Episode 108: Green Farm
Fortunately, Yang Hyun-wook, who had been unconscious, regained his senses as his injuries were not too severe. When he woke up and saw Lee Chang-jin’s group, he tried to get up in surprise.
“Where am I…?”
“You’re in a hospital. It’s safe here now.”
“A hospital? What happened?”
Seeing the anxiety in Yang Hyun-wook’s eyes, Lee Chang-jin reassured him with a smile.
“Actually, I came to see you for a business matter and accidentally learned about your situation. Kidnapping and confinement… If we had delayed any longer, it could have been dangerous.”
“Oh, thank you so much. I won’t forget this favor.”
“It’s nothing. We should help each other. What exactly happened?”
At this question, Yang Hyun-wook lowered his head in embarrassment.
“Well… I was backstabbed by my own employees.”
Here’s what happened: A few months ago, while inspecting the company warehouse, Yang Hyun-wook discovered a lot of items that they didn’t usually handle. The most noticeable were imported liquors.
There were all sorts of brands like Johnnie Walker, Scotch Whisky, Ballantine’s, Royal Salute, Chivas Regal, Jack Daniel’s, and Glenfiddich. It turned out that whenever Yang was away, the employees had been secretly selling alcohol.
When Yang Hyun-wook found out, he was furious.
“Who told you to sell this kind of stuff? Don’t you know we’re in the Middle East?”
Since Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country, there’s an official prohibition on alcohol. While making moonshine was somewhat tolerated, openly selling alcohol was a different matter.
If caught, it could result in hefty fines and even imprisonment. Yang Hyun-wook didn’t want to escalate the issue, so he intended to resolve it by having the guilty employee resign.
But fate had other plans. He didn’t know that all the employees were in on it.
A few days later, while he was in Korea renewing his visa, the employees plotted against him.
“Do we even need that guy to run the business? As long as we have Ali, we don’t need Yang at all.”
“Right. It’s better without him. If we can convince the puppet boss Ali, we can run things ourselves.”
“Will Ali cooperate? He’s quite close to Yang, isn’t he?”
“Haven’t you heard the term ‘camel head’? Saudi guys are greedy; they just hide it well. Don’t worry, I’ll convince him.”
‘Camel head’ is a term used among foreigners dealing with Saudis, sarcastically referring to their trait of encouraging and leaving others alone when things go well, but becoming greedy when there’s money to be made.
Sure enough, the employees persuaded the puppet boss Ali by promising to change the profit-sharing ratio from 60-40 to 50-50, and Ali gladly joined in the betrayal.
“When I returned to Saudi after renewing my visa, the employees had hired 6-7 burly locals who suddenly barged in. They confiscated my passport and threatened me to return to Seoul that very night.”
The employees who colluded with Ali threatened Yang Hyun-wook, saying that their 60-40 partnership violated Saudi law, so he should leave empty-handed.
But Yang Hyun-wook wasn’t going to let them take over the company without a fight.
“I couldn’t just be kicked out empty-handed, so I threatened to report them for selling alcohol if they kicked me out. It was an all-or-nothing situation. After a few unsuccessful threats, they locked me up and beat me.”
When the threats didn’t work, the employees resorted to violence.
Led by Ali, the employees confined him in a warehouse and didn’t give him any water for three days.
Just when he thought he was half-dead and had given up, Lee Chang-jin arrived.
“You’ve suffered a lot. But it’s fortunate it ended here. If you had been held any longer, it could have been much worse.”
“Thank you for saving me. But what happens to me now? Will I be expelled from Saudi Arabia?”
Having regained his senses, Yang Hyun-wook was worried. Knowing the strict laws of the Middle East, he feared retribution. Lee Chang-jin reassured the anxious Yang Hyun-wook once again.
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
Lee Chang-jin had anticipated such situations and had already contacted his local partner Salman for help. Salman had connections with the Saudi police.
Fortunately, since Yang Hyun-wook wasn’t involved in the alcohol business and was a victim of kidnapping and confinement, his situation was resolved with leniency.
However, that didn’t mean the company was left unscathed. Due to the alcohol found in the warehouse, they had to pay a hefty fine. Considering the amount of moonshine discovered, it was fortunate that he wasn’t expelled. After wrapping up the matter, Lee Chang-jin asked:
“The company is shut down, the employees are gone, what will you do now?”
“I don’t know. I’m just thankful I didn’t lose a hand for breaking Saudi law. I have no intention of collaborating with locals anymore. I’ll have to start from scratch.”
Yang Hyun-wook forced a bright expression, hiding his despair.
Although he avoided being expelled, he was now penniless. The only consolation was that the employees who sold moonshine were all sentenced to heavy penalties.
Seeing his bitter expression, Lee Chang-jin made a suggestion.
“Mr. Yang, since things have come to this, how about farming with me?”
“What? Farming?”
“Yes, I heard you were interested in desert farming. I also plan to grow vegetables in the desert. Would you like to join me? Currently, major domestic construction companies like Eunho Housing, Mirae Construction, and Taeyang Construction are working in Dammam, Riyadh, and Al-Kharj. With over 100,000 laborers sent from Korea every year, selling fresh vegetables to them could be quite profitable.”
Lee Chang-jin’s words surprised Yang Hyun-wook.
“Are you seriously proposing a collaboration?”
“Yes. I heard you gained experience working as a houseboy for U.S. military bases when you were young. With your expertise, how about partnering with me?”
“Ha ha, it’s a great offer, but as you know, I’m broke. I lost all my capital, and I have nothing left but my body.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll provide the funds. In return, I’d like you to handle the farming techniques and management.”
“Do you really believe we can grow vegetables in this desert?”
“Absolutely. If weeds can grow here, why not radishes or cabbages? It’ll be hard work, but it’s definitely possible.”
Yang Hyun-wook hesitated. He couldn’t be sure about this venture either. Seeing his hesitation, Lee Chang-jin spoke again.
“If you’re not confident, you can decline. I can cover your flight expenses back to Korea.”
Hearing this, Yang Hyun-wook bit his lip. At 45, and without a proper college education, what could he do back in Korea other than manual labor?
Having made up his mind, Yang Hyun-wook spoke.
“Okay, I’m in. But I have one condition. To farm, we need land. Secure suitable farmland first, then I’ll seriously consider it.”
“Agreed. Do you have any specific contract terms in mind?”
“No need for complicated terms. I have nothing, so just offer what you think is fair. I’d appreciate a generous salary.”
“Then let’s split the profits 80-20. I’ll take 80% since I’m taking on the risk, and you’ll get 20%. Does that sound fair?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Lee Chang-jin decided to proceed with the contract on the spot.
After signing the contract, Yang Hyun-wook spoke first.
“As I mentioned earlier, before starting the business, we need to find a suitable area for cultivation. We should start by locating a wadi.”
“A wadi?”
“Yes. Even in Saudi’s desert climate, there’s a small amount of rain from December to February. During this rainy season, temporary streams form, which are called wadis.”
“Ah, I see. Since the water temporarily flows through wadis, there’s a high chance of underground water being present.”
“You’re smart. But finding wadis is difficult for non-locals. Sandstorms can erase dry riverbeds instantly… Also, local maps are often inaccurate.”
Yang Hyun-wook explained the difficulty in gathering information. Arabs, having been tormented by foreign rule until the late 20th century, were quite hostile to outsiders. Especially towards non-believers, they were particularly unfriendly and reluctant to share information. With a hopeful heart, Lee Chang-jin called Hassan.
“Hassan, do you know where wadis form?”
“Sorry, but I don’t know that either.”
Even Hassan, who was well-informed, was clueless about such details.
If Hassan didn’t know, it was clearly difficult information for an outsider to access.
Caught up in his thoughts, Lee Chang-jin suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Right, the Middle East was once a British colony. If there’s a retired member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or a British military advisory group, they might have such maps.”
Lee Chang-jin immediately called Manager Koo Chang-dong.
“You called for me, sir?”
“Yes. Find out if there are any retired U.S. or British military personnel settled here. See if they have maps showing wadis.”
“Understood. I’ll get on it right away.”
There were more foreigners settled in Saudi Arabia than expected. After extensive inquiries, Lee Chang-jin managed to obtain a British Middle Eastern map from a retired soldier. Though old, the map detailed the wadis, proving invaluable for farm development.
Upon examining the area concentrated with wadis, he found it was where a Saudi named Al Mutref operated an alfalfa farm. Lee Chang-jin checked the surrounding area.
“This is the place to buy.”
But approaching carelessly might alert the sharp Saudi, leading to a possible rip-off. Hence, Lee Chang-jin decided to use Hassan as a proxy.
“If I approach directly, they might get suspicious. Hassan, you’ll act as the buyer.”
“Me? I don’t know anything about business.”
“It’s not difficult. Just act like a wealthy Saudi. I’ll write a script for you.”
Though initially reluctant, Hassan’s attitude changed when Lee Chang-jin handed him a bill.
“For that, I’m your man. Leave it to me.”
Disguised as a wealthy Saudi, Hassan soon met Al Mutref, expressing his intent to buy the farm.
“You want to buy the farm? Why?”
Alfalfa is a perennial herb used as feed for camels and sheep. It barely sustains itself, lacking commercial value.
Suddenly, someone offering a hefty price for the farm made the owner suspicious.
Hassan, flaunting a gold ring, replied with arrogance.
“I recently took a fourth wife who loves flowers. I plan to plant flowers instead of alfalfa. Owning a farm here has been my dream.”
Amused by Hassan’s bragging, the farm owner soon relaxed.
“Ha ha, must be a lucky nouveau riche.”
With his suspicions cleared, the owner sold the land without much negotiation. The land itself wasn’t particularly valuable, so he had no attachment to it.
Having secured the land, Lee Chang-jin promptly began geological surveys.
- To be continued in Episode 109 -
