Big Life

It felt like he could suddenly understand the Mandarin written on the stack of papers after listening to Liu Bao's explanation. The countless characters in his view were being translated in an instant.

He had once spent countless nights alone writing this , even though it had been a long tago, so there was no way he would forget it.

The interpreter smiled and conveyed Liu Bao’s words. “He loves martial arts s a lot, and he is confident that he likes those s much more than many other fellow Chinese. He has even read every single by Writer Kim Yong and is well-versed in them. He still looks for martial arts s whenever he has free ton hand.”

“I see…”

The smile on Liu Bao's face was erased soon afterward, and he started speaking with a serious look. He spoke with so much enthusiasm that he even gestured with his hands as the veins on his neck bulged.

“Yes, I feel the same, too.”

"Even readers unfamiliar with the genre of martial arts can easily understand the story. What an amazing piece of work.”

Ha Jae-Gun gnashed his teeth inadvertently as he couldn’t seem to control his exploding emotions. He was receiving praise from the Chinese for his martial arts , where the genre originated from, and on top of that, the praise had cfrom the head of the Central Publicity Department.

It was also his first that gained recognition by the public as Poongchun-Yoo. It was the s that gave him the amazing experience of going through a reprint.

Ha Jae-Gun was even crying on the day when he attended the alumni gathering with Park Jung-Jin and had drinks. On that fateful night, Ha Jae-Gun coincidentally met Elder, and his circumstances had changed entirely since then.

The overflowing inspiration and keen judgment allowed him to type ten thousand characters in an hour, allowing him to remodel the entire .

The results earned him Kwon Tae-Won’s compliments for the first tin his life and also made him cry a second tthat day.

His wallet was paper thin, but he recalled stepping out to buy Rika’s feed, which turned out to be ridiculously expensive.

The phone call from Kwon Tae-Won at the ttelling him that the was entertaining made him bawl on the streets with Rika in his arms. Ignoring the strange looks cast by passersby, Ha Jae-Gun sniffled as he walked down what seemed to be the longest road on his way home.

It was one of the most unforgettable days in his life.

“...”

Everyone else at the table stared quietly as Ha Jae-Gun reminisced about the past.

Liu Bao broke the silence after a while.

“He likes both the second and third parts of the series as well.”

“...Pardon?” Ha Jae-Gun looked up with his nose scrunched, his eyes meeting the interpreter’s eyes.

The interpreter explained, “He has read the entire Records series and is very satisfied with them.”

“Thank you. Actually, the last performed the worst in Korea.” Ha Jae-Gun smiled wrily despite making it a light joke. It was inevitable, as the last installation had both main characters from the first two parts of the trilogy and required knowledge from them before one could make sense of what was going on.

Liu Bao smiled as he listened to the interpreter and nodded.

The interpreter then conveyed. “He understands as well. If he had read the third part first, he wouldn’t have enjoyed the story as much as he had. And so… Please wait a moment, Mr. Ha.”

The interpreter turned to Liu Bao, and they began a short conversation. A few moments later, Liu Bao nodded. The interpreter turned back to Ha Jae-Gun and said, “From now on, I’m going to speak as per what I’ve been told in advance instead of interpreting.”

Ha Jae-Gun sat up straight in his chair, sensing that it was tthe discussion had arrived at its main point.

“Mr. Liu Bao would like to utilize the Records series in its entirety in China.”

“Utilize it in China?”

“Yes, Mr. Ha. From s, movies, webtoons, and, if possible, drama and games. He would like to introduce the series to the Chinese market via the above mediums.”

“...?!” The others at the table reacted first before Ha Jae-Gun. Was it because of their ginormous population that made the scale of their proposal relative as well?

The interpreter then pulled out a set of documents that had been prepared in advance and continued. “Our highest bet is placed on the movie trilogy, as China is second to Hollywood.”

Ha Jae-Gun nodded as he continued to listen.

“Many of the currently trending movies in China include more fantasy elements rather than traditional martial arts. Part two of the Records series is set in modern times, so if we were to do a movie adaptation, we think that it would be better for part two to be the first to get released, and part one should follow after it. The third part will clast as per the original.”

The interpreter then looked at CEO Mao Yen and added, “This was suggested by CEO Mao Yen. She has read the entire series as well.”

The interpreter then continued, mostly sharing Liu Bao’s views on the s. Ha Jae-Gun continued taking down notes, and he wrote down every single word from Liu Bao.

***

“Thank you for listening to my long sharing today.”

The meeting finally cto an end, and it was tfor the invited reporters, including Sung-Beom, to hold their interviews.

Ha Jae-Gun responded to all their questions sincerely and began to make his way out of the Korean Tourism Organization building at the end of the day.

He then said his goodbyes to the delegates, including Liu Bao, the staff from the Chinese Embassy in Korea, and the assistant secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

“Jae-Gun, you’re heading back to Yeoui-do from here, right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Where in Yeoui-do?” Hong Ye-Seul chimed in.

“To Cheonrihyang, a Chinese restaurant. The food there is delicious; you should look forward to it.”

Aside from the prominent figures, everyone else left in their vehicles and headed toward where Oh Myung-Suk and Nam Gyu-Ho were waiting. It was normal to have a more informal conversation with businessmen after the first round of international cultural exchange. And in order to not let the attendees feel exhausted, reporters weren’t invited to the informal setting.

“Welcome.” Both Nam Gyu-Ho and Oh Myung-Suk greeted Ha Jae-Gun and the group. Everyone’s seats were prepared in the VIP room of the Chinese restaurant, which was located on the top floor of a high-rise building in Seoul, overlooking the city.

“Mr. Ha, here’s your seat.” Nam Gyu-Ho pulled a chair out for Ha Jae-Gun. He had lowered his honorifics and formalities with Ha Jae-Gun on a personal level, but he still had to keep it up in front of others.

“Thank you, Director.” The swent for Ha Jae-Gun, as he replied respectfully before taking his seat.

The informal meeting began after everyone took their seats; everyone felt much more at ease as compared to the first round at the Korean Tourism Organization.

The first person to speak was CEO Mao Yen from Teencent Pictures.

“I couldn’t ask the most important question earlier with Mr. Liu Bao around. Is Mr. Ha Jae-Gun keen on accepting our proposal?”

His older sister would get married soon, and he would soon have to prepare for his own wedding afterward.

“I don’t mean to rush, so there’s no need for you to feel burdened.” Mao Yen’s words were conveyed by the interpreter. “But I hope you'd understand one thing and keep it in mind. We want to use the Records series; more specifically, we want to turn it into a movie, as it is a national interest.”

Mao Yen’s eyes shone as the interpreter conveyed the final part of her sentence.

Ha Jae-Gun listened intently as he recalled her life that she had shared with him before, about how she was born in an impoverished area called Suzhou in China, and how she had made a successful career for herself.

“...In other words, it’s an international business. I, along with Teencent Pictures, would like to turn Mr. Ha’s Records series into various media to serve China’s interests. I sincerely hope that you will give a positive response without having to feel burdened over it.”

“I understand what you are getting at. Thank you.”

Mao Yen did not push further throughout the meal after that, but Ha Jae-Gun still felt like he was suffering from indigestion, pressured to give them an answer before this meal was over.

“I’ll excuse myself to use the washroom for a while.” Ha Jae-Gun escaped momentarily from the table and washed his face with cold water. Nam Gyu-Ho appeared before him just as he pulled a piece of disposable towel.

“What’s wrong, brother-in-law? Are you feeling hot?”

“No. Wait, am I? I’m just feeling a little heat.”

The conversation definitely turned more comfortable when it was just the two of them. Nam Gyu-Ho then said as he unzipped his pants at the urinal, “Are you unsure of what to do?”

“Yeah. There’s no guarantee how many revisions they will request from me.”

“Indeed. The job seems easy, but things might snowball as tpasses.”

Nam Gyu-Ho frowned but still had a smile on his face, while Ha Jae-Gun let out a soft sigh.

“The words international business sounded quite scary, and they're still ringing in my ears. It’s makingworry even more than I should.”

“Look, brother-in-law.” Nam Gyu-Ho pulled out a 100-won coin from his pocket.

Ha Jae-Gun looked at the portrait of Yi Sun-Shin emblazoned on the coin and asked, “What’s with the coin, brother-in-law?”

“It’s a national interest.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s a business for the benefit of the country. But if you flip it over...” Nam Gyu-Ho flipped the coin and held it out to Ha Jae-Gun. “It just becomes a disgrace.”

“No matter how many times I bring this up, it’s still insufficient. Dignity, or honor, is key when dealing in business with the Chinese.” Nam Gyu-Ho glanced outside the entrance and continued, “I don’t mean to speak ill of CEO Mao Yen. She is indeed an amazing woman and is also a talent in business. But she has also used the dignity of many others as a stepping stone to reach her current heights.”

Nam Gyu-Ho shifted his gaze to Ha Jae-Gun. “And she has helped to save your dignity today. She must be hoping quietly for you to give a positive response without having to scratch any one’s dignity at the table today. Including herself, Liu Bao’s, and her relationship with Liu Bao.”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled wryly. Nam Gyu-Ho wiped his hands dry with a towel and patted lightly on Ha Jae-Gun’s back.

“She’s not asking you for an answer today, so let’s discuss this in more detail another time.”

“Okay, thank you, brother-in-law.”

“I should be the one thanking you.”

“Okay. I’ll head back first, so take your time.” Nam Gyu-Ho left the washroom first.

Left all alone, Ha Jae-Gun answered the call from his best friend. “Why did you call Jung-Jin?”

— Why are you answering the call like this? I’m hanging up.

“Why are you so sensitive? What’s up?”

— I’m working, of course. Anyway, Jae-Gun, I’m planning to marry Hyo-Jin around May.

“Really?”

— Would it be too hasty? I called just to tell you this. You’re the first person I told about this plan, so be honored.

“Congratulations, Jung-Jin. Have you thought of where to start and all?”

— We’re going to pool our money together and take out a loan. Then, we're going to look for a yearly lease apartment. Maybe a smaller-sized apartment or a spacious villa. I won’t be able to commute to and from work if I stay outside of Seoul.

Ha Jae-Gun swallowed. He was financially independent and thus would like to help his best friend out. However, he couldn’t bring it up as well, taking into consideration his friend’s pride.

— I know what you’re thinking right now.

Park Jung-Jin’s chuckle broke the silence.

— Don’t worry. It’s only meaningful because we’re doing this on our own. It's not like I won't ask you for help if I'm really starting to struggle.

“Jung-Jin, since we’re on the topic, I'll lend you as much as you need...”

— Are you deaf? I just said it, so why are you still trying to lendmoney? I’m really good, we’re both stable in our own jobs. I think it’s meaningful when we start things together and maintain them together as well. I appreciate your thoughts.

“You don’t have to pretend to be cool.”

Ha Jae-Gun leaned against the wall, smiling brightly. Just hearing Park Jung-Jin’s voice made his fatigue go away. Feeling guilty for not being able to meet his best friend as much, Ha Jae-Gun said, “I should give you a present then.”

“Yeah, I’m talking to the businessmen about the Records series.”

— Records series? What about it?

Ha Jae-Gun briefly summarized what had happened that day, and Park Jung-Jin reacted with excitement.

— Wow, that’s amazing! So the Records series is getting a movie adaptation? That’s the first bestseller under Poongchun-Yoo! Do you remember? I told you that our section chief even skipped lunch just to read it, and I was so surprised that I called to ask you about it.

“Of course, I remember that.”

— Wow, I’m looking forward to it. So it’s a huge trilogy franchise of a martial arts movie? I love your works, but I love martial arts and fantasy genres the most! It’s awesome, Ha Jae-Gun. I love it a lot, really!

Ha Jae-Gun looked up as he kept his phone to his ear, seeing his smiling reflection in the mirror. The excitement his best friend was showing made it surprisingly simple for him to make his decision.

1. Usually known as ‘Jianghu’ in Chinese s ☜