Chapter 81 - Secret Bar at Hannam Town (2) – PART 2
The young ladies brought a Gayageum* and the lady who was sitting next to Gun-Ho started playing it. She sounded like a professional. One lady turned off half of the lights in the room and Gun-Ho could see the yard better through the window. The outdoor lighting looked brighter.
It was an amazing night with an alluring vibe. Gun-Ho was listening to the beautiful melody from the Gayageum which was being played by a beautiful woman while looking at the pine tree in the yard outside.
Chairman Lee and Master Park were immersed in the Gayageum melody, and their bodies were swaying in the music.
Once the lady finished playing, Chairman Lee and Master Park clapped.
“Good job. It’s beautiful. Drink this.”
Chairman Lee poured liquor in a glass and handed it to the lady who just played Gayageum.
Once the old men became drunk, they were busy talking about their old days. Gun-Ho felt bored.
“I should have asked Manager Gweon to join us.”
Gun-Ho felt bored and he talked to the lady who played the Gayageum earlier.
“You are very good at playing the Gayageum. Where did you learn it?”
“School.”
When the lady smiled, a dimple appeared on her face; it looked attractive.
“Where did you go to school?”
“I went to a school in Jeonju City.”
While Gun-Ho was talking with the lady, Ms. Jang entered the room, and Master Park complained to her.
“Where have you been? You were supposed to be here with us. Where did you go? Did you hide a new husband in another room?”
Gun-Ho went to the private institution he had used to go for an auction course to see the president. Gun-Ho wanted to consult with him about the TowerPalace condo he saw in an auction website earlier.
The president was reading a newspaper in his office when Gun-Ho went to see him; maybe he didn’t have a class to teach these days.
“Hello, sir?”
“Oh, Mr. Gun-Ho Goo. Please come in. So, you want to consult about real property. What do you have in mind?”
“It’s a condo.”
“Oh, it’s not a land, but a condo.”
“Yes, it’s about the TowerPalace condo in Dogok Town.”
“What’s the appraised value?”
“It’s 1.8 billion won. It’s 50 pyung large.”
“Wow! 1.8 billion won! It’s an expensive condo. Are your parents buying the condo?”
“Haha, whatever way you want to think; I’m fine with it. I’m not buying just to live there, but I consider it as an investment as well.”
“The TowerPalace is a high-rise residential building and since the area is very popular you won’t incur any loss with the condo even in the future.”
“Right, so I do want to buy that condo, but since I don’t have any experience with an auction sale, I’d like to have some help from an expert like you, sir.”
“Let me see. For the auction in Dogok Town, I know someone who’s right for you. He is a good friend of mine and he offers consultation on auction in Gangnam District. He is very good and professional. My class starts this coming Monday so I will be busy then, so my good friend will help you.”
The president made a call to his friend right away.
“Manager Oh? It’s me.”
“Oh, bro, what’s up?”
“I have someone here who wants to buy a condo at an auction in Dogok Town. Would you like to meet with him?”
“I will be available after 2 PM today. I have to go to the court in the morning; I have to attend an auction there.”
In the afternoon, Gun-Ho went to the consulting firm with the address and map that the president of the private institution of auction gave to him. The firm was located in a small building in the vicinity of Seoul National University of Education in Seocho Town.
Gun-Ho walked up to the third floor to their office. There was two staff working there and one man wearing a sports cap sitting on a sofa while looking at his cell phone.
“Is Manager Oh here?”
“It’s me.”
“The president of an auction institution referred me to this firm.”
“Oh, sure. Have a seat.”
“I want to acquire a condo in Dogok Town at an auction.”
“Do you know the case number?”
“Huh? No, but it’s a TowerPalace condo in Dogok Town.”
The man—Manager Oh—sat at his desk and started searching for something with his computer.
“Is it the 50 pyung large condo?”
“That’s the one.”
“This condo just came to the auction. Come again after the first auction fails. Since the condo is situated in a popular area, the second auction will surely not fail.”
“What should I do now?”
“Just observe the first auction. The second auction will be held on the 24th after the Lunar New Year’s Day. Bring the bid deposit when you come for the second auction.”
“How much should I prepare?”
Manager Oh calculated the amount with his electronic calculator.
“It’s going to be 144 million won. You need to bring your ID and your registered stamp. Why don’t we make the consulting contract now?”
“Do you take care of transferring the real property as well?”
“Of course. Once you get the condo by auction, we will handle everything from letting the current occupant move out from the condo to handing over the condo key to you.”
That sounded like they were not going to do much for the fee they would charge, Gun-Ho thought.
“It might look not much of work if you just think about it; however, letting the current occupant move out from the condo itself is hard work. If you do it by yourself, you could get yourself in trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“If the occupant refused to vacate the condo, what would you do? Are you going to drag that person out of the condo? Say, you explain to that person that you bought the condo by auction so he or she has to leave. What do you think they would say? They will probably ask you a high moving expense. You can try if you want.”
“I see.”
“You are going to live in that condo, right? If you get involved in a physical altercation with the current occupant and kick them out, what would the neighbors in the very same building think of you? They are the residents you will encounter on a daily basis after you move into the condo.”
That made sense. Gun-Ho made a consulting contract with Manager Oh.
Note*
Gayageums – A traditional musical instrument of Korea.