While Chairman Lee continued talking, Manager Gweon stood up, poured water into a paper cup, and handed it to Chairman Lee.
“Oh, young men, I think I was told your names, or not.”
“I am Gun-Ho Goo.”
“My name is Jong-Suk Park.”
“Boogi is part of accountancy; there was a word for it…”
“Is it computerized accounting? When I went to the technical training institute the government had sponsored, I saw the course name, Computerized Accounting Level 2.”
Jong-Suk said, “That’s right; that’s it, computerized accounting. Gun-Ho, you should learn that.”
Chairman Lee said slapping his lap, “I heard about computerized accounting. Usually, females study it, hoping to get a job in bookkeeping, don’t they? I am not good with numbers. I am not even good at math.”
“You don’t have to be good at math as long as you know how to do addition and subtraction. You don’t have to be an expert, but you will have to understand accounting systems and know how to read financial statements. Those are essential skills you need to know in order to run a big company and be wealthy.”
“Ehi, thank you for saying that, but how can a man like me possibly run a big company? I was born poor. I barely make ends meet. I understand Samsung chairman Byung-Chul, Lee, and Hyundai Group chairman Joo-Young Jung studied accounting when they were young, but that was a long time ago. I will use your advice to cheer me up though.”
“That’s not it.” Chairman Lee shook his head again from side to side. “ShinWangJaeWang fate! I want to see how you, who was born poor, develop your life with your ShinWangJaeWang fate.”
“To be honest with you, my parents are living in an apartment barely paying their monthly rent. I didn’t go to a decent college, and I have no special skills or certificates I can show off. All I have is good physical health, so I work at a factory with a monthly salary of 1,800,000 won. Master Park from Gangnam philosophy hall and Chairman Lee seem to give young people false hope.”
“That’s not true.” Chairman Lee again shook his head “We will be fishing on the other side of the lake. Since we do lure fishing, we don’t want to disturb you and Manager Gweon’s bait fishing here.”
“Mr. Goo! People say a person born to a poor family cannot rise to the top anymore even though it happened in the past. They say we are living in an era where the economic ladder to climb up is broken for them, but I am intrigued by you and your fate, and I want to see how your life unfolds. Haha.”
“You have a fantastic day, Chairman Lee. We will be on the other side of the lake.”
“I hope you catch a bass the size of a forearm.”
“You too, Chairman Lee. I hope you catch a carp the size of a forearm.”
Gun-Ho and Jong-Suk came to the other side of the lake. Jong-Suk clapped Gun-Ho on the waist.
“Bro, bro! Take a computerized accounting course. Who knows? Chairman Lee might get you a job at Dongil Paper with the skills.”
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
“That’s probably why Chairman Lee took his own time in convincing you to take the course. Try it. You can take the computerized accounting level-2 course for free; it’s sponsored by the government. This is your opportunity. Get the level-2 computerized accounting, and then level-1 computerized accounting and while you are at it, get the accountant license too. Why not?”
“BS!”
“They said you have an amazing fate. Try it!”
“You retard! The accountant license exam is very difficult to pass even for people who graduated from the top commercial college. There are plenty of people who keep failing the exam for several years. Does a factory worker try the same exam? I feel extremely exhausted after work, aching all over my body. Are you asking me to study after work? The very idea is enough to make a cat laugh.”
“Then try computerized accounting level-2. Maybe Chairman Lee is planning to put you at one of Dongil Paper’s subsidiaries.”
“Get real!”
“Chairman Lee is interested in you because of your fate, being a rich man. Why not play along? I would.”
“Long time ago, one of my aunts went to a fortune teller to hear that her son would become a judge or a prosecutor, and her daughter would be a president of a university. Do you have any idea what they are doing now?”
“What are they doing?”
“The son is unemployed. The daughter teaches something at a community center and she is making less than 1,000,000 won per month.”
“Really? Your aunt went to a fake fortune teller; that’s why. You learned about your fate from a famous fortune teller from Gangnam.”
“You are pathetic. You believe that?”
“You traveled all the way to Gangnam to consult the fortune teller because you believe it, didn’t you?”
“Let’s do fishing.”
After Gun-Ho came back home, he started thinking harder.
“Which certificate exam should I prepare for?”
Gun-Ho couldn’t decide between forklift driving and environmental technician skills. Now computerized accounting level-2 was added on the table.
“Should I study computerized accounting level-2? Does Chairman Lee really intend to get me a job somewhere? Nah. That’s not possible because most companies hire females for bookkeeping positions.”
All of the bookkeepers who Gun-Ho knows from the companies he had worked before were female. Even all of the client companies had only female bookkeepers. Of course, big companies hired male workers with a commercial college degree for bookkeeping jobs and for positions at a funding department.
“If I learn skills for forklift driving or welding, I can use the skills right away at the factory I am working for right now, but I am not sure about computerized accounting; it’s uncertain if I can get a job with the skills.”
Gun-Ho had given a lot of thought to it but still couldn’t decide. Gun-Ho received a call from Jong-Suk.
“Bro? Did you decide?”
“Not yet…”
“You haven’t yet? The learning card you have from the Career Center expires after a year. You have to take classes within a year if you want to learn for free!”
“Did you decide?”
“Decide? It has been a few days already since I started a welding skills course. With this welding certificate, if I don’t pass the police exam, I think I will try to go to Australia with a Working Holiday visa.”
Gun-Ho finally decided to learn forklift driving skills he could use at the factory right away. Team leaders at a factory should know how to drive a forklift truck and know welding skills.
It took around 2 weeks to complete forklift driving training if one had a Class 1 driver’s license. The education center issued certificates, so it was convenient. Also, the course was free.
“Is it a heavy equipment education center? Do you provide a course at night for forklift or excavator driving?”
“Of course. We do have night courses. Since it starts on the 15th, you should register now. Do you have a Class 1 driver’s license?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then come quick. Once this course is closed, there will be no more night course this month.”
“Where should I go?”
“We are located in Baekseok Town. I will text you the address. You will be able to find it using GPS navigator.”
“Will someone be there at night for registration?”
“Of course. You should hurry.”
Gun-Ho felt better thinking about learning forklift driving. He actually knew how to drive a forklift, but there was a huge difference between having a license and having none.
“Team leader Kim, Team leader Park, you jerks! You didn’t even let me touch the forklift. I will have a license soon. F*ckers!”
Gun-Ho picked up a free newspaper with a classified section on the way back home from a convenience store after buying cigarettes.
“There are several openings for workers who can drive a forklift. Once I get the certificate, maybe I should get one of these jobs; I don’t have to suffer at this factory. What? Bookkeeping position? Males are welcome?”
Gun-Ho gazed at the job advertisement.
“They do hire men for bookkeeping…”
Gun-Ho was immersed in thought with his arms folded.
