5- Uninvited guests
#5. gate crasher
As expected, the interior work was completed in a week.
Ji-hyeok and Dong-soo, who had been living in a motel for a while, moved into a temporary building that was expanded with sandwich panels by the president, Nam-cheol, on the advice of Ji-hyeok.
Electricity, running water, and toilets were provided, so it seemed that there was no need to find a separate house for the time being.
Ji-hyeok, who had paid the down payment and spent most of the remaining money on the interior design and didn’t have the money to buy a separate house, could not help but be grateful for the consideration of president Nan-cheol once again.
Ji-hyeok, who was slowly looking around the building that had already been ready for business, said to Dong-su.
“Thank you, Dongsoo. Thanks to that, decorating the shrine was much easier.”
Dong-soo replied scratching the back of his head.
“No, brother. I have to pay for the meal too.”
Dongsu, who grew up in a shrine from a young age, was an expert on the items needed to enshrine the spirits and the table setting at the shrine.
If there were no initiates, I wouldn’t have known where to get them, from the Buddhist image to be hung on the wall of the shrine to small items such as an incense burner.
Dongsu asked.
“Hyung-nim, how much money will you receive?”
“Um… Let’s make it 300,000 won for now. The fast track is 1 million won.”
Dong-soo was surprised and asked back.
“yes? uh…how much?”
“Is it a bit expensive?”
“It’s not cheap, it’s very expensive. 300,000 won is said to be the amount received by those who have made a name for themselves among shamans.”
“Dongsoo, when my older brother was having a hard time due to his new illness, the psychiatrist I met had a basic one-hour consultation fee of $300. Some famous doctors charge $500 or more. And when I looked around Korea, psychiatric counseling was quite expensive.”
“That’s because they are doctors. How much do doctors have to study?”
“Honey, hyung studied more. The work is similar and I studied more, but there is no reason to receive less.”
Although Ji-hyeok naturally realized the virtue of humility after receiving a blessing, he could not stop the expression of his self-esteem that was ingrained in him after living as an American for over 20 years.
In fact, it sounds ridiculous in terms of term, but it was a statement mixed with pride about the academic background of Stanford’s Master of Business Administration.
Dong-soo put on an expression of disbelief, then asked a question with his eyes wide open.
“By the way, bro, did you live in America?”
“It did.”
“Wow, I’ve been eating that godangbap for over 20 years, but I’m seeing someone possessed for the first time in America.”
Jihyeok smiled and said.
“hahahaha, that’s it. I’m probably the only person possessed in America.”
In fact, there are psychic people in the US, but Ji-hyeok had never heard of someone suffering from a new disease like a shaman in Korea.
“Anyway, stop talking about Bokchae and go out and hang your nameplate.”
In Dongsu’s hand was a nameplate engraved with ‘Cheongdam Yeoksulwon’.
Left alone in the shrine, Jihyeok slowly looked around.
The spirits, who had been feeling uncomfortable because they had not received food for several days, were finally making faces of satisfaction.
Jihyeok, who bowed to Sangjesin, who exuded the most energy among them, slowly opened his mouth.
“Spirit, you might be quite bored since you have no intention of showing off your magic. Still, I will tell you many stories through fortune telling and contemplation, so please be satisfied with that.”
There was no answer, but Jihyeok instinctively felt that the spirits had given permission.
Jihyeok, who slowly straightened his back and stood up, once again lowered his head towards Sangjesin and said,
“Then, I will open Cheongdam Station.”
***
About an hour after hanging the nameplate, the first customer arrived.
To be precise, he was more like an uninvited guest than a guest, but he was a person who seemed like he would give a lot of blessings.
“You see the contemplation very well? Then, would you like to guess who I am?”
Jihyeok smiled and said.
“You seem to be in your mid-40s, and the spaciousness of the Jeontaek Palace makes it easy for you to make a living right now.”
“hahahahaha, that’s right. If you have trouble making a living, you can’t come to such an expensive fortune teller.”
“I think you misunderstood the point of the story…”
Jihyeok stopped laughing and opened his mouth again.
“I have a wide forehead, but because it is not straight, I would not have seen the virtues of my parents. Did you get the answer?”
“It’s a crisis… You might think so. But it’s so general that I still don’t believe it.”
“I’m guessing, but let’s get the rhythm right.”
“hahahaha, it looks like you’re finally showing off your skills?”
The uninvited guest said it sarcasticly, but Jihyeok didn’t care.
“When I came in, I noticed that my flanks were spread out and my shoulders and hips were narrower than that. His face is tanned, probably because he often plays golf, but his skin is yellowish from the bottom of his neck… Usually, people with this personality trait are often engaged in the construction industry. However, he is not a contemplative with strong financial fortune, so he would not be the president, but he must be someone who works for an architectural or civil engineering company.”
“…”
“Why are you silent? Am I wrong?”
“Uh… that’s…”
The eyes of the uninvited guest, whose mouth was wide open, were full of astonishment.
“Stop joking around and tell me the exact business.”
“I’m really sorry about this. I’ve met all the fortunetellers who are said to be good while touring the construction boards of Eight Provinces across the country, but I would have thought there would be someone who would even guess the job as soon as I saw them… I am this kind of person.”
The uninvited guest, who seemed about to leave at any moment, gave Ji-hyeok a business card with a kind smile.
– Daeho Construction
– Sales Director
– Kim Pyeong-ho
Jihyeok said.
“I guess you came because of this site.”
“That’s right. I heard that you bought it for 8 billion won…”
“I haven’t paid the balance yet, but I’ve obviously signed a contract for eight billion.”
“As you know, we are in a bit of a predicament when the contract for this site has failed.”
“If that’s the case, shouldn’t I talk to the current owner, Mr. Nam Nam-chul, rather than me?”
Director Kim Pyeong-ho said with a slightly bitter expression.
“It’s because President Ji Nam-cheol is so stubborn that I can’t communicate with him.”
“I think the tricks you used there were too petty to be dismissed as obstinate?”
Director Kim Pyong-ho said while lifting his butt.
“That is a real misunderstanding. Jang Ki-cheol, that nobleman was too greedy. We originally set 8 billion won, but in the middle, we made a foolish joke about eating 1 billion…”
“Isn’t it the construction company that allowed that? With action comes responsibility.”
As Ji-hyeok continued to treat him coldly, Director Kim Pyeong-ho suddenly changed the atmosphere and showed an intimidating attitude.
Originally, I was not particularly surprised by the contemplation of a half-bastard.
“Ehehehe, Master Geo, you’re pushing too hard. So, didn’t I come here to solve it in a good way? yes?”
“So what do you want to do?”
“This building I decided to buy from President Ji Nam-cheol. Let’s just sell it to us.”
“Hmm… You know the terms of the sale are set back two years, right?”
“Sure, hehehe. It takes that much time to design and get permits anyway.”
Jihyuk smiled and said.
“Looks like they’re going to build an apartment. Do you want a luxury villa?”
“Guru, it’s good to be quick-witted, but don’t think about poking here and there. We have already pre-occupied all the surrounding sites, and it is impossible for us to get permission here.”
Only then did Jihyeok guess.
A construction company that wants to build a luxurious villa in Gangnam, Jang Ki-cheol, who wants to make a profit by selling the right land at a cheap price, and a powerful politician or bureaucrat between them.
It must have been a difficult situation in many ways for the construction company that only trusted Jang Ki-cheol and secured the surrounding site.
Jihyeok, who organized his thoughts, asked.
“Well, I’m not going to live here for the rest of my life, and there’s nothing I can’t sell. The important thing is the price… how much would you like?”
“Hey, Master. My position is yes. I’d like to add some, but what kind of power can an office worker have?”
From noble mtl dot com.
“So… you want to take it for eight billion?”
“Our boss told me to get the contract by winning the guru’s throat, that shouldn’t be the case. We are not gangsters, but a construction company listed on the KOSDAQ. I will dry it and dry it again and offer it politely. You know what I mean?”
When Jihyeok pretended to be surprised and frowned, director Kim Pyeong-ho smiled and said,
“Oh, my guru was so scared. That doesn’t mean I’m going to eat it for free, so let’s not look at it that way. For two years, we are going to pay all the monthly rent that the teacher will pay, and we will pay all the registration tax that goes into the transfer of name… How about it? hehehe.”
“If that’s the case, why don’t you just pay the CEO Jeon Nam-cheol a few hundred million more and buy it?”
“Ha… We want to do that too, but the nobleman insists on selling only to the guru unconditionally… Big hum. Well, there were some mistakes on our side, so we kept pushing, you know what I mean?”
“So, would you like to make a deal with me?”
“hahahahaha, it’s good that our guru is so quick to talk.”
“hmm······.”
“Doctor, let’s not worry. Even if you pay rent for 2 years alone, you can get 500 million won.
In fact, from the construction company’s point of view, if they thought that they would take out a bank loan to purchase the site anyway, and instead of paying interest, the only thing they would lose was paying the employment registration tax once more.
It was an embarrassing situation in many ways, but Ji-hyeok, who had no personal connections in Korea, seemed to have no other choice.
“great. I’ll do whatever you want. Instead, please deposit the down payment right away.”
Director Kim Pyung-ho took out the prepared contract from his bag and shook it as if he knew it would happen.
“hahahahaha, that’s right. Now, if you sign the contract here, you go to the lawyer’s office and the money is deposited as soon as it is notarized. okay?”
When Ji-hyeok finished signing the contract with a dirty face, director Kim Pyeong-ho took out his wallet and handed him a check for one million won.
“This is the fortune I saw earlier, hehehe.”
“Bokchae is 30, how can I go against it?”
“Ah, do I look like such a mean person? Keep it. Ah… Jung Then, please take a look at it. Didn’t I say that I was very impressed with your contemplative skills earlier?”
“Well, okay. Call the owner.”
Jihyeok, who heard director Kim Pyung-ho’s injunction, nodded his head left and right.
“Director Kim Pyeong-ho, would you like to use a talisman?”
“Hey, our guru, are you entering the business like that in this scene? Stop the business and let me go for four weeks.”
“Hmm… to put it simply, I just buy the damn thing. In particular, this year, when the superiors in the four weeks met Geomjae and violated the customs, I was lucky with my one-sided personality. In addition, I heard that the official was also a manager… but he said he would not use the amulet, so try to overcome it well.”
Kim Pyung-ho’s face flushed slightly.
“Eh, the goddamn saju? Please don’t use difficult words and explain in a simple way.”
“To put it simply, you would be more angry… I am going to lose my job and go to jail. You seem to have accumulated a lot of karma in the past, but this year, that karma will come back to you.”
“Puhahahahaha, it seems that our guru-nim was quite unfair about handing over the building. You sell drugs like this.”
Jihyuk said with a cold expression.
“Does it sound like a lie? If you feel comfortable thinking that way, do it.”
Before director Kim Pyeong-ho could refute anything, Ji-hyeok raised his voice and called Dong-soo.
“Dongsoo, guests are leaving!”
Director Kim Pyeong-ho, who came out after finishing his errands, felt strange.
If you think rationally, it seems that the guru who was robbed of the contract was acting mean, but at the end, when he asked if it was a lie, the look in his eyes was as if he saw through everything.
‘The owner said he would see it for no reason, so I just lost my mood. Hey, Sea Pearl.’
***
After director Kim Pyeong-ho passed away, Ji-hyeok, who was browsing the public announcements of KOSDAQ-listed companies on his laptop, once again confirmed that his four-week solution was not wrong.
After two hours, the down payment of 800 million was deposited into Jihyeok’s bank account.
Ji-hyeok, who received an 800 million won down payment through an unintentional real estate resale, immediately called an old friend.
“It’s been a while, Samuel.”
– who······? Maybe, Matthew? is it really you
Matthew J. Cohen.
It was Jihyeok’s English name that I hadn’t heard in two years.
The protagonist of the voice over the receiver was his best friend Samuel Bonds, who went to the same school as Ji-hyeok and worked together at Lehman Brothers.
“Yes, it is me.”
– Crazy, @#%@#%!! Where did you disappear to? Why were Maggie & John cut?
“At the time, I was out of my mind. It deserved to be cut.”
– But that’s the case, how much did you earn all this time… Where are you now?
“Look at the calling number.”
– Page 82… Korea?
Like Samuel, who worked as an Asia analyst at Lehman Brothers, he immediately recognized the area code for Korea.
“that’s right.”
– What the fxxx. i am in hong kong now I’ll go to Korea as soon as this work is over, so let’s see each other’s faces. Crazy, I thought you had gone somewhere.
“I was almost dying. Let’s talk about the details when you come to Korea, and you know a hedge fund that is active in Korea, right?”
– A hedge fund? Why are hedge funds all of a sudden?
“Why? I want to do some short selling, but Korea has a lot of restrictions unless you are an institutional investor.”
– If that’s the case, we can do it, so why bother looking for a hole-in-the-wall store? I’ll connect you to the main broker…
“Ah, don’t do that. It’s because the amount is small and I don’t want to be exposed. Please introduce me to a place that is moderately heavy and has a small amount of money.”
– okay. Believe me. I’ll arrange it right away.
“Thank you, Sammy. let’s keep in touch.”
After the phone call, Jihyeok met the eyes of the spirits who were watching him with a very interesting face.
All of them seemed curious about what they were trying to do.
Jihyeok smiled at those spirits and said.
“I will earn some money.”