Business Trip to China (1)
The group, having returned to Chairman Choi's office, spent a pleasant interval chatting over tea.
After some time had passed, Director Park rose from his seat, said he would arrive at the airport by one o'clock the next day, and vanished like the wind.
Seeing as he was leaving for China tomorrow, the odds were roughly one in a million—no, a million out of a million—that he had gone off to visit the young mistress he'd been seeing lately, or to engage in some *bungabunga* festivities beforehand.
Young-hoon, Chairman Choi, and Chairman Jang had also received invitations to today's drama preview, so they parted for now, agreeing to change into proper attire at home and meet at the Castle Hotel by six thirty.
Wait a moment. Chairman Jang was an investor, so naturally he would have been invited to the preview—but why had Chairman Choi been invited? The most likely explanation was that it was a gesture of gratitude for completely subjugating the Chinese companies last time.
Young-hoon returned home, changed into a suit, and headed for the Castle Hotel where the preview was being held. At the entrance, he met Chairman Jang and other acquaintances and entered the hotel with them.
Since this preview doubled as a production announcement event, it was held in a theater specially prepared by the hotel. The proceedings ran smoothly under the emceeing of Shin Dong-hyup, a celebrity MC of national renown. After greetings from the cast and a photo session, the event moved on to a question-and-answer session. And then, at last, the curtain rose on the drama itself.
The first eight completed episodes had been edited into a two-hour feature and presented like a film. The pacing was so brisk and propulsive that it was impossible to look away for even a second. When the OST sung by Five Girls flowed through at intervals, the audience's emotions surged all the higher and they sank deep into the drama.
You could sense the practiced hand of a professional in the editing—it seemed this was a cut PD Lee Hyo-young had personally worked on. Young-hoon resolved, once again, that he absolutely had to bring PD Lee Hyo-young into his fold.
When the preview ended, the MC guided the distinguished guests to the banquet hall. The hall was laid out with a buffet spread worthy of a five-star hotel's pride. Meanwhile, people—the sort who were said in the industry to be able to get away with anything—swarmed around Chairman Jang and Chairman Choi like clouds. Watching them, Young-hoon was reminded yet again that in this world, money was king.
Young-hoon and President Lee Jae-man settled at a spot slightly apart from the two chairmen and filled their stomachs. It was because if they didn't eat on their own initiative, they doubted they'd get a moment's chance to dine at all. Sure enough, before long, the summons came for Chairman Jang and Chairman Choi.
The people at the head table were, one and all, figures of towering reputation. Through the two chairmen, Young-hoon was given the opportunity to make their acquaintance. The distinguished guests at the head table, for their part, watched the Young-hoon being introduced by the chairmen with keen interest.
Once the guests seemed to be wrapping up their meals, the MC, Shin Dong-hyup, took the stage for the second half of the event. The highlight of the second half was, without question, the OST performance. On stage rose the leading singers of the day, including Lee Soo-hee and Park Han-gyu—not to mention Five Girls, who had become a national sensation.
Four weeks after the drama's pre-production announcement, Five Girls' fame had soared to astonishing heights, and they gave passionate renditions of "A Loving Heart" and After Farewell, as well as the unreleased Returned Love. The banquet hall was soon filled with cheers and tears alike.
Thus the preview and production showcase came to a triumphant close, leaving only the first broadcast the following week for everyone to anticipate.
After sending the Five Girls members back to their dorm, Young-hoon had a modest after-party with President Lee Jae-man at a beer hall nearby. As before, Jae-man's face wore an unbroken smile, as if old memories and fresh emotions were mingling all at once.
Young-hoon mentioned that he would be leaving for a business trip to China starting the next day, and asked him to manage the company thoroughly in his absence. Still, given how things had gone so far, there hardly seemed to be any cause for worry.
Young-hoon had just returned home and was packing the things he'd need for the China trip when Sujin, who had been staring at him blankly, piped up.
"Big Bro, where are you going?"
"Oh, business trip to China. Leaving tomorrow, coming back Sunday."
"Hmph, and that's what you call notice? Who goes on a business trip over a weekend? One look at you and I can tell—you're using the trip as an excuse to go play. Don't overexert yourself, and go easy on the back. Don't come home whining about how your back hurts and all that."
"Hey! I'm telling you it's a real business trip. Don't go comparing me to other people. And is there anything you won't say to your own brother? Where did 'back' even come from?"
"Oh-ho~ so you say! Why d'you think a man's mouth hangs on his ear for? You're all grinning and giggling because you've got something to hide. I'm an adult too, you know. I know exactly how these things work."
"Anyway, I'll be back Sunday afternoon, so don't go asking me to buy you souvenirs or anything."
"I don't expect anything from you anyway, Big Bro. Just watch your back. A man's back is his life, after all."
"You little brat—is there a single thing you won't say?"
Doing his best to ignore the suspicious glare Sujin kept shooting him, Young-hoon finished packing. And yet, in a corner of his mind, her words gnawed at him. What if I go all the way to China just to fool around and end up embarrassing myself? Once I'm there, I'd better not be stingy—I should drink the elixir.
Having already drawn the blade on going to China, he resolved to go and carve up at least a rotten radish or two, and went to bed. Another busy day passed without incident.
* * *
When he got up and stepped out of his room, Sujin had already left for work. Young-hoon ate the breakfast she'd laid out, then gathered the luggage he hadn't managed to pack the night before.
First, the elixir. He opened the safe in his study, took out ten bottles, and wrapped each one with painstaking care. After that, he made sure not to forget the Magical Herb Powder either.
Before long it was time to depart, and Young-hoon picked up his travel bag and left the house. He drove the Ferrari that Chairman Jang had gifted him toward Gimpo International Airport, but the roads were so congested that he couldn't enjoy the drive as much as he'd hoped. Even so, there was something novel about the way other cars kept scooting out of his lane as he approached.
He arrived at the airport and had been waiting a little while when Chairman Jang, Chairman Choi, and Director Park arrived one after another. The time had come for the elite members of the 'Homecle' swindler crew to set out and snare the hogus waiting in China.
After clearing departure procedures and reaching the airport apron, the private jet sent by Chairman Xu Jiayin was waiting for Young-hoon's party. When Young-hoon looked it up online, it turned out to be a Bombardier Global 8000—a jet priced at roughly 70 billion won, and reportedly the aircraft most favored by the world's billionaires. The cabin was appointed in the height of luxury, with a capacity of around twenty including the crew. The service aboard his first ultra-luxury private flight had Young-hoon's heart already pounding beyond containment. What pleasures awaited him in China, he could hardly wait to find out.
An hour after takeoff, Young-hoon's party was able to land at Beijing Capital International Airport. As they emerged from arrivals, Chairman Xu Jiayin came out to greet them personally. The group rode a limousine and checked into the Legendale Hotel Beijing, one of the most famous hotels in the city. The room the hotel had assigned them was a suite costing several million won a night. Chairman Xu must have taken special care with the arrangements—or perhaps Chairman Choi had made a forceful request. It was surely one of the two.
Having quickly unpacked, Young-hoon went over to Chairman Choi's room and heard the schedule ahead from Chairman Xu. Today's plan: dinner at six with some light drinking, then back to the hotel to rest. Dinner in China was a two-to-three-hour affair by default, so it looked like they'd head out for drinks around eight. Tomorrow, there would be a business meeting with Chairman Xu's side at ten in the morning, followed by lunch and a move to Shanghai. It was four in the afternoon now, so there were still two leisurely hours until dinner—but Chairman Xu, as if he had a debt to collect, showed no intention of leaving.
Ah—the elixir! Sharp-eyed as ever, Young-hoon caught on at once, went to his room, and returned with five bottles. At the sight of the elixirs in Young-hoon's hands, Chairman Xu's eyes sparkled as he made no secret of wanting them in his grasp right away. That was when Chairman Choi stepped in with a forceful intervention. Director Park, fluent in Chinese, served as interpreter.
"Hey there, little brother Xu. Before you get your hands on that elixir, let's settle the payment properly."
"Of course. Everything is prepared."
Chairman Xu had his secretary confirm a transfer of 100 billion won to Chairman Choi's account. Only then did Chairman Choi nod, and at that signal, Young-hoon handed over the five bottles. Chairman Xu, elixirs in hand, wore a face of pure rapture, as if he now owned the entire world. Young-hoon could certainly understand the joy—but the man's demeanor was excessive to the point of embarrassment.
Curious, Chairman Choi posed a question. "By the way, little brother Xu, why do you need five bottles? Isn't two a year plenty for you?"
"The truth is, there's a senior official in the Communist Party who wields enormous influence over the broadcasting world. After I returned from Korea, I was drinking with him on business, and I let it slip about the elixir. The official then asked me to procure some for him as well, which is why I made this urgent request to you, big brother."
"And how many did you promise him? Don't tell me he's the one who needs five bottles?"
"For now, two must go up to the senior official, and one goes to my youngest daughter. The remaining two I intend to keep for myself."
"Eh? Why would your daughter need it? This is a treasure for men only, you know."
"Well, apparently after drinking the elixir in Korea, her skin got all bouncy and beautiful, or something to that effect. So even the half bottle I received as a gift from CEO Kim was already snatched away from me."
"Whew—you mean to tell me that precious stuff got taken from you just to spend on skincare?"
"What can I do about it? She threatens to blab to my wife about my young mistress…"
"Your daughter is quite something herself."
"That's all on me for raising her poorly."
"But listen here—our CEO Kim over there is bursting with expectations tonight. You mustn't disappoint him. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Of course, big brother. Who am I? Am I not the chairman of Zhonghua Media Group? Tonight, you'll be 120 percent satisfied."
"Then we'll look forward to it. And another thing—no sprinters, you hear? The race needs to run at least five or six hours, so make sure they're girls with stamina."
"Leave it to me. I know exactly what that elixir can do—would I really send you a sprinter? I've made a special selection of girls who have both stamina and looks. Take a look at the bar later and let me know if they meet your standards."
"Got it. Then let's rest for a bit—we just need to come down to the first-floor lobby by ten to six, right?"
"That will do. I'll see you then."
Afterward, the party rested in their respective rooms for nearly two hours and came down to the first floor right on schedule. Joining up with Chairman Xu, who had been waiting in advance, they headed to what was said to be the most famous restaurant in Beijing.
The food, true to its reputation, was superb. It was Chinese cuisine at its finest, worthy of its standing among the world's great culinary traditions. But Young-hoon felt a slight pang of regret all the same—the thought being that with the Magic Seasoning, it could be made even more delicious. He decided he would have to do more research on that later.
Now that their stomachs were full, it was time to go meet the thoroughbreds Chairman Xu was so confident about. The bar Chairman Xu led Young-hoon's party to surpassed imagination from the very scale of it. The entire ten-story building was the bar—a Chinese-style establishment with a hundred or more private rooms on every floor. When Chairman Xu walked in, a man who might have been the general manager or the owner greeted them with impeccable courtesy, and they were soon shown to Room 88 on the eighth floor—the number the Chinese supposedly favored.
After a short wait, a woman who looked like the madam came in to take their order. Wow! She's gorgeous. If the madam is this beautiful, the other girls must be unbelievable. Even the madam's beauty was no joke, and accordingly, expectations shot skyward.
About ten minutes later, the young ladies Chairman Xu had hand-picked made their appearance. Chairman Xu had not spent forty-odd years in the entertainment world for nothing. In a word, it was as if a procession of Miss Chinas had walked in. Every single one of them was a peerless beauty. Everyone seemed well satisfied. Young-hoon's partner was likewise a stunning beauty, memorable for the dimples that appeared when she smiled. Her name, so adorably fitting, was Langlang.
From then on, the party passed the time merrily, pouring drinks back and forth. Once the drinking session had more or less wound down, everyone's eyes gleamed with a certain wicked light. The preliminaries were now all over. Nothing remained but the main event.
Back at the hotel, the athletes burned with fighting spirit as they headed off to their respective rooms. From here on out, it was every man for himself—a time for individual play, when each would have to showcase his own abilities.