Chapter 32
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: First Day in Vietnam
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After finishing immigration and stepping out of Ho Chi Minh Airport, a wave of hot, humid air washed over my face.
"Whoa, it's hot..."
I muttered to myself about the heat and messaged headquarters on Telegram that I'd arrived.
Soon, a man in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt approached from the airport entrance lined with taxis.
The bespectacled man spotted me, flashed a bright smile, and called out.
"You're Hani, right?"
He was a total stranger, but I figured he must be from headquarters.
Still, just to be safe, I asked, "Who are you?"
"Hey, I gave you pizza. Remember?"
It clicked in an instant.
"Oh yeah! It's you!"
I grinned back, genuinely pleased, and shook his hand.
The man led me to a vehicle prepared by headquarters.
It was an eight-seater van.
I liked the spacious, comfortable interior.
The local driver took us wherever we directed.
We introduced ourselves properly in the car.
The man's name was Choi Seong.
He was a manager who alternated between recruiting master agents and handling customer support.
I shared my real name too, and as we chatted about this and that, the initial awkwardness melted away.
"I booked the accommodation in the neighborhood where Koreans mostly live in Ho Chi Minh. A hyung I know runs a hotel there. Feel free to use it comfortably."
We arrived at the hotel, unpacked, changed clothes, and headed down to the cafe inside.
As we sipped coffee, Seong casually pulled out a cigarette and lit up.
I stared in surprise for a moment.
"Huh? You can smoke here?"
Seong chuckled and said,
"In Vietnam, you can even smoke in taxis, and indoor smoking is pretty much allowed everywhere. The locals are really lenient about it."
As a smoker myself, that put me at ease.
Indoor smoking was unthinkable back in Korea—foreign countries really were different.
"Oh, this is nice."
Seong smiled and said,
"You've come a long way, so let's start with a massage, grab some food, and then have drinks with the headquarters crew in the evening."
We headed straight to a traditional Vietnamese massage parlor.
The interior was a vast space under dimmer lighting than I'd expected.
Several beds were arranged, divided by fabric curtains.
I changed into the clothes provided by the shop and lay face down on a bed.
A young female masseuse soon entered and gestured for me to remove my top.
After about an hour of strong, refreshing massage, all my fatigue vanished.
After the massage, we ate at a local pho restaurant.
The first bite drew an involuntary exclamation.
"Wow, is this the taste of real local food? It's seriously delicious!"
Seong laughed beside me, amused by my reaction.
After eating, we moved to a local karaoke spot where headquarters people were waiting.
The moment we entered the karaoke place Seong guided us to, I was speechless.
The room was filled with dazzling lights and golden decorations—a world away from the karaoke I'd known in Korea.
From the ceiling to the walls, even the table—everything glittered with ornate gold trim.
The whole room felt like a mini palace.
The large leather sofas were plush and luxurious, and the table was neatly set with various snacks and bottles of booze.
"Whoa, what is this... it's insanely flashy."
Seong laughed at my stunned expression and said,
"Vietnamese karaoke is always like this. Let's have a proper good time."
I nodded lightly at his words and slowly stepped into the glittering room.
Jin-seong sat on the sofa in the lavish room, slowly taking in his surroundings.
A moment later, Seong looked at Jin-seong and said,
"Just wait a bit. The guys are on their way."
Seong poured Tiger beer from the table into Jin-seong's glass and continued,
"Let's have one first."
Jin-seong, aware he was abroad, resolved not to get too drunk in case of any unexpected situations, then downed the cool beer refreshing.
The crisp sensation sliding down his throat felt great.
About ten minutes passed like that when the room door opened, and two managers entered.
Their first impression was intense.
Both had tattoos in various places on their bodies, and their expressions looked a bit intimidating.
But they soon smiled, approached Jin-seong, and extended their hands.
"You're Hani, right? We've heard a lot about you at the center. I'm Tae-gyu."
Tae-gyu, who handled overall site management, greeted him first.
Then the darker-skinned other manager offered a handshake.
"I'm Sang-wook. Nice to meet you."
Seong smiled from the side and added,
"We've been friends since we were kids."
Jin-seong had been slightly tense at first due to their looks and vibe, but they turned out to be more fun-loving than expected. Being the same age helped the conversation flow easily.
Tae-gyu said to Jin-seong with sincerity,
"Hani, honestly, our site becoming this major league is all thanks to you. Seriously grateful."
Jin-seong smiled and nodded.
"I'm the one who's thankful—you guys accommodated my conditions even knowing you'd take a loss and handled everything smoothly. With headquarters treating me so well, it gets me fired up to work harder."
Tae-gyu raised his beer and said,
"To be honest, when we first launched the site, we had no idea it'd grow this big. But you really nurtured it well. Let's keep trusting each other to the end and win-win from here on out."
Jin-seong lifted his glass in response.
"Honestly, I was scared to come all the way out here at first, but I really wanted to meet faces and talk properly. Seeing you now puts me even more at ease."
Sang-wook lightened the mood from the side.
"Headquarters wanted to treat you right, but you don't ask for much, so we were stumped. We just figured we'd have fun touring together, so no worries. Without you, the site would crash immediately. Relax and enjoy properly here."
After about an hour of casual drinks and chit-chat,
Tae-gyu suddenly spoke up.
"Shall we call in some girls now and party? Girls are cheap here, so we can have two each."
Jin-seong smiled faintly and nodded.
Tae-gyu immediately called the waiter and gave instructions in Vietnamese.
A moment later, the room door swung open, and around 40 girls poured in.
Jin-seong was shocked by the sheer scale.
Tae-gyu whispered to the surprised Jin-seong,
"Remember the number on the chest tag of the girl you like, then tell the madam after they all leave."
Jin-seong pondered briefly, then picked two young-looking ones with exotic features.
Once selected, the rest left, and the two chosen ones beamed, sliding up to Jin-seong's sides like wings, pressing softly against him.
Their cute coquettishness made Jin-seong unable to hide his smile.
Tae-gyu, Sang-wook, and Seong each had girls beside them too, and the atmosphere heated up even more.
After about two hours of flashy, raucous fun, signs of the room winding down naturally appeared.
Jin-seong, perhaps due to the long flight, felt fatigue hit as the alcohol buzz kicked in.
He smiled faintly watching Tae-gyu and Seong singing on the sofa.
Tae-gyu promptly called the madam to settle the bill.
Then he approached Jin-seong and tipped him off.
"Hani, you can take your two girls back to the hotel and stay till morning. Already paid up."
Jin-seong looked at Tae-gyu in surprise and asked,
"Is that okay?"
Tae-gyu laughed heartily and said,
"Don't worry. Do whatever till tomorrow."
Soon, the four of us got into a taxi headed for the hotel.
The girls would prepare separately at the karaoke and be sent to Jin-seong's room.
All Jin-seong had to do was go to his room and shower comfortably.
In the taxi, Tae-gyu pulled a few Vietnamese dong notes from his pocket and handed them to Jin-seong.
"Give this to the girls in the morning. That's the custom here. They'll cause a scene if no tip, so make sure."
Jin-seong, having already exchanged 3 million won into dong back in Korea, waved it off.
"It's fine. I exchanged plenty."
But Tae-gyu firmly pressed the money into Jin-seong's hand.
"I told you not to spend your own money here. Just use this."
Jin-seong gratefully accepted.
The money Tae-gyu gave was 3 million dong per girl, totaling 6 million dong.
We arrived at the hotel and all got out together.
Tae-gyu, Seong, and Sang-wook said they'd head to their own places and told Jin-seong,
"Hani, message when you wake up tomorrow."
Jin-seong waved lightly with a smile.
"Got it. See you tomorrow."
Jin-seong entered his room and immediately showered with cool water.
It felt like the day's fatigue was washing away. He changed into a robe, sat comfortably on the sofa, sipped water, and lit a cigarette.
That's when it happened.
Knock, knock.
A cautious knock sounded at the door.
Jin-seong smiled faintly and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.