Chapter 2: The Property
Kang Jin stood in front of a small two-story building located in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul.
“Here it is,” Shin Suho said from beside him, and Kang Jin looked up at the structure.
Having met with Shin Suho yesterday, Kang Jin had come today to view the property he inherited. It meant missing his labor-intensive part-time job for the day, but that didn’t bother him.
Nonhyeon… This area belonged to Gangnam, known for its exorbitantly high real estate prices in South Korea. Owning a two-story building here made skipping such a menial job insignificant.
The first floor housed a restaurant, while the second was residential space.
As Kang Jin studied the building, he also scanned the surrounding area. Situated right by the road… Although small and old, it was conveniently close to Nonhyeon Station.
Moreover, there was a crosswalk right in front of it, so people would inevitably stop here before crossing the street.
Kang Jin continued staring at the building and asked, “What’s the market value for this place?”
“It’s around 25 billion won.”
“Twenty five…billion?”
The mention of billions brought joy to Kang Jin’s face.
Jackpot… I can’t believe such luck is on my side!
As he beamed while gazing at the property, Shin Suho suggested:
“Let’s go inside.”
With a smile, Kang Jin looked down at the key in his hand, then unlocked the tightly shut door leading to the first floor.
It housed a restaurant.
“The first floor is a restaurant, and the second floor is residential space.”
After showing him the dining area, Shin Suho pointed out the stairs located on one side of the restaurant.
“You can access the second floor through these stairs or another entrance outside. Shall we head upstairs?”
Shin Suho led Kang Jin up to the second floor using the stairs near the dining area. Upstairs was a residential space. It had a bit of a musty smell but nothing too bothersome.
Three bedrooms and one kitchen. Nice.
Although the furniture was old, it couldn’t compare to the run-down lodging house where she’d lived for eight years. Compared to that place, this felt like living in a palace. The main thing was finally having her own home where she could sleep without curling herself into a ball.
While Kang Jin inspected the residence, Shin Suho placed some documents on the table in the living room.
“Please come here once you’ve seen enough.”
As Kang Jin took a seat at the table, Shin Suho began laying out papers.
“The inheritance left by Ms. Kim Bokrae for Lee Kang-jin is this two-story building located in Nonhyeon-dong.”
Kang Jin couldn’t help but burst out laughing as she looked at Shin Suho.
“Will the lawyer handle tasks like transferring ownership?”
“I will take care of it for you, but…the official transfer of ownership cannot occur until five years from now.”
Kang Jin’s face reflected confusion at Shin Suho’s words.
“Five years later? What do you mean by that? Isn’t it mine once I receive the inheritance?”
“It is indeed yours, however…there was one condition attached to Mrs. Kim Bokrae’s bequest.”
“A condition?”
“For five years, you must operate the restaurant located on the first floor.”
“Operate a restaurant?”
“Yes. Mrs. Kim Bokrae wishes for Lee Kang-jin to run the restaurant for five years. Afterward, I will handle the transfer of ownership.”
“But what kind of—?” Kang Jin couldn’t comprehend how someone with no cooking skills could possibly manage a restaurant.
“And these are the rules you must follow while operating it.” As the lawyer handed over a piece of paper, Kang-jin eagerly scanned its contents.
Restaurant Operating Rules
1. The restaurant must be open between 11 PM and 1 AM.
2. Sundays are designated as days off.
3. Do not turn away customers who cannot afford to pay.
4. Accept whatever amount of money patrons offer for their meals.
Kang Jin stared blankly at the paper handed to him by the lawyer before looking up at him.
“Um… What is this?”
“It’s the list of rules for operating the restaurant.”
“But… I mean…”
Kang Jin paused mid-sentence and glanced at the lawyer again.
There’s no reason for a lawyer to joke around like this…
He couldn’t imagine why an attorney would joke around like this with a stranger.
Finally, Kang Jin asked, “Are these really the operating rules?”
“Yes, they are. If you fail to comply, the building will be donated to a social welfare organization.”
“A donation?”
“Yes.”
Kang Jin stared blankly at the lawyer before straightening up incredulously and picking up the document again.
“What kind of restaurant operates from 11 PM to 1 AM? It’s not even a bar! How do you plan on making money with these hours? And rules three and four… Accepting whatever payment customers can offer and not turning them away if they have no money? What kind of eatery is this, a free soup kitchen?”
“If you don’t want to follow these rules, there’s another option.”
“Another option?”
“You may donate it to a social welfare organization instead.”
Kang Jin’s eyes widened at the suggestion.
Am I crazy? Donating a building worth 25 billion won?
After a moment, Kang Jin sighed and asked:
“As long as I abide by these rules, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“I understand. So, after five years, the building will be transferred to my name?”
“Yes.”
“And you realize that following these rules means I can’t run a successful business, right? Also…I don’t know how to cook.”
His culinary skills were limited to instant noodles and simple fried rice from his days living in a guesthouse.
“The rules do not require running a successful business. As stated, you need to operate the restaurant from 11 PM to 1 AM, six days a week.”
“But I can work more if I want?”
“As long as you adhere to the rules, everything else is up to your discretion, Mr. Kang Jin.”
Shuffle!
The lawyer produced several documents.
“If you sign these, you will inherit the estate.”
Kang Jin examined the contents based on the lawyer’s words. The papers included legal details about the inheritance and conditions for operating the restaurant.
<The success of the restaurant will be monitored by Shin Suho (Divine Tiger).>
<If you violate the operating rules three times, Shin Suho has the right to deprive Lee Kang-jin’s inheritance rights. >
“Deprive my inheritance rights?”
“If you violate the rules more than three times, your inheritance rights can be deprived.”
“No… Isn’t it unpredictable what might happen with human affairs? I could have an accident and end up lying down…” Wouldn’t it be problematic to deprive me of the inheritance? Also, I am still a student.”
“You don’t need to open the store every Sunday. And if there is any special circumstance, please contact me. In such cases, we will send someone else to run the store.”
“But I need to work part-time jobs to attend school…”
“We will cover your entire tuition fee, Mr. Lee Kang-jin.”
“My tuition too? Is that included in the inheritance?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Then why pay for my tuition?”
“Let’s discuss this later. Please finish reading the documents first.”
Following Shin Suho’s request, Kang Jin continued perusing the paperwork.
It stated that Kim Bokrae, his distant relative whom he had never met, was leaving him the building as her inheritance.
With a pleased expression on his face, Kang Jin finished reading and nodded.
Operating only two hours a day… Let’s just endure it for five years. After five years, this building is mine.
It was such a massive sum that he could never earn it even if he worked tirelessly for his entire life. With this money, there would be nothing he couldn’t achieve. Kang Jin nodded and signed both copies of the document.
Swish!
As he smoothly scribbled his signature, something caught his attention. He suddenly felt a strange energy emanating from the papers.
“Huh?”
Despite Kang Jin’s odd behavior as he scanned the room, Shin Suho continued undeterred. He placed one copy of the contract in his bag and pushed the other toward Kang Jin.
“Please keep this safe.”
Once Kang Jin tucked the contract into his pocket, Shin Suho handed him several business cards.
“And here are some stores you’ll need for your business operations.”
[Donghae Food Supplies, President: Shin Soo-yong]
[Bukak Liquor Store, President: Shin Soo-gwi]
[Nammoon Interior Design, President: Shin Soo-jo]
After handing Kang Jin these business cards, Shin Suho explained:
“If you tell them what items you require, they will provide them to you. Additionally, supplies needed for your store will be free of charge for the first five years until it becomes established.”
Kang Jin looked at him with surprise. “Free for five years? You mean everything is complimentary?”
“It applies only to goods used within your store.”
“But why would they supply me with things for free?”
“Both my sister and I owe much to Mrs. Kim Bokrae. She requested we help out Mr. Lee Kang-jin with his store, which includes covering tuition fees.”
“Are all these shop owners your brothers’ clients?”
“Yes,” Shin Suho replied succinctly.
Kang Jin looked at the business card again.
Their names do sound similar.
“Do you have any more questions?”
“Is there no existing staff here?”
He thought it would be convenient if there were employees already working here.
“There is no staff.”
Kang Jin pursed his lips at Shin Suho’s response.
I guess they can’t afford any workers with such poor sales.
Kang-jin muttered internally before asking another question after a brief pause.
“When should I start operating my business?”
“Today.”
“Today? Right now?”
“The contract has been signed.”
As Shin Suho waved the document, Kang Jin hastily replied.
“No, but I need time to move and prepare… If you’re asking me to open today…
“I’m simply following the terms of the contract.”
“Then please send someone else for today. Today, I—“
“This is non-negotiable.”
Shf!
Standing up, Shin Suho placed a set of keys on the table.
“It’s five years starting from today. Then…”
He bowed his head as he rose from his seat, prompting Kang Jin to stand as well. Suddenly, she asked him:
“How will you know if I’m running this place or not? Are you going to monitor me?”
Shin Suho looked at Kang Jin and replied, “If you don’t operate it, I’ll contact you myself.”
Swish!
With that, Shin Suho opened the door and left without another word.
After watching him depart, Kang Jin took out the contract.
“Well…”
Krrrk!
He glanced around his new home.
“This is my place for the next four years.”
Whether he sold the house later or did something else with it, having a home of his own free from rent concerns for the next four years was guaranteed. To Kang Jin, this alone felt like hitting the jackpot.
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