Chapter 44

: Translator: – – Editor: – –

What is the tip?
asked Oh, his eyes opened wide.

Our company dormitory is on the brink of collapse, so we need to have a new one built as soon as possible.


I know that, too.


The thing is, you need at least 500 million won to build one. Even if you get half the loan amount from the Employment Insurance Corporation, you still need 250 million won. So, my father is thinking hard on how to cut the cost. Sooner or later, he will run an idea contest on this.


You want me to find a good idea?


Yes,
said Minhye, nodding her head.
However, Oh felt he couldn’t find the right answer.
Isn’t it taken for granted that one has to spend money to build a building? How can one cut costs?
Then, it seemed that Minhye had a good idea.

Do you have a good idea?
asked Oh.

I’ve thought of two ideas,
said Minhye, forming a V sign with her two fingers.
Oh’s eyes sparkled with expectation.

Tell me about it.


My first idea is to build a dormitory like an army barracks. Instead of them having a separate room, let them share the whole flat bed together. Also, build it with a tent instead of bricks. As you know, tents these days are pretty resilient.

Oh tilted his head slightly because it didn’t appeal to him.

Well, the occupants will feel uncomfortable with such a dormitory,
said Oh.

When the company is in trouble, I think they have to put up with inconvenience. In fact, they have to be thankful for the fact that they’re housed in a dormitory. Also, while they’re getting along together in the dormitory, they will find their ties deepening further. This is like killing two birds with one stone.

Oh was still not persuaded. Of course, they could spend one night with fond memories, but it would be a nightmare to them if they had to live like that every day.
As Oh showed an unpleasant expression, Minhye said with an angry face as if she was about to argue with him,
They would have to live in such a dormitory for only for a couple of years. If the company is booming again, it can build a nice one again. It is important to take care of the most urgent problem.

Oh pretended to agree with her reluctantly.

Okay, let me think about it. What is your second idea?


I know a construction firm my cousin brother knows well.


You mean the manager of the purchasing team?


Yes. He says they can make up a fake construction cost anytime they want. For example, they can fabricate the actual cost by putting down 400 million won on the paper when it actually cost 200 million won.


So, you submit that fake paper to the Employment Insurance Corporation and get more subsidy than the actual cost, right?


Wow, you’re smart, Sangho!
said Minhye, nodding her head.
However, Oh tilted his head again because it was illegal. Though it made sense to cut the cost, they would have to pay a fine many times more than the subsidy if they were caught later.

Isn’t that too dangerous?


I hear many companies are actually involved in that kind of practice, and my cousin brother says as long as they prepare the receipts properly, the chances are practically zero that they are caught.

Actually, the idea couldn’t be better as long as it didn’t bring about any trouble. Also, this was a golden opportunity for him to beat Hyunwoo soundly.
Oh snapped his finger as if he had made his mind.

Okay. When does the idea contest begin?

Hyunwoo worked hard, and at the same time, he went to the driving range constantly. As he had invested 100,000 won in learning golf, he had to get his money’s worth.
Golf was a tiring sport to him. He played various sports, but golf was the most boring. All he practiced at the driving range for one week was practicing timid swings. However, the coach, Cho Pro, said that if he made his swings perfect, he would have mastered 85% of golf.
Since the coach said that was true, it will be true then, Hyunwoo thought to himself.
Hyunwoo did practice as instructed. After one week of practice swings, Cho Pro praised him.

You’re doing very well. I see your posture is consistent, and I think it’s time to move on to the next stage.

The next step Cho Pro taught him was a half swing.

Do your backswing up to here. Don’t turn your wrist when you do your backswing. Just raise your hand and then lower it down straight. Relax your wrist and then push the iron softly like a pendulum, and then…

Cho Pro explained to him how to swing it correctly in detail. As his motion got bigger, his upper body tended to move.

Now, do it again. Don’t move your upper body at all. Just stretch your hand and swing as if you are chopping at the ground.

As he tried swinging, he didn’t hit the ball right. Though he felt he had swung his body with the same motion, he hit the ball one time but chopped at the ground another time.

Do you know how to play tennis?


Yes, a bit


What about smashing in tennis? Do you use your strength when you do it? As you see, the player only catches the ball right at the moment it hits the bat, right?

Hyunwoo’s eyes opened abruptly. When he compared golf with smashing in tennis, he could understand it more easily.
Thinking of smashing, Hyunwoo once again swung the golf club. He put any strength into his wrists when he came down at the ball. Instead, he only did so when he hit the ball. The moment he hit the ball, he felt a nice feeling and saw the ball flying into the sky.

Perfect! Just keep doing it like this,
praised Cho Pro.
‘By the way, when I can use the driver?
asked Hyunwoo.

You have to master playing the seven iron first. Given your sense of swinging, I think you can start using the driver within a month.

One month was a long time to him, but he felt he had to learn the fundamentals because he had already invested the money.
Okay, let me be patient for one month.
Several days later.
The company bulletin board put out an idea contest about the construction of an employee dormitory. The topic was about finding the best idea on how to build it quickly with the lowest possible cost.
The award money was attractive. The management set a benchmark goal of saving, and the winner will claim 10% of the saved cost along with a promotion.
A total of 25 employees will be housed in the new dormitory, with one room for two people. Also, the construction cost was set at 460 million won. The company will get the subsidy of half the construction cost from the Employment Insurance Corporation, so the actual cost was 230 million won.
Every employee showed interest, and Hyunwoo was no exception. When they had free time, some members, including Yonggu, looked around the existing dormitory.

It’s too outdated.


The president’s decision to build a new one quickly is understandable.

The biggest problem was the lack of a new dormitory site, so it was inevitable that the existing dormitory had to be demolished.
The idea contest period was 15 days.
Hyunwoo and Yonggu scratched their heads as they could not think of a good idea. It was the same for the other team members.

As we’re out of the office like this, let’s take a walk. We’ve got 30 minutes left. Let’s walk around the company slowly.


Shall we?


Then we’ll go that way. On a day like this, it’s best to take a nap under a tree.


Okay.


I want to walk with Hyunwoo,
said Min Suji.
The team members dispersed in a group of their own. Some of them moved to the shade of a tree, and Hyunwoo, Yonggu, and Min walked around the company.
Suddenly, some strange scenes came into Hyunwoo’s eyes.
Several old men, squatting on the ground, were playing chess outside the senior citizens center instead of staying inside it. There was not a single tree near the center.
Though the hottest season was over, it was still early September, and it was sunny.
Tilting his head, Hyunwoo approached the center and squatted near the old men.

How are you, sir?

At the strange young voice, they looked at Hyunwoo with perplexed expressions. Hyunwoo brightly smiled at them.

I don’t have any place to avoid the sunlight here. Can I squat for a moment?


Yea, it’s very hot now. Just come this way.


By the way, why are you sitting here like this when you can stay inside the center? Don’t you think it’s quite cool inside?


Of course it is, but we can’t stay there because we just feel nervous.

Hyunwoo looked at the center with a suspicious look. Though it was small, its appearance looked clean because it was nicely painted.

What makes you nervous, sir?


What’s the point of a clean appearance? You’ll see my point if you go inside.


May I go in for a moment?

Focusing on chess, they just nodded at him.
Tilting his head, he went into the center. The moment he stepped in, he immediately found out why they were nervous. It was because the whole building had fine cracks here and there. It looked like it would collapse at any moment.
Leaving the center, Hyunwoo went back to the old men and squatted down. Yonggu and Min were looking at him from a distance.

I see lots of fine cracks in the building. I’m afraid it will collapse at any time.


You saw the cracks, right? Damn public servants! They keep saying the building is safe. Tut, tut,
they said, cursing the public servants of the city.

Was it built a long time ago?


You bet. At least 20 years.


Oh, it needs to be rebuilt as soon as possible.


I hear the city government is planning to build a new one, but the size of the land is too small. There is also no other available land, so they can’t start the construction even if they have the money.

In Hyunwoo’s eyes, the senior center site was too small. Even if they built a new one, it couldn’t house more than ten people.
Come to think of it, he felt sorry about their situation. He felt a new senior center was more urgent than a new dormitory for Aurum employees.
When he thought that far, he opened his eyes abruptly.
Oh, yes. I have a good idea.
Yonggu and Min looked at him with perplexed looks.
When work was over, Hyunwoo called his friend working in Ansan.

Shall we have dinner? It has been a long time.


Sure, you have to treat me, though.


No problem, my friend.

The following morning.
As soon as he reported to work, Hyunwoo approached Park.

Sir, I have an idea about the new dormitory of our company.

At that moment, Oh Sangho, shrugging his shoulder, looked at Hyunwoo.
However, he focused on Park, pretending not to have seen him.
To Park, Hyunwoo and Yonggu were completely part of him now. Whatever opinion Hyunwoo offered, Park just replied positively.
Also, his expression became brighter because Hyunwoo said his idea was about the construction of a new dormitory, the hot topic of the company these days.

Oh, what kind of idea is it, assistant manager Jang?


I’ve made a brief report. You’ll understand my briefing easily while you’re reading it.


Sure. Let me take a look at it.

Park reviewed his report, but it was a bit strange.
Hyunwoo said his idea was clearly about cutting the construction cost of the new dormitory, but the report mentioned a senior citizens center.