Empire of the Ring

Chapter 232: Turning Over a New Leaf (2)

Any Koreans living overseas would consider using Korean products as much as possible. It was as what most people had said, that many became patriotic when they had left their home countries.

Youngho also felt the same. When foreign people gave great reviews for Korean products, he was flattered. Since he knew that the Korean economy hugely depended on trading businesses, he did not want to exclude Korean companies from his businesses.

However, business was business. It was natural for him to seek a partnership with a company that would make him more profits. It was not about patriotism.

There was a time when he insisted on Korean products and companies. It was because he was not familiar with foreign companies. It was more convenient for him to work with Koreans and not to mention, Korean products tended to be cheaper than foreign brands since Korean export goods were priced cheaper than domestic consumer prices.

Nonetheless, he had learned that it was not a wise decision to insist on Korean products after living overseas for seven years. The more he persisted on Korean goods, the more he felt the invisible wall for his business.

On one side, many people would see him as a homesick Korean and had to pity him. On the other side, local people disliked him for being stubborn since his gesture reflected his resistance for local cultures and products.

It was a foolish decision of many Korean overseas because no one would take them as true friends. Their behaviors only proved that they would leave for their home country in the near future.

If one wanted to live in a foreign country, one should become like a native.

Not only the language but also clothes and foods should be assimilated to the local people so that the natives would a foreigner as their friends. It was better to forget his home country if he was determined to live overseas.

Even if he tried hard to get assimilated, it would be still hard for him to enter the mainstream society since stubbornness to the new culture was a huge obstacle to make new friends.

Youngho was sharing his perspective in a length to Jong-il who was asking why he would not just pick a Korean train company.

“So, you won’t mind which country was producing it as long as the prices are right?”

“Of course. If there is a good Korean producer company, I’d introduce it to the government and negotiate the pricing with the company.”

“That’s no use. It’ll cost more to move the trains from the opposite side of the earth.”

“I’ll leave that concern to the producers. Our role is just to let them know about the situations here. If the producers thanked me for successfully closing the deal, then that’d be great.”

“Whoa, you’re so unaffected.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m going to get a high agency commission.”

“Dude. You always take care of Koryoins so much. Why are you being stingy with Korean corporations?”

“It’s just business.”

The grape harvest began.

Youngho could not help but smile since the amount of yield was similar to last year’s yield.

Zeynep Farm’s high yield was quite contrastive from Arirang Farm’s wheat yield. It was the result of his conceit since he had not thoroughly researched before he begun planting wheat but he consoled himself by saying that he had learned a valuable lesson from it.

Little kids went to pick leftover grapes underneath thick vines after harvesters had swept off the vines first. Rather than working, they were playing with the grapes but Youngho did not mind it since it would make them a great memory.

Every harvest season, kids of the international school and Korean people who resided in Baku came to the farm and created an atmosphere of a harvest festival. The Serbian kids of the farm also joined them and now some of them were bathing in grapes.

The war orphans including Jelyan also enjoyed their first experience of the grape harvest. Most of them spoke some Azerbaijani and English and they were being loud. Among them, Jelyan’s voice was the loudest.

As Youngho listened to what she was shouting, she was saying other children not to throw away grapes in vain. It made Youngho smile since she was acting responsibly as the vineyard’s owner’s stepdaughter. Since Zeynep was her sister who’s got her back, Jelyan’s voice naturally grew bigger. Zeynep had become an outspoken lady whom no one could treat her wrongly in and outside of the farm.

Park Youngsun who had been focusing on developing underground water resource in Kazakhstan visited Zeynep Farm since it was the harvest season. With the farm’s light airplanes, it was only a few hours of trip from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan.

“Boss. You always look happier when you come to Baku.”

“Is it so obvious? Man, I should be more careful.”

“There’s good news in Kazakhstan as well. You should stop by first.”

“You found underground water, didn’t you?”

“Yes, you’re right! It’s quite large to supply water for workers in Koryoin town.”

Youngho had thought that Park Youngsun looked carefree. It was because he had finally found the underground water resource. He had given his word that he would find water and his prediction was right.

Underground water in Kazakhstan was life-giving and Youngho also was excited to hear the news.

“You’ve gone through quite the trouble. Thank you for your work. It feels like a heavy weight had been lifted from my chest.”

“I had to fly to Baku. I needed to get some compliments from you.”

“I should give you a piggyback ride. It was getting stressful that I didn’t hear anything about underground water for over a month.”

“It’s not just underground water. It is natural bedrock water.”

“…”

Youngho did not quite understand what that meant.

“The bedrock water doesn’t cause the ground subsidence when the water is pumped out and it is the cleanest, first-class water as well.”

“Oh!”

“That is why I’m being confident about this. You should pay me some bonus this time.”

“Of course, I will. You’ve done so much until now. Why don’t you take a break at Batumi’s hotel with Seoyoung?”

Any person who worked hard would need some sort of reward for his work. It would be funny if one asked him to work only with his passion and sense of duty since it was not a struggle for independence.

Park Youngsun was a little different than usual workers since he had joined Youngho’s group to be with his daughter. He did not refuse harsh work because his only concern was his daughter’s safety and happiness. It was lucky for Youngho that someone as talented and persistent as Park Youngsun had come to join his company.

He once worked as a resource explorer in remote places and worked for his country but when he decided to quit his job regretting his past, then went back to his daughter, Youngho had shown up in front of him. As his passion for work went away, all there were left in him were regrets and a bad relationship with his daughter. However, everything changed when he settled in Baku. He had found peace there.

Youngho also cared a lot for Park Youngsun and his daughter.

Even though Park Youngsun refused to go on a break saying that he was still busy because of work, Youngho pushed him and his daughter to go on a vacation in Batumi. He wanted to make them feel as if they were Youngho’s real family, and not like the other workers who worked for him.

Leaves had begun to turn their colors already in Tskhinvali, South Ossetia. With its altitude rising 1,000 meters above sea level, the fall had arrived early.

At the outskirt of the city where there was a military airfield, Youngho and Kim Ilkwon stepped out of a light airplane that just landed.

“Boss. I didn’t even contact Rena about your visit. She’ll be exuberated to see you.”

“I’m already getting a headache thinking about being grilled by Katya and Rena.”

Ilkwon who was moving their cargo from the airplane smiled lightly. They had brought an eight-seater to bring goods that were ordered previously. Daily necessity products were valuable in Tskhinvali, so although the products were delivered by road, Kim Ilkwon brought goods on the airplane whenever he visited the city.

The products the two brought today were mostly gifts. Feeling sorry that he had come to visit the mother and daughter after a long time, Youngho bought many things for them. He had to come after hearing that little Rena had been missing him a lot lately. He had uneasy feelings toward Katya, so he only talked on the phone with her about business matters and had stopped coming but since the little lady was asking for his visit, Youngho could not refuse her.

Arirang Hotel of Tskhinvali had a constant stream of visitors.

It was because South Ossetia had begun producing oil crude actively.

Since an oilfield was discovered in the borderland of Georgia and South Ossetia, most of the hotel’s guests were oil businessmen. The hotel was now renowned as the best quality hotel in Tskhinvali and it was even hard to find an empty room. The hotel was making a lot of money with guests lined up seeking for a room.

Katya and Rena’s attitudes toward Youngho’s visit were quite different.

Rena, with her blushing face, ran toward Youngho and jumped up in his arms in joy but Katya had a weird look on her face.

‘What is up with Katya?’

Although he was curious, he could not ask what was going on.

“Boss. How can you not visit us for this long? It doesn’t even take that long if you use the airplane.”

“Haven’t you heard about me from Ilkwon? I’ve been busy with wheat farming and other businesses.”

“I know but I only ask that you visit at least every other month. Rena had been dying to see you.”

Youngho was ashamed that he did not visit them because of a bad reason. Although being with Katya was uncomfortable, it was wrong of him to hurt the little girl’s feelings. Knowing that Katya would not do anything harmful to him, he still had to stay away from her to be cautious. It was because he was not confident in himself, not Katya’s fault.

Kim Ilkwon had been reporting what had been going on in the hotel but Katya was eager to report her achievements.

“Katya. Keep all the profits made here. I’m planning to build another hotel in the hilly area in the back of the hotel.”

The net profit of Arirang Hotel in Tskhinvali was only about ten percent of the total profits of the Arirang Hotel chain business but it was a fortune in Tskhinvali’s standard. Since she made 240,000 dollars from the guest room booking and other subsidiary facilities, it was quite a lot.

“Wow, really?”

“Yeah. We’re going to have more guests from now on and the guest rooms here won’t be able to contain the number. There is no other hotel like this in town.”

“Then, can we start as soon as the next spring comes?”

As Youngho shared his plan to expand the hotel, Katya was eager to start its construction as soon as possible.

“It’d be best to start it by the end of next year. I’ll invest more funds for the expansion.”

“We can divide them as new building and old building and the old building’s rooms would be priced for suite rooms.”

“…”

“It’s just the rooms are so spacious. It’s such a waste. Even guests wonder why we only priced them at 150 dollars.”

She had a point. The rooms were quite big that if there was a partition dividing the rooms in half, the rooms could double in number.

Talking about the details of the hotel, Katya bloomed like a beautiful rose.

As if she had been enjoying managing the hotel, her face was brighter than ever and it was pleasing to see her that way.

Rena’s grandmother prepared a special meal for Youngho since he visited them after a long time.

After the dinner, Youngho, Katya, and Ilkwon went to a bar and continued their gathering as they drank. They did not have a drinking bet but they had drunk so much that they emptied so many bottles.

Because Youngho was feeling sorry for Katya, he drank a little too much and eventually crossed the line.

Youngho opened his eyes from his sleep out of thirst.

Unaware of his state, he pushed aside his blanket and went to the refrigerator to get some water. Only after gulping down some water, he found out that he was completely naked.

He could remember that Kim Ilkwon had brought him to the guesthouse but there was no recollection after that.

It looked like he had taken off his clothes for being stuffy while he was asleep.

Not being able to find his underwear, he turned on the light. However, what he found was a new set of clean clothes on the night table next to his bed.

He thought that Katya must have brought it in the early evening but he still felt leery.

‘When did she take the underwear that I took off?’

He felt wide awake already. As he went to the bathroom to take a shower, he tilted his head multiple times while wondering about what happened.