Jinhyuk Park tapped his desk while sitting.
Gazing toward the ceiling at a slight angle, Jinhyuk spoke without turning his head. “Is what you just told me something most people know? Or is it something only a few are aware of?”
“Are you asking if it is a story the elders would know?”
“Yes. You catch on quickly.” Jinhyuk turned his head and smiled at Han Ji-yeon, who understood his underlying intent despite his indirect phrasing.
Han Ji-yeon looked Jinhyuk straight in the eye and said, “There is no way the elders wouldn’t know. We consider a person’s current position, but we also look at what their future holds. Since we judge the future based on the present, there is no way they would ignore his current behavior. The elders might actually know his character better than we do.”
“I see.”
If what Han Ji-yeon said was true, it meant that Seyoung Oh also knew about the conduct of the man she was trying to set up with Park Seo-eun.
As a mother, she should have been concerned about her son-in-law’s deviance, yet the fact that she still pushed for the match suggested the man’s background was that impressive. Either that, or she was truly desperate. However, from the perspective of a mother with a daughter, no matter how desperate the situation, it didn’t seem likely she would push her daughter into a life-long shackle.
‘Her love for her children isn’t less than anyone else’s.’
Whether looking at Sanghyuk Park or Park Seo-eun, Seyoung Oh’s love for her children seemed substantial. After all, it was her attempt to handle her son’s business herself that had led to the current situation.
“You are still going through with the auction, right? I hope your mind hasn’t changed after hearing what I said.”
“Let’s go ahead. I need to see for myself what kind of person he is and what the situation really looks like.” Jinhyuk decided to see Seyoung Oh’s choice with his own eyes.
As time passed, the charity auction had evolved into a social hub for corporations. There were even places that reached out directly to secure an invitation to an event hosted by someone discussing the future of DS Group. They seemed desperate to attend, perhaps realizing that they could build a lifetime’s worth of connections just by being in that room.
“Representative. It is time.”
Junwoo Kim informed Jinhyuk that it was time to leave for the Byeoksong Art Museum, even though Jinhyuk was still sitting in his chair, staring out the window.
However, Jinhyuk remained seated and asked, “If Kang Man-sik’s son is this kind of guy… why did she approve it?”
Jinhyuk was tapping his finger on the report Junwoo Kim had compiled regarding Kang Do-hyun, the man meant to be Park Seo-eun’s partner. After Han Ji-yeon shared the information, Jinhyuk had instructed Junwoo Kim to investigate the history of Kang Man-sik and his son. It wasn’t that he was worried about Park Seo-eun; rather, he wanted to confirm Seyoung Oh’s intentions.
Yet, the more he looked into it, the more pathetic Kang Do-hyun’s record appeared. The fact that he wasn’t particularly talented was something his family background could solve. Seyoung Oh likely wasn’t moving forward for Kang Do-hyun himself, but for Kang Man-sik.
However, his depravity was difficult to put into words. There were even rumors that he had touched drugs, and Kang Man-sik had to clean up after several people to cover it up. Han Ji-yeon had compared him to Jinhyuk’s old notoriety, but Kang Do-hyun’s stories were far more intense, making Jinhyuk’s past reputation look like nothing.
‘I don’t consider myself her brother, so it doesn’t matter who she gets mixed up with, but this is a bit much.’
“Representative. Could you please do your thinking while we head to Byeoksong? We are running tight on time.” Junwoo Kim looked at Jinhyuk with an anxious expression. If they got caught in traffic, they might be late.
The charity auction was no longer just a DS Telecom event. It had become a full-scale charity gala featuring DS Group, Jinhyuk Park, and even Seyoung Oh. The guest list surpassed most high-end events, and congratulatory messages poured in from all sectors. The media had also sent in requests for coverage. Junwoo Kim was frantic at the thought that Jinhyuk, the main attraction, might be late.
Seeing Junwoo Kim pacing nervously, Jinhyuk smiled and stood up. “Fine. Let’s go. I’ll find out when I get there.”
Realizing that sitting and thinking all day wouldn’t provide an answer, Jinhyuk finally moved. At that, Junwoo Kim called in the coordinators as if he had been waiting for the moment.
Suddenly, several people rushed in with clothes, and some lunged at Jinhyuk to apply powder to his face and fix his hair, leaving him dazed.
“What is this, Chief Kim?”
“Representative, please bear with it for a moment. It will be over soon.”
Jinhyuk finally understood why Junwoo had been as restless as a dog that needed to go out; he needed time to dress Jinhyuk up. As Jinhyuk watched Junwoo compare two suits that looked identical to his eyes, he threw out a comment.
“Why go through all this trouble? I could have just gone as I was.”
“I would have let it slide if it were any other time. But the VIPs coming today are no joke. A more diverse crowd has gathered than at Executive Director Sanghyuk Park’s engagement party. Plus, cameras will be there. Since this is your first real debut in such a place, how could I not prepare? Please hold still. It will be done soon. You, the makeup artist—please hop in the car and finish it on the way.”
Understanding Junwoo Kim’s point, Jinhyuk stopped moving and left his body to their ministrations. After putting on the selected clothes and getting his hair styled, he got into the car. He dropped off the person who had been incessantly dabbing powder on his face in the back seat midway and headed to the Byeoksong Art Museum.
Usually, the Byeoksong Art Museum was quiet in the evenings as there were no visitors, but today was different. Numerous cars surrounded the area, and attendants who couldn’t enter lingered outside, making the exterior look packed with people.
On one side, a photo wall had been set up where celebrities were standing before flashing cameras. After their photos were taken, the celebrities moved to an area where reporters were waiting for brief interviews. The scene looked exactly like a year-end awards ceremony.
On the other side, figures from the political and business worlds were appearing one after another and heading inside. They gathered in groups of acquaintances, chatting as if they were holding meetings here that they hadn’t been able to have elsewhere due to public scrutiny.
“What is this? A festival? Why did they blow this out of proportion?” Seeing the bustling scene, Jinhyuk spoke to Junwoo Kim inside the car. He had expected a lot of people, but the current sight exceeded his expectations.
“As you know, Representative, people have been avoiding gatherings due to the Paris Flu. Since a meeting was organized for a good cause, it seems to have created this atmosphere. Plus, you are making an appearance.”
“What’s so special about me? To me, it looks like Director Oh intentionally made this huge rather than it being because of me.”
“Would there be a reason for that?”
“We’ll know the reason as time passes. For now, we just have to dance to Director Oh’s tune. That way, we can find out what kind of music is playing.”
When Jinhyuk finished speaking and stepped out of the car, all eyes began to focus on him. The protagonist of the event had arrived. Even the celebrities receiving camera flashes fixed their gaze on Jinhyuk as he walked in, shaking hands with various people. His surprisingly young appearance and exceptionally tall, handsome features captured their attention.
“Welcome.”
Seyoung Oh, looking entirely relaxed, greeted Jinhyuk warmly as he entered the museum. “It looks like today’s charity auction will conclude very well. There is already so much interest. Since you are doing something good, it seems everyone is rolling up their sleeves to help.”
Jinhyuk was simply curious why Seyoung Oh was acting so relaxed about what was coming next. If someone won an item at the auction and took it home, it would be revealed as a fake, and he wondered if she could handle the aftermath.
Regardless, he considered that to be Seyoung Oh’s problem. Jinhyuk gave a brief response to her words and looked around. “It’s a good thing that many people are participating in a good cause. You even called in celebrities to raise interest… You must have worked very hard to prepare this.”
“Hard work? Not at all. The Chairman called and told me to pay special attention since it is a charity auction you are holding. Even the Chairman is very interested.”
“The Chairman? You told him?”
“Of course. I couldn’t keep such a big event a secret.”
At Seyoung Oh’s words, Jinhyuk felt his questions being answered little by little. “I see. You told him. I understand.”
Jinhyuk nodded and went inside. Round tables were scattered here and there, allowing people to meet and talk comfortably. Simple refreshments and food were laid out in the center, and seating was provided around the perimeter to eat in comfort. It looked like a deliberate attempt to distract from the actual items being auctioned.
Jinhyuk took a spot on one side.
“Representative, please smile. You need to make a good impression when people look at you.” Junwoo Kim was by his side, coaching him even on his facial expressions.
However, Junwoo Kim’s words didn’t reach Jinhyuk’s ears. “She says the Chairman gave the orders.”
“Pardon? Please smile a little. But what did you say? What did the Chairman do?”
“This was the Chairman’s intention.”
People continued to stream into the banquet hall. The number of attendees far exceeded Jinhyuk’s expectations, and he had no idea just how many people had been invited.
“Isn’t it to make your debut a bit more grand?”
“No. No, it’s not. How far did Director Oh go with her story to make it like this? Did she only say she was holding a charity auction for DS Telecom and leave out the part about the artwork being swapped?”
“What do you mean? Are you saying the Chairman ordered the charity auction to be prepared on this scale even after hearing that?”
“Yes. Otherwise, this many people wouldn’t have gathered. Look. Those people came to see me? That’s impossible.”
Jinhyuk took a step toward the people approaching him and reached out his hand.
“It has been a while.”
“It has been a while. You look different from the last time I saw you.”
“Chairman, you look even younger than before.”
Jinhyuk was shaking hands with the Chairman of Jungjin Group.
“Introduce yourself. This is Representative Jinhyuk Park of DS. You will be seeing a lot of him in the future, so it would be good to get to know each other.”
The Chairman of Jungjin Group introduced his sons, who were standing on either side of him, to Jinhyuk. Although the men looked to be in their forty, they still seemed unable to exert any power under their father’s shadow. They greeted Jinhyuk with awkward but envious faces. Even though DS was a much larger group than Jungjin, they seemed to envy Jinhyuk for holding the position of Representative of a subsidiary—the largest one at that—at an age not even reaching thirty.
After briefly introducing himself and exchanging greetings, Jinhyuk returned to his spot.
“Jungjin Group is not a level we can ignore. And Guseong Group over there. In that direction, the Representative of Prism and the Representative of Seongchan Foods are also here… The weight is too heavy for them to have come just to see me. Then, did they come to win something at the auction? No. No matter how much they might want an auction item, it’s not enough to move the heads of conglomerate groups.”
Jinhyuk shifted his gaze. In the business world, he could quickly recognize some figures he had met a few times at the Federation of Korean Industries or other business associations. He could recognize them from a distance through the value floating above their heads. However, there were also many unfamiliar faces gathered who possessed significantly high values.
“Who are they?”
Junwoo Kim turned his head in the direction Jinhyuk was pointing. He then gathered the information in his mind and told Jinhyuk who they were. “It looks like people from the political world. I see the Minister of Justice, who was newly appointed to the cabinet.”
“What?”
The position of Minister of Justice was one of the most prestigious ranks among cabinet ministers. Moreover, he was a figure who had received much social attention due to the sharp confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties over his appointment.
“Why is the Minister of Justice here?”
“The person next to him is Kang Man-sik.”
Jinhyuk frowned and focused his eyes on the man Junwoo Kim pointed out. He had a short, stout stature and an impression full of greed. It is said that after age 40, a person’s life path shows on their face; judging by his impression alone, he looked like a man who hadn’t walked a path deserving of good reviews. If the father looked like that, Jinhyuk could guess what the son was like.
In his cold assessment, Jinhyuk thought the beautiful and slender Park Seo-eun was too good for him.
“Oh, Representative! You’ve arrived.”
A man who had caught Jinhyuk’s eye from a distance quickly set his glass down on a table and rushed toward where Jinhyuk was standing.
“It has been a long time.”
“I am sorry. I wanted to visit you just to express my gratitude, but it has been on my mind… I heard there was a great event today, so I took the liberty of coming.”
Gyeyoung Jeong, the Minister of Health and Welfare, approached Jinhyuk and greeted him.
“Have you been well?”
“Well? Thanks to your help, Representative… my standing has risen quite a bit. Hahaha.”
All the credit for receiving Pitallu from DS Pharmaceutical had gone to Gyeyoung Jeong. News that medicine meant for other places had been released domestically due to his excellent judgment had caused Gyeyoung Jeong’s popularity to skyrocket. Now that the Paris Flu had quieted down, much of the hype had faded, but it was an open secret that he would hold a key position in the party once he returned.
This situation had also been intended by Jinhyuk. He had signaled to Gyeyoung Jeong that he would give him a firm push, and when speaking through the media, he leaked the story that Pitallu was released because of Gyeyoung Jeong’s merit. Since a politician was the one who needed the fame, Jinhyuk had given him the opportunity to boost his name.
Gyeyoung Jeong had not forgotten this help. Deeply moved, he felt immense gratitude toward Jinhyuk.