“…”
Professor Choi Jae-hun did not answer for a long while. He was simply too busy observing the sprouts.
“…I can’t believe this is real,” he finally muttered.
“Are they not just ordinary sprouts?” Chairman Han Seung-ho asked, his curiosity deepening.
“Take a look here. See how the leaf surfaces are already covered in silver fuzz?”
“Hmm. Now that you mention it…?”
Despite his aging eyes, Chairman Han found that the unique color of the sprouts made them stand out clearly.
“Ordinary herbaceous sprouts are pale green, but Edelweiss is characterized by this fine fuzz even at a young age. It is a survival mechanism to withstand the strong UV rays and dry winds of the Alpine highlands.”
“I see…”
“However, the sprouts here have a much deeper silver hue than any wild Alpine species I have ever seen.”
It was incomprehensible. Even at a glance, these appeared far more vibrant. It seemed as if this environment was even better suited for Edelweiss than its native home.
“Furthermore, the stem color isn’t the usual light green; it’s slightly grayish-white. This is a camouflage effect to make them less noticeable between the soil and the snow. This is a unique trait specific to the Edelweiss.”
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
“If you are asking about its commercial value…” Professor Choi adjusted his glasses. “Edelweiss is native to the Alpine highlands, so commercial cultivation is nearly impossible. That is true not only in Korea but in other countries as well.”
“I have heard that part already.”
“Therefore, even in Switzerland, it is used in very small quantities for tourist souvenirs, high-end tea, or cosmetics. A single dried flower currently trades for 5 to 10 Euros. Of course, that is a premium price for ornamental use, but it trades for between 8,000 and 16,000 won.”
Chairman Han stroked his chin. “More than 10,000 won? For a single flower, not even a bundle?”
“That is not all. Famous Swiss cosmetic brands like La Prairie or the high-end lines under L’Oreal actually use Edelweiss extract as an antioxidant. For certified luxury ingredients, the unit price per 1kg reaches millions of won.”
“Hmph. It looks like that guy quit being a prosecutor… ahem, quit his job to become rich.” Chairman Han shook his head.
“Even if he only sells them for ornamental purposes, he can charge several times more than for common flowers like roses or lilies.”
“If we add the scarcity of being the only one in the country, the price will increase exponentially.”
“Exactly. In my personal opinion, the possibilities are endless. He could even link this place with local governments for flower bed experiences or tourism products…”
Chairman Han raised his hand to stop him.
“It gets exhausting when government officials get involved in business. They’ll just start complaining about high prices or spouting nonsense the moment the rates don’t suit them.”
“…In that case, it would be better to focus solely on extract processing. That would ensure a market value of at least hundreds of millions.”
“Good.”
Only then did the furrow in Chairman Han’s brow smooth out.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the farm…
“Wait, isn’t that Chairman Han Seung-ho of Sekyung Group?”
Assistant Manager Hwang Young-sik stared with wide eyes, eavesdropping on the scene.
‘I don’t recognize the middle-aged man next to him, but the woman behind them is President Han Yu-jin of Sekyung Department Store.’
Though he didn’t show it, Department Manager Jang Hak-soo was equally shocked.
‘Those two came all the way to this countryside in person?’
The situation was highly significant. Just then, CEO Baek Seo-jun approached the group, and a contract held by a subordinate came into view behind him.
“…Assistant Manager Hwang.”
“Yes, Manager.”
“Don’t you think we should tear up that contract?”
*Riiiiip!*
Hwang Young-sik split the contract in half without a moment’s hesitation.
“It’s been disposed of.”
“Phew.”
A sigh escaped Jang Hak-soo’s lips. It was a relief the kid was quick on the uptake.
***
On the movie set of *The Time the Moon Sets*.
“We should probably talk to him, right?”
“Actors understand actors best, after all.”
Lee Do-hyun replied to his senior, Jeong Do-hee.
“When the articles about the investment withdrawal first came out, I thought we were the problem,” Jeong Do-hee said with a bitter smile.
As filming neared its end, the real problem was coming from someone else. Today alone, dozens of NGs were caused by that one person.
“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry.”
The two leads cautiously approached the man who was repeatedly apologizing to the staff.
“Woo-sun, can we talk for a moment?”
“Oh, yes, Senior,” Jo Woo-sun stuttered.
The three of them moved to a corner of the set.
“Is something worrying you lately?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“We’re not scolding you, so don’t be like that. Honestly, until recently, the two of us were more of a problem.”
Jeong Do-hee pointed at Lee Do-hyun and laughed.
“One of us came back after having a baby and was out of it, while the other was overacting because of the pressure to shed the ‘drama actor’ label…”
“I’m sorry to you too, Do-hyun. This is a big opportunity for you.”
“Hey, what are you talking about, Brother?”
Jo Woo-sun and Lee Do-hyun had debuted in the same year, but Woo-sun was two years older.
“She’s right, Brother. Don’t keep hanging your head. No one can be in peak condition all the time.”
“Exactly.”
Lee Do-hyun changed his expression and began an impression.
“I’ll slice this one, and I’ll slice that one too.”
“Ugh, that scene was truly chilling. Just thinking about it makes my wrists ache.”
Looking at the shivering Jeong Do-hee, Lee Do-hyun smirked.
“Even if you don’t appear as a lead, or even if you only show up for a moment, you’re an actor who stays in people’s memories for a long time. That’s the great actor Jo Woo-sun I remember.”
“…”
“You can overcome this, Brother. No matter the trial.”
A faint smile finally spread across Jo Woo-sun’s face. “Thank you, sincerely.”
…However, despite their comfort, Jo Woo-sun ended up causing more than ten NGs that day.
***
It was an unexpected situation, but Seo-jun ended up housing more guests in the annex for the day.
“Can we stay here for a few days? To talk about the contract and all that.”
“Please!”
He couldn’t exactly make the chairman and president of a major conglomerate sleep on the floor of a local motel.
‘Why were the Shinhwa Department Store people in such a hurry to leave?’
Seo-jun chuckled to himself.
“We’ll be back tomorrow!”
“With a much better contract after appealing to my superiors!”
He recalled their final words.
‘They probably won’t try to lowball the price anymore.’
They surely recognized the grandfather and granddaughter inside.
“…By the way, what were you guys doing?”
*Pitter-patter!*
The Snowflakes turned to look at Seo-jun as he entered the greenhouse.
“You’re making a snowman?”
The snowman he had seen once before was there.
*Squeak squeak squeak!*
The Baby Otters were rubbing against the snowman and making a fuss. He naturally worried if that was alright, but they seemed to read his expression.
— They love cold things!
— That’s right! They even crush and eat ice!
— They go crazy for crushed ice!
…It was still late summer, so the weather was quite hot. However, that would change soon.
‘Autumn will be here before we know it.’
The weather lately felt less like four seasons and more like two.
Spring, summer, autumn, winter?
NO.
Spring, Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummer, autumn, Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinter?
YES.
‘The temperature will drop suddenly one day.’
He needed to prepare. It was time for winter preparation, and there was a lot to do.
‘First, I have to till the soil.’
Before winter arrived, the fields needed to be plowed deep to ensure ventilation. After that, the soil had to be smoothed to prevent the roots from freezing. This required dozens of rounds of shoveling and hundreds of pickaxe swings. It was not a job for just one or two people.
‘Then, gathering fallen leaves.’
He would need to bring in bags of fallen leaves from the nearby mountains. If left alone, they became a breeding ground for pests, but if gathered and used as cover, they were perfect for insulation. This was more grueling labor that required constant bending over.
‘I’ll need straw, too.’
He would need to stack rice straw from the paddies and wrap it around the roots.
‘And finally, windbreaks.’
He’d have to set up nets and drive in bamboo stakes to block the cold winter wind. It was heavy and tedious work that required several grown men to complete.
Shoveling, bagging leaves, carrying straw, and setting up stakes. Not a single task could be done alone.
‘I definitely need more hands.’
As the fields grew, it was only natural that he needed more labor.
“Seo-jun, are you in there?”
As he was organizing his thoughts, he heard voices outside the greenhouse. It was his parents.
“We just saw the contract from Sekyung Department Store.”
“You should handle these things yourself. Why do you make your old parents do this work?”
At his father’s grumbling, a smile formed on Seo-jun’s lips.
“You’re the one who has to sign the final contract, Father.”
“You should have just used my seal…”
“That would cause problems later.”
His mother looked worried. “Isn’t the amount too large? It’s just a flower…”
‘Mother, you won’t say that once you realize what kind of flower it is.’
“And they said we only have to grow them while the department store handles all the other business?”
“The steps after that require a professional’s touch.”
“No matter how I look at it, it seems too good for us…” His mother turned to her husband. “Wait, why haven’t you said anything mean today?”
“…?”
Now that she mentioned it, Seo-jun found it strange too.
“Usually, by now, you would have called someone an idiot or a sucker…”
“Hush!”
His father glared at him. “The Chairman is inside. Can’t you distinguish what should and shouldn’t be said?”
‘Father is better at social life than I am.’
“That’s that, but we need to start preparing for winter soon…”
“I was thinking that too. We received a large down payment, so should we hire some people?”
“Even with money, it’s a problem. The countryside population is shrinking, and young people don’t want to do hard labor these days… If it’s not foreigners, there’s no answer.”
“Hmm.”
Seo-jun pondered for a moment. It was an unexpected obstacle. Should he try to find people first, and if that didn’t work, post an announcement online? Or perhaps ask Sekyung Department Store for help?
‘If nothing works, I’ll just have to pay extra to bring people in.’
“Prosecutor!”
Just then, another guest appeared at the greenhouse.
“Hye-seo?”
“Father, Mother, you were here too.”
Shin Hye-seo bowed politely and got straight to the point.
“I just got a call from the set of *The Time the Moon Sets*. They have a shoot scheduled in Tongyeong the week after next. If it’s alright, they’d like to stop by and say thank you for your previous help since they’ll be nearby…”
“Oh, they don’t need to do all that.”
Seo-jun’s father laughed heartily, but Shin Hye-seo looked concerned.
“The thing is, there are dozens of staff members, so it might be a nuisance… Should I just select a few people who really want to say hello?”
At that moment, an idea struck Seo-jun. He tried to suppress the ‘evil’ thought. It would be cruel to make the hard-working staff do grueling farm work just for a meal.
“No, it’s fine. Since they’re coming from far away, I’ll treat them to a hearty meal.”
“!”
Shin Hye-seo’s face brightened instantly.
“Thank you! We will make sure to pay for the staff’s meals!”
“You don’t have to go that far…”
“What are you saying? It’s only right!”
…Wait a minute.
‘Didn’t Assistant Manager Hwang Young-sik from Shinhwa mention something about an agricultural cooperation project?’
A truly brilliant idea crossed his mind.