Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 621

Having left the video store, Hyun-sung headed back to where the truck was parked. Park Cheol-ho, who had been following him, called out in a hurried voice.

“Boss!”

“Oh, what is it?”

“Why are you just leaving like that?”

“What if I don’t just leave?”

Hyun-sung stopped walking and spoke. Park Cheol-ho looked disappointed and continued.

“The owner clearly said he’d knock off another 500 just now. Why did you just walk out? I think if we talked a bit more…”

“Cheol-ho.”

Hyun-sung called Park Cheol-ho’s name, cutting him off mid-sentence. Then, he immediately continued.

“Do you think I gave up on this store?”

“Yes, that’s what I thought.”

“If so, you’re mistaken.”

“Mistaken? Does that mean you had other intentions?”

Park Cheol-ho looked at Hyun-sung directly, as if curious. Hyun-sung nodded slightly and immediately continued.

“I haven’t completely given up on this place.”

“Really? I thought you had completely given up since you just said we should leave without saying anything special, even when he offered to take off another 500.”

“I did that on purpose. We’re not going to decide in one go anyway.”

“Does that mean you’re coming back next time?”

“Of course. It’s not like we’re buying something worth a hundred or two; we’re signing a contract for a store worth tens of millions. Who decides after looking only once?”

That’s the basic thing. It’s about signing a contract for a store worth at least 40 or 50 million [Korean Won]. It doesn’t make sense to decide after looking only once. That’s why Hyun-sung just left the video store a moment ago.

“Ah, is that why? I didn’t know because it’s my first time doing this. I’m learning another thing from you today, Boss.”

Park Cheol-ho nodded as if he finally understood why Hyun-sung had just left.

A moment later.

The two men got into the truck.

Park Cheol-ho asked Hyun-sung first.

“Aren’t you curious about the store’s sales, Boss?”

“Of course, I’m curious.”

“Huh? But why haven’t you asked me anything about the sales? I checked the sales data a little while ago, even though it’s only for six months.”

“The sales you saw a little while ago are fake anyway.”

“Fake?”

Park Cheol-ho turned to look at Hyun-sung. Hyun-sung’s reply immediately followed.

“Yeah, that data was fabricated from the start, so it’s not worth looking at. You saw it too, didn’t you? There’s no data from six months ago.”

“Of course, that’s true, but that’s the only way to check the sales right now, so we have to refer to that, don’t we?”

“No, we shouldn’t. It doesn’t make sense to refer to something when we clearly know it’s fake. We need to find another way instead.”

“Another way? Is there such a thing in this situation?”

Park Cheol-ho tilted his head and looked at Hyun-sung. He probably couldn’t think of any other way to replace the sales data in this situation.

Hyun-sung’s reply immediately followed.

“There is.”

“There is? What is it?”

It was the moment Park Cheol-ho’s eyes sparkled.

Why wouldn’t they? The most important thing for judging the appropriateness of the key money [premium for business location] is the sales data. But the problem was that the sales data had become useless. In that situation, Park Cheol-ho couldn’t help but be interested in anything that could replace the sales data.

Hyun-sung’s reply continued.

“Videos.”

“Videos?”

“Yeah, the sales data on the computer can be faked, but the purchased videos can’t be. Do you know what I mean?”

“Ah, yes, I think I know what you mean. So, you’re saying that sales can be falsely created, but the videos bought with money can’t be faked? Because the videos remain in the store as they are.”

That’s obvious.

Sales can be manipulated as much as one wants. But purchased videos are different. They can’t lie. Because the purchased videos will remain in the store as they are.

Park Cheol-ho asked again.

“Ah, so that’s why you were carefully examining the videos on the shelves a little while ago?”

“Yeah, I can’t trust the computer’s sales, but I can trust the videos on the shelves.”

“So, you’re saying we can evaluate the store based on the amount of videos purchased?”

“Yeah, that’s it. We can estimate the sales based on how many videos were purchased.”

Usually, video purchase costs are proportional to sales.

That’s obvious. A lot of video purchase costs mean the business is doing well, and a good business means higher sales.

“Ah, I see. You’re amazing, Boss. How can you think of such things?”

“It’s just a matter of thinking a little bit, so there’s no need to be surprised.”

“I don’t think so. I’ve never thought of that while doing business until now. Well, you and I are on different levels…”

“Nonsense.”

Hyun-sung looked at Park Cheol-ho and smiled slightly. Then, Park Cheol-ho looked at Hyun-sung again and asked.

“How much did the purchase cost come out to?”

“It’s not exact, but roughly calculating, it comes out to about 1 million to 1.1 million won per month.”

“Then how much is the monthly sales?”

“Hmm… Generally, assuming about 30% of sales are spent on purchase costs, it comes out to about 3.3 million to 3.6 million won.”

“That’s all? Then how much did they fake the sales?”

It was the moment Park Cheol-ho’s expression distorted. That’s because, based on the key money [premium for business location] of 20 million won, the monthly sales were about 4.16 million won.

“Even roughly calculating, they faked the sales by more than 850,000 won per month. If you calculate that for a year, it’s over 10 million won, and if you calculate that back into the key money [premium for business location], it comes to the conclusion that they calculated about 4 to 5 million won more.”

“Ah, so that’s why the video store owner offered to take off 500 just now?”

“That’s right.”

“I didn’t know that, and I was tempted when he offered to take off 500, but it all had a reason in the end?”

Park Cheol-ho frowned as if he felt wronged. Seeing that, Hyun-sung immediately opened his mouth.

“That’s why you get taken advantage of if you don’t know.”

“I think so. The world is scary after all.”

“And it’s not over here.”

“Yes? What else is there?”

Park Cheol-ho looked at Hyun-sung again as if he didn’t understand. Hyun-sung immediately continued.

“Videos.”

“Videos? Does that mean there’s something wrong with the videos too?”

“The video selection is not good enough. At least 2 million won should be deducted from the current price for that selection. Especially dramas and Chinese movies, and even children’s programs are missing a lot.”

“You’re saying we should mention that part when we talk next time?”

“That’s right. If you deduct 5 million won from the key money [premium for business location] and about 2 million won from the videos, that would be the normal price.”

Park Cheol-ho nodded as if he understood. Then, he immediately opened his mouth again.

“How is the commercial district here?”

“Well, I don’t know this place well, so I don’t know for sure, but it doesn’t seem bad. What I like most is that this road connects to Bupyeong Station.”

“Right? I liked that the most too. It’s more advantageous to have a station nearby.”

That’s right. Unlike general residential areas, it’s true that it’s more advantageous to do business with a station nearby. There will be more people passing by the station.

“But you know…”

“Why? Is there another problem?”

“I’m curious why the sales are only that much in this kind of location. Usually, a daily sale of 300,000 won is the basic in this commercial district.”

“Come to think of it, that’s true. It’s only a little over 100,000 won in this kind of location. What could be the problem?”

“Hmm… I don’t know.”

Hyun-sung was silent for a while as if he was thinking about something. It was a little while later that he opened his mouth again.

“Could it be that there are more video stores around here besides this one?”

“Ah, that could be it. If there’s another video store besides this one, the story changes.”

Brrr!

Hyun-sung started the engine right away. Then, Park Cheol-ho immediately asked.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to take a look around this area. There must be a reason why the sales are only that much in this kind of location.”

“That’s right, just looking at the location, the commercial district is so good…”

The truck carrying the two men slowly started moving.

After 5 minutes, and even after 10 minutes, the two men couldn’t see another video store. Then, Park Cheol-ho immediately opened his mouth.

“It seems like there are no other video stores after all.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I can’t see a video store no matter how much I look.”

“If there aren’t any even after searching this much, the only conclusion is that there are no video stores around.”

“Instead of that, let’s ask.”

As soon as Hyun-sung finished speaking, he parked the truck on the side of the road. It happened to be in front of a supermarket.

Hyun-sung got out of the car and immediately went inside the supermarket.

Hyun-sung chose two drinks from the refrigerator, approached the counter, calculated the drinks, and asked.

“Excuse me, do you know where the video store is in this neighborhood?”

“If you go straight down this way, there’s one called ‘Video Land’.”

“Is that the only one?”

“Yes, that’s the only one in this neighborhood. There was one up there last year, but it closed down, and now that video store is the only one left. That’s why that video store has a bad reputation.”

Hyun-sung tilted his head and immediately asked.

“Bad reputation?”

“Yes, maybe because it’s the only one left, they open and close the door whenever they want. And they’re also unfriendly. So, people go to other places even if it’s a bit far from here. That’s why, according to rumors, they’re putting the store up for sale these days… Honestly, I don’t understand. If they run it well, it would be fine because it’s the only one in this neighborhood.”

“Ah, I see. Thank you.”

After saying goodbye and coming outside, Hyun-sung immediately got into the truck. Then, Park Cheol-ho immediately asked as if he had been waiting.

“What did they say?”

“They said there’s only one video store in this neighborhood.”

“That’s why we couldn’t find it even after searching until now.”

Park Cheol-ho nodded as if it was obvious and spoke. Then, Hyun-sung’s words immediately followed.

“Now I know.”

“Yes? What do you know?”

“Why that video store isn’t doing well.”

“There was a reason after all. So, what’s the reason?”

“That’s…”

Hyun-sung began to explain what he had heard from the supermarket owner a little while ago. After Hyun-sung’s explanation, Park Cheol-ho immediately asked.

“So, there was another video store until last year?”

“Yeah, but that store closed down, so they were left alone.”

“That’s why they opened and closed the store door as they pleased, right?”

“Yeah, and they’re even unfriendly, so customers have all left.”

“Ah, that’s what it was.”

Park Cheol-ho nodded as if he finally understood. But Hyun-sung had a puzzled expression, unlike Park Cheol-ho. Then, Park Cheol-ho immediately asked.

“But why do you have that expression, Boss? Isn’t everything revealed now?”

“I don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand?”

“It doesn’t make sense. If a competitor shop disappears, shouldn’t they work harder?”

“That’s right.”

Park Cheol-ho nodded as if it was obvious. Then, Hyun-sung asked again.

“But why did that person act the opposite? They opened and closed the store door as they pleased. How can someone who wants to do business do that logically?”

“Come to think of it, that’s true. And they’re even unfriendly. Is there something we don’t know?”

“I don’t know…”

Hyun-sung tilted his head and was silent as if he was thinking about something. Park Cheol-ho was also silent.

How many minutes had passed?

It was Hyun-sung who broke the silence first.

“I really don’t know. Why that person did that.”

“That’s right. No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know the reason. Why did they do such illogical things?”

“I don’t know.”

“What should we do?”

“Hmm…”

After thinking for a while, Hyun-sung opened his mouth again.

“For now, I think we have no choice but to ignore it. The reason isn’t important to us anyway.”

“I guess so.”

“Yeah, the important thing is that the location is good.”

“Then are we going to sign the contract now?”

“No, I told you before, the contract should be careful.”

Park Cheol-ho nodded as if he understood and then opened his mouth again.

“Then shall we go to the second store now?”

“Yeah, let’s do that. Where is it this time?”

“It’s in Ilsin-dong. It’s in front of an apartment.”

“That means it’s an apartment commercial district. Okay, let’s head to Ilsin-dong.”

Brrr!

The truck carrying the two men started running towards Ilsin-dong.