"Um…did you graduate?" I asked, still flustered.
Ju-hee nodded. "Yes. I was looking for a job and contacted Chunha. They said they needed researchers."
Our encounters in Japan and later at Hanyang University had seemed like a strange coincidence. I hadn't expected to see her again after receiving the sampling technology. But here she was, working as a researcher at our company. And…
I looked at Maru incredulously.
'You like her?'
Maru avoided my gaze as Ju-hee bowed and said, "It's work hours, so I'll get back to my research."
"Oh, yes. Of course."
I watched her walk away, dumbfounded. "She's still as rude as ever. Doesn't she know I'm the CEO?"
I took Maru and Park Jong-bum back to my office and started drinking.
"Maru, what do you see in her? She's rude and arrogant."
Maru said dreamily, "She's cool. I like women who can control me."
"You're crazy."
Maru was a giant, 185cm tall and weighing 120kg, a human weapon. Ju-hee, on the other hand, was barely 160cm tall and skinny. They looked like a cicada clinging to a tree.
"I prefer gentle women. You have a strange taste."
"Don't you think she's confident and assertive?"
I clicked my tongue. "That's not confidence, it's rudeness. You'll be whipped if you date her."
Maru blushed. "D-date? Is that even possible?"
I shook my head and looked at Park Jong-bum. "You knew about this?"
Park Jong-bum said with a hesitant expression, "I had no idea. Managing Director Kim handles internal affairs, and I'm always out on business trips."
I didn't like people like Ju-hee. They were difficult to manage and stubborn. But I couldn't fire her just because Maru liked her.
Fortunately, she was a researcher with little influence, and I wouldn't have to interact with her much. I decided to let it slide, but I still found it pathetic.
"You're using your position for personal gain? You pathetic fool."
Maru's eyes widened. "Absolutely not! I hired her for her skills and strong personality. I only became interested in her later."
"Whatever."
I turned to Park Jong-bum. "Any problems with the company?"
He nodded confidently. "Everything's perfect. And there are rumors that Ssangbangwool is in trouble, so we're expecting a big haul."
"We'll be getting a lot of underwear."
Park Jong-bum rubbed his hands together. "Nothing sells as easily as clothes."
The thought of another lucrative deal cheered me up.
"Let's celebrate with our team, shall we?"
Park Jong-bum's eyes lit up. "Are you thinking…?"
I snapped my fingers. "Bingo. Let's distribute dividends."
Maru, his mind now clear, also looked at me expectantly.
"What's our current cash flow like in Korea?" I asked Park Jong-bum discreetly.
"The clean money or the dirty money?"
"Both."
"About 20 billion won in clean money. And about the same in dirty money. We had 50 billion won in dirty money, but it's decreased because of the overseas branches and China operations."
"Hmm."
The distinction between clean and dirty money was meaningless.
Chunha Trading had branches all over the world, and we could easily launder the dirty money by manipulating sales figures through the branches.
But we still kept dirty money for undocumented transactions and other shady dealings.
"Dirty money is more useful than clean money in our current situation. It's easier to launder dirty money than to make clean money dirty. And if we distribute dividends from undocumented funds, we might get audited, so let's distribute the entire 20 billion won in clean money as dividends. We'll just pay the taxes."
Park Jong-bum said with a slightly displeased expression,
"I don't like giving money to the government. Withholding tax and income tax combined, it'll be over 15%. That's 3 billion won out of 20 billion won."
"What can we do?" I smiled. "We're making a living thanks to the government's incompetence. Think of it as a thank you gift."
"I guess so…"
The current economic crisis in Korea was partly due to companies' reckless management, but the Kim Young-sam administration's low exchange rate policy to join the OECD also played a significant role.
"We'll distribute dividends according to your shares. I'll cover the taxes."
I looked at their excited faces, raised my glass, and said,
"Let's spend some money!"
The dividends were partly to boost morale, but it was also a reward for myself, for all the hard work and sacrifices I had made.
***
After paying taxes, I received 15.7 billion won as my personal income, and I planned to splurge and relieve all the stress I had accumulated.
I visited my family with a mountain of gifts, celebrated with them, and then headed to a real estate agency in downtown Ansan.
"Sir, how about this house?"
The real estate agent, seeing my expensive suit and foreign car, showed me several luxury houses.
"Hmm."
I said indifferently,
"What's the size?"
"About 660 square meters. Two stories above ground and one basement level. The previous owner renovated it just three months ago and is selling it urgently, so you can move in right away."
I nodded.
"I see."
I wanted to buy a house in Ansan, which was close to the company, but unlike Seoul, there weren't many mansions available.
This was the best one I had seen so far, but it wasn't quite what I had in mind.
"How much is it?"
The real estate agent, sensing my hesitation, said,
"The asking price is 2 billion won, but the owner is desperate, so we might be able to negotiate a 100 million won discount."
"2 billion won, huh."
Now that I was spending the dividend money, I realized how much I had earned.
I had bought the most expensive gifts for my family, a watch, a suit, and a car for myself, and it hadn't even cost me 1 billion won.
"Do you have anything better?"
The agent said nervously,
"This is the best house in Ansan."
"It can't be helped. I'll take this one."
Although the house was newly renovated, I didn't want any traces of the previous owner, so I hired an interior designer and started a major remodeling project.
I furnished the house with high-end furniture made of solid wood and continued my shopping spree.
I bought several villas in scenic locations, collected foreign cars like they were toys, and indulged in every luxury imaginable. But I still had almost 10 billion won left.
"What should I do with the rest of the money?"
Maru said incredulously,
"Do you have to spend it all? Save it! It's your emergency fund."
"But I've always wanted to experience the luxury of the wealthy. This is my reward."
"That's not luxury, it's just a nouveau riche wasting money."
I ignored his criticism and said with a sullen expression,
"How do rich people spend their money? 10 billion won seemed like nothing when I was doing business, but it's a huge amount to spend personally. It never ends."
Maru said with a resigned expression,
"Then use it for a good cause. Donate it to scholarships or charity."
I scoffed.
"Why would I spend my hard-earned money on others?"
"Then gamble it away."
"Gamble?"
"There are casinos in Macau. If you want to waste money, gambling is the best way. It's very nouveau riche."
My eyes lit up at his suggestion.
"Casinos. Casinos. That sounds interesting."
Rich people gambled, and gambling meant casinos, didn't it?
I had been buying things and real estate, but they were all tangible assets. If I managed them well, they wouldn't disappear.
"Casinos, good. I'll go and experience true luxury. Wow, Maru, you're truly my right-hand man. You're coming with me, right?"
"Ugh, Macau. The gambling paradise."
Maru, dragged along against his will, frowned.
"You're so reckless."
As soon as I decided to go to Macau, I booked first-class tickets through a travel agency and flew there two days later.
"So I'm back in China."
Technically, Macau wasn't part of China, it was a Portuguese territory. But it was a small port city right next to Hong Kong, heavily influenced by China.
"Hyung, you know this is illegal, right?"
Under Korean law, gambling was illegal, even if it was legal in the country where it took place.
So even if I gambled in Macau, where casinos were legal, I would be a criminal upon returning to Korea.
"I'm Park Sol. I've taken care of everything."
The biggest problems with gambling overseas were currency exchange and security.
Macau was a popular gambling and tourist destination, so many Korean tourists visited casinos for fun. The Korean government didn't bother going after small-time gamblers.
Their targets were wealthy individuals with billions or even hundreds of billions of won in assets. And I was one of them.
But I had a good partner: Xinhua Investment Corporation.
Macau was close to Shenzhen, well within Chairman Zhao Yang's sphere of influence. Thanks to him, I had exchanged 2 billion won into Macau currency without any problems and even received a fake ID.
I wouldn't have any problems unless I won a huge amount and attracted attention. I was here to spend money, not to win.
"Let's have some fun! It's a vacation! Let's not worry about money and just enjoy ourselves!"
We booked a suite at the Venetian Macao and spent the day sightseeing.
Macau had plenty to offer besides casinos.
We enjoyed the unique architecture, canals, and exhibitions, soaking in the travel atmosphere. After dinner, we finally entered the casino at the Venetian.
It was the largest casino in the world, filled with tens of thousands of people, thousands of dealers, and countless slot machines.
Maru exclaimed in awe,
"Are all these people gambling? This is insane!"
The colorful lights and the excited chatter of the gamblers created an exhilarating atmosphere.
Maru, caught up in the excitement, said,
"I don't know about anything else, but this looks fun."
Then he looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Hyung? What's wrong?"
I covered my face with my hands and trembled.
"I came here to spend money like a rich person and enjoy myself…"
"Hyung?"
I removed my hands, my face flushed with excitement, my eyes darting around.
"What is this? The smell of money is everywhere."