Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 546

548

About ten minutes passed.

“Hold on a second!”

Park Sun-woo, the department head, was on the phone and cut off the employee as if he couldn’t listen anymore. He seemed to think for a moment, then switched the phone from his right hand to his left and immediately asked,

“Is what you’ve said so far true?”

– Yes, it is.

“Okay, come up and report the rest in detail, and then withdraw.”

Click.

Park Sun-woo ended the call with those words, not even listening to the other person’s reply. Then, like a man possessed, he stood there blankly.

Seeing this, Chairman Min Hong-sik, curious, immediately asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“…….”

“I’m asking what’s wrong?”

“…….”

Chairman Min Hong-sik asked several more times, but Park Sun-woo’s mouth remained firmly shut.

This drove Chairman Min Hong-sik crazy.

He knew something had happened, but he couldn’t get an answer no matter how much he asked, which was infuriating.

However, he knew all too well that pressing him further in this situation would be pointless.

It was because of his habit. When he’s shocked, he can’t say anything in that moment.

There’s no solution in these situations.

The only option is to wait for him to open his mouth on his own.

Chairman Min Hong-sik reluctantly put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it immediately.

He felt like he might unconsciously raise his fist if he didn’t do something. This had happened a few times before, so he was blocking it in advance this time.

“Hoo…….”

Chairman Min Hong-sik exhaled a long stream of cigarette smoke. He knew through learning that this was the best he could do for now.

How many minutes had passed?

Park Sun-woo, having regained his senses, poured a cup of water from the water purifier and drank it in one gulp before walking towards Chairman Min Hong-sik.

“I’m sorry, my old habit came out again…….”

“Enough, what’s wrong? What happened that made you lose your mind?”

“It’s about that kid.”

“Kid? What about him?”

“Well, that is…….”

Park Sun-woo began to explain what he had just been told over the phone. As his explanation continued, Chairman Min Hong-sik’s expression, like Park Sun-woo’s earlier, turned pale.

About ten minutes passed.

When Park Sun-woo’s explanation ended, Chairman Min Hong-sik immediately asked,

“Is that true?”

“Yes, it is. I need to get more details from the employee when he comes up, but the main points seem to be correct.”

“Huh…….”

Chairman Min Hong-sik could only let out a hollow laugh as if he was dumbfounded. He was so taken aback that he couldn’t say anything.

But only for a moment.

He immediately asked again.

“So, you’re saying that kid runs the biggest restaurant in Korea right now?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s two floors underground and five floors above ground. And the restaurant’s daily sales are basically a billion won [approximately $750,000 USD].”

“And a wild vegetable factory too?”

“Yes, that brings in a basic 200 million won [approximately $150,000 USD] a day.”

“Heh heh, this is something…….”

Chairman Min Hong-sik let out another hollow laugh.

How could this be possible?

That a mere twenty-nine-year-old is running the biggest restaurant in Korea. And even has a wild vegetable factory.

But what’s even more surprising is that the sales are beyond imagination.

The daily sales from the restaurant and the wild vegetable factory are basically 1.2 billion won [approximately $900,000 USD].

How could such a thing…….

When he first saw the kid, he thought he was just a young man who had pestered his parents to buy a building.

Then he was surprised when he opened the video store.

He thought he would be a complete novice who knew nothing, but his expectations were completely wrong.

In fact, he had been a little uneasy since then.

And the decisive shock came when he found out that the kid’s monthly sales were over 200 million won [approximately $150,000 USD].

He had done something that no one else in the Korean video industry could do.

He had rewritten history.

But he had just learned that all of that was just the tip of the iceberg.

1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] from the restaurant, 200 million won [approximately $150,000 USD] from the wild vegetable factory, totaling a basic 1.2 billion won [approximately $900,000 USD]. That means over 36 billion won [approximately $27 million USD] a month.

If you calculate that back into a year, it comes out to over 430 billion won [approximately $322.5 million USD].

430 billion won [approximately $322.5 million USD] a year!

And the person who created this result is none other than that kid he knows, Kim Hyun-sung.

“Park, Department Head.”

Chairman Min Hong-sik suddenly called out to Park Sun-woo.

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Even with a rough calculation, it’s over 430 billion won [approximately $322.5 million USD] a year, what do you think? Do you think this makes sense right now?”

“That’s what I’m saying. This is just impossible…….”

Park Sun-woo shook his head violently, as if he couldn’t believe it.

Then Chairman Min Hong-sik continued.

“But that unbelievable thing is happening right in front of us.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“That being said, what’s the profit margin compared to sales? After all, what matters is how much is left over, not just the sales.”

“Well, since he owns the building, he doesn’t have to pay rent, so wouldn’t it be at least 50%?”

“50%, huh…….”

Chairman Min Hong-sik unconsciously began to bite his thumbnail slightly. It was his habit when he was deep in thought. That meant he had a lot on his mind right now.

He’s not just worried about the money.

It was about why that kid started a video store in the first place.

Like Park, Department Head, said, since he doesn’t pay rent, the basic profit margin would be 50%. If so, that money alone would be over 200 billion won [approximately $150 million USD].

200 billion won [approximately $150 million USD]!

It’s just a number, but it’s an unimaginable amount. And that amount is based on one year.

He said he started the restaurant five years ago this year.

Then how much money has he accumulated so far?

The interest rate at commercial banks alone is over 12% per year.

But what crazy person would put that much money in a bank?

Basically, just putting it in an investment securities firm would yield a basic 25%. But if he invested that money directly in stocks, the amount would be beyond imagination.

Maybe it’s already over a trillion won [approximately $750 million USD].

That being said, the problem is why a kid with that much wealth is running a video store.

Chairman Min Hong-sik immediately asked,

“What’s the reason?”

“Reason? What reason are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about why that kid is running a video store. He already has several hundred billion won [hundreds of millions of USD], no, maybe over a trillion won [approximately $750 million USD], but why is he running a 500-won [approximately $0.38 USD] video business? Does that make sense?”

“Of course it doesn’t make sense. Unless he’s crazy, this is…….”

Park Sun-woo began to shake his head again. No matter how much he thought about it, it was something he couldn’t understand with his common sense.

So the two of them talked more about the issue, but in the end, they couldn’t come to a conclusion and decided to talk about it again later.

After all, there’s no point in talking about it now because they won’t come to a conclusion anyway.

A moment later.

Chairman Min Hong-sik spoke up again first.

“What are you going to do with the Bupyeong branch?”

“Honestly, there’s no answer right now. When I heard that the kid’s sales were over 200 million won [approximately $150,000 USD] a while ago, I was thinking of trying to maintain it somehow, but now even that has become meaningless.”

That’s probably what he would say.

Games are only fun when the opponent is somewhat similar. When he heard that sales were already over 200 million won [approximately $150,000 USD], he was already discouraged.

But even then, he thought that if he did well, he could at least maintain the status quo.

But after hearing that the restaurant and factory’s sales were 1.2 billion won [approximately $900,000 USD] a day, he realized that further competition was meaningless.

Chairman Min Hong-sik nodded, agreeing with the same thought, and continued.

“I guess it’s going to be difficult?”

“It’s not just difficult, it’s not even a game. We’re barely holding on now because we’re getting 500 won [approximately $0.38 USD], but if they dump it for 100 won [approximately $0.08 USD], we’re completely out of luck. I think there’s a good chance they’ll do that. After all, if that kid’s goal is to kill our Movie Heart.”

“Hmm…….”

Chairman Min Hong-sik was silent as if lost in thought. That meant that this moment was serious.

He knew that he had to make a final decision before it was too late.

How much time had passed?

Chairman Min Hong-sik, as if he had made up his mind, slightly opened his tightly closed lips and called out to Park Sun-woo.

“Park, Department Head!”

“Yes, Chairman, please speak.”

“From now on, switch to the final Plan C.”

“So, finally…….”

“There’s no answer. If we hold on any longer, it might even affect the headquarters. If that kid comes at us to fight the headquarters, we can’t handle it either. That kid is no longer our opponent. From now on, pull out of the Bupyeong branch.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll squeeze as much as I can out of it for the next three months and then pull out immediately.”

Chairman Min Hong-sik nodded as if he understood. His expression had returned to a peaceful one, as if nothing had happened.

It was the same for Park Sun-woo. The expression of concern, as if something big had happened, was nowhere to be found.

To them, the Bupyeong branch was just one of the thousands of chain stores across the country.

Thus, the future of the Bupyeong branch had already been decided in the hands of the two men.

***

Movie Heart Bupyeong Branch.

“Boss, I’m off work now.”

The employee dispatched from headquarters stood up from the counter and said.

Yoo Seung-il’s gaze automatically went to the clock on the wall. It was just past exactly 10 o’clock.

Pfft.

Yoo Seung-il smiled slightly without realizing it after checking the clock. At first glance, it might seem like a simple smile, but for Yoo Seung-il, it was a hollow laugh that came out because he was so dumbfounded.

That’s because the employee dispatched from headquarters’ work hours are from 2 PM to 10 PM. Exactly 8 hours of work.

That’s fine. After all, that’s the guideline from headquarters.

But the problem is the arrival time.

It will be a month tomorrow since he started coming to the Bupyeong branch.

For the first week, his arrival time was accurate. He never exceeded the arrival time of 2 PM even once. Rather, he came 10-20 minutes early.

But he started to change after a week.

First 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, and so on, he was getting later and later. Some days he was even 30 minutes late.

But he just let it go. After all, it’s not a busy time at that time, and he thought it might be uncomfortable to work together if he got upset about such things.

But from some point on, it became so natural as if it was too obvious.

Today alone, he was 20 minutes late. But as soon as it was 10 o’clock, he stood up and said he was going home.

But the problem is that there are three customers in the store right now.

But he’s getting ready to leave right away. So, from Yoo Seung-il’s point of view, he was so dumbfounded that he gave a hollow smile.

“Why? Do you have something to say to me?”

The headquarters employee, who was about to leave, asked immediately when Yoo Seung-il looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. He seemed to be conscious of Yoo Seung-il’s gaze himself.

Yoo Seung-il asked immediately.

“How much do you get paid from headquarters?”

“Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“No, I’m just curious.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s personal privacy……, and I wish you wouldn’t ask such things if possible!”

You could immediately feel the unpleasantness in the headquarters employee’s voice.

But Yoo Seung-il, who has lived a long life, wasn’t going to be intimidated by such things.

Yoo Seung-il immediately continued.

“You know it’s been a month since you came here tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

“How is it after being here for a month?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about this store. How much more do you think sales will increase in the future?”

“Well, that’s…….”

The employee was about to speak when he remembered the instructions he had received from Park Sun-woo, the department head at headquarters, an hour ago. That was to answer positively if President Yoo asked about the store’s vision.

He asked why, but he said he would tell him later.

The employee immediately continued.

“I think it’ll be okay.”

“Okay? I don’t think sales were that good this month either…….”

“April is originally the hardest month of the year to do business. It’ll get better little by little starting next month, and in July and August, it’s vacation season and the kids have vacation too…….”

The employee explained what he knew at length. After all, his job is to faithfully follow the instructions of the headquarters.

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes, then I’ll be going now…….”

“Okay, I understand. And don’t be late tomorrow. The last finish should be neat.”

“Huh? What do you mean? What do you mean by the last? I came here knowing it was for three months?”

You could immediately see the employee’s eyes shaking.

That would be natural for him. That’s because headquarters clearly promised him three months when he was dispatched to the Bupyeong branch.

Yoo Seung-il’s answer followed.

“It’s not confirmed, but I’m thinking about it for the last time now.”

“Thinking about it?”

“Yes, no matter how much I think about it, I can’t trust you.”

“Huh? Trust? Is that because of me?”

Certainly, the employee’s eyes were shaking. The reason is not for any other reason, but because if a problem occurs due to the employee’s own problem, it is his responsibility.

“Well, think about it carefully with your hand on your chest…… Anyway, I’m going to be up all night tonight thinking about it.”

“Boss, if you were upset with me…….”

The employee’s appearance was completely different from when he confidently said he was going home a little while ago.

Yoo Seung-il gestured at him as he watched him. He was telling him to go now.

At that time, a customer came to the counter with a video.

Yoo Seung-il immediately took the video and started scanning it.

10 minutes later.

Both the customer and the headquarters employee left the store, leaving Yoo Seung-il alone.

His expression was unusual at first glance. That’s because the moment he directly confirmed this morning that Hyun-sung’s sales were over 200 million won [approximately $150,000 USD], the trust in the headquarters completely collapsed.

So now he has to make a decision. But he spent all day thinking about it, but it wasn’t easy to make that decision. If he breaks the contract with the headquarters, the repercussions will not be small.

That’s when it happened.

Ring!

The phone rang.

‘Who is it at this hour?’

Yoo Seung-il tilted his head and answered the phone.