Chapter 44

In the neighborhood of Nodong in the northern part of Seoul, this is a well-known slum area. Contrary to the bustling and neon-lit Gangnam across the Han River, here, everywhere are narrow, low, and dilapidated houses, sewage-filled and bumpy roads, dim streetlights, and even the trees by the roadside grow crookedly.

Most of the people living here are extremely poor. They yearn for delicious food and fancy clothes, and dream of one day moving to the rich district across the river to live like real people! That is the real world!

At this moment, Kim Yong-nam was squatting in a house that was so dilapidated it was about to collapse, cooking ramen.

When Kim Yong-nam was in elementary school, his mother committed suicide due to the constant beatings from his drunk father. His father, who was a heavy drinker, left only endless beatings and scoldings in his childhood memories!

Even after more than a decade, he still remembered the scene from his childhood when he was crouched by the window of a restaurant, watching his classmates eat greasy grilled meat. The sizzling sound of the oil and the intense aroma of the meat almost drove him mad!

When he ran home and told his grandmother that he wanted to eat meat, she told him that only by studying hard and getting into a prestigious university, finding a good job, and becoming a wealthy person could he eat as much meat as he wanted!

From then on, Kim Yong-nam's life goal was to leave the poor place in Jeolla Province and go to a big city to become a wealthy person!

His alcoholic father, apart from drinking and beating him, spent most of his time sleeping, relying entirely on welfare. Kim Yong-nam paid for his high school tuition through part-time jobs. After he was admitted to Seoul National University with the top score in Jeonju, he never went back!

With the help of scholarships and part-time jobs, Kim Yong-nam completed his university studies and smoothly entered a large company with a generous salary. He soon took out a loan to buy a house and a car, and had a beautiful girlfriend, living a very comfortable life. It was as if all the good life he had not enjoyed in the past decades was suddenly bestowed upon him.

Until recently, his dream came to an end. His girlfriend said she wanted to get married. Overjoyed, Kim Yong-nam, who had never been in a relationship before, changed the ownership of his house and bank account to be shared by both of them! This was a rare thing in Korea!

Then the tragedy began. His girlfriend sold his house and took all the money from his bank account. If that was all, he wouldn't have been so miserable, but the worst part was that she even took out a large amount of high-interest loans in his name!

When Kim Yong-nam rushed to his girlfriend's parents' house, he found that her parents, who always asked him for gifts, were also gone. He finally realized that he had been scammed by a professional con artist.

Then came the usual drama: high-interest loan collectors, his company firing him, and he could only drown his sorrows in alcohol like his father. It seemed that the outcome was already predetermined, but life always gives you unexpected surprises!

Kim Yong-nam had been looking for his girlfriend, not to get his money back but to take her down with him! On the night he met Gao Yang, he was drinking at a street stall because he had already found out that his girlfriend often frequented a nearby nightclub, and she loved eating late-night snacks!

He didn't expect that before his girlfriend appeared, the high-interest loan collectors would ruin his plan. Kim Yong-nam was originally planning to wait for them to finish beating him and then hide to wait for an opportunity, but the bald man was so ruthless that he directly hit him on the head with a folding chair. After dodging, Gao Yang suddenly appeared and helped him.

With no place to go, Kim Yong-nam, despite the pain, followed Gao Yang and asked him for shelter because he recognized the casual shirt Gao Yang wore to stop the kettle of boiling water. It was the same as the one worn by the son of the chairman of the company he used to work for!

Lying on the ground, Kim Yong-nam immediately remembered the words the chairman's son had said, "This is a limited edition men's shirt designed by Alexander McQueen, with only five pieces in the world." The tone was light, but the arrogance in the words was clear to Kim Yong-nam.

Kim Yong-nam immediately abandoned his previous plan. He didn't want to die yet; he hadn't had enough grilled meat! When Gao Yang asked for his phone number, his excitement was even greater than when he was admitted to Seoul National University!

For the past few days, Kim Yong-nam had been hiding here, living quietly, waiting for Gao Yang's call. Nodong was so dilapidated that the high-interest loan collectors hadn't found him yet.

The landlord was a prostitute working in the next room, and the arousing sounds through the walls without soundproofing kept washing over Kim Yong-nam, but he remained expressionless, like a meditating monk, staring straight at the pot of ramen.

Suddenly, the shrill ring of his phone made his steady hand tremble. He answered the call, and the voice he had been waiting for days to hear said, "Are you still alive?"

"Clang!" The aluminum pot full of ramen was knocked over, and Kim Yong-nam, with a smile on his face as if Gao Yang were standing in front of him, said in an extremely sincere tone, "Boss, I've been waiting for your call."

"Okay, Shinra Hotel, someone will pick you up downstairs." Gao Yang hung up the phone.

Putting away his phone, he took a deep breath, feeling a joy like being reborn.

Kim Yong-nam took out his wallet, left money for a taxi, and put the rest on the floor, then left quietly, his eyes and smile gone.

Led by the staff of SC Trade, Kim Yong-nam arrived at the door of the top suite where Gao Yang was staying.

Knock, knock, knock...

The door opened, and a man with a cold expression sized up Kim Yong-nam, then stepped aside to let him in.

In the living room, Gao Yang was leaning on the sofa, holding a glass of whisky, lost in thought.

"Boss, hello." Kim Yong-nam hurried to Gao Yang's side and bowed deeply.

Gao Yang glanced over, scrutinizing the man who had made a simple bow as taut as a bowstring.

Nodding slightly, he thought, "He's a smart one. When opportunity comes, don't believe it's fate; only those who work hard and give it their all can truly seize it. This time, I called Kim Yong-nam for an interview!"

Because of Jeong Soo-jung, Korea would play an important role in Gao Yang's plans. He needed an excellent agent, and if Kim Yong-nam's performance had been disappointing, Gao Yang would have kicked him out without hesitation!

"Sit down." Gao Yang nodded, indicating for Kim Yong-nam to sit on the sofa.

"Yes, boss." Kim Yong-nam was a bit nervous.

"I've read your file." Gao Yang took a sip of whisky and looked at Kim Yong-nam with a half-smile. "What would you do to your girlfriend if you entered the upper class?"

"Keep her by my side." Kim Yong-nam said expressionlessly.

"Ha ha." Gao Yang's lips curled. "You're an interesting guy."

Gao Yang stood up and went to the window, looking at the glittering night view of Seoul. "From now on, all my affairs in Korea will be handled by you."

"Yes, boss." Kim Yong-nam responded solemnly.

"Now, I need a better residence. This place..." Gao Yang looked around the room, took a sip of whisky, and said casually, "is too small and makes me uncomfortable."

"Yes, boss, by dinner time tomorrow, you will have a satisfactory place to move into." Kim Yong-nam stood up and bowed.

The next morning, the entire Korean news industry was frantically reporting the news of the change in ownership of ** Company. The ** Company, a pillar of the Korean wave, had been acquired by mysterious funds, and all journalists were frantically trying to uncover the inside story.

However, all those who knew the inside story kept their mouths tightly shut, and major news media soon received notifications from various sources: "Stop reporting on this news!"

At home, Jeong Soo-jung was woken up by her sister Jeong Soo-yeon. "What's wrong? Isn't your sister working today?" Jeong Soo-jung, still half-asleep, yawned and asked.

"The company has been acquired by mysterious capital." Jeong Soo-yeon said with a serious expression.

"Ah?" Jeong Soo-jung, still yawning, was stunned by the news. "Sister, that's not a funny joke!"

"It's true. The company is in chaos, and all the artists have been notified to take a temporary break." Jeong Soo-yeon said with a serious face. Jeong Soo-jung knew her sister's habits and realized she was telling the truth!

"Ah? What will we do now?" Jeong Soo-jung, realizing the situation, asked in shock.

Jeong Soo-yeon smiled bitterly. "Let's wait and see. Things should get better when the new boss arrives."

"Who bought the company?" The sisters were both puzzled. Suddenly, Jeong Soo-jung's mind flashed with Gao Yang's smiling face. "No, no, the company isn't a restaurant, what am I thinking..."

At this moment, Gao Yang was having breakfast at the Shinra Hotel with Lee Bo-jin, the director of the Shinra Hotel, and Lee Mong-cheng, the president of Samsung Heavy Industries' Geoje Shipyard.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Gao Yang didn't talk much with the two. His attention was on the bowl of congee in front of him.

The congee looked extraordinary, with a layer of rice soup on top that trembled like jelly, and the bottom was made of high-quality glutinous rice, both thick and distinct. Red sugar was added, and fresh lotus roots were sliced thinly and mixed into the congee. The lotus roots were light purple, the slices were dark brown, and the rice grains were light green. It was warm and fragrant, clearly a lot of effort had been put into it!

Lee Bo-jin, noticing Gao Yang staring at the congee, smiled and explained, "This is made by mixing top-grade pork belly with glutinous rice, covered with lotus leaves, and cooked slowly over a low flame. The Shinra Hotel only makes it for distinguished guests."

The life of the upper class is truly... Gao Yang didn't say anything and quietly drank it. The congee was sweet and smooth, with a very good texture, and the fresh fruit salad made this breakfast even more enjoyable. Gao Yang sighed imperceptibly and finished it in one go, then picked up the water glass and drank half a glass of water. Lee Bo-jin and Lee Mong-cheng had already put down their chopsticks when Gao Yang picked up the water glass.

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Gao Yang said, "President Lee Mong-cheng, please tell me, why do I have to buy your company's oil tankers?"

(PS: First, I would like to thank all the friends who support this book and those who have voted for updates. I am a new writer, and I am not familiar with the various applications on Qidian. I haven't had the chance to interact with all the friends, and I sincerely apologize for that. I will work hard to write this book well. I sincerely thank all the friends for their support.)