Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Jae-Sik Moon walked up to the second floor. The space was divided into several rooms; it seemed that the rooms had been used to accommodate the workers who used to work there.

“I guess that several workers of the previous auto repair shop used to live here. Just use them as you please.”

“Maybe I can reserve one room as a resting area for truck drivers so they can take a nap or spend time here during the break. And another room can be used as a night-duty room. Or, maybe I don’t have to drive all the way to Seoul every day to go home but I can stay here sometimes. I can go home on weekends.”

Jong-Suk Park came and said to Jae-Sik Moon, “Bro, if you stay here, maybe we can have a drink of soju together sometimes.”

“That sounds fun.”

“Bro, I saw a buffet restaurant on the way here around the four-way intersection. You can have your meal there. I think you don’t even need to drive there but walk. It’s very close from here.”

“Really? I didn’t see any restaurants on the way here, but it would be really nice to have a restaurant within walking distance.”

Jong-Suk turned around and looked at Gun-Ho.

“Bro, Jae-Sik bro will begin his work here starting tomorrow. Don’t we do some sort of ceremony to wish him prosperity?”

“A ceremony?”

“You know, some people do that before they open a business by preparing a pig head among other food. We’ve seen that a lot when we worked in a factory in Yangju and Pocheon City. Don’t you remember that?”

“Hahaha. I remember.”

“The team leader of our maintenance team who is standing over there asked me about it earlier too. He said there is a restaurant that cooks pig heads around this area and it’s very good.”

Gun-Ho looked at Jae-Sik.

“What do you think, Jae-Sik? President Moon, it’s your call.”

“Well… Why not? Let’s do it.”

Jong-Suk said while clapping in excitement,

“Bro, you made the right decision. You are running a transportation company here. You can pray to make good money but also you want to pray for safe driving for all of your truck drivers.”

“I see. I think I’ve heard about it before.”

“Ask all of your GH Logistics’ truck drivers to come here this evening, the ones who transport Dyeon Korea’s products and the ones who handle the Eumseong factory’s work. They will need to know the location of their basecamp anyway. They can make a deep bow to the pig head and wish for safe driving at work.”

“Okay. I will call them.”

Jong-Suk Park called for Team Lead Shin.

“Are those cleaning crew and the contractors still here? Ask them to help us to put these four desks in the front yard. We can make a big table by connecting them and placing some food and a pig head on it.”

“Okay.”

“It’s not too late to place an order of a pig head now, is it?”

“We still have time. We can order now.”

“We also need a steamed rice cake.”

“We can ask for it to the restaurant that we would order a pig head from. They will make an arrangement with another restaurant for the rice cake for us.”

“How much rice cake should we order?”

“We’d better order enough of them so we can share them with our neighbors like the factory next door and the senior citizen’s center. That way, we can bring more luck to the business.”

“Sounds great.”

Gun-Ho went to GH Mobile to receive a daily work report. He then headed to Dyeon Korea. After hearing a report from Director Kim and looking around the production site, he walked upstairs to his office.

“I will have to leave around 5 pm to GH Logistics to attend the ceremony.”

When Gun-Ho was planning the rest of his day, Director Kim entered the office.

“Sir, I just heard that GH Logistics will have a ceremony today wishing for their business prosperity. When I went downstairs to the production site, the truck drivers told me that.”

“That’s right. They are preparing for it right now.”

“Why don’t we join them? We can’t bring everyone with us; that would make the place too crowded. We can send the executive officers to attend the ceremony. I will ask Director Yoon to go with me there.”

“Are you sure? You might feel tired.”

“It’s a meaningful day. We want to participate in their opening ceremony and wishing them good luck. I guess the executive officers from GH Mobile will come and join them as well once they hear about the ceremony. We will make a deep bow with them to the pig head and insert 10,000 won into the pig’s mouth for good luck and its prosperity.”

“Hahaha. Do as you please, Director Kim.”

That evening, when Gun-Ho arrived at GH Logistics’ new place in Seonghwan Town, many people were already there. Four desks were placed in the yard forming a large table and it was covered by newspapers on top of it as a substitute for a tablecloth. Foods were prepared and a big pig head was placed in the center. It was smiling. The steamed rice cakes were still warm.

“Mr. President is here.”

The workers let Gun-Ho pass to walk close to the table. Gun-Ho looked around. Many executive officers from GH Mobile and Dyeon Korea were attending the ceremony. GH Logistics’ truck drivers were there too. Gun-Ho saw Mr. Adam Castler there as well.

“Vice President Adam Castler is here too?!”

“He didn’t want to miss any Korean traditional event.”

Adam Castler looked excited. He was taking pictures of the pig head with a smile. The yard was filled with six trucks and other vehicles of the attendees.

In front of the pig head, there was a writing about what they wished for. It said good fortune and safe driving.

Director Jong-Suk Park proceeded the ceremony.

“We will now start the ceremony wishing for GH Logistics’ good fortune and safe driving. President Goo will make a deep bow to the smiley pig head first.”

Gun-Ho could hear people laughing.

“Well, I think President Jae-Sik Moon should do it first. He is the president of GH Logistics.”

“Why don’t you do it together, sir?”

Jae-Sik Moon and Gun-Ho sat on the floor in a kneeling posture. Jae-Sik poured liquor into a glass. He then sprinkled liquor over the floor saying that they needed to treat a deity of the earth first. Gun-Ho wondered where he learned things like that. Jae-Sik then cut a piece of meat from the pig’s nose and tossed it to the ground and shouted ‘Gosure.’ Someone said in the background,

“Of course he is highly knowledgeable about everything. He is a writer after all.”

Adam Castler watched carefully every move and word happening in the ceremony with excitement.

After giving a deep bow towards the pig head, Jae-Sik Moon slipped two 10,000 won into the pig’s mouth while Gun-Ho slipped an envelope into the pig’s mouth. Subsequently, the executive officers and the truck drivers made their deep bow to the pig head. Most attendees gave 10,000 won to the pig head while some of them didn’t put any at all. President Jang-Hwan Song was the only person who slipped 50,000 won into the pig’s mouth.

Once the ceremony was completed, the pig head was cut into small pieces and the participants ate them with soju.