chapter 25
A luxury apartment in Manhattan, New York.
Looking at the night view from the window, Elisa sipped her wine.
‘(For some reason, I tried to keep in touch.)’
Im Hanul was a friend I met when I was doing my MBA at New York University. Like himself, he wanted to open up a new business instead of taking over the family business, so the language worked well in that respect.
‘(I think I’m still struggling…)’
Compared to Hanul Lim’s business, which is still in its infancy, her business is well established. Recently, sales have increased even more, thanks to a model she personally scouted who became famous as a New York party girl.
Her father, who had been encouraging her to marry into a good family, was now enough to keep her mouth shut.
‘(I took a breather only recently.)’
Elisa has been a famous party fanatic since her college days, and met many people while going to various parties.
As a beauty pageant winner and the daughter of a well-to-do businessman, she attracted a lot of attention at parties, which gave her a wide circle of contacts.
And I tried several businesses using that network. One of the things I did at that time was to help open a company in a tax haven.
‘(Because it’s not difficult to make it. Anyway, how would it have changed?)’
The past memories are beautified, and the memories of her school days have become precious memories. Elisa sips wine and soaks up memories of her MBA days.
***
Thanks to practicing English conversation diligently for two days, I was able to pass the entry without any problems. The questions were tricky, perhaps because of his criminal record, but he passed them somehow.
Im Hanul, who had been waiting for me to come out first, waved his hand with a happy expression.
“Are you alive?”
“of course.”
“America is your first time?”
“uh.”
Maybe it was because of the big time difference between the US and Korea, I left in the morning and arrived in the morning, so I felt strange.
‘I slept for over 10 hours, but it’s still the same morning.’
It may be difficult to adjust to jet lag. Lim Han-ul naturally bought a coffee and handed it to me.
“Then I buy your first New York coffee.”
“thanks.”
“Let’s go sightseeing around the area before the appointment time.”
Having someone who knows geography made it much easier to move around. We took the airport shuttle and went to the hotel we had booked in advance. As a five-star hotel in the heart of New York, it stood out from the exterior.
When I got off the shuttle, the doorman standing in the front door opened the door.
“(I’ll listen.)”
I was anxious about leaving the suitcase with expensive items to someone else, but Im Han-ul naturally handed over the suitcase, so I did the same.
“(The procedure is here.)”
Upon entering, the interior appeared to have a different feel from the outside. Antique sculptures were placed in the lobby, and the walls were covered with flowers and plants.
The fragrant scent of flowers stung his nostrils.
“(Welcome. Customer.)”
The female staff at the reception desk greeted me with a kind smile. Because it was a luxury hotel, her beauty was considerable.
“(Have you made a reservation?)”
“(Yes.)”
“(What’s your name?)”
“(This is Jaegu Kim.)”
A simple conversation was enough.
‘Studying English is rewarding.’
“(Customer Kim Jae-gu. You made a reservation for a club room. Do you need two card keys?)”
“(Yes.)”
A female employee held out a piece of hard paper and explained meticulously. It was about how to use the lounge, breakfast time, and additional facilities such as the swimming pool.
“(We hope you have a good time at our hotel.)”
Leaving behind the staff saying hello. moved to the room. When I handed a tip to the doorman who brought the suitcase to the room, he lowered his head with a bright face.
“(I hope you have a pleasant trip.)”
As soon as the doorman left the room, he threw himself on the bed. I slept on the plane, but my knees were so narrow that they touched the seat in front of me, so my socks hurt.
“Ahh. Looks like I’ll live.”
The fluffy bedding of a luxury hotel wrapped around her body. It was soft like a cloud. Outside the window, the forest of buildings in New York came into view. The view was good because it was a club room on the 43rd floor.
“Baby. Are you that good?”
“Yeah, that’s good. The seats are small, so I thought moths would sting to death. Are you okay?”
“I’m still young.”
“You and I are the same age.”
Lim Hanul smiled and sat down on the desk chair. He checked his watch.
“There are 5 hours until the appointment time. Let’s go out.”
“Aren’t you resting?”
“If you come to New York, you must go to Central Park. You can’t enter here after dark.”
I wanted to keep buried in bed, but since I’ve come this far, I have to get out.
‘Take a picture to show to your parents.’
When I heard that I was going to America, I remembered my parents who were more happy than me, and I got up tired.
“Yes. Let’s go see it.”
While Lim Han-ul headed to Central Park, he possessed a guide and explained various things diligently. It was as if I had lived here before.
“Have you been there many times?”
“Bastard. You’re not interested in me at all. I did my MBA at New York University.”
“Is it so?”
…How do I know that?
“Let’s get off here.”
I thought the streets of New York would be a colorless city with a forest of tall buildings, but there were many lower buildings than I thought and there were food trucks, so I felt friendly. Hanul Lim stood in line in front of a yellow food truck.
“If you come to New York, you should try this too. There are so many things to see and eat, but I’m busy because I only have one day.”
The yellow truck was marked Halal Guys.
“What is this?”
“You’ll know when you eat it.”
Im Hanul ordered a regular combo platter. The clerk handed over a bowl in a yellow plastic bag.
“Can I just buy one?”
“It’s only one day, so I’ll have to try it little by little. Aren’t you going to try Burger Joint, one of the top 3 burgers in New York?”
Since I’ve been here, I’m going to eat all of this and that.
“let’s go.”
Burger Joint is located in the Parker New York Hotel. It was located in a very corner, so if you came alone, you would not be able to find it and pass by.
Inside, posters were pasted on the walls full of graffiti, creating a free atmosphere. It was lunch time, so it was crowded and there was no place to sit.
“Looks like we’ll have to wait a long time.”
“Let’s take it out and eat it in Central Park. Hamburger? Cheeseburger?”
“hamburger.”
Double burger, medium, the works two. The works was to add all the side ingredients.
I took out two hamburgers and a Coke and headed to Central Park.
Lim Han-ul took out a mat from his suitcase, laid it on the grass, and sat down. In addition to us, we could see people sitting in groups of threes and threes.
‘Except for the fact that there are a lot of foreigners, it looks like Hangang Park.’
Lim Han-ul held out a cola cup.
“Originally, it would be perfect to have a beer here, but I hold back because I have to do business in the evening.”
He bumped into a Coke cup and took a bite of the hamburger. The gravy filled the mouth with a soft texture.
“mmm!!”
He nodded and gave a thumbs up.
“Is it delicious?”
“mmm.”
It felt strange to sit on a mat in a park in a distant foreign country and eat local food.
‘I feel like a local.’
It was even better because the sun was not hot thanks to the cloudy weather. Who would have known that at the age of 36, he would wear a luxury suit and sit on a mat in Central Park and eat a hamburger?
‘Life is a series of unexpected events.’
There are good things and bad things, but the world goes on and on.
I don’t know what will happen, but I can choose how to live.
I could have forgotten everything and just enjoyed myself. My ex-wife didn’t even ask for child support, and I had that kind of money and ability.
‘I can never do that.’
All of the circumstantial evidence and my senses were telling me that I was working alone and with my ex-wife. And my feeling was mostly right.
Besides, for my sake, my grandfather gave me the ability to stand up to them.
‘If I step back from here, I won’t be able to see my grandfather.’
Get my honor and daughter back. that was what i had to do Although Sid was still small, he was only making small progress, but as he rolled, Sid would grow like a snowball.
Im Hanul opened the lid of Halal Guys.
“Try the platter, too.”
‘yes. For now, let’s enjoy the moment.’
I thought the taste would be unusual because it was halal food, but it was surprisingly good to eat.
“Is it more delicious than I thought?”
“Eat a lot.”
Eating slowly, enjoying New York parks. It was relaxing and nice to eat while sitting in an endless park full of large trees.
“How did you meet the person you are going to meet now?”
“I met him when I was doing my MBA here. There was a lot of racism back then, right? But he’s a very cool friend who doesn’t have any of that.”
Im Hanul smiled.
“What style is it?”
“You look gorgeous and self-indulgent, but you’re deep inside. He said he’d take good care of you because you were the first time here.”
“Why are you embarrassed to say that?”
“He’s the kind of person who can’t leave people like that again.”
***
I met Elisa at a steakhouse called Del Monicos near Wall Street. Opened in 1827, it was a restaurant with a living history and tradition that has been in place for close to 200 years.
As soon as you enter, the antique and antique interior catches your eye. A waiter came over and directed us to our reserved table.
I was quite used to being treated by now.
“(Do you want to wait for the party to arrive?)”
“(Bring me the wine first.)”
When Lim Hanul answered naturally, pre-meal bread and wine were served. It was thanks to making a reservation in advance by diligently searching the Internet.
The wines were also carefully selected.
As Im Hanul turned his wine glass around, red wine gleamed.
“Can’t I wait?”
“Once you have a drink, I’ll be back soon.”
“(hi.)”
A blonde beauty appeared with a refreshing voice. I heard that Im Han-ul and MBA classmates, but no matter how I look at it, he only looked like he was in his 20s.
I didn’t think that I would be pushed for my height anywhere, but he was almost as tall as me.
“(Hello. Elisa. Long time no see.)”
“(Hanul. Long time no see.”)
As the two hugged, Elisa lightly kissed Lim Han-ul on the cheek. Foreigners are open-minded, but I think it would be embarrassing to say hello like that at the first meeting.
“(This is my friend. Kim Jae-goo. I’m starting a new business. As I said, he’s a good friend.)”
“(Nice to meet you. I’m Elisa Carver.)”
“(Kim Jae-gu. Nice to meet you.)”
Fortunately, she had asked for a handshake, so I lightly clasped her hand once and sat down. It was a little disappointing.
“(I’ve heard a lot about Hanul. He’s a very trustworthy person?)”
“(That’s too much praise. They say Elisha is someone you can really trust?)”
“(Oh. Hanul. Did you say that about me?)”
“(I’m telling the truth.)”
A waiter came over and chatted briefly with her, refilling her with red wine. She twirls the wine glass once and sniffs it.
“(It’s a good wine.)”
“(Jaegu carefully selected for you.)”
“(He’s a better guy than I thought.)”
Elisa smiled. If it had been during his bachelor days, it would have had such a ripple effect that he could imagine the future with just one eye smile, but now that he is divorced, he didn’t think so.
She took a sip of the red wine and opened her mouth.
“(You want to set up a secret corporation overseas?)”
“(yes.)”
“(What are you going to do?)”
“(To roll the money.)”
“(Are you trying to save tax? I know that in Korea, stocks are rarely taxed.)”
Although Im Han-ul said that he was a trustworthy person, I had to check her reliability.
‘Use the eyes of trust’
A pop-up appeared above Elisa’s head.
[Reliability 85%]
I don’t know how he talked about me, but the level of trust was strangely high for a first-timer.
‘Seeing that there are variations depending on the person, it seems to have a lot to do with the individual’s personality.’
Since Im Hanul is a trustworthy person, it would be better to understand that he will not brag about my work.
‘At least it’s because his mouth is heavy.’
Can we talk about business in a little more detail?
“(Trying to secretly buy shares.)”
“(Hmm. Sounds like a secret story. You don’t have to tell me the details.)”
Elisa immediately cut off her words.
“(Does it?)”
Im Han-ul suddenly interrupted. Elisa smiled with a gentle smile on her lips.
“(It must be that important that I commissioned a corporation that can be easily created by any broker. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to get involved in a complicated equity battle.)”
Are you saying you won’t?
“(I won’t ask anymore, I’ll just secure the corporation. If you’re going to camouflage it, it’s better to buy an existing corporation. If you need a fake representative, the price goes up a little.)”
A corporation that already exists? If so, the chances of getting suspicious are greatly reduced.
“(thanks.)”
“(What. It’s paid for. If I wear it, the price goes up a little.)”
“(How much is it?)”
“(Well… how much will I get?)”
Her eyes curved into half-moon shapes. Lim Han-ul gave a rebuke.
“(Tell me the price, don’t try to tempt me and overcharge me.)”
“(Sheesh. Okay.)”
Elisa’s red lips paid a price.
“(This is the price including account opening.)”
“(That’s a good price.)”
Im Hanul nodded. It wasn’t cheap, but it was within the expected range.
“(Okay. I’ll live.)”
“(How many do you want to buy?)”
“(Fifteen.)”
“(what?)”
They both looked at me with surprised eyes. Elisha cleared her voice and opened her mouth.
“(Seems like a big fight? 15 will take a while.)”
“(It’s okay. Send it slowly as soon as it’s ready.)”
“(Hanul.)”
She looked at Im Hanul with a smile.
“(Is your friend really cool?)”
“(I said yes.)”
***
After the business talk with Elisha, we drank and drank until late into the night. The two of them were huge drunkards, and I was about to die between them.
{(Jaegu. Do you drink well?)}
Still, thanks to my spirit and drinking, I was praised by Elisa for how much I drank. If it wasn’t for the hangover drink I brought back in Korea, I would have gotten sick on the plane.
But it was also a good memory.
“Ah. I had a lot of fun. I want to go back.”
As soon as he arrived on Korean soil, Im Han-ul stretched out. It was a land of memories for him, so it must have been an even more special time.
“Certainly, business is comfortable.”
When I went, I remembered that we had a hard time with each other, so I upgraded my seat to a business seat. It’s uncomfortable that I’m uncomfortable, but it’s because Im Han-ul, who came to help me in a distant foreign land, was uncomfortable.
I thought Korean Air would be different, but economy was economy.
‘I never thought an airplane would be so comfortable.’
When I sent my parents a trip, I thought I had to make a business reservation.
“Thank you for coming with me.”
“You speak English better than I thought? I should have sent it alone.
“If I did, I would have been frozen and unable to speak?”
“Keukkeuk. Is that so?”
Elisha’s work was faster than expected. As soon as I arrived at the airport, I got a telegram from her.
In the message, the company name and representative’s name, the brokerage company ID and password, and even a link to check the OTP required for login were prepared in detail.
‘They make this so quickly?’
Even though it was only one, it was incredible speed.
So, should we move the money right away?
< How many do you want to buy? > end