Chapter 46

: Translator: – – Editor: – –
Two million won? Why did he spend so much? On what? Hyunwoo asked himself.
Actually, the entertainment expenses Park spent regarding this deal were a couple of moderate meal and the rounds of golf at Sun Valley Country Club. Also, the meal costed 500,000 won at the most, and the golfing fee was less than 500,000 won because they had membership cards. Even if Park paid for the cart fee and the caddy’s tip, it was still less than 800,000 won.
In Hyunwoo’s mind, the total cost was less than one million won at most. No matter how hard he thought about the expenses, he could not understand how Park spent two million.
What’s more surprising to him was the amount of cost savings. Not only Hyunwoo but also the president was astonished at it.

What? Are you sure the cost savings is 130 million won?
asked the president.
The benchmark price of the construction set by the president was 230 million, so if 130 million won was saved, the actual money Aurum had to pay when building the new dormitory was only 100 million won. The president could not understand how that was possible.
The total cost was around 550 million won if Aurum constructed a new building with the dormitory. Even if a construction company with a connection to Aurum built it, they would have to pay at least 500 million won.
Now, the budget the city of Ansan has secured for the senior center was 200 million won. Even if the city offered the full subsidy, the remaining balance was still 300 million won. Also, Aurum would have to pay 150 million won out of that, to say the least. So, the president could not understand how Park Youngsu came up with that cost savings.

Just tell me now. What happened?
demanded the president.
But Park didn’t reply immediately, and he then made Yonggu, Hyunwoo, and Oh leave the office.

You guys get out for a minute.

In fact, Hyunwoo and Yonggu were as curious as the president about how Park could reduce the construction cost that much.
Only after they got out of the office did Park begin to tell talk in a very low tone, saying,
To tell you the truth, I just adjusted the construction cost a bit.


Explain it to me. How did you adjust the cost?


I know a friend of mine who is the president of a construction company. He told he he would build it at a cheap price.

Then, Park continued in a much lower voice as if what he had to say from now on was very important,

And that friend told me this. Namely, if I want, he can issue a construction bill that shows between 1.2 and 1.3 million won per square meter.

When he heard Park’s briefing, the president’s eyes sparkled as if he understood what Park meant. In short, Park was talking about inflating the cost. In other words, even though it cost 300 million won in actual construction, they reported 400 million won to the Employment Insurance Corporation by inflating the actual cost. Then, they could get 50 million more from the city government.

And the social welfare section of the city government has decided to offer 150 million in a construction subsidy,
said Park.

Did the section chief offer such a subsidy without any conditions?
asked the president.

No, uncle. There is no free lunch, as you know,
said Park with a meaningful smile.
At that moment, the president raised his voice, saying,

Hey, dude, what if we’re caught by the city authorities?

Park said resolutely,
Not a big deal. I only prepaid for the city officials’ meal for their get-together dinner at the restaurant. That’s it.


Is that all really? What about the Employment Insurance Corporation?


You don’t have to pay attention to them. I put the number down to 1.2 million instead of 1.3 million, so they won’t get a wind of it. If you still feel nervous, I can treat them with wine and dinner.

The president stared at Park but didn’t scold him as before, for there was no use crying over spilled milk.

Are you sure this won’t cause any trouble?


Uncle, as the chief of the city welfare section, he knows what to do. He must have agreed with me after he concluded this wouldn’t cause any trouble. What is the issue when I submit the construction bill anyway?
said Park.
Misbehavior eventually catches up with one, as the saying goes.
The president said sternly, staring at Park,

I warn you, don’t handle the matter like this next time.


What’s the problem? We’re doing something good…


Do you understand?
shouted the president again to interrupt Park.

Yes, uncle. By the way, you’re still going to pay the award money proportionate to the amount of the cost savings, right? I’m okay, but my subordinates outside the office did a lot of work.


Did they put forward this idea?


Yes, the idea on the senior center came from Hyunwoo and Yonggu, and the construction cost idea was offered by Oh.

Looking toward the door of his office, the president frowned and said,

Was it Oh’s idea? I don’t feel good about a young guy like him resorting to an immoral act already.


Isn’t it common to inflate the construction cost? By the way, the idea of the senior center is really great, isn’t it? I was really surprised. Hyunwoo and Yonggu are ahead of me in initiating ideas.

The president was surprised a lot by Park’s remarks. It was very rare for Park to praise his subordinates, though he did pull them down many times before. In particular, it was the first time that he had said that his subordinates were better than him.
Obviously, Park had changed, and the president believed he had changed because of Yonggu, for Park began to change after he offered some sort of deal to Yonggu. In fact, before Park brought his subordinates to his office, Yonggu made a visit to him in advance and made a significant request to him like this:

A little later, team manager Park will come to brief you on the dormitory construction recommendation. Whatever he says, I would appreciate it very much if you would just heap praise on him unconditionally.

In a way, it was an arrogant request because it was close to being instructed by a middle-level manager as the president of the company. Park Daebong, the president, met all sorts of subordinates during his years as president, and he knew how to deal with them in appropriate ways. As an uncle, he also knew his nephew’s problem and its cause better than anybody else: Park Youngsu was controlling his subordinates to defend himself. In other words, he made them afraid of him for fear that they would look down on his knowledge and experience in the field. Park Daebong was aware of his problem, but he could not find a proper way to solve his nephew’s problem.
And he thought that Yonggu had found the solution.
Park Daebong thought of Yonggu differently because he had found the solution he had been looking for. And what’s even surprising to him was the method to change Park Youngsu. Actually, Park Daebong thought of the stick only. He was planning on driving his nephew to the edge of the cliff after being tough with the purchasing team, with hope that he would be able to change. However, Yonggu changed Park in a way that the president hadn’t thought about at all.
Obviously, the linchpin of the purchasing team is Yonggu.
Of course, he had misjudged the situation.
Hyunwoo was the one who had thought of the solution to Park’s problem. It was Hyunwoo who had Yonggu talk to the president, but Hyunwoo didn’t do it by himself because it was Yonggu who directly dealt with the president.
The president didn’t know this, just thinking that the miracle change now taking place in the purchasing team was possible thanks to Yonggu’s efforts.
In an excited voice, Park Youngsu said,

Uncle, oh, president. If you need someone to lobby someone, please let me take on that job. That’s my speciality, as you know.


Okay, will do. I know you’re capable, but I didn’t know how able you were. Great!

Park Daebong kept heaping praises on him with ‘Great!

Nice job!
etc.
Thanks to his praise, Park’s confidence was sky-high.

I’ve got a boyfriend!


Really? What type of person is he?

At the surprising announcement by Gyongsuk, her high school alumni, including Min Suji, focused their eyes on her with envy.
Min also felt envious of her. She had been waiting for her boyfriend, who was drafted into the army two years ago, but he found a new girl as soon as he got discharged. Also, it’s already been one year and seven months since she had been without any boyfriend.
Though she was determined to make a new boyfriend, she could not find one.
Gyongsuk said boastfully,
Well, he is an ordinary salaried man. But his father is the president of my boyfriend’s company, and he’s going to take it over later.


Wow! Good for you.


Congrats! You’re so talented to have found such a man!

Her friends paid lip service to her though they were pretty jealous of her.
Actually, she was looked down on in high school. She was not pretty and didn’t study well, so she went to a third-rate provincial college. However, she changed completely since then. As soon as she graduated from high school, she spent a lot of money for plastic surgery. By any standard, she was called a beauty who stood out wherever she went.
In short, she reversed her life. Still, her friends didn’t want to admit it because they knew her past in high school. Though they felt envious of her, they still thought to themselves, You’re still a third-rate girl.
Min Suji felt this in particular. She was such a beauty that she was called the queen among friends in high school. In addition, she was very smart. Though her friends followed her, they thought in their hearts, If I can beat her, I’m the best.
Gyungsuk was one of them. Whenever she looked at Suji, she felt that she could never beat her.
But now, she was different now.
Gyungsuk asked pointedly,
What type of man is your boyfriend?

It was a typical question, of course. Min Suji knew it, so she didn’t care. Though Gyungsuk thought of her as a rival, Suji never did.
Suji said frankly,
I don’t have a boyfriend.


Really? Not yet? Since your former boyfriend deserted you, you haven’t had a boyfriend?

With an awkward smile, Suji nodded her head.
As if she was astonished, Gyungsuk’s jaws dropped. So did her friends.

You’re lying now. You must have a secret boyfriend.


No, I don’t. I just feel so lonely.

Then, Gyungsuk approached her with sparkling eyes and said,

Are you willing to have a blind date? I know a very nice person who is my brother’s friend.
You’ll find it very difficult to meet such a man here in this city.

Min Suji showed interest. Actually, she was feeling lonely these days, and she felt heavy because of her mother, in particular.
If she made a good boyfriend, he could offer some comfort to her. She had no reason to avoid such a blind date.

Really? What type of person is he?