Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Expo Site Encounter with a Chaebol Woman (1)
The next day, the three people dispatched from H Chemical headed toward Yumeshima Station, where the Expo was being held.
Yumeshima was an artificial island located in Osaka Bay and covered a fairly large area.
Inside the moving train, the section chief spoke to the director.
“Director! You must be disappointed that we couldn’t visit Universal Studios.”
“You’re disappointed too, aren’t you?”
“Could we extend the business trip by one more day?”
“That’s difficult. We need approval from headquarters. And I still have plenty to do back in Korea.”
“By the way, Director, you’ve been working at the company for nearly 20 years, haven’t you? Haven’t you been to Universal Studios yet?”
“I did visit Universal Studios about ten years ago.”
“You’re going again?”
“It’s just a fun theme park, so I wanted to take a closer look once more. And I also wanted to show it to you all.”
“I wanted to go to Universal Studios as well and ride Jurassic Park the Ride, so it’s disappointing. I’ve been on business trips to Tokyo twice, but I haven’t been able to come to this area often.”
“Mr. Kim Chi-rok is just staring out the window and hasn’t said a word. Thinking about your girlfriend?”
“Huh? I… I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“How can an elite employee like you not have a girlfriend? You graduated from a good school, you have a stable job, and Mr. Kim Chi-rok even looks like actor Song Joong-ki, so he’s good-looking too, right?”
“You need to get settled before dating.”
“Settled? I don’t know what your fate is, but if you wait to settle first, you’ll never get there in your lifetime. It’s better to get married and then settle down.”
The section chief said with a grin.
“Ah, that kind of thinking suits your generation, Director. Who these days would marry someone who hasn’t even settled yet?”
“What are you talking about? Mr. Kim Chi-rok is an elite employee who graduated from Seoul National University.”
“Don’t you know that nowadays marriage depends on the parents’ wealth? The sons of chaebol families get married in their twenties, but people without money can’t even get married even after forty. They can’t even have children.”
“Still, Mr. Kim Chi-rok is a promising young man, isn’t he? If he can’t get married, then something must be wrong with Korea.”
Even so, as Kim Chi-rok remained silent, the director smiled and said,
“Is it because you didn’t get transferred to the group headquarters’ strategy planning office?”
“That’s not the case.”
“Our H Chemical is good too. It’s a company with trillions in revenue and profits, isn’t it?”
“That’s true, but…”
“Climb the ranks at H Chemical—section chief, department head, executive—and live in Incheon. Buy a newly built apartment in Songdo, get a nice car, and go fishing. Wouldn’t that be good?”
That didn’t seem too bad either.
Compared to Seoul, apartments in the Songdo new town were cheaper. It seemed manageable. Since it was a new town, the surroundings were pleasant and the apartments looked modern. However, the section chief listening scoffed.
“Ha! Then why are you living in Seoul, Director? You’re living in an apartment in Mok-dong right now, aren’t you?”
“T-That’s because of my children’s education.”
“Just say it honestly—it’s for real estate investment. Your apartment is worth over 2 billion won, right?”
“I suppose it is. It might even reach 2.5 billion.”
“See? Do you think Songdo apartments will rise like that?”
“I bought it ten years ago. It was cheap back then.”
“How much was it ten years ago?”
“I think I paid 800 million won at the time?”
“Exactly. That’s why you should secure housing in Seoul. Isn’t that where the saying ‘one solid property’ comes from?”
“We never know. The real estate market might change.”
“I think the polarization between Seoul and the provinces will only get worse. Most politicians live in Gangnam, Seoul anyway.”
Kim Chi-rok closed his eyes and thought deeply.
It didn’t seem impossible to buy a home in Incheon without going to Seoul. Right now, he spent 2.5 million won a month and saved 3 million won, so in 10 years he should be able to buy a home in Incheon.
Still, he would likely need to take out a loan for half the price. By then, he would be over forty years old. Even so, this seemed like the only path for someone from a humble background to succeed.
Kim Chi-rok was in his second year at a chaebol affiliate, so he should have a high salary, yet why was he only saving 3 million won?
That was because of his mother’s living expenses in Bongcheon-dong and the rent for his studio apartment in Yeonsu-dong, Incheon. He also needed some personal spending money. So the maximum amount he could save right now was 3 million won.
Saving 3 million won a month meant 36 million won a year.
Ignoring interest and calculating simply, that would be 360 million won over ten years. With a large loan, it seemed possible to purchase an affordable apartment in Songdo.
Even applying an LTV of 50 percent, it seemed feasible.
For someone from a humble background, that alone would be a major success.
However, compared to the wealthy classmates from Gangnam who had bullied him in school, the gap seemed like it would only widen over time.
[Damn it! Even though I graduated from Seoul National University, I’ll never be able to catch up to those guys.]
The section chief tapped Kim Chi-rok on the shoulder and said,
“Cheer up, Mr. Kim Chi-rok! If you get the chance, don’t stay at H Chemical—try to move to the group headquarters. Promotion would be faster there, wouldn’t it?”
“It would be nice, but can things really go as one wishes?”
“You have to make the effort. If you go there and then come back down to H Chemical later, you’ll probably be at the same level as me when you reach deputy department head or department head.”
The director said,
“Hey, Mr. Section Chief! Why do you keep trying to pull talent out of H Chemical? Are we supposed to leave only trash like me and you here at H Chemical?”
“Hehe. Why are you calling yourself trash, Director? I still earn my keep.”
“Hey, it looks like we’ve arrived at Yumeshima Station. Let’s get off.”
The three arrived at the entrance of the Expo venue.
Since their admission tickets had already been reserved by the Osaka branch, they simply scanned a QR code and entered.
They arrived in front of the Korean Pavilion.
Unlike the previous day, many middle-aged men in suits were gathered there. They looked more like government officials than corporate employees.
The section chief looked at the director’s face and said,
“They seem like officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy from Korea and high-ranking people from KOTRA.”
“It seems so.”
“Where should we wait?”
“There’s that Osaka branch employee we drank with yesterday standing over there. Shall we go there?”
The Osaka branch employee greeted them and said,
“The branch manager is currently at the airport. President Jeong-hee has arrived, so they’re bringing her here immediately.”
“Is that so?”
“For now, we’ve been instructed not to go anywhere and to wait in front of the Korean Pavilion. The head of the group’s strategy planning office in Seoul gave that order.”
“Understood. Let’s wait together.”
The group had no chance to look around the exhibition and instead waited at the entrance.
Without any chairs, they waited about 30 minutes in front of the Korean Pavilion before President Jeong-hee, the Osaka branch manager, and accompanying staff arrived.
Everyone stood at attention and greeted them.
“Welcome, Madam President.”
The four who had been waiting bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.
The branch manager smiled and said,
“Coincidentally, H Chemical employees happened to be visiting and, upon hearing that you were coming, we had them wait here.”
“Oh, I see?”
Kim Chi-rok looked at President Jeong-hee’s face.
She had a large build and an overwhelming aura. Her sharp, angular face even looked somewhat masculine.
The Jeong-hee he had seen in photos appeared young and feminine, but today she was different. She resembled her father, the chairman, and had a rather fierce appearance that made most men instinctively shrink back.
President Jeong-hee smiled and shook hands with each person one by one.
The H Chemical director, with a rigid posture and voice, said,
“I am Director Park Il-gyu from H Chemical’s planning office.”
“Oh, I see you here, Director. Thank you for your hard work.”
President Jeong-hee seemed to recognize Director Park’s face.
The section chief said with a grin,
“I am Section Chief Lee Nam-ho from H Chemical’s planning office.”
“Oh, I see?”
Kim Chi-rok also introduced himself.
“I’m an employee who came along, Kim Chi-rok.”
President Jeong-hee smiled and accepted his greeting.
The Osaka branch manager, standing beside her, suddenly said,
“Mr. Kim Chi-rok is a talented individual who graduated from Seoul National University’s Department of Business Administration.”
At this, President Jeong-hee looked at Kim Chi-rok once more.
Kim Chi-rok felt oddly intimidated; there was something unsettling about her gaze.
President Jeong-hee looked around at the gathered group and said,
“The Osaka Expo is a design for the future society, so please take a good look. There will be many things worth referencing.”
“Understood.”
Everyone replied in unison like fledglings opening their beaks.
At that moment, several Expo staff members rushed out from inside.
“You must be President Choi Jeong-hee of H Group? We received word of your arrival. Please come inside.”
“There seem to be many visitors.”
“The minister and the president of KOTRA are over there.”
Surrounded by many people, President Choi Jeong-hee walked inside while onlookers watched her.
“Who is she?”
“Ah, she’s President Choi Jeong-hee of H Group.”
“She has many attendants. Truly fitting for a chaebol daughter.”
President Choi Jeong-hee greeted VIPs from Korea with handshakes. She also shook hands with people who appeared to be Japanese.
H Chemical employees and Osaka branch staff stood a few steps away with both hands clasped, acting as escorts.
When meeting Japanese and Westerners, President Choi Jeong-hee conversed fluently in English.
To Kim Chi-rok’s ears, her English sounded nearly native-level.