Chapter 78
Gun-Ho made a call to Jong-Suk .
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"Hey Jong-Suk, how are you doing?"
"Oh, bro, what do you do these days?"
"This and that . I am keeping an eye on the real estate market and the stock market . "
"Aren't you going to start your own business or get a job?"
"I don't think I want to work for someone any longer . After working as self-employed, I don't want to go back to the life punching clock for an employer . "
"But you still should do something . Don't you think?"
"Oh, and I made some money lately . I want to buy you a drink . "
"Really?"
"Yeah, really . When are you off from your work?"
"Let me see . "
"Let's ask Suk-Ho in Gyeongridan Street to join us . You ask him . You are closer to him than I am . "
"Oh, Suk-Ho bro . Sure . Let's then find out what day his bar is closed and we can have a drink there . "
"That sounds great . You talk with him and let me know, okay?"
After getting off the phone with Jong-Suk, Gun-Ho received a call from someone he didn't know .
"Are you Mr . Gun-Ho Goo?"
"Yes, this is he . "
"I am calling from the stockbroking company . I am a branch manager . I'd like to invite you for a dinner . "
Gun-Ho thought this could be tiresome . The broking firm that Gun-Ho was currently using was the same firm he had used when he worked at a factory in Hwaseong . He had put his money borrowed from the sunshine loan to that company for stock investment at that time . The branch was located in Suwon City .
"I will be out of country from tomorrow . "
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"Oh, you will? Then could we meet once you return to Korea?"
Gun-Ho currently had 19 . 8 billion won in his stock account with that stockbroking firm . Gun-Ho thought it was natural for them to be interested in him now .
Gun-Ho had used to work in several different factories . He knew how a mid-size firm could be . Even though a company seemed to be decent, many companies in that size had a capital less than 1 billion won . Many of them had their annual sales not exceeding 5 billion won .
Considering the fact above, the 19 . 8 billion won that Gun-Ho had was a huge amount of money . A branch of a stockbroking company would do everything they could not to lose a client with this much funds .
"I was going to move my account to another branch after I move to another area . It's going to be difficult to do that . "
Gun-Ho then received a call from Jong-Suk .
"Bro? I just talked with Suk-Ho bro . He said Monday of the third week is good . His bar will be closed that day . "
"Really? But you have to work on Monday, don't you?"
"It's okay . I can take that day off . I already told my manager that I would have to take that day off for personal reasons . "
"Really? I will see you then . "
Gun-Ho wanted to buy a drink for his friends in a more luxurious bar than Suk-Ho's bar .
Gun-Ho called Suk-Ho .
"I just talked with Jong-Suk . So, what time would be good on Monday?"
"Right . I will have to run errands in the morning; I have to go to the district office and tax office here . So, what about 5 PM?"
It was Monday; Gun-Ho, Jong-Suk, and Suk-Ho were supposed to meet for a drink .
Gun-Ho didn't have a car yet, so he took a taxi heading to Suk-Ho's bar .
The lights in the Suk-Ho's bar were off and all the chairs were placed on the tables . The front door was slightly open .
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"Hey, bro . Come in!"
Jong-Suk was already there and he was having a beer with Suk-Ho .
"Hey, come and have a seat!"
"Did you guys already start drinking without me?"
"Have a drink, Gun-Ho . Suk-Ho came early so we started early . "
"I was going to take you guys to a good place . "
"Let's have a drink here first then go to a restaurant . I know a good one close to Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon Town . "
Gun-Ho looked around the bar . The large picture of a musical instrument was still hanging on the wall . That reminded Gun-Ho of Suk-Ho's business partner who looked like an artist .
"How is your partner doing? Your friend from college . His name was Bang something and he looked like an artist . "
"Oh, Han-Young Bang! He is not coming here anymore . He works at a room salon* . "
"A room salon?"
"Yeah, his sister is a chief hostess there . "
"You mean he is not your business partner of this bar anymore?"
"He is still holding the shares in this bar and I am sending half of the profits from this bar to him . He wants to pull out the funds he invested in this bar but I don't have money to buy him out . "
"Hmm, I see . "
"I want to go to that room salon he is working to contribute to their sales, but I don't know anyone who could afford to drink there and pay for their expensive service and liquor . "
Jong-Suk asked Suk-Ho while pouring beer in Gun-Ho's and Suk-Ho's glasses .
"Bro, you have a lot of friends who seemed to be rich . Many of your friends are riding a luxurious car . "
"They do have luxurious cars; that's true . But that doesn't mean they have money to spend at a room salon . It's not like they are running a big company . "
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Gun-Ho gulped the beer and said while putting his empty glass back on the table .
"Let's go there today!"
"Bro, are you drunk? It's way more expensive than we could afford . "
Suk-Ho also tried to talk him out of it .
"Jong-Suk is right . It's not like we are having a special occasion to go to a place like that, such as closing a very important deal or something . It's a waste of money . You have never been to a room salon before, haven't you? Just drink your beer . "
Gun-Ho, Suk-Ho, and Jong-Suk walked out of Suk-Ho's bar after having a few drinks and headed to the restaurant close to Hamilton Hotel . They continued to drink beer in that restaurant . After the three men got drunk, they all couldn't think straight . Gun-Ho stood up first while staggering .
"Let's go! Let's go to the third place, the room salon where the curly hair guy Han-Young Bang is working . Let's go!"
Jong-Suk stood up next while staggering as well and then he yelled,
"Let's go! F*ck! Gun-Ho bro made some money . Let's go!"
"Hey, Suk-Ho! It's your town . Get a taxi for us!"
"Okay, let's go! Let's have that Ballantine's 17 years old whiskey there!"
They eventually took a taxi and headed to the room salon located in Gangnam close to Samsung Subway Station .
Gun-Ho was so drunk that he didn't even look at the room salon's business sign before he walked down to a basement of a building . There were young men wearing a suit at the main entrance; they must be bouncers . They all had the same hair cut that made their head look like a square .
"Welcome our brothers . "
They gave a 90-degree bow to Gun-Ho's party and then they grabbed Gun-Ho, Suk-Ho and Jong-Suk's arms and took them inside the room salon .
The room salon was located in the basement of a building and its interior was decorated luxuriously like a palace . There were Ionic style columns in the room . Even though he was so drunk, Gun-Ho touched the column wondering if the column was made of stone or plastic .
One of the bouncers clapped loudly and said,
"Customers here . Serve them well!"
A waiter wearing a white shirt and bow tie came out with a broad smile and led Gun-Ho's party to a room . The waiter looked like a weasel .
"Hey, bring Manager Bang here!"
"He is not here right now . "
"Where did he go? Bring him here as I said!"
Suk-Ho was so drunk and he started yelling .
Young ladies came into the room with a tray . There were wet wipes and bottles of water on the tray .
The man with a bow tie came back to the room and said while taking Suk-Ho's jacket and hanging on the wall .
"Manager Bang is coming . Just give him several minutes . Let me take an order for you . What would you like to drink?"
"Let's have Ballantine's, bros!"
Jong-Suk's words started to slur; he must be very drunk already . When Jong-Suk asked for Ballantine's, Suk-Ho who was sitting in a chair while breathing heavily jumped up from his seat and said,
"Ballantine's is too expensive! Bring us Chivas Regal instead! The last liquor that our former president, Chung-Hee Park had before he died . "
"Alright . I will bring you a salad and fruits for snacks as well . Also, I will ask three ladies to join you . "
"We came here because we heard there were many pretty girls working here . So do what you have to do, okay? Manager Bang is my best friend! You know that?"
"Oh, okay, brothers, or sirs!"
The man with a bow tie gave a 90-degree bow to Gun-Ho's party before leaving the room .
After a while, two waitresses came to the room with a cute smile; they brought a bottle of Chivas Regal, cute whiskey glasses, and some snacks and fruits that were beautifully carved .
Note*
Room salon – a type of a bar in Korea where you can drink in a room with bar hostesses .