Episode 15: Shiksin Industrial
Contrary to its unassuming exterior, the scale of the factory was quite substantial. Trash was piled up like towers over the entire site, which spanned more than 10,000 square meters. The highest heap of garbage seemed to be at least 7 meters tall, and between the irregularly risen trash mounds, several excavators and GMC vehicles were busily moving around.
“Hmm… Is this the right place?”
“According to the address, it seems so.”
Goo Chang-dong wrinkled his nose. The unpleasant smell that pricked the tip of his nose was a mix of metal stench and lubricant odor. It was a scent that would make anyone frown even if they stayed still.
On top of the mountain-like heaps of garbage lay broken radios, dead batteries, plastics, scrap wires, steel frames, and all kinds of waste left in bundles. The stench was severe. Besides the rotten smell, there was the odor from leaked wastewater and exhaust fumes from the heavy equipment moving around the waste processing plant, making his nose sting.
Unable to bear the stench any longer, Goo Chang-dong covered his nose with a handkerchief and gagged.
“Ugh, the smell is really bad. Why would they pile up all this trash like this?”
However, Lee Chang-jin didn’t even flinch. Instead, he smiled faintly.
“Haha, this is all money. With this scale, it might yield more profit than owning several buildings in the heart of Jongno.”
Goo Chang-dong’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What? Is that really true?”
“Haha. If you think I’m joking, you can find out for yourself.”
In fact, though not widely known to the public, the waste recycling business was one of the most lucrative. During the 1970s, the government’s policy to foster heavy chemical industries caused the prices of raw materials to skyrocket, and since most transactions were conducted in cash, tax evasion was easy.
Lee Chang-jin himself had once seriously considered this business. If he were solely after making money, he might have ventured into it. However, the waste business was fundamentally a repugnant one. It was a business shunned by the local community and often involved disputes with the district or city, leading to frequent complaints. Moreover, Lee Chang-jin had no desire to engage in such a smelly business when there were so many other options.
The surroundings of the factory were reeking of burnt smells. As the trash piled on top got pressed, gas was released. Because of this, an excavator was clearing the smoking parts while spraying fire-fighting water to extinguish it.
As they went deeper along the road, they came across a square container building standing alone in an open space. It was a shipping container converted into an office. The structure was unique, with two containers placed at angles and a deck laid below.
[Shiksin Industrial]
On top of the containers stacked like blocks, a red-painted sign caught the eye.
‘Did they reinforce the foundation with concrete and then place the containers with openings?’
Lee Chang-jin, intrigued by the unusual steel structure, carefully observed the lower part of the building.
While Lee Chang-jin was examining the building, a loud voice came from somewhere.
“Hey, you there!”
A bald, chubby man stepped out from the container.
Dressed in blue overalls, his thick neck fat resembled a famous Japanese character.
The man, noticing Lee Chang-jin, spoke with displeasure.
“Hey, this place is off-limits to outsiders. Where are you from?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know the owner was here… I’m Lee Chang-jin from Daese Industrial.”
Lee Chang-jin naturally tried to hand over his business card.
But the man raised his hand to stop him, showing no interest in receiving it.
“I’m not interested in that. What’s important is who introduced you. If you’re a government official, you better leave immediately before my temper flares.”
His prickly tone suggested he had been through many grievances.
Sensing the man’s displeasure, Lee Chang-jin politely handed over a note.
“Excuse me, but are you the owner? Here, I came on the recommendation of President Kim Cheol-ho from Guro.”
The man snatched the note and scrutinized the handwriting.
Upon reading the contents, his expression noticeably softened.
“Oh, Cheol-ho sent you? Then that’s a completely different story.”
Wiping his salt-and-sweat-stained hands on his clothes, he extended his hand. Lee Chang-jin shook it immediately.
“I thought you were some unwelcome tax collector. Turns out you’re an important guest. Yes, I’m the owner of this place, Go Sang-don. You must be new here. How do you know President Kim Cheol-ho?”
“I’m Lee Chang-jin. I’m President Kim Cheol-ho’s nephew.”
“Oh, I didn’t know Cheol-ho had such a handsome nephew. Come in, come in. It’s still hot outside.”
They were led inside the container. Contrary to the chaotic exterior, the inside of the container was quite luxurious. The ivory leather sofa was plush, and the interior was pleasant. With dual air conditioners, the room maintained a cool temperature.
“Hey, Miss Kim! Miss Kim, where are you?”
“Yes, sir! I’m here.”
At Go Sang-don’s call, the sound of clicking heels approached. The woman, seemingly in the middle of a manicure, had partially painted nails that stood out.
“Miss Kim, I told you to paint your nails outside because the smell gives me a headache, didn’t I?”
“Sir, really… Okay. But who are these people?”
“We have important guests. Stop that and bring some coffee.”
“Yes, sir.”
The secretary, wearing high heels, walked towards the break room with clicking steps.
A moment later, she returned with steaming cups of coffee.
“It’s quite hot. Please be careful.”
“Oh, thank you for your consideration.”
The secretary kindly set the cups down and gave Lee Chang-jin a playful smile. Her chest moved like living creatures with each step, leaving an odd impression. Goo Chang-dong, holding the cup absentmindedly, was in a daze.
Go Sang-don, who had received his cup, spoke gently.
“Please, have some. We don’t have much to offer here in this remote place.”
“No, the aroma is quite pleasant.”
Lee Chang-jin closed his eyes and savored the coffee’s scent. Meanwhile, Goo Chang-dong, who had been staring at the secretary’s chest, accidentally made eye contact with her. When she playfully winked at him, he was so startled that he gulped down the coffee in one go.
“Ugh…! Hot!”
Unable to bear the bitterness, Goo Chang-dong made a grimace. Having been used to sweet coffee mixes, the intense flavor was too much for him. The secretary let out a small laugh, and Goo Chang-dong, embarrassed, lowered his head. Seeing this, Go Sang-don smiled with amusement.
“Haha, it seems you’re not used to this taste. There’s some sugar cubes beside you, feel free to add them.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Goo Chang-dong added lots of sugar cubes and sipped the coffee again.
But he still kept glancing at the secretary.
Enjoying the moment, Lee Chang-jin spoke up.
“Haha, but this coffee, isn’t it Luwak? Quite a sophisticated taste you have.”
“Oh, as expected of an educated man. How did you know?”
“I tried it on a business trip once. The unique taste and aroma stuck with me.”
“Haha, you have a good eye. Actually, a relative brought it from Japan, and I liked the taste, so I use it regularly.”
Feeling a sense of pride from the subtle praise, Go Sang-don smiled broadly.
In fact, coffee is a typical luxury item. Just as there are hundreds of types of kimchi and thousands of types of alcohol, it’s hard to pinpoint the best taste. Luwak coffee only became this expensive recently. Though now it’s a luxury item for the wealthy, during the colonial era, it was a coffee secretly enjoyed by poor Indonesian farmers under the watchful eyes of their masters.
Thus, the meaning and value of a cup of coffee differed for everyone. The value changed depending on when, how, and with whom one drank it.
For Go Sang-don, Luwak coffee was a way to alleviate his deep-seated inferiority complex. While his expression softened with a sense of affinity, Goo Chang-dong’s face became somewhat puzzled. Unable to hold back, Goo Chang-dong asked a question.
“But what is Luwak?”
“It’s coffee made from the droppings of civet cats. It’s quite rare.”
Upon hearing the answer, Goo Chang-dong made a disgusted face.
“What? This is… made from droppings?”
Seeing Goo Chang-dong’s uneasy expression, Lee Chang-jin nonchalantly replied.
“It’s not droppings; it’s the fruit. It’s cleaned and dried thoroughly, so there’s no hygiene issue. In fact, the fermentation enhances the flavor.”
Lee Chang-jin casually sipped his coffee again.
The rich body with a blend of caramel, chocolate, and grassy aroma was exquisite.
On the other hand, Goo Chang-dong, who couldn’t even bear to look at it, quietly pushed his cup aside.
Go Sang-don gently put down his cup and spoke.
“I apologize for earlier. I’ve been on edge because of all the inspections recently.”
“Inspections? What do you mean?”
“They suspect we’re dealing in stolen goods here. It’s frustrating to be suspected when I’m someone who lives by the law. I don’t know how they can push a decent citizen like me into a corner like this.”
Lee Chang-jin straightened his posture and listened to Go Sang-don’s grievances. In truth, his words weren’t very credible. Judging by the waste piled up at Shiksin Industrial, they had already far exceeded the permitted amount. With waste several times over the allowed limit left unprocessed, it was only natural for problems to arise.
However, there was no need to point this out and cause offense. Agreeing as if it was obvious, Lee Chang-jin nodded along, causing Go Sang-don to eagerly complain. After rambling for a while, Go Sang-don finally came to his senses and got to the point after two hours.
“Oh, look at me, babbling nonsense in front of a guest. What brings you here?”
“Ah, I came to acquire some machinery and equipment. I was wondering if there were any good medium to large lathes or milling machines. If I find something good, I’ll make sure to compensate you generously.”
“Oh, you should have said so earlier… All those are stored in the back warehouse.”
Go Sang-don led Lee Chang-jin to the warehouse behind the waste processing site. After taking a quick look around the warehouse, Lee Chang-jin felt a bit disappointed. The warehouse wasn’t even managing humidity, and many of the products were already rusted. Goo Chang-dong, who rummaged through the warehouse, shook his head after a while.
“These are just scrap metal. The engines are all broken, and they can’t be used at all.”
After searching the warehouse for a while, they couldn’t find anything decent.
Could it be a wasted trip? Leaving empty-handed after coming all the way to Paju seemed pointless. Just as they were about to give up, a dusty item in a corner caught their eye. On a hunch, they removed the cloth covering it, revealing an unexpected item.
“No way, this is? An American CNC?”
CNC stands for Computerized Numerical Control machine, referring to a machine tool with an embedded computer for numerical control.
While the vacuum-type NCs of the 1950s could only correct pitch errors or backlash, CNCs could compensate for tracking delays or non-linearity, making them revolutionary in their performance.
When a cutting tool moves, the machine automatically controls the tool’s movement within a very fine error range, allowing for a level of machining that is vastly superior to manual cutting.
“With this level of specification, each unit should be worth at least ten million won…”
The brand was from the American company Bullard.
Lee Chang-jin was astonished. Who would have thought such a valuable piece of equipment was rotting away in a corner of a waste processing plant?
Curiously inspecting the machine, Lee Chang-jin heard Go Sang-don’s voice from behind.
“Oh, that? I bought it at an auction a long time ago. It was about a year ago, I think. It was used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and came up for sale, so I bought it for 120,000 won. But after buying it, no one wanted to take it. It was too hard to handle, so I just left it there.”
Looking at the exterior, only the push buttons, handle levers, and a few corroded parts needed fixing. Just in case, Lee Chang-jin asked again.
“This… It doesn’t seem to have been used much. Was it discarded because it broke?”
“Probably not. If I remember correctly, it hasn’t even been used for 2,000 hours. Americans discard equipment after 5-10 years, saying its service life is over.”
Lee Chang-jin was astonished. How grand of the United States to discard equipment that could still be used for at least 100,000 hours.
Inspecting the equipment again, Lee Chang-jin turned to Go Sang-don and said.
“Then Mr. Go, I’ll buy it.”
“Buy it? Really?”
“Yes. I need something like this. If there’s no buyer, can I take it?”
As if waiting for those words, Go Sang-don beamed.
“Of course, I’d be grateful if you took it.”
“How much will it cost?”
“Just the original price. Give me 120,000 won. Anyway, no one else is going to take it.”
Surprised at the unexpectedly low price, Lee Chang-jin was taken aback.
“Is that really okay? You won’t make any profit.”
“Well, it’s better if someone who can use it takes it. It’s like pearls before swine here, just turning into junk if left here.”
In fact, the CNC was more of a nuisance for Go Sang-don. He had tried selling it at a fair price several times, but without a manual book, no one was interested. Leaving that part out, Go Sang-don continued as if doing a favor.
“I’m giving it to you cheap because of Cheol-ho. Don’t forget to come back next time.”
“Haha, thank you. But it’s quite heavy for me to transport myself. Could you deliver it by tomorrow morning? How about we make it 150,000 won including the delivery fee? Also, if you can find a gear-cutting template, that would be great. I’ll pay separately for the template.”
Go Sang-don readily nodded. There was no reason to refuse.
“Sure, that’s fine. I’d welcome that. Do you need an installation technician or a machinist as well? I can arrange that if needed.”
“No, thank you for the offer, but our company staff can handle that.”
After closing the deal, Lee Chang-jin shook hands with him.
The next morning, the equipment was delivered to Lee Chang-jin’s factory.
- To be continued in Episode 16 -
