Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

When it was 6 pm, Jien Wang showed up at the restaurant. He was wearing a shabby business suit carrying a briefcase.

“Jien Wang!”

“Hey, Gun-Ho Goo! It’s really good to see you, man. Is the bank’s branch manager person here yet?

“No, not yet.”

“What are you going to talk to him about?”

Well, the usual things that people talk to a bank’s branch manager about—asking him to lend me money.”

“That’s true.”

“Oh, he is coming.”

A man in a sleek business suit was entering the restaurant.

“Hi.”

“Mr. President Goo? You look great. I almost didn’t recognize you. You’ve changed a lot.”

“You are the same as I remember.”

“Really? Thank you.”

“Oh, let me introduce you to my friend here. He is Professor Jien Wang at Zhejiang University.”

“Oh, I know him— Professor Wang. I’ve seen him several times on TV.”

“TV? I guess he often appears on TV.”

“That’s correct. I’ve invested 3.5 million dollars so far.”

“Oh, really?”

Branch Manager Bingchao Zhang and Professor Jien Wang looked surprised.

“So, I wanted to meet with you to get some advice on the matter.”

“Haha. I don’t know anything about construction.”

“Is it possible that I take out a loan per Ji Cheng Gao?”

“Ji Cheng Gao? What is it?”

“If I make a direct translation into English, it’s ‘Completed Amount.’”

The branch manager was sitting there for a moment, blinking his eyes without saying a word. It seemed that he was trying to figure out what ‘Completed Amount’ could possibly mean.

Jien Wang explained to him, “I believe that he is talking about taking out a loan for the completed portion of an incomplete building.”

“Oh, Wangong Daikuan. It is possible, but there are several requirements that need to be fulfilled first. The land must be owned by the joint venture company, and the property must have been registered and approved for the said business. Of course, you need to show the construction permit as well.”

“So, if we could meet all the requirements, we can take out a loan for the portion that is completed even though the building is not completely constructed yet.”

The branch manager said while having his food, “There must be a major bank that Antang City is working with, isn’t it? You will need to discuss it with them.”

“I believe that my Chinese partner will take care of it, but I was just wondering about it.”

Professor Jien Wang, who was having his liquor, nodded his head twice largely.

“My main focus is actually about the investment in condos in Antang City. I’m buying several condos, and I’d like to take out a loan for 40% of their prices. Do you know anyone that you want to introduce to me who handles this kind of loan, at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in the area?”

“I don’t know anyone in Antang City, but I know someone in Guiyang Province. I can ask him about it if you like.”

“Thank you so much. I would really appreciate that.”

“Don’t say it. This is part of my work in the bank business.”

The branch manager made a call to someone right away, probably to the one in the branch office in Guiyang Province.

“Hi, this is the Hangzhou branch office. Are you still at work? I have a client here who will visit one of our branch offices in Antang City soon. Who is the branch officer over there?”

“It’s Xiaodong Liu. What is it regarding?”

“He wants to learn more about a mortgage loan. He is buying a few condos.”

“Well, he can talk to anyone in the branch office for a mortgage loan at any time. It’s not like he could get a lower rate for his loan if he talks to someone he knows.”

“Still, he would get a better service and maybe access more information. Tell the branch officer in Antang City that if a Korean man visits their office to discuss a loan, be kind to him.”

“A Korean man? Sure. I will give him a call.”

The branch manager asked as he picked up a piece of Xihu Cuyu (fish dish), “That is all you wanted to ask me about today? Aren’t you doing business in Hangzhou City anymore?”

“I will if I get a chance, but for now, I don’t have a business there. Well, when Professor Jien Wang is ready to buy a bigger house and move there later, please give him a lot of advice and offer convenience.”

Professor Wang laughed out loud and said while waving his hand, “For me, the house that I’m living in right now is big enough.”

Gun-Ho had two purposes when he made a dinner appointment with the branch manager that day. The first one was that he was hoping that the branch manager would introduce someone who would provide him a convenience in getting a loan in purchasing the condos in Huaxi Huayuan. The second one was that he wanted to make sure that the joint venture company could get a loan using the land and the terminal building that was being constructed, even before it was completed. He wanted to get a confirmation from an incumbent bank’s branch manager that it was possible.

Gun-Ho felt sorry that he might use his time without giving him any business in return. So, he gave the branch manager a Korean skincare set that he bought at the duty-free shop at the airport, as a gift.

“I do thank you for your time today. This is a Korean skincare set that I prepared. I hope your wife finds it useful.”

“Wow! Thank you so much. As a matter of fact, my wife is a big fan of Korean skincare products. She will love this.”