Chapter 11

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Car Poor
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Having reversed his days and nights for the past few days, Taeseo hadn't touched coffee. Following Yuna's previous instructions, he took an ice cup from the freezer.

Just as An Yuna had done, he shook the cup to break up the ice inside, then opened the lid and began to brew the coffee. A guy with a foxy face who had rushed to the counter spoke up.

“Pay before you make the coffee.”

Did you have to pay before brewing?

He was going to buy it anyway, so he didn't see what difference the order made. But not wanting to argue, he simply scowled and tossed his card onto the counter.

“That’ll be 1,500 won.”

“A pack of cigarettes, too. Marlboros.”

The part-timer, clearly annoyed by Taeseo’s casual tone, shot him a glare before grabbing a pack of cigarettes and scanning the barcode. Then, without stating the total, he silently processed the payment.

Taeseo didn't bother to pick a fight. He took the cigarettes and filled his ice cup with coffee.

As soon as the transaction was complete, the clerk left the card sitting on the counter and walked out of the convenience store. The way he ran off to his friends was utterly pathetic.

“That bastard’s a real slacker.”

Just as Taeseo, card in hand, stepped out of the convenience store with his coffee.

“Why is that Porsche always parked there anyway?”

A group of local loafers in front of the store were eyeing Taeseo’s car.

“Maybe it was abandoned.”

At that, a guy who looked like his name might be Jaeseop chimed in excitedly.

“Whoa, holy shit. I hope it's abandoned. Dibs if it is.”

“Are you nuts? Who in their right mind would abandon that?”

As if to put on a show for them, Taeseo pressed the button on his remote key, unlocking the car doors.

The car’s headlights flashed and the sound of the locks disengaging echoed. The loafers all turned to stare at Taeseo, their faces clearly thinking, *A guy like that drives that car?*

Ignoring them, Taeseo strode confidently to his car and opened the door. A comment that grated on his nerves came from behind him.

“He’s car poor.”

“Hahaha. Totally. He looks like a classic car poor.”

A curse escaped through Taeseo’s clenched teeth.

“Ha, fucking hell.”

If they knew who he was, they wouldn’t dare spew such nonsense about him being car poor for driving a car worth a mere 180 million won.

The problem was, if word got out that the second son of Namgyeong Group was in this town to negotiate a land acquisition, the landowners would get cocky and demand a higher price.

He may have lived his life carelessly, but Kwon Taeseo was still the second son of Namgyeong. He was in a position where he at least had to pretend to run the company, so he knew the basics of negotiation.

“Just hold it in.”

The car, left out in the blazing sun for days, was as hot as a sauna inside. As he rolled down the heavily tinted windows, the loafers seemed to be trying to pick a fight, snickering among themselves while looking his way.

“You hear about those empty-headed idiots who live in a studio but drive a fancy car. He’s the perfect example.”

“He's got a shitty attitude, too. Used that rude tone to buy a single pack of cigarettes.”

If he hadn't been kicked out for causing trouble, he would’ve gone over and started something. But since he couldn't get into a brawl with guys like that, he had no choice but to avoid them.

“You don't avoid shit because you're scared, you avoid it because it's disgusting.”

Taeseo stomped on the accelerator harder than usual. The black Porsche roared to life and pulled onto the road in front of the convenience store.

The car, which had been stationary for a long time, seemed to rejoice as it tore down the country road, the RPMs shooting up. But Taeseo’s mood, contrary to the car’s, plummeted.

*To think I'd live to be called car poor.*

* * *

“Regarding the grave site on the golf course property, I'd like to convey the landowner's position.”

While Taeseo had been away from work, Hyunwoo had been coming to the office alone. He now began to report on what he had organized.

“They say it's difficult to relocate the grave because it's been less than a year since the burial. If it were an old grave, they’d have no qualms about moving it, but since it’s been less than a year, the body is likely still intact.”

The air conditioner in the construction site's container office was running nonstop. The indoor temperature was 21 degrees Celsius, cool in contrast to the heat outside, but Taeseo’s face was etched with displeasure.

“Look, is anyone asking them to dig up the corpse themselves? We’re offering to pay for it and handle the relocation.”

“Well, that's not how people in the countryside see it. Many still believe that disturbing an ancestor's grave brings misfortune to the descendants. Our country has a Confucian culture, and ancestors—”

“Don't you know that's all just a ploy to get more money?”

“Ah, yes, of course, that could be a factor.”

Taeseo glanced at the name tag on the work uniform. The man’s name was Woo Hyunwoo. His rank was said to be the same as his own, which would make him a manager.

He was a secretary whose name Taeseo hadn't bothered to learn for two years—Woo Hyunwoo or Woo Hyangwoo, he hadn't cared—but he was checking it now because, in this place where he had no connections, Woo Hyunwoo was the only one who would be responsible for his life.

“Manager Woo Hyunwoo, you must have lived a very sheltered life. A rich kid like me knows these things, so how could you not?”

Hearing his name called correctly for the first time, Hyunwoo looked at Taeseo in surprise before continuing his report.

“The problem is, there’s a field around the grave, and the landowner, an old woman in her seventies, is making a fuss about harvesting her peppers there.”

“What kind of farming is an old lady like that even doing?”

“We’ve restricted the surrounding area for the construction of the golf hole. We need to create hills and a pond, so surveying is currently in progress, but the grandmother is raising hell, claiming we're deliberately blocking access to her land.”

Hyunwoo clicked his tongue, clearly vexed.

“On top of that, she apparently takes the first bus to the town office every day and harasses the public officials. The officials are coming to our office almost daily. Since they can't resolve the complaint, they're pressuring us to settle the land issue before proceeding with construction, and headquarters is also pushing for Manager Kwon to resolve the problem.”

Stubborn people were causing trouble everywhere. After assisting the self-centered Kwon Taeseo, the thought of having to persuade an old woman who was trying to get ten times the value of the surrounding land for her tiny plot made Hyunwoo’s vision go dark.

Hyunwoo had heard this was supposed to be an unlucky year for him, and it seemed a major obstacle had indeed been thrown in his path. He handed Taeseo a report with the landowner's personal information.

“This is a summary of the information on the grandmother. I’ll let her know that I’ll visit her home sometime tomorrow.”

“What are you talking about? Don't start working less than a week after I've been transferred. If we act all anxious, that old woman will just get cockier, I’m telling you.”

“Ah, yes, yes. You have a point, Manager Kwon. But when the higher-ups give an order, you follow it. What choice do we have?”

“If you handle things this way, the tables will turn. We need to put the pressure on until that old lady gets desperate and lowers her price.”

“Pressure?”

“We should bring some heavy machinery, like the ones digging the roads here, park them in front of the golf course property, and make a show of it, like we're about to start construction on her 400-pyeong of land regardless.”

At this point, Hyunwoo was confused as to whether Kwon Taeseo knew what he was talking about or not, whether he truly had any sense for this business.

“Yes, well. If negotiations fail, we’ll have to proceed as you suggested, Manager Kwon. We do have a last resort, of course. But that’s just it—a last resort. You and I both need to produce results here if we want to go back to Seoul, don't we?”

“Yeah, well, I guess I have to dance to the old lady’s tune for Kwon Taejin to think I’m actually working.”

“Exactly. It's about time you started.”

“Fine, schedule the appointment.”

Taeseo picked up the car keys he had tossed carelessly onto the table.

“If we’re done discussing the schedule, I’m heading out.”

“Heading out? It’s only four o’clock.”

“You think I punch out at a set time like some salaried drone? I’m leaving.”

Without waiting for Hyunwoo’s reply, Taeseo left the office. Behind him, Hyunwoo let out a long sigh, but the sound was confined to the room.

* * *

Taeseo drove to a beef rib restaurant on the outskirts of the city, devoured three servings, and then headed back to his studio apartment.

The saying ‘when you're feeling down, go for meat’ was true. After eating nothing but subpar meals, the greasy food lifted his foul mood from earlier in the day.

After a long drive, he entered the town road. A woman was standing at a bus stop on the way to Seongwoo Town.

Her quiet posture seemed familiar, and as Taeseo drove past the bus stop, he glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

He thought the silhouette was familiar; it was indeed someone he knew. It was An Yuna.

“Looks like she takes the bus from there.”

Taeseo drove about 200 meters further, turned into a side street, and then drove back to the bus stop.

Normally, he would have just kept going whether An Yuna was standing there or not, but today he had something to say to her. He planned to tattle on that damn part-timer who spouted bullshit about him being car poor and was a terrible worker.

Taeseo pulled up next to the bus stop and honked. At the long blare of the horn, An Yuna, who had been waiting, looked at the car in surprise.

Taeseo rolled down his window and said.

“Hey. Get in.”

At his words, An Yuna’s eyes widened.

“The guy from the second floor?”

“Yeah. Hurry up and get in.”

“The bus should be here soon.”

“I’m heading that way anyway, so just get in.”

“Ah. Okay.”

A truck that had pulled up behind Taeseo’s car honked twice, as if to hurry him along. An Yuna quickly got into the passenger seat.

“Pardon the intrusion.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Well, I am getting into someone else’s car.”

As Taeseo drove off, the truck that had been honking from behind now followed his car quietly.

Once in the car, Yuna glanced around the driver’s seat and dashboard before speaking.

“A car like this is really expensive, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Still, having a car is convenient, right?”

Taeseo asked, probing.

“Why? You thinking of buying one?”

“...Yes.”