The reception room was filled with a lingering scent.
“How is China coming along?”
Chairman Wang raised his voice as he took the teacup away from his lips.
“Old man, have you given up on expanding into China?”
“For the time being, we’ve been more focused on developing new materials, so we’ve temporarily put off factory expansion. However, Mr. Deng Zheng in Tianjin said he would arrange a place for us soon.”
“That stubborn old man himself?”
Who was Deng Zheng? As a major landowner who controlled the Tianjin area, his family had held high-ranking positions in Tianjin for generations. It was said that you had to go through Deng Zheng if you wanted to enter Tianjin.
However, he was so strict and difficult that it was hard to build a relationship with him.
In the past, Son Ilseon had tried to win over Deng Zheng three times, just like Liu Bei did with Zhuge Liang, but ultimately couldn’t form a connection. But now…
“Old man, how did you manage to win over Deng Zheng?”
“It wasn’t me who persuaded him.”
“Then who?”
It was Kang Hyun. Even three years after forming a connection with Deng Zheng, Kang Hyun would send gifts every Chinese New Year. He even wrote personal letters every year to Deng Zheng’s grandson, who liked him.
When this was revealed, how surprised was everyone? Chairman Wang couldn’t hide his admiration.
“He knows very well that guanxi (relationships) must be built from the ground up. How could such foresight to slowly lay the groundwork come from a middle schooler’s mind? Indeed, it’s something not just anyone can do!”
“I was just as surprised when I first heard. Hyun is doing things on his own that we hadn’t even considered.”
“Chairman Yoo, no matter how you look at it, Hyun has the instincts of a businessman.”
Chairman Wang regretfully swept his dry lips. It was understandable, considering how much money and effort they had poured into securing Tianjin.
Even after Son Ilseon’s three visits failed to sway Deng Zheng, they had to directly connect with the Chinese government, mobilizing a lot of funds.
Of course, there could be multiple reasons why Deng Zheng refused Jeil Group but allowed Dongju. Primarily, the scale was different, and the impact on the local market was uncertain. However…
“He persuaded Deng Zheng.”
It was incredible that Kang Hyun, still a student, had succeeded where Son Ilseon had failed. Regardless of the reasons, it was a remarkable achievement, akin to opening the heart of Zhuge Liang.
“Oppa, don’t you like the food?”
It wasn’t that it didn’t taste good. The grilled mero, herb-encrusted rib steak, and salad with special dressing from Good River.
Except for the absence of wine, the setup was exactly the same as in his previous life. If the person sitting across from him hadn’t been Son Yooha, he might have suspected it was a hidden camera prank.
“Oppa, have you been here before?”
“Huh?”
“The manager taught me how to eat the mero before you came. He even explained the order to dip the sauces. But you already seem to know how to do it?”
Damn, outstanding software can be a problem at times. Even fleeting memories from his past life had become ingrained in him.
Suddenly, Son Yooha narrowed her eyes and asked, “Who did you come here with?” Anyone would think they were a couple under interrogation.
‘Should I just say I came here with my wife in a past life?’
No way, even as a joke, it would be shocking for Son Yooha. He made an excuse about eating it this way in Italy.
But Son Yooha still tilted her head in confusion. It made sense, as the way they paired various sauces with the mero was a unique secret of this place.
“Is it good?”
There was a saying that hunger is the best sauce, but Good River’s food was uniformly delicious. Even in his past life, he had eaten without leaving a bite, despite not getting along well with his wife.
As he scraped up the remaining sauce from the plate, Son Yooha looked at him with a loving expression.
“I researched all the famous restaurants in London to treat you to something delicious, Oppa.”
“Yooha, where did you get the money for that?”
“Why? I have a lot of pocket money left.”
Oh right, he had forgotten that Son Yooha was the heir to a conglomerate family.
Without a doubt, Yooha’s liquid assets and real estate were already far greater than the royalties he had earned.
In his past life, while working as the deputy head of Jeil Group’s legal team, he had handled the inheritance of many heirs through legal loopholes.
In such conglomerate families, it was not uncommon for a newborn to own a building in the middle of Gangnam.
“Oppa, can we go for a walk after we finish eating?”
“Sure, let’s walk to aid digestion.”
Son Yooha had taken a flight to see him. Apparently, she had eagerly awaited his arrival in London.
They walked along a path facing the Thames River. It had a similar feeling to the Han River.
Night had fallen, but the night view of the Thames sparkled like jewels.
It seemed there were a lot of people gathering because there would be fireworks at Canary Wharf tonight.
‘Look at this girl.’
Son Yooha subtly held his hand. Then she quickly changed the subject. She seemed more nervous than when she kissed him.
There was no issue with security. Chris from Man on Fire was following them. Strangers might think they were the children of some wealthy Asian family out for a stroll. Then…
“Oppa, can I climb up here?”
It was a long post about a meter high, installed to block vehicle entry.
Maybe it was because she was now shorter than him, or perhaps because she was still young. When he nodded, she smiled and climbed up.
“Hold my hand tight.”
Careful not to let her fall, they walked slowly. The fact that this bright-smiling girl would become the Ice Queen in the future was a stark irony.
As they neared the end of the long post…
Bang―!
Fireworks burst over the Thames. At that moment, Son Yooha lost her balance and wobbled.
He quickly grabbed her in surprise, but due to their combined weight, he ended up falling on his butt.
Somehow, it ended up with Son Yooha falling into his arms. The Ice Princess’s cheeks turned a bright red.
Bang―!
Another firework burst, making the calm water surface look like it was raining jewels.
In that moment, the memories from his past life were being replaced by new ones.
“Ms. Mihyun, I’m not selling this painting.”
Director Im Hyera looked at the painting displayed in the center of the gallery.
It was a painting of a man and woman looking at each other lovingly under the radiant sunlight.
It was a famous piece by a French artist, worth easily hundreds of millions of won.
“Do you know why?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure, ma’am.”
“It was the first painting I saw with Mr. Ilseon.”
At the mention of Mr. Ilseon, Kim Mihyun tilted her head in confusion. Just from the name, she didn’t immediately realize it was Son Ilseon. But soon her eyes widened.
Thanks to Director Im Hyera’s friendly demeanor, she often forgot that Director Im Hyera and Chairman Son Ilseon were a married couple.
“Initially, Mr. Ilseon was so blunt. As soon as he saw the painting, he asked me why a canvas painting was so expensive. So, as an art major, I explained the value of the piece to him. But it seemed he still didn’t understand. He probably thought such a small painting had no practical use.”
Kim Mihyun listened intently. It was a love story of second-generation chaebols, something rarely heard, but Director Im Hyera occasionally shared personal stories related to art. Just like now.
“Then, a few days ago, on our wedding anniversary, he gave me this painting as a gift.”
“You must have been very happy, ma’am.”
“Happy doesn’t even begin to describe it. I had been trying to get this painting for years. It was hidden away in some vault, and he somehow found out and got it for me. So I asked him why he bought it. Do you know what he said?”
Chairman Son Ilseon had the typical appearance of a man from Gyeongsang Province. Stern, with few words, and always with sharp eyes that made it seem like he was perpetually angry.
His charisma was so overwhelming that most people couldn’t look him in the eye.
“‘Hyera, you wanted it, didn’t you?’ That’s what he said. He remembered a brief conversation we had a long time ago when we were dating. Am I being too sentimental?”
“No, ma’am. I’m really envious. But the chairman is surprisingly romantic.”
“Do you want to know the secret?”
Kim Mihyun gulped. On the surface, Director Im Hyera and Chairman Son Ilseon seemed like complete opposites, yet they were a perfect match.
“Christine, can I watch your performance for a moment?”
The new member Christine nodded briefly. She had a bad habit when playing trills, which she didn’t seem to be aware of because it was ingrained in her. It took Kang Hyun a couple of corrections for her to realize it.
“Hey, Hyun, could you watch my performance for a moment too?”
Another new member approached Kang Hyun. The other members understood their behavior. They, too, had their postures corrected by Kang Hyun in Korea.
At that moment, concertmaster Dmitri approached Kang Hyun and spoke.
“Hyun, aren’t you nervous?”
“Nervous?”
“The deadline Maestro gave you is approaching. But you haven’t had a proper chance to conduct yet. The members aren’t rejecting you either.”
As Dmitri mentioned, the members of the London Symphony, known for their high standards, had accepted Kang Hyun.
But Kang Hyun hadn’t picked up the baton to conduct yet. He hadn’t fully understood them.
It was just another day of continuous practice to improve their individual skills.
“I think of the orchestra as a giant musical instrument. For a performer to produce clean and clear tones, they need to fully understand every corner of their instrument. Even the same violinist has different pitch and vibration when playing trills. I want to know the characteristics of each member of the London Symphony.”
Without a conductor, a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 by the orchestra would still sound quite decent. They had been playing together for many years.
However, to catch the occasional out-of-tune note and offbeat rhythm, the conductor’s role was essential.
“I’m currently figuring out the color with which I should conduct the London Symphony.”
“Color?”
“Yes, a colorless conductor is just a metronome, isn’t it?”
Dmitri twitched his cheeks at Kang Hyun’s words. For someone with little facial expression, it was a sign of a pleasant smile.
“Hey, Hyun, could you watch my performance for a moment too?”
At that moment, violist Chloe asked Kang Hyun in a small voice.
Meanwhile, Christine, witnessing all this, was internally amazed.
The members of the London Symphony were all highly skilled musicians.
No one knew better than her what it took to join this orchestra.
Yet every member acknowledged this young boy, treating him almost like a maestro.
‘Maybe I too…’
Christine herself had received help from him.
In the past, she wouldn’t have listened to such a young boy, but now she trusted his words more than anyone else’s. He had shown real magic.
Grrrr―
It was the hungry stomach of lead cellist Emanuel. He got up, saying he was hungry. The other members also looked hungry.
Understandably, they had been practicing for hours without a break. At that moment…
Creak.
The door to the practice room opened, and a large black man in a suit appeared.
“Krissy?”
Kang Hyun looked puzzled at the black man, and soon after, a girl appeared behind him, her hands full of food.
“Yooha?”
The moment the queen of housekeeping made her entrance.
