The Outsider's Offer
The outsider who possessed the Super Synergy effect resembled a toad and appeared to be in his late forties. The moment he stepped out of his car, he let out a peculiar exclamation—"Heh-yi-gu-ya"—and began surveying the village. His gaze soon landed on an old man staring intently at him. Without hesitation, the outsider approached the elder and spoke.
"Sir, may I ask you something?"
Though his face suggested he could look quite intimidating when frowning, his stout build and ever-present smile gave him a harmless first impression. His voice, too, was deep and pleasant, completely at odds with his toad-like appearance. Moreover, his manner toward the elder was impeccably respectful.
The old man was Grandfather Song, who had come out for a stroll and stayed to watch the stranger. When the outsider drew near, Grandfather Song had been wary. But the polite, formal speech eased his suspicion somewhat.
"What brings you here?"
"Would you happen to know where the village chief of Naeo Village lives?"
"Ah, you mean Bong-cheol?"
"Yes, that's him exactly."
The outsider brightened at the mention of the precise name.
"Of course I know. But what business do you have with him?"
In the twenty-first century, such a question would have gone unasked. Yet in an era when villagers felt closer to one another than distant relatives, the inquiry felt entirely natural.
"I've come to see the land he owns. I assure you, it will be a deal that causes him no loss whatsoever."
The toad-like outsider readily disclosed his intentions. Grandfather Song nodded and studied the man more closely. Even without knowing much about cars, he could tell the outsider's vehicle looked far more expensive than the one Yoo Jae-won had arrived in last time.
He was right. The car was a large Toyota Crown sedan from Japan. The man's clothing was also high-end. Grandfather Song judged that introducing him to the village chief would not bring any trouble.
"That blue tin-roofed house over there is the one."
Following Grandfather Song's pointing finger, the outsider spotted the blue tin-roofed house on the hill. It was close enough that driving was unnecessary.
"Thank you, sir."
After a polite bow, the outsider headed straight for Village Chief Yoo Bong-cheol's house. Hwang Jae-hong's steps toward the blue tin-roofed house were light. A former real estate planner, he had learned much by observing his seniors' sales tactics. After living that way in his youth, he had grown dissatisfied. While the seniors who led the deals upgraded their cars and homes with every big score, he was left picking up scraps. Once he resolved to go independent, he hoarded money and information with desperate intensity. For four years he survived on nothing but instant noodles, biding his time, until finally, last October, he had gathered enough capital. By chance, he had also obtained valuable information: a tunnel was to be built as part of a new inland highway. With both money and information in hand, Hwang Jae-hong prepared for his first independent venture. The car, the clothes, the cultured speech—everything was ready. His destination was Naeo Village, and his target was the mountain owned by Village Chief Yoo Bong-cheol.
He knew full well that offering cash outright for ancestral land would never work. He had often watched his seniors acquire such mountain plots from rural elders by swapping one mountain for another. Hwang Jae-hong planned to do the same: exchange the chief's mountain for one closer to the village. As an added service unique to him, he would also arrange a clean relocation of the graves on the ancestral mountain. With that approach, eight or nine out of ten elders would agree to the exchange. He expected Yoo Bong-cheol to be no different.
When they met at the blue tin-roofed house, Yoo Bong-cheol invited Hwang Jae-hong into the main room. Feeling half-successful already, Hwang Jae-hong launched enthusiastically into his pitch. The village chief served him sujeonggwa and dried persimmons, nodding attentively throughout the explanation, which only fueled Hwang Jae-hong's confidence. He believed the deal was all but sealed.
Yet when his polished presentation ended, Yoo Bong-cheol's reaction was not what he had anticipated.
"Hmm. So you're the real estate fellow Jae-won mentioned."
Who on earth was Jae-won? And "real estate fellow"—the phrase cut straight to his identity with blunt precision. Hwang Jae-hong shifted uneasily. His research had suggested that Yoo Bong-cheol and the Yoo family had no real understanding of the mountain's value. That single remark, however, had pierced his entire scheme.
His backside, once comfortably sunk into the cushion, began to lift. He lacked the seasoned nerve of his seniors to brazen it out. Exposed, the situation grew unbearable; he wanted to flee. Though the expensive borrowed car and fuel were a waste, being caught could lead to unknown trouble.
"What's the matter? Jae-won will be here soon. Why not stay a little longer?"
Stay longer? He had talked a good game, but he had not yet caused any actual harm. Yoo Bong-cheol had no right to detain him.
"When Jae-won arrives, I'm certain he'll have a good proposal for you as well."
A proposal? For someone in the same line of work? Hwang Jae-hong, who had traveled the country countless times following his seniors, had never encountered such a situation. His half-risen body froze mid-motion.
"It'll be school dismissal time soon. Just wait thirty minutes."
The more he heard, the more absurd it sounded. School dismissal? It was just past 2:40 p.m. Only elementary students finished at this hour. Middle and high school students had far longer classes and mandatory self-study until five or six.
"In the meantime, why don't you tell me more about our ancestral mountain? Truth be told, I only heard the rough outline from Jae-won myself."
Yoo Bong-cheol was affable. Sensitive to atmosphere, Hwang Jae-hong immediately sensed there was no hostility directed at him. He settled back into his seat. This was his first deal since going independent. He wasn't forcibly taking anything. He had merely downplayed the value of the ancestral mountain and slightly inflated the worth of the mountain he offered in exchange—practices common not only among real estate operators but even among reputable conglomerates.
"Haha, understood."
Having hypnotized himself into feeling no shame, Hwang Jae-hong sat comfortably and began to speak.
When Yoo Jae-won arrived home after school, he found a note on the porch. It asked him to come to the main house immediately. Judging by the handwriting, it was from his aunt. The note instantly clarified the reason.
"So today is the day the outsider was coming."
Yoo Jae-won had already informed the main house and other relatives about the outsider who wished to purchase the ancestral mountain. Had it been before summer vacation, his uncle might not have believed him. Though fond of Yoo Jae-won, he would likely have dismissed the warning. But now Yoo Jae-won's presence carried an entirely different weight. ID Technology's success had been proven by the arrival of the Grandeur. The news of the two-hundred-thousand-dollar contract from America had been enough to set all of Naeo Village abuzz. Even though the company had already secured hundreds of millions of won in domestic sales from conglomerates, the mention of dollars struck the elders differently. Many of the village's older residents had lived through the Korean War, and some had personally received American aid during the postwar reconstruction. To them, America was a land of dreams. Uncle Yoo Bong-cheol was no exception. Having earned a fortune in that very America, Yoo Jae-won had transcended age in their eyes. Neither in Naeo Village nor in Deokjin-ri did anyone still see him as a mere child. Thus, his request—that any outsider coming to buy land or mountain be summoned so he could hear the discussion—had become an absolute obligation.
Yoo Jae-won changed into his battle attire to meet the outsider. It was the suit he had purchased in Seoul when he bought one for lawyer Choi Kang-wook. Finding nothing appealing in children's formal wear, he had chosen something with a stronger casual feel. Once fully dressed, he looked like an English detective's assistant: suspender trousers, a shirt, a simplified suit jacket, and a flat cap. Thanks to his physical age of twelve, the outfit even allowed entry to the Blue House.
Fully dressed, Yoo Jae-won hurried to the main house.
"Gah! You—!"
Outwardly composed but inwardly anxious, Hwang Jae-hong recognized Yoo Jae-won the instant he entered the room. The clues had already been there: elementary student, the name Yoo Jae-won, Deokjin-ri. If one were to name the most famous elementary student in Korea during the winter of 1988, everyone would have answered Yoo Jae-won in unison. The fame that began in October had snowballed dramatically. When the news of the Electronic Arts contract aired, footage of him receiving the ministerial award had been replayed repeatedly due to a lack of other material, further cementing his presence in the public eye.