the Audit Team?

Unlock it.

SALES TEAM 3 MS. JOO

Why don't you stay here and keep us in the loop?

Ms. Joo, I'll go to CGM if you want me to.

But I can't do that.

No.

I won't even go to CGM.

Get lost.

You did great today. Go home and get some rest.

Yes, Mr. Gong.

I'll see you tomorrow.

TEAM 5 LEE JI-HYE

Hello, ma'am. Gong Eun-tae speaking.

I'll come in tomorrow. Have the contract ready.

You'll sign the deal?

You have a great teammate.

I like her taste in clothes and food

but that's not my point here.

I only care about one thing.

Whether one can make something bad sound good.

Send someone else tomorrow.

We don't know exactly how much Mantua earns

but if CGM enters China first

we believe their sales will drop by 12%.

That's how much we think East Asian retail takes up.

Mr. Gong believes we can take

more than 5% of China's imported clothing market.

We'll send the material you need to your suite within 30 minutes.

And I'll arrange for someone else to escort you tomorrow.

Will that someone else

be any better than you?

If I must be honest

there would be no difference even if Mr. Gong were to come.

Mr. Gong said

we can't do business with someone who thinks they control us.

We need Mantua. We're desperate.

We're also convinced that you need us.

I'd like you to be more cordial so we can do business together.

Treat us like we treat you.

Have a good evening.

Anyone can say nice things nicely and bad things badly.

It's so difficult to say something bad nicely.

But your staff did that.

I can work with her.

Are we entering the Chinese market together, then?

I'll see you tomorrow.

- Ms. Jang. - Yes?

Reserve the warehouses in Shenzhen.

Mantua?

They think CGM will use Korea to enter China.

Mantua's CMO was here this morning.

I'm sure of it.

Mr. Gong, I heard you decided to sign the contract.

Yes, I truly appreciate it.

It wasn't my decision.

Martina made this decision.

And the reason was your employee is outstanding.

It was your decision in the end.

Is there anything more I can do for you?

You may receive a call from Jeong Seon-hyuk.

And should I just tell them

we're not going to sign with Hongsung?

I'll leave it in your hands, Mr. Sponza.

They won't change anything in the end.

I'll handle it myself.

Turns out the guy who came in late at night work

was actually here to steal from me.

I can't just let him walk away like that, can I?

Looks like we need to put on a show.

There is a reason why Martina is so good at acting.

She learned from me.

She's just Korean.

ARMONIA DIRECTOR YUN SEONG-SIK

LUCEIN MANAGER BAEK MI-HA

LORRVENZO TEAM LEADER KANG IN-JA

OHPHIC MANAGER YANG JI-SEON

I like moments like these.

Moments that let us

reinterpret the past.

However hard the work is, if you pull it off

it becomes a good memory.

And if you fail to pull it off, it's something you want to forget.

The past doesn't make the present.

The present makes the past.

THE ORDINARY JACKPOT

Thank you for making the time, sir.

I wanted to know why you asked to see me.

You make me think all sorts of things.

It wasn't something to discuss over the phone.

What's this about?

Do you plan to retire at Hongsung?

What do you want to say?

I'd like you to join me at CGM.

- As what? - A VP or advisor.

Whatever title you want.

- For how much? - I'm thinking 500,000 dollars.

What do you say?

To be honest, you made the right decision to leave.

It's the way a company works.

Competent people fall through the cracks.

Well, I just think the position wasn't right for me.

It's good to see an ex-Hongsunger doing well.

I should do better.

So...

What is CGM up to?

They can't survive in Korea with the current margin.

You think the margin's too small?

Is their priority to take over the market first?

Yes, we're going out on a limb to increase our share first.

There must be something else.

I'm a future coworker. Can't you tell me?

- Mr. Koo. - What?

Will you actually join CGM?

I said I would.

Mr. Koo.

- Does it show? - Terribly.

Darn it.

Acting isn't for everyone.

Actors deserve higher pay.

Let's just drink. This is on me.

Assuming you won't join me

can I ask you something?

Why do you want to remain at Hongsung?

You got it wrong from the start.

How so?

I worked at Hongsung for 30 years.

I was there when the chairman opened his first office

above a corner store.

Would I, of all people, change jobs for money?

What should I have offered instead?

A bigger market, a bigger goal, or a bigger reputation.

You should've offered that.

Would you have joined if I did?

No, I still wouldn't have.

Aren't you the same?

You don't work just for the money.

You're like that

so why did you think I'd be any different?

So are you keeping it confidential even from me?

If I were Jeong Seon-hyuk

the first person I would contact would be you, Mr. Koo.

That Park woman must be psychic.

Subtitles by Jennifer Jean Lim