Chapter 21

Bear Soup is Now My Dish 21

021 Reality is Different / Gangnam Real Estate

The customer is king.

This phrase, which can be said to be the origin of service, began in the hotel industry (Switzerland).

The words "The customer is king," spoken by César Ritz, the founder of the well-known hotel chain Ritz Carlton, were closely tied to the social context of the time.

Historically, customers visiting hotels were actual 'kings' and nobles of the same class.

Therefore, César Ritz believed that any ordinary person who paid the proper amount and used the hotel should be treated like a king.

At that time, this service spirit of treating customers like kings also spread among Korean companies.

While good service should be appreciated, there are always people in any country who try to take advantage with twisted minds.

However, such behavior only works in the right time and place.

Here, the Michelin tire couple seemed to have chosen the wrong time and place.

The chairman and his group, who had entered the mart, turned their gaze to the source of the noise.

Although music was playing in the mart, the shouting was so loud and the shoppers were gathered around.

Nicholas, who had been watching the chairman from a distance, decided to close the gap to enjoy the interesting scene.

"Let's go over there for a moment."

The sign next to the display, which advertised a 10% sale on a bundle of Chibis and shrimp crackers, was the best vantage point, so he waited there.

Soon, the chairman and his group arrived at the problematic spot.

There, a staff member specializing in customer service was trying to calm the couple.

However, the couple was relentless.

As if they had signed divorce papers and had nothing left to lose.

They seemed to be trying to vent all their stress on the female employee.

If they had signed the divorce papers, they should be happy.

'Since the chairman saw it, it will be resolved immediately.'

The chairman glanced at the scene and nodded.

A dramatic moment.

'I'm getting nervous.'

It was the moment when someone trying to bully would be overpowered by a greater force.

However...

After briefly pausing to observe the scene, the chairman simply walked past.

'What? What's this?'

He disappeared in the opposite direction as if on a moving walkway.

The section chief and the chauffeur also widened their eyes in disappointment.

'The chairman must not watch many dramas.'

When someone with power steps in to resolve things beautifully?

When a wealthy family's son falls in love with a department store employee?

When a wealthy family's chairman marries a housekeeper?

'Reality is indeed different from dramas.'

But dramas also reflect reality to some extent.

Tolerating injustice and pretending not to notice is enough for the past.

Not now.

Although Nicholas was a foreigner, he decided not to tolerate it.

A burning sensation rose in his chest.

Memories of his past, where he had only suffered, made his body tense.

"Hey over there!"

"…!"

"Why are you pushing so hard over such a trivial matter? The employee has already apologized dozens of times. If that's not enough, what more do you want? People should know when to be ashamed. Be reasonable, be reasonable!"

The sudden outburst drew everyone's attention to Nicholas.

Even the Michelin couple stopped shouting and gesticulating, staring at him intently.

If a foreigner had stepped in to this extent while Koreans remained silent, it was enough.

Nicholas was satisfied that the commotion had stopped.

The rest would be handled by the mart.

However...

'Why are people reacting like this?'

Looking to the side, Sasha said with a face that seemed to say, "I've never seen you like this before."

"You just spoke in Russian."

"…"

"I feel relieved. I don't know about others, though."

Should he repeat what he said in Korean?

The onlookers and the parties involved were unfamiliar with the situation, feeling awkward, when a group of people quickly approached.

Among them were the chairman and his group.

A middle-aged man approached the couple and said,

"Let's go to the office and talk about it."

"I'm getting such treatment...?"

The husband nodded to his wife, and they obediently followed the middle-aged man.

Indeed, the police are the best at resolving such matters.

* * *

That evening, the section chief and the staff entered the room where the presidents of various countries had stayed.

"Is this your first time here, Section Chief?"

"Yes, the room rate here is astronomical, so I never even considered it. Even when foreign buyers come, we don't stay here... It's just too much."

"If it's okay, call your family and stay here tonight. We'll be working together tomorrow anyway."

"Is that really okay?"

"What could go wrong? There are plenty of rooms. The staff can stay too. It's all part of the experience and memories, right?"

The staff looked at the section chief for approval, and he nodded.

"Since we're hungry, let's get some late-night snacks. What should we eat to make it a good rumor?"

"Mr. Nicholas, you seem to know some Korean words that even Koreans don't use much, like 'hungry' and 'rumor.'"

Indeed, he had spoken without much thought, thinking, 'Who would doubt it?'

But it doesn't matter.

Since it's a secret that no one knows.

"Ha ha, foreigners find it amusing when they use such words. How about some pig's feet?"

"Pig's feet are good."

"One serving of pig's feet won't be enough. Let's add some boiled pork and pizza. And some soju and cola."

Sasha's lips curled up at the mention of alcohol.

The staff quickly placed the order, and soon we were feasting on the delivered food, satisfying our stomachs.

* * *

The next day, we arrived at Otoki headquarters on time.

We entered the conference room immediately, but the atmosphere was completely different from when we first visited '8' degrees.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Nicholas."

A man who looked to be in his early middle age bowed deeply and handed over his business card.

Hong Juyeol, executive director.

From the beginning, the decision-maker was present.

This meant that the information had flowed into 'Otoki' as Nicholas had intended.

Thanks to this, the business discussion went smoothly.

"I think the initial order quantity is a bit large, but since the shelf life is eight months, it shouldn't be a problem. We'll send it as you requested."

"However, I have a suggestion."

"Please speak."

"Send only 20% of the 300g packages and the rest as 3.2kg institutional packages."

"3.2kg, 80% of the order?"

"It's Russia."

"Even so, 3.2kg is enough for a household to last for months..."

After the conversation, it became clear that they didn't understand the Russian market.

It was 1993, and there was limited information available on the internet, and almost no exchange between the two countries. However, for a company considering exports, it was surprising they didn't know.

Nicholas, thinking that he could teach them if they didn't know, continued.

"Russians eat about ten times more chili paste than Koreans. Not only because of the large population and the size of Russians, but because they use it in almost all their dishes."

"Are you sure it will be okay?"

"Make sure to produce more after the initial order so that we don't run out later."

"That would be ideal, but...

After exchanging opinions, we finally signed the contract cleanly after two more hours.

There was also a disagreement over royalty issues when setting up a local factory, but Nicholas pressured them, and they quickly gave in.

"I received accommodation, a car, and a driver from '8' degrees. The accommodation was the best room at the Shilla Hotel, arranged by the chairman of Oselec."

"Oh, the chairman of Oselec?"

"Our grandfather is close to him, so he provided a good place. However, when I arrived, I miscalculated the exchange rate between the two countries..."

There was no need to say more.

Hong, the executive director, seemed to have been prepared for this moment, and he quickly handed over a card.

"Use it freely."

"Ah, I didn't say that to get this..."

"Since '8' degrees provided everything else, we'll give you the card to use freely."

"Then... "

Although '8' degrees had given him a card, he only mentioned the rest.

Thanks to this, a card like an ATM card came out.

"See you in Russia."

After the final greetings with Hong, Nicholas and his group headed to Gangnam.

* * *

"Hey, how much do you think that apartment is worth?"

"It's older than the ones built during the Soviet era. How expensive could it be?"

"You couldn't buy it even if you sold several 102㎡ (30 pyeong) apartments in Moscow."

"Come on, that old apartment can't be that expensive, right?"

"This is Gangnam, the prime real estate in Seoul. Plus, it's in the 8th school district, so it's extremely expensive."

At that time, a 30-pyeong Eunma apartment was worth about 120 to 130 million won.

If the Russian economy hadn't plummeted, there wouldn't have been such a big difference, but this was the current reality.

Nicholas and his group entered a nearby real estate office.

"Eunma 30-pyeong apartments are in high demand and sell quickly. However, you should be able to find a good one with a nice view within a month."

"From the outside, I saw a sign for reconstruction. Is it possible?"

The real estate agent responded confidently.

"It's time. Once the reconstruction is decided, Eunma will become a gold mine. Yes, definitely."

The Eunma apartment reconstruction was not initiated until the Russo-Ukrainian War, and it was said that it would take at least another 10 years after that.

Perhaps it would only start 80 years after it was built.

The real estate prices in Seoul, especially in Gangnam, plummeted endlessly after the 1997 Asian financial crisis (IMF).

Nicholas knew this fact precisely, so he marked potential investments for the future.

"Office buildings are also great as investment properties."

"What money do you have to look at such buildings?"

"Ah, one must act with confidence in the future. That way, you can seize opportunities when the future becomes reality."

"Did you read that in a book?"

"You little..."

Meanwhile, the section chief followed Nicholas and had many thoughts.

He seemed light and straightforward, but after following him for a few days, the section chief realized there was more to him.

Where does this overflowing confidence and action come from?

Even if it's just an apartment, looking at buildings over 20 floors isn't just for passing time.

'Isn't that true?'

He was determined to buy those buildings someday.

A single building costs hundreds of millions, and he had already seen seven of them.

If he continues, he might see dozens more in the remaining 20 days.

'This is the first truly unique person I've ever met in my life.'

The section chief, strangely, found this uniqueness appealing.

So, he followed without any complaints, even enjoying it.

* * *

The next day, they had lunch in Garibong-dong, the hometown of Sasha's grandmother.

Then, Nicholas headed to Busan, which he had been eagerly anticipating, at Seoul Station.

"Section Chief, I'll go to Busan with Sasha. I'll contact you when we return to Seoul."

"Okay, we'll see you again in Seoul."

After saying goodbye at Seoul Station, Nicholas sat in his designated seat and closed his eyes.

'Father, Mother...'