Chairman's Office, Daehung Group Headquarters, Mapo, Seoul.
"Did you just say 100 billion won?"
Chairman Park Tae-hong, seated at the head of the sofa, raised his eyebrows as he questioned. His secretary, Gil Seong-ho, who was seated to his right, imdiately answered.
"Yes, sir. The young master recently returned from the United States with a hundred billion won fund for entrusted managent."
"Well, this is surprising," Park said, letting out a small, incredulous laugh. "Where on earth did he secure such a large amount?"
"According to President Choi Jin-woo, he received the investnt through a hedge fund introduced to him by a ntor at Harvard."
"A ntor at Harvard? Would that be Professor Frank?"
"That seems to be the case."
Crossing his arms, Park Tae-hong recalled the face of Professor Frank, whom he had t at his son's graduation.
"I knew he was highly regarded, but I didn't realize his influence extended this far," he said.
"As a Nobel laureate and one of Harvard's most distinguished professors, it's not surprising that he has connections on Wall Street," Gil Seong-ho explained.
"I see," Park said with a faint smile. Thinking that his second son was a cherished pupil of such a renowned professor filled him with pride.
Seeing this, Secretary Gil cautiously added, "If I may, Chairman, I suspect the story about Professor Frank might be a cover. Likely, the money is actually the young master's."
"His money?"
"Yes."
Park furrowed his brow, then recalled how his second son had won a substantial sum in a lottery in the U.S. and later profited greatly by betting on the collapse of the British pound. He nodded slightly.
"Now that you ntion it, the boy did have quite a bit of money saved up."
"Considering the lottery winnings and his profits from the pound, his assets likely amount to around 130 to 140 billion won."
Though Seok-won had grown his wealth significantly through bold leveraged investnts, his father wasn't aware of the full extent of his fortune.
"That could be true," Park admitted, picking up his teacup, only to set it down again when he realized the coffee had gone cold.
"Why do you think he suddenly brought such a large sum back to Korea?" he asked.
"The most accurate way to find out would be to ask him directly, but I guess that he wants to engage in more extensive investnts."
"Isn't he already managing 20 billion won? Isn't that enough?"
Park's furrowed brows deepened.
"The more funds you have, the more opportunities you can pursue," Gil replied.
"Hmm, that's true," Park said, nodding. Then he let out a small chuckle.
"Only soone bold enough to think 20 billion isn't enough would bring in 100 billion to invest. The boy certainly has guts."
"You can see where he gets that boldness from, sir," Gil said tactfully.
Park laughed heartily. "Hahaha, do you think so?"
It was clear he was delighted by the complint, as any parent would be when hearing praise about their child.
"The funds are expected to arrive within three days. How would you like to proceed?"
Park stroked his clean-shaven chin thoughtfully before asking, "Bringing in the money won't cause any problems, will it?"
Gil imdiately reassured him, "No, sir. Since it's foreign currency being brought in rather than sent out, and the investnt is structured as hedge fund capital, there are no legal issues."
"That's good. I doubt he'd do anything carelessly," Park said, showing trust in his second son's judgnt.
"Let's leave him to his business and pretend we don't know about it."
"Understood."
"Also, don't ntion this to President Choi. There's no need for word of such a large sum to spread."
"Of course, sir."
Just then, Chief Secretary Chu Se-young, whose hairline was starting to recede, entered after knocking.
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but if you don't leave now, you'll be late for your next engagent."
"Is it that ti already?" Park asked, checking his wristwatch.
"The luncheon is scheduled at Baekje Hotel, correct?"
"Yes, sir," Chu confird.
"And Pri Minister Woo Tae-hyung will be in attendance, so it's best not to be late," Gil added.
"I suppose so," Park replied, though he made no imdiate move to leave.
***
Baekje Hotel, Jung-gu, Seoul.
The luxurious banquet hall was set with 30 round tables covered in crisp white linens. Silver tableware glead under the light of ornate chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling.
Soft classical music played in the background as musicians in elegant dresses perford near the back of the hall. Early arrivals mingled, exchanging light conversation as they awaited the luncheon to begin.
The presence of many of Korea's most prominent business figures also attracted dozens of reporters, who crowded the entrance, caras ready to capture every arrival.
A buzz spread through the crowd as soone gestured toward the elevators.
"It's Chairman Park Tae-hong of Daehung Group."
"His presence is commanding as always."
Accompanied by Chief Secretary Chu, Park walked down the red-carpeted corridor toward the banquet hall entrance. Reporters sward, snapping photos and recording video, though no one asked questions as per prior agreent.
Upon entering the hall, Chu leaned in and said quietly, "I'll wait outside."
"Alright," Park replied with a slight nod.
As Park scanned the room, his gaze landed on none other than Chairman Woo Yong-gap, who stood in the centre of the hall, chatting animatedly with a group.
"Tsk. You avoid filth not because you're scared but because it's dirty," Park muttered under his breath.
Noticing Chairman Yu Chun-seok of Daegwang Group standing to the left, Park imdiately walked over.
"Chairman Yu," he called out.
Yu Chun-seok, a man of average height and slim build, turned and greeted him warmly. "Chairman Park! You've arrived."
Although the Daegwang Group was significantly larger than the Daehung Group, the two chairn had a longstanding friendship. Moreover, as Park was six years Yu's senior, having been born in 1930, they addressed each other informally.
"I heard you were in Europe, so I didn't expect you to attend today. Did you return early?"
"With Pri Minister Woo in attendance, I couldn't miss this. I adjusted my schedule and ca back two days early."
Park signalled to a passing waitress, picking up a glass of champagne from her tray. Lowering his voice, he asked Yu, "Is this because of the Real-Na Financial System?"
Yu grimaced before responding. "Our overseas expansion requires significant funding, but ever since the system's implentation, liquidity in the market has dried up. It's been a real headache."
"Still, isn't the situation a bit better now than it was initially?"
"There's so movent in the promissory note market, but it's still nothing compared to before. Securing funds is a constant struggle."
Other attendees who had been chatting with Yu joined in, airing their own grievances.
"Chairman Yu is right."
"It's almost impossible to secure funding these days. Everyone at the lower levels is in a frenzy."
Park nodded in agreent. It had been over two months since the Real-Na Financial System was introduced, yet the financial market remained tight. Major financiers were holding onto their cash, wary of governnt scrutiny, and liquidity remained constrained.
"If the Pri Minister is attending this luncheon, perhaps he'll propose so solutions to ease the liquidity crunch," Park suggested.
"Let's hope so. Otherwise, businesses will grind to a halt," Yu replied with a sigh.
As the conversation continued, Park suddenly sensed soone approaching from behind.
"Chairman Yu," ca an unwelco voice.
Park's expression darkened as he turned to see none other than Woo Yong-gap, accompanied by a young man.
Knowing the animosity between Park and Woo, Yu quickly extended a hand to diffuse the tension.
"Chairman Woo, it's been a while."
"I heard you recently opened a new TV factory in Poland. Congratulations, albeit belatedly," Woo said.
"Thank you."
Woo then turned to Park with a less-than-pleasant expression. "I see you're here too."
Feigning indifference, Park retorted, "It's a Federation of Korean Industries event. Naturally, I'm attending. By the way, your voice carries so much that I could hear you all the way from the entrance. I ca over here to escape the noise, but I didn't expect you to greet
first."
Woo's face twitched at Park's sarcastic tone.
"I heard you sold your volleyball team," Woo said, clearly looking for a fight. "I suppose the textile business isn't doing as well as it used to. Running low on cash?"
Park's face stiffened. Selling the team to cut costs had been a practical decision, but Woo's pointed remark hit a nerve.
"Even so, that team once held a record of 184 consecutive wins. It's a sha. I've been considering running a corporate team myself—if you're in a pinch, I could buy it from you."
"I'd sooner dissolve the team than sell it to you," Park shot back.
"What?"
Sensing the escalating tension, Yu quickly intervened. "Gentlen, please! There are reporters outside. Let's not make a scene."
Both n begrudgingly backed down, though their heated glares spoke volus.
To lighten the mood, Yu turned to Woo's companion. "By the way, who's the young man with you, Chairman Woo?"
"Ah, I should have introduced him sooner," Woo said, his tone softening. He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder with pride.
"This is my eldest son."
The young man, Woo Ho-geun, was tall and sharp-featured, with striking eyebrows and a piercing gaze.
"Nice to et you. I'm Woo Ho-geun," he said politely.
"Your son is very handso," Yu remarked with a smile.
Other attendees chid in with praise.
"Indeed. What a fine young man."
"You must be proud, Chairman Woo."
"Ha ha, thank you all," Woo replied, beaming. "He graduated from university and will be joining the group next year to learn the business. I brought him today to introduce him to everyone, so please take good care of him."
"Of course," Yu said, clearly taking note of the young man's potential as Donghae Group's future successor.
"Let's see each other often," Yu said.
"Yes, I look forward to learning from you," Woo Ho-geun replied.
At that mont, Yu turned to Park. "Co to think of it, isn't your second son about the sa age as Ho-geun?"
"My second son graduated from Harvard and is currently working at one of our subsidiaries to gain experience," Park said, emphasizing the word "Harvard" with pride.
"What? Your son graduated from Harvard?" one attendee exclaid in surprise.
"That's remarkable. Isn't that one of the top universities in the U.S.?"
"I've heard about your son before. A brilliant young man, isn't he?"
"Yes, and rumour has it he's quite good-looking too," another added.
The conversation quickly shifted focus to Park's son, much to Woo's displeasure.
Smiling smugly, Park added, "He takes after
in intelligence. He attended Harvard on a full scholarship for all four years."
"Is that true?" Yu said, visibly impressed.
"A full scholarship at Harvard? That's incredible," another chid in.
One attendee couldn't resist asking, "I have a daughter studying music at Ewha University. Would you consider introducing them?"
"And my niece—she's very bright!" another offered eagerly.
Watching the attention shift entirely to Park, Woo's face darkened.
"Which university did you attend in the U.S.?" Park suddenly asked Woo Ho-geun.
"Um… I attended San Diego Point University," Ho-geun replied hesitantly.
The unfamiliar na prompted puzzled looks from the group.
"San Diego Point? Have you heard of it?"
"No, I haven't," ca the murmured replies.
The atmosphere grew noticeably colder. It was clear that Woo Ho-geun's university wasn't prestigious, unlike Harvard.
"It's not where you studied but what you learned there that matters. I'm sure you'll be a great help to your father," Park said with a polite cough.
"…Yes," Ho-Geun replied awkwardly, his voice barely audible.
Woo's face contorted in humiliation.
Just then, a commotion at the entrance signalled the arrival of the Pri Minister.
"It looks like the Pri Minister has arrived," Yu said, glancing toward the door.
"Let's go greet him," Park said, his smile now easy and confident.
As Park and the others moved toward the entrance, Woo remained behind, glaring at his son with frustration.
"This is humiliating because of you!" he hissed.
"But, Father…"
"Enough! Just go ho!"
Woo stord off toward the Pri Minister, leaving his son standing there, seething with resentnt.
"That damn Seok-won," Ho-geun muttered bitterly, clenching his fists.
Although Seok-won wasn't even present, Ho-geun couldn't help but bla him for the humiliation. His face flushed with anger, he struggled to contain his fury.
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