Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Gun-Ho went to GH Building in Sinsa Town to work on Friday.

A banner placed on the GH Building was waiving in the wind. It was the banner for Mr. Sakata Ikuzo’s wood carving art exhibition. Gun-Ho said while looking at the banner, “His art exhibition ends this Sunday. If no one hasn’t purchased his art pieces yet, President Shin must be feeling anxious by now. However, since a lot of visitors came to see his art exhibition, it increased foot traffic in this area, and other businesses around here like convenience stores and restaurants must have received unintended benefits from it.”

When Gun-Ho arrived at his office, his secretary—Ms. Yeon-Soo Oh—brought him a morning paper along with a cup of coffee.

“Yeon-Soo, do you still go downstairs to work at the gallery these days?”

Gun-Ho sometimes talked in a very informal way inadvertently to people who were younger than him. Maybe that was what the other younger person might want since they might feel more comfortable if Gun-Ho did that. It was not always good being too polite when talking to a person because it could create distant feelings.

“Yes, sir. The gallery is getting so many people these days, and they definitely still need my help. I will come down to help them around 10 am today. If you need me, sir, please let Ms. Assistant Manager Ji-Young Jeong know, then she will contact me. I will come up right away then.”

“It seems that the exhibition will go on tomorrow and even the day after tomorrow. You won’t be able to enjoy your free time this Saturday and Sunday then.”

“Well, President Shin said she would buy me delicious food once the art exhibition is over.”

“Haha, she said that? Okay. You can go back to work now.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ms. Yeon-Soo Oh gave a deep bow to Gun-Ho and left the office.

Gun-Ho was reading the morning paper while enjoying his morning coffee. He could read the newspaper well through other devices like a smartphone, but he preferred to read the news in the paper since it gave more comfort to his eyes that way.

After reading his newspaper, he looked at his watch; it was 10 am already. Gun-Ho was about to fall asleep when he heard someone knocking on his office door. It was President Jeong-Sook Shin. She looked different that day though. She was wearing a colorful outfit; she even wore make-up.

“Please come on in.”

Gun-Ho looked at the handbag that President Shin was holding. It looked familiar.

“Oh, are you looking at my bag? It’s the Chanel bag that you bought me, sir.”

President Shin said while waving her handbag. She was right; it was the handbag that Gun-Ho bought her to express his gratitude about introducing Young-Eun to him. She was actually the key person who enabled Gun-Ho to get married to Young-Eun after all. He bought that handbag at the Galleria Department Store in Apgujeong Town.

“You look gorgeous today. What’s the occasion? Are you going out on a date?”

“Hahaha. I’m almost 50 years old. I don’t even plan a date.”

“Where are you going then in that outfit?”

Gun-Ho actually expected to see a depressed President Shin because she didn’t make as much as she wanted by hosting Mr. Sakata Ikuzo’s wood carving art exhibition. The exhibition was a success since so many people came and received a lot of favorable reviews in the media. However, his art pieces didn’t sell well. Contrary to his expectation, President Shin looked excited.

“You know the large company—S Group, right? I have a meeting with its president today at 11 am.”

“S Group is a large company. Why does its president want to meet with you? S Group is actually one of GH Mobile’s client companies.”

“S Group has its factories in two different locations—Pyeongtaek City and Dangjin City—as you probably know well, and its head office is here in Yangjae Town.”

“That’s right.”

“I’ve been contacted by the head office in Yangjae Town saying that their president wanted to meet with me.”

“Really? What is that for?”

“They said that he wanted to talk with me about Mr. Sakata Ikuzo’s art pieces.”

“He wants to talk about his art pieces? Maybe he wants to purchase some of them.”

“I’m really hoping so. In case you are right, I’m bringing several purchasing forms of art pieces in my purse.”

“Hmm, you are?”

“And I’m not going there by myself, but I’m going with Mr. Yoshitake Matsuda.”

“You are taking Mr. Yoshitake Matsuda with you?”

“Mr. Yoshitake Matsuda could give a very artistic impression with his ponytail and beard. His grey hair shows his good life experience and adds well to his artistic vibe. He does look like an artist. His presence will be helpful for the business.”

“Haha. That’s true. I hope things go well with the meeting.”

After President Jeong-Sook Shin left the office, Gun-Ho was wondering how things were going with GH Logistics and Jae-Sik Moon.

“I wonder if Jae-Sik Moon signed the sales and purchase agreement with that cosmetic company this morning as expected…”

Gun-Ho wanted to give a call to Jae-Sik to find it out, but he didn’t.

“It’s only 11 am. Maybe they are meeting right now. If the contract was signed, Jae-Sik would have called me already.”

Gun-Ho felt somewhat anxious. He walked around his office while tying his hands together behind his back.

“I feel thirsty.”

Gun-Ho was going to call for his secretary—Ms. Yeon-Soo Oh—and then he realized that she was not there.

“Oh, that’s right. She is at the art gallery to help with their work.”

Gun-Ho stuck his head out of his office door and called for Ms. Assistant Manager Ji-Young Jeong instead.

“Ms. Assistant Manager Ji-Young Jeong! Would you bring me a cup of green tea, please?”

“Sure, sir. Your tea will be right up.”

While having his green tea, Gun-Ho continued to walk around his office.

“Did Jae-Sik successfully sign the sales and purchase contract? Why does S Group’s president want to see President Shin?”

Gun-Ho couldn’t just stay in the office and keep wondering about all these.

Gun-Ho decided to go down to the art gallery in the basement and see Mr. Sakata Ikuzo’s wood carving art exhibition.

Gun-Ho went to the art gallery.

There were tons of people in the art gallery even though it was only morning time. Gun-Ho found Yeon-Soo Oh. She was distributing the pamphlets to the visitors without knowing that her boss was there. She looked busy. It was not just Yeon-Soo Oh who was there to help the gallery’s work. Most of GH Media’s workers were there. They seemed to watch the art pieces most of the time to make sure no one would touch them or take them.

“Please do not touch the art pieces.”

“Please do not cross the red line in front of the art pieces.”

GH Media’s workers with their name tags on their chests were controlling the traffic and movement of the visitors, especially group visitors.

Gun-Ho walked around with other visitors and looked at the artworks. The art pieces there were not new to him since he had already visited Mr. Sakata Ikuzo’s previous wood carving exhibition in Yokohama City, Japan. However, looking at them again here in his art gallery in Korea gave him different feelings.

“Every time I see Mr. Sakata Ikuzo’s artworks, I feel impressed! These are amazing.”

He remembered the moment when Mr. Sakata Ikuzo sat in a kneeling position on his home’s tatami floor while preparing tea for Gun-Ho when he visited his home in Motomachi near Yokohama City.

“He is indeed a great engineer and an artist with true artisan spirit.”

When he came back to his office after having a round at the art gallery, it was 11:30 am.

“Time passes very slowly today.”

When it was almost noon, he finally received a call from Jae-Sik Moon.

“President Goo? We signed the sales and purchase contract. The cosmetic company’s director stopped by at my office this morning.”

“Oh, really?”

“But that son of a bi*ch brought only 200 million won as an earnest money.”

“That’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

“They will make the middle payment 15 days later, and they will send the rest of the payment within 30 days.”

“I guess you can stay there for the next 30 days then.”

“I think so.”