The Story
The basement was dim, the air heavy with the hum of old fluorescent lights. A makeshift table of stacked crates sat at the center, covered in papers.
The Vine arrived.
Jae Won settled in first, three-piece suit crisp, smirk sharp. Hwa Jin leaned lazily against a pillar, satin sleeves catching the light, expression unreadable. Sae Ri walked steady and composed, her heels clicking with purpose. Ji Hoon followed last, calm in his loose abstract shirt, eyes observant though his smile remained gentle.
The older businessmen were already tense.
“You’re late,” one snapped.
Jae Won tilted his head. “We came exactly when it mattered. You just noticed late.”
The talks escalated. Numbers were thrown across the table. Voices rose. Finally, a fist slammed down.
“This is non-negotiable. If we lose this percentage, we lose our margin!”
Jae Won’s smirk deepened. “If that’s all it takes to break you, maybe the problem isn’t the deal.”
The man bristled, ready to fire back — but Ji Hoon leaned forward, voice soft but clear.
“May I show you something?”
He flipped a file around, pointing at a clause.
“You’re looking at this figure as if it’s the whole picture. But here — see this line? It already reduces your operating costs by two percent. That means if you adjust the number you’re fighting over, your margin — your profit cushion — stays intact. You don’t lose anything. You just didn’t see it.”
The men bent closer, whispering. One finally admitted, “…He’s right.”
Ji Hoon smiled faintly, reassuring, not boastful.
“No one has to lose here. The numbers already work in your favor.”
Hwa Jin’s low chuckle broke the silence.
“Interesting, isn’t it? The quiet one turns out to be the only one reading properly.”
Sae Ri let out a steadying breath. The deal bent, reshaped — The Vine walked away in control.
📌 Management Box: Ji Hoon’s Lesson
What is “margin”?
- Margin is the gap between earnings (revenue) and costs (expenses).
- Think of it as your “safety cushion” — how much profit you actually keep.
Why did the clients panic?
- They thought lowering the deal percentage = shrinking their profit margin.
- In their minds: smaller price = smaller profit.
What Ji Hoon noticed:
- The contract already had a clause reducing costs by 2%.
- That hidden saving protected the margin, even if the figure they argued over changed.
👉 Lesson: Don’t fixate on one number. Smart negotiators look at the entire structure of a deal. The solution is often hidden in the details everyone else ignores.
The Vine’s Takeaway
“Strength isn’t in raising your voice. It’s in being heard when you speak softly.” – Ji Hoon