Chaebol

I stood idly in one corner of the art department hallway.

What kind of conversation was so important that I had to be sent out?

"…"

Knowing Chairman Park's personality, he must have already gathered all the personal information on Jo Soo-deok.

If he wanted to, he could probably find out everything—from the balance in his bank account to any hidden assets or secret relationships, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

Yet, he still insisted on speaking with Jo Soo-deok alone?

'It must mean there's something he wanted to confirm face-to-face.'

Hmm.

No matter how much I pondered, it wasn't something I could figure out anyway.

What could I do?

Instead of worrying, I should at least try to stay calm.

I slowly looked around the hallway.

Come to think of it, it had been a while since I stood absentmindedly in a school hallway.

In my past life, I used to act as a human scarecrow, guarding the high school cafeteria.

But now, the school's name, my circumstances, and my goals were all different.

Just as I was starting to get lost in these nostalgic thoughts,

Clack.

The large door opened, and Chairman Park emerged from the studio.

"Let's go."

"Yes, Grandpa. But…"

"What?"

"I wanted to say goodbye to the professor."

"You've seen her plenty in the States. Why say goodbye again?"

Chairman Park, showing little interest, started walking ahead.

So I just peeked into the studio and quickly offered my farewell.

"Professor?"

Jo Soo-deok barely turned to look at me, as if he was out of it.

What on earth did he hear?

Indeed, Jo Soo-deok had a half-dazed expression.

The usually smooth-talking Jo Soo-deok, who could outwit anyone with his words…

'Hmm.'

It was the first time I'd seen him so thoroughly shaken.

But what could I do?

Chairman Park was already quite a distance away.

"I'll give you a call."

Despite his dazed state, Jo Soo-deok still managed to bow when I nodded to him.

Sigh.

Anyway, I hurriedly followed after Chairman Park.

***

Meanwhile.

Vice Chairman Park Jong-in had been holed up in his office for several days.

It was his habit to dismantle and reassemble machinery whenever he felt troubled.

As expected, disassembled circuit boards were scattered all over the spacious room.

Even though the finished products looked different, once disassembled and mixed together, they all seemed the same.

But Vice Chairman Park Jong-in could distinguish between the various products with incredible precision.

The reason was simple.

The blueprints for each product were laid out clearly in his mind.

These weren't blueprints given to him by someone else.

They were the result of work he had personally done, even with oil stains on his hands.

Though they didn't physically exist, these blueprints functioned perfectly in his mind.

His only joy was in meticulously refining each of these blueprints.

But why was it?

Creak.

Today, he couldn't seem to focus at all.

It was because of the reports that had been flooding in over the past few days.

'Vice Chairman, there's news that Daekwang Electronics has been in contact with Yoo Won Semiconductor.'

'Today, Keumyoung Electronics sought out Dr. Yoo Won Kim.'

'The acquisition price isn't high, but most companies hesitated when they heard about the long-term investment costs. However, Keumyoung seems to be taking it seriously, considering a capital increase and seeking help from foreign funds.'

'Keumyoung, which should be solidifying its position, is making aggressive investments?'

What had seemed too unbelievable was now becoming a reality.

Keumyoung Electronics had held a shareholders' meeting and declared its entry into the semiconductor business.

Their first target was none other than Yoo Won Semiconductor.

'Isn't this a declaration of war against Hyungang?'

Vice Chairman Park Jong-in thought that he needed to act immediately.

If they lost Yoo Won Semiconductor, Hyungang would be forced to take a much longer path.

But,

Chairman Park thought differently.

'Didn't I tell you to wait?'

'But, the situation is…'

'And what if it goes over to Keumyoung? What? You can't wait a few days… Are you really so desperate for a company that might easily fall into someone else's hands?'

Chairman Park was someone who made decisions faster than anyone else.

For someone like him to tell them to wait must mean he had a solution in mind.

Logically, Park Jong-in understood this.

But,

"…"

He couldn't help feeling anxious.

As he tried to suppress his frustration and focus solely on his research,

Riiing!

The phone rang loudly.

Fearing it might be an alarming report, he answered the call with a heavy heart.

(The young master has returned.)

But what he heard was entirely unexpected.

"Ji-hoon's back? But I didn't get any notice."

(The Chairman personally went to the airport.)

Before his surprise had even subsided, another shocking piece of news came through.

(They're already at the garage.)

"I understand. I'll head in right away."

Vice Chairman Park Jong-in hurriedly put down the phone.

***

In front of the house in Hannam-dong.

Chairman Park hadn't said a word during the entire ride back.

As a result, I had no idea what kind of conversation he had with Jo Soo-deok.

But what was going on?

Even when the Maybach pulled into the garage, Chairman Park remained still at the gate.

"What's wrong, Grandpa?"

"That painting."

"Pardon?"

"Da Vinci's work. What are you going to do with it?"

What does he mean by that?

Is he asking about the appraisal?

Just as a question mark popped into my head,

"I managed to give up the Dürer piece, but can I really let go of a Da Vinci?"

"Oh, but it hasn't been appraised yet…"

"How about handing it over to your grandfather?"

"Pardon?"

"What? Don't you want to?"

"No, it's not that…"

I quietly observed Chairman Park.

There had been a lot of attention on me recently.

Naturally, Chairman Park was deeply interested in my abilities.

Normally, I should be staying quiet in such a situation.

'But this is the perfect opportunity to gain something!'

What kind of person am I that, even in a moment like this, I'm trying to profit?

'But, then again, it's not necessarily a bad choice.'

If I suddenly change my attitude just to avoid suspicion?

It might actually turn that suspicion into certainty.

'Alright, let's just keep doing what I've been doing.'

Once I made up my mind, I felt at ease… Maybe I wasn't cut out to be a novelist after all.

"Did you already forget what you told me, Grandpa?"

"That the only thing truly certain is not something to be shared?"

Nod, nod.

"But it hasn't been appraised yet. Objectively speaking, it's not even certain; it's practically bleak. Even Oxford's experts claim it's not an original."

"Knowing that, why do you still want to buy it?"

"What?"

"If the top experts say it isn't real, why spend a fortune on an unattributed piece?"

For a moment, Chairman Park's eyes narrowed.

"Everyone knows about your exceptional eye for art, Grandpa. When someone like you says to buy it right away… my heart starts racing."

"Is my grandson getting ahead of himself because he made some big money in the States?"

"Getting ahead?"

"Your heart's racing even though I haven't said how much I'm willing to pay. Isn't that jumping the gun?"

"The reason my heart's racing… isn't because I'm excited to sell it to you at a high price."

"Oh?"

"It's because I want to get the appraisal results as soon as possible. If you're interested, it means it's worth getting my hopes up, doesn't it?"

Chairman Park quietly furrowed his brow.

His expression seemed to say, 'This young one has really turned into a merchant.'

But he didn't seem to dislike haggling with his grandson.

"Let me ask you one thing."

"Yes."

"If it turns out to be a fake, what will you do with it?"

"Even if it's not a Da Vinci, it's still an excellent piece in its own right."

Chairman Park couldn't deny that either.

"It's an unidentified Renaissance piece, so the exact value would have to be determined at auction, wouldn't it?"

"Then what if it's a genuine Da Vinci? Have you thought about how much you'd sell it for?"

"Well… that would also have to be determined at auction, wouldn't it?"

After coming back from America, one thing I noticed was that the wealthier someone was, the more allergic they seemed to be to the word 'auction.'

Chairman Park was no different.

"Instead of complicating things with auctions, why not just sell it to your grandfather, whether it's real or fake?"

"Hmm."

"What? Are you hesitating because you think you could get more money at auction?"

"Hehe."

"Have I ever been stingy when buying art from my grandson?"

"You haven't so far."

"Are you worried I might start now?"

"But a Da Vinci is a whole different level. If it's authentic, the starting price would be at least a trillion won…"

"What? Do you think I wouldn't be able to pay that?"

"You could probably manage a trillion, but… I'd still want to get about twice that."

"What?"

For a moment, Chairman Park's eyes widened in surprise.

Naturally.

The highest auction price ever recorded is around 2 trillion won.

And here I was asking for that amount for a piece that wasn't even confirmed to be a Da Vinci.

But I maintained as straight a face as possible.

"It could be a Da Vinci."

"No matter what, 2 trillion won is…"

"There's only one Da Vinci piece in all of the Americas. There's nothing in Asia, obviously. If you buy it, you'll be the first in Asia to own one."

The first in Asia.

Even Japan's famous collectors wouldn't dare dream of owning a Da Vinci.

And with good reason.

There are just so few of his works.

"There might be about ten pieces in Europe, but they're all state-owned. The person who owns this piece would be the only private individual in the world with a Da Vinci painting. Doesn't that kind of symbolism make it worth investing 2 trillion won?"

"Do you even know how much 2 trillion won is?"

"I didn't know what 300 billion won was either, but it turns out you can still earn it without knowing."

"Ha!"

Chairman Park looked astonished.

It's only natural.

A kid talking so casually about money.

It would be odd if he weren't surprised.

"Could you really pay 2 trillion won? Then I'd be proud and happy to sell it to you, Grandpa. If you display it at the Hyungang Museum, it would attract many tourists from abroad too."

Subtly throwing in a plug for the Hyungang Museum.

Chairman Park had probably already considered that, but it doesn't hurt to reinforce the point.

"Of course, it's all hypothetical. It hasn't even been appraised yet…"

"Would 2 trillion be enough?"

For a moment, I thought I'd misheard.

"What?"

"Should I cover the taxes too?"

"Are you… serious about buying it?"

"Do you think I'd mess around with my grandson?"

This was completely unexpected.

I had anticipated that Chairman Park would drool over the Da Vinci piece if it turned out to be genuine.

But I never imagined he would try to close the deal on my first day back.

This was beyond my expectations.

"Tell me. Should I cover the taxes too?"

"No. That wouldn't be right within the family. I think it might cause legal issues."

"Then should we draw up a contract?"

"Pardon?"

"I'll pay 500 billion won as a down payment. If it's proven to be a fake, you keep the down payment, and that's the end of it."

"You mean you'd still buy it for 500 billion won even if it's a fake?"

"If it's confirmed to be authentic, I'll deposit the remaining 1.5 trillion won. How does that sound? Should we write up the contract like that?"

Two trillion won.

At Chairman Park's words, I couldn't help but swallow dryly.