Chapter 53 - Alibaba President Marwin’s Condo (2)
Mae-Hyang seemed to know a lot about the driver’s license exam system in China.
“How can I take a driver’s license exam here? I don’t know the Chinese language.”
“You can bring an interpreter with you when you take the exam. I’ve done it before when I worked in my previous company.”
“Really?”
“But renting a car is pricey.”
“How much is it?”
“The price varies depending on the types of car you rent, but you can say it would be over 3,000 Yuan.”
“Hmm… If I add the rental car payment to the apartment rent, that would be too much for me to pay every month.”
“Why don’t you commute by bus for now and think about renting a car later once you see how the restaurant business goes. President Byeon commuted by bike and he didn’t drive a car. But, the Hobanhwawon apartment is too far and expensive. Do you really want to live there?”
“I’m not sure, but I want to receive Marwin’s energy from there since he used to live in that apartment.”
“Haha. Suit yourself then.”
It was after 9 PM—time to close the restaurant.
The kitchen ladies were changing their clothes to get ready for home, and the two lady hall staffs started cleaning the hall. Mae-Hyang was arranging trash.
Dingming gave Gun-Ho a sales report. Today’s sales were 3,100 Yun including credit card payments. Dingming said she would keep today’s earnings and use it when she purchase fresh produce tomorrow, and she would give the earnings to Gun-Ho from tomorrow. She then added, “That’s how I have done it with President Byeon as well.”
Gun-Ho thought that made sense, so he said okay. He, then, went downstairs to his room.
Gun-Ho turned on the TV in his room. Since he didn’t understand Chinese, the TV sound was a noise to him.
“You need to go to Public Security Office to apply for it. You will have a physical exam. They will check if you have any serious disease, especially a communicable disease.”
“Then I will receive something like an ID card?”
“When I applied for it, I did receive an ID card, but these days I was told that they just put a sticker on your passport.”
“What sticker?”
“It should be a sticker showing you have permission to stay in China for a certain period of time.”
Gun-Ho was going to ask if he could acquire a real estate if he brought his passport with the sticker to a realtor’s office, and then he decided not to.
“Thank you for everything, Mr. Byeon. I hope you every success with your business in Korea. I will visit your restaurant when I go to Korea. Please say hello to your nephew in Noryangjin.”
Mr. Byeon looked around the restaurant before he headed out. He seemed to have mixed feelings. From the back, he looked lonely.
“He probably hadn’t been able to support his family in Korea by sending any money.”
Gun-Ho also felt mixed feelings.
Gun-Ho went to the realtor’s office again with Mae-Hyang.
“Is there any apartment in this community smaller than 120㎡? I think it’s a bit too big for me.”
“There isn’t. The smallest one is 120㎡. The one which Marwin used to live was 150㎡. Well, of course, he used the apartment for multipurpose: a residence and an office.”
President Marwin had given a presentation to investors in this apartment. He gave an impassioned speech to attract investors in order to receive 500,000 Yuan (about 60,000,000 won at that time) and establish an e-commerce company. The picture of him giving the presentation can still be found on the Internet.
President Marwin was a great entrepreneur and he didn’t cling to the government job exam. The government job exam was extremely competitive in China, just like in Korea due to high population.
“I will take the 120㎡ apartment.”
Mae-Hyang who was sitting next to Gun-Ho was stunned.
“What? The 120㎡ apartment is so big that you can even play soccer. I was told that you are not married. Do you have a family and you didn’t tell us?”
“No, I think I will have a guest from Korea from time to time. Haha.”
“The unit 305 is 120㎡. Would you like to take a look?”
The realtor talked, Mae-Hyang interpreted, and Gun-Ho nodded.
Once Gun-Ho agreed to see the apartment, the realtor made a call to someone.
“The old lady is at home now. We can go see the apartment.”