Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 728

731

Returning as a Building Owner

“Are you perhaps talking about the former chairman?”

“Yes, I see my father’s name here.”

Shin Min-ki nodded.

Of course, he knew his father was close to Hyun-sung. But he had no idea when, how, or why they became close.

It was always a question he had: How his father had become connected with Hyun-sung in that rural village.

“How did Father even go down to that village?”

“He saw him on TV.”

“TV?”

“Yes, one day he was watching TV and Kim Sa-jang appeared, and he went all the way to that village after seeing him.”

Shin Min-ki tilted his head and immediately asked,

“Kim Sa-jang was on TV?”

“Yes, that’s right. Do you know a program called ‘Nationwide Gourmet Tour’?”

“Well, I don’t watch TV much…”

“Ah, I see. It’s a program that airs in the evening, introducing famous restaurants around the country.”

“So, you’re saying that Kim Sa-jang’s ramen shop was featured on that gourmet program?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Shin Min-ki frowned.

It was definitely called a gourmet tour program. He couldn’t understand why such a program would visit a ramen shop, not just a regular restaurant.

“Secretary Yoon, doesn’t it seem strange that a gourmet tour program would visit a ramen shop, not just any restaurant?”

“I thought it was a bit odd too. But the important thing is that, for some reason, the broadcasting station filmed Kim Sa-jang’s ramen shop.”

“I guess so…”

Shin Min-ki had no choice but to nod. Whatever the reason, the decision was made by the broadcasting station, so he didn’t think it was his place to argue.

“So, the chairman watched that program and went all the way from Seoul to that village?”

“Yes, that’s right. And there was a good reason for it.”

“Reason?”

“Yes, Kim Sa-jang wasn’t just selling Shin Ramen [a popular brand of instant noodles], but he was using Shin Ramen to make hangover ramen. At that time, you had to wait in line for at least 30 minutes to eat that hangover ramen. That scene was broadcast on TV as it was.”

“And the chairman saw that and went down?”

“Yes, that’s right. As you know, the former chairman was a gourmet, wasn’t he?”

Shin Min-ki nodded.

That was true. His father was the type of person who would go anywhere, anytime, for delicious food.

“Yes, Secretary Yoon is right. Even though it’s just ramen, if he was hooked on it, he would have gone down there.”

“He said it was because of the taste, but also because of the Shin Ramen.”

“Shin Ramen?”

“Yes, since the main ingredient of the hangover ramen was Shin Ramen, he became even more interested.”

“Hmm, that could be.”

Shin Min-ki nodded once again.

It was probably natural for him to be more interested since the ingredient in the gourmet program was the ramen he had launched himself.

“So, did he become friends with Kim Sa-jang after that?”

“That’s not it. There was another reason why the chairman became friends with Kim Sa-jang.”

“Really? What is it?”

Shin Min-ki’s eyes sparkled. He naturally thought they had become friends after he went to eat ramen, but since there was another reason, Shin Min-ki couldn’t help but be interested.

“The chairman went back to the village a few days after eating the ramen.”

“Again? Why?”

“That’s strange.”

“Strange?”

“It’s not just strange, it’s absurd.”

Shin Min-ki’s expression was different from before.

“Absurd?”

“Yes, that’s right. The reason why the chairman looked for Kim Sa-jang again is…”

Yoon Seung-hyun stopped talking and looked at Chairman Shin Min-ki. Then Shin Min-ki immediately asked,

“What is it? Why are you stopping in the middle of your sentence?”

“That’s…”

Yoon Seung-hyun couldn’t continue speaking for some reason. Then Shin Min-ki frowned and said,

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Well, that’s… it was for treatment purposes.”

Yoon Seung-hyun answered with difficulty. Then Shin Min-ki immediately reacted.

“What? Treatment?”

Shin Min-ki couldn’t believe his ears.

Treatment?

What on earth does this mean?

Shin Min-ki started reading the report directly to find out the reason for his frustration.

Of course, he could have asked Yoon Seung-hyun and listened. But more than that, he wanted to see for himself what it meant.

‘What is this?’

Shin Min-ki, who was reading the report, learned an unbelievable fact.

The reason why his father went to see Kim Sa-jang again was for cancer treatment.

It was a fact he had never known. He had never known that his father had cancer.

What on earth does this mean?

Shin Min-ki couldn’t help but ask Yoon Seung-hyun.

“The chairman had cancer? Did you check this?”

“Yes, I went to the hospital and checked it myself.”

“It’s liver cancer, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. But strangely, the cancer was cured in a month.”

“And Kim Sa-jang did the treatment?”

Shin Min-ki couldn’t believe it even as he said it himself.

This doesn’t make sense.

Not a hospital, but an individual cures cancer?

This is impossible. But that such a thing happened.

Should I believe this?

After thinking for a while, Shin Min-ki asked Yoon Seung-hyun again.

“Are you sure the chairman’s diagnosis was liver cancer?”

“Yes, I met the doctor and checked the photos from that time. It was definitely true.”

“Oh my, this is…”

Shin Min-ki was just dumbfounded as he thought about it.

It’s an unbelievable thing. But that it actually happened.

How should I accept this?

“Hoo…”

Shin Min-ki sighed deeply and got up from his seat and approached the window. Then he looked at the sky. He stood there for a long time.

In order to believe this absurd story, Shin Min-ki would have needed some time.

How much time has passed?

Shin Min-ki, who returned to his seat from the window, asked Yoon Seung-hyun again.

“Let’s believe it for now, so what happened next?”

“As you can see in the report, the chairman gave Kim Sa-jang 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] when he finished treatment and came to Seoul.”

“1 billion?”

“Yes, that’s right. He said it was a token of gratitude to the benefactor of his life, rather than a treatment fee.”

Shin Min-ki nodded slowly.

Anything was possible. No, perhaps it was a paltry amount of money as a reward for the benefactor of his life. That’s why he said it was a token of gratitude, not a treatment fee.

“Do you know how Kim Sa-jang treated him?”

“Not that far… I’m sorry.”

“No, you don’t have to be sorry. I’m just curious. But no matter how I think about it, I don’t understand why Father didn’t say a word to me about that fact…”

Shin Min-ki, who was talking, suddenly seemed to remember something and asked again.

“Who was the first person to discover the cancer?”

“Kim Sa-jang too.”

“How?”

“I couldn’t find out that far. That’s a fact that only the chairman and Kim Sa-jang know, so I couldn’t help it.”

“Hmm…”

Shin Min-ki was silent for a while as if he was thinking about something.

It was some time later that he opened his mouth again.

“Anyway, what happened next?”

“Kim Sa-jang bought land with half of that money, 500 million won [approximately $375,000 USD].”

“Land? Where?”

“Ilsan.”

“Ilsan? The current new city of Ilsan?”

Shin Min-ki immediately thought of the new city when he heard the word ‘Ilsan’.

“Yes, that’s right. But the land he bought in Ilsan was a huge hit. He invested 500 million won and earned 50 billion won [approximately $37.5 million USD] after taxes in three years.”

“Because that place was developed into a new city?”

“Yes, that’s right. Three years after Kim Sa-jang bought the land, it was designated as a new city.”

“Oh my, that was a divine move.”

Shin Min-ki’s mouth dropped open.

Investing 500 million won and earning 50 billion won? This was something that could not be done without a god.

“It’s really amazing. I wonder if Kim Sa-jang knew that the land would become a new city and bought the land in Ilsan.”

It was the biggest incident among the things he was surprised at while investigating Hyun-sung. Of course, there were many things he couldn’t understand, but making 100 times the profit in three years was something no one could do.

“That’s right, this is something that can’t be done without knowing the information in advance. But it couldn’t have been possible for Kim Sa-jang to know that information in advance. It’s really a ghostly thing.”

Shin Min-ki shook his head from side to side. He couldn’t understand it. It was the same with Yoon Seung-hyun.

The two were standing there blankly for a while, worrying about the same thing.

As the two people who had no way of knowing that Hyun-sung was living a regressed life, it was impossible for them to know that fact.

After a while.

Shin Min-ki sat down and started reading the report again.

It was when he read a few more pages.

An incomprehensible content came into Shin Min-ki’s eyes again.

“What is this again? He passed Korea University, but he didn’t go there and went to Gangsang University in Gangneung [a less prestigious university in a smaller city], is this true?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s a part that I was also dumbfounded while investigating. Others are making a fuss because they can’t go to Korea University, but Kim Sa-jang passed and didn’t go.”

“Was there any special reason for that?”

“I couldn’t know that far. I can’t confirm it with him.”

“He’s a friend I can’t know from A to Z.”

Shin Min-ki put down the report and thought for a while.

There was nothing understandable among the reports he had received so far.

The fact that he went to Gangneung for fun and came back right away, the fact that he dug up wild ginseng, the fact that he opened a ramen shop, the fact that he treated his father’s illness, the fact that he bought land in Ilsan, and the university entrance problem he read a little while ago.

It was amazing how there was nothing understandable like this.

“I was also very surprised while investigating.”

“This is not just surprising, but it seems like the right expression is amazing. He’s living a completely different life from ordinary people.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

“Anyway, so far, what about his college life?”

Smirk.

Yoon Seung-hyun smiled slightly instead of answering. It was an action that came out momentarily without him knowing.

There was no way that Shin Min-ki, who saw that, would stay still.

“What? What’s the meaning of that smile?”

“I’m sorry. I laughed without knowing it. In fact, there was something absurd in college too.”

“What? Something absurd? What is it? Let’s hear what happened this time.”

Shin Min-ki’s expression had now changed from surprise to a more enjoyable one. It seemed that he had adapted to some extent in the meantime.

“He took a leave of absence after finishing his freshman year.”

“That’s normal, isn’t it? Because he has to go to the army.”

“Of course, that’s normal, but Kim Sa-jang was different. He took a leave of absence and took the Certified Public Accountant [CPA] exam. But that’s again…”

“Certified Public Accountant? No way… isn’t it?”

Shin Min-ki’s expression changed strangely. It was an expression that he didn’t want to believe.

But the answer that was different from his wish came out of Yoon Seung-hyun’s mouth.

“He passed. He passed the 1st and 2nd rounds at the same time.”

“Huh…”

Shin Min-ki was so dumbfounded that he could only laugh in vain.

Certified Public Accountant is not a driver’s license, does this make sense?

Usually, even if it’s the fastest, it’s common to pass after finishing the 4th grade. No, that’s a very rare case, and only one or two people come out. But Hyun-sung is now talking about passing after finishing his freshman year.

Shin Min-ki shook his head from side to side and said as if muttering.

“This friend is a monster.”

“Yes, that’s the only conclusion I can come to. I can’t see this as a normal person.”

Yoon Seung-hyun also nodded as if agreeing.

In the end, the conclusion that the two came to was that Hyun-sung was not a normal person but a monster.

It may be a natural result for the two people who have no way of knowing that Hyun-sung is living a regressed life.

After a while.

Shin Min-ki asked again.

“Did anything happen to this friend in the military?”

“Fortunately, nothing happened in the military. But…”

“But? What else is there?”

“He was so good at military life from the time he was a private that he was like a sergeant. Shooting, marching, there was nothing to criticize. Anyone who saw him would think he had been to the military twice.”

“Oh my…”

Shin Min-ki just laughed. He didn’t care about that anymore.

Shin Min-ki turned the report over again.

When he turned over a few pages, an unbelievable content caught his eye again.

“What is this again? He quits school?”

“Yes, after being discharged from the military, he didn’t return to school, but quit school altogether.”

“Why? How can you do that without going crazy?”

It was an incomprehensible act for Shin Min-ki. The story of not returning to school and quitting school means that he will never get a college degree in his life.

“Kim Sa-jang’s thoughts seem to be different.”

“Different? How?”

“It seems that he faced reality rather than a diploma.”

“Reality…”

Shin Min-ki thought for a while and asked again.

“So, what did he do after quitting school?”

“He started building a restaurant. Two floors underground and five floors above ground. From then on, Kim Sa-jang started his business in earnest. And…”

Yoon Seung-hyun’s explanation became longer.

After that, his explanation continued for more than two hours. The end of the explanation was that he was currently building a multi-complex apartment in Incheon.

When his explanation was over, Shin Min-ki seemed to be thinking for a while, then slowly called Yoon Seung-hyun.

“Secretary Yoon.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Contact him.”

“Yes? Who are you talking about?”

“Kim Sa-jang. I think I’ll have to meet him in person. There’s something I need to check in person.”

It was the moment when the relationship between Hyun-sung and Chairman Shin Min-ki, two people who seemed to have no connection at all, began.