“(Hmm. I don’t know.)”
Della Foster smiled mischievously.
“(I’m not sure yet. What do you think of Mr. Jaegu?)”
“(When I’m next to you, I think I should do well.)”
I wondered if it was too sudden, but I wanted to say this. Brayden Harper hangs around her because he likes her.
“(Then please be nice to me too.)”
“(You’ll do it well. I also shot a music video.)”
“(Ah, that’s not the case. It’s cold. Why don’t we go on a trip to Bali together?)”
Travel with Della Foster. They seemed to be happy if Elisha was invited as well. Elisa was a Della Foster fan.
“(Aren’t you busy preparing for the release of a new song?)”
“(That’s the problem. I don’t have time to rest for months after releasing a new song. So I have to play now. Do you have time next weekend?)”
It was a lot of time. Reports could be received from far away, and most data could be retrieved with just one mobile phone.
“(I can’t play with my child these days. Can I bring the child with me?)”
“(Sure.)”
“(May I bring my acquaintances too?)”
Della Foster paused with her mouth open. Bringing in too many unscheduled people would have been embarrassing.
“(I’ll book the hotel myself.)”
“(Ah. Of course. Of course. The more people there are, the more fun it will be, so bring them.)”
“(really?)”
“(yes yes.)”
“(Is Mr. Harper coming too?)”
“(Sure. I was going to invite you anyway.)”
She smiled coolly and nodded her head. What a fun time in Southeast Asia. It looked like an opportunity for Brayden Harper.
“(It will be an interesting trip.)”
“(Sure.)”
I thought I should organize as much work as possible before going out to play.
“(When should I issue the ticket?)”
“(I have my private plane, so you can ride it.)”
After all, superstars are different.
***
Upon returning home, I happily called Elisa.
{(Jaegu. Good evening.)}
Her voice over the phone tickled my ears. Objectively, it wasn’t as attractive as Della Foster’s voice, but it was the best voice for me.
I thought it would be nice if I didn’t say anything and just listened to her voice.
{(What did you call about? Are you from New York?)}
“(hahahaha. It’s a ghost.)”
{(A ghost? A ghost came out of the house?)}
“(It’s not like that, but I got it right.)”
{(If you had contacted me before coming, I would have picked you up at the airport.)}
“(Miss Elisa is busy, how can you do that?)”
I heard her laugh.
{(What’s the matter? Surely it’s not a date request?)}
“(That’s natural. Do you have time next weekend?)”
{(Is it on the weekend? If Mr. Jaegu asks to see you, you have to make time even if he doesn’t have it.)}
“(Do you want to go on a trip?)”
{(Are you at that stage already?)}
“(No. That’s not it…)”
{(great.)}
It was a more straightforward answer than I expected.
{(Where are you going?)}
“(Mr. Della Foster asked us to go on a trip to Bali as a group, so I thought it would be nice to go together.)”
{(Kyaaa!! Della Foster?)}
Her cheers made me feel better too.
“(yes.)”
{(Okay. I want to go.)}
“(Ha-yeon will go with you, is it okay?)”
{(Oh, it’s better.)}
I was very grateful for that. She might not like it if she said she was taking the child, but Elisa was a very broad-minded woman who understood even the child.
‘Never miss it.’
When will I be able to meet such a wonderful woman again?
{(If Ha-yeon goes with you, you won’t be able to wear a swimsuit that’s too cool.)}
“(Cool swimsuit…)”
Imagining Elisa in a micro bikini made her face heat up.
{(Ahahahaha. Don’t worry. I’ll prepare a wholesome swimsuit.)}
It was a little disappointing.
***
There were two big things to do in America. One was meeting and talking with Della Foster, and the other was meeting Alec Carver.
While he was busy expanding his business, he made time for an appointment. Thanks to that, the location was around Minneapolis, and we were able to meet at 8:00.
We had a meeting at a hotel restaurant that we had hastily booked. We arrived 10 minutes earlier, sipped wine and looked around.
Alec Carver came in on time and at a quick pace.
“(I am sorry for being late.)”
“(It’s on time.)”
“(I’m crazy busy these days.)”
It seemed like giving a busy person a job, but since the land was purchased, it seemed like we should talk.
“(I’m going to start farming Korean pears, which we talked about last time.)”
“(Ah. That’s true. I ate a pear imported from Korea a while ago. It was very sweet and tasty. It was particularly juicy.)”
“(It’s still awkward, but I think it’s a fruit that will become very popular once you get used to it.)”
“(I agree.)”
“(I made this place by securing land suitable for pear farming.)”
“(Have you secured the land?)”
“(yes.)”
“(Please elaborate.)”
What are you up to here?
Regarding pear farming, I sought advice from a professor of agriculture. Considering the growth conditions of pears and the recent rise in temperature, it was possible to grow pears.
‘Even when I was young, it wasn’t as sweet as Naju pears, but I harvested enough pears to eat.’
It was clear that if they got advice from experts and started farming in earnest, they would be able to harvest higher quality pears.
When we talked about land acquisition and expert opinion, Alec Carver showed interest.
“(As expected, this is Mr. Kim. You’re talking about an appealing story.)”
“(How is it?)”
“(What would you like Mr. Kim to do?)”
Alec Carver smiled and sliced the steak casually. What do you want me to do… By producing and exporting a large number of pears, we contributed to the agricultural development of our country…
‘ah. There is no corner for the Carver Company to enter.’
The biggest investment, land purchase, has also been completed. It was a land that had no problem with pear farming because it had already been approved before.
Experts were also in Korea.
‘But the market is in America.’
Delivering to the various distribution industries related to the Carver Company was difficult without his help. Moreover, when it comes to plantations, the Carver Company was an expert.
“(According to what you said, I think the part that Carver will cooperate with is the transfer of know-how for farm management and market development, is that correct?)”
“(Yes. I am looking forward to pioneering a market to sell Korean boats overseas.)”
“(Certainly, the demand for Korean pears is still low.)”
“(Still, galbi became famous under the influence of K-POP. Grated pears are also used when making galbi.)”
“(Is that so?)”
“(Yes. If you put a pear in, it will act as a tenderizer…)”
He explained many things about the use of Korean pears. It’s delicious on its own, but the merit is that it goes into various dishes.
In particular, the compatibility between raw meat and pear was excellent.
“(Yukhoe seems to have heard the story from Elisa. They said the fruit was chewy and edible, but the seasoning was a little…)”
“(Korean sesame oil is still an unfamiliar spice to foreigners.)”
“(It’s not that, it’s similar to the smell of skunk farts.)”
“(Skunk fart smell?)”
“(yes.)”
Alec Carver smiled shyly.
“(There are quite a few skunks in America, so I’d rather not use that seasoning.)”
It was a shame that we couldn’t promote the smell of sesame oil, which was so savory and delicious, to foreigners. However, I thought that I had no choice but to accept sesame oil just as I couldn’t recommend to eat durian.
“(I think it would be nice to change the seasoning a little. Among French cuisine, there is a dish called steak tartare, so you won’t be offended.)”
It was nice to see a brother-sister relationship.
The smell of skunk farts was shocking, but I was satisfied just to hear about the potential of the market.
While talking, the new meal turned into dessert. After choosing one of our favorites from among the colorful desserts, a beautifully displayed plate was placed in front of us.
Now it was time to wrap up the story.
“(Then would you like to think about collaboration?)”
“(Okay, of course.)”
He answered without thinking for a second. The answer was so quick that it sounded like a joke.
“(You’re not kidding, right?)”
“(Since the story of pear farming came out, I’ve been researching the market. As a result of tasting it with several chefs, I decided that it is a fruit that has an entry barrier, but if it gains recognition, it will be quite popular.)”
Did you do your research beforehand? Global conglomerates are also different.
“(Our Carver Company also has a distribution line, so we decided that synergy would come from collaboration. We have secured a few customers who will do business with us as long as the quality is guaranteed.)”
“(You’re fast.)”
“(I’ll need to discuss the details, but I’d love to work with Mr. Kim.)”
There was no way a busy person would come to such a position when his purpose was not clear. He came because he had already made up his mind.
“(Did you say you needed help with plantation farming? Our Carver Company has an optimal orchard management system based on the experience of managing several orchards.)”
“(Don’t you have experience in Korea?)”
“(All you have to do is hire an expert. This is what I want to ask.)”
While he was eating dessert, he put down his fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Judging by the look on his face, it seemed that he was about to say something important.
“(Ownership of the farm belongs to Mr. Kim. Please decide whether to hand over the management of the farm to us and receive rent, or whether to use our services and distribution services while running the farm.)”
If he was only thinking of renting the land, there would be no reason to come to this place. But I didn’t want to run the farm with 100% responsibility. Most of the procedures will be rolled as suggested by the Carver Company.
So, this was a negotiation.
“(How about equity investment?)”
Alec Carver’s expression brightened.
“(Thank you in advance for suggesting. Let’s meet again soon with your proposals.)”
“(Soon?)”
“(I want to see the land and decide.)”
Those words built up more trust in Alec Carver. I felt the will to see and invest in even a small orchard in a land far from the United States.
“(Yes. Set a date.)”
***
Hwang Yong-nam was so stressed that he wanted to tear his hair out. It was because he received a mission to unilaterally extract information about the alliance from the Taesan Group without knowing the details.
Lim Cheol-hyun broke the promise on the date they were supposed to meet again, and thanks to that, he became like a dog chasing chickens.
‘But I can’t sit still and wait.’
If a man draws his sword, he must also cut the radish. It was the judgment that he, who was respected by numerous subordinates, could not sit down here.
Of course, it was his idea to be respected.
He was waiting for him in the parking lot of Lim Cheol-hyeon’s apartment. I was able to do that thanks to the security and face-to-face revealing my identity.
‘Suddenly busy and can’t answer the phone?’
After the first meeting, the call kept going to missed. And the message that came back was that I couldn’t answer the phone because I was busy, so I wanted to leave a business.
It felt bad to be ignored outright, but digging up information was a priority now.
Woo woo.
I noticed Cheolhyun Lim’s car pulling into the parking lot of the apartment, and his car started moving. Lim Cheol-hyeon’s secretary parked and when he got out of the car, Hwang Yong-nam pulled up in front of him.
“Hey. I’m here for a drink because you seem too busy.”
With a glass of wine in one hand, he smiled and got out of the car. Lim Cheol-hyun’s expression hardened for a moment, but it quickly relaxed.
“Senior. What are you doing up to here?”
“I came to see you personally because our junior Lim seems to be too busy. I have something to say.”
“I’m so tired today, I think I should go in and rest.”
“Lim junior. Why is this so sad? The senior even bought a drink, so how can I subtract this from here? I’ve been waiting for how long I missed my junior.”
‘It’s probably about Kim Jae-gu, not me.’
Lim Cheol-hyun did not have the information he wanted. And I had no intention of finding out about it. Because I couldn’t sell my son’s friend and benefactor.
He too had pride.
When Lim Cheol-hyeon didn’t say anything, Hwang Yong-nam smiled and opened his mouth.
“Are you going to stay like this all night? I’m sorry, senior, but can you guide me home?”
“Let’s talk at the stall in front of the house.”
“Can we talk outside?”
“My house is messy because I didn’t clean it.”