I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 167



Only Noblemtl

167 Cash is dry

I stopped by Segreto Seoul and checked the business status.

No restaurant can offer a fixed menu 365 days a year. This is because there is no guarantee that vegetables or seafood of the same quality will always be available unless frozen or manufactured products are used.

At times like these, a chef’s ability to improvise becomes crucial. Fortunately, Rachel is able to fully demonstrate her skills without compromising the recipe.

Chef Lee Ja-yeon’s appearance gave me a lot to think about.

As I leave the restaurant, I can feel the heat of Friday night on the street. Twenty-somethings dressed up in their best fashion are stopping by a nearby workshop to buy accessories and eating street food. Thirty-somethings in suits are also coming here to have a meal with their lovers or acquaintances.

‘How can I see this view a little longer?’

It is a certain future that an Apple Store will open in Garosu-gil in 2018.

The 60 billion won rent Apple paid at that time was enough to buy the site twice. But they didn’t do that. In the first place, 99% of companies don’t invest in real estate overseas. When they lease, they can treat the monthly rent as an expense, so they can receive tax benefits and have a marketing effect.

‘I’ve decided.’

I bought all the buildings on the site where the Apple Store was going to be. There were three buildings in total, but they were small buildings, so it wasn’t a critical expense.

If I buy these buildings and turn down Apple’s lease offer, they will most likely move across the street or to another nearby site. I intend to sign a lease with them at market rate.

The opening of the Apple Store on Garosu-gil was not a blessing for this street. Rather, it would be more accurate to say that it was a disaster.

Until 2-3 years ago, there were many restaurants and cafes here. However, as word of mouth spread about Garosu-gil, cosmetics and clothing companies began to push them out.

Land prices are rising by more than 30% per year. In this atmosphere, self-employed people have no choice but to hold out here any longer, as they have to pay 20 years’ worth of rent in advance, which is more than double the market price.

Freezing rents on the buildings I’ve purchased won’t stop this massive trend, but I hope it will serve as a small breakwater.

I stamped my seal on the real estate contract, hoping that the life of Garosu-gil, which has become a mecca for fine dining, will be extended a little longer.

* * *

When I woke up in the morning and went out to the living room, I saw my father-in-law sitting on the sofa holding his two children.

“Yuna, who am I?”

Kyaarruk.

The way he held the child looked familiar. He was like a father who had raised three children.

“Grandpa, try it.”

“Installment.”

“Wow, whose daughter is she that she’s so smart? Come on! Let’s do it, Noah.”

The children look happy, as if they are comfortably in their grandfather’s arms.

As if to relieve his regret for not being able to become close with the children, Chairman Seo postponed going to work and is taking care of the children.

“Did you sleep well?”

Chairman Seo looks at me and carefully puts the children down.

“Ahem. Did you sleep well? Were you uncomfortable?”

Considering our busy schedule outside the home, they recommended that we stay here and that they would look after the child.

“I slept well. Thank you.”

“Ababa.”

“Mom.”

The kids seemed hungry. I mixed some formula milk and gave each of them a bottle. It was fun to think about what to feed them since we would soon be starting solid food.

I love the sight of babies sucking bottles and eating with their cute hands.

When the two children were first born, they looked a lot like Joo-hee. At first, I wondered if they were identical twins because their appearances were so similar, but as they grew up, their facial features became more distinct. Yuna is changing into a cute face with thin lines, and Noah is also gradually taking on the appearance of a boy.

Chairman Seo is looking at the children who are fast asleep, perhaps because they got sleepy while eating, with loving eyes.

“It’s very similar to when Joohee was born. Looking at the children reminds me of that time a lot.”

“We talked about that too.”

“Do you plan to continue raising your children in New York?”

It seems that he regrets not being able to see his grandchildren often. However, he has a lot of work to do in the United States, so it cannot be helped for the time being.

“I’m sorry. I’ll come in often.”

“That’s right. It’s not good if the kids don’t even recognize their grandfather’s face.”

Ding dong.

The doorbell rang and I went outside to see my older sister Soo-hyeon holding the child. Following that, my eldest brother and his wife came walking in holding the hands of their two children. The entire extended family was gathered.

Joo-hee, who had been suffering from lack of sleep, greeted me and my family with a refreshed expression, as if she had had a good night’s sleep for the first time in a long time.

“Wow! It’s babies!”

Minjun and Yeri, the eldest brother’s children, run to where the children are lying.

“You’re Joo-Hwan? Nice to meet you.”

I looked into my nephew’s eyes and greeted him, who was holding my sister’s hand tightly. I will not be able to see the nephews I loved in the past, but I plan to love this child even more.

“Hello. I am Seo Ju-hwan.”

A two-year-old child who has been educated greets people quite nicely.

Then he ran to where the child was.

“It’s been a while, boss.”

“Oh my. You kept calling me Director Kim, but now you’re the president? Please speak more comfortably. We’re family now.”

I wanted to do that too, but it felt awkward no matter what I called it. The title is the one that causes the least amount of resistance.

When five children gather, the house becomes full of energy. The sound of children running around, crying, and adults talking is so distracting.

The mother-in-law is watching the children to make sure they don’t get hurt while playing. The sister-in-law is already peeling fruit from the refrigerator.

The two brothers are having a serious conversation with Chairman Seo, as if they have something to talk about regarding work.

“I think I’m going crazy with five kids.”

Joohee laughs as she drinks juice from the fridge.

“But it’s good because there are a lot of people who will look after you, right?”

“Yeah. I think the kids like it too.”

Yeri is standing next to the children and chatting away.

“Yuna, when you grow up, you should listen to your older sister. I’ll treat you well later.”

Yeri doesn’t leave Yuna’s side, as if she’s happy to have a younger sister.

Minjun is holding Noah and playing with him by jumping up and down. Noah is squealing and enjoying it, so Minjun is getting more and more motivated and is jumping higher and higher.

Do you think he has a subordinate? It’s funny to see Joo-hwan pretending to have a serious expression and having a conversation with Noah that seems like he knows something or doesn’t.

I had something to do with my sister today.

When I nod to her that I have something to say, she nods. When I go out to the garden and sit at the table, the lady brings me coffee.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“What are you talking about? Are you looking forward to it?”

“I’m looking to scout a staff member. I’d like to ask for permission from someone at the Shinsung Hotel.”

“Oh my! Who could it be?”

“This is Manager Na Moon-ho from the Management Support Team.”

Manager Na Moon-ho moved to a leading investment distribution company in the industry two years later. He was a person who became a topic of conversation by making a lot of money from various dramas and movies with his outstanding insight.

I remember my older sister saying that she was sorry that Shinsung was not running an investment distribution company. Thinking about the future of Manager Na, who was promoted to executive but was pushed out of the company due to internal politics, it would be beneficial for everyone if I took him.

“Namunho… Ah! I see. I heard you majored in marketing at Duke, right?”

“That would be right. Is it possible?”

“I’ll introduce you to her. If she says she doesn’t want to, then there’s nothing I can do.”

“Of course. I will definitely repay this debt later.”

“What do you mean, family debt? But can I ask you a small favor?”

My sister’s expression, which had been smiling like a fountain, suddenly changed to that of a businesswoman. I became anxious about what kind of favor she would ask me.

* * *

The reasons I want to start an investment distribution company are complex.

The biggest reason is that I felt the need to secure cash in Korea. Famous fine dining restaurants have a considerable amount of intangible value, but they are not an industry that can make a lot of money.

This time, as we expanded our business, we bought a farm in New Jersey and a building in downtown Manhattan. We also bought three buildings on Garosu-gil, but we ran out of cash.

Of course, if I sold all my stocks, I could secure over $600 million right now, but I have no intention of selling stocks that are expected to soar. Even if I borrow money using stocks as collateral, I have to pay interest, and the exchange rate loss every time I send money becomes unignorable when the unit grows.

Another reason is to check China’s growing influence in the cultural world.

Korean entertainment agencies and investment and distribution companies do not have a good understanding of China.

From home appliances to batteries, semiconductors to automobiles, China’s influence will grow stronger year by year. It will eventually take such bold steps that it will swallow up the domestic distribution market, and its starting point was the cultural industry.

The beginnings of Chinese investment companies were truly humble.

Since the 2010s, they have been purchasing hit dramas in Korea at a low price and making huge sales in the Chinese domestic market. Based on this, they have infiltrated the domestic video industry from the investment stage and demanded the production of content that suits their style.

I plan to prevent this as much as possible. In addition, I can promote the restaurants I run using globally popular content, so in many ways, it is a business that suits my taste and needs.

In fact, if you were determined to make money in your second life, you could have amassed a huge fortune.

But I also didn’t want to use my future knowledge to steal someone else’s success, and I didn’t want to get into trouble for trading futures options.

Above all, it would be correct to say that I have been careful because I know better than anyone that excessive greed for money does not help one to be happy in life.

I want to make money in a valuable way. I want to do business in a way that benefits everyone who contributes and is beneficial to society, not just for myself.

As I sit in the hotel cafe, gathering my thoughts, Manager Na Moon-ho walks toward me. His formal suit and neat hairstyle make me think of a gentlemanly hotelier.

“Hello. I received a call from the CEO. This is Manager Na Moon-ho.”

He greets me politely and hands me his business card.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Shin Je-hee. This is a seat I made by force. I apologize if it made you uncomfortable.”

“No. I didn’t hear the details, but he said it wasn’t going to harm me. May I ask what it was?”

The server brought two cups of coffee and placed them in front of us. I sipped my coffee and thought about how to persuade him.

“I’m thinking of starting a company. It’s an investment and distribution company. I plan to mainly deal with dramas and movies, and I won’t be picky about domestic or international sales. I was looking for talented people, so I got a recommendation from the CEO and created a position.”

“I’m not even in that industry.”

“But are you interested?”

“Actually, yes. I’m a movie fanatic, so I grew up watching all kinds of movies. At first, it was just a hobby, but since I majored in marketing, I wanted to move to an investment and distribution company and do the work of promoting and distributing movies myself. How did you know? It was just something I had always thought about.”

“I just asked you to recommend a suitable candidate. Looking at Manager Na, it seems like your judgment was right.”

He had an uncomfortable expression on his face, but he soon seemed to understand. He bowed his head and expressed his gratitude.

“If you want to hire someone from a large company, you must have good conditions. Would you like to read this?”

I handed him the contract.

He was offered a 10% stake in a capital of 10 billion won. Employees who feel that they are not receiving sufficient compensation for their contributions are thinking about becoming independent or changing jobs.

In the company I create, I want him to work for himself. If I grow the company tenfold, I will have assets worth a whopping 10 billion won, so that should be enough motivation.

He reads the contract. Then his eyes widen.

“These conditions are too much for me to handle. I haven’t shown anything yet, and a 10% stake is too much.”

He takes out a pen, erases 10, and writes 5.

“I’ll take 5% first. But if you grow the company 5 times, I’ll give you the remaining 5%.”

I liked his ambition.

How confident is this guy that he’s willing to cut hundreds of millions of won worth of shares himself?

“Okay. And although it’s not in the contract, there are some principles that you must follow when running the company.”

“What is it?”

“First of all, if there is a work that I want, I would like you to give me top priority in securing investment and distribution. I will choose a work that is suitable for PPL for my restaurant, but this will not happen often.”

“All right.”

“Another thing is, please do not receive any capital from China in the works we invest in. You will have to persuade the production company well. If you are short on capital, you can always invest more, so don’t worry about money.”

“If we could spend more, there would be no reason for the production company to receive foreign investment. It doesn’t seem like a difficult task.”

“Finally, all staff members of the productions we invest in must sign a standard contract.”

“Yes? Then the production cost will go up. It’s a disadvantage to us.”

The film version is a little better, but the drama industry didn’t have a standard contract until 2020.

The only people who are hurt by this are the powerless on-site staff. The production company executives and investors have all ignored the desperate cries of the on-site staff in order to maximize their profits.

“It’s crazy to film without even signing a contract. The Korean content market is not normal. Let’s try to be angels in this industry where only a few people profit by exploiting the staff.

As a new investment distribution company, having the support of the field staff is a significant advantage. It will also help us expand our business in the future.”

“If it doesn’t fail, then the break-even point will be higher.”

“It doesn’t matter. Wouldn’t it be better for the world if a company that can’t even sign a contract to pay a normal wage were to go out of business? Let’s not become such a vicious company. To us, it’s a number, but to them, it’s a matter of survival.”

“I heard he is the son-in-law of a wealthy family. He is quite an unusual person.”

His eyes deepen as he looks at me.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s purely my capital.”

“These are not difficult demands. The selection of works will become more important.”

“I ask for your help in the future. We will start with investment first and then expand the scope to distribution and marketing. I will give you full authority, so please gather the staff. We will think about planning and production later.”

“Okay. I’m a bit taken aback by the sudden offer, but I think this is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I’ll do my best.”

“Then shall we go see the office?”

We moved to Garosu-gil with him. We decided to use the building in the best condition among the buildings we purchased as an office.

“This building is mine. I have to sign a lease, but I’ll give it to you cheaply.”

It’s a small four-story building, but it’s big enough to house a startup.

“You’re incredibly rich. I envy you. I’ll start right away, from recruiting to interior design.”

He shows his enthusiasm with shining eyes.

I introduced him to a lawyer who could give him legal advice and then I left cleanly.

Now it’s time to get back to business.

-Please let Hundred Dishes be the first to enter our department store.

My sister’s request was never a loss for me either.