Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Gun-Ho and Seukang Li were conversing at the McDonald’s near the art exhibition hall.

“The Chinese avant-garde art exhibition was actually very interesting. The young Chinese painters are amazing. I don’t know much about art, but I can still tell how talented they are.”

“I totally agree with you. Many Chinese artists are highly talented. I sent you those art pamphlets because I think it’s a good idea to have those art exhibitions in Korea too.”

“Oh, before we continue to talk, let’s order some food first. What do you want?”

“Umm, I will have the chicken burger combo meal!”

“Okay. I will have the same.”

Gun-Ho then placed the order for two combo meals with chicken burgers.

They continued to talk while having their chicken burgers.

“So, you are saying, if I want to host an art exhibition in Korea, you will connect me with the art galleries here, right?”

“Of course. I can certainly do that.”

“I’m not sure if you know this. I actually started a joint venture company in Korea with the American chemical company called Lymondell Dyeon.”

“I am aware of that. Jien Wang told me the other day.”

“So, I am extremely busy with that joint venture right now. It’s hard for me to focus on the art business. However, I am interested in it, and I want to start collecting the necessary information.”

“I see. It’s a smart move to collect information before you actually execute your plan. By the way, you are an amazing businessman.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Jien Wang told me that he stopped by your factory in Cheonan City when he visited Korea last time for the symposium hosted by Seoul National University. He showed me a few pictures he took of the factory. It looked amazing, and I was told that you are the major shareholder with 100% of the company’s shares.”

“Right. I don’t actually spend much time there any longer though. I have another person handling the daily operation of that factory. I stay at the joint venture company in Asan City for most of the time these days.”

“How many shares are you holding for that joint venture?”

“Dyeon America owns 50%, and I own the other 50%.”

“What about the investment funds?”

“The authorized capital is 20 million dollars and the paid-in-capital is 10 million dollars.”

“Wow! 20 million and 10 million dollars? Wow. It’s incredible. 10 million dollars is a huge amount of funds in China.”

“If we go back to the art exhibition matter, GH Media’s female president actually started showing her interest in the art exhibition and that made me look into the matter.”

“Is that the female president who came to the book exhibition?”

“That’s right. That’s her.”

“She sure seemed to have very elegant taste.”

“Haha. You think so?”

“Also, Gun-Ho, I want you to think of expanding your business into a new field.”

Seukang Li dragged his chair toward Gun-Ho to sit closer to him, and said,

“It’s about the production of soap operas.”

“Soap opera production? I almost have zero knowledge on that subject.”

“I’m talking about Chinese soap operas, not Korean ones.”

“Chinese soap operas?”

“Jien Wang and I, we have been trying to acquire a production company of soap operas, but we are short on funds. Why don’t you join us in investing in this field? Maybe you can take half of the shares. I believe this business has a bright future.”

“Are you sure? The Chinese soap operas could bring good revenue?”

“You shouldn’t take it lightly. One of the Chinese production companies called Huace Media (Huace Yingshi: the company which imported the popular Korean soap opera, Descendants of the Sun) is valued for more than 20 billion Yuan (approximately 3.6 trillion won).”

“What? 20 billion Yuan!?”

Gun-Ho couldn’t close his mouth at the shocking number.

“Wow. That amount makes me feel like the money I’ve been making so far is so small that I could only buy chewing gum or something.”

“That’s not all. Once our new production company becomes stable, we can even register it with KOSDAQ. I believe Korea is open to it.”

“That… is true.”

Gun-Ho was dumbfounded with astonishment.

“I initially thought your GH Media handles all sorts of media contents, and then when I learned that it was a book publication company, I was a bit disappointed. Then I had an opportunity to meet with GH Media’s female president at the book exhibition. She was a very elegant and intelligent lady, and she also had broad knowledge in art, especially paintings. So I started paying attention to GH Media.”

“Hmm.”

“Of course, Jien Wang and myself can’t directly involve in running a company because of our current position as a college professor and a government official. We just want to invest in a soap opera production company. If there is a soap opera production company that is suffering financially despite their competence in the field, we want to help them and share the profits.”

“I understood your intention. Before I make my decision, I want to see how Mr. Ding Feng’s art exhibition, that GH Media will host, goes in Korea. Also, I need to have Dyeon Korea stabilized.”

“That sounds great. I do admire your prudence and carefulness in business and the fact that once you make your decision, you move forward without any hesitation in the process. It’s not just me who recognized these invaluable characteristics of yours, but Jien Wang had also talked to me about it too.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Seukang Li.”

“Well, I think I have to take off. I have another meeting that I need to attend. Why don’t we have a drink in the evening?”

“I will have a rain check for the drink. I’d better head out Suzhou City to visit my factory there.”

“Oh, that company where Min-Hyeok Kim is working at? Of course, you should go there. I will see you later then. Thank you for the burger.”

“Okay. Talk to you later.”

Gun-Ho then made a call to Min-Hyeok Kim.

“Hey, I am in Shanghai right now. I am on my way to the express bus terminal. Can you meet me this evening?”

“You are in Shanghai?! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I would have picked you up at the airport.”

“No, that was not necessary. I know you are busy, and you don’t have to waste gas by driving all the way to the airport in Shanghai just to pick me up. It’s a quick and easy ride with the express bus to Suzhou City.”

“I will then wait for you at the express bus terminal in Suzhou City.”

“Sounds good. Can you get me a hotel room?”

Gun-Ho arrived in Suzhou City. The sun was down. The sky became reddish. It was a pleasant trip with the bus except for one thing. A Chinese lady was sitting next to Gun-Ho on the bus, and Gun-Ho had to suffer from the weird smell that she was constantly exuding, all the way from Shanghai to Suzhou City.

“President Goo!”

“Hey, Min-Hyeok Kim!”

“Was it comfortable riding a bus?”

“It was okay except the lady next to me. It was really hard to sit there with all those strange smells coming from her.”

“It happens here sometimes. I told you that I would pick you up with my car.”

“Did you reserve a hotel room for me?”

“Yeah. It’s the Pacific Hotel. It’s located in downtown, a convenient location. You can easily find some tourist spots from there too. They have a pool too.”

“Let’s have dinner at the hotel and have something other than Chinese food. I don’t feel like having Chinese food today. It’s strange.”

“Maybe because of the lady sitting next to you on the bus. Haha, let’s have some steak with a glass of wine at the hotel.”

Gun-Ho arrived at the hotel and did the check-in and received the room key. After he changed his clothes, he walked down to the lobby.

They had their dinner at a restaurant in the hotel. Gun-Ho ordered a steak with a glass of French wine.

“I hope I’m not taking your precious time with your wife.”

“No, don’t worry about it. My wife comes home late too.”

“I thought teachers get off work early.”

“Oh, she has another job after school. She teaches at an academic institution.”

“Really? I think you will save a lot of money soon.”

“Well, I doubt that because as you know, in China, we don’t get a high salary. But I feel good because I have my own home. My wife is so proud of me too. We are living in a luxurious condo, I drive an Audi, and I run a company as a president.”

“That’s right. Oh, by the way, did you meet Suk-Ho Lee from Gyeonridan Street?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Why did he want to see you?”