It was almost the end of September. The temperatures started feeling cooler, and people began to feel autumn.
Gun-Ho went to work at GH Building that morning. When he opened his email, there was an email waiting for him from the Chinese drama production company— Huanle Shiji— among usual spam emails. Some of their simplified Chinese characters in the subject line came in broken.
When Gun-Ho clicked the subject line to open it, fortunately, the contents were fine.
[Dear President Goo,
We couldn’t produce Huanle Shiji’s financial statements because our accounting staff suddenly quit his job. Huanle Shiji Production Company was established about a year ago, and it started with the capital of 1 million dollars as I mentioned to you earlier.
We have produced two dramas this year. One of them was Xiongdi Meng (brother’s dream). It is a war drama against Japan with a total of 35 episodes. The second drama currently on air is Qiu Ri Yan (autumn feast) which is a modern drama. It contains 33 episodes, and we have two episodes left scheduled to be on air.
Our annual sales revenue for this year is approximately 10.4 billion Korean won if I apply the exchange rate as of today. We spent 12.8 billion won in producing drama and operating the company. The amount of 2.4 billion won operating loss has incurred.
Huanle Shiji currently has short-term debts of 2 billion won, with accounts payable of 400 million won. The two dramas that our company produced were daily soap operas, and they both had low ratings. We are preparing to produce our third drama, and we have a manuscript for it.
Huanle Shiji is composed of devoted and talented staff, not to mention our know-hows and skills that we’ve cultivated. It would be a shame if we have to just let Huanle Shiji dissolved now.
We are hoping to work with you, Mr. President Goo. I’ve attached our next drama’s synopsis to this email, so Mr. Director Woon-Hak Sim, who accompanied you on our last meeting, could review it.
I hope you make a favorable decision, so we could work together.
From Huanle Shiji Production Company’s President Baogang Chen on 29th September, 20xx.]
Gun-Ho forwarded the synopsis to Director Woon-Hak Sim, along with a text message.
[The synopsis just arrived from China. I will have it translated for you.’]
Gun-Ho then made a call to the Chinese language instructor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He once translated a business plan for Gun-Ho.
“Hi. This is GH’s President Gun-Ho Goo.”
“Oh, hi, sir. I hope you have been doing very well. To what do I owe the pleasure of the call?”
“Can we talk now? It is a good time?”
“Of course, sir.”
“I have a drama synopsis to be translated into the Korean language. This is an urgent request, so if you could, please translate it as soon as possible. Since it’s sort of literature, you might encounter a lot of expressions that are hard to transfer, but I’m counting on you.”
“I will do my best, sir.”
Gun-Ho printed out the email from China and read it again carefully while having a cup of green tea that the secretary— Ms. Yeon-Soo Oh— brought to him, sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.
“Hmm, they are probably getting a lot of pressure from the creditors for their short-term debts. Their accounts payable is 400 million won. I guess most of them must be labor costs or a guarantee. I want to know the exact amount of their current workers’ unpaid wages.”
Gun-Ho sent a reply to President Baogang Chen.
[Thank you for your email, Mr. President Baogang Chen. I would like to learn more about your company’s accounts payable in more detail. Could you let me know which part is your employee’s wages and which part is the guarantee?
Also, I’d like to have a separate number for the amount of debts per each financial institution for your short-term debts. The synopsis is being translated right now.
Thank you. Sincerely, Gun-Ho Goo.]
Gun-Ho thought that if their short-term debts were the loans that they took out from financial institutions, he would be able to rearrange the payment with the banks with plans or delay the payments. However, the accounts payable are the ones that bothered him. If those were mostly unpaid wages for their workers, they would probably have to pay them right away once they were infused with new funds.
Gun-Ho changed his posture and started reading a newspaper when President Shin entered his office. She was carrying the three major newspapers— Chosun, Joongang, and Donga Ilbo. Those newspapers were covering GH Art Gallery’s upcoming art exhibition with Japanese contemporary artists.
“These are the articles about our GH Gallery’s upcoming art exhibition. We are having an exhibition with contemporary artworks made by three Japanese contemporary artists. Would you like to read them, sir?”
Gun-Ho looked at the newspapers that President Shin handed to him.
[Three Japanese contemporary artists’ art exhibition will be held at GH Art Gallery in Sinsa Town. Their bold ideas reflected on their artworks while connecting the old Japan and the current Japan are interesting enough for us to be intrigued. We will be able to take a peek of Japanese young people’s worry and their thought process through these artworks.]
The articles included a picture of a painting that would be displayed at the exhibition. The painting was depicting a woman with a Japanese woman’s face on one side and a Caucasian woman’s face on the other. Gun-Ho thought that it was creepy.
“So, this art exhibition starts today?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I will stop by then after lunch on the way back to the office.”
“How’s Young-Eun doing these days?”
“She eats a lot. I mean a lot. Her belly is now noticeably large.
“Hahaha. I guess she doesn’t have her morning sickness anymore, which is good. Please get her delicious food as much as she wants.”
Gun-Ho had lunch with GH Development’s Director Kang at a Japanese restaurant across the street from his GH Building. The restaurant was called Kinsushi, and he had sushi for lunch. On the way back to his office, he swung by GH Gallery and enjoyed the Japanese contemporary art exhibition. The painting that he saw on the newspaper earlier looked much better in person. It seemed to be exuding some sort of intense appeal.
‘Hmm, this might be the power of an art piece.’
After taking enough time enjoying the artworks, Gun-Ho came back to his office on the 18th floor. After having his afternoon coffee, he dozed off until 2 pm as usual. Jae-Sik Moon, who knew that it was about the time when Gun-Ho would wake up from his afternoon nap, called him.
“President Moon? How’s it going?”
“It’s actually fun. I receive the status of ticket sales on a daily basis.”
“Are we getting a lot of customers?”
“Our buses were full last Saturday and Sunday. Since we will have the Mid-Autumn Festival next week, I’ve requested to have one more bus in our reserve.”
“Of course. People will move around a lot during the holiday season.”
“You know what? Even for adding one more bus in our reserve, Antang City has to reach an agreement with Guiyang City. The transportation department’s deputy director will go on a trip to Guiyang City this afternoon.”
“I see.”
“The deputy director at the transportation department is a lady. I nagged her a lot— but gently— to resolve this request as soon as possible. I even offered her to use my Audi, and then she got mad.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. She was all upset and said ‘we have a car too, you know?’”
“Haha, really?”
“Chinese women, in general, are aggressive and fierce, I think. Oh, and guess what? I finally moved into the condo in Huaxi Huayuan.”
“Really? Do you like it there?”
“Oh, my goodness. You have no idea how I felt on my first day there. It’s 36 pyung large, and when I laid down on the bed, I felt like I owned the world. I didn’t even envy the emperor— Qin Shi Huang.”
“Hahaha. I guess you just need Yang Guifei.”
“Yang Guifei?! My not-so-pretty wife is coming next month.”
“Yeah, she’d better join you as soon as possible because it would be harder if she waits longer to travel carrying a baby.”
