Chapter 62
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The man asked first .
"Are you, by any chance, going to Zhejiang University?"
By looking at him closely, Gun-Ho was able to recognize him right away . He was the new professor at the university, who had a Ph . D . from Yale, and his name was Jien Wang .
"Oh, you are the new professor . "
"Are you living in this apartment?"
"Yes, I am . I'm living in building number 6 . Are you living here too?"
"Yes, mine is building number 2 . "
"It's really good to see you here . It's amazing that you could recognize me since there were tons of students in the university . "
"You actually stood out among the students . So I remember you . "
"Is that because I am an older student?"
"That's one of the reasons . Also, you have a unique name . Your name didn't seem to be a Chinese name, so I asked around and figured out that you are an international student . "
"Is it your bathing suit? Inside the bag, you are holding?"
"Oh, this? No, it's not a bathing suit . It's actually a coke and a sprite . I just came here to watch people swimming . "
"Oh, really? Since we met here, would you like to have a beer? There is a restaurant in front of our community's main entrance . I'm craving for a beer after swimming . "
"Haha, why not?"
The restaurant was neat and spacious; it went well with Gun-Ho's luxurious apartment . All the staff there was wearing a uniform . Gun-Ho placed an order .
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"A deep-fried shrimp, a fried eggplant, and some fried pork, …"
"That's too much . Let's stop there . "
"That's okay . I'm treating you as a student to his professor . "
"I think we are about the same age . By the way, you speak Chinese very well . How long have you been here in China?"
"It has been almost two years . "
"Can a student afford to have expensive dishes like those you ordered? Considering that you are living in the Hobanhwawon apartment, your parents must be rich . "
"They are not rich . "
"The rent of this apartment is expensive . I couldn't afford to live here by myself with my salary from Zhejiang University . Fortunately, my wife is a professor at Zhejiang University as well . That's how we can afford to live here . "
"I make a living for myself and pay for my rent here . "
"Huh? You are a student… So, you have a job?"
"I am running a Korean restaurant in Mando Hotel . It's on Haebang road . "
Gun-Ho gave him his business card which said 'CEO of Mando Food Co . , Ltd . ' .
"Wow! You are a CEO of Mando Food Co . , Ltd . !"
"In fact, I have been working my socks off in running the restaurant and studying in the university . I hope you could take this into account and be generous when you determine my grade . Haha . "
"Wow, you are amazing . You run your business while you study in the university . "
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The beer and the food that Gun-Ho ordered earlier came out .
"Whoa, having a beer after swimming tastes really good!"
"I was feeling rough in my throat; I guess I needed a beer . It does actually taste great . The Chinese Tsingtao beer is the best . "
They took turns in pouring beer in each other's glass, and they became a bit drunk .
"When did you come back to China from the U . S . ?"
"It has been a year . I started teaching at Zhejiang University last semester . Actually, this is my home town . "
"Don't you get paid better at Yale University?"
"The more money you make in the U . S . , the more costly your living expenses will be . I was a professor at Yale University, but it's not easy for foreign professors to be re-appointed after their contract expires . By the time of my reappointment decision, a professor from Zhejiang University who was senior to me contacted me and convinced me to come and teach at Zhejiang University . Moreover, my wife missed her home town as well . So, here we are in my home town . I think I made the right decision coming back here . I feel much better and relaxed . "
"I did actually like your lecture . It's inspiring . "
"Really . I am just all about theory, and I don't know much about the practical side of it . So, I do love to hang out with someone like you—G-jjong—who has been in the business for a while . "
"My business card says I am the CEO of a company, but I am just running a small restaurant . I am not an expert in business as you expected . "
"No, I think you are great . You are running your own business and also studying at a university simultaneously . I do admire you . Let's be friends . We are about the same age anyway . How old are you? What's your Chinese zodiac sign?"
The professor Jien Wang gave Gun-Ho his business card .
Gun-Ho learned that Chinese people always asked a person's Chinese zodiac sign whenever they ask someone's age . When Gun-Ho told him his Chinese zodiac sign, the professor jumped to his feet and clinked his glass to Gun-Ho's .
"Oh, we are of the same age, friend!"
"Oh, really? Nice to meet you, friend!"
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That day, they drank until they almost passed out . Gun-Ho had to carry Professor Wang on his back and took him to his home .
Gun-Ho never missed Professor Wang's class since he became good friends with him . Professor Wang's lecture was always concise, precise, and easy to understand .
"Okay, look at this graph . Do you see the point where the total costs line crosses the total sales line? That is the Break Even Point ("BEP") . "
Gun-Ho nodded his head while writing notes . He could quickly understand the lecture because it was directly related to what he was doing at work running his business .
"What do you have to do in order to generate profits in a business? You will have to reduce the fixed costs and lower the variable costs . We will have a quiz after this lecture on the BEP analysis . "
"A quiz?"
The students started buzzing about the unexpected quiz .
Gun-Ho was walking out of the lecture room after his quiz when Professor Wang approached him and said,
"Hey, my friend . I am sorry about the last time . "
"Don't mention it!"
"I am expecting a friend of mine from Shanghai this evening, and we will come to your Mando hotel Korean restaurant . Why don't you join us?"
"Sure, why not? I will be at the restaurant anyway . I will see you and your friend then . "
When Gun-Ho came back to his restaurant after the class, a group of Japanese international students came for dinner . Gun-Ho helped the hall staff in serving them . He was arranging chairs when Dingming came to him and said,
"G-jjong, someone is here for you . He said he is your friend . "
Gun-Ho turned his head to the restaurant entrance . Professor Wang and a man in a jacket were standing at the entrance . The man was slim .
"Oh, you came . Come and have a seat!"
"G-jjong . This is my friend from Shanghai . "
"Very nice meeting you . "
Gun-Ho handed over his business card to the man . The man looked at the business card while lifting up his glasses . He was wearing a black plastic rim glasses and looked like an elementary school teacher in the countryside .
"Here, have a seat . "
Gun-Ho pulled out a chair for him . Professor Wang's friend from Shanghai took out his business card from his pants' pocket while sitting on the chair . Gun-Ho carefully looked at his business card .
"Vice Director of Shanghai City Construction Bureau!"
Gun-Ho was wondering what level a vice director would be in the government position rank . He felt strange and amazed at the same time to meet a person that had a high rank like him because he couldn't even pass the level-9 government job exam himself after multiple attempts .
"He looked like about the same age as me . How could he make it all the way to the top? A vice director position, huh?"
Gun-Ho brought the menu book to Professor Wang and his friend .
"I don't know much about Korean food . "
Professor Wang said, and the vice director from Shanghai ordered a ginseng chicken soup for himself .
"Have you had a Korean ginseng chicken soup before?"
"I went on a business trip to Korea last year . I had a ginseng chicken soup somewhere around Gwanghwamun Gate . "
Gun-Ho looked at his business card again . His name was Seukang Li .
"G-jjong is a friend of mine and we are of the same age . So are you, Director Li . "
Seukang Li laughed . Professor Wang called Seukang Li as Director Li even though his position was vice director . He seemed to feel more comfortable using the word director .