Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 304

304

“…… Kim Hyun-sung?”

“No, how do you know my name?”

“I saw you on TV last year.”

“No, but still, how……”

It was hard for Hyun-sung to understand. Of course, you might see someone on TV by chance. But to remember someone you saw once, even their name, is not easy at all.

Park Young-jin continued.

“It’s because of your name.”

“My name?”

“That’s right. One of my close friends has the same name as you. So, when you appeared on TV last year, I remembered you right away.”

“Ah, I see. Then……”

Hyun-sung finally understood the situation.

Park Young-jin spoke again.

“It’s amazing to meet someone who was on TV in person like this. Anyway, how could you think of such a thing at that age?”

“I’m sorry, but about that now……”

“Oh, right! Look at my mind. This isn’t the time for that. Mr. Shin’s business comes first. I was just curious and made a mistake.”

Park Young-jin quickly turned back to Shin Mi-sook and continued.

“I’m sorry. I was just for a moment……, I’ll finish what I was saying earlier. Another person has appeared, and I need to ask what you want to do and give them an answer too……”

“Really? Well, I haven’t decided anything yet, so I don’t know what to do. Can’t I talk it over with our Mr. Kim?”

“Talk it over? There’s no place like that in this neighborhood, what’s there to talk over? Don’t do that……”

“Mr. President!”

Park Young-jin was startled. Hyun-sung had interrupted him.

“Huh? Yes, what’s wrong?”

“Do whatever you want about that issue.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I mean, if someone else has shown up, you should sign the contract with them. Our Mr. Shin doesn’t want to be rushed into signing a contract.”

“No, what is……”

Park Young-jin was speechless for a moment.

In fact, the claim that another person had appeared was a complete lie. It was just a scheme he had created to get the contract signed quickly.

Of course, this method wouldn’t work on someone with a lot of experience. But it was a perfect method to use on someone who was inexperienced and trying to start a business for the first time.

Moreover, since the person they brought to help was a young student, he thought there was no need to hesitate.

But suddenly, Hyun-sung told him to do as he pleased, so Park Young-jin couldn’t help but be taken aback.

Hyun-sung continued.

“Did another person really show up?”

“Of course. Why else would I say that? I’m not the kind of person who plays around with things like that in the middle.”

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh.

It was obvious that he was playing around in the middle, but Park Young-jin’s insistence on lying was just amusing.

Hyun-sung changed his expression and said.

“I have a question.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“You said earlier that the snack bar was a good deal, right?”

“I did. I think those conditions are perfect for Ms. Shin here.”

Park Young-jin was confident.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“Really? Then could you explain why?”

“Isn’t it cheap if the key money [a lump sum payment to secure a lease] is that much in such a commercial district? That’s the biggest reason.”

“Could you briefly explain how key money is calculated?”

“Of course. Key money is usually calculated as the sum of the net profit for one year.”

“More precisely, it is evaluated based on the sum of the net profit for one year and the location conditions, taking into account the size of the store and facility costs, right?”

“Oh? That’s right. You know exactly.”

Park Young-jin glanced at Hyun-sung with a surprised expression when Hyun-sung accurately stated the definition of key money.

Then Hyun-sung asked again.

“I understand that the key money requested by the snack bar is one million won [approximately $750 USD], is that correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Does that mean that the 1 million won includes not only the net profit for one year but also the location conditions, store size, and facility costs?”

“Oh? That’s…… right.”

As Hyun-sung questioned him one by one, Park Young-jin’s voice trembled, unlike before.

Hyun-sung’s question continued.

“So, in the end, the net profit for one year is less than 1 million won, right?”

“That’s……”

“Why? Am I wrong?”

“No, that’s not it……”

Park Young-jin was in a difficult position. The reason he initially said that the snack bar’s conditions were good was because the key money was cheap. But when you think about it, that means the profit is low.

The reason he emphasized that the key money was cheap was simple. It was because Shin Mi-sook, the party to the transaction, was inexperienced and starting a business for the first time.

If he said that, most people starting a business for the first time would not think that the profit was low and would only think that the key money was cheap, so that’s what he did.

But there was a problem.

It was the young man Shin Mi-sook brought with her. He thought he wouldn’t know, but he found the weakness like a ghost.

When Park Young-jin couldn’t speak properly, Hyun-sung spoke again.

“This time, it’s about the monthly rent.”

“Monthly rent?”

“50,000 won [approximately $38 USD] for 7 *pyeong* [approximately 231 square feet], what do you think?”

“That’s not something I should be involved in. I’m in the middle……”

“Mr. President!”

Hyun-sung interrupted Park Young-jin’s words. He already knew what he was going to say without having to listen to the next words.

Park Young-jin’s expression couldn’t have been good.

But Hyun-sung continued to say what he had to say, as if he didn’t care about Park Young-jin’s expression.

“Mr. President, isn’t that what I’m asking you? I’m not asking you to get involved, but I’m asking for your opinion, right? Is it appropriate to pay 50,000 won for monthly rent for 7 *pyeong* in this commercial district?”

“Isn’t it because it’s worth paying that much that it’s been set like that?”

“Are you saying it’s appropriate?”

“I think……, and it’s not like the business isn’t doing well.”

Park Young-jin’s voice wasn’t strong, but he didn’t admit the unfairness of the monthly rent.

Then Hyun-sung said immediately.

“Business? You said it well. Then this time, I’ll ask you about monthly sales. You said that it’s over 500,000 won [approximately $375 USD] when it’s good, and over 300,000 won [approximately $225 USD] even when it’s not, is that true?”

“That’s what I know.”

“Could you explain exactly what you mean by ‘know’?”

“That’s what I heard from the snack bar owner.”

“Does ‘heard’ mean you didn’t check it yourself?”

“That’s right. I can’t check that far.”

That’s natural. It’s realistically difficult for a broker to check that part. But what Hyun-sung wanted to say was different.

“So that information hasn’t been verified, right?”

“Well, you could say that.”

“Then unverified information has no value as information, right?”

“That’s……”

Park Young-jin couldn’t continue speaking. The reason was that he knew too well what this kid would say next.

But the problem was that even though he knew what the next question was, there was no way to avoid it.

As expected, Hyun-sung opened his mouth immediately.

“Why did you do that?”

“Huh? ……

Park Young-jin couldn’t help but be surprised for a moment. It wasn’t the question he had expected, but a question that skipped several steps came right in.

Accusation of responsibility.

The kid skipped the intermediate questions and immediately asked about his mistake. But even if the order was changed, there was no clever move.

It was his mistake from the beginning anyway.

His fault for using information that he knew had no value as information. He had no choice but to admit it.

But the problem was that he couldn’t think of how to finish it off.

As Park Young-jin’s thoughts lengthened, Hyun-sung, who was watching him, opened his mouth first.

“Are you in a special relationship with the client?”

“Huh? Why are you suddenly saying that?”

“I can’t understand it no matter how much I think about it. How could you try to make such a ridiculous deal? A store with a net profit of less than 1 million won a year says that monthly sales are 500,000 won, and the monthly rent is 50,000 won. Even if our Mr. Shin is inexperienced, isn’t this too much?”

Hyun-sung became more and more angry as he thought about it.

This is nothing but fraud.

If he had just told Shin Mi-sook objective information, such as how much the key money was and how much the monthly rent was, and left the choice entirely to Shin Mi-sook, there would have been no problem.

But Park Young-jin didn’t do that.

Selfishness (私心) [private intentions; ulterior motives].

The problem is that he had personal greed as a broker.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“Was it because of the money?”

“That’s not it. Actually……”

Park Young-jin had no choice but to admit it. In fact, he had no choice but to have personal feelings because of his special relationship with the snack bar owner.

The snack bar owner had settled here five years ago.

Back then, this place was a central commercial district, and business was good. It was such a popular place that people gave 3 million won [approximately $2250 USD] just for the key money.

But the problem was that the development of the land near the school’s main gate started three years ago, and the commercial district moved there a year ago, so this side started to die completely. That’s why he had no choice but to lie in order to dispose of this store.

When Park Young-jin’s explanation was over, Shin Mi-sook was the first to react.

“Mr. President, is that true?”

“I’m sorry. I have nothing to say even if I have ten mouths [idiom for being utterly speechless and regretful]. I was so close to him that I……”

“Huh! Really, this is what……”

Shin Mi-sook looked at Park Young-jin with a dumbfounded expression.

Then Park Young-jin got up from his seat and bowed to Shin Mi-sook.

“I’m sorry. I must have been crazy for a moment. I committed an act that I shouldn’t have done as a broker.”

“No, if I hadn’t brought our Mr. Kim, I would have been completely scammed. How could you do this?”

“I’m sorry. That’s all I can say……”

Park Young-jin bowed to Shin Mi-sook once more. After that, Park Young-jin bowed several more times and asked Shin Mi-sook for forgiveness.

In the end, it was concluded with a promise not to do that again and a pledge to find a proper commercial building this time.

A little later.

Shin Mi-sook looked at Hyun-sung and said.

“Mr. Kim, you’re really amazing.”

“You’re welcome……”

“No. Everything you said was right. The monthly sales and even the fact that the commercial district would have moved were exactly right.”

“……”

Hyun-sung had nothing special to say. It was a situation that anyone with a little experience could have inferred, so Hyun-sung didn’t think much of it.

But that seemed to be only Hyun-sung’s thought.

Park Young-jin, who was listening to the conversation between the two, looked at Shin Mi-sook and asked.

“No, what do you mean? You knew the commercial district had moved……”

“Our Mr. Kim said that this neighborhood used to be the central commercial district.”

“No, how did you know that even though you’re not from this neighborhood?”

“Monthly rent.”

“Monthly rent?”

“Yes, he said that there must have been a reason why it was 50,000 won for 7 *pyeong*.”

“The reason is that this neighborhood used to be the central commercial district, so you thought that?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Park Young-jin nodded and asked again.

“Then what about the commercial district moving?”

“That’s the key money.”

“Ah, so the fact that the key money is 1 million won means that the net profit is that low, so you analyzed that it’s definitely not the old commercial district. In the end, you perfectly analyzed the movement of the commercial district with just these two pieces of information, monthly rent and key money? Is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s right. That’s why our president is amazing.”

“Haha, I was showing off in front of an expert.”

Park Young-jin bowed to Hyun-sung.

Then Hyun-sung looked at Park Young-jin and opened his mouth.

“Are you two lovers?”