Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 625

A Landlord After Regression – 626

628

A Landlord After Regression

A week later.

“We have just received news that Dankook University has been declared bankrupt, the first such case for a domestic comprehensive university…”

Hyunsung frowned as he watched the TV news. Although he had already experienced this in his past life, hearing the news again made him grimace involuntarily. He had seen many companies go bankrupt since last year, but this felt different.

Just then,

Ring!

His phone rang.

“Hello.”

-Hyungnim [term of endearment for an older brother or male friend], it’s me.

The caller was none other than Yoo Youngseok, who ran the side dish shop.

“What’s going on at this hour?”

-Did you see the news?

“News? Why the news all of a sudden?”

-What you mentioned a few days ago has actually happened. The Dankook University bankruptcy.

It was something that had come up casually during a conversation with Yoo Youngseok a few days ago. So, it seemed Yoo Youngseok was calling to confirm the news.

“Yeah, I just saw it on the news.”

-Wow! I never thought a university could go bankrupt.

“That’s why you need to stay sharp. At least for the next year, unemployment will continue to rise.”

-I’m already on edge. Like you said, I feel like I’ll be in big trouble if I lose focus, so I’m not drinking these days.

“Good, you did well. If you keep relying on alcohol, your will weakens without you even realizing it. So, it’s best to avoid alcohol as much as possible. By the way, how’s your leg these days?”

Ever since that incident, Yoo Youngseok’s leg had been on his mind. He couldn’t help but worry more since he was still young.

-Honestly, it still hurts a lot when I walk because calluses haven’t formed where the prosthetic touches. But I have to overcome it, so I’m enduring it well.

“It’s supposed to get better in six months, so hang in there a little longer.”

-Yes, I understand. But business is getting better and better these days, so I’m energized. It finally feels like I’m enjoying doing business.

“That’s good news. I was worried because sales weren’t going up as expected, but thankfully it’s getting better.”

Hyunsung couldn’t help but smile.

He had been worried a lot, though he hadn’t shown it. It had been a month and a half since Yoo Youngseok started his business, but sales weren’t improving. As a result, Yoo Youngseok was bound to feel stressed.

-I realized once again that nothing is easy. I honestly thought that business would be good if I just did a decent job because the location was good. But that was my mistake. I realized I had been running things wrong until I heard what you said a few days ago.

“Business is about trust. If you don’t build that up, customers won’t open their wallets easily. Especially for side dish shops, customers don’t just come once and leave, so their trust is even more important.”

-That’s what I mean. I didn’t know that. I’m glad I know it now. And strangely, my leg hurts less when business is good.

“That’s the power of money. If business is good, you don’t even notice how hard it is.”

-Hehe… I admit that.

Yoo Youngseok’s laughter could be heard over the phone. He definitely sounded different from a few days ago when he was struggling. Then his voice came again.

-I won’t be calling you drunk anymore, Hyungnim. Actually, I called to tell you that today. The news was just an excuse. I thought you might be worried.

“Okay, I understand. Anyway, I’m glad you seem to have pulled yourself together.”

-Just watch, I’ll definitely achieve my target amount within three months. Buy me a celebratory drink then.

“Okay, I can do that anytime. And one more thing, of course business is important, but always remember that your health comes first.”

-Yes, I understand. I’ll make sure to take care of my health. I’ll contact you again.

Click.

As soon as the call ended, a smile spread across Hyunsung’s face.

Just then,

Two employees who had finished organizing the videos approached. They were Kim Minki and Lee Kyungmin.

Kim Minki asked,

“Was that Youngseok?”

“Yeah, it was.”

“Is he doing okay? When I talked to him a few days ago, he said his leg was hurting because of the prosthetic…”

“Fortunately, he seems to be doing better these days.”

As Hyunsung finished speaking, Kim Minki’s face changed to one of relief. Perhaps because Yoo Youngseok was the youngest, he was concerned about him.

This time, Lee Kyungmin, who was next to him, asked,

“How’s business going?”

“He said it’s been better since a few days ago. So, it seems his leg hurts less too. Originally, for business people, if business is good, it’s a panacea.”

“That’s a relief. When I talked to him a few days ago, he said business wasn’t good, so I felt bad for him…”

Lee Kyungmin nodded slowly, also relieved. Then Hyunsung looked at the two of them and asked,

“By the way, what are you two going to do from now on?”

The contract period for the two had ended a few days ago. So, he had asked them about their plans for the future. They had asked for a few more days to think about it. Hyunsung was now asking about it.

Kim Minki made eye contact with Lee Kyungmin and then opened his mouth.

“Before that, we have a question to ask you, boss.”

“To me? What is it?”

“What would happen if we said we wanted to stay here?”

“That would be great for me. If you guys quit and leave, I’d have to find someone again. And since it would be a new person, I’d have to pay more attention to them.”

The video store needed at least two people. So, if even one of them quit, he would have to hire someone again. In that case, he would have to retrain the new person, and of course, he would have to pay more attention to them.

“Then we’ve made our decision.”

“We? Does that mean you two have the same decision?”

“Yes, that’s right. We unified our opinions last night.”

“So, what’s the conclusion?”

Tension flickered across Hyunsung’s face. Depending on their answers, his situation would change, so Hyunsung couldn’t help but feel anxious.

“We will continue to work under you, boss.”

“Is that for real?”

“Yes, it is. At first, we thought about quitting here and opening a video store like Chulho hyung, but we decided to stay here. We’re still too young to start a business, and the country’s situation is so bad these days that we thought it would be better to learn from you for at least two more years.”

Smile.

Hyunsung smiled involuntarily as he looked at the two of them. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have to worry about employees for at least two more years.

Hyunsung continued,

“Thank you, I was worried about what would happen if you quit.”

“We’re the ones who are grateful. Where else can we find a job like this these days?”

“I’m even more grateful if you think so. Anyway, since you’ve decided to stay here, please continue to take care of me.”

“Yes, I understand. We look forward to working with you for the next two years.”

Kim Minki and Lee Kyungmin bowed to Hyunsung. Then Hyunsung immediately reached out his hand and said,

“Let’s shake hands to commemorate our decision to work together again.”

“Yes, boss.”

A satisfied smile spread across Hyunsung’s face as he shook hands with the two of them in turn. The same was true for Kim Minki and Lee Kyungmin, who had shaken hands. A warm smile began to spread across their faces.

Just then,

Ding-dong!

The video store door opened, and someone came in.

“Welcome!”

Hyunsung greeted them habitually. But what was strange was the expression of the person who had just entered. At first glance, they didn’t seem to be someone who had come to rent a video.

The man, who looked to be in his mid-30s, seemed to be looking for someone.

Hyunsung asked again,

“How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Someone? Who…”

“I’m looking for CEO Kim Hyunsung.”

“I’m that person…”

“Ah, is that so? You’re younger than I expected. Let me introduce myself first. I am…”

His name was Lee Sangho, and he was 35 years old. He said his company had gone bankrupt a month ago. And now he was the head of a household with two children.

After briefly introducing himself, he spoke again.

“Please help me.”

Hyunsung was dumbfounded.

He was meeting this person for the first time today. He had no connection with him even in his past life. Such a person suddenly came to his store, and after a brief introduction, the first thing he said was, “Please help me.”

“Let’s go this way…”

He didn’t know what was going on, but it didn’t seem like something to talk about in front of the counter where customers were coming and going, so he moved to another place.

The place they moved to was a rest area located on one side of the store. It was a space where Hyunsung and the employees could take a break and drink coffee.

As soon as he sat down, Hyunsung asked the man who had introduced himself as Lee Sangho a little while ago.

“Do you happen to know me?”

That was the most 궁금한 [gunggeumhan – curious] thing. Hyunsung didn’t know him at all, but he suddenly came and asked for help.

As expected, the expected answer immediately followed from his mouth.

“I’m meeting you for the first time today.”

“Ah, is that so? I thought you knew me well because you spoke so naturally a little while ago.”

“I heard rumors and came because my situation is urgent.”

“Rumors?”

At the word rumors, Hyunsung couldn’t help but tilt his head. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of rumors he had heard that made him come and ask for help.

Lee Sangho’s words continued.

“I live in Bupyeong-dong.”

“Bupyeong-dong? Bupyeong-dong is a bit far from here. How did you know about me…”

“If I say Cinema Paradise in Bupyeong-dong, you’ll know right away.”

“Are you talking about Cinema Paradise near Bupyeong Station?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s a video store that opened a month ago. The owner there is Park Chulho…”

Hyunsung seemed to know who Lee Sangho had come to him through. In the end, he concluded that he had heard about him from Park Chulho.

“Did you hear about me from Chulho?”

“Yes, that’s right. But I didn’t hear about you from him from the beginning. At first, I heard about you from our neighborhood chief.”

“Neighborhood chief?”

Hyunsung couldn’t understand it at first. He didn’t know how the Bupyeong-dong neighborhood chief knew about him and was talking about him.

“Yes, our neighborhood chief was talking about the free sharing store in Bupyeong.”

“Ah, yes…”

Then the story changes. If it’s the neighborhood chief, he might know that much.

“At first, I didn’t believe the neighborhood chief’s story about the free sharing store. How could I believe that an individual was doing something that even the country couldn’t do?”

“And then?”

“I went to the video store and found out that the story was true. It turned out that the friend was working under you.”

“So, you came to me like this?”

“Yes, that’s right!”

Lee Sangho’s voice even felt confident.

But Hyunsung still couldn’t understand it. Even if everything he had said so far was true, it didn’t make sense to come to someone he didn’t know and ask for help.

“So, what do you want from me now?”

“Please help me.”

“I mean, what do you want me to help you with?”

“I want to open a video store too.”

“A video store?”

“Yes, I want to open a video store that’s as successful as Chulho’s. So, please help me.”

Hyunsung was still dumbfounded.

Whatever the reason, he was meeting this person for the first time today. Such a person was asking him to help him open a video store, not anything else.

Helping. It’s a good word. But the problem is that it’s not as simple as it sounds. First of all, helping means taking responsibility for everything from store selection to all the processes.

And if the business doesn’t do well later, he would have to take some responsibility for that as well. And that’s for someone he’s meeting for the first time.

Lee Sangho’s words continued.

“How much money do you need to open a video store?”

“Um… well, it depends on the store, but you’ll need at least 40 to 50 million won [approximately $30,000 to $38,000 USD] to start. Of course, it would be different if you had your own building.”

“…”

For some reason, Lee Sangho closed his mouth. He opened his mouth again after a while.

“5 million won.”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“I mean, I only have 5 million won [approximately $3,800 USD] right now.”

“…”

Hyunsung was speechless. He didn’t know what this was, like a child’s play.

Then another word came out of Lee Sangho’s mouth.