Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

After taking a short nap at the cafe, Gun-Ho felt much better and he seemed to recover from fatigue. He was about to leave the cafe when his phone started ringing.

"It's Attorney Young-Jin Kim. Is he calling to ask me to play golf again?"

"It's me, Young-Jin Kim."

"Hey, how are you?"

"When are you going to China to sign the contract for the joint venture?"

"I'm leaving after a month."

"When you get there, say hello to Professor Wang and Seukang Li for me. And I'm actually calling to ask you if you know any good traditional Korean restaurant. I thought you probably know good ones since you should have a lot of chances to go to those places for your business."

"There are a lot in Insa Town, aren't there?"

"The restaurants in Insa Town are good places to eat, not for drinking though. A friend of mine came from the U.S. and I want to treat him in a special place."

"He must be an important client for you."

"Yeah, kind of. He is my client and also a friend. Jien Wang knows him too. He went to Yale University with us as well."

"What is he doing for a living?"

"He is working at Lymondell Dyeon."

"Lymondell Dyeon? It's a very famous chemical company, isn't it?"

"Oh, you know of that company. Not many people know about the company unless they work in that field. How do you know about the company?"

"I used to work at a plastic factory, remember? We used their products."

"Really? That's good. Why don't you join us, Gun-Ho? He is a friend of Jien Wang; we are then all friends, right? He is the same age as us."

"Well, I don't speak English. I don't want to make the meeting uncomfortable."

"It's fine. I will be there interpreting for you."

"But still… You will be uncomfortable too if I join you there."

"I insist. Join us and tell me a good place to go with him."

"I know one place."

"Where? Reserve the restaurant for tonight then. I will treat you; I mean our law firm will treat us."

"Really? I guess I will have fun tonight."

Gun-Ho made a call to Ms. Jang at Hannam Town.

"President Goo? How have you been?"

"I'd like to make a reservation for three people for dinner tonight."

"What time are you coming?"

"Umm, let's make it around 7 pm."

"Is your party all young people like you, President Goo?"

"That's right. One of them is American."

"Oh, then I will prepare our young ladies who can speak English."

"You have ladies who can speak English?"

"Hahaha. Of course. We can cover Japanese and English."

"Wow. Your restaurant is an international business."

"Hahaha. President Goo, you do international business as well. I heard you will participate in a joint venture."

"My business is with China."

"China is doing very well these days. One of our clients who is a government official brought a Chinese person last week. Our client said he is a very important person."

"Who was it?"

"We are a secret bar, President Goo. We don't share any information about our guests. Hahaha."

Gun-Ho made a call to Attorney Young-Jin Kim.

"Let's meet up at the main entrance of Soonchunhyang Hospital in Hannam Town. I will send someone there by 7 pm to pick you up."

"You don't have to send anyone. I can find the restaurant if you send me the address."

"The restaurant has no business sign; you wouldn't be able to find it even with their address."

"A restaurant without a business sign? How do they bring their customers then?"

"Right. There is a weird restaurant like that. You will see once you come."

"Okay. Let's go there then. Hannam Town is good. Easy to access from my home at Daechi Town and the hotel where my American friend is staying."

Gun-Ho had a haircut and he was getting ready for dinner in Hannam Town. He wore a suit with a dazzlingly white shirt and a tie. He even applied perfume lightly that he purchased at a duty-free shop on the way home from China. Gun-Ho drove his Land Rover heading to Hannam Town while humming.

Gun-Ho arrived at the secret restaurant and bar, 'Pine.'

"Pine, it has been a while."

There were two bouncers standing at the entrance; they looked like in their late 20s or early 30s. They were wearing a black suit and stood there with good posture. They respectively asked Gun-Ho.

"Did you make a reservation with us, sir?"

"Yes, I did."

"Are you by any chance President Gun-Ho Goo?"

"That's me."

"I will show you the way. Please follow me."

When Gun-Ho entered through the door, Ms. Jang who was wearing a beautiful Korean traditional dress ran to Gun-Ho.

"President Goo! Welcome to Pine. You always look like a groom whenever I see you. Hahaha."

Ms. Jang led Gun-Ho to a room that was decorated with a folding screen bearing folk painting. There was a floor table covered with white paper and six-floor cushions embroidered with a crane, placed on the floor.

Ms. Jang took Gun-Ho's jacket and hung it on a hanger.

"You look different, President Goo. Last time I saw you, you looked like someone who just came to the city from the countryside. Now, you look like a sophisticated businessman. Hahaha."

"Really? Haha. People change with time, I guess."

"Where are you supposed to meet with your party?"

"Could you send one of you waiters to the main entrance of Soonchunhyang Hospital? They would be easy to be found; one is Korean and the other is American."

"Sure, I will send someone there."

"The Korean man's name is Young-Jin Kim. He is an attorney at Kim&Jeong."

"Oh, Kim&Jeong? Several senior attorneys from there come to our bar often."

"And you can't tell me their names."

"Now you know."

Ms. Mi-Hyang Jang pinched Gun-Ho's arm lightly. Gun-Ho could smell her perfume.

When Gun-Ho was having warm tea, he heard people talking outside.

"I guess they arrived."

The room door was opened; Young-Jin Kim and his American friend entered the room. Gun-Ho stood up to greet them.

"Hey, Gun-Ho. Good to see you, man. I never expected to see a place like this inside Seoul City. My American friend couldn't stop saying 'wonderful.'"

"Really? I was hoping you liked the place."

"This is Richard Amiel from Lymondell Dyeon."

Gun-Ho and Amiel greeted each other and exchanged their business cards. Gun-Ho always carried two versions of his business cards. One was written in Korean and Chinese, and the other one was written in Korean and English.

"A real estate development company?"

Amiel stared at Gun-Ho's business card for a while.

"Let's have a seat."

Gun-Ho showed the floor cushion to sit.

"I'm not sure if your American friend could sit on the floor."

"He is fine. He is living in Tokyo right now. He doesn't have any problem with sitting on the floor."

Amiel looked around the room.

"This place is wonderful!"

Amiel showed his interest—particularly in the folk painting on the folding screen.

"Attorney Kim, can you tell him that the folding screen he is staring at right now is antique, about 500 years old, and the price is 1 billion won."

Attorney Kim interpreted what Gun-Ho said to Amiel while laughing.

"What?"

Amiel's eyes widened in surprise.

Gun-Ho and Young-Jin laughed loud by looking at Amiel's facial expression.

Ms. Jang entered the room.

"Are you having fun here? What's so funny?"

"Oh, this is Mi-Hyang Jang. She is a famous actress in the old days."

"Oh, really? I'm Young-Jin Kim."

"This guy is an attorney at Kim&Jeong."

"We have several clients from Kim&Jeong, senior attorneys. But don't ask me who, because I can't tell. Hahaha."

"Oh, really? I love the atmosphere of this place. My friend here from the U.S. loves the place as well."

While they were talking, the waiters brought a big floor table that was already set with all sorts of Korean food and liquor. Amiel looked at the food on the table with a curious look on his face. He started trying and tasting each dish.