Goblin Library - Chapter 158

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 158

Lee Gang-hun, who viewed time as money, held up the product and spoke.
“As I mentioned earlier, I need to sell a lot of these. Selling only in units of a thousand won’t even cover my travel allowance for coming all this way.”
“Your allowance must be quite expensive.”
Lee Gang-hun laughed at Sayed’s joke and shook his head.
“If all the money from selling a thousand units went straight into my pocket, that would be fine. But after paying the seller for the goods, deducting shipping costs, and factoring in the airfare and living expenses for coming here… I really do need to sell a lot. That’s why I need to prepare in advance.”
“Haha! That makes sense.”
Sayed, laughing along with Lee Gang-hun, looked at him and spoke.
“But will you be alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“There will definitely be Chinese people who dislike us buying goods from your side. In fact, there absolutely will be.”
“Isn’t that the same risk you face? I’m selling products, but you’re the one receiving Chinese money, aren’t you?”
This wasn’t a question meant to mock Sayed or challenge his thinking—it was simply a genuine concern.
Sayed answered with a smile.
“I’m receiving it indirectly through intermediaries. Besides, what our country needs most right now is heavy equipment. If things get difficult, there are plenty of other construction sites where I can sell. And…”
Sayed tapped the component lightly to show it.
“I’m not replacing every single part in our machinery with Korean products. I’m only changing this one component—they’ll overlook that much.”
Then he added in a more serious tone.
“The real problem will be the money.”
At Sayed’s words, Lee Gang-hun looked at him. Meeting that gaze, Sayed opened his mouth.
“What came from China isn’t just money and equipment.”
At the meaningful remark, Lee Gang-hun let out a soft laugh.
“This isn’t something to laugh about.”
“What I’ve learned traveling the world as a trader is that wherever there’s money to be made, flies are sure to gather.”
“Do you know what kind of trouble might arise?”
At Sayed’s question, Lee Gang-hun looked at him and spoke.
“Once they learn that Korean products are being distributed, they’ll try to find out where they’re coming from. Once they do, they’ll come after me. First with threats, then with simple beatings, and the third time… it’ll be worse.”
At Lee Gang-hun’s words, Mahmoud looked at him with a worried expression.
“You’re doing this knowing all that?”
“What profitable business comes without risk?”
Lee Gang-hun laughed lightly and continued.
“But it won’t be easy for them. I’m not planning to live here forever—once the deal is done, I’ll head straight back to Korea.”
Because Lee Gang-hun seemed to be taking it far too lightly, Sayed spoke with an even more serious expression.
“I’ve seen them a few times, and those people look quite dangerous.”
Even at Sayed’s warning, Lee Gang-hun answered with a smile.
“I know quite a few dangerous people myself.”
At Lee Gang-hun’s words, Sayed nodded and stepped toward the Mansion.
“Since you’re here, why don’t we have dinner together? I’ll invite some people worth doing business with.”
“Well, I’d be grateful for that.”
Lee Gang-hun thanked him and stepped into the Mansion.
That evening, Heavy Equipment Company presidents whom Sayed had invited gathered at his home for dinner.
There, Lee Gang-hun showed them the products he’d brought and persuaded them to make purchases, just as he had done with Sayed.
Most of them were persuaded like Sayed had been. They too frequently found their machinery breaking down and needing repairs at Maintenance Shops.
Sayed at least owned his own Maintenance Shop where he could handle repairs, but most of the others had no such facility—only a few mechanics on staff—so their repairs took considerably longer when breakdowns occurred.
In such circumstances, Lee Gang-hun’s proposal was appealing. Moreover, he claimed he could source other necessary products besides this one.
That too was welcome news. Ever since Chinese capital had entered the region, heavy equipment and various construction materials had all been blocked.
The reason was simple: heavy equipment and construction materials were expensive. Individual prices might vary, but bulk purchases inevitably required substantial capital.
However, when that payment came from Chinese sources, China would find fault with anything that wasn’t a Chinese product and cancel everything.
Moreover, foreign businessmen were also reluctant to introduce their goods into a country where China had its fingers in everything.
In such a situation, Lee Gang-hun’s offer to supply goods was a welcome proposal.
And they weren’t worried about Chinese pressure. The construction market was booming so well that even if they lost one project, they could move to another, or at worst, take on a smaller one.

Lee Gang-hun opened his eyes with a haggard expression.
A low groan escaped his lips.
After striking a deal with Sayed, Lee Gang-hun was introduced to other people by different contractors and drank every day.
Moreover, people in this region favored strong liquor. Drinking such potent spirits as if he were a seasoned drinker left his stomach feeling torn apart.
“I’m dying here.”
Muttering softly, Lee Gang-hun rose from the bed and opened the Window.
A rush of air swept in.
The region’s characteristic hot, dry air poured inside. Lee Gang-hun gazed out at the Hotel view for a moment, then turned to survey the room.
He sighed at the scattered documents and boxes strewn haphazardly across the sofa and table, then headed into the Bathroom.
While showering in the Bathroom, Lee Gang-hun chuckled softly and murmured to himself.
“At least hot water flows abundantly in this country—that’s one good thing.”
Since the country was hot, even turning the faucet lever toward the cold water side would produce lukewarm water.
After showering in such warm water, Lee Gang-hun took a deep breath.
Much of the alcohol smell that had filled the room had now dissipated. He closed the Window, turned on the air conditioning, filled a personal electric kettle with water, and switched it on.
As the water began to bubble and boil, Lee Gang-hun added instant noodles he’d brought from Korea.
He then chuckled and murmured to himself.
“Back in the day, we didn’t have these, so I’d boil them in an electric kettle.”
Koreans love instant noodles. Especially after drinking, the craving becomes irresistible.
So whenever Lee Gang-hun traveled abroad for business, he always packed instant noodles and an electric kettle. Then whenever he craved noodles, he’d boil them in the kettle.
Eating was convenient enough, but washing up afterward was inconvenient. If water got inside the wrong place, it could break.
But nowadays, personal electric kettles were available, so all he had to do was plug in the cord and boil noodles.
And he appreciated that it was waterproofed for easy cleanup.
While he was in the middle of boiling the noodles, he heard a knock at the door.
Knock, knock!
“Yes?”
At the sound of Mahmoud’s voice from beyond the door, Lee Gang-hun rose and opened it.
“Instant noodles?”
At Lee Gang-hun’s sudden question, Mahmoud nodded.
“Instant noodles are good.”
In response to Mahmoud’s answer, Lee Gang-hun added more water to the pot and asked, “What brings you here so early?”
“What brings you here so early?”
“I’ve come with the information you asked me to find.”
“How many?”
“There are seven people I think it would be good for you to meet.”
Mahmoud pulled out a notebook and handed it over. Inside were the names of seven people, their professions, and details about their work.
They were all Chinese nationals currently working in this region.
As Lee Gang-hun reviewed the names in thought, Mahmoud asked, “Should I add the noodles now?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
With that, Mahmoud tore open two packages of instant noodles and dropped them in, filling the pot to the brim.
“Isn’t the pot a bit small?”
“I can’t carry a large one while traveling on business. If it’s not enough, I’ll eat and cook more. This water boils quickly.”
“But eating shouldn’t have breaks in the flow.”
At Mahmoud’s remark, Lee Gang-hun stood and retrieved two more packages of instant noodles. He carefully tore open the bags to remove the contents, then folded the top of each package slightly to expose the foil lining.
“What are you doing?”
“Keeping the flow uninterrupted.”
As he spoke, Lee Gang-hun glanced again at the names written in the notebook.
“Will you lobby to prevent any backlash?”
“Where would I get money to lobby? I work for a small company.”
At Lee Gang-hun’s words, Mahmoud looked at him and said, “You pay well for the work you have me do, don’t you?”
At Mahmoud’s remark, Lee Gang-hun chuckled.
“I’ll pay you even from my own salary, so don’t worry. And…”
Lee Gang-hun met Mahmoud’s gaze and continued, “If this job goes well, you’ll keep making money from it.”
“Me?”
“Like I told Sayed, I can’t stay here long. Once the work is organized and clients are secured, I have to go back. Then I’ll need someone to handle things here in my place.”
Lee Gang-hun untangled the noodles with his chopsticks as he spoke.
“When that time comes, you’ll take orders for goods in my stead.”
“Me?”
“Once we secure clients, we can continue for several years.”
“Won’t other countries try to enter the market?”
“Other trading companies won’t be able to enter because they’ll be wary of China.”
“What about you?”
“I already told you—we’re a small company.”
“Because we’re watching China’s face, other trade companies won’t be able to enter.”
“Then what about Lee?”
“I told you already. We’re a small company.”
Lee Gang-hun chuckled and shook his head.
“Since it’s a small company, abandoning the China market won’t hurt us much.”
With that, he carefully opened a ramen package and began portioning out the noodles.
After dumping a generous amount of ramen into the bag, Lee Gang-hun poured the broth into a paper cup and handed it over.
“The bottom gets hot, so…”
Lee Gang-hun tore off a few sheets of paper from documents nearby and offered them.
“Put these underneath when you eat.”
“Oh… I didn’t know you could do that.”
Once Mahmoud took the ramen bag, I divided the remaining noodles into another bag. I carefully set it on the floor so it wouldn’t spill, then refilled the empty pot with water.
Splash!
Oil floated on the surface since I hadn’t washed the pot, but it didn’t matter. After all, I was just boiling the same ramen in the same pot again.
As I reheated the ramen, I tore off some paper, held it against my hand, and lifted the bag.
Slurp! Slurp!
By the time I finished eating all the ramen in my bag, the fresh batch had finished cooking, so I fished it out and ate that too.
After finishing my ramen, I carried the bowl to the Bathroom, photographed my notebook with my phone, and sent it somewhere.
“Alright, now let’s wait for contact.”
“Contact?”
“China is one of the largest sectors in Korea’s trade business. So naturally, I’ve bought and sold goods with China.”
“That makes sense.”
“Because of that, I know quite a few Chinese big shots.”
“Big shots?”
“It’s their word for ‘elder brother.'”
“Ah…”
Mahmoud suddenly looked at me.
“Are you asking them for protection?”
“This business seems more profitable than I thought. So I’ll probably need to extend my stay… and if that’s the case, I’d rather build some guanxi with the Chinese people here.”
“Guanxi?”
Before explaining to Mahmoud’s question, I offered some advice first.
“Chinese capital is pouring into your country too, so study Chinese language and culture.”
“Learning English was hard enough…”
“If you want to make money, you have to learn. And Chinese people love it when foreigners speak their language.”
“That’s true everywhere, isn’t it?”
Foreigners speaking a country’s native language always amazes and delights people, regardless of where they are.
“Anyway, Chinese business is also called guanxi business. For example… say you and I had a ten-million-dollar deal to do. But we’re complete strangers. Then the Chinese won’t do it.”
“Because there’s no profit?”
“No, there would be profit.”
“Then why won’t they do it?”
“Because you and I have no guanxi—no ‘relationship,’ as they say here. So we bring in someone in the middle who knows both of us. Then that person introduces us both, and your guanxi with me gets connected.”
“Wouldn’t the person making the introduction charge a fee for that?”
Usually, such introductions came with a finder’s fee.
“Sometimes you pay money, sometimes you give gifts. It depends on the relationship. In any case, the Chinese place great importance on guanxi. Without guanxi, there is no business with the Chinese. Remember this.”
“Without guanxi, there is no business.”
Mahmoud understood that this advice would prove invaluable to him in the days ahead. In his own country, business was impossible without Chinese capital.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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