Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

“I think I need to spend some time around here to get sober before driving to Seoul.”

“Let’s then take a walk till the house over there with a blue roof.”

Gun-Ho and Young-Eun held each other’s hands and started walking.

“Oppa, maybe we should move to this area after we retire.”

“Nah, there are too many bugs here. I got bitten by a mosquito earlier. I hate insects.”

“Oppa, you like being surrounded by nature, don’t you? You told me that you used to go fishing in Pocheon City pretty often.”

“Yeah, I do love fishing.”

“I want to see you fishing.”

“We won’t see the bite during the daytime. Usually evening is good for fishing.”

“Really?”

“There is a nice vacation home close to my favorite fishing site in Pocheon City. It belongs to Chairman Lee who I know very well.”

“A vacation home?”

“Yes, its land itself is 1,000 pyung large, and its floor space is exceeding 200 pyung.”

“He must be very rich.”

“He is. He has several big buildings in Cheongdam Town as well.”

“That’s why he has a vacation home there in that size. Well, don’t you think it’s extravagant to have a vacation home for himself even though he is wealthy enough to afford it? There are so many people who are suffering financially in our country.”

“You are misjudging him. He might have used some unpleasant way to make his money, but he is a very good person now. That vacation home is being used as a facility for disabled people.”

“Really?”

“I believe there are 20 or 30 disabled people living there.”

“If he is using that place for the disabled, doesn’t he get financial support from the government?”

“It seems that he is using solely his personal money to operate that facility.”

“Hmm. I guess he is a respectable person assuming what you said is all true. Running a facility like that costs a substantial amount of money. Food expenses alone must be very high.”

Gun-Ho and Young-Eun continued to walk without saying a word for a while. It felt so warm on that sunny day.

Young-Eun lifted her head and called Gun-Ho.

“Oppa!”

“Yeah?”

“That vacation home in Pocheon City... I want to see it.”

“What for? You will only see a bunch of disabled people there.”

“I want to be of help. I can check up their health. I’m sure there has to be something I can do for them.”

Gun-Ho who was walking ahead of Young-Eun stopped and turned around to see Young-Eun. He then smiled.

“Thank you, Young-Eun. I think I chose the right person to get married to.”

Gun-Ho held Young-Eun’s hand and walked side by side toward the house with a blue roof. The wind felt fresh.

Gun-Ho went to work in GH Mobile.

GH Mobile was doing great. President Jang-Hwan Song led the company in increasing its sales revenue gradually. As a result, its debts were dwindling. GH Mobile was a manufacturing company that produced automobile parts with plastics and synthetic rubbers. Even though there was no rocketing revenue, it was gradually and steadily growing.

Gun-Ho’s office was located on the second floor. He was looking down the factory yard from his office. Some trucks were coming into the yard while other trucks were going out.

‘I like the fact that our executive officers here are all young, compared to other companies in the industry. President Song and the research center’s chief officer are in their 50s. Our accounting director and general affairs director are in their late 40s. Jong-Suk Park— the production director— is in his late 30s. I guess this company can go on with the same executive officers for at least ten years.’

Gun-Ho quietly walked out of GH Mobile and headed to Dyeon Korea in Asan City, with Chan-Ho Eum.

Director Kim was not in his office. Gun-Ho was told that he went to see a client. Director Yoon was not in his office either; he went to the construction site for retaining wall.

“A retaining wall construction site?”

Gun-Ho made a call to Director Yoon.

“Mr. Director Yoon, where are you?”

“I’m in the construction site where the retaining wall is.”

“Retaining wall?”

“Since it has been raining a lot lately, the southern part of the retaining wall collapsed a bit. It’s not a big deal though. The construction crew is on the site, and they are working on it right now. I will get back to the office soon.”

“I see.”

Mr. Adam Castler came to Gun-Ho’s office, accompanied by an interpreter who was not Interpreter Lee but the new hire from the trading department. He was a smart-looking young man.

“Mr. Lee is not coming to Dyeon Korea any longer?”

“He will be here this afternoon. He will pick up his stuff here in the afternoon, and then he will go back to his home in Seoul. He said that he wanted to see you before leaving.”

“Oh, I see.”

“I asked the accountant to issue him 5 million won for now. He will need living expenses for the first and maybe second months in India. We completed the currency exchange as well through the Korean Foreign Exchange Bank.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Secretary Seon-Hye Yee brought three cups of green tea to Gun-Ho’s office. While sipping his tea, Gun-Ho said to the interpreter, “How long have you been with us?”

“It has been nine months, sir.”

“You seem to speak English very well. What was your name? Director Kim told me your name, and I forgot.”

“It’s Myeong-Joon Chae, sir.”

“Hmm, your last name is Chae, huh? It’s one of the rare family names. Where did you learn your English?”

“I actually studied abroad.”

Myeong-Joon Chae was nervous, and his face was hardened at first. He later seemed to feel better as Gun-Ho was talking to him with a smile. He turned out to be a very good interpreter.

“You sometimes would have to do the interpretation work after hours. Since you were hired as part of management rather than production, you wouldn’t get paid for those extra hours.”

“I’m well aware of it, sir. I will do my best.”

Gun-Ho was wondering how old he was, but he didn’t ask him. He seemed to be five years younger than Gun-Ho.

Gun-Ho directly asked Mr. Adam Castler with his simple English, “How is your new interpreter?”

“Oh, he is the best interpreter!”

As he responded, Mr. Adam Castler raised his thumb. Gun-Ho laughed out loud, and Myeong-Joon Chae scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Mr. Adam Castler opened his note and said, “I have one more thing that I want to report to you, sir.”

“What is it?”

“We sent 50 tons of raw materials to Dyeon Korea’s company in China.”

“Really?”

“And, the overseas president— Ms. Dingding— sent us the tax invoices issued by the company in China to us via email.”

Mr. Adam Castler showed a copy of the tax invoices to Gun-Ho.

“All we have to do from now on is making money, huh?”