After parting ways with Lee Wonjae from West Sea Foods, Park Gisu immediately called Jeon Seongryeol.
“President, the discussion went well for now. I’m not sure if you’ll be satisfied, though.”
– “How did it go?”
“They’re willing to take 15% in exchange for handling all the logistics. All we have to do is open the warehouse, and they’ll take care of everything from shipping to sales and deposits.”
The percentage dropped from 30% to 15%.
However, Jeon Seongryeol wasn’t pleased with the idea of sharing profits just for outsourcing distribution.
Should I really just charge headfirst into this?
He felt a surge of frustration, but the time wasted in the process seemed too precious.
“President, the matsutake mushroom season is coming soon.”
That was right.
“Just think of it as outsourcing for a few months. We don’t need a long-term contract; we can deal on a per-unit basis. Right now, we can expect auction prices between 1.5 to 2 million won, but once the mushroom season starts, we won’t see much profit. West Sea Foods knows this and is playing hardball.”
– “That’s true. We can’t miss out on the current opportunity.”
“This was a hard-won negotiation, with my friend convincing his boss. We can’t waste precious time.”
– “That’s what we’ll do. Gisu, you’ve worked hard.”
“Should I inform Ha Suyoung?”
– “No, I should handle this personally.”
Park Gisu felt a bit disappointed.
If he could speak directly to Ha Suyoung, the impact would be greater.
As he hung up, a satisfied smile spread across his face.
The stage is set.
President Jeon Seongryeol would soon proceed with the export to Japan, giving West Sea Foods a 15% cut.
In such a scenario, if West Sea Foods made another offer to Ha Suyoung, it could plant a seed of distrust in his mind.
I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like money. Ha Suyoung is doing this to make money in the first place.
Whistling, Park Gisu got into his car.
***
“West Sea Foods, huh?”
He had heard that Jeon Seongryeol was pushing for exports through West Sea Foods.
Wasn’t it still under negotiation?
But why did they contact me? Could it be…
With suspicion in mind, Ha Suyoung continued the conversation.
“There’s no harm in talking.”
– “How about lunch tomorrow?”
“Yes, that should be fine.”
– “Thank you. The location is…”
Deputy Manager Lee Wonjae set the time and place, then ended the call, saying they’d meet tomorrow.
“Why is West Sea Foods reaching out to me directly? Is the discussion with the President not going well?”
Puzzled for a moment, Ha Suyoung quickly prepared to go out.
Before leaving the house, he didn’t forget to stop by the Galaxy Sacred Tree to pay his respects.
“Father, your unworthy son is once again disguising himself to explore the human world. I never forget my mental training to become the Franchise God.”
– “Just bring out the empty bottles.”
“Yes, Father.”
Ha Suyoung respectfully held out the empty container with both hands, bowing his head.
A branch extended and filled the container with elixir.
– “The sooner you transcend the limits of the human body, the better your education will be. Don’t forget, my son.”
“Yes, Father.”
After safely storing the elixir-filled container in a hidden safe in the living room, Ha Suyoung left the house.
“I should take a drop now and then, right? If I don’t, Father might notice… Oh, I really wanted to live a relaxed life this time. The last life was too dreadful.”
* * *
Ha Suyoung arrived at the agreed-upon café in the city.
The landowner and the broker were already there, chatting among themselves.
“Ah, President. Welcome.”
The broker greeted him warmly, and as he sat down, Ha Suyoung glanced at the landowner.
Quite elderly.
Seventies? Eighties?
The landowner appeared to be quite old but seemed to be in good health, suggesting she hadn’t neglected her well-being.
“Chairman, this is the person interested in buying the mountain.”
“Nice to meet you.”
The elderly woman smiled and extended her hand.
In a brief moment, Ha Suyoung scanned her attire.
Altogether, it must be worth thousands.
“You want to cultivate crops on our mountain?”
“Yes, that’s why I need the mountain.”
“But is there a crop worth growing on a mountain that justifies spending that much money? I don’t know much about farming, but I can’t imagine what you’d grow there. It doesn’t seem suitable for an orchard.”
“I’m planning to cultivate mushrooms on a large scale.”
“Oh.”
The landowner finally understood, and the broker quickly proceeded with the contract.
“Thank you. I bought the mountain to retire and live quietly, but I got burned badly and was wondering what to do. Thanks to you, it’s all resolved neatly.”
“You got burned badly?”
“…? Didn’t you hear? It’s just that…”
“Chairman, I’ll explain that gradually.”
“Is there a problem? Are there any hidden secrets about the ownership or land use?”
When Ha Suyoung looked at him coldly, the broker’s face turned red, and the elderly landowner looked at them both in surprise.
It seemed she was unaware of what was going on.
“President, didn’t you explain anything to the buyer? I told you we must address this.”
The landowner’s gaze at the broker wasn’t kind either.
Ha Suyoung asked her,
“Is there any legal problem that hasn’t been mentioned yet?”
“No, it’s not that. I insisted on explaining why I decided to retire to the countryside…”
“What is it?”
“The neighbors there are quite unreasonable.”
“Are there any ex-convicts living nearby?”
“No, it’s just that the locals have been giving a hard time to newcomers. I never thought I’d experience it myself.”
“Oh, is that all?”
Finally, the coldness disappeared from Ha Suyoung’s expression.
After all, he thoroughly checked the registry, land records, and other legal matters.
It didn’t make sense for there to be a problem now.
Was he being too sensitive?’
“It’s not something to dismiss lightly. If you’re not comfortable, you can still…”
“That’s not a problem at all. But it’s a bit annoying that the broker hid something the landowner insisted on disclosing. I’ll have to reduce the brokerage fee.”
“Th-that…”
“Mr. Park.”
The elderly landowner spoke sternly, and the broker, flustered, nodded.
“Understood. I’ll reduce it. And… I’m sorry for not informing you earlier.”
Despite the brief disturbance, the transaction concluded smoothly.
“The villa is clean and ready for you to move in today.”
“You must have been quite troubled.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
The elderly landowner looked at him with concern, and Ha Suyoung shrugged.
“I’ve dealt with territorial disputes before. It even brings back old memories. I’m looking forward to it.”
“…?”
The elderly landowner was momentarily puzzled but soon smiled and stood up.
“I like how bright and reliable you are, Young President. I’d love to have you as a grandson-in-law. If we meet again, let’s greet each other warmly.”
“You speak as if this is the last time. We’ll see each other on the final payment day.”
“It is the last time. I’ll send a representative then.”
“Is that so? Then I should say my final goodbye.”
“I wish you success in your business.”
Having completed the contract, Ha Suyoung left the café.
“I’ve secured a mountain suitable for cultivating golden silk umbrella mushrooms, and maybe even matsutake mushrooms… No, no. Matsutake mushrooms might attract thieves, so I’ll grow them at home until I can put up a fence.”
If he had challenged the gourmet market with matsutake mushrooms, now it was time to capture the everyday dining table with golden silk umbrella mushrooms.
