Chapter 7: Money Is The Best
“No, no. How can you just construct a building on someone else’s property without permission? Isn’t there any legal framework here? This is unacceptable.”
“Are you out of your senses? Your utter disregard for civility is astonishing.”
“What? The audacity of this young man…”
As the man began to speak condescendingly, Director Kang intervened with a rebuttal.
“What are you implying? This building has been here for over half a century.”
The Sapling Nursery was built during the aftermath of the Korean War to provide shelter and care for children left orphaned or abandoned.
The man gestured at the nursery building.
“I recently acquired ownership of half the land where this building stands. You are clearly occupying someone else’s property.”
Originally, half of the Sapling Nursery land belonged to another owner who allowed its use for childcare purposes without charge.
Over time, the original landowner passed away due to illness, and the descendants eventually sold the property to the man.
“Now that I’ve acquired this land, I kindly request you to vacate the premises. I intend to demolish the building by next month.”
The man’s words were clear.
“What? You suddenly appear and demand the demolition of our building? What about the children? Where are they supposed to go?”
“Why are you asking me? I’m also in a bind here. I acquired it for a cheap price. Ugh! You!”
The man spat out vulgar language and spat on the ground.
“In any case, I have made my stance clear. If you fail to demolish it by next month, legal action will be pursued for the return of the land. Let’s not prolong this any further.”
“Please, consider our circumstances. Where else can we go?”
The man glanced at Director Kang, who was pleading, and softened his tone.
“If you wish to continue residing here, you should pay land usage fees properly.”
“Land… usage fees? How much?”
“Well, considering the circumstances here, it won’t be too much. Just ₩2,000 per month for each square meter. I’ve set it quite reasonably considering the land value here. Alternatively, you could purchase it. I am offering it to you for a special price of 1 billion won.”
“Where are we supposed to come up with such a large sum of money?”
With the decreasing donations, it was already difficult to provide proper meals for the children.
“Oh, come on. Isn’t there significant government support coming in? I heard there are many impoverished orphans here, so they must receive quite a bit of sponsorship. Surely that money isn’t all being allocated elsewhere?”
“Watch your language! The children can hear you!”
Despite her typically composed demeanor, Director Kang shot the man a stern glare and reprimanded him.
Tears welled up in the children’s eyes as they clung to the nursery teachers’ legs.
Recognizing the need to shield the children from the conflict, Director Kang softened her expression and instructed the teachers.
“Please take the children for indoor activities.”
Understanding her intention, the nursery teachers took the teary-eyed children inside the building.
The man let out a disdainful snort and muttered under his breath.
“What’s wrong with calling them orphans? Should we use a different term? Oh, I wonder if our orphans would be offended?”
After taking a deep breath to compose herself, Director Kang, belatedly realizing my presence, expressing remorse.
“I apologize for exposing you to this situation after all this time. Anyway… Would you mind stepping aside for now?”
Despite her motherly tone, I felt my frustration mounting.
“No, mother. Please, allow me to join the conversation.”
Whether it was the use of the term “mother” or the suggestion to join the conversation, surprise briefly registered on Director Kang’s face.
“”Let’s adjourn to the office and conclude our discussion there. Emotional discussions like this aren’t appropriate here, are they?”
As I stepped forward, I noticed the man sizing me up and down.
“Whatever.”
Seemingly deciding there was nothing more to gain, the man turned away and headed towards the building.
“Dae-woon…”
“It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”
I reassured her with a comforting pat on her trembling shoulders as we made our way to the office together.
Crack
Entering the office, the man plopped down on the sofa and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, igniting it with a flick of his lighter.
“Phew… Anything else to discuss? The answer is simple, isn’t it? Either demolish the building or pay up.”
With a casual demeanor, he crossed his legs and peered at us arrogantly.
“Or I have another good idea… Mutual benefit for both sides.”
“What’s that?”
Leaning forward, the man whispered as if sharing a secret.
“How about trying a little media stunt? I know a journalist who could craft an article portraying the dire situation here. Dress shabbily, make the food look inadequate, and then release a big story? Haha! It’s a brilliant plan, isn’t it? We could rake in a fortune if it goes well. Profit split 6:4. And I’ll even reduce the land lease fee by 30%, as I mentioned earlier. What do you say?”
Seeing the man spout such nonsense as if he’s doing us a favor, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“How can you even suggest such nonsense… Don’t you consider the impact it would have on the children?”
Looking at the visibly angered Director Kang, the man seemed rather indifferent.
“Oh, come on. You’re getting worked up over a good suggestion just because the situation seems serious. Unbelievable. Would it be more painful for the children if the nursery is demolished and they end up on the streets? Would it be worse to put on a little show? I just don’t get it.”
Director Kang was momentarily at a loss for words, confronted with the man’s callous attitude, reminiscent of a typical opportunist.
“Oh! This won’t work, that won’t work! Then what do you expect me to do? If you’re dissatisfied, then pay up the land usage fee.”
“I will.”
“What?”
The man’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I said I will. No, I’ll buy the land.”
Seated with his legs crossed in the same way, he calmly looked at the man and spoke nonchalantly.
The stunned man soon burst into laughter.
“Oh. You’ll buy it? This land? Do you have that kind of money?”
Clad in a simple white t-shirt and jeans, he appeared to be in his early thirties.
No matter how you looked at it, he didn’t seem to have the ability to come up with such a large sum of money.
“Whether thats your concern or not is not your business. Will you hand it over for 1 billion or not?”
“Dae-woon…”
I felt Director Kang’s concerned gaze beside me.
He gently took her wrinkled hand and placed it on top of his hand.
“Is there any need to prolong this? Let’s finalize the contract here and now.”
The man scrutinized me, as if attempting to decipher my intentions.
“If… If this is a joke, I won’t just let it slide, you know?”
“You’re trying to deceive me, aren’t you? Hurry up and call someone, will you? I have things to attend to as well..”
Now, there was no respect left between us.
At that point, all respect had evaporated between us. I saw no reason to be courteous to an adult behaving so immaturely.
The man took out his phone and dialed a number.
“Manager Park, it’s me. I’ll text you an address. Bring the land sale contract and come here immediately. Yes, as soon as possible.”
Thud
He slammed his phone down on the table and gave me a sardonic smile.
“Well then, Let’s try to fix this mess, shall we? I’ll say it again, if you change your mind later, it won’t be amusing for either of us.”
“It’s already far from amusing. Just hurry up and get it here quickly.”
I retorted, feigning interest in messages while covertly researching land prices near the orphanage.
Though I suspected ulterior motives, it appeared the man genuinely wanted to resolve the situation promptly, evident from his urgent actions and the absence of issues with land prices.
Knock knock
A man with half-balding hair entered the office carrying an old briefcase.
His disheveled appearance hinted at how urgently he had come.
“Hah… hah… Mr. Ma, I’m here.”
“Manager Park, looks like you’ve aged, huh? You’ve put on some weight compared to before.”
“S-sorry. I’m sorry. I’m a bit late coming from Suwon.”
He must have driven recklessly to make it from Suwon to here in just 20 minutes.
“Do you have the contract?”
“Yes, it’s ready.”
The real estate agent took out a document from his bag and placed it on the table.
He spread out the title deed in front of me and began explaining about the property.
Although I couldn’t understand everything, I nodded occasionally while maintaining a neutral expression.
“As you can see, there are no mortgages or divisions of ownership. It’s a clean piece of land.”
“May I see the contract?”
“Of course. You seem knowledgeable about real estate, please review it carefully.”
He picked up the contract, grabbed a pen with his other hand, and started reading through it meticulously.
Meanwhile, I pondered deeply about what to eat for dinner tonight to impress others with its deliciousness. Ten minutes passed like that.
“Well, you’re really meticulous, aren’t you? Since you haven’t played any tricks, take a good look. Why? You’re realizing it now, don’t you? Feeling a bit lost about where to get the money?”
As the man smirked mockingly, the reflection of his golden tooth gleamed under the fluorescent light.
To someone like me, who had endured plenty of insults, his disdain was almost amusing.
“What does ‘moderation’ mean when it comes to money? Seems like you’ve been living carelessly all this time.”
“What?”
Ignoring the man completely, I turned to the agent.
“Let’s proceed with the contract.”
“Understood. As you can see, there are no special conditions. First, you need to pay a 10% deposit, and the remaining payment can be negotiated with Mr. Ma.”
The man frowned at the real estate agent’s words.
“What’s this nonsense! The deposit is 20%, the installments are 30%, and the final payment must be within three months from today.”
The man flashed his golden tooth and glanced at me.
“Well… I don’t like this condition either.”
“Why? Is it too much for you?”
“I’ll just pay it all at once. Too much hassle otherwise.”
“What?”
The man looked at me incredulously, then burst into laughter.
“Ha! Fine, do as you please. I’m curious to see how far you’ll push this. Hey, Manager Park. Add one special condition. If there’s a breach of contract, half of the total amount will be paid as compensation.”
The man stared at me with a defiant expression, signaling he wouldn’t yield no matter what.
“You seem to have extreme mistrust in people. What a shame. Please make that adjustment.”
“Um… Yes. I understand. I’ll make the change accordingly.”
The real estate agent showed me the revised contract.
“So, when do you plan to make the payment?”
“Right now.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, right now.”
The real estate agent hesitated, and the man exclaimed impatiently.
“What are you waiting for, Manager Park! Stop dawdling and wrap it up quickly.”
“Yes, yes. I understand.”
With that, the contract was signed by both parties.
Beside me, the director kept clutching my arm anxiously.
With a smirk, the man asked me, “Hey, young man. Seems like you still don’t know how scary the world can be. Once you’ve signed here, you can’t back out. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Geez, you’re so annoying. Please tone it down. You’re giving me a headache.”
I took out my phone and opened the banking app.
“Good thing I increased my transfer limit.”
Currently, I could transfer up to 15 billion won per day with a single transaction limit of 100 million won.
After ten transfers, I paid the full amount of 1 billion won on the spot.
“Why are you just standing there like an idiot? Aren’t you going to check?”
“What…?”
The man hastily checked his phone.
“Um…?”
With a puzzled expression, he glanced between his phone and me.
“Now it’s all over, right? Please leave. This land is mine now. If you insist on staying, I’ll call the police.”
For that one statement, I spent 1 billion won, I had absolutely no regrets, not even a tiny bit.
The Sapling Nursery meant that much to me.
Moreover, at that moment, I didn’t know.
I didn’t know about the significant events that would unfold on this land in the future.
With a disgruntled expression, the man left as if being chased away, leaving only me and Director Kang in the office. Director Kang still looked dazed.
“From now on, there won’t be any more trouble over the land.”
“What are you really…”
“I’ll explain everything in detail next time. I’ll be visiting often from now on.”
“Uh, okay.”
As I stood up to leave, Director Kang grabbed my hand tightly.
“Is everything alright with you···?”
Seeing her concerned expression, I chuckled.
“Don’t worry. I’ll explain later, but I made a lot of money. This amount of money means nothing to me, so don’t stress too much.”
“Dae-woon…”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Thank you…”
Feeling like tears might come if I stayed any longer, I bowed and left the nursery swiftly.
As I walked away, a thought crossed my mind.
“Money really is the best!”
I walked all the way to a major road from the nursery.
Pausing for a moment, I took out my phone. I scrolled through my contacts, and pressed the call button.
[“Forgot About Love~ How Do I Say This~”]
The dial tone went on for a while. And then…
“Hey, it’s me, Dae-woon. Yeah, Song Dae-woon. It’s been too long, right? I’ve heard bits and pieces about you. I have a favor to ask. Just need you to tail someone. The compensation is guaranteed. Okay, got it. I’ll send you the details in a text.”
It was time to show someone who couldn’t tell right from wrong just how scary the world could be.
