The Taste of Strategy (1)
In an office on the Second Floor.
As the walls were made of glass, we had a clear view of the stage.
In order to revive the chilled atmosphere, the dancers were intensifying their efforts.
Mong-Doo and I casually cradled our glasses.
“Thank you for helping my employees earlier.”
I returned Madam Shim’s words with a bold statement.
“No biggie, he was just making a nuisance.”
“Although they come here often, my girls have quite a dislike for them since they lack manners.”
“So you don’t have something like a blacklist here?”
While picking at some fruit, Madam Shim waved her hand, brushing away my statement.
“Since the people who come here are all specially invited, it’s not so simple to do so.”
Of course. After all, only those in the know would come here.
Furthermore, the very nature of the store was that it catered to the young and the rich, and that was something to be carefully cultivated.
“In any case, it is good to make your acquaintance. I’ve heard a lot about you from my employees. You have single-handedly increased our sales by a wide margin.”
It did feel like we had spent thousands during each of our visits.
All while enduring the constant nagging from Chief Kim.
So I had managed, at the very least, made a large contribution to the club’s monthly revenue.
“If you want a fine drink, then you have to make sure to pay the right price.”
“Would it be possible for me to receive one of your cards1?”
I was surprised by the sudden request, but I chose to play coy.
“Who would carry their cards with them when they’re planning to get drunk?”
“Haha. That’s right. I was just being a bit absent-minded because we’re talking in my office.”
She nodded her head as if she had been convinced.
“Since that’s the case, what kind of company do you work for?”
“We make a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Electronics are our main focus.”
“Ahah. And you sir?”
Madam Shim turned her sights on Mong-Doo.
However he also gave a brief, but vague reply.
“Our household receives a certain stipend2.”
–Chuckle. Well, Mong-Doo’s father does work for the Town Office.
So at least he wasn’t lying.
Although the meaning of his words were quite distorted.
Madam Shim smiled brightly.
Seeing as this place was what it was, there were quite a few guests who wished to keep their identities hidden.
Also, this group of customers were typically those who held a prominent political position.
I felt like I could tell what she was thinking.
On the inside, she was probably guessing just how much she could squeeze from us.
Mhm. That’s right. Carefully consider what kind of backgrounds we might posess.
The calculations inside her head finally seemed to have finished as she invited us to keep drinking.
“Please come here often from now on. We will make sure to take good care of you.”
“Well… Unfortunately your clientele seems quite low-class. And it looks like you always have the same exact performance and girls every single week.”
I muttered these words with great despondency.
As if today’s event had disappointed me greatly.
-Newbie. Are you just going to leave it at that? You’re supposed to be getting on Madam Shim’s good side.
Mong-Doo also turned to look at me in alarm.
However, the situation being what it was, this was more natural.
Looking at it from the outside, we appeared to be a couple of VIPs who just had our fun spoiled because of the club’s mismanagement.
Besides, these guys weren’t the type to easily let go of a big catch.
Although speaking truthfully, this kind of attitude could only be shown if you had the cash to back it up.
If a customer other than myself had tried to intervene, they would be the ones getting kicked out instead of Moon-Joong.
As I took out a cigarette, an employee who was standing in the back quickly offered me a light.
“I’m afraid that it is impossible for us to change the performance. It is already regularly revised once every two months.”
“If that’s the case, I should just come in once every two months as well.”
Madam seemed to pause for a moment in order to think before shifting in her seat.
“Would it be possible to satisfy you with a different form of entertainment?”
“Different form? I’ve already tried everything that there is.”
“Do you happen to enjoy candy?”
-Gasp!
I, Mong-Doo, and – of course – Black all missed a breath.
Candy.
That was slang for drugs that had been made into pill form, for example ecstasy.
Its addictiveness was weaker than methamphetamines and cocaine, but the hallucinations it caused were three to four times stronger than other drugs.
-Hey. She’s talking about the products. The products.
Black’s excited voice rang in our ears.
“Of course I do. But I like sugar better than candy.”
The coarse methamphetamine was called salt.
While the finely ground cocaine was called sugar.
Madam Shim’s eyebrows rose, seemingly surprised, as she continued.
“Those aren’t bad. But I prefer their cleaner alternatives.”
“Exodus and Ecstasy. I should have seen it sooner.”
“Oh my. That’s hard to say.”
“However, why are you bringing up candy now? Are you offering to sell some?”
“Haha. If you so desire. The truth is that our club holds a party once a month.”
A party?
I guess she’s talking about a ‘drug party’.
Footnotes:
1. A lot of businessmen in Asian countries carry personal business cards. There’s a whole etiquette built around giving and receiving them.
2. This is a vague way of implying that the head of the family is in politics and drawing a government salary, while potentially holding a very high position.