Dare to Use Me? (1)
‘Something is strange.’
Even though he held the title of President of YK Department Store, Ryu Geun-tae always remained acutely aware of his true position: he was, first and foremost, Yoon-gi’s secretary. It was because of this diligence that he handled most of the tasks regarding the opening of the second branch himself, and that was exactly how he stumbled upon something odd.
‘The land prices around Jamsil are rising too quickly.’
It had been three weeks since Yoon-gi announced the preparation for the second branch. In that short span, a significant portion of the Jamsil land listings he had been tracking had vanished, and the transaction prices had climbed noticeably.
‘Is this even possible?’
Of course, Jamsil was an affluent area, but land prices generally didn’t skyrocket without a specific catalyst. That could only mean one thing: someone was aggressively buying up the land. If Ryu Geun-tae had been an ordinary person, he might have panicked, thinking, “Oh no, my share is shrinking!” and rushed to buy whatever was left. But Ryu Geun-tae was a man qualified to be Yoon-gi’s secretary.
“President, it seems there are a lot of people buying land these days?”
At Ryu Geun-tae’s question, the real estate agent nodded.
“Don’t even get me started. I don’t know what kind of rumors are floating around, but there are people everywhere wanting to buy land. They aren’t just buying what’s listed; they’re offering premiums and asking me to pass messages to the landowners to sell to them.”
“By any chance, do you know who these people are?”
“Why do you ask?”
As the agent narrowed his eyes with suspicion, Ryu Geun-tae put on an awkward expression.
“Ah, actually, I own some land too. I was debating at what price to list it, but if things are selling for such high prices these days, I think now might be the time to sell.”
At the mention of a new listing, the agent’s face brightened.
“Oh, why didn’t you say so sooner?”
Although Ryu Geun-tae was the President of YK Department Store, the internet was not well-developed in this era, making it nearly impossible to identify him just by his face. Furthermore, this was a real estate office he hadn’t visited when they were originally acquiring the Jamsil site, so the agent had no idea who he was. Thus, Ryu Geun-tae was able to seize the opportunity to meet the people currently buying up Jamsil land while keeping his identity hidden.
“How about it? Should I have them meet you right now?”
“Would that be possible?”
“Of course. They told me to contact them immediately if a seller appeared.”
It was Thursday morning. Most people would have been at work, but at the news that a meeting was possible, Ryu Geun-tae felt a surge of tension.
“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Just wait a moment. They’ll probably be here in less than an hour.”
Just as the agent said, the land buyers arrived in a mere twenty minutes. A man in his mid-40s wearing a short-sleeved Hawaiian shirt and shorts, followed by a man in his early 30s in a suit standing behind him like a bodyguard. The man in the Hawaiian shirt was even wearing black sunglasses, practically screaming, “I’m a nouveau riche!”
“Oh, I heard you wanted to sell some land? My name is Kim Gi-deok.”
The dark-skinned man in sunglasses reached out for a handshake, and Ryu Geun-tae smiled and took it.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Jeon Gyeong-ju.”
Ryu Geun-tae used a pseudonym. Neither of them exchanged business cards.
‘I think I know why he’s wearing sunglasses.’
Ryu Geun-tae focused on maintaining his expression while observing Kim Gi-deok. However, the combination of dark skin and dark sunglasses was optimized for hiding one’s true intentions, so Ryu Geun-tae couldn’t glean much information from his face.
“Here, here, have some coffee while we talk.”
The real estate agent smiled and placed two cups of coffee on the table. She was a slightly plump woman in her early 50s. Ryu Geun-tae watched the agent’s expression instead of Kim Gi-deok’s, but it was clear that she didn’t know the man’s true identity either.
‘Why is this person suddenly trying to buy land in Jamsil?’
After taking a sip of coffee, Ryu Geun-tae decided to probe a little.
“I heard you offer good prices, so can I have high expectations? Honestly, I told my relative I’d sell it well, but I’m worried about disappointing them.”
“Oh, of course I’ll give you a good price! I told the agent here to contact me if any listings came up because I’d pay well, didn’t I? By the way, judging by what you said, are you selling a relative’s land?”
Ryu Geun-tae had decided to use the land belonging to his uncle, Kim Jeong-seon. Since he didn’t know how sharp the opponent’s intelligence network was, he couldn’t use his own name here.
“Yes. They trusted me with it, so I can’t let them down.”
Ryu Geun-tae maintained a slightly naive attitude, but Kim Gi-deok didn’t seem to find him suspicious.
“Then I’ll help you so you don’t disappoint them! By the way, where is the land you’re trying to sell?”
The real estate agent placed a map on the table and pointed to a location with her finger.
“They want to sell the land here. I pulled the records while we were waiting, so it’s the latest information.”
“Ho-ho, this land is definitely worth buying.”
The land currently owned by Kim Jeong-seon wasn’t a prime location, as it was land left over after both Yoon-gi and Ryu Geun-tae had already made their own purchases. However, it was certainly a solid second-tier property. Ryu Geun-tae’s bet that the opponent would react to second-tier land proved correct, as Kim Gi-deok nodded.
“Looking at the owner’s name, it seems to be from your maternal side?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ryu Geun-tae didn’t bother clarifying that it was his uncle, and Kim Gi-deok didn’t make an issue of it.
“Let’s see… I’ll offer you 20 percent above the current market price. How is that?”
“20 percent?”
“Are you unhappy with that? 20 percent is a really generous offer.”
The agent chimed in again.
“President Kim really gives great prices. 20 percent is a total jackpot. A jackpot!”
“Hmm, could you give me one day? I’ll persuade them that I can get 20 percent more and come back.”
“Hmm… if it’s because you’re short on money…”
“No, no! It’s not my land, so I have to be careful…”
At Ryu Geun-tae’s perfect performance of a naive man, Kim Gi-deok smacked his lips and nodded.
“Then it can’t be helped. Let’s talk again tomorrow.”
“In that case, could I have your business card?”
“My business card?”
“Yes.”
Ryu Geun-tae glanced toward the agent, then back to Kim Gi-deok, signaling without the agent noticing.
Can’t we deal without the real estate agent? That way, we can save on the commission.
Understanding the silent message, Kim Gi-deok laughed heartily, took a business card from the man behind him, and handed it to Ryu Geun-tae.
“Here you go. Please make sure to call me.”
Kim Gi-deok left first, and Ryu Geun-tae followed, receiving a warm send-off from the agent. Immediately after, Ryu Geun-tae took a taxi, deliberately circling Seoul to ensure no one was following him before getting out and calling his uncle, Kim Jeong-seon.
***
“Is that so? Thank you.”
What Ryu Geun-tae had asked Kim Jeong-seon to do was to list another property in Jamsil. Kim Jeong-seon had his design department head, Yoo Jin-hee, list land registered under his wife’s name, and like Ryu Geun-tae, Yoo Jin-hee was able to meet two men at the real estate office.
“Two men showed up there too, but they looked different, the office name was different, and their names were different.”
In any case, it meant they were different people from the ones Ryu Geun-tae had met. However, after hanging up with Kim Jeong-seon, Ryu Geun-tae was certain that something smelled fishy.
‘The two plots of land aren’t even close to each other. They’re both in Jamsil, but they’re on opposite sides. Yet, different people are buying both at the exact same 20 percent premium? This can only mean there’s an organization behind this.’
The reason Ryu Geun-tae didn’t bother asking, “What are you going to do with the land?” was that the answer was something he could deduce himself.
‘The moment the second branch was mentioned, people started buying up Jamsil land. I have to find out who they are.’
He could have reported it to Yoon-gi in advance, but if he found out who the opponent was first, he would be able to report it with much more confidence. So, Ryu Geun-tae decided to save Yoon-gi the trouble.
‘For this, Superintendent Seo is the perfect man.’
Superintendent Seo In-pyo, the detective squad leader at Jongno Police Station. With his dark complexion and the three distinct wrinkles on his forehead, Superintendent Seo appeared at the YK Department Store headquarters office the moment Ryu Geun-tae called.
“President Ryu, did you call for me!”
Superintendent Seo’s attitude was much more respectful than when they had last met. It was only natural, as Ryu Geun-tae was now a far more powerful figure in the business world. If Ryu Geun-tae just put in a good word with JSD, a special promotion was well within his reach.