Chapter 52
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Mr . Byeon sat on a chair while drinking the water he took from the water purifier .
"Have you verified fresh produce delivered this morning?"
"Yes, I just looked through it . Maybe I should go out to find an apartment now with Ms . Mae-Hyang Kim . What do you think?"
"That sounds good… But why don't you go to the tax office first? You need to get the business license with your name on it . For the tax office, you'd better go with Dingming . Since she is a local, and she has very good Kkwansi . "
"Kkwansi?"
"Hmm… It's like a network . "
It seemed Dingming did have good relationships with a lot of people . When they arrived at the tax office, Gun-Ho had to stop frequently for Dingming to say hello and to have a short chat with people there .
After Gun-Ho was done with the tax office, he let Dingming go back to the restaurant . He then went to Industrial and Commercial Bank of China with Mae-Hyang to open a bank account . The bank didn't require Alien Resident Certificate for a foreigner to open a bank account but having a one-year business visa stamp on his passport was enough .
After he opened the bank account, Mae-Hyang said while walking out of the bank,
"G-jjong now received the business license and has a bank account here in China . You are now a denizen in China . All you have to do from now on is to make money . "
"Ms . Mae-Hyang Kim, since you have worked at the Korean restaurant in Mando hotel, what do you think of it? Are they doing well?"
"I don't know . The staffs in a position like me, we just do our job there . I guess Dingming can answer your question . "
"Which area or apartment do you recommend?"
"President Byeon is living in Kangluhsinchoo, Wonalu . "
"Let's try there . "
They took a taxi heading to the apartment complex where Mr . Byeon was living in . It was close to Mando Hotel .
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"When President Byeon made a lease contract for his apartment, I was with him . The two-bedroom apartment is 1,500 Yuan and the three-bedroom apartment is 1,800 Yuan . "
"How large is the two-bedroom apartment in pyung?"
"I'm not sure about Korean pyung, but it's 82㎡ . "
The apartment that Mr . Byeon was living in was a low-rise building, and the distance between the apartment buildings on the same complex was distant enough to have privacy and daylight . However, the building was shabby . Gun-Ho could see some people drying their clothes in their veranda using a pole . He also saw ducks hanging in a veranda in bare skin . Their head and feet were still attached . Some apartments hung ten raw duck meats out to dry . This scene terrified Gun-Ho .
"Let's try somewhere else . How about the apartment over there; it looks neat . "
"We need to take a bus to get there . It's too far to walk . "
"Let's take a taxi then . "
Once they got on a taxi, Mae-Hyang and the taxi driver talked in Chinese . "
"What did he say?"
"He said the apartment is in Wonssanlu, and it is expensive . "
"Well, let me take a look . "
The apartment complex in Wonssanlu had large apartments only and Gun-Ho didn't see a laundry pole or a hanging duck meat in their verandas . It was a gated community with a security guard; the guard was a young man looking like a soldier . The access to the apartment community was controlled by the security guard .
"A young man seemingly in his 30s works as a security guard in China . "
"The young men discharged from People's Liberation Army can easily get a security guard job . "
"Hmm, really? The guards in uniform seemed to work out a lot . "
"Is it different from Korea?"
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"In Korea, an old man over 60 years old usually works as an apartment security guard . "
"How can an old man at that age catch a robber? Haha . "
"There is a banner over there and something is written in red . What does it say?"
"It says a three-bedroom apartment of 120㎡is 2,500 Yuan per month . "
"Hmm, 2,500 Yuan is 300,000 won in Korea . With 300,000 won, I could only get a tiny room in a OneRoomTel in Noryangjin . Here, I can have a three-bedroom apartment . "
"Do you know who used to live in that apartment?"
"A person?"
"President Marwin . The famous Alibaba President Marwin used to live there . "
"Alibaba is a multinational technology conglomerate . Why would its president, Marwin live in an apartment like that?"
"He had lived there a long time ago; he actually started Alibaba when he lived there . He didn't have money at that time, so he received investment from several different people to start his business . He is one of the richest men in China and in the world too . "
"That's right . I think I read about him online . So he started his business while he was living in this apartment!?"
"Everyone in Hangzhou knows about it . Marwin's current assets exceed 250 billion Yuan . "
"250 billion Yuan… is more than 30,000 billion won!"
"He is the richest man in Asia . G-jjong, why don't you start your business living in this apartment just like Marwin did? Haha . "
"What does it say on the apartment entrance?"
"It says Hobanhwawon . "
"Hobanhwawon where Marwin used to live… Let's take a look!"
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A security guard at the apartment gate blocked them . He looked arrogant . When Mae-Hyang said something to him, he let them in .
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him that a Korean man came to see the apartment, and he opened the gate right away for us . "
The apartment was a low-rise building with 6 floors which was good . However, it looked old . The distance between apartment buildings was spacious and the roads inside the community were large as well . It had a swimming pool in the community which drew Gun-Ho's attention .
"Wow . They have a swimming pool just like a movie . "
"It gets really hot during summer in China . It could get up to 40 degree Celsius . "
"40 degrees? Wow . Marwin is not living here right now, right?"
"Haha . Of course . Why would he live here? He lives probably in Beijing or Shanghai . "
"Let's ask how much the rent is here . "
"Let's go to Bangjisan and ask them . "
"Bangjisan?"
"It's a realtor's office . "
The 120㎡apartment (about 36 pyung) is 2,500 Yuan per month according to the realtor they talked with, just like the banner advertisement Gun-Ho saw earlier . The realtor added that there were single houses in the community as well, and it is 5,000 Yuan .
"The community must be huge . They have single houses as well . "
The realtor glanced at Gun-Ho several times when the realtor was told that Gun-Ho was a Korean, and insisted that he should take a single house for rent .
"Can you ask him how much it would be if I buy one?"
Mae-Hyang said something to the realtor .
"What did he say?"
"He said that you'll need the Alien Resident Certificate to buy a real estate . He is asking what you think about the 150㎡apartment that Marwin used to live . "
"Hmm, so Marwin indeed lived in this community . Ms . Mae-Hyang Kim! Would you ask him which apartment unit Marwin had lived?"
Mae-Hyang said something to the realtor again .
"He said Poonghawan, 16 Dang, 1 Danwon, unit 202 in Hobanhwawon . "
"Please tell him that I will let him know tomorrow, and take his business card . "
The realtor asked for Gun-Ho's business card as he handed over his . Gun-Ho gave him Mae-Hyang's phone number instead since he didn't have a business card yet and he couldn't communicate in Chinese with him anyway .
Mae-Hyang asked Gun-Ho while following him with short quick steps .
"Do you like Hobanhwawon? It's a bit far from the restaurant . Will it be okay with you?"
"I've seen a lot of people riding a bicycle . Do you think I can commute by bike?"
"It's dangerous . Too many cars on the road here . Also, it rains a lot in this area . "
"What about a bus?"
"There is a luxurious double-decker bus, but so many people use it . Taxi will cost you a lot . Do you see the bus over there? That's the double-decker bus . The bus fare is about two Yuan . "
"How about a rental car? Do you know how much it would be?"
"A rental car?"
"You know . A car I can rent . "
"You need a driver's license . An international driver's license is not accepted here . You have to get your driver's license in China, and you have to take a test for it . "