Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 481

483

“What did you say?”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh had just heard something unbelievable: that the hospital Hyun-sung was building was nearing completion.

When he first received the report, he was told it would take at least six months. But only four months had passed since construction began.

And it’s already completed?

Out of curiosity, Chairman Shin Chun-oh asked Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young again.

“What happened in the meantime? This doesn’t make sense. How can a six-month project be completed in just four months?”

“Well, that’s…”

Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young began to explain what had happened. As his explanation continued, Chairman Shin Chun-oh simply stared at him, dumbfounded.

And when the explanation finally ended, he immediately asked, “So, you’re saying that Section Chief Yoo Min-chul participated in the construction himself?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And he worked overtime for three hours every day?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

As Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young nodded and continued to answer, Chairman Shin Chun-oh also nodded.

He figured that Yoo Min-chul had been in the equipment business from the start, so he could do that much.

But the problem was what came next.

“Okay, let’s say that’s true for Section Chief Yoo, but the problem is CEO Kim… Is it true that CEO Kim participated in the construction himself?”

“Yes, that’s right. I double-checked just in case, and it was true.”

“Oh my, this is…”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh couldn’t understand it, no matter how hard he tried.

He wondered if it was really necessary.

He couldn’t find a reason why the president would be so pressed for time that he would participate in the construction himself.

There would be no problem if the construction took six months as originally planned. But why bother…

After thinking for a while, Chairman Shin Chun-oh couldn’t understand it, so he couldn’t help but ask.

“What’s the reason? I don’t think there’s any reason to rush so much. Why did you shorten the construction period so much that the president himself had to participate in the construction?”

“There were two main reasons.”

“Two reasons?”

“Yes, that is…”

Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young began to explain why Hyun-sung tried to shorten the construction period so much. When his explanation was over, Chairman Shin Chun-oh asked again.

“So, the lease for that Min Joong Korean Medicine Clinic expires at the end of this month?”

“Yes, that’s right. So…”

“Wait a minute!”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh raised his hand to interrupt Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young. Then he immediately continued, “There’s something I don’t understand.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Is it really necessary to overdo it so much for just one of the eight hospitals? Does CEO Kim have a special relationship with that Min Joong Korean Medicine Clinic?”

“That’s not it.”

“That’s not it? But why so much…”

Chairman Shin Chun-oh still couldn’t understand.

He couldn’t understand why they would shorten the construction period so much for just one hospital when they didn’t have a special relationship.

Then Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young answered, “CEO Kim is putting the most effort into that Korean medicine clinic out of the eight hospitals.”

“Hmm? What does that mean?”

“That Korean medicine clinic was the first to come to CEO Kim. But more importantly, the director of that Korean medicine clinic is very skilled.”

“Skilled?”

“Yes, in acupuncture. It turns out that the director’s acupuncture skills are outstanding. He’s so skilled that no one in Gyeongdong Market can match him.”

“So, CEO Kim is putting that much effort into that Korean medicine clinic?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

As Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young nodded and answered, Chairman Shin Chun-oh immediately asked again, “What’s the reason?”

“Yes? What reason are you talking about?”

“The director of that Min Joong Korean Medicine Clinic. If he’s that skilled, he could make a good living in Seoul, so why would he go all the way down to the countryside to suffer? What’s the reason?”

“It’s a bit ambiguous.”

“Ambiguous? What does that mean?”

“The reason he chose the countryside in the first place was because he didn’t like the stuffy life in Seoul, but I don’t think that’s the decisive reason.”

“So, you’re saying there’s another decisive reason?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And Chief Secretary Choi doesn’t know the decisive reason right now?”

Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young nodded instead of answering. Then he immediately continued, “But one thing is certain.”

“One thing? What is it?”

“CEO Kim gave something to the director.”

“Something? What is it?”

“I don’t know what it is. I confirmed that he gave it to him, but I couldn’t confirm the contents. That’s why it’s ambiguous.”

“So, you’re saying that he doesn’t know what it is, but the director saw it and finally decided to go down to the countryside?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Chief Secretary Choi Jin-young nodded.

Then Chairman Shin Chun-oh was silent for a moment as if he was thinking about something.

A moment later.

Chairman Shin Chun-oh tilted his head and slowly opened his mouth. “What could it be…?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“What is it that made that talented doctor of Korean medicine think about going down to the countryside after receiving it?”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t find out that much.”

“No, Chief Secretary Choi doesn’t have to be sorry, I’m just curious. I’m just wondering what it was that moved the director’s heart.”

“I feel the same way. What on earth is it…?”

The two of them were lost in thought at the same time, as if they had made a promise.

***

Inside the director’s office at Min Joong Korean Medicine Clinic.

Chief Clerk Han Seok-ho tilted his head and said to Kim Min-joong, the doctor of Korean medicine, “Isn’t it amazing? How could they shorten the construction by two months, not just one month?”

“That’s what I’m saying. I was surprised when I got the call today.”

“Anyway, that friend is really amazing. I heard that he carried bricks himself.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I don’t understand how he can do that.”

This doesn’t make sense.

What’s so lacking about a person who runs such a large restaurant that he would take the initiative to carry bricks and try to shorten the construction schedule?

“That’s not all.”

“Yes? What else is there?”

“Well, he decided to give an extra million won [approximately $750 USD] to everyone who was involved in the construction. No matter how much money a person has, does it make sense to give an extra million won to all the workers, not just one or two hundred thousand won?”

“That’s what I’m saying. I’ve only talked to him for a short time, but he’s not the average person we think he is. He’s the first friend I’ve ever seen like that.”

As Kim Min-joong finished speaking, Han Seok-ho suddenly opened his mouth as if he had thought of something.

“Oh, that’s right! That’s not all, but I have a question for you, Director.”

“Yes? For me?”

“Yes, the document that CEO Kim gave you. I don’t know what it is, but you made a decision right after you saw it, didn’t you?”

“Oh, that?”

“Yes, I can’t help but be curious. I’ve been holding back until now, but I guess my patience has run out. I’m sorry, but can you tell me what it is now?”

It was when he visited the restaurant run by Kim Min-joong and Hyun-sung four months ago.

Hyun-sung suddenly took him to his office and left for about 10 minutes, saying he would be back after a while.

Then, as soon as he came back, he handed Kim Min-joong an envelope.

But the strange thing was Kim Min-joong’s behavior after seeing the document.

Anyway, he had been running a Korean medicine clinic in Seoul for 20 years.

It would be a lie to say that he had no regrets.

But he was going to give up all his life in Seoul and go down as soon as the hospital building was completed.

What on earth was in that envelope that made him make such a decision?

Of course, he was curious about the reason.

But he was holding back.

He thought that Kim Min-joong would tell him when the time came.

But he never mentioned that part after that.

He had no choice but to hold back. It was because he thought that if he didn’t talk about it, there must be a reason.

But in the end, he reached the limit of his patience.

It was because he received a call from Hyun-sung in the countryside. He said that the hospital building would be completed in a few days.

After hearing that, he couldn’t hold back any longer.

So, he had no choice but to ask, even though he knew it was impolite.

“…”

Kim Min-joong didn’t say anything to Han Seok-ho’s question.

After a while.

He slowly opened his mouth. “Were you curious?”

“Yes, I was very curious. What on earth was it that made you make a decision as soon as you saw the document?”

“I was going to show it to you later…”

“Yes?”

It was Han Seok-ho who was embarrassed.

He had been waiting until now and had the courage to talk about it, but Kim Min-joong said that he was going to show it to him later, so he couldn’t help but be flustered.

This is because it means that Kim Min-joong had a plan from the beginning.

But he couldn’t stand it and talked about it.

“Um… wait a minute.”

After thinking for a while, Kim Min-joong got up from his chair, took something out of his desk drawer, and handed it to Han Seok-ho.

“Take a look for yourself.”

“This is…”

What Kim Min-joong handed over was the very envelope that Hyun-sung had given him at first.

As planned, it is right to check this envelope right now.

But a problem has arisen.

He can’t check this envelope with his own hands right now.

Kim Min-joong never intended to keep this envelope a secret from the beginning. He just wanted to postpone the timing a little later.

He didn’t know that fact until a little while ago, but he knows that’s not the case now.

In that situation, wouldn’t checking this envelope directly be a betrayal of Kim Min-joong’s trust?

If I had waited a little longer…

It’s a shame, but it’s already happened.

But now is the last chance. A chance to trust Kim Min-joong and wait a little longer.

Swish.

Han Seok-ho pushed the envelope back to Kim Min-joong. Then he shook his head and immediately continued, “I won’t look at it.”

“Yes? Why?”

“I was short-sighted. There must have been a reason why you didn’t show it to me, and I couldn’t stand it and made a light-hearted remark. I regret it now, even though it’s late. In that sense…”

“Chief Clerk!”

Kim Min-joong called him before Han Seok-ho finished speaking. Then he immediately continued, “It’s okay. You can look at it. Anyway, 50% of that land is yours.”

“Yes? Land? What are you talking about…?”

Han Seok-ho tilted his head.

What on earth is he talking about? What is he talking about land, and what is he talking about 50% being his land?

After thinking for a while, Han Seok-ho asked again, “Director, what are you talking about? What are you talking about land, and what are you talking about 50%?”

“Check it out for yourself.”

“No, don’t do that, and what are you talking about…”

Swish.

Before Han Seok-ho finished speaking, Kim Min-joong took out the document from the envelope, handed it to Han Seok-ho, and continued, “Maybe I was short-sighted. I just wanted to give you a house as a gift…”

“Wait a minute, Director!”

Han Seok-ho hurriedly raised his hand to interrupt Kim Min-joong. Then he started checking the document he handed over.

After checking the document, Han Seok-ho immediately continued, “Isn’t this a land deed?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s the land that CEO Kim gave us.”

“CEO Kim gave us?”

“Yes, on that land…”

“Wait a minute!”

Han Seok-ho interrupted Kim Min-joong again. Then he immediately continued, “Did you make a decision without any regrets because of this land?”

“Well…”

“Well? What does that mean? It’s either yes or no.”

“Why, can’t I?”

“…”

Han Seok-ho didn’t say anything. But more than the words, it was his expression that changed. At first glance, he looked very angry.

Then he opened his mouth again.

“Director, I’m sorry, but please tell me for sure. This is important to me. Did you really make a decision without any regrets because of this land that CEO Kim gave you?”

Smile.

Instead of answering, Kim Min-joong smiled as he looked at Han Seok-ho, who was angry. Then he immediately opened his mouth again. “Look at the back.”

“The back?”

Sharrack.

Han Seok-ho immediately turned the page.

There was a letter behind the land deed.

Han Seok-ho quietly began to read the letter.

The handwriting, pressed hard with his hand, filled the white paper. The letter was long, but the main point was one: to help.

It was about wanting to give hospital benefits to the villagers who had suffered for decades without a proper hospital. So please help.

After reading the letter, Han Seok-ho slowly opened his mouth.