A Playground for the Elite

"Oppa, you actually know where we're going, right?"

"..."

Damn it. Walking confidently into the hotel had been the easy part. But the interior of the Five Seasons Hotel was much larger than I expected, and unable to find the Grand Party Room, we kept circling the same spot.

"Can't we just ask an employee?"

"...Yeah, I think we should."

"Hehe, you're surprisingly clumsy, aren't you, Oppa?"

"..."

In the end, guided by a staff member, we passed between various rooms and headed deeper inside. Artworks and sculptures lined the hallways, complemented by a vibrant, luxurious interior design. As I admired the beautifully decorated surroundings, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Grand Party Room finally came into view.

Guards dressed in sharp, clean suits stood at the entrance.

"Hello. May I have your name, please?"

"Kim Sung-woo."

"Confirmed, plus one guest. Please enjoy your evening."

I strode confidently across the plush carpet, a familiar sensation under my feet. Near the entrance, a long table was laden with various desserts and refreshments. The party tables, adorned with elegant table skirts and arranged neatly around the center, made it feel almost like a wedding hall.

My eyes wandered across the dazzling interior, but the true masterpiece was the chandelier hanging in the center of the room. The massive crystal chandelier refracted light in every direction, brilliantly illuminating the space.

That thing is ridiculously huge. I wonder how much something like that costs?

"Whoa..."

It seemed I wasn't the only one awestruck.

"They look so good... Oppa, we're allowed to eat these, right?"

So that's what you were looking at...

I gave a half-hearted nod and casually scanned the room. People dressed in immaculate formal wear stood in small groups, chatting amiably. On the surface, this gathering was a charity event for the underprivileged and a social gala... But in reality, it was a den of influence where powerful figures from various industries exchanged confidential information.

Why did an invitation to such a meeting come to me?

Taewung Group was South Korea's absolute number one conglomerate by total capital. Is there any sector in this country untouched by Taewung Group's influence? You could safely assume there was none. I was a member of that very founding family. Of course, I was particularly special among them.

In fact, there's probably almost no one in this room with more liquid cash than me.

"Oh my god, Oppa! Kim Bohyun is here too!"

"Who's that?"

"Are you serious? You don't even know the singer who's currently dominating the charts?"

"No idea. I don't care about stuff like that."

The only things I listened to were anime and game soundtracks. Why would I care about some chart-topping pop song?

Exchanging such trivial banter, we sat down at the nearest empty table. Until the auction officially began, my plan was simply to enjoy the background music and stuff my face.

"Oppa!"

"Huh?"

"Someone's coming over..."

I whipped my head around at her call. Who was this? I'd never seen him before. As I stared blankly at the man approaching us, he offered a hand with a slightly awkward smile.

"I'm Jang Do-hyung."

"Ah, yes. I'm Kim Sung-woo."

He was tall, with thick eyebrows, sharp eyes, and slicked-back hair that fully exposed his forehead. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Overall, he had a ruggedly handsome, masculine look. The problem was that I had absolutely no idea who he was. What did he want with me?

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"Sure, go ahead... Sit wherever you like."

"Thank you."

Seo-ha shot me a look, silently demanding an explanation. I simply ignored her, pretending I hadn't seen a thing.

"This is who I am."

He politely slid his business card toward me with both hands.

Unilabs CEO, Jang Do-hyung...? I'd never heard of this company in my life.

"Oppa, that's that thing! Cryptocurrency!"

"Haha, that's correct. It's nothing major, but I created the cryptocurrency called Solar."

Ah, now I remembered. Jang Do-hyung. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠He was the CEO of Unilabs, the company that issued 'Solar', a cryptocurrency that had been skyrocketing in value recently. But what business did he have with me?

"Have we met before?"

"Ah, actually, this is our first time meeting."

"Then what brings you here...?"

"To be honest, I've wanted to meet you for a while."

"Me?"

Some guy I didn't even know suddenly claiming he wanted to meet me. Hearing that from another dude didn't make me happy in the slightest.

"It's hard to find anyone in the financial sector who doesn't know the name Kim Sung-woo."

"Huh?"

"And above all, as a member of the Taewung Group..."

"Cut to the chase, please."

I cut him off, my voice dropping to a freezing temperature. A chilly silence instantly descended upon the table.

"Haha, it seems I've offended you. My apologies."

"It's fine."

"This is the investment proposal for our cryptocurrency, Solar. If you ever find yourself interested, please contact me here."

"..."

So his goal was an investment pitch after all.

Maintaining a smooth smile, he handed over the investment proposal along with a slip of paper containing his personal contact information, then took his leave. He was the type of guy who pretended to be polite while subtly grating on your nerves.

"Ooh~ Oppa, I guess it's true that you made a fortune through investing!"

Investing, my ass. I'd never even opened a brokerage account.

'I inherited about 320 billion won, and after multiplying it through various investments, I've grown it about threefold.'

It seemed that single line I had casually posted on the online community had turned me into a legendary figure in the financial world. I didn't know the exact details of how it spread, though. But if there was a "super ant" retail investor rolling around with that kind of astronomical cash, the financial district would definitely keep their eyes peeled.

Of course, I had absolutely zero intention of doing anything as bothersome as investing or starting a business ever again. My goal wasn't to become a historically renowned investor. A historically renowned consumer, maybe. I wasn't that ambitious. I was too busy enjoying a life of luxury with the money I already had. Even now, combining my rental income and bank interest, the money flowing in was far greater than what I could ever spend.

After that rather unpleasant first encounter with Jang Do-hyung, the auction officially commenced. The host stepped up to the podium.

"Welcome, everyone. I am Kim Yeon-ji, your host for tonight's charity auction."

Click—

As she finished her greeting, multi-colored lights illuminated the stage. Behind her, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the projector screen lit up, displaying the details and photographs of the auction items.

"We will begin with our first item. It is the artwork 'Cheon-Gyeom Un-Bo' by artist Kim Yeon-soo!"

A painting that looked like someone had just sloppily smeared paint all over it was worth over a hundred million won? What's worse, as soon as the painting appeared on the screen, everyone started gasping in admiration and clapping. I felt completely alienated, like I was the only sane person in the room.

"How is that worth a hundred million won...? I feel like I could paint better than that..." Seo-ha muttered under her breath, looking utterly flabbergasted.

Thankfully, it seemed I wasn't alone.

I didn't have the slightest intention of buying it, but the other attendees clearly felt differently. The heavy silence in the room felt like the calm before a storm.

"The starting bid is 100 million won! Bidding increments will be in units of 10 million won!"

With the host's shout, the atmosphere instantly shifted. As if they had rehearsed it, paddles began shooting up into the air.

"110 million! 120 million! 130 million! ..."

The price climbed without a single pause. Before long, the bidding surpassed the estimated value listed in the catalog.

"190 million! 200 million! 210 million! 220 million! ..."

It seemed the concept of a "fair price" didn't exist to these people when the premium of "exclusivity" was involved. To think they were going wild over a canvas caked in random layers of paint. A hollow laugh escaped my lips at the sheer absurdity of it.

"250 million won! Do I hear any further bids?"

The chaotic auction floor fell into a sudden, heavy silence.

"Sold for 250 million won!"

Gavel bang!

The host slammed the gavel down to finalize the sale. Loud applause erupted, and the next round of bidding began.

I had clearly miscalculated. Having only experienced auctions through subculture media from the comfort of my room, the reality of it felt incredibly jarring. Seo-ha also seemed to have lost interest; she had hidden her phone under the table and was busy playing Epic of Seven Ghosts.

Finally, the highly anticipated final auction arrived.

"And now, we have reached our grand finale! The final item of the evening!"

Huh? Wait. What was that guy's name again? Jang Do-hyung?

The face of the man who had just joined our table and spoken to me was plastered across the giant screen.

"The darling of South Korean blockchain technology! The genius young entrepreneur leading the nation's blockchain industry!"

"Mr. Jang Do-hyung has put up shares of his company, Unilabs, as tonight's final auction item!"

Holy crap. My eyes widened at the sight of an auction item I had never even imagined. The screen displayed detailed information regarding the number of shares, equity percentage, and corporate valuation.

Ignoring the greedy glares of the crowd looking like predators eyeing their prey, the host continued her announcement.

"A ten percent stake! The starting bid is ten billion won!"

And with that, the final auction began.