Chapter 18
Chapter 18. Egg Removal
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Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim is refusing to sell the land because of the graves within the 400 pyeong, but to Taeseo, it was merely an excuse.
This grandmother is holding out with her 400 pyeong.
Namgyeong Development had purchased all the surrounding land, excluding the 400 pyeong owned by Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim.
If the act of selling land within a development zone at a high price is called "egg planting," there is a concept called "egg removal," its opposite.
To resolve "egg planting," the law allows for compulsory land acquisition by purchasing 80% of the development zone and then exercising the right to claim purchase for the remaining 20%. Simply put, it is compulsory land acquisition.
However, this provision did not apply to the construction of a private golf course. Therefore, Namgyeong Development submitted a plan to develop it as a public sports facility operated jointly with the local government and obtained development approval.
Thus, the Seongwoo-eup golf course was to be operated as a public golf course for several years after development, and after the contract ended, Namgyeong Development would take full operational control to develop it into a comprehensive resort.
Under the guise of "public," the conditions for compulsory land acquisition were in place. If things went awry, Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim's land could be acquired for far less than the purchase price of 100 per pyeong.
Despite this, the local government wished for no harm to come to any resident, and any noise during the development process became a reason for construction delays. That was why Taeseo had come here.
"She's going all the way to the town office to try and raise the land price at her age; we need to push back."
Separate from his dislike of getting his hands dirty with unpleasant tasks, Taeseo was the right person for this job.
"The moment she realizes that holding out isn't a solution is the moment her head gets smashed."
Growing up, he had seen and learned how to move people with money.
He had keenly observed the negotiations between Namkyung Group and the union every year, and he had grown up watching his father, Chairman Kwon, deal with them.
Even if he hadn't been interested in management, his father's way of commanding people taught him how money moves people and how it moves the world.
He could negotiate for a slightly higher price, but if he backed down once, the other party would demand even greater concessions. The stalled negotiations could become two, then three.
At times, Ahn Yuna's situation was regrettable, and even Grandmother Kim Kkot-nim's desperate struggle to get a higher price for her 400 pyeong seemed pitiable, but ultimately, that was their problem.
Taeseo had no intention of abandoning the solution he had found, namely, moving Ahn Yuna's uncle.
It would be more beneficial for them to step down with a reasonable price than to have their land compulsorily acquired.
Whose pocket that money went into and how it was spent was a decision for them to make.
He had found a weakness, and now it was time to latch onto it.
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Evening had passed again, and it was mealtime. For Taeseo, who had started living alone for the first time, the most difficult thing was the three meals a day.
At first, he tried reducing his meals to two a day, but for Taeseo, who was tall and had a high muscle mass, resulting in a high basal metabolic rate, reducing meals was not a viable solution.
"Ah, the lady at Seongwoo Baekban made side dishes for me."
At least today, he didn't have to agonize over it for long. He had side dishes that the owner of Seongwoo Baekban had given him.
After the side dish recycling incident, he had seen the owner of the Baekban restaurant two more times, and she didn't seem like someone who would tamper with food.
In fact, seeing her actively supporting Ahn Yuna and confronting Ahn Yuna's uncle made her seem like a person with a conscience.
Since she had brought these side dishes as an apology, they must have been made properly.
Taeseo took out the side dishes he had put in the refrigerator. He first took out the chili peppers seasoned with barley soybean paste, freshly made stuffed cucumber kimchi, and steamed eggplant seasoned with soy sauce. Then, he took out the minced beef patties and jeon.
The food showed signs of being made with care. The neat arrangement in disposable containers, the color of the seasoning, and the presentation were excellent.
Having revisited Seongwoo Baekban, he knew the food was impeccable, so these must all taste good.
Suddenly, Taeseo stopped what he was doing while taking out the side dishes.
"Ah... there's no rice. I should buy a bunch of instant rice, at least."
Having only ever eaten meals prepared for him, he hadn't realized how troublesome it was to prepare his own meals. He sighed and opened the front door to go out.
As he descended the stairs towards the first floor, he saw a bus stopping on the street through the glass door.
Taeseo scowled upon seeing Ahn Yuna getting off the bus. The fact that she had gone to work and was coming home after her head had been bashed in yesterday was, to Taeseo, almost astonishing.
"She's a tough one too."
The stitches on her forehead and scalp were not glaringly obvious, but having seen her being hit and then going to work, Ahn Yuna looked tired to Taeseo today.
Suddenly, the Seongwoo Baekban owner's words came to mind.
'Yesterday was nothing compared to what she's been through. Back then, they'd break her arms and legs all the time. Now, they leave her limbs alone because Yuna brings in money, but if you were to strip her bare, there wouldn't be a single intact spot on her body.'
If her words were true, Ahn Yuna must have been beaten by her uncle constantly. That's why she could come and go from work as if being hit hard enough to split her head open was no big deal.
"None of my business."
As he thought that, he was about to look away from Ahn Yuna.
A dark-looking man inside a convenience store began to run towards Ahn Yuna.
"Ahn Yuna!"
Seeing his staggering gait and his disheveled appearance, Taeseo instantly recognized him. It was Ahn Yuna's uncle.
Ahn Yuna's uncle ran towards her as soon as the bus pulled away. Ahn Yuna stood frozen, as if her feet were tied, even after seeing him.
"Run, you idiot, why are you just standing there."
Taeseo clicked his tongue and turned his steps towards Ahn Yuna.
"Give me your bank account password, you bitch. I said, give me your password!"
Towards her uncle, who had started demanding money, Ahn Yuna said loudly.
"It's all gone on loan interest today, I swear!"
Despite the fear of her uncle filling her face, she didn't seem to intend to run. Or rather, she seemed to have nowhere to run.
"Don't lie to me!"
Her uncle raised his hand above his head again. Just as his rough hand was about to descend upon Ahn Yuna, Taeseo shouted loudly.
"Landlord! Hey, landlord!"
Calling her by the title "landlord" instead of her name, Ahn Yuna, drew the attention of both her uncle, who had raised his hand, and Ahn Yuna herself towards Taeseo.
Taeseo, puffing out his broad shoulders, walked in front of Ahn Yuna. Standing before her and her uncle, Taeseo breathed heavily, as if agitated. He looked like a beast in a nature documentary attempting to intimidate its opponent before a fight.
Taeseo glared at Ahn Yuna with a furious, menacing expression.
"Ah, fuck. The air conditioner filter smells, it smells?"
"What?"
Ahn Yuna's eyes widened.
"How long has it been since you cleaned the air conditioner filter? The dust, huh! The dust is just..."
At Taeseo's words, Ahn Yuna retorted in a small voice, as if it couldn't be true.
"The air conditioner...?"
In reality, the air conditioner filter was fine. However, Taeseo acted like a difficult, complaining customer.
"No, fuck. You charge 300,000 won for a tiny room like this, and then you maintain the facilities like this? I can't live in this room!"
Standing next to Ahn Yuna's uncle, Taeseo glared down at Ahn Yuna, standing with one leg crossed. Her uncle stood with his hands behind his back, observing Taeseo's expression.
These types, who are usually strong against the weak, tend to be weak against the strong. For example, in front of people like Taeseo, who are young, physically imposing, and prone to using harsh language.
Especially if that strong person holds the purse strings, they are almost certain to back down.
"Now, now, young man, why are you speaking so rudely? What's wrong with the air conditioner..."
Perhaps worried that she might have to move out because of the air conditioner smell, Ahn Yuna's uncle spoke. A strong smell of alcohol wafted from his mouth.
"Drunk old man, shut your mouth."
Taeseo said in a condescending tone, and Ahn Yuna's uncle visibly flustered.
"I, I'm not a drunk old man, I'm the owner of this building-"
"Owner of this building, what? Ah, fuck, this is annoying, I might just move out."
At Taeseo's words, his eyes wavered. After all, for someone who had lived as a notorious troublemaker in his hometown, Taeseo was the first person to confront him so directly.
Taeseo shifted his gaze from the insignificant man and looked at Ahn Yuna even more menacingly.
"Hey, landlord. Give me a refund for the accumulated rent."
• Footnotes
(4) Egg Removal: Slang for compulsory land acquisition. To resolve the issue of "egg planting," the law allows for compulsory land acquisition by purchasing 80% of the development zone and then exercising the right to claim purchase for the remaining 20%.
However, in 2011, the Constitutional Court ruled that compulsory land acquisition by private companies for the development of luxury golf courses was unconstitutional, hence the introduction of the concept of a "public golf course" in this novel to proceed with the story. (Clarification on the novel's setting)
