The Chaebol Heiress He Met at the Expo (1)
The next day, the three men visiting from H Chemical made their way to Yumeshima Station, where the Expo was being held. Yumeshima was an artificial island sitting in Osaka Bay, sprawling across a considerable stretch of land.
Aboard the moving train, the Manager turned to the Director.
"Must be a shame we couldn't make it to Universal Studios, Director."
"You fellows are disappointed too, aren't you?"
"Couldn't we extend the trip by one more day?"
"That'd be difficult. We'd need headquarters approval, and I've got plenty of work waiting back in Korea besides."
"But Director, you've been with the company for nearly twenty years. You've never been to Universal Studios?"
"I did go about ten years ago."
"And you wanted to go again?"
"It's an entertaining theme park. I just wanted to take a closer look this time. And I wanted to show it to you fellows as well."
"I was hoping to ride Jurassic Park The Ride myself. Shame we can't. I've been to Tokyo on business twice, but I don't get out this way often."
"Kim Chirok, you've been staring out the window without a word. Thinking about your girlfriend?"
"Pardon? I, uh, don't have a girlfriend."
"An elite employee like you without a girlfriend? That doesn't make sense. You went to a great school, you've got a solid job, and you look like the actor Song Joong-ki — you're a handsome guy."
"I need to get established first before I can think about dating."
"Established? I don't know what your standards are, but if you wait until you're fully set, you'll be waiting your whole life. It's better to get married first and then work on establishing yourself."
The Manager said with a grin,
"Come on, that's something that only worked in your generation, Director. These days, what woman would marry a man who hasn't established himself yet?"
"What? Kim Chirok is an elite employee who graduated from Seoul National University."
"Don't you know that these days marriage is ranked by the parents' wealth? Chaebol sons get married in their twenties, but people without money can't get married even past forty. They can't even have kids."
"But isn't Kim Chirok a young man with a promising future? If someone like him can't get married, then Korea is finished."
When Kim Chirok still said nothing, the Director spoke up with a smile.
"Kim Chirok, is it because you couldn't get into the Group headquarters' Strategic Planning Office?"
"That's not it, sir."
"Our H Chemical is a good company too. We're talking trillions in revenue, and we turn a profit."
"That's true, but..."
"Getting promoted to Manager, Department Head, then executive at H Chemical and living in Incheon wouldn't be so bad. Buy a new apartment in Songdo, get a nice car, go fishing on the weekends. Wouldn't that be a good life?"
That didn't sound entirely bad. Apartments in Songdo New City were cheaper than Seoul — it seemed within reach. And being a new city, the streets were pleasant and the apartment complexes looked impressive. But the Manager, who had been listening, snorted.
"Hah! Then why do you live in Seoul, Director? You live in a Mok-dong apartment right now, don't you?"
"Th-that's because of the kids' education."
"Just admit it's for the investment. Your apartment is worth over two billion won, isn't it?"
"Well, yes. It'd go for about 2.5 billion."
"See? Would a Songdo apartment appreciate like that?"
"I bought mine ten years ago. It was cheap back then."
"How much was it ten years ago?"
"I think I paid about 800 million."
"See? You've got to buy your home in Seoul. That's the whole point of 'one smart property,' isn't it?"
"Who knows about the future. The real estate market might change."
"I think the gap between the provinces and Seoul is only going to get wider. Most of those politician types have homes in Gangnam, don't they?"
Kim Chirok closed his eyes and thought it over carefully. Buying a home in Incheon instead of Seoul didn't seem impossible. Right now he spent 2.5 million won a month and saved three million. In ten years, he could probably afford a place in Incheon. Even then, he'd have to take out a loan for half of it, and he'd be over forty by that point. Still, for a dirt spoon, this seemed like the only path to success.
Kim Chirok was a second-year employee at a chaebol subsidiary — his salary should have been substantial. So why was he only saving three million won? Because he was covering his mother's living expenses in Bongcheon-dong and the rent on his studio in Yeonsu-dong, Incheon. And he needed spending money of his own. So three million won was the absolute maximum he could put away.
Three million a month meant 36 million won a year. Even without factoring in interest, a simple calculation put him at 360 million won in ten years. With a sizable loan, he could probably buy a cheap apartment in Songdo. Even applying just 50 percent of the loan-to-value ratio, it seemed doable. For a dirt spoon, even this would be a great success.
But the gap between himself and those Gangnam classmates who had bullied him in school would only grow wider with time.
Damn it. Even with a Seoul National University degree, I still can't catch those bastards' coattails.
The Manager tapped Kim Chirok on the shoulder.
"Chin up, Kim Chirok! If you get the chance, don't stay at H Chemical — go to Group headquarters. Promotion would be faster there, wouldn't it?"
"I'd like to, but it's not like I can just decide that myself."
"You've got to network. If you go there and then come back down to H Chemical, by the time you're a Deputy General Manager or Department Head, you'd probably be at the same rank as me."
The Director spoke up.
"Hey, Manager Lee! Why do you keep trying to poach talent away from H Chemical? You want this place left with nothing but trash like you and me?"
"Hehe. Why are we trash, Director? I earn my keep, I'll have you know."
"Well, looks like we're arriving at Yumeshima Station. Let's get off."
The three of them arrived at the entrance to the Expo exhibition hall. The Osaka branch had already reserved their tickets, so they scanned the QR codes and went straight in. They arrived in front of the Korea Pavilion.
Unlike the day before, the Korea Pavilion was filled with middle-aged men in suits. They looked more like government officials than corporate employees. The Manager glanced at the Director.
"Looks like officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and some high-ups from KOTRA."
"Seems that way."
"Where should we wait?"
"There's the Osaka branch employee we drank with yesterday. Shall we head over there?"
The Osaka branch employee greeted them.
"The Branch Manager is at the airport right now. President Jeong-hee has arrived, so he's bringing her over directly."
"Is that so?"
"He said not to go anywhere — wait here in front of the Korea Pavilion. That's what the head of the Group Strategic Planning Office in Seoul instructed."
"Understood. Let's wait together."
The group waited at the entrance, unable to even look around the exhibition. After standing for about thirty minutes without so much as a chair in front of the Korea Pavilion, President Jeong-hee arrived, accompanied by the Osaka Branch Manager and her secretaries.
They all snapped to attention and bowed.
"Welcome, President."
The four men who had been waiting bowed at a ninety-degree angle to President Jeong-hee. The Branch Manager said with a smile,
"The H Chemical staff happened to be here for a visit, and when they heard you were coming, I had them wait."
"Oh, is that so?"
Kim Chirok looked at President Jeong-hee's face. She was a large woman, and the charisma radiating from her was formidable. Her angular features gave her an almost masculine appearance. In photographs, President Jeong-hee had looked young and feminine, but in person she was nothing of the sort. She took after her father, the Chairman — fierce-looking enough to make most men cower.
President Jeong-hee smiled and shook each of their hands in turn. The H Chemical Director spoke with a rigidly military bearing and voice.
"Park Il-gyu, Director of the Planning Office at H Chemical."
"Director, good to see you here. Thank you for your hard work."
President Jeong-hee seemed to recognize Director Park's face. The Manager said with a grin,
"I'm Lee Nam-ho, Manager in the Planning Office at H Chemical."
"Oh, is that so?"
Kim Chirok introduced himself as well.
"Kim Chirok, Staff. I came along with them."
President Jeong-hee smiled and accepted Kim Chirok's greeting. The Osaka Branch Manager, standing beside them, suddenly spoke up.
"Staff Kim Chirok is a talented graduate of Seoul National University's Business School."
At those words, President Jeong-hee looked at Kim Chirok once more. He felt inexplicably cowed. There was something unnerving about the look in her eyes. President Jeong-hee glanced around at the assembled group.
"The Osaka Expo is a design for the society of the future, so take a good look around. There's a great deal you'll find useful."
"Yes, ma'am."
They all chimed in at once, mouths open like baby swallows.
Just then, several Expo officials came running from inside.
"You're President Choi Jung-hee of H Group, yes? We were informed of your arrival. Please, come inside."
"There seem to be a lot of visitors."
"The Minister and the KOTRA President are over that way."
Surrounded by people as she headed inside, Choi Jung-hee drew stares from the visitors.
"Who's that woman?"
"Ah, that's President Choi Jung-hee of H Group."
"Look at all those attendants. Typical chaebol daughter."
Choi Jung-hee met with the VIPs from Korea and shook their hands. She shook hands with people who appeared to be Japanese as well. The H Chemical staff and Osaka branch employees stood a few paces back with their hands clasped, forming a discreet escort.
When meeting Japanese and Westerners, Choi Jung-hee conversed in fluent English. To Kim Chirok's ears, her English was nearly native-level.