Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 312

312

“He’s a helper.”

“A helper? What do you mean?”

Hyun-sung couldn’t understand what Park Hee-chul was saying.

Park Hee-chul continued, “I heard that Assemblyman Choi Sung-pil actively helped persuade the building owners this time.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes. Young-jin said that without him, they wouldn’t have been able to persuade the building owners so quickly. It seems that he had some influence as a member of the county council.”

“Now that I hear it, that could be true. But how did he get involved? Was he one of the building owners there?”

“That’s right. Choi Sung-pil’s building was right next to Young-jin’s.”

“It’s a small world. I never thought I’d be involved with him like this again. Haha, really…”

Hyun-sung couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

When he first received Choi Sung-pil’s business card from President Park In-soo, his impression of him wasn’t good. This was because he knew that Choi Sung-pil had already investigated him.

So, he had no choice but to ask Park Hee-chul to investigate Choi Sung-pil.

However, after investigating Choi Sung-pil, he couldn’t find anything particularly unusual. He was just living comfortably thanks to his parents’ inheritance and serving his second term as a county council member.

Park Hee-chul continued, “But the interesting thing is Choi Sung-pil’s motive.”

“Motive?”

“Yes, after all, isn’t the purpose of a county council member politics?”

“Of course.”

“So, he’s planning to take this opportunity to actively revitalize the commercial district and create a successful model.”

“Ah! So, he’s going to create a successful model of revitalizing a stagnant commercial district and build his achievements?”

“Exactly. If he revitalizes a few more commercial districts in that way, he’ll enter the National Assembly instead of being a county council member. But after listening to him, it’s not impossible. You may not know it yet, but in that world, if you get the party nomination, the game is over.”

“Party nomination? Haha, ha ha ha…”

Hyun-sung burst out laughing.

Politics is an addiction. Once you fall in, it’s hard to get out. He had seen countless politicians in his past life.

He had seen countless politicians who couldn’t let go even when they were 70 or 80 years old, those people who didn’t know when to step down, even while being criticized by the public for their greed.

But what to do?

In his memory, there was no National Assembly member named Choi Sung-pil.

That’s why Hyun-sung was laughing.

Park Hee-chul asked, “Why? Do you think it’s impossible?”

“No. I’m just too happy.”

“Happy? What do you mean?”

“Think about it. The more Choi Sung-pil works hard, the more the commercial district will be revitalized, right? That’s all I need. After all, my purpose from the beginning was to revitalize the commercial district. Isn’t that right?”

“Haha, so you don’t care whether Choi Sung-pil becomes a National Assembly member or not?”

Park Hee-chul asked, as if he was amazed.

Hyun-sung nodded and immediately continued, “Of course. I just want the commercial district to be revitalized. And if he gets into the National Assembly because of that, isn’t that even better? It’s a great benefit to have a National Assembly member from the region advocating for us.”

That’s what Hyun-sung thought.

But people’s thoughts are different.

Park Hee-chul’s expression showed that he couldn’t understand Hyun-sung.

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes, of course. What else could there be?”

“You don’t care at all?”

“About what?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head, because he didn’t know what Park Hee-chul was trying to say.

Park Hee-chul continued, “Aren’t you upset?”

“Upset? Why would I be upset?”

“Isn’t Choi Sung-pil trying to steal your credit? But you don’t care at all?”

“What? No way…”

It was absurd.

Hyun-sung finally understood what Park Hee-chul was saying. Park Hee-chul was more interested in who would take the credit for revitalizing the commercial district than in revitalizing it itself.

In other words, he was more interested in the gravy [the benefits or advantages] than the service itself.

Hyun-sung was speechless.

It hadn’t even started yet, but the fact that they were already discussing the credit was a bit absurd.

And even if they were discussing the credit, Hyun-sung wasn’t interested at all. He would be satisfied as long as the commercial district was revitalized.

Hyun-sung said, “I’m not interested in the credit at all, and I never thought about it from the beginning. I just want the commercial district to be revitalized, and I won’t ask for anything more.”

“Haha, is that so?”

“Yes, of course. And frankly, since I haven’t done anything yet, the fact that you’re saying that is a bit absurd.”

“I see, I misunderstood your pure heart. I just thought that Choi Sung-pil was taking the credit in the middle when you started it first. I guess I’ve been living in the world for too long, and I’ve been tainted too much.”

Park Hee-chul scratched his head awkwardly. Hyun-sung pretended not to see Park Hee-chul and turned his head slightly. This was because he knew that Park Hee-chul’s actions were not malicious but came from a desire to think of him.

After a while.

Hyun-sung asked, “Did you hear about the last person who couldn’t be persuaded?”

“Ah, you mean Brother Woo-suk?”

“That’s his name…”

“Yes, that’s right. His name is Lee Woo-suk. But I can’t understand that part at all. All the other building owners agree, but why is he the only one being stubborn?”

“I’m going to see him tomorrow, but I’m worried. I don’t know what he’s going to say. I think it’s an irrational part, so… is there anything you can tell me about him? Even something trivial.”

“Hmm, well…”

Park Hee-chul was silent for a moment, as if thinking about something.

After a while.

Park Hee-chul opened his mouth again. “Well… I don’t know if this will help, but his wife had been running a business in that shopping district for a long time.”

“Ah, you mean his grandmother?”

“That’s right. But that was a long time ago.”

“How long ago?”

“I don’t know for sure, but it’s probably been about 10 years. It’s been about that long since his wife passed away.”

“If it was 10 years ago, she would have passed away in her 50s, which is early.”

Of course, the average life expectancy was lower than it is now, but even so, women lived to be 74 years old. That means she passed away 20 years earlier than the average life expectancy.

Park Hee-chul continued, “She passed away too early, so Brother Woo-suk had a really hard time back then. So much so that he didn’t rent out the store to anyone else until the three-year mourning period was over.”

“What? Is that true?”

“Of course, it’s an old story, but usually, people would observe a three-year mourning period when their parents passed away. But this brother observed a three-year mourning period when his wife passed away. He didn’t even empty the store during that time. He was that shocked.”

“It could also mean that he loved his grandmother that much?”

“Of course. Their relationship was well-known in the neighborhood. But I don’t know if this story will help you meet him.”

“Of course it helps. At least I know that his grandmother is no longer here. And I also learned that their love was affectionate.”

“I’m glad if that’s the case. Anyway, I hope you get good results tomorrow.”

“I’ll try my best. And if it doesn’t work out, there’s nothing I can do.”

Park Hee-chul tilted his head and asked, “What do you mean by there’s nothing you can do?”

“I’ll have to give up on that store.”

“Give up?”

“Yes, of course, 100,000 won for 30 *pyeong* [a Korean unit of area, approximately 3.3 square meters] is not expensive. But considering the other building owners, I shouldn’t go into that store.”

“Of course, that’s because of fairness?”

“Yes, that’s right. The other building owners have conceded as much as 50%, and considering them, I shouldn’t do that out of morality. Moreover, it’s the part I talked about first.”

It was obvious.

Honestly, no one knows whether the shopping district will be revitalized or not.

In that situation, all the other building owners except one agreed to his opinion.

Of course, Park Young-jin and Choi Sung-pil actively stepped up and worked hard, but it was Hyun-sung himself who came up with the idea.

In that situation, for some reason, it is impossible for him, who first proposed the idea, to enter the store that did not agree.

Park Hee-chul continued, “Yes, if it’s your character, that’s what you’d do. I see, I hope you get good results tomorrow. And just in case, I’m telling you one last thing, but that brother has been tending not to trust others for some time.”

“Doesn’t trust others?”

“Yes, to the point of being a bit severe.”

“Oh, really? But is there a special reason for that?”

“I don’t know exactly, but it seems like he was scammed by the last tenant.”

“Scammed?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head.

The reason was that the person who committed the fraud was a tenant.

A tenant commits fraud?

Even at first glance, it was a situation that was hard to understand what had happened.

Hyun-sung immediately asked, “A tenant commits fraud?”

“That’s right. I don’t know the exact amount, but it seems like he was defrauded of a considerable amount.”

“In the end, that means he lent her money?”

“That’s right, but when I found out, that woman had borrowed money from more than one or two places in this neighborhood. A few people in the neighborhood were scammed back then. Brother Woo-suk was one of them.”

“Does that mean that woman deliberately planned it?”

“That woman was no ordinary woman. She ran a bar there, and before she left this neighborhood, she scraped everything together and left. She even approached me.”

Park Hee-chul smiled as he said that.

Then Hyun-sung immediately asked, “You? But how did you not get scammed?”

“She wasn’t my type.”

“What? Your type?”

“Yeah, I don’t like fox-like styles [sly or manipulative women]. That woman was really pretty, but the things she did…”

“Haha, you’ve had all sorts of things happen to you. So, you chose a style like Jung-woo’s mother?”

“That’s right, she’s good-looking, cultured, and her cooking is the best. Honestly, she’s too much for me.”

Park Hee-chul blushed slightly as if he was embarrassed.

Hyun-sung smiled at Park Hee-chul.

“Your taste saved you?”

“Haha, that’s right. What’s your type?”

“What? Why are you asking even a young person like me…?”

“Hey, my friend, what’s so young about you? You’re nineteen now. You’ll be an adult next year. Anyway, you have to meet a good woman.”

“Hehe, I like girlish styles.”

In his past life, his wife, Yoon Ji-soo, was that style. Although she was seven years older, she was always like a girl, so he never felt like she was older.

She especially liked yellow freesias in the spring, and she loved going to the sea on rainy days.

“Girlish style?”

“Yes, I like that image.”

“Wouldn’t it be a bit tiring?”

“Not at all.”

“What? What does that mean? Like you’ve already lived it?”

“Ah! That’s…”

Hyun-sung realized that he had made a mistake for a moment. Without realizing it, the memory of his past life just came out of his mouth.

Hyun-sung smiled and opened his mouth again. “I think it would be like that. How could I be tired of someone I like?”

“Haha, my friend, you’ll know that later when you live it. At first, everything is… no, I’m saying unnecessary things to a young person like you. Anyway, do your best tomorrow. That brother is a real gem when you get to know him.”

“A real gem?”

“That’s right. It’s hard to open up to him at first, but once you open up to him, there’s really no one like him.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll do my best.”

Hyun-sung bowed his head lightly.

Lee Woo-suk.

No one knew whether it would be a precious relationship or just a passing one.