Chapter 140 – Preparing for the Contest.

I lightly held Kim Hyun-sam’s hand as he was reaching out and bowed his waist 90 degrees.

“Hello, Governor General. My name is Seongjin Lee. Thank you for personally visiting such a humble place.”

Kim Hyun-sam looked at me slowly as if observing me politely greeting me.
Soon, I burst into laughter while admiring my appearance.

“I heard that there is a wise young man who can see the future, so I came here and he is much better than I heard.”
“Ah! Thank you Now that the President, who will become the President next year, is here, how dare someone like me catch your eye?”
“What? Haha.”

Kim Hyeon-sam tilted his head back and laughed out loud, as if he was in a good mood.
There were people all around us staring at us.

“Kwang-shik, you should go back for a while. I want to take a picture with my Seongjin.”

Then, Kim Hyun-sam gestured to the person blocking the entrance, and suddenly reporters came in with cameras.
Kwang-shik understood what he was saying and quickly went to the other corner and sat down, turning his head away.

Her mother, who was standing next to me with an uneasy expression on her face, stepped forward and greeted Kim Hyeon-sam.

“Hello? Seongjin is said to be Kim Hee-kyung, who becomes his mother.”
“Ah. You say that this young and beautiful person is Seongjin-goon’s mother? I wondered who Seongjin-gun looked like, so it’s because he resembles her mother. Nice to meet you. I am Kim Hyun-sam.”

Kim Hyeon-sam shook hands with his mother and spoke with a smile, and her mother bowed her head in greeting.
Then, camera flashes went off all around him, and he was taking pictures.

“President, please change your seat.”

When I tried to take Kim Hyun-sam to the office inside the store, Kim Hyun-sam stopped me and went to the window and sat down.

“A young entrepreneur is just starting his way to success, and I’m here to congratulate you, not for any other purpose. But what is there to talk about in the secret room?”

I was honestly thinking about how to treat Kim Hyeon-sam, but when Kim Hyeon-sam said he came with good intentions, my mind was relieved and his head cleared.

“Thank you. Mr. Governor. Let’s go with mother. After all, the owner of this franchise is my mother.”

My mother nodded at my words with a puzzled look on her face and sat down next to me, across from Kim Hyun-sam.

“First of all, congratulations on opening a store like this. There is nothing I can do for you, and there will probably be an article in the newspaper tomorrow. Think of it as my little gift.”

Kim Hyeon-sam spoke to her mother, and her mother lowered her head with a puzzled look on her face as to what the hell she was talking about.

“Thank you. Mr. Governor. Mother There will probably be an article in the newspaper tomorrow saying that you met and encouraged young entrepreneurs. Then, of course, our store will be exposed in the newspaper, and we will be able to promote it nationwide without spending a dime. And the president went out on a livelihood inspection to revive the economy, comforting entrepreneurs who will succeed in the future, and those things will be approached as a good image to the people. So, for us, it was a really great gift.”
“Haha. I heard you, but what a great friend you are. It’s really amazing that you can pinpoint everything tomorrow and even the inner thoughts with just one word.”

Kim Hyeon-sam admired me once again and then nodded his head and his eyes lit up.
Kim Hyun-sam’s eyes were glistening with the desire to take me now.
Since Kim Hyeon-sam was originally greedy for talent, he met a wise person like me, so there was no way he wouldn’t be greedy.

The moment I looked into Kim Hyun-sam’s eyes, I got goosebumps that I could go down an unintended path if I made a mistake.

“By the way, Seongjin-gun says that I will be the president, but on what basis do you say that?”

Kim Hyun-sam’s eyes became serious and he asked quietly, and her mother covered her mouth with her hand and was surprised to see if she had understood Kim Hyun-sam’s words properly this time.

“You need to have a good relationship with President Kim Se-joong. Then it is quite possible.”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
“There are too many listeners. This is something that the president has already been thinking about. Opposition to parliamentary cabinet system, behind-the-scenes negotiations with President Kim Se-joong. I think that’s enough to know what you’re talking about. Push ahead as the President is thinking right now. I don’t think there will be any major obstacles if we go through next year’s general election.”

Kim Hyeon-sam glared at me for a long time with a piercing gaze, and I just calmly avoided his gaze.
After a while, Kim Hyun-sam chuckled and laughed and tapped me on the shoulder.

“Okay. I know what you mean. So, do you have any thoughts about the general election?”
“President, there are too many people here…”

I intentionally evaded the conversation because I could get in trouble if I got involved any further.

“Ah. Right. I’m sorry. Can I get some chicken too? I came to the chicken shop, can’t I just go?”
“Yes. All right.”

I called the part-timers and asked them to bring me one chicken of each kind.

Kim Hyeon-sam held up the Crispy Chicken, and he asked what it was because it had an unusual appearance.

Then, while her mother laughed, she boasted of me without even stopping, as if she wanted everything at this time.
Perhaps she thought her mother wanted to show off her son to such a great person.
I don’t know my speed…

“President, that is Crispy Chicken developed by my son. The outside is crispy like a snack, and the inside is seasoned, so the taste is amazing. Try the seasoned chicken here, too. Even the sauce was developed by us.”

Kim Hyeon-sam put his chicken leg in his mouth and took a bite, and he was startled.
It makes a crunchy sound when you chew it, but it is not hard, and the seasoning of the meat is well seasoned.

“Oh, this is delicious. It’s a new chicken that I’ve never eaten before. Seongjin-gun developed this?”
“Yes. Both tteok skewers and cup chicken were developed by Sungjin.”
“What about tteok skewers and cup chicken?”

When Kim Hyeon-sam was curious, the attendant immediately went out and went to a nearby shop to buy rice cake skewers and cup chicken.
After trying the rice cake skewers with sauce and cup chicken with mother’s special mustard sauce, Kim Hyun-sam was impressed.

“The taste is amazing. And this cup chicken is a great idea. I’m really surprised to think of selling fried chicken in small quantities and cheaply in cups like this.”

Of course, in the future, chicken stock will be overflowing, so it will be easy, but at this time, the stock was not so large that it was impossible to think of selling chicken in parts like this.
Hyeonsam Kim’s eyes were filled with burdensome greed again, and he opened his mouth to say something.

Photojournalists were taking pictures of Kim Hyun-sam eating.
Avoiding Kim Hyeon-sam’s eyes trying to speak, I glanced at the photojournalists. Kim Hyeon-sam also shut his mouth as if he had noticed the meaning of my eyes, as if regretting it.

“Governor, please eat slowly. I’ll bring the others too, so don’t leave early and feed them all before sending them off.”

I got up from my seat, called a part-time worker, instructed her to set up a seat, greeted my mother, and moved to where my women were.

At Kim Hyun-sam’s command, the aides and attendants all sat down and started eating chicken, and were amazed at the taste.

I especially took care of the reporters.
Reporters were all seated, unlimited chicken was served, and draft beer was also turned into a pitcher.

Today’s reporters deliberately called Kim Hyeon-sam to visit the people’s livelihood.
We didn’t have much to talk about, but when we were told to go from above, we followed. Everyone was excited when we got such delicious chicken and beer for free.

I talked to Mrs. Hyo-seon and had her quickly make envelopes for the number of reporters, and had the chickens packed one by one.

Aunt Hyo-seon said she understood and quickly left the store with her nervous expression on her face.
After a while, I asked Mrs. Hyo-seon, who returned, to put the envelopes of money one by one in the wrapped chicken envelopes.
And she even called Aunt Jeong-hee and had reporters hand out chicken envelopes one by one.

The reporters looked into the chicken envelopes looking into the envelopes of chicken, wondering what was going on when the pretty women wrapped up the chicken and handed it over, laughing.

Kim Hyeon-sam was staring at me like this from beginning to end without missing a thing.
Then he nodded his head admiringly at my work.

What I was doing right now was not something an 18-year-old could do.
My act of quickly roasting reporters was an act that did not come out without going through countless social lives.

Maybe in tomorrow’s article, I don’t know, but our store name will definitely be mentioned.
Perhaps there was even a possibility that my mother’s story about ‘Kim Hee-gyeong Tteok Skewers’ would be featured.
If you miss this great opportunity to advertise your store nationwide, shouldn’t you stop doing business?

People were crowded outside the store, as if rumors had spread that Kim Hyun-sam had arrived.
While people were buying chicken, they were waiting in line to see Kim Hyun-sam.

Kim Hyeon-sam also said to the attendant next to him, “Let’s get up now when there are too many people.”
I rushed to Kim Hyeon-sam’s side and prepared to see him off.

When I moved, my mother also noticed Kim Hyeon-sam getting up from her seat and ran quickly.

Kim Hyeon-sam’s attendant, who was trying to pay, was told that today was a service to commemorate the opening of the business, and sent it back.
Kim Hyeon-sam also said thank you to my mother and me, and left me with a meaningful message saying that I will see you soon.

All the reporters approached me and my mother, told me to eat well and look forward to going, and left laughing.

As Kim Hyun-sam and the reporters slipped out of the store, it felt empty despite the large number of customers inside the store.

After Kim Hyeon-sam came, the people who came to greet me today had all gone home before I knew it, and only my women, Kwang-shik and Seong-ryeol-hyung remained.

The women said they were going to work, said goodbye to my mother and me, and left.
Gwangsik-hyung, Seongryeol-hyung and I gathered at the office of a chicken restaurant.

When I asked for chicken and beer to be brought here, her mother set it on a tray and brought it to me.
When the mother came in, Kwang-sik and Seong-ryeol stood up and greeted each other, and the mother spoke slowly and then told her to go, pretending to know Seong-ryeol because of the previous incident.

Kwang-sik and Seong-ryeol were all surprised and envious of their mother’s young and beautiful appearance.

“Hey. Sung Jin-ah, how is it that there are only beauties around you? Looking at it earlier, everyone was gathered on one side, but I thought they were calling the talents on purpose.”

When Kwang-sik said this with a trembling smile, I smiled heartily inwardly and told him not to waste his time asking for introductions because all of them were married women.
We toasted each other by clinking 500cc glasses of beer and took a cool sip.

“Yeah. But Sungjin-ah, the chicken is really delicious. I have never eaten chicken like this since I was born.”

Kwang-sik hyung picked up a chicken leg and ate it while spitting and praising it.
Sungyeol hyung-nim was also eagerly eating the chicken while arguing.

“I made it, of course. Anyway, eat a lot. Seongryeol hyung-nim must be having a hard time because he is at work, and Kwang-shik hyung must be tired because he is chasing Kim Hyeon-sam.”

They both nodded and gulped down their beers.

“Brother Gwangsik. How did you find out about the construction company I mentioned last time?”
“Huh. I’m still looking for it, but sooner or later I’m thinking of contacting a construction company with a lot of debt. Right now, it looks like they are doing some construction on the Bundang side, but it was in such a bad condition before that that it seemed like they were doing it today and tomorrow. I’m putting pressure on my kids to keep passing it, so there will be good news sooner or later. If I could catch that, I would be able to get my hands on the construction of the new town in Bundang, which I had given up.”
“Thank god. If the Gucci is too big, we will have a hard time, so even if it is small, it is useful. The size of the company can be increased later. And I would like to ask you one difficult favor.”

“Why? What? If Seongjin asks, you must do so unconditionally.”
“It’s nothing else, please appoint my father as an executive at that construction company. You have quite a bit of experience in labor, so you should know the field work well. And now that he is only in his 40s, he will do well.”

“Oh yeah? What else do I say If Seong-jin is your father, of course he should make room for you. Wouldn’t that be enough for the executive position?”
“Thank you. That’s enough. Also, please let my father take full responsibility for what I am planning to sell. That will do.”

“Ah, are you talking about the sales business you talked about last time?”
“Yes. A new subway plan will be announced soon. Then the value of the house nearby will skyrocket. Before that, we will preoccupy the neighborhood, build a house, and sell it. Seoul is experiencing a serious housing crisis right now. If you build a house for at least 5 years from now and sell it, it will be sold right away. Those positions will be given to me.”

“Okay. Okay. I’m not worried. If you are, so be it. But the really strange thing is, how the hell do you know that? Do you really know the future?”

What Gwangsik hyung said as a joke made me cringe for no reason.

“No way. No way I just kept reading the newspaper and reading a lot of books, so I came to know about it. Aren’t we just supposed to make a lot of money by working hard? I’m not doing anything bad, but I’m doing a legitimate business, so who’s to say?”
“Okay. Okay. Anyway, Seongjin-ah, please take good care of me in the future.”

“Yes. And, if possible, Kwang-sik hyung, please don’t talk about me to Kim Hyun-sam.”
“Huh? Why? If you say that you are the future president, then it would be good to show it well like today.”

“It is, but it is. If I keep seeing him, he’ll try to take me away. I like to quietly do business, make people around me eat well, and live comfortably, but getting close to such high-ranking people is a headache. If I had a desire for fame, I would follow Kim Hyun-sam unconditionally, but I don’t like that anymore.”
“Seriously, when I see this guy talk, he speaks like a guy who has lived through the whole world. What do you say you don’t like when you haven’t even been to a high seat?”

Realizing that I had made a mistake, I was sorry.

“No. I just hate being that loud. A quiet and comfortable life is what I pursue.”

When I talked with an awkward smile, Kwang-shik and Sung-ryeol-hyung also made dumbfounded expressions and laughed.

We drank beer, talked about Sungyeol-hyung going back to work, Kwangshik-hyung looking after Kim Hyeon-sam, and so on, and then parted ways.