Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 221

221

“It’s a secret.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, it’s a trade secret.”

Hyun-sung couldn’t possibly answer that. Although the sauce was based on his memories from his past life, it was strictly a trade secret that Hyun-sung possessed.

When Hyun-sung refused to answer, Chairman Shin Chun-o was silent for a moment. However, it didn’t take him long to realize his mistake.

“Ah, right. Of course, it would be a secret. I’ve made a big mistake again.”

Chairman Shin Chun-o then realized his blunder.

It was something he shouldn’t have asked for in the first place. Even a small restaurant has its own unique seasoning recipe.

Yet, in a moment of curiosity, he had unknowingly asked about the secret.

Chairman Shin Chun-o spoke again.

“The ramen was so delicious that I must have gotten greedy about the sauce. I apologize again for my rudeness.”

“…Yes, it’s alright.”

“Still, it’s amazing how a young man like you can create such a flavor with Shin Ramyun [a popular brand of instant noodles]. It’s truly astonishing.”

“It’s only possible because it’s Shin Ramyun. You can’t get this taste with other ramens.”

“Haha, is that how it works?”

Chairman Shin Chun-o laughed as if he was pleased with Hyun-sung’s words.

Then Hyun-sung continued.

“I’m able to run my business like this thanks to Nongshim’s Shin Ramyun [Nongshim is the company that produces Shin Ramyun].”

“Speaking of which, I have a question. May I ask?”

“Of course. Please, go ahead.”

“I heard from Director Lee that you placed an order for Shin Ramyun even before the advertisement came out. Is that true?”

Hyun-sung chuckled inwardly.

He felt like he knew what Chairman Shin Chun-o was curious about. It was probably about the precognitive dream he had told Director Yoo Sung-il about before.

Hyun-sung answered leisurely.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And it’s also true that you placed the order after having a dream?”

“Yes, Mr. Chairman. It might be hard for you to understand, but I have a bit of an eccentric side. I sometimes have dreams like that in advance.”

“No, how can…”

Chairman Shin Chun-o was dumbfounded.

He was dumbfounded when he first heard about it from Director Lee Il-woo, but hearing it directly from the person involved made him feel even more bewildered.

Was this even possible? If what this young man was saying was true, it meant he could see what would happen in the future in his dreams.

It was unbelievable. But the important thing was that his words weren’t a lie.

Chairman Shin Chun-o asked again.

“Is the sign outside the same way?”

“Yes, that’s right. I had already finished making them before the Shin Ramyun advertisement came out.”

“Ah, yes…”

Chairman Shin Chun-o had no choice but to acknowledge it. He couldn’t understand it logically, but the reality he saw with his own eyes made it impossible to deny.

Then Hyun-sung continued.

“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”

“To be honest, I can’t say it’s not. But I can’t not believe it either…”

“I’m just as amazed.”

“Can you see other futures in your dreams too?”

Chairman Shin Chun-o asked, feeling foolish, but he couldn’t help but be curious.

Then Hyun-sung replied.

“No, that’s not the case. Only a very small part appears in my dreams. This time, it was Nongshim’s Shin Ramyun.”

Hyun-sung felt sorry as he answered. He was inevitably lying to hide the fact that he had regressed, but he didn’t feel comfortable every time he did so.

Then Chairman Shin Chun-o spoke again.

“Just one last thing to confirm.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“I heard you said that Shin Ramyun would be a huge hit. Is that true?”

Hyun-sung smiled.

This was probably what Chairman Shin Chun-o was most curious about.

The future of Shin Ramyun.

Why else would he have come all the way down to this countryside? He wouldn’t have come just to taste the ramen.

Hyun-sung said.

“Is that why you came here?”

“I’ll admit it. When I first heard about it from Director Lee, I was skeptical, but after seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t help but be curious.”

“Two years.”

“Yes? What does that mean? Two years…?”

Chairman Shin Chun-o couldn’t understand what he was saying.

Hyun-sung continued.

“Of course, you’re already number one in the ramen industry, but in two years, you’ll become an unrivaled presence that no one can follow.”

“Does that mean…?”

“Yes, you’re imagining correctly. The Shin Ramyun you launched this time will be the main player. And in two years, a big incident will happen.”

That was the famous beef tallow scandal.

On November 3, 1989, the incident began with an anonymous tip-off to the Seoul District Prosecutor’s Office that noodles were fried in ‘industrial beef tallow (beef oil)’.

As a result, five companies that imported non-edible beef tallow from the United States, including Samyang Foods, Ottogi Foods, Seoul Heinz, Samlip Oil & Fat, and Busan Oil & Fat, were caught, and 10 people, including the representatives and working-level managers, were arrested and charged with violating the Food Sanitation Act.

Of course, this case was eventually concluded as not guilty by the Supreme Court in 1997, eight years later. But by then, a lot of time had already passed.

In the end, the beef tallow scandal caused Samyang, a ramen powerhouse with decades of tradition, to collapse in an instant.

Chairman Shin Chun-o asked.

“A big incident?”

“Something like that will happen. It’s like Nongshim will be able to achieve its goals without any effort, so just don’t lose your initial intentions and keep working hard as you do now.”

“Are you saying we don’t have to worry about it?”

“Yes, that’s right. Of course, you’ll be curious, but that’s all I can tell you.”

“Haha, really…”

Chairman Shin Chun-o was dumbfounded.

Of course, it was fortunate that it wouldn’t affect the company, but it would be inhuman to hear this and not be curious about the details.

“Are you telling me to stay still after hearing this?”

“I can’t say any more than this. The only reason I’m telling you this much is because you came all the way down here.”

“Is it really impossible?”

“Yes, this is all I can say.”

Hyun-sung got up from his seat.

He judged that staying any longer would only leave the other person with lingering feelings.

As Hyun-sung stood up, Chairman Shin Chun-o spoke again.

“Just one last question.”

“Do you still have more questions?”

“Since I’m in business, I can’t ignore politics, so I’ll ask you shamelessly.”

“You’re curious about what’s next, aren’t you?”

Hyun-sung seemed to know what Chairman Shin Chun-o was curious about.

He was probably curious about the next presidential election.

In other words, he needed information to decide which side to support.

Chairman Shin Chun-o said.

“Is it possible to know that too?”

“I’ll just say one thing. At least it’s not Kim Young-sam or Kim Dae-jung [prominent political figures in South Korea].”

“No, is that true?”

Chairman Shin Chun-o couldn’t believe it.

Even looking at the current public opinion, either of them would be elected no matter who came out. Of course, that required unification as a prerequisite. Naturally, the majority of the people thought that only one of the two would come out as a candidate.

But saying it’s not Kim Young-sam or Kim Dae-jung meant that the two would not be able to unite.

Chairman Shin Chun-o asked again.

“Are you saying that unification won’t happen?”

“Because it’s power.”

“Does that mean…?”

“Power is never shared.”

At the time, it was something Hyun-sung couldn’t understand either. But he only realized that it was a characteristic of power after many years.

Chairman Shin Chun-o was speechless at Hyun-sung’s words.

He had naturally assumed that it would happen, but since it wasn’t, Chairman Shin Chun-o had nothing to say.

A moment later.

Chairman Shin Chun-o, who had regained his composure, looked at Hyun-sung and asked again.

“What do you want to do in the future?”

“Why?”

“I’m curious about what kind of dreams someone who knows the future has.”

“Would you help if I told you?”

Hyun-sung smiled.

He was curious to know what Chairman Shin Chun-o would say.

“I’ve heard such valuable words today that I want to repay you in some way, but I don’t know if a businessman like me can be of any help.”

“Isn’t it obvious how the world works anyway?”

“Haha, for a young man to say such things…”

Chairman Shin Chun-o looked at Hyun-sung with a smile.

Clearly, no matter how he looked at him, he was definitely a high school student. But judging from the way he spoke, he couldn’t feel that he was young at all.

Then Hyun-sung continued.

“I want to be a building owner.”

“Yes? What did you just say?”

“My dream is to become a building owner in the future.”

“Huh…”

Chairman Shin Chun-ho couldn’t close his mouth, as if he was dumbfounded.

Then Hyun-sung asked.

“Why, are you dumbfounded?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just too absurd. Usually, at that age, people say they want to become a doctor, or a lawyer or a prosecutor, but suddenly you say you want to be a building owner…”

Chairman Shin Chun-o still had a dumbfounded expression.

Then Hyun-sung continued.

“Have you ever heard the saying that building owners are above even landlords?”

“Is there such a saying?”

Of course, Chairman Shin Chun-o would be unfamiliar with it since it was a saying that became popular later.

“I don’t think there’s a word as attractive as ‘building owner’.”

“Haha, I’ve never thought about that…”

“If I can become a building owner, what’s so enviable about being a doctor or a prosecutor? At best, they’re just wage earners, aren’t they?”

“Is that how it works?”

“Doctors have to be mindful of the hospital, and prosecutors have to be mindful of the regime. That kind of work won’t be worth it.”

“Haha, I have nothing to say when you put it that way.”

Chairman Shin Chun-o just laughed.

Of course, it wasn’t wrong. But Chairman Shin Chun-o was dumbfounded because he looked too young to say such things.

After laughing for a while, Chairman Shin Chun-o handed Hyun-sung a piece of memo paper.

Then Hyun-sung asked.

“What’s this?”

“Since you’re going to be a building owner, you need an account number to add even a brick’s worth, don’t you?”

“Are you serious?”

“I’ve confirmed Nongshim’s future today, so I have to do my human duty, don’t I? And when will you ever build a building by selling ramen? Isn’t that right?”

Heh.

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh.

Of course, he had no intention of building a building by selling ramen. He had something else to rely on. It was the land in Ilsan that he had bought with Park Hee-chul not long ago.

In just three years, he would have 5 billion won [approximately $3.7 million USD based on current exchange rates]. If 80% of it was Hyun-sung’s share, as Park Hee-chul had said, he would have 4 billion won [approximately $3 million USD] in his hands.

From then on, he could slowly look into buildings.

The reason Hyun-sung laughed a little while ago was because he couldn’t help but laugh because he had something to rely on.

Hyun-sung looked at Chairman Shin Chun-o and said.

“I need a lot of bricks, would that be okay?”

“How high will the building go?”

“It’s quite high.”

“How high is it…”

Hyun-sung smiled and said.

“50 stories.”

“…”

Chairman Shin Chun-o suddenly had nothing to say, as if he had lost his words.