Gun-Ho began to read the email from GH Mobile’s general affairs director.
[Sir, I’ve attached the business tour schedule of KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency). They are inviting the participants to a preliminary meeting before the tour. It’s scheduled on Thursday. Please be there.]
“Thursday? It’s tomorrow. Where is the KOTRA located? I think I saw their business sign somewhere. Oh, oh, their office is in the big building on the road from Cheonggye Mountain to Seongnam City.”
Thursday came around.
After lunch, Gun-Ho headed to KOTRA. There was a sign posted at the entrance about the meeting.
“The preliminary meeting of the business tour for India is on the second floor? By the way, this building looks really nice. The public buildings these days are very well constructed.”
When Gun-Ho walked up to the second floor, there was a hall where several people gathered already. It seemed that there were about 25 people.
A man who introduced himself as KOTRA’s manager came out and started talking to the participants. He mostly informed them of the tour schedule. It seemed that the tour was focusing on the Delhi area rather than Chennai. One of the famous tourist spots—Taj Mahal—was included in the schedule as well. A brief presentation ensued on the general condition of India. The presentation was made by KOTRA’s executive officer who used to work at a branch office in India. Lastly, another executive officer said that he wanted everyone to have a safe trip. To wrap up the meeting, KOTRA’s manager grabbed the microphone again.
“I hope that this meeting was informative and that we didn’t bore you with too much information. I will now distribute the list of the participants of the tour.”
Gun-Ho looked at the list of the participants’ names while paying attention to their job positions. There were not many business owners or presidents, but most of them were managers or directors of a company. There were even a few staff or team leaders.
“Everyone here will go on the trip to India together for four nights and five days. Please welcome the people sitting around you and get to know each other a little bit.”
Gun-Ho unwillingly said hi to the person next to him, who looked like an anchovy. He introduced himself as a director of some small company.
KOTRA’s manager continued to talk, “Once you arrive in India, you will be visiting production sites of several companies along with Indian local government offices. So, we need a team leader of the tour group. We expect the team leader to greet people we meet during the tour while representing the group, and give the present that we prepared to them, nothing else. You don’t have to worry about the presents; KOTRA will prepare them for you.”
Gun-Ho was listening to what the manager was saying without thinking much.
“I will choose one person among you as the team leader of the tour group. President Gun-Ho Goo from GH Mobile, where are you?”
Gun-Ho, who was dozing off lightly, was startled when his name was called. He raised his hand like halfway up.
“President Gun-Ho Goo who is sitting in the second row from the back will be our team leader. We selected him because he is the president of a company that generates a substantial amount of sales revenue.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in taking the team leader position. Please choose someone else!”
“You are the best choice that we have, sir. Everyone, please give him a big round of applause if you don’t have any objection.”
Everyone applauded.
Gun-Ho was dumbfounded.
‘Shoot. I just wanted to have a business tour; I didn’t mean to take a position that won’t help anything about me making money. This could become tiresome.’
On Saturday, Gun-Ho and Young-Eun were having breakfast at home. Gun-Ho told Young-Eun about his trip to India.
“I’m going on a trip to India on Monday.”
“India? For how long?”
“It’s scheduled for four nights and five days.”
“You need to pack stuff like toiletries, right? You will need to take a few underwears as well.”
“I believe the hotel will provide basic toiletries, don’t you think?”
“I doubt that. You are not going to a developed country, but it’s India. I think you’d better bring your own stuff, in case.”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“I will pack it for you.”
“I don’t know.”
“How many others are going with you?”
“It’s a group of 25 people. The tour has been arranged by KOTRA. It’s a business tour.”
“It’s a big tour group.”
“I am the tour group’s team leader, which I didn’t want to. Believe me.”
“Hahaha. That makes me the spouse of the team leader. I guess I can exercise some power with it. Haha.”
“Haha. Is that so? I believe it’s not good to take a position like that. It’s not a useful position at all. I think I was unlucky that day when we had a meeting for the tour.”
“It’s okay. You will do fine, and it will be fun.”
“Do you want to go mountain climbing after breakfast?”
“I have to do laundry today.”
Gun-Ho and Young-Eun left home that day around 3 pm, after they had a nap.
“Well, it’s sort of late to go mountain climbing at this hour. Let’s just drive around and get some fresh air.”
“Where are you heading to?”
“Let’s go to Misari.”
“Misari?”
“Yeah, there is a café town there along the Han river. We can listen to the live music while having a cup of coffee or beer.”
“You can’t drink a beer since you have to drive.”
“I will have a half glass of beer, and you take two glasses of beer.”
“There should be some heavy traffic on the road to Misari since it’s Saturday.”
“Probably not this hour. People are coming back home from Misari at this hour, not heading to it.”
“You think so? Okay, then, let’s go.”
Gun-Ho always enjoyed the ride with Young-Eun. Young-Eun, who was sitting next to him, looked beautiful. He frequently glanced at her while driving.
“Don’t look at me! Keep your eyes on the road, please. Safety first, okay?”
“I just can’t keep my eyes off you. Looking at you makes me feel good.”
“How do you go on with your day without me then, during weekdays?”
“Oh, you know what? President Shin moved her office into the GH Building last week.”
“Really? With all of her employees?’
“Yeah. My office is on the 18th floor, and her office is on the 17th floor. Why don’t you drop by sometimes?”
“No, thank you.”
“There is a chief editor in GH Media. He has a very unique look, with a ponytail and a beard. What do you think of people like that?”
“I don’t like it. I prefer a neat style.”
“What if I make a ponytail with my hair?”
“Ha! I don’t think so.”
“I can let my beard and mustache grow too.”
“If you do that, I will pluck out every single hair from your face.”
They were driving the road along the Han River.
“Have you been to Misari before?”
“No, I’ve heard of it, and I sometimes passed by the area. But I’ve never been there.”
“Me too.”
Misari looked different from what Gun-Ho remembered in the old days. All the business signs that he saw when he had passed by before were gone. Instead, there were lots of restaurants. They had short-arm octopus dishes in a restaurant called Dalmadang before heading back home.
Gun-Ho arrived at the Incheon International Airport to leave for India.
“Oh, Mr. Team Leader, over here!”
KOTRA’s manager was already there waiting for the group. He distributed the flight ticket to each person. He was carrying lots of luggage.
“You seem to have brought a lot of stuff.”
“These are gifts for the people who we will encounter during the trip. You actually are the one who will hand it to them there, Mr. Team Leader.”
“Let me help you with it. You probably need my hand.”
“It’s okay. Two staff from KOTRA will join us. They can help me with the luggage.”
A moment later, two female staff from KOTRA arrived.
