Chapter 80. Foreigners Still Don't Know Korea Well
Chapter 80. Foreigners Still Don't Know Korea Well
I lounged comfortably on the large sofa in the center of the living room.
In contrast, the corporate representatives who had come to visit couldn't sit still.
Whatever they'd been told at headquarters, they were acting like subjects before a king.
The construction company's power planning division head, the food company's division head, the electronics company's PR director, and the clothing brand's general manager.
All of them had knocked on this door to become sponsors.
'...'
"Haha... I suppose a house like this suits someone of your stature."
"We're truly honored you've made time for us."
"I never thought I'd get to see this house in person after only seeing it online..."
"Ah, this is a small token. It's a product from our company's new wine brand launch..."
But their attitude was timid.
Their hands were cautious as they unwrapped gifts, and they punctuated every sentence with nervous laughter.
Just then, I heard soft footsteps as Laila walked in from the kitchen.
A subtle fragrance filled the air, and the tray she carried held several cups of coffee.
"Still, you're our guests. Please, have some coffee."
At Laila's gesture, the businesspeople froze like they were meeting a foreign dignitary.
"Oh, ma'am, you didn't have to do this yourself..."
"Ah, I should have stood up..."
"Thank you, we'll enjoy this."
Laila smiled quietly without a word and sat down naturally beside me.
"Honestly, I'm not a fan of this stiff atmosphere."
I made eye contact with each of them.
"Since you've all come with good intentions to support us..."
A brief silence.
They exchanged glances, searching for the right moment, then almost all started talking at once.
"Actually, our construction company is planning a project called 'The Hero's House.' If you'd proceed together with the chairman's foundation...!"
"On our side, we're considering regular meal delivery for the elderly and health food box support..."
"Ah, clothing also can't be left out. The 'Veteran Line' we're planning has both practicality and symbolism. Free provision is a given, and..."
"Our company can provide a smart care system free of charge. Fall detection, health monitoring, even voice-command-based assistance. So that seniors truly feel an improved quality of life..."
The words wouldn't stop.
They pulled out their documents and placed them on the table almost jostling against each other.
The purpose of the visit was clearly a 'sponsorship proposal,' but the atmosphere felt more like people coming for a job interview.
"You don't need to try so hard. If I like what I see, I might accept sponsorship from all of you rather than picking just one."
But that only made them more nervous.
Because being able to accept all could just as easily mean accepting none.
"You've all come quite prepared."
I sipped my coffee slowly and flipped through the pages one by one.
I was satisfied with everything.
"Looks good."
I set the documents down, rubbed my hands together, and met their eyes.
"We'll accept sponsorship from all of you."
"...!"
"Of course, we'll arrange separate meetings to discuss the details."
Smiles spread across their tense faces.
They left behind the gifts they had brought and strode out of the house, brimming with pride.
"Chairman, even with their sponsorship, we'll still need quite a large sum."
I shrugged and answered like it was nothing.
"Anyway, that'll all be covered by the free money I swiped from the cartel, so it doesn't matter."
And we conferred with our staff late into the night.
---
"Ahhh, I slept well..."
When I woke up, Laila was not beside me.
I scratched my stomach lazily and headed for the kitchen. There, Laila was cooking.
"Hero, you're up?"
"Uh, yeah..."
Laila was wearing an apron.
Was an apron supposed to look like that originally...?
"What?"
"No... the food looks really good..."
We had already done high-intensity cardio the day before.
Yet my body was reacting honestly.
The creature called man couldn't help it.
"Isn't today the day?"
"Yes, I contacted Rana about it in advance anyway."
After tidying up with Laila and getting ready, we headed out.
[ World's Strongest Hero : Gonna promote the employee's store ]
[Truly transparent bastard lolololol]
[That's blatant face-to-face ad, lolololol]
[It looked like they're outside, are they going now?]
"Yes, it's the shop Emir made. I should check it out."
[Right, he's the investor who lent money lololol]
[Yeah yeah, gotta recover the funds]
[Employee love is Yong-pyeong lolol]
When we arrived, there were no parking spots, so we circled around for quite a while.
[Wtf is this parking content]
[Now even parking is becoming content lololol]
This was 'Hero Kebab,' Emir's shop.
A long line had formed, and besides Emir and Rana, several part-time workers were there.
"Hero, you've arrived!"
Rana and Emir were wearing neat brown aprons.
Behind a glass wall, several chunks of meat rotated on spits, cooking evenly.
"Oh my, come this way!"
They must have let customers know in advance, because a table for two had been kept empty as a reserved seat.
We ordered the most popular item and looked around the shop.
"Haha, this is great!"
Even now, Emir was helping Rana while also graciously accepting photo requests.
"Excuse me... would it be okay if I took a photo too..."
Someone approached and asked us for a photo as well.
I looked up casually to take the picture, and saw a familiar face.
"Lee Chae-hyun...?"
"Ah, yes...!"
"What brings you here?"
"Oh, I came after watching the chairman's stream!"
She said that and excitedly took a photo together with Laila.
"I'm a total fan of big sis! Ah, should I call you division head now...?"
At the word 'fan', I nodded.
We'd hired our staff from among the viewers, after all.
"Just call me whatever you're comfortable with. We also feel awkward being called chairman or division head..."
"Heehee... I'll cherish this photo!"
"Sure. Then I'll see you at the company later."
Lee Chae-hyun smiled brightly, bowed her head in greeting, and walked out of the shop.
"Now I see why this place is doing well."
I tried kebab for the first time in my life, and it was quite delicious.
On top of the taste, there was the buzz of being S-rank, consistent communication via social media, and a positive image from the good influence of donating and sponsoring.
"Hero, could we talk for a moment?"
Once they had caught their breath, they approached us.
"Shall we?"
We followed them into a small break room behind the kitchen.
"Emir, you know what I'm trying to do, right?"
"Yes, I heard. Sponsorship for the veterans..."
"We're already having detailed talks with companies that want to sponsor."
At my words, Emir crossed his arms, looking like something didn't add up.
"Why? Is there something you don't understand?"
"The cause is good, but... is there a reason you must support the veterans specifically?"
[Gasp...]
[Isn't that a controversy line getting added to the wiki?]
[No reason to support war veterans (slight distortion)]
"...?"
I wondered for a second if he was trying to send me to hell.
But looking at his expression, he genuinely seemed to not understand.
"Obviously because they fought to protect the country."
"No, don't veterans already receive sufficient benefits and compensation from the country?"
"...?"
"So wouldn't it sound like reverse discrimination if we support them further..."
We weren't on the same page.
What did he mean they were already receiving sufficient benefits and compensation?
[???]
[What is he talking about right now?]
[Even if he's a foreigner, this statement is a bit...]
"W-wait a sec... what do you mean by that?"
"No, I mean, active soldiers and also veterans, who are discharged military personnel, already have pensions, education, housing, medical care, and various support systems, don't they?"
"?"
"Also, in cases of injury or death, there are survivor benefits, disability compensation, and such. I think enough support already exists..."
"???"
"So rather than them, supporting the underprivileged would..."
I raised a hand and cut him off.
Something was seriously off here.
"Where did you see that...?"
"Huh? I looked up veterans benefits a bit."
I smacked my forehead.
Of course, if you search in English, you'd get foreign results.
He was probably saying this after seeing the welfare systems of English-speaking countries like America or Singapore.
"Of course, every country is different, but..."
"Not that... search in Korean for how war veterans are treated... No, just go outside, grab any random person, and ask them."
I briefly gave him a dose of reality.
But as if he couldn't believe it, his eyebrows trembled slightly.
"...?"
He rose from his seat and headed outside.
If he faced the truth, he'd probably be in for a huge shock.
─ Slurrp...
I took a sip of cola and waited for him at my leisure.
After a short wait, he came back in with a crestfallen face.
"B-boss..."
"What? Are you awake now?"
Emir's expression after taking the red pill...
was quite a sight to see.