Jeong Gye-yeong called over the people who had been watching from a distance as they conversed.
“Please, come over and say hello. This is Park Jinhyeok, the CEO of DS Telecom.”
Park Jinhyeok slowly looked around at the people approaching him and Jeong Gye-yeong.
He then extended his hand first to Kim Tae-gil, the newly appointed Minister of Justice, to greet him.
“It’s good to meet you here. I’m Park Jinhyeok.”
Kim Tae-gil shook his hand with a genial expression, greeting the confident Park Jinhyeok who stood tall and offered his hand.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, CEO Park, through Minister Jeong here. I was actually hoping to have a chat with you, and a good opportunity has presented itself.”
“Please, don’t say that. The thought of the Minister of Justice wanting to talk to me is a bit intimidating. Hahaha.”
“Oh, everyone says that, it makes me feel like I’m some sort of villain. Ever since I moved to the Ministry of Justice, I haven’t even been able to meet friends and feel quite lonely.”
Park Jinhyeok was completely unfazed, even in front of someone older than him, chatting away as if they were old friends catching up.
Kim Tae-gil naturally felt a liking for Park Jinhyeok, who treated him so casually.
He also thought that being acquainted with someone like this would be helpful for his future political career.
“I heard you’re doing good work. Assemblyman Kang Man-sik here suggested we come take a look, and I’m glad we did. And even outside of events like this, I’d like to meet with you often, if that’s alright?”
“Alright? It’s more than alright. I’m the one who needs a lot of help from you, Minister Kim. I’m just grateful you mentioned it first. I hope we can be the kind of people who meet not just when there’s business, but whenever we feel like seeing each other’s faces.”
“That’s exactly what I want. I have a feeling we’ll get along well, CEO.”
Kim Tae-gil seemed to take a great liking to Park Jinhyeok.
Park Jinhyeok exchanged a few more pleasantries with Kim Tae-gil before shifting his gaze to Kang Man-sik.
The father of the son involved in the marriage talks with Park Seoeun.
A veteran politician in his fourth term and a strong candidate for the next general election.
However, the value floating above his head, considering the position he held, was not a satisfactory figure.
[3,000,000,000]
3 billion.
It was a figure far short of Kim Tae-gil’s 20 billion, let alone Jeong Gye-yeong’s.
Of course, if placed among ordinary people, a value of 3 billion wouldn’t be low, but where he was now was not among ordinary people.
If, while being in a gathering of core political figures, he only showed a value of 3 billion, Park Jinhyeok thought it indicated that person’s level was lower than the others.
“How do you do? It seems we’ll be seeing each other often from now on.”
“Indeed. I’ve heard as well.”
“Oh, you’ve already heard? Well, you’re family, so you must have heard quickly.”
Kang Man-sik laughed awkwardly, glancing alternately at Jeong Gye-yeong and Kim Tae-gil before speaking.
“Well, what can you do? If the kids like each other, there’s nothing to be done.”
“Is that so? They said they like each other?”
“You haven’t heard from Seoeun? Well, a busy man like you, CEO, probably doesn’t have time to chat with a much younger sister, right? Hahaha. They’re absolutely smitten with each other.”
“Is that right? Is he here today too?”
“Of course. He’s here. But I can’t seem to find where this rascal of a son has gone off to.”
Kang Man-sik spoke as if he didn’t know his son’s whereabouts, but Jeong Gye-yeong and Kim Tae-gil beside him wore expressions that suggested they knew.
They just couldn’t mention it openly in front of Kang Man-sik, but it seemed obvious where Kang Do-hyeon probably was.
And the fact that they knew another person’s child’s whereabouts indicated that Kang Do-hyeon’s behavior was far from ordinary.
“Well, Seoeun will introduce him, I’m sure. Then, I’ll be counting on your help during the auction.”
“Hahaha. You have nothing to worry about for today’s auction, CEO. I’ll take care of everything, so just relax.”
Park Jinhyeok gave an awkward smile toward Kang Man-sik, who was boasting loudly, then bowed his head to the others in greeting and left the spot.
He was going to find Kang Do-hyeon, Park Seoeun’s supposed match.
Finding Kang Do-hyeon wasn’t difficult.
Because he was planted squarely right where one would expect him to be.
Kang Do-hyeon, flirting with female celebrities and acting chummy with male celebrities, was the spitting image of his father, Kang Man-sik.
Beside him, Park Seoeun was also guarding the seat next to Kang Man-sik with an amiable expression, different from how she was at home.
When Park Jinhyeok appeared, people’s gazes shifted toward him.
It might be unfair to compare him to celebrities, but his invisible aura made even the male celebrities shrink back.
And the female celebrities were captivated by that aura.
Women with shining eyes looking at Park Jinhyeok, crestfallen male celebrities, and among them, those born with silver spoons in their mouths.
It wasn’t the kind of atmosphere Park Jinhyeok enjoyed.
But Kang Do-hyeon seemed to be someone who relished such gatherings.
Even while openly looking at Park Jinhyeok, Kang Do-hyeon was poking the side of a female celebrity next to him and joking around.
Park Jinhyeok looked at Park Seoeun with a pitiful expression.
His face said, ‘Is this the guy you finally chose?’
However, Park Seoeun seemed to have immense pride in her choice.
“Oppa. As expected, Oppa doesn’t belong in a place like this.”
“A place like this? Never mind. I don’t want to argue with you on a day like today. Is this Kang Do-hyeon?”
Seeing Park Seoeun about to pick a fight, Park Jinhyeok waved his hand dismissively and extended it toward Kang Do-hyeon.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Jinhyeok.”
“Oh my. I’ve heard a lot about you, Hyung. Please take care of me.”
“I should be the one saying that.”
“Don’t worry about Seoeun. I’ll take good care of her.”
After finishing his sentence, Kang Do-hyeon pulled Park Seoeun closer by the waist.
Despite many people being present, including figures who could barely be called ‘big shots’ watching Park Jinhyeok’s location, Kang Do-hyeon was behaving rudely.
Park Jinhyeok looked at Kang Do-hyeon and smiled.
“Then, I’ll be counting on you for the auction later as well.”
“Of course. I’ll take charge of the auction. Don’t you worry, Hyung. Right?”
Kang Do-hyeon had his left arm around Park Seoeun’s waist and was touching a female celebrity beside him with his right hand.
It was a strange action, unclear who he was even asking.
Park Jinhyeok simply nodded and left the spot.
He knew there was no point staying in a place like this.
‘She really picked a winner.’
The figure visible above Kang Do-hyeon’s head was pathetic.
Park Seoeun didn’t show a particularly great value either, but Kang Do-hyeon was worse.
He only displayed a measly 700,000.
After meeting the person he wanted to see, Park Jinhyeok briefly circulated, greeting people worth greeting.
His own status wasn’t low, but in Korea, age was king, so it looked good to seek out and greet those older, even if their position was lower.
But still, Park Jinhyeok was the eldest son of the DS Group and the CEO of DS Telecom.
And he was the host of today’s event.
People were delighted just by Park Jinhyeok’s approach, and they tried their best to hold onto him and engage in pleasant conversation.
After spending quite some time like that, the main auction was about to begin.
Park Jinhyeok went up to the podium, took the microphone, and expressed his gratitude to the attendees.
He also stated that all proceeds from the auction would be used for underprivileged children and asked for active participation.
Under the spotlight and everyone’s gaze, Park Jinhyeok showed not a hint of nervousness.
On the contrary, his well-tailored suit and the makeup he received upon arrival made him shine even more under the lights.
Young women whispered as they looked at him, and those with daughters of marriageable age also observed Park Jinhyeok carefully.
They were mentally calculating whether they could reach out to someone positioned so high up.
As soon as Park Jinhyeok put down the microphone and stepped down, the auction began immediately.
The auction wasn’t conducted in the usual manner.
Instead of sitting solemnly, people stood, looking toward the podium as the artworks were presented.
There were many participants, and the free atmosphere was different from a typical art auction.
But whether due to experience with such events, Biksong’s preparations were thorough.
They captured people’s attention and directed focus to the artworks being presented, even if people chatted among themselves.
“Why didn’t you come find me?”
Han Jihyeon, dressed in a beautiful gown, approached Park Jinhyeok after he descended from the podium.
Park Jihyeok briefly looked her up and down, uncharacteristically, then spoke while keeping his gaze on the podium.
“Since we already know each other, I didn’t feel the need to go greet you.”
“That’s disappointing. I stood to one side waiting, thinking you’d come.”
Han Jihyeon wore a genuinely disappointed expression.
However, Park Jihyeok didn’t have time to pay attention to her right now.
Because the auction had started, and the first artwork was presented.
“The first piece is by the American female painter Mary Cassatt. As an Impressionist artist, her paintings are famous for delicately expressing the emotions between mothers and children. This piece is her 1908 work, ‘Girl Holding a Dog.'”
An oil painting on canvas appeared.
As the painting was revealed, conversation among the crowd died down, and number plates began to stir.
“It’s a good piece. But… that’s a fake, right?”
An appraiser who guaranteed authenticity stood to one side.
It was a statement putting both Biksong Art Museum’s and the appraiser’s reputations on the line.
Even experts needed magnifying glasses and carbon dating to determine authenticity.
So, to the untrained eye, distinguishing real from fake was impossible.
They could only trust Biksong Art Museum and the appraiser and believe the piece was genuine.
But that was only from the perspective of a layperson.
“It’s a fake.”
“Really?”
Han Jihyeon looked up at Park Jinhyeok with a skeptical glance, then turned her gaze back to the artwork.
After the description ended, the auction began.
Being a female Impressionist painter, the number of her works known to the world was very small.
And her background added to the rarity of her works.
Considering that reputation, the starting bid of 50 million won could be seen as a very cheap price.
“Starting at 50 million won. Bidding increments are 1 million won. 51, 52, 53… 60… We have 60 million.”
The auction heated up quickly.
Watching this, Han Jihyeon subtly spoke to Park Jinhyeok again.
“Is that really a fake?”
“Why? Do you like it?”
“Recently, a work by that artist sold for 2.2 million dollars at Sotheby’s. Of course, it’s not comparable to that piece, but still, it’s a low price.”
“Exactly. It’s too cheap.”
Park Jinhyeok knew the purchase price of that artwork.
400 million.
It was bought at a very low price outside the auction market, but the current auction was forming at an even lower price.
“Going once. Twice. Sold. Mary Cassatt’s ‘Girl Holding a Dog’ is sold to customer number 122.”
The person holding number 122 looked around, bowed slightly in thanks, and then looked forward again.
“Well, it can’t be helped. At charity auctions like this, most people come to network rather than to participate in the auction. And now that they’ve met you, the main attraction of today’s networking, interest in the ongoing auction has waned.”
“But still, if they’re genuine, as you said, aren’t they mouth-watering pieces?”
“True. That’s why I asked if it was real. But look.”
Han Jihyeon spoke and looked back.
Behind Park Jinhyeok and Han Jihyeon, who stood at the front, a crowd of people had gathered, looking toward the podium.
Park Jinhyeok scanned the people standing behind them following Han Jihyeon’s lead, then fixed his gaze back on her.
He was listening carefully to understand her intention in having him look back.
“With this many people… even if you’re interested, it’s hard to recklessly drive up the price. Especially for people like us. Plus, there are reporters outside and people wanting publicity… No matter how good the cause, spending billions of won here and there in a place like this can attract unwanted attention. You know, right? What people like us hate most is public scrutiny.”
Only then did Park Jinhyeok understand why the winning bids in the ongoing auctions were forming at lower-than-expected amounts.
He had thought they would form at least at or above the purchase price, but he realized he had misread the upper class’s mindset.
Oh Seoyoung had achieved the effect of lowering auction winning bids by hosting a charity auction.
And by lowering the winning bids, she made it possible for number 122 to win everything.
Park Jinhyeok crossed his arms, checked the picture Oh Seoyoung had created, and smiled.
Han Jihyeon pointed her finger toward number 122 and spoke to Park Jinhyeok.
“CEO. Your future in-law is sweeping up all the items. And at incredibly low prices, too. Won’t that mess with your plans?”
Once again, Kang Man-sik, who had won the artwork up for auction, waved his hand and smiled broadly at the people.
Finally, after winning six pieces in a row, he even went up to the podium and took the microphone.
“Today’s charity auction is a special day for both DS and myself. I’d like to take this opportunity to announce something. My son, Kang Do-hyeon, and DS’s youngest, Park Seoeun, are scheduled to have their engagement ceremony in three months. I hope all of you here today will come again to celebrate. And regarding today’s auction, as a gesture of celebration, I intend to win all remaining pieces at appropriate prices to participate in the donation, so I ask for your understanding.”
At Kang Man-sik’s words, the attendees offered congratulatory applause.
With a few words, Kang Man-sik had extracted agreement that he would win all upcoming artworks.
‘So this was the plan.’
The reason Oh Seoyoung wasn’t afraid to release counterfeits to the market was revealed.
By announcing the engagement, the person who would become family declared he wanted to win all the pieces as a gesture of celebration.
Oh Seoyoung had used Kang Man-sik to prevent the counterfeits from entering the market.
“Interesting.”
Park Jinhyeok crossed his arms and watched Oh Seoyoung and Kang Man-sik, who were receiving congratulatory greetings from the crowd.