The Unusual Salesman (3)
‘Why?’ That was the only word swirling in Son Min-gwan’s mind. ‘Why on earth would he call for me?’ He had shown up for work at the construction site, only to be whisked away to the president’s private residence. The situation was so baffling that Son Min-gwan felt a creeping sense of dread.
‘Did something go wrong in the section I was responsible for? I heard that some people were dragged off by soldiers in the past...’
Since Son Min-gwan had been at the YK Department Store construction site for less than six months, the stories about Oh Jeong-su were things he had only heard in passing. Because of this, he couldn't help but fret until Ryu Geun-tae arrived, terrified that he might be dragged off to the Samcheong Re-education Camp.
“Kept you waiting.” Ryu Geun-tae appeared, opening the door to the office while looking sharp in a perfectly tailored suit.
“A-ah, hello!” Son Min-gwan jumped to his feet and bowed at a 90-degree angle toward Ryu Geun-tae. His posture was truly impeccable. At the same time, Ryu Geun-tae felt a sense of pressure looking at him—though, to be precise, the pressure wasn't actually directed at Son Min-gwan.
‘Can I pull this off?’
Essentially, Yoon-gi was in a position where it wasn't easy to reveal himself to others. Therefore, this task had been entrusted entirely to Ryu Geun-tae.
“Sit.”
“Yes.”
No sooner had they sat down than an employee who had followed Ryu Geun-tae into the house placed a glass of cola with ice on the table and retreated into the room.
“Coffee is fine, but since the weather is still a bit hot, I went with cola. Is that alright?”
“Yes! I was actually quite thirsty.”
Son Min-gwan’s hand, reaching for the glass, froze for a split second. ‘I-ice?’
From the 80s onward, the popularization of refrigerators began at a staggering pace. In the 70s, the penetration rate was only 1 percent, but by 1986, it would reach 95 percent. However, as it was currently 1981, it was still in the early stages of adoption, and Son Min-gwan had never seen ice frozen at home before.
“Why, is something wrong?”
“Ah, no. I was just a bit surprised by the ice... Did you buy it?”
“Of course not. There’s a refrigerator right there; why would I buy ice?”
Seeing the refrigerator in the kitchen, Son Min-gwan felt anew what it meant to be ‘rich’ and clicked his tongue in his heart. If he had known that Ryu Geun-tae was merely a figurehead president and that all of this was the price of loyalty to Yoon-gi, Son Min-gwan would have been absolutely stunned. Of course, the chances of that happening were very low.
“I was wondering if the company dinner last Sunday was alright.”
“Ah, yes. It was truly enjoyable. I’ve never worked at a construction site that provided such a dinner before; it was really great.”
“That’s a huge relief. I was worried that people might have complaints about me taking away their weekend.”
Son Min-gwan shook his head, insisting that could never be the case. “Absolutely not. Everyone loved it. Most of the people there don’t have anything to do on their days off anyway...”
Son Min-gwan stopped himself, realizing he had spoken too freely. However, Ryu Geun-tae didn't particularly take issue with his words.
“It can’t be helped. Unless you’re a specialized worker like a forklift operator, isn’t the life of a day laborer a precarious one? You get paid daily, so you don’t pay taxes, and the base pay is high, but if you’re unlucky, you might not work a single day in a month, so you’re forced to live in constant anxiety.”
Son Min-gwan wore an awkward expression at Ryu Geun-tae’s words, which pierced the reality of his situation perfectly.
“Actually... that is the case. People think that if you multiply the daily wage by 30, the monthly income is amazing, but in reality, there isn't work every day.”
At Son Min-gwan’s honest attitude, Ryu Geun-tae picked up the cigarettes on the table and held them out.
“Would you like one?”
“Ah, no. I don’t smoke.”
“Is that so?”
Ryu Geun-tae put a cigarette in his mouth and began clicking his lighter. When the lighter failed to produce a flame, Son Min-gwan said cautiously, “It seems like it’s out of oil...?”
Hearing this, Ryu Geun-tae smirked, put the cigarette back in the case, and set it down.
“Actually, I don’t smoke.”
“Yes?”
“I was just testing you. I heard from people at the construction site that you smoke. So why did you say you didn’t just now?”
After a moment of thought, Son Min-gwan began to answer honestly.
“Smoking in front of a superior is against etiquette, and since the cigarettes were on the table, I thought perhaps you didn't smoke. Among non-smokers, there isn't anyone who likes the smell of cigarette smoke.”
“You thought I wouldn't smoke?”
“People who smoke always carry cigarettes in their pockets. But I thought it was strange to see cigarettes sitting on the table.”
“Your insight is remarkable. You truly are an aspiring mystery novelist.”
“Gasp!” Son Min-gwan was startled and began blinking rapidly.
“Why are you so surprised? If you want to do business, you need connections, and finding someone who knows about you is nothing. Well, it seems you kept it a secret at the construction site, but perfect secrets are hard to find in this world.”
Ryu Geun-tae, nearing his 40s, was leading Son Min-gwan with a display of seasoned maturity, quite unlike his demeanor in front of Yoon-gi.
“I-is that so?”
“I’ve read the novel you wrote, too. It seems you failed to debut because it wasn't ‘pure literature,’ and publishers rejected it, but personally, I found it quite interesting.”
This information had been provided by Yoon-gi, and since Yoon-gi had also summarized the plot, Ryu Geun-tae didn't know the specific details of the novel. However, Son Min-gwan was deeply moved by the fact that the other person had managed to obtain his novel and had even enjoyed it.
“D-did you really find it interesting?”
“Yes. It might be hard to get published in Korean society right now, but in about 10 years, when people start taking an interest in commercial fiction, it’s a work that could definitely sell.”
“10 years...” Son Min-gwan lamented in a tone mixed with hope and despair.
“The reason I called you is none other than because your reputation at the construction site is excellent. In particular, there are many who say you are a great listener.”
Son Min-gwan quickly regained his composure and offered a slightly faded smile.
“What is the reason you do that? If it were simply to make money, you wouldn't need to go that far. It’s not some absurd notion that you’re just a ‘good person,’ is it?”
At the sharp observation, Son Min-gwan deliberated before deciding to be honest once again. He felt that in a situation where the other person seemed to know everything about him, lying was meaningless.
“I’m doing it because I think it helps with my writing. In mystery novels, vividness is the most important thing, and I thought it would be meaningless if the characters’ dialogue were disconnected from reality. The construction site is the optimal place to meet various people easily and quickly, so I approached it from that angle.”
“And you accommodate others just to hear more stories?”
“That’s right. If you modify their stories a little, you get excellent material.”
Ryu Geun-tae clapped a few times and nodded.
“Excellent.”
“T-thank you.”
Son Min-gwan, who had bowed his head in confusion, still had no idea why Ryu Geun-tae was doing this. However, that curiosity was soon resolved.
“I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s be honest. You’re living in poverty, aren't you?”
Son Min-gwan’s face flushed red.
“Of course you are. The wages at our construction site aren't high, and I know you don't show up every day.”
“Because I have to write...”
“Ah, I’m not scolding you. Of course, if you aspire to be a novelist, you have to write. In that sense, I have a proposal. Our department store currently needs staff for the sales department. But you seem to have a talent for sales. How about it? Won't you join the sales department?”
“S-sales department? But...”
Ryu Geun-tae began firing carrots like a Vulcan cannon to ensure Son Min-gwan couldn't refuse.
“If you become a sales department employee, I’ll provide a sufficient salary and rent you a house with a refrigerator for free. Now you won't have to drink hot water while you’re already struggling to write in the hot summer. On top of that, I’ll provide you with a top-of-the-line desk and chair so you can write comfortably.”
A gulping sound came from Son Min-gwan’s throat.
“B-but the reason I go to the construction site is...”
Ryu Geun-tae interrupted him again, delivering the final blow.
“The people you’ll have to deal with are reporters. If you handle reporters the way you do people at the construction site, you’ll get much more diverse story material. How about it? Are you still hesitant?”
In the end, Son Min-gwan crumbled.
***
The entertainment of reporters proceeded smoothly. Son Min-gwan, whom Yoon-gi had personally selected as a candidate, shed tears of joy as soon as he became a sales department employee and was provided with housing equipped with a refrigerator. And it wasn't just Son Min-gwan. During the one week Ryu Geun-tae had promised Yoon-gi, he succeeded in finding another type of talent.
If Son Min-gwan was optimized for listening to others, Ma Seok-il, whom Ryu Geun-tae had recruited, was the type optimized for drinking and merrymaking. He was a case of someone who had been a sales representative for a mid-sized company before being framed for his boss’s corruption and forced to wander from construction site to construction site. As someone who had been a capable sales representative, Ma Seok-il accepted Ryu Geun-tae’s offer immediately, and the two formed a combo to entertain the reporters.
Based on the report submitted to Yoon-gi, Ryu Geun-tae instructed Son Min-gwan and Ma Seok-il to target the editorial department heads, entertainment desks, and social affairs reporters of each newspaper.
“Min-gwan, just follow me. Sales is something you just have to throw your body into. You don’t need anything else. You have to follow me quickly so you can secure time to write later.”
True to his background as a sales representative, Ma Seok-il orchestrated the first meetings with reporters like a runaway train, and based on Ma Seok-il’s sales prowess, Son Min-gwan succeeded in winning the reporters’ favor. For reporters, who often have many grievances, having someone who would listen to their venting was truly important. Furthermore, Ma Seok-il took charge of the reporters who enjoyed nightlife, and by December, the YK Department Store sales department had gained significant favor with the reporters they were interacting with.
In fact, although they were small, articles began to appear in some newspapers.
These articles wouldn't have a massive impact, but they were achievements created by the sales department, and Yoon-gi ordered the payment of rewards through Ryu Geun-tae. Ma Seok-il, in particular, was moved to tears by the bonus payment—which was understandable, as he was a married man. Raising a son and a daughter, Ma Seok-il had been scraping by at construction sites after being fired from his previous company. Since working in the sales department, his working hours had increased, but he was very satisfied because he was now able to bring home a generous salary.
“President, I will work even harder!”
However, one cannot just step on the accelerator while driving. An editorial bureau chief at one newspaper informed them that there was a reporter in the political department intending to write a critical piece on YK Department Store, and Ma Seok-il put in every effort to build a rapport with that reporter. But all efforts were in vain. It had even reached the point where the report was about to be published by the power of the news director, not the editorial bureau chief, and the editorial bureau chief had only barely managed to buy a few days of time.
“Manager Ma is doing a great job, but they say that reporter is truly impossible to talk to. We’ve done well so far, so it’s hard to blame Manager Ma...”
Yoon-gi nodded as if it were expected at Ryu Geun-tae’s words.
“Of course, we shouldn't blame Manager Ma. And didn't I tell you when we spoke with my uncle last time? Irregulars always exist.”
“Ah, yes. Then, how would it be best to resolve this? Honestly, I still don’t know what the solution is.”
Watching Ryu Geun-tae, who was waiting for instructions, Yoon-gi smiled and opened his mouth.
“Send a full set of top-of-the-line home appliances to that reporter’s parents’ house.”