Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

The young ladies brought a Gayageum* and the lady who was sitting next to Gun-Ho started playing it. She sounded like a professional. One lady turned off half of the lights in the room and Gun-Ho could see the yard better through the window. The outdoor lighting looked brighter.

It was an amazing night with an alluring vibe. Gun-Ho was listening to the beautiful melody from the Gayageum which was being played by a beautiful woman while looking at the pine tree in the yard outside.

Chairman Lee and Master Park were immersed in the Gayageum melody, and their bodies were swaying in the music.

Once the lady finished playing, Chairman Lee and Master Park clapped.

“Good job. It’s beautiful. Drink this.”

Chairman Lee poured liquor in a glass and handed it to the lady who just played Gayageum.

Once the old men became drunk, they were busy talking about their old days. Gun-Ho felt bored.

“I should have asked Manager Gweon to join us.”

Gun-Ho felt bored and he talked to the lady who played the Gayageum earlier.

“You are very good at playing the Gayageum. Where did you learn it?”

“School.”

When the lady smiled, a dimple appeared on her face; it looked attractive.

“Where did you go to school?”

“I went to a school in Jeonju City.”

While Gun-Ho was talking with the lady, Ms. Jang entered the room, and Master Park complained to her.

“Where have you been? You were supposed to be here with us. Where did you go? Did you hide a new husband in another room?”

“Stop fooling around, Master Park.”

“This young man is still not married. Why don’t you find a girl for him?”

“Really?”

Ms. Jang looked at Gun-Ho’s face and Gun-Ho blushed with embarrassment. He also felt the lady’s eyes on him, the one who played the Gayageum. Gun-Ho’s cheeks were burning.

“Come visit us often. I might get you a really good girl. Who knows?”

“Why don’t you sing a song for us?”

“Pour me a drink first before asking me to sing a song.”

“Damn woman!”

Master Park poured liquor in her glass.

Ms. Jang started singing after gulping the liquor. She was singing an old song that Gun-Ho had never heard before. She probably picked this old song for the two old men, Chairman Lee and Master Park. Gun-Ho was stunned when she started singing; she sounded like a professional.

“That damn woman sings really well!”

Master Park poured liquor in Ms. Jang’s glass again. The beautiful alluring moment with music and all sorts of dainties was fading away deep into the night.

After listening to one more Gayageum play, they walked out of the secret bar in Hannam Town. Before Gun-Ho left the bar, Ms. Jang slipped her business card into his pocket covertly.

Manager Gweon ran to Gun-Ho’s party when he saw them walking out of the bar.

“Manager Gweon? Where have you been? Why didn’t you join us?”

“Nah. I feel more comfortable out here. It’s not my style sitting in a room with old men having dinner and liquor.”

Chairman Lee and Master Park seemed to be drunk a bit and went to the bathroom while staggering slightly.

“I didn’t know there was a place like this.”

“Many politicians and people running a big company comes to this bar. Master Park consults them covertly about their future, fate, and business.”

“Oh, really?”

“Many people with power and money live in this area, Hannam Town and Itaewon Town, and they often come to this bar. Oh, Chairman Lee is coming.”

Manager Gweon ran to Chairman Lee.

Gun-Ho had now been in a room salon and a secret bar with the money he recently made.

“I guess I—an ex-factory worker—am a successful man. I spent several million won but it was worth it. I learned a lot. However, I don’t like the room salon. I’d better avoid going there again.”

Gun-Ho went to the private institution he had used to go for an auction course to see the president. Gun-Ho wanted to consult with him about the TowerPalace condo he saw in an auction website earlier.

The president was reading a newspaper in his office when Gun-Ho went to see him; maybe he didn’t have a class to teach these days.

“Hello, sir?”

“Oh, Mr. Gun-Ho Goo. Please come in. So, you want to consult about real property. What do you have in mind?”

“It’s a condo.”

“Oh, it’s not a land, but a condo.”

“Yes, it’s about the TowerPalace condo in Dogok Town.”

“What’s the appraised value?”

“It’s 1.8 billion won. It’s 50 pyung large.”

“Wow! 1.8 billion won! It’s an expensive condo. Are your parents buying the condo?”

“Haha, whatever way you want to think; I’m fine with it. I’m not buying just to live there, but I consider it as an investment as well.”

“The TowerPalace is a high-rise residential building and since the area is very popular you won’t incur any loss with the condo even in the future.”

“Right, so I do want to buy that condo, but since I don’t have any experience with an auction sale, I’d like to have some help from an expert like you, sir.”

“Let me see. For the auction in Dogok Town, I know someone who’s right for you. He is a good friend of mine and he offers consultation on auction in Gangnam District. He is very good and professional. My class starts this coming Monday so I will be busy then, so my good friend will help you.”

The president made a call to his friend right away.

“Manager Oh? It’s me.”

“Oh, bro, what’s up?”

“I have someone here who wants to buy a condo at an auction in Dogok Town. Would you like to meet with him?”

“I will be available after 2 PM today. I have to go to the court in the morning; I have to attend an auction there.”

In the afternoon, Gun-Ho went to the consulting firm with the address and map that the president of the private institution of auction gave to him. The firm was located in a small building in the vicinity of Seoul National University of Education in Seocho Town.

Gun-Ho walked up to the third floor to their office. There was two staff working there and one man wearing a sports cap sitting on a sofa while looking at his cell phone.

“Is Manager Oh here?”

“It’s me.”

“The president of an auction institution referred me to this firm.”

“Oh, sure. Have a seat.”

“I want to acquire a condo in Dogok Town at an auction.”

“Do you know the case number?”

“Huh? No, but it’s a TowerPalace condo in Dogok Town.”

The man—Manager Oh—sat at his desk and started searching for something with his computer.

“Is it the 50 pyung large condo?”

“That’s the one.”

“This condo just came to the auction. Come again after the first auction fails. Since the condo is situated in a popular area, the second auction will surely not fail.”

“What should I do now?”

“Just observe the first auction. The second auction will be held on the 24th after the Lunar New Year’s Day. Bring the bid deposit when you come for the second auction.”

“How much should I prepare?”

Manager Oh calculated the amount with his electronic calculator.

“It’s going to be 144 million won. You need to bring your ID and your registered stamp. Why don’t we make the consulting contract now?”

“Do you take care of transferring the real property as well?”

“Of course. Once you get the condo by auction, we will handle everything from letting the current occupant move out from the condo to handing over the condo key to you.”

That sounded like they were not going to do much for the fee they would charge, Gun-Ho thought.

“It might look not much of work if you just think about it; however, letting the current occupant move out from the condo itself is hard work. If you do it by yourself, you could get yourself in trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“If the occupant refused to vacate the condo, what would you do? Are you going to drag that person out of the condo? Say, you explain to that person that you bought the condo by auction so he or she has to leave. What do you think they would say? They will probably ask you a high moving expense. You can try if you want.”

“I see.”

“You are going to live in that condo, right? If you get involved in a physical altercation with the current occupant and kick them out, what would the neighbors in the very same building think of you? They are the residents you will encounter on a daily basis after you move into the condo.”

That made sense. Gun-Ho made a consulting contract with Manager Oh.

Note*

Gayageums – A traditional musical instrument of Korea.