Deadlines, Deceptions, and a Bicycle Gambit

Episode 5 of The Art of Negotiation opens with a crisis and doesn’t let up. A damaging article hits the press, exposing Sanin Group’s M&A plans and triggering a stock market meltdown. Sanin’s stock dives to 99—a dangerous number, because if it stays under 100 for 20 consecutive business days, SAMOEL gains the legal right to stage a hostile takeover.

The WIND Factor

Trying to plug the leak, Director Lee Dong-ju meets with the journalist behind the article, pitching WIND—a Sanin subsidiary—as a future success story that’s on the verge of going public. The journalist isn’t buying it. She refuses to retract the story.

Meanwhile, Joo-no and his M&A team hit panic mode. They need to reverse the stock slide—fast. The plan? List WIND on the market within 20 days and push the stock price back up. Simple idea, near-impossible timeline.

CEO Song Jae-sik is furious. He grills Dong-ju and the leisure division for the mess, and even floats killing off WIND entirely. But when he brings the issue to Joo-no, the response is pure confidence. Joo-no says he can pull it off—and get WIND listed in time.

Luxury Bikes and a High-Stakes Pivot

Turns out, WIND isn’t just a side project. It’s a high-end carbon bicycle manufacturer that had its momentum crushed by the pandemic. Joo-no sees a new angle: pivot the product line to serve athletes and pro cyclists by lowering costs without sacrificing quality. That means mass production—and to do that, they need top-tier parts.

Enter SHIMIZ, a Japanese parts manufacturer. The team heads to Japan to negotiate a deal. Everything hinges on securing a discount to make the bikes affordable at scale.

Loose Lips, Tight Deadlines

But things take a turn. During a casual chat, Jin-su accidentally reveals their return date, unknowingly tipping SHIMIZ off to Sanin’s tight deadline. The next day, SHIMIZ stands its ground in negotiations, refusing to offer the discount.

Still, it’s clear something’s up. SHIMIZ hasn’t walked away—which means they need the deal too. The M&A team starts digging. They learn SHIMIZ’s negotiation leader is gunning for a transfer to Tokyo, while a senior exec is stealing credit for the youngest team member’s work to boost his own career. There’s internal friction, and Sanin can use it.

To correct the earlier blunder, the M&A team stages a dramatic dressing-down of Jin-su right in front of SHIMIZ staff, signaling that they’re cracking under pressure. It’s a bluff—meant to play on SHIMIZ’s assumptions.

The Standoff

In the next round of talks, SHIMIZ still refuses to lower the price. Joo-no admits they gave SHIMIZ leverage by revealing their deadline—but he’s not out of moves. If SHIMIZ hasn’t shut the deal down, then they must be under their own deadline too.

The episode ends with both sides staring each other down, deadlocked but not done. Joo-no quietly starts working on his next move—because in this game, whoever blinks first, loses.

Secrets, Setbacks, and a Make-or-Break Deal

Episode 6 of The Art of Negotiation picks up right where we left off—at the brink of collapse. Joo-no's negotiation with SHIMIZ has hit a wall, and the team is scrambling to salvage the WIND deal before Sanin’s stock situation spirals further out of control.

Charm, Confessions, and an Unexpected Ally

With the clock ticking, Joo-no sends Choi Jin-soo to gather intel the old-fashioned way—by bonding with SHIMIZ's youngest team member, Hirose. Their casual conversation pays off when Hirose, feeling guilty over Jin-soo’s earlier scolding, opens up about internal conflicts within SHIMIZ, especially surrounding a senior figure, Yoshida.

Joo-no seizes the opening. He meets with Yoshida and quickly strikes a deal for a 50% discount on the gear order. But just as the ink is about to hit the paper, project manager Naito pulls the plug—all because he discovers that Park Rae-gyeong, now CEO of WIND, was once involved in a controversial acquisition of Naito’s family company, Daechi.

Despite the discount and even paying a 20% advance for over 10,000 gears, Joo-no walks away empty-handed.

A Legacy Misunderstood

Determined to fix the mess, Joo-no tries to meet with Naito again but gets stonewalled. So, he flies to South Korea to dig up the full story behind Daechi and WIND. Through Park Rae-gyeong, he learns that the tension stems from a misunderstood slogan tied to Daechi’s legacy. What Naito saw as a mockery was actually a heartfelt tribute.

Joo-no returns to Japan with a photo from the past and a handwritten letter from Park Rae-gyeong explaining everything. He makes his case to Naito, clarifying that WIND no longer uses Daechi’s designs and strives to build its own path. The sincerity pays off.

The Deal is Back On

With the misunderstanding cleared, SHIMIZ and WIND finally sign the contract—just in time. But there’s little time to celebrate.

Another Bombshell

Just as the dust settles, a new problem explodes. Lee Dong-joon discovers that Chairman Song Jae-shik secretly took out a loan using his Sanin shares as collateral—potentially putting the entire company in jeopardy. Even worse, Song tried to bury it by funneling it through his secretary’s office.

The chairman’s team, rattled by the fallout, breaks protocol and tips off Lee Dong-joon, who immediately contacts Joo-no.

One Crisis Down, Another Rising

The episode ends with Sanin finally sealing the SHIMIZ deal, only to be hit with a fresh storm brewing behind closed doors. Joo-no may have saved WIND—but the real power struggle is only just beginning.

DramaZen's Opinion

Pressure, Politics, and Perfect Pacing

Episodes 5 and 6 of The Art of Negotiation are a masterclass in slow-burn tension and razor-sharp strategy. What starts with a PR crisis and stock freefall turns into a gripping back-and-forth between cultural missteps, personal guilt, and power plays.

Episode 5 puts the pressure on with the WIND listing deadline and a ticking stock price. Watching Joo-no navigate the SHIMIZ negotiations—with Jin-su accidentally tipping their hand and the team scrambling to recover—was edge-of-your-seat stuff. The staged scolding, the sightseeing intel-gathering—it all felt believable and smart.

Then episode 6 shifts gears and adds emotional weight. The whole Daechi backstory and Park Rae-gyeong’s misunderstood tribute added unexpected depth. It’s rare for a corporate drama to take time exploring legacy, grief, and pride without dragging the pace, but this show does it seamlessly.

The final twist—Chairman Song’s secret loan—was the perfect cap. Just as one fire’s put out, another ignites. Classic Negotiation.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Clever, emotional, and constantly evolving. This drama knows how to raise the stakes without losing its soul.