Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 439

“5,000 people?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh could hardly believe his ears. Just a few days prior, he’d been informed that the daily visitor count was less than 1,000. He recalled hearing that figure a mere three days ago.

But 5,000 people in three days? That was five times the previous number! It seemed impossible.

Chief Manager Choi Jin-young affirmed,

“Yes, that’s correct. As of today, it’s over 5,000.”

“So, this surge is entirely due to that TV show?”

“Precisely. After being featured on ‘Hometown Report’ three days ago, people began arriving from all over the country the very next day. The numbers swelled, exceeding 5,000 in just three days. At this rate, we anticipate surpassing 10,000 by the weekend, which is only three days away.”

“Heh, 10,000 people….”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh chuckled in disbelief. He understood the power of television, of course, but he hadn’t anticipated such a dramatic impact.

To be honest, he had been pleasantly surprised while watching the show himself.

He had visited the site before, but that was during the construction phase. This time, however, it was a completely different experience.

The space was far from small; it spanned a staggering 250,000 pyeong [approximately 206 acres]. With the cherry blossoms in full bloom across that vast expanse, it resembled a breathtaking ocean of pink and white.

Chief Manager Choi Jin-young continued,

“The residents of Seomyeong-myeon are in a bit of a frenzy right now.”

“And why wouldn’t they be? With 5,000 people descending upon that small town, I imagine it’s the largest gathering they’ve ever witnessed. In any case, such a sudden influx of people is bound to create some challenges. Are there any significant problems?”

“Naturally, there are issues. The primary concerns are garbage disposal, parking, and restroom facilities. However, Kim Gun—or rather, CEO Kim, as we should now call him—has already made comprehensive preparations to address these issues.”

“Prepared in advance? How so?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh couldn’t suppress his curiosity.

This wasn’t a matter of accommodating just a few individuals, but a massive crowd of 5,000. And the problem was projected to worsen, with estimates suggesting a potential influx of 10,000 people within days. Parking and garbage disposal were fundamental concerns, and restroom availability was also critical. To hear that these issues had been proactively addressed piqued his interest.

Chief Manager Choi Jin-young elaborated,

“Firstly, regarding the parking situation, he has opened up the restaurant’s parking lot for public use.”

“Didn’t you mention that the restaurant was still under construction?”

“While the entire building isn’t fully completed, the parking lot has been meticulously finished. The same applies to the restrooms.”

“So, you’re saying that while other areas remain under construction, the parking lot and restrooms are already fully operational?”

“Yes, that’s correct. The underground levels 1 and 2, combined with the outdoor parking area, provide substantial capacity. Furthermore, from the outset, when designing the road, he ensured it was wide and incorporated parking spaces on both sides.”

“So, the restaurant parking lot, along with the roadside parking, is sufficient to handle the demand?”

“More than sufficient, in fact. There’s even parking space to spare. CEO Kim has created a total parking capacity for 20,000 vehicles. And restrooms are conveniently located every 100 meters.”

“Heh, parking for 20,000 vehicles and restrooms every 100 meters….”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh couldn’t help but be impressed by Hyun-sung’s foresight.

He was only twenty-four years old, yet he had managed to prepare so thoroughly. It was truly remarkable.

Chief Manager Choi Jin-young continued,

“They’ve already hired 100 people.”

“100 people?”

“Yes, 50 for parking management and 50 for cleaning. It’s just a two-month part-time arrangement, but the villagers are already ecstatic.”

“Why is that?”

“Because of the salary. CEO Kim is offering one million won per month.”

“One million won?”

“Yes, even a level 9 civil servant these days only earns around 600,000 to 700,000 won, including allowances. So, it’s no wonder they’re excited to receive even more than that.”

That was certainly understandable.

In the countryside, opportunities to earn cash were typically limited to the harvest season and the subsequent sale of grain to the government or in October. In April, one million won a month was a significant sum of money.

“I suppose so.”

“That’s not all.”

“No? What else is there?”

“The farmers market.”

“The farmers market? Chief Manager Choi, didn’t we discuss the farmers market just two days ago?”

He had indeed heard about the farmers market two days prior. However, even then, there didn’t seem to be anything particularly noteworthy about it. Of course, the increased number of visitors would naturally lead to more customers, but Chairman Shin Chun-oh hadn’t anticipated any significant changes.

“It’s exploded.”

“Exploded? What do you mean by exploded?”

“It’s become incredibly popular. Apparently, all the prepared goods are sold out by 2 p.m.”

“No, if all the goods are sold out by 2 p.m., when people are still arriving, what are they going to do?”

“That’s why it’s a bit chaotic. Every morning, entire families are heading to the mountains and fields to gather wild greens.”

“Well, with so many people flocking in, that’s to be expected. By the way, the prices of goods must be quite high?”

“That will never happen.”

“Huh? Never?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh tilted his head, looking at Chief Manager Choi Jin-young with a puzzled expression.

The law of supply and demand dictated that when supply couldn’t keep up with demand, prices were bound to rise.

You didn’t need an economics degree to understand that basic principle.

Yet, Chief Manager Choi was asserting that such a price increase would never occur. This implied that someone was actively suppressing the prices.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh inquired again.

“Is it perhaps CEO Kim?”

“Yes, that’s right. You figured it out immediately, Chairman. Initially, when I heard about it, I couldn’t understand the reasoning. It’s natural for prices to increase when goods are scarce, but the prices remained constant. But CEO Kim was the one behind it.”

“Seeing that, CEO Kim is a born businessman.”

“Yes? What do you mean by that….”

Chief Manager Choi Jin-young looked at Chairman Shin Chun-oh, curious about his reasoning.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh elaborated,

“If you were in Chief Manager Choi’s position, would you automatically raise the price of goods simply because they were in short supply?”

“I suppose that would lead to greater profits.”

“Of course, that’s not necessarily wrong. In a market economy, excess demand naturally leads to price increases. However, there are instances where that’s not the case.”

“Someone is controlling the price, right?”

“That’s correct. It’s typically something the government does. But this is a situation where the government can’t intervene, so CEO Kim has taken the initiative. What do you think his motivation is?”

“Well, I suppose it’s for the benefit of the customers who are buying the goods? While it might be advantageous for the seller, the buyer might feel resentful.”

That was precisely it.

Everyone shared the same sentiment. Regardless of the scarcity of goods, raising prices would inevitably leave the buyer with a negative impression, even as they made the purchase.

“That’s right. Of course, they can still buy the goods even at a higher price. However, they won’t harbor positive feelings about the place afterward. They’ll perceive it as a place of common thieves.”

“You mean the image will be tarnished?”

“Exactly. Would that person be inclined to return later, or not?”

“Of course, they wouldn’t want to return due to their negative experience. Ah! So, you’re saying that CEO Kim is deliberately controlling the price?”

“Precisely. He’s taking a long-term perspective. That’s why I mentioned earlier that CEO Kim is a born businessman. He’s already engaging in image marketing.”

“Ah, yes. Now that you’ve explained it, Chairman, I understand CEO Kim’s rationale for controlling the price. CEO Kim is truly exceptional.”

Chief Manager Choi Jin-young nodded repeatedly, acknowledging the point.

What remained astonishing was his age.

Of course, he was aware that Hyun-sung had previously managed a ramen business. However, that was vastly different from operating a large-scale restaurant.

And the restaurant hadn’t even opened yet. Yet, he was already thinking about the future, controlling the prices at the farmers market to prevent inflation, and managing the overall image of the place. It was simply astounding.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh inquired again.

“And you mentioned that the women’s association is responsible for the farmers market?”

“Yes, the women’s association is entirely responsible for the operation of all the goods sold at the farmers market. Lee Soon-ok, the president of the women’s association, oversees all management aspects.”

“CEO Kim will be guiding that women’s association president.”

“Yes, that’s correct. That’s why he never says anything negative in front of the general members.”

“Of course, that’s the art of managing people. CEO Kim understands that perfectly well. He’s a friend who excels in every area. Now he’s even mastering people management.”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh nodded and continued,

“Okay, in any case, what were the sales figures for the farmers market today?”

Gulp.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh swallowed nervously as he posed the final question.

While he had delegated the operation of the farmers market to the president of the women’s association, Chairman Shin Chun-oh recognized that Hyun-sung was the mastermind behind the scenes. He understood that today’s sales reflected Hyun-sung’s capabilities, which only heightened his curiosity.

Chief Manager Choi Jin-young cautioned,

“Don’t be surprised.”

“Heh, how significant could it be that you’re giving me this much warning?”

“It’s not a warning, I was genuinely surprised myself. So, in case the Chairman…….”

“I know, I know. I’ve already prepared myself, so tell me quickly.”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh cut off Chief Manager Choi Jin-young, urging him to reveal the answer.

Chief Manager Choi Jin-young nodded in understanding and held up one finger, stating,

“One big one.”

“One big one? If it’s one big one, it won’t be one million won, maybe…… ten million won?”

“Yes, that’s right. Today’s sales exceeded ten million won [approximately $7,500 USD]. Isn’t that incredible? Ten million won a day in that rural area, does that even seem possible?”

“…….”

This was an era when a level 9 civil servant’s base salary was barely 250,000 won [approximately $190 USD]. In such times, the sum of ten million won a day was enough to astonish even the chairman of Nongshim [a major food and beverage company].

As a result, Chairman Shin Chun-oh was momentarily speechless.

It was some time before he finally spoke.

“You’re saying you sold ten million won a day?”

“Yes, Chairman. I couldn’t believe it at first, so I verified the figures several times, but it was indeed accurate.”

“Right, what was the commission rate there?”

“It was 3%. They use that to cover the operating expenses of the farmers market, and the remaining funds are accumulated as a village development fund.”

“That village will undergo tremendous changes in the future.”

“I believe so too. The starting point is already at that level, so as time goes on, the development fund will grow substantially. CEO Kim is a person of a different caliber. I truly can’t comprehend how he conceived of such ideas at his age.”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh, who had been listening intently to Chief Manager Choi Jin-young, suddenly interjected with a seemingly unrelated comment.

“He’s crazy.”

“Yes? Chairman, what are you suddenly…….”

“Isn’t that the case? How can you have such thoughts at that age unless you’re crazy? Ultimately, that friend is crazy, but he’s properly crazy.”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh shook his head in amazement.

A person who defies conventional understanding—that was Kim Hyun-sung.

It was three years ago.

At that time, Hyun-sung was on leave from school, and the sale of land in Ilsan had resulted in 50 billion won [approximately $37.5 million USD] being deposited into his account.

He had received a call from Hyun-sung. At the end of the call, he had asked Hyun-sung,

[What are your plans for the future?]

At that time, Hyun-sung’s answer had been absurd in itself.

[I’m going to buy land in the countryside. So, I’m going to create a new village. I will also completely transform the existing village.]

At that time, he had naturally dismissed it as crazy. So, he had asked again,

[Didn’t you tell me once that your dream was to be a landlord? But suddenly, what’s with the village?]

His answer had come after a pause.

[That dream hasn’t changed. I’m going to be a landlord, not just any landlord, but a 50-story building landlord. But there’s something I have to do before that. That’s protecting my hometown.]

He had said he was protecting his hometown, so he had wondered what that meant. So, when he had asked again, his explanation had been even more spectacular.

[From 20 years from now, people in their hometown will start to leave, and 30 years from now, people from Seoul will come down and build and live in detached houses in good places. The host and guest will be completely reversed. The hometown where I was born and lived will gradually disappear like that. I’m going to stop that.]

He was talking about 30 years in the future, not 10 years, and he was saying all of that, so he had been simply dumbfounded. But he couldn’t say anything because he was young and wanted to protect his hometown.

He had ended the call with the promise that he would keep an eye on him in the future.

But even then, he had never imagined that something like today would happen.

But…… ten million won a day.

And the restaurant hasn’t even opened yet. If the restaurant opens in a year, how much will sales increase then?

Chairman Shin Chun-oh quietly addressed Chief Manager Choi Jin-young.

“Chief Manager Choi.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“In your opinion, how much in sales do you think CEO Kim’s restaurant, which will open next year, will generate per day?”

“Well…… if you compare it to the current farmers market, even if you take at least 10 times, it’s 100 million [approximately $75,000 USD]?”

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“Yes? Then how much do you think, Chairman……?”

“Even if you take at least 10 times as you said, it’s 500 million [approximately $375,000 USD]. Because it’s 5 floors.”

“Ah! That’s right. I forgot for a moment. Then, to be more precise, it’s not 500 million, it’s 600 million [approximately $450,000 USD]. Because he said he would make the rooftop into an outdoor cafe.”

“That’s right! That’s right, there was also the rooftop. 600 million a day…… that’s at least? Then, if you take it to the maximum, how much is it?”

“…….”

Chief Manager Choi Jin-young couldn’t answer. He couldn’t even dare to estimate the maximum in his mind.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh had the same thought. No matter how much he contemplated it, he couldn’t grasp the potential maximum.

As a result, the two men shared the same silent question.

‘How much will it be?’