Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Chapter 622: Jae-Sik’s Wife is Leaving for China – Part 1

It was early October when Gun-Ho received a call from Jae-Sik Moon.

“We are expanding our bus service connecting to more cities with an increased number of buses. Considering the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, one more bus has been added to go to Guiyang City and Yibin City. Also, we are now connecting to Anshun City as well.”

“Really?”

“The deputy director of the provincial government’s transportation department of Guizhou Province located in Guiyang City came to Antang City yesterday. I was told that Antang City’s transportation department’s deputy director would be at our meeting yesterday, and when I went to the meeting, they announced that new and extended bus lines will be given to Antang GH Joint Venture Company.”

“It’s quicker than I expected actually.”

“The Mid-Autumn Festival is around the corner. Preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival was listed in our checklist of the meeting yesterday. The train Zhanzhang (stationmaster) and I strongly insisted on increasing the number of buses. We argued that it wouldn’t be possible for us to help all of the intended citizens to visit their hometowns during the Mid-Autumn Festival with the current number of buses.”

“And then, they just let you have more buses on the spot?”

“Actually, they seemed to already make their decision about it. They wanted to make the announcement in writing first, but since we brought it up, they just announced it during the meeting.”

“Do we have six express buses now?”

“Correct. The load factor for Guiyang City is over 80%, which is nice, and it is what we expected. But, according to the demand forecasting, the load factor for Yibin City and Anshun City will be a bit over 60%; I mean during the normal days. Of course, we will have full buses during the Mid-Autumn Festival season.”

“Who is conducting the demand forecasting? Is that you who does that?”

“No, not me. People here seem to be good at it. We don’t have such an academic institution that teaches transportation in Korea, but China has a transportation school. And many workers here graduated from a two-year transportation school. And they are very good at the practical side of this field. Many of them handle Excel very well too.”

“Is that right?”

“The operations department’s manager brought me the document about load factor and demand forecasting.”

“I see.”

“It’s really nice to receive income on a daily basis. We have 100 workers here, and they were sent by the Antang transportation company as I told you the other day. Once we start operating six buses, I guess maybe we can cover their wages.”

“How’s your Chinese language? I’m sure you have improved a lot.”

“Haha. A little bit. Now, I can go to a restaurant to eat by myself, and I go to a traditional market by bus alone without any problem.”

“Haha. I guess that at least you don’t have to worry about missing your meal because of the language.”

“I actually enjoy learning the Chinese language. It’s fun. I learned a few Chinese songs too. On Sundays, I go everywhere riding a bicycle. And, I realized that the Huaxi Huayuan community where I live is the best in the area.”

“Really?”

“Whenever I tell a local person that I’m living in Huaxi Huayuan, their eyes become widened.”

“I see. Can you write this down?”

“Okay. I’m ready.”

“If you go to the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in Antang City, you can find their branch manager. His name is Xiaodong Liu. His last name—Liu—is the same as Liu Bei’s last name in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Xiao is the character meaning small. Dong is the ‘dong’ meaning the east.”

“So, if we read his name in Korean, we say So-Dong Ryoo, huh? Haha. That sounds weird.”

“I want you to meet with him.”

“What am I supposed to talk with him about?”

“We made a purchase contract for five condos in Huaxi Huayuan. The due date to pay the remaining balance is coming soon. I want you to ask him if we can get a loan to pay the remaining balance for those condos.”

“Okay, I will do that.”

“Don’t forget to bring the purchase contract and your business card. Try to become friends with him—the Xiaodong Liu person. Buy him a drink or something.”

“Got it. I will go to the bank today.”

“Sounds good. Keep up the good work.”

“Oh, I wanted to let you know this. I’m planning to visit Korea briefly next Saturday for just one day.”

“Really?”

“My wife is ready to come to join me here. She feels heavy with her bulged belly and also often feels dizzy these days. She wants to quit the book café and come to China. I told her to come by herself, but she doesn’t seem to feel comfortable making a trip alone. She doesn’t speak Chinese, and it’s her first time coming to China. I think that I’d better go to Korea and come back to China together with her.”

“Yeah, I think you should. She must feel uneasy especially if this is her first time traveling to China.”

“Since I will have to go there on Saturday and come back to China on Sunday, I don’t think I have time to see you, President Goo.”

“That’s totally fine. We can talk through the phone. You should take care of your wife. Is she eight months pregnant now?”

“She will be next week.”

“She must feel easily tired. You should be good to her.”

“Thank you.”

“Is your house in Mangwon Town taken care of?”

“Yeah. I was told that we should vacate it by tomorrow. It seems that the landlord found a new tenant pretty quickly.”

“Your wife will stay with your parents at the condo in East Incheon for a few days then, right?”

“She rather wants to stay with her parents. She seems to feel a bit uncomfortable around my parents, especially when I’m not around. They haven’t known each other for long anyway. So, she’s going to leave the stuff with my parents, and stay with her parents until I get there. I will have to go to her parents’ house first to pick her up, and then we will stay the last night in Korea with my parents.”

“That’s good. She must feel way more comfortable staying with her own parents.”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Well, keep up the good work. I will let you go.”

President Shin came up to Gun-Ho’s office.

“Director Woon-Hak Sim is very anxious about not receiving the TV schedule for the drama yet.”

“It will come when it’s ready. They will need time to negotiate with the broadcasting station and go over things before finalizing the schedule. There is nothing to be anxious about.”

“He is wondering if he could have their scenario.”

“We can certainly ask them to send it to us. I will ask them. Well, it will cost to translate it though since the scenario must be like a thick book.”

“I will take care of the translation work, sir. I know someone who can do the work at a low price.”

“I do care about translation quality...”

“You don’t have to worry about it. There are many people who are willing to do the work at a low price because they just can’t find a job, which doesn’t necessarily mean they are not competent.”

Gun-Ho made a call to Huaxi Huayuan’s President Baogang Chen right away.

“Hi, it’s me, Gun-Ho Goo from GH.”

“Oh, Mr. President Goo. I’m sorry that I haven’t contacted you recently. I will send you the TV schedule assigned to our drama soon.”

“The reason I called you today is that Director Sim wants to look at the scenario. Can you make a copy of it and send it to GH Media’s President Jeong-Sook Shin via express mail service? You have President Shin’s business card, don’t you? You will find the address there.”

“Okay. I will mail it today.”

After getting off the phone with President Baogang Chen, Gun-Ho looked at President Shin’s face and said, “He said he will send it to us.”

“I’m so envious of you, sir.”

“What for?”

“You speak Chinese so fluently, and you have no problem picking up the phone right away and talking to a Chinese person in their language.”

“Haha. Well, anyone, who stayed in China for some time, can speak Chinese well. I’m not that good.”

“Well, I still envy you, sir.”

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