Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 480

The Landlord Returns – 480

Five minutes earlier, Hyun-sung received a call from an employee.

Someone was looking for him.

When he asked if they had identified themselves, they only said they were from Seoul.

In fact, this wasn’t the first time this had happened.

On average, he was called out every two or three days because someone was looking for the boss. Most of the time, they called him after finishing their meal.

The reasons were almost always the same.

To show off.

They would say they were the president of such-and-such company and wanted to say hello. Of course, he greeted them politely each time.

After all, they were customers, but since they were usually in their 50s or 60s, he had no choice but to be polite. However, he didn’t find it uncomfortable or unpleasant. He thought of it as one of his duties.

Since business itself is a service industry.

But this was the first time someone had called him to the cafe after finishing a meal.

So he had a feeling.

This time, it wouldn’t be just a simple greeting.

And frankly, he was also looking forward to it.

That’s because it had been a week since he placed the hospital advertisement in the newspaper.

He had received a few calls in the meantime.

The reasons were almost all the same. They asked if he was really offering free rent for five years, along with the truth of the profit guarantee and the population of the village.

But this was the first time someone had come to see him in person.

Of course, he didn’t know why that person had come to see him now.

‘What’s going on?’

With anticipation, Hyun-sung walked towards the table where the employee was guiding him.

“Boss, these are the people.”

As the employee led him to the table, the two people sitting there stood up.

Then Hyun-sung greeted them first.

“Hello, I’m Kim Hyun-sung. I rushed over, excited to hear you were looking for me.”

He greeted them deliberately warmly. He didn’t know why, but he was grateful just for the fact that they had come all the way from Seoul.

“Hello, I’m Han Seok-ho. And this person here is…”

“I’m Kim Min-joong.”

Kim Min-joong greeted him first as Han Seok-ho was about to introduce him.

Then Hyun-sung looked directly at Kim Min-joong and tilted his head slightly. Then he asked immediately.

“Excuse me… by any chance, are you from Gyeongdong Market?”

“Yes? How did you know…?”

Kim Min-joong was taken aback.

This didn’t make sense. He was seeing this person for the first time today. How could that person recognize him right away?

Kim Min-joong asked urgently.

“Do you know me?”

“No, I don’t. But I’ve heard about you.”

It was two years ago.

He had gone to Seoul to get Cuban coffee. Of course, the place he visited was Seongsim Herbal Medicine Store, run by Kim Jin-yong, the father of his army buddy Kim Dong-soo.

At that time, he heard about a person from Kim Jin-yong.

That was about Kim Min-joong, who runs Minjoong Korean Medicine Clinic at the Gyeongdong Market intersection.

He said that no one in this area could match him when it came to acupuncture.

But the reason Hyun-sung remembered his name was different.

That’s because his name was the same as the name of a friend he used to be close with.

One of his middle school friends was Kim Min-joong. He was his closest friend. But that friend had immigrated to Australia as soon as he graduated from middle school.

That was the end of it.

He heard rumors that his father’s business wasn’t doing well, but after that, there was no way to contact him.

That’s why he remembered it right away when he heard his name a little while ago.

On the other hand, from Kim Min-joong’s point of view, it was an incomprehensible statement.

He said he didn’t know him, but he heard about him from someone.

Kim Min-joong asked out of curiosity.

“Did you say you heard about me just now?”

“Yes, that’s right. Do you happen to know Kim Jin-yong, the owner of Seongsim Herbal Medicine Store in Gyeongdong Market?”

“Kim Jin-yong? Do I just know him? He’s like an older brother to me. Our clinic uses a lot of herbs from there too. But how do you know him?”

“I had a connection with him a long time ago. So…”

Hyun-sung explained how he first met Kim Jin-yong and that he now calls him ‘Father’ because he is the father of his army buddy. He also mentioned that he gets the coffee beans used in this cafe directly from him through direct import.

When Hyun-sung finished speaking, Kim Min-joong continued.

“Haha, the world is so small! To meet the connection of that brother here like this. But even so, there’s something I don’t understand.”

“Yes? What…?”

“My name. How do you remember it right away after hearing it only once?”

“There’s a reason for that too. Actually, one of my middle school friends…”

Hyun-sung had no choice but to talk about his old memories again.

As Hyun-sung’s explanation continued, Kim Min-joong smiled as if he was amused. And when Hyun-sung’s explanation was over, he asked again.

“Ah, so there was such a story. But there’s still something I don’t understand. Even so, how did you know I came directly from Gyeongdong Market?”

“Ah, that? That’s simple. It’s because of the smell.”

“Smell?”

“Yes, you two may not know it, but I can smell herbal medicine on you. Of course, ordinary people wouldn’t know. But I’m particularly sensitive to smell, so I could tell right away.”

“Haha… I see.”

Kim Min-joong looked at Han Seok-ho, who was sitting in front of him, and started laughing. Then Han Seok-ho smiled lightly and looked at Hyun-sung and continued.

“Anyway, it’s nice to meet you. I’m with the director…”

“You’re the manager, right?”

Hyun-sung spoke first before Han Seok-ho could finish speaking.

Then this time, Han Seok-ho looked at Hyun-sung and asked immediately.

“Did Kim Jin-yong happen to mention me too?”

“Yes, of course. He said you two are a fantastic duo.”

“Haha, a fantastic duo?”

“Yes, he said the director’s acupuncture skills and the manager’s sales skills are the best in Gyeongdong Market. Okay, let’s end the greetings here and from now on, I’ll take care of you. Let’s get up.”

“Yes?”

Han Seok-ho looked at Kim Min-joong as if he didn’t know what was going on. He was waiting for Kim Min-joong’s additional explanation.

But Hyun-sung’s words continued before his.

“It doesn’t seem like this is a conversation to have here in the cafe. I’ll take you to my office.”

“Haha, let’s do that. You’re quick.”

Kim Min-joong nodded and got up from his seat. He immediately understood what Hyun-sung was talking about.

That was the same for Han Seok-ho. At first, he didn’t know what he was talking about, but when Hyun-sung’s additional explanation continued, he immediately understood what it meant.

So the three of them left the cafe and headed to Hyun-sung’s office.

***

A week later.

Knock knock.

The person who opened the office door and came in was Manager Yoo Min-cheol.

“Did you call me?”

“Yes, please sit here.”

As Yoo Min-cheol took a seat, Hyun-sung handed him a piece of A4 paper.

Then Yoo Min-cheol asked immediately.

“What is this?”

“It’s a list of hospitals.”

“A list of hospitals? Don’t tell me…”

“You’re probably right about what you’re thinking. As of today, all eight hospitals that were advertised two weeks ago have been confirmed.”

“Is that for real?”

Hyun-sung replaced his answer with a smile.

To be honest, Hyun-sung was also surprised. It’s been two weeks since he placed the advertisement in the newspaper. He thought it would take at least six months. But contrary to expectations, eight hospitals were confirmed in just two weeks.

The first start was Minjoong Korean Medicine Clinic at the Gyeongdong Market intersection.

Then, as if they had all made an appointment, the hospital directors started visiting him directly from the next day.

Since they had already thought about it enough, the contract was concluded smoothly.

And he confirmed one more thing: that none of the hospitals that had inquired by phone in the meantime had been confirmed.

Maybe it’s a natural thing. The fact that they are inquiring about such an important matter by phone already means there is a problem.

Hyun-sung’s words continued again.

“And once the hospitals are opened, the travel agency will immediately release medical tourism products.”

“Medical tourism? What is that?”

“It literally means tourism for medical purposes. Of course, it’s not well known in Korea yet, but in foreign countries, travel agencies are already selling it as a general product. Of course, it’s quite popular.”

“Hmm…”

Yoo Min-cheol, who was thinking for a while, opened his mouth immediately.

“To do that, the medical skills must be excellent first, to the extent that everyone recognizes it.”

“Yes, of course. In some ways, that would be the most important requirement. If you look at the hospital list, you’ll see Minjoong Korean Medicine Clinic at the top. The manager of that hospital proposed it first.”

Hyun-sung was also surprised at first.

Back then, the word medical tourism itself was so unfamiliar that it was not common. Hyun-sung also heard about it vaguely in his previous life later.

But Han Seok-ho, the manager of Minjoong Korean Medicine Clinic, brought up that story. As Kim Jin-yong said, his sales skills were definitely great.

Yoo Min-cheol asked again as if he was curious.

“Does that mean that the director of Minjoong Korean Medicine Clinic has excellent medical skills?”

“I don’t know about other things, but I know that he is the best when it comes to acupuncture in Gyeongdong Market. That’s something that someone I know well also acknowledged.”

“Well, if you’re good at acupuncture in a Korean medicine clinic, isn’t that all you need? Then the elders in our neighborhood will like it too, right?”

“Of course. And although it’s difficult every month, they said they would do medical *bongsa* [service/volunteer work] at the senior center about twice a year.”

It was a matter Hyun-sung had promised.

He said that he was coming down exhausted from his life in Seoul, but from now on, he would take the time to *bongsa* [volunteer] with time to spare.

Yoo Min-cheol’s words continued.

“Anyway, our village is changing a lot thanks to you, boss.”

“Why is that only my credit? It’s possible because many people are helping. By the way, about the hospital construction, can we speed up the schedule a bit?”

“Are you saying we should shorten the construction period?”

“Yes, that’s right. The initial expectation was that it would take about six months to attract hospitals, but that period has been shortened to two weeks. So I want to shorten the construction period as much as possible, but is that possible?”

“Hmm… Well.”

Yoo Min-cheol seemed to be thinking for a moment, then looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“Is there any special reason for shortening the construction period?”

“Yes, there are two reasons.”

“Two reasons?”

“Yes, first of all, the contract periods of the hospitals that will be entering here are not long. The longest remaining is 10 months, and the shortest is 5 months. So there is a slight difference with our construction period.”

From the beginning, the construction period was 6 months. But if that happens, it doesn’t matter to those who have a long contract period, but in the case of those who don’t, it is calculated that they will have to extend the contract for about a month additionally.

So, if possible, he wants to shorten the contract period even a little.

“In the end, are you saying that we should shorten the construction period by about a month?”

“That’s what I want… Is it too greedy of me?”

“Hmm…”

Yoo Min-cheol seemed to be thinking about something again, then continued.

“Okay, I understand. And what’s the second reason?”

“Ah, that’s because of the villagers. If we’re going to do it anyway, I want to hurry up and start hospital treatment for the villagers as soon as possible. Frankly, how underdeveloped was the village without a proper hospital until now?”

“…Yes, I understand.”

Yoo Min-cheol nodded with difficulty. Then he immediately continued.

“4 months.”

“Yes? 4 months?”

“It’s not someone else, but our boss’s intention, so what can’t I do? I will advance it by 2 months and complete it in 4 months.”

“4 months? Is that possible?”

“I have to make it possible!”

There was a lot of strength in Yoo Min-cheol’s voice. That means his intention was put into it that much.

Hyun-sung, who couldn’t know that, continued immediately.

“Aren’t you overdoing it too much?”

“No, I’m going to overdo it this time.”

“Are you directly…?”

“Yes, that’s right. From tomorrow, I will jump into the construction directly. And I will have all the construction workers work overtime for three hours a day.”

“…”

Hyun-sung had nothing to say.

He didn’t expect Yoo Min-cheol to be so passionate. But on the other hand, it was also true that he felt burdened.

Hyun-sung carefully opened his mouth.

“Um… Manager, you don’t have to go that far…”

“I’m doing it because I like it. And it’s the first time the boss has asked me for something. From my point of view, I’m rather grateful. I can repay the boss’s grace even a little like this.”

“No, what grace all of a sudden…”

“No.”

Yoo Min-cheol shook his head and interrupted Hyun-sung’s words. Then he immediately continued.

“The house I’m living in now… I’m only saying this now, but my mother likes it so much. She says it’s not cold even in the cold winter, and it’s so nice to have a bathroom inside. And then she says…”

Yoo Min-cheol stopped talking for a moment and then continued again.

“She says it’s like a dream to live in a house like this before you die. It’s all thanks to the great gift the boss gave me. So this time…”

“Manager!”

Hyun-sung called him before Yoo Min-cheol could finish speaking. Then he immediately continued.

“Okay. Since you said that, Manager, I have nothing to say. Instead, please promise me just one thing.”

“Yes, tell me.”

“You must not get hurt. No matter what happens.”

“Yes, I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll finish the construction safely.”

Yoo Min-cheol bowed his head and answered as if he was making a pledge.

Then Hyun-sung reached out his hand to Yoo Min-cheol.

“Manager, then I’ll trust you, Manager. And I will also do my best to help.”

“Yes? You too, boss?”