Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Chairman Lee let the fishing line sit in the water and relaxed while listening to music. Since he was an old man, Gun-Ho expected him to listen to trot, but surprisingly he was listening to classical music. He was a chairman of a paper production company, and he also owned several buildings in Cheongdam; Gun-Ho wanted to get to know him more. Nah, Gun-Ho wanted to flatter him. However, Chairman Lee didn’t give him a chance to talk to him more and focused on fishing; Gun-Ho couldn’t initiate a conversation from that point.

“I can’t disturb this old man. He is truly enjoying the music and fishing right now.”

Gun-Ho stood up from a sitting position.

“Chairman Lee, have a wonderful time. We will leave to the other side for lure fishing.”

“Oh ok. You do that.”

Chairman Lee smiled with his white teeth.

On the other side of the lake, Gun-Ho was reeling up his slack line.

“Bro, that Chairman Lee person, he is the type of person we can’t easily meet. Try to get closer to him.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He owns a paper production company. Ask him to get you a job there.”

“You can’t just get a job like that. You need the right skills for a paper production company.”

“Ask him to get you any position. If it was the chairman of the company who put you there, the middle management won’t be able to nag or harass you.”

“Save it! No one would hire someone who they just met once at a fishing site.”

“Keep trying. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“Hey, stop it. Just focus on fishing. Me, I don’t want to live like that, just yet.”

“You told me some time ago that if someone paid you enough, you would do anything.”

Gun-Ho went to work. The director was making a fuss about something.

“Today, we won’t be working, but we will do a deep cleaning in our factory. Our collaborating company is visiting us today. Check your workwear and safety boots; make sure you wear your safety helmet. You have to look neat.”

“They are coming here, so what? Why should we stop our work?”

The team leader of the injection molding site clapped Gun-Ho on the head and said,

“Hey, do you think they will like the fact that we told them we only use new materials, but in fact, we use some crushed recycled materials?”

The director put up a banner; Gun-Ho was not sure where the director got that banner from.

“The banner says the quality is our priority. That’s why we add some recycled materials?”

The foreign worker from India, Ali laughed; Gun-Ho was not sure if Ali understood what Gun-Ho said.

The people from the collaborating company arrived after 11 AM. They were the major supplier taking our products manufactured in this factory. There were three of them; they all looked about the same age as Gun-Ho.

“This machine looks old. What year is it?”

The director told them in a servile attitude with a smile,

“It is old but it is working perfectly; there is no problem at all in producing goods. Look at this product; it just came out.”

“I see some foreign substances on it. Do you, by any chance, use recycled materials? You do have a crusher machine.”

“Oh my goodness, we use that crusher machine for another company’s products. We rarely use that machine these days.”

After making such a fuss, the personnel from the collaboration company finished the actual condition survey. When they were ready to leave, the director asked them,

“Why don’t you have lunch with us? It is almost lunchtime. Our town is famous for Korean beef.”

They hesitated and looked at their watch.

“Shall we have lunch here then?”

“Alright. Take this car. I will show you the way. Hey, Manager Kim and Assistant Manager Lee, come with me.”

After the director and the collaboration company personnel left the site, Mr. Kim from the washing team shouted,

“Well, the alert has been dismissed. Let’s have lunch.”

Gun-Ho looked back over his life while having lunch at the company cafeteria.

“I am so pathetic.”

Gun-Ho felt pathetic about himself; he had no higher education, no special certificate or skills.

“Hey, Gun-Ho, hurry up. We have a lot to do today since we didn’t work this morning!”

Gun-Ho hastily finished his lunch, picked up his mask, and ran to the work site. The team leader brought plastic waste using the forklift truck. A mountain of plastic waste appeared in no time; they had to be all crushed out.

“Sh*t. I am so sick of this! I will have to work till late at night again.”

Gun-Ho clenched his teeth while working.

“I have to get a skill certificate. I shouldn’t go fishing this Sunday. I will visit educational institutes instead. Since I’ve already decided to get a certificate, I’d better start now.”

When Gun-Ho came back home from work, he felt exhausted. He made a phone call to Jong-Suk.

“Jong-Suk, did you decide what certificate you are going to get?”

“I did. I will learn welding skills.”

“Welding? That’s good. Even without the benefit of the extra point for the police exam, welding skills will be useful.”

“I am not sure about that. If I don’t become a policeman, I will be working at a factory probably as a team leader with welding skills.”

“No no. If you emigrate to Australia or Canada with those welding skills, I heard you can make a lot of money.”

“I have no intention to emigrate anywhere. I am the only child in my family. I can’t leave my country. If you like it, you go ahead. What about you? Did you decide?”

“No, I am still working on it.”

“What’s taking you so long? Just pick anything. Are you thinking about taking the realtor or labor officer exam?”

“A labor officer? Maybe in my next life.”

“Try it. Do you remember my private tutor in Bucheon? He told me that he was studying for the appraiser exam.”

“An appraiser? For gems? A gemologist?”

“No, not that kind of appraiser. It’s valuation appraiser.”

“Anyway, I am visiting several educational institutes this Sunday. I won’t be able to go fishing. Let’s do it next Sunday.”

“No problem. I have to go to see my uncle at a hospital this Sunday anyway.”

Two weeks later, Gun-Ho and Jong-Suk met at the fishing site in Pocheon.

“I love this place. I think I can smell the freshwater fish, don’t you think?”

“I don’t see Chairman Lee today.”

“You are more interested in seeing Chairman Lee who has buildings in Cheongdam and a paper production company, than fishing. You are trying to get closer to him.”

“F*ck man! What am I gonna do with an old person?”

“Doing what? I’ve research Dongil paper Corp. It is a KOSDAQ registered firm.”

“Is it?”

“Bro, the factory you are working for is Dongil Tech, right? They have the same name. That’s weird.”

“You are right. That’s odd.”

“Get involved with him.”

“You said it is a KOSDAQ registered company. Then they can conduct an open recruitment. Having a chance to listen to his life story is good enough for me. Getting involved what? He won’t get involved with me.”

“Uh? The Genesis limousine is coming in.”

“So what? Let’s focus on our fishing.”

Chairman Lee got off the car and walked down to the lake. Manager Gweon followed him while carrying some bags.

“The two young men came here before us today.”

“Hello!”

“Did you catch any?”

“We just got here.”

“I didn’t see you last week. Did you go somewhere else?”

“Yes, I was trying to find a way to get a skill certificate.”

“A skill certificate?”

“Yes, I am thinking of getting an environmental technician certificate or an electrician certificate.”

Chairman Lee stared at Gun-Ho once he heard about his idea to get a certificate, and then shook his head side to side quietly. Gun-Ho thought Chairman Lee was thinking that getting those certificates would be very difficult for a guy like Gun-Ho.

“I know it won’t be easy, but I want to try doggedly.”

“It is nice to have a skill certificate, but why don’t you try something else?”

Chairman Lee started talking to Gun-Ho in an informal way. Gun-Ho felt more comfortable.

“I can’t think of anything else.”

“It’s not that.”

Chairman Lee shook his head again side to side.

“Your fate is ShinWangJaeWang. Do you still remember what Master Park from the Gangnam philosophy hall told you?”

“ShinWangJaeWang? What does it mean?”

“A person who is receiving a lot of fortune should have a body and energy with Wang; that way he can handle the fortune. In reading someone’s fate, ShinWangJaeWang is interpreted as fate becoming extremely wealthy. Since you have ShinWangJaeWang fate, I recommend you to learn Boogi.”

“Boogi? What is Boogi?”

“Hmmm, we don’t use the word Boogi any longer? Probably you can say it is basic accounting. Boogi means keeping a ledger.”

“Oh, Chairman Lee, how can I possibly handle accountancy? I didn’t even go to a commercial college.”

Chairman Lee shook his head again side to side.

“Anyone who received at least an elementary education can learn Boogi. The founder of Samsung, Byung-Chul Lee and the founder of Hyundai Group, Joo-Young Jung, they all learned Boogi when they were young. Didn’t you know that?”