Chapter 134: A Person of the Jeil Group?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134: A Person of the Jeil Group?
The long-awaited Saturday arrived.
It was the day of the meal with Young-eun and Chairman Yoo.
Following her advice to dress well, I wore the luxury clothes Young-eun had gifted me.
My destination was Jeil Tower in Seoul.
It was a skyscraper famous for being the tallest in the country, a true landmark of the city.
"Is that the outfit I bought you last time?"
When I arrived near the tower, Young-eun was already there waiting for me.
"Since the Chairman was coming, I didn't really have anything else appropriate to wear."
"Still, if you wear the same thing twice, Grandfa—I mean, the Chairman might not like it..."
Young-eun stared at me for a moment, then grabbed my hand.
"Follow me for a second."
"Where are we going?"
"We can't go in like this."
She led me to the shopping center at the base of the tower and bought me another jacket. My head spun at the sight of the price tag, cluttered with so many zeros.
"Buying me things like this all the time is a bit..."
"I'm constantly in your debt. Between the PT and you acting like my manager, this is just my way of paying you back."
Young-eun gave a playful grin.
"Let's go. The Chairman will be waiting."
I stepped into the elevator with her.
"I don't think I've seen this one before."
"It's a dedicated elevator for the VVIP Secret Room. Only certain people can access it."
"Ah, I see."
The high-speed elevator shot upward.
Ding.
99th floor.
The doors opened to reveal a breathtaking interior. A lavish hallway connected to the elevator entrance, covered in a deep red carpet.
The walls were lined with exquisite marble sculptures and decorations shimmering with embedded jewels. There were even artworks by world-renowned artists whose names even I recognized.
"Wait, are those originals?"
Young-eun nodded.
"Are you surprised?"
"Wow... that's incredible."
I found myself marveling at the sheer wealth of the Jeil Group all over again.
"This way, please."
A man appeared out of nowhere to guide us. Following the man in the suit, we walked down the hallway bathed in warm, golden light.
Past the hallway, a massive lobby came into view. The ceiling was so high it felt like two floors had been merged into one. A sparkling chandelier hung from above, radiating light.
It was the height of luxury.
Now I understood why there was a dedicated elevator.
Hiding my constant state of awe, I headed toward the private room where Chairman Yoo was waiting.
It was the only room on the 99th floor.
"You've arrived?"
Chairman Yoo Taek-soo was waiting for us there. Before him sat a wide table laden with an endless spread of food.
This entire floor existed for just one person.
"It's been a while."
"Hello, Chairman."
"You're looking sharp. Haha. The food just came out, so please, have a seat."
I sat in the chair where the utensils were laid out, and the staff waiting behind us began serving the dishes.
"This is a soup flavored with truffle mushrooms for the appetizer."
Soup made with truffles, one of the most expensive ingredients in the world?
Is it really okay for me to eat this?
Young-eun, sitting across from me, naturally began to taste the soup with her spoon.
I managed to take a spoonful myself.
Wow, this is insane.
The depth of the flavor was enough to make my head spin.
"By the way, it's good to see you two together. It seems you've grown closer than I expected. You really do make a fine match. Haha. A very handsome couple indeed."
"Haha, do we look that way?"
Young-eun responded enthusiastically to the Chairman's comment.
"I didn't expect you to arrive together... Who drove? Did Jae-ho drive you, Young-eun?"
"We didn't come together, Grandfather. We met out front."
"Out front?"
"Yes."
"Then did you come separately?"
Chairman Yoo looked at me with a look of feigned disappointment.
"Jae-ho."
"Yes, Chairman."
"I'm a bit disappointed."
"Pardon?"
I nearly choked at the word 'disappointed.'
"A man should escort a lady. To come separately... Did you drive yourself?"
"No. I took public transportation..."
"Public transportation? You don't mean you took the subway?"
"I did."
"You should drive a car. Even if traffic is bad in Seoul, it's better to have your own vehicle. When your range of movement expands, so does your perspective."
"I understand."
"I'll tell Secretary Choi, so pick out a good car. You have a license, right?"
"...Excuse me?"
"I'm saying I'll give you a car as a gift. How long do you plan on walking everywhere? A man needs wheels."
The atmosphere wasn't one where I could refuse.
"Thank you."
"It would be troublesome for a man who is to become a person of Jeil to use public transport. Who knows what might happen in there?"
Wait, did I hear that right?
"What did you just—"
Just as I was about to ask for clarification.
"Mmm! This food is delicious!"
Young-eun hurriedly cut me off.
"What's gotten into you? It's not like this is your first time here."
"O-oh, it's just been a while. Haha."
"Hahaha! I suppose so! I put a lot of effort into building this place!"
I got the feeling Young-eun was hiding something from me.
What was it?
After praising the food, Young-eun naturally steered the conversation back to me.
"Grandfather, did you see Jae-ho on TV recently?"
"When Hyun-kyung won the US Open, Jae-ho was the one in charge of her."
"I got a PT session from him recently, and my body felt so relaxed."
"Jae-ho looks great in clothes, doesn't he? He's like a model..."
Every time Young-eun opened her mouth, she showered me with praise. She didn't stop for a second.
Chairman Yoo listened with a warm smile.
"Haha, that is very good to hear."
The image of the powerful tycoon was gone, replaced by that of a gentle grandfather.
Suddenly, my mind began to race.
This didn't feel like just a simple meal.
Of course.
It couldn't be just a meal. I was meeting Chairman Yoo of the Jeil Group, after all.
Could it be...?
"From what I hear, your work is going well. What do you think? It must be quite burdensome to handle everything alone without corporate backing."
The suspicion lingering in my mind turned into a conviction.
This was about investment.
The reason Young-eun had invited me to this meal with Chairman Yoo.
She had told the Chairman about the investment deal Olivia was eyeing.
Young-eun had brought Chairman Yoo into this because she wanted to invest in me.
The pieces were falling into place.
"Ah, things have been going well lately. I've actually had an opportunity to receive foreign investment."
"Foreign capital? That's surprising news. I didn't think you had opened any overseas branches yet... So, where are you planning to get the investment from?"
Was he pretending not to know?
Was he testing me?
If Young-eun had told him, he should already know.
No.
The curious look in Chairman Yoo's eyes seemed genuine. He really didn't know.
"Rhino Company has offered to provide investment funds."
"Rhino? Ah, the one run by Miss Olivia! Haha, what a coincidence."
Chairman Yoo let out a hearty laugh.
"I already knew Jae-ho had exceptional talent, but I didn't realize you were drawing investment from that far. You've worked hard. It couldn't have been easy to achieve something like that independently."
As the Chairman looked at me with pride.
"Grandfather."
Young-eun, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
"Since we're on the subject... why don't we invest in Jae-ho's business instead of Rhino?"
"We?"
"Yes. You felt it too, Grandfather. How amazing Jae-ho's massages are."
"It's true that my health has improved so much thanks to Jae-ho's massages that it's almost a problem."
"Right? Then..."
"But investment is a different matter. I'm sure you know that, Young-eun?"
"..."
"How much did Rhino invest?"
Chairman Yoo shifted his gaze to me.
In an instant, he transformed from a doting grandfather back into the head of a massive conglomerate.
"Thirty million dollars."
"That's not a small amount. Though, it's not a huge sum for Jeil either."
The great tiger staring at me opened his mouth.
"How do you plan to make money? Receiving investment isn't as simple as it sounds. You need a clear goal and vision to justify an investment, don't you?"
I recalled the plan Olivia had mentioned.
A private massage shop for the ultra-wealthy.
And a fatigue-recovery gym for the general public.
I explained the big picture to the Chairman: providing pleasure to the rich and recovery to the masses.
It was a corporate secret, but I didn't mind sharing it.
Who could possibly copy my abilities?
It was a business only I could run.
"Fatigue and pleasure... very important categories. I felt that myself through the massages you gave me."
Chairman Yoo fell silent.
"It's an interesting idea. However, I'm not sure if it's worth an investment of 36 billion won. No, since they offered 36 billion, we would have to offer at least more than that. Olivia has her own human network to consider as well."
Chairman Yoo pondered for a moment.
The mind of a seasoned businessman must have been spinning rapidly, calculating the investment value and the potential profit and prestige this business could bring.
After a long silence, Chairman Yoo shook his head.
"However, investment will be difficult."
"G-Grandfather."
"Young-eun, Jae-ho's business item doesn't seem bad, but we have to consider business items that align with the Jeil Group's image. Because our group is so large, any investment requires in-depth analysis. I can't just put the company's money in because you want to."
Chairman Yoo's calm words were sincere.
"I understand your desire to look after your prospective husband, but..."
"G-Grandfather, that's..."
"What's the problem? Didn't you two already decide? Didn't you say today was the day you'd formally introduce him to me...?"
Wait a minute...
Prospective husband?
My mind raced.
Could it be?
Did Young-eun tell him?
That we were seeing each other seriously?
At that moment, my eyes met Chairman Yoo's.
"Ho-ho, it seems Jae-ho hasn't heard about this?"
"Ah, yes..."
"Then that means Young-eun planned this all on her own..."
Chairman Yoo's eyes narrowed.
"I wonder who she takes after to be so cunning. You used my suggestion to set you up on a blind date with Jae-ho as an excuse to arrange this meeting for the three of us, didn't you?"
"G-Grandfather!"
A blind date?
As in, the kind of meeting people have when they're considering marriage?
"I felt it that day too, but our Young-eun really likes Jae-ho a lot."
I looked at Young-eun.
Her face was bright red.
She waved her hands frantically in embarrassment.
Finally, the puzzle pieces clicked into place.
The reason she invited me to eat with Chairman Yoo.
The Chairman's offer to get me a car after hearing I didn't have one.
Even the way she was aggressively talking up my business.
"N-no. It's not like I like him. Don't misunderstand."
"Then do you dislike me?"
Startled by my question, Young-eun avoided my gaze.
"I-it's not that I dislike you..."
Her voice was so small it was barely audible.
"Hahaha! Jae-ho, what do you think?"
Chairman Yoo turned to me and asked.
His gaze felt like he might bury me alive if I said I didn't like her.
What did I think?
Of Young-eun?
There was no need to ask.
I liked her.
Wasn't she beautiful?
She was a charming woman.
Even if you stripped away the Jeil Group name.
Even if you set aside her fame as a celebrity.
She was a beautiful woman.
If I didn't like her, I wouldn't have spent the night with her.
Our first meeting was the worst, but the fact remained that I liked her.
"I like her too."
*
"How interesting. A new competitor."
Olivia spoke as she looked at Young-eun sitting next to me.
She seemed a bit flustered.
"I didn't expect you to jump in with an investment."
"I'm a woman who gets things done, Ollie."
After glaring at Young-eun for a moment, Olivia turned to me.
"Did Young-eun also say she'd put in 30 million dollars?"
"Yes."
Chairman Yoo had made a concession.
'Since you seem to like him so much, I'll let it slide just this once. 30 million dollars. I can't provide any more than that. The choice is yours.'
It was a silent pressure—if I liked Young-eun that much, I should accept her offer even if Olivia offered more.
"I see you think my personal assets are on par with the Jeil Group."
"Each has its pros and cons."
Olivia clicked her tongue at my response.
"Fine. If you were planning to choose Jeil, you wouldn't have contacted me."
"Correct. I've brought both investors here because I have a better solution."
"Let's hear it."
Olivia crossed her legs.
"Rhino Company, 30 million dollars. Jeil Group, 30 million dollars..."
I looked back and forth between Young-eun and Olivia, the representatives of the two groups.
"Both of you invest in me. A total of 60 million dollars. I will multiply that money several times over for you."
Both of their eyes widened at the same time.