“Have you heard the rumors?”
Deung Ryun nodded slightly with a faint smile. How could he not know about the rumors that had once heated up Brussels?
“I’ve heard them, the rumors that Mozart has been reincarnated. Anyone who saw the stage that day wouldn’t be able to deny it. I still can’t believe the melody of the strings.”
“Maestro, weren’t you just as outstanding in your youth?”
“Haha, at that age, I couldn’t even think of performing on stage, let alone collaborating with an orchestra.”
“Can you tell me a bit about your childhood, Maestro?”
Hmm.
“You want to know what my childhood was like?”
Deung Ryun’s wrinkled eyes recalled the past. Adam, sitting across from him, took out his notebook and pen. It wasn’t a frequent opportunity.
No wonder people said that meeting the great Deung Ryun of China was harder than meeting the premier.
If it weren’t for Queen Elizabeth, there wouldn’t have even been a point of contact.
“My father held a government position. He really hated me learning the violin. He believed that a man should go into business. Moreover, I wasn’t as talented as Hyun; I was rather mediocre.”
Anyone who played the violin would have doubted their ears upon hearing this. Deung Ryun’s reputation was already illustrious in the classical music world.
“In the end, I cut ties with my father. I wanted to do music so badly. When my father said he’d break my hands, I was terrified. If it weren’t for my mother, I would have undoubtedly given up on music.”
This was a story that hadn’t yet been made public. That’s why Adam leaned in closer.
“I wanted to attend the Moscow Conservatory, but out of patriotism, I enrolled at the Shanghai International Conservatory. From then until now, I’ve lived a single-minded life, never looking back, focusing only on the violin. I only found out my father had passed five years later.”
“Didn’t your family try to contact you?”
Deung Ryun showed a bitter smile without a word.
“By the way, the editor is a violin collector, right?”
Adam had never dreamed that Deung Ryun knew his nickname. But before he could respond, Deung Ryun continued.
“I had a friend like that at our house.”
Every hotel has its signature color and scent. The calm interior under soft lighting and the fresh fragrance put one at ease.
I occasionally felt people’s gazes. It was probably because of a recent newspaper article. Fortunately, it was an era when the internet wasn’t widespread. Otherwise, there would have been countless comments on the internet by now.
“Hyun, have you been here before?”
“It’s my first time.”
Oops, I unconsciously moved as if I were familiar with the place. I used to come here often while preparing to enter the political scene in my past life. It was a place with a deep tradition, so congressmen loved it. No wonder it was called the guesthouse.
Let’s go to the restaurant quickly and wait for the guest. About ten minutes later,
“Nice to meet you, I’m Deung Jeong.”
To my surprise, it was an elderly gentleman. However, the child with him looked quite young, even younger than Yooha, probably around 7 or 8 years old. Deung Jeong patted the child’s head gently and spoke.
“This is my grandson, Deung Wi Pyeong. He’s very shy, so please understand.”
Father stood up, handed over his business card, and quietly introduced us. Naturally, I handled the interpretation.
“Your English is excellent. I was worried there wouldn’t be a Chinese interpreter like before.”
Of course, I understood what he meant. China is vast. It’s said that when people from Beijing and Guangdong converse, they need an interpreter. It’s a half-joke, half-truth story.
However, my uncle probably didn’t prepare for such detailed aspects of interpretation. Anyway,
‘Impressive.’
There were many surprising stories I learned while interpreting the conversation between my father and the elderly gentleman.
Especially, they said their family had held government positions for generations. I almost clapped my hands and stood up at that moment. In China, there’s a saying that “government spoon is better than a golden spoon.”
In a socialist planned economy, the power of public office is tremendous. No matter how you view it, it was clear that my grandfather had successfully recruited him.
‘How do we create a connection now?’
China is a country of “guanxi” (connections). There’s a saying that you can’t handle major or minor affairs without guanxi.
There are various ways to break the ice initially, so there’s no need to think too hard at the start. You can gradually build trust from small things.
For instance, you could start a conversation about Confucius and Laozi or recite Du Fu’s poems. China highly values humanities.
However, my father wasn’t yet that sophisticated. After all, until recently, he hadn’t been involved in anything unrelated to company work. He probably never imagined he’d be facing a Chinese buyer in a hotel restaurant.
At that moment,
“I’ve seen that hyung before.”
Deung Wi Pyeong, who had been quietly sitting, spoke in broken English.
“Grandpa—!”
Son Yooha greeted Chairman Yoo enthusiastically. She bowed her head gracefully like a lady and glanced behind her, but there was no sign of Kang Hyun, whom she’d been eagerly waiting for. She looked disappointed and downcast, like a puppy with its tail between its legs.
“Old man, why are you making our Yooha feel down?”
“Son, I didn’t do anything.”
Yooha was startled by Chairman Wang’s joke and tugged at his sleeve. Her cuteness brought a big smile to the two grandfathers.
The reception room was filled with an old scent.
“Expanding the factory to China?”
Chairman Wang raised his voice as he took the teacup away from his lips.
“Ho, you were always passive about expanding your business even though you lived well enough. So why suddenly China?”
“Now, there are people to take responsibility for Dongju. Before I go, I need to firmly establish a foothold. I came to hear your thoughts, Son.”
The only company that had successfully established a factory in China was the Daeil Group. There were a few companies that had managed to enter through narrow passages and set up factories, but they all closed down soon after.
In that regard, Chairman Wang’s management style was unparalleled.
“Just like that? Unless you accept the previous proposal, that is.”
“Son, didn’t you say it depends on whether the parties involved agree? Of course, I’m all for it.” Chairman Wang smiled contentedly and closed his eyes as if recalling the past.
“China is different from our country. Local governments interpret policies from the central government independently. You must recruit someone in a high official position and build guanxi, which requires infinite trust. Do you know how many elementary schools were built in China under the pretext of regional development? Also, the local executives in China were hired with a 50-50 ratio of Chinese to Koreans. Otherwise, things wouldn’t run smoothly.”
Entering China without proper measures was akin to committing suicide.
“It’s a country where loyalty and cooperation work, but there are also many scammers. So breaking the first ice is the most important thing. Do you have anyone in mind?”
“I’m trying to go through Deung Jeong, whom I’ve had ties with in the past.”
“Deung Jeong from Tianjin?”
Deung Jeong had some acquaintance with Chairman Wang. Though their relationship wasn’t particularly good.
“That old man is so stubborn that he won’t be easily persuaded. And he’s not someone who can be bought with money.”
“Of course, he’d never. If he were, it would have ended with Beom Kyung. But I’ve heard an interesting rumor recently.”
“A rumor?”
Chairman Yoo showed a peculiar smile.
“Apparently, Deung Jeong is an avid classical music enthusiast.”
“Hyung, you’re that famous violinist, right?”
Deung Wi Pyeong suddenly looked excited, unlike his previously shy demeanor. His eyes sparkled with admiration. Father seemed quite surprised by the sudden reaction.
“Wi Pyeong.”
Deung Jeong said softly but firmly, and Deung Wi Pyeong calmed down.
“My apologies. It seems my grandson was quite pleased to see Hyun. It’s not often one gets to see the winner of the Queen Elizabeth Competition in person.”
What? This old man knew too?
“You played ‘Fantasy,’ right?”
Moreover, he knew the name Stradi.
“Indeed, it was a coveted piece, but I’m glad it found a good owner.” At that moment, an article flashed through my mind.
I remembered seeing a Chinese billionaire who owned Fantasy on international news in my past life, and Deung Jeong’s face overlapped with his. There was an image of him claiming that Fantasy had spontaneously combusted, which remained a fragment of my memory.
“I really like Hyun. A family that produces such a renowned musician must have extraordinary roots. I’m also curious about your father’s educational principles. Wi Pyeong also loves music very much.”
At this rate, I inadvertently broke the ice for guanxi. Things seemed to be progressing more smoothly than expected.
“Hmm, I want to ask for your personal opinion, not as an interpreter. Do you think Dongju can succeed in China, Hyun?”
In the middle of a conversation with my father, a sudden question was directed at me. But Deung Jeong’s eyes didn’t waver.
Rather, they seemed to say, “You should know this,” just like when I first met Chairman Wang.
“Of course.”
I replied without hesitation.
There weren’t many companies dreaming of entering China at that time. There were hardly any cases of companies making a clear profit from business with China.
But in just ten years, things would be different. Besides the GDP increase, it would become the center of the fourth industrial distribution.
Chairman Wang wasn’t personally leading the charge into China for no reason.
After the meal,
“Hyun is quite intriguing. You seem like someone who has lived in a hotel for a long time. You look younger than our Wi Pyeong.”
I’m much taller than that kid, though.
“You can tell a VIP by their gait. In that sense, today, Hyun’s gait and table manners were perfect. If you were born in a royal family, you wouldn’t need separate royal etiquette lessons.”
It’s the etiquette I painstakingly learned in my past life. Since I frequently dealt with people in high positions, such manners became second nature to me.
Not only walking on carpets without making a sound but also understanding the cultural nuances when conversing with Chinese people.
In that sense, it was understandable that Deung Jeong found me intriguing.
But,
“Hyung, hyung!”
Deung Wi Pyeong, who had abandoned his previous shy demeanor, clung to my side. His eyes were full of admiration. Father looked at him with a pleased expression.
