Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Min-Hyeok Kim was talking about Suk-Ho's Lee's recent visit in his area to Gun-Ho over the phone.

"He also visited our company and realized that it's not a tiny company but large enough to have currently more than 100 workers. He looked even more surprised."

"I see."

"That dude often hit the back of my head when we were in school. I still remember that as if it happened yesterday."

"Haha. I think I heard of that story maybe 20 times from you. Just let it go. Forget about it."

"Hitting didn't actually hurt me much, but what he said at that time truly hurt my feelings."

"What did he say?"

"He said I would never be able to beat him in any way I could think of, including physical fight, study, money, family background, and whatever. He said that while beating me up."

"Haha, he said that?"

"His act of bullying didn't stop at school. After I was discharged from the military, I studied for the level-9 government job exam in a library. That as*hole came to the library and tapped my body while teasing my situation. I bought that as*hole dinner and a drink yesterday."

"I believe that his father is financially doing fine, isn't he? Why doesn't Suk-Ho Lee ask his father for help?"

"I guess his father already helped him once when he bought those stupid stores in Shenyang City. His father is not going to help him again. His father is a retired colonel, and he used to run a lumber mill afterward when we were in school together. Suk-Ho Lee was so proud of his father and family because his father was the owner president of the lumber mill."

"He no longer runs that business?"

"He closed that business. The business went well in the beginning only. But, since he is getting an excellent pension after years of service in the military, he should be doing fine financially. His mother used to be a school teacher, and she must have a good pension as well. His parents' monthly income from their pensions only must exceed 3 million won per month."

"I think so since they both had worked in their fields for a quite long time."

"Suk-Ho Lee often said that his father was a patriot who served our country. And he always added at the end of his bragging about his father that my father was a bus driver who was trying so hard to make extra petty money by extorting people. And that made me cry every time he said that to me."

"Your father had a hard life."

"My father had worked all day long from early morning for years driving a bus, but he is getting only 700,000 won per month from his pension."

"Many people are like that including my father. My father also receives 700,000 won per month."

"That's true. I heard that many old men don't even receive any pension at all."

"Haha. You did handle well yesterday. Even though Suk-Ho Lee was not a good person back then, you bought him dinner and a drink. That's good."

"I couldn't yell at his face to go back to his city knowing that he came all the way to Suzhou City just to meet with me. I even took him to Hanshan Temple for his tour."

"Good. For the rest of your life, Suk-Ho Lee will have no chance to hit the back of your head again."

"Haha. He won't because if he does, I will hit him back harder."

"Did he go back to his town in Shenyang City?"

"No. He went to see Jae-Sik Moon in Guizhou Province. Suk-Ho told me that he wanted to look around Guizhou Province as well."

"I guess that he speaks Chinese well enough to travel around in China by himself, huh?"

"Not at all! I felt like I was being suffocated when I had to watch him speak Chinese. He, at least, knows how to communicate with Chinese people using body language. He actually came with a friend of his. His friend speaks Chinese a little bit better than him. I haven't seen that guy before. His name is Han-Young Bang, and he has curly hair."

"Han-Young Bang? That name sounds familiar."

"Suk-Ho said that he used to run a business with him at Gyeongridan Street."

"Oh, that's right. I remember him now. That guy is Suk-Ho's college friend. I've met him once before."

"That Han-Young Bang person is running a karaoke in Shenyang City."

"Is that right?"

"He kept asking me to come to his karaoke for fun, but I have no business there. Anyway, they headed to Guizhou Province. They will stop by Antang City to see Jae-Sik Moon. Jae-Sik will probably spend a day or 2 for them."

"Did you let Jae-Sik Moon know about Suk-Ho Lee's visit? You need to tell him to expect Suk-Ho and have fun while he is there."

"I'm sure Jae-Sik Moon hates Suk-Ho Lee more than I do. Suk-Ho Lee made Jae-Sik carry his bag when we were in high school."

"Hmm. That's all in the past. What can we do about it? We'd better forget all."

"You're right. We have to let it go."

After getting off the phone with Min-Hyeok Kim, Gun-Ho gave a call to Jae-Sik Moon.

"Jae-Sik, did you hear about Suk-Ho? He is on the way to Antang City to see you."

"Yeah, I received a call from him, but I have no idea why he is coming all the way here to see me. I can't go to the airport to pick him up, so I told him to take an express bus heading to Antang City."

"Just buy him dinner or a drink."

"I have work to do here. I don't have time to spend with him. It's stressful."

"Haha. Min-Hyeok told me that he was stressed because of Min-Hyeok's visit. I guess that you feel the same about his visit."

"I'm sure Min-Hyeok didn't want to see Suk-Ho Lee."

"Well, whatever happened in the past, he is coming all the way to Antang City to see you. Be nice while he is there."

"Yeah, I know. I will try."

After getting off the phone with Jae-Sik Moon, Gun-Ho thought, 'Suk-Ho was the one who bullied Jae-Sik and called him 'Mr. Basement' all the time. Jae-Sik Moon probably suffered more than Min-Hyeok while we were in high school because of Suk-Ho, but Jae-Sik doesn't show his hatred toward Suk-Ho much unlike Min-Hyeok.'

When Gun-Ho was reminiscing about his old days in high school while leaning back on the sofa, he received a call from Director Sim in China.

"Sir, it's me, Director Sim."

"Oh, yes. Hi, Mr. Director Sim."

"I received the translated version of the drama scenario from President Shin. She sent me only the first half of the translated scenario, but President Shin said she would send me the other half in a few days. I'm trying to memorize the scenario right now."

"Once you receive the entire translated scenario, you will do table-read with actors and staff, right? Will you be okay because it will be done in Chinese?"

"I don't have to step in every dialogue, but I only make comments on important lines that need some close attention because they have to bring in some delicate emotion."

"I see."

"I no longer stay in a hotel, sir. I moved into a condo. It's close to my workplace. Also, they gave me a car. It's not a luxurious car though; it's a Chinese-made rental car."

"Hmm, really? Do you like your condo?"

"It's good. It has two bedrooms. My interpreter also moved into a studio apartment around here."

"That's good."

"Is casting actors completed?"

"Almost done. We need one or two more actors. Since they are still shooting the current drama, I will have to wait until next week to fully focus on the new drama."

"I see."

"I received the script for the first week of the new soap opera."

"I see."

"This script is for the director, and they translated it into the Korean language for me. Some words in the translated version are a bit weird choice of words, but it's good enough for me to understand the contents."

"Hmm, I see."

"I think that by next week, the current soap opera shooting will be completed, and we will finish casting for the new soap opera—Shiguang Ru Meng—as well."

"Hmm, okay. Sounds good."