Unfinished Business 3
“This used to be a wooden warehouse, but over time, with constant repairs, it transformed into what you see now. It’s a distant memory, but I still remember it vividly. The scent of aged wood, the smell of drying rice sacks, and the yellowed brown husks. That’s where I started saving money.”
The old man gently caressed the concrete and brick-covered building, lost in his memories.
“The wind’s getting cold, Chairman. Shall we head inside?”
The curator of the Sunyang Group’s history museum, who had rushed over upon receiving an urgent call, stood anxiously beside the old man, his breath visible in the chilly air.
If the chairman caught a cold, there would be hell to pay from the headquarters. Although the job didn’t pay much, it was a cushy position that ensured a steady paycheck just for maintaining the building. He intended to hold onto it as long as he could, even into old age.
“Now, now… Just give me a moment. I’m checking to see if you’re doing your job properly. If I find even a single crack in the wall, you’ll be in big trouble.”
“Oh, Chairman, you know how much I cherish this place, which is my livelihood. I wouldn’t even blink if my grandchild got hurt, but if I find a cobweb here, I make a big fuss.”
The curator wiped his hand along the building’s wall and showed it to the old man.
“See? Just a bit of dust, nothing more. Not a single stain.”
“Ha ha, indeed. Thanks for taking good care of it.”
The old man gave the curator a light pat on the shoulder.
“Alright, let’s go inside.”
The empty interior echoed with the low sound of the old man’s footsteps.
We stopped in front of an old black-and-white photo of middle-aged men in outdated suits, beaming with pride.
“This was when Sunyang Textiles first achieved a billion-dollar export milestone. Nowadays, everyone talks about billions, but back then, it was a monumental achievement.”
There were also photos of bulldozers, excavators, and construction workers with pickaxes.
“Do you know what this photo is?”
“Isn’t it the Gyeongbu Expressway?”
“That’s right. It was a grand project initiated by a special presidential directive. Construction and civil engineering companies were in a frenzy, racing to finish first, like a competition. They wanted to catch the president’s eye. Ha ha.”
The photos continued, capturing the shining moments of the past.
“This is a photo of the water pipes used in the Great Man-Made River project in Libya. It was an unbelievably massive undertaking.”
The Great Man-Made River was a project to transport underground water from the southern Sahara Desert to cities along the northern Mediterranean coast. The project involved laying over 4,000 kilometers of massive pipelines across the desert to supply 6.5 million tons of water daily to the northern Mediterranean coast, with a total construction cost of a staggering 30 billion dollars.
The old man, with a face alight as if he were on the scene, explained each photo and memento, his eyes twinkling and a constant smile on his lips. He was like a blazing torch, not a flickering candle.
He sat down on a chair against one wall, like a museum curator, detailing the stories and emotions tied to each photo.
“What do you think? Doesn’t it look impressive?”
“What do you mean?”
“The growth of Sunyang.”
“It’s not just impressive; it’s extraordinary.”
“No, it’s not.”
“What?”
“It’s all fake. Ha ha.”
Fake? What could he mean by that?
“Let’s see… Where was it? Ah, it must have been ‘Hanil Trading.’ It’s a company that’s hard to trace now, but there were rumors they were about to achieve the first billion-dollar export. I couldn’t let that happen. I wanted to be the first. So, I fabricated documents and announced it to the press.”
When he said fake, I thought he meant something else—like it was all meaningless or a futile race for first place.
I never imagined it was truly a lie.
“I handed out bribes to the journalists and asked for their help, and they made a big deal out of it. Once it was all over the news, everyone just accepted it as fact.”
“But wouldn’t there be export clearance documents? If they checked those…”
“Oh, it was discovered quickly. The government was in a bind, but what could they do? The symbolic nature of a billion-dollar export made the public proud, as if it were their own achievement. There was no reason to spoil it. The president was always talking about exports, exports… Ha ha.”
That wasn’t all. It’s obvious that a lot of money was spread around to smooth things over.
“The Gyeongbu Expressway speed race resulted in shoddy construction, which we had to fix later, and the Great Man-Made River project was a financial misstep, leaving us in the red.”
His voice wasn’t filled with regret but rather a bright tone, as if reminiscing about amusing memories.
“But what about this history museum now? Doesn’t it look like a symbol of success?”
“It’s not just like a symbol; it is a symbol.”
“Yes, it’s a symbol of success intertwined with the history of Korea’s economy. The process was ragged, but still.”
The old man grasped my hand firmly.
“What do you think? Do you have the confidence to keep expanding this history museum?”
“No. It should stay as it is. This is your memorial.”
The unexpected answer made the old man raise his eyebrows.
“Why? Don’t you have the confidence to make it bigger?”
“A child grows until they become an adult. But once they’re an adult, they stop growing taller or bigger.”
“Sunyang Group is now a full-grown adult?”
“Look at Korea’s economic growth rate. It’s grown as much as it can. Now, the priority is to maintain its health, so it doesn’t get sick or wither.”
“So, you’re just going to focus on maintaining it? You fool!”
The old man’s hand smacked the back of my head.
Though his days were numbered, his touch was still sharp. I rubbed the back of my head and said,
“Sunyang just needs to stay healthy. Instead, we should plant new seeds, nurture them into saplings, and grow them into mighty trees. It will be the second Sunyang.”
“Another Sunyang…”
“Yes. Of course, Sunyang will have to contribute some fertilizer money for the growth.”
Another hand flew to the back of my head, but this time it wasn’t as sharp.
“Why would you siphon off Sunyang’s money? Use your own money for the fertilizer and watering. You have plenty!”
I glanced sideways at the old man’s face as we sat together, and he was smiling.
Is he satisfied with this?
“Let’s get up. I’m feeling peckish. How about some hangover soup?”
“Aren’t you tired? You should rest a bit…”
“I slept all day yesterday. Why would I be tired? Come on, let’s go. There’s a place nearby that makes good hangover soup. It’s worth trying.”
As we stepped outside, the medical staff rushed over to support the old man.
“I’m fine. I can manage myself. You all must be hungry too. I’ll treat you to a bowl of hangover soup.”
After finishing a bowl of hangover soup, we stepped outside to find the faint light of dawn breaking.
“Shouldn’t you head back now? It’s a long drive. How about stopping by a hot spring to rest before you leave?”
“Not yet. There’s somewhere I need to visit.”
“Oh, I almost forgot. You mentioned you had someone to pay respects to?”
“Yes. It’s not far from here. Let’s head out right away.”
“Isn’t it too early to visit?”
“He’s an old man with no need for sleep. He’ll be up before dawn, having breakfast. It’s fine.”
Since he mentioned an old man, it wasn’t a hidden lover. Who could it be?
We drove for about an hour along the highway.
We arrived at a place that wasn’t quite a remote village nor a small town, just a typical rural area.
Fields, greenhouses, and orchards stretched out, but the roads were paved right up to the houses, indicating a small, well-connected village.
The lights were already on in every house, suggesting that the residents were preparing for farm work from early morning.
The place we arrived at was an impressive hanok, a traditional Korean house, not something you’d expect to find in such a rural area. Beyond the low wall, a well-maintained lawn spread across a spacious yard, and the house, with its main and annex buildings, was lavish enough to show off its high-quality materials.
A white-haired old man was watching us from beyond the wall, having heard the sound of our car.
“Hey, you! You see your brother coming and don’t even open the gate?”
“Why all the commotion so early in the morning? You’ll wake the whole neighborhood.”
Though he grumbled as he opened the gate, his face couldn’t hide his delight.
“Have you had breakfast? Should I prepare some food?”
The old man warmly grasped the hand of the elderly man who greeted him in a thick Gyeongsangdo dialect.
“I’ve had a bowl of hangover soup. Just prepare lunch for us later.”
“You should’ve called to say you were coming. And why eat out when you could have eaten here?”
Following the grumbling old man, an elderly woman came out to greet the old man.
“Oh my, Chairman. What brings you all the way here? It’s been so long. Oh dear, what should I do? Just wait a moment. I’ll quickly cook some rice and prepare breakfast.”
“It’s alright. I’ve already eaten. Let’s just have some tea.”
“But you should at least have a bite before you go. There are so many young men here. I’ll prepare something quickly.”
Before he could say anything, the elderly woman hurried off to the kitchen.
“Your sister-in-law hasn’t changed a bit. Ha ha.”
“Don’t even mention it. She doesn’t listen to a word I say anymore. Just does whatever she wants. Let’s go inside. It’s chilly out here.”
The old man gestured to the group that had come with us.
“Go warm up in the annex. The boiler’s on, so it should be nice and warm.”
Everyone was watching the old man nervously, waiting for his reaction. Suddenly, he barked out, “Didn’t the landlord say it’s fine? What are you all standing around for? Get inside!”
As soon as the old man nodded, everyone hurried into the house.
“Who’s this young one? Your grandson?”
“Yes, he’s the youngest in our family. Do-jun, say hello.”
I quickly bowed deeply in front of the old man from Gyeongsang Province, then straightened up and gave a slight nod.
“I’m Jin Do-jun, sir.”
The old man seemed a bit surprised that I had knelt down on the frosty grass without hesitation.
“Well… this young one has manners. Is he really your kin?”
“Enough with the chatter. It’s cold. Let’s get inside.”
The way they expressed their affection suggested these two had a special bond. Who could he be?
The inside of the house was just as impressive as the outside. There were scrolls with beautifully written calligraphy and vases that looked like antiques.
If these weren’t fakes, this old man was undoubtedly wealthy. The fact that such a large, immaculate house was maintained by just an elderly couple suggested they had help.
Sure enough, the person who brought in the tea wasn’t the grandmother from earlier, but a young woman who looked to be in her thirties.
She simply bowed her head and left, indicating she wasn’t a daughter or daughter-in-law. If she were family, she would have greeted us.
“Have some tea. It’s the Chinese tea you sent last time. Quite a taste, I must say.”
“Did I?”
The old man tilted his head in confusion, then frowned.
“Of course not. I’m not the type to send gifts like that. Must’ve been one of the underlings.”
“Whoever sent it, it was bought with my money. You could at least say thank you instead of complaining!”
After they picked up their teacups, I took a sip as well.
The warm tea seemed to thaw my body.
The old man looked at me, sitting politely on my knees, then turned to my grandfather and asked, “Did you take him with you? To Gunsan?”
My grandfather answered with a single nod.
“This is the kid who managed to handle two of his uncles with just a Suyang card? He does seem sharp.”
This wasn’t just some retired old man living a quiet life in the countryside.
Who could he be?