“God has helped us.”
Barbara’s fluent Hebrew flowed from her lips.
Who would have thought that the mining industry, which started in the past in Saxony, southeastern Germany, would grow this much?
There was a saying that mining had to be chosen by God. Especially finding a gold vein was not something that could be achieved by effort alone.
“Tanya, is this report true?”
According to the report from the exploration team leader, Kellik, not only was the purity of the core remarkable, but the estimated reserves and distribution were also significant.
Moreover, the copper vein was the largest in the world. In other words, it was no exaggeration to say that they were chosen by God.
“Ms. Barbara, the exploration team leader is currently conducting multiple radial re-examinations. Rather, the more they investigate, the wider the range, leaving them speechless. It is certain that we have not only discovered the largest copper vein in history but also found a gold vein that rivals that of Turupka in Nepal.”
“I can’t believe it, that the dying embers would come back to life like this.”
At the time, negative comments about Barbara Mining’s valuation were circulating in the market.
It was because, since the Turupka region years ago, they had not achieved any visible results.
So much so that the stock price of Barbara Mining was recording the daily lower limit, a so-called term ‘Barbara Sale’ was popular in the securities market.
There were even talks among company executives about selling Barbara Mining, so there was no point in saying more.
“Due to the stock price hitting the upper limit every day, the securities market is quite excited. They are saying on Wall Street, ‘The Golden Wednesday has returned.’”
“The Golden Wednesday, huh.”
Years ago, with Kang Hyun’s help, they found a gold vein in the Turupka region of Nepal.
At that time, the securities market was filled with stories of Barbara Mining’s gold. It seemed like that day was being reenacted again.
At that moment,
“Ms. Barbara, we have detected something unusual regarding the stock price of the mining industry.”
“Something unusual?”
“Yes, as you know, when Barbara Mining’s stock price was recording the daily lower limit, even the managers on Wall Street were pessimistic. They even expressed that Barbara Mining’s stock price had reached the summit of Everest. However, during such a situation, there was someone who boldly scooped up the stocks.”
Barbara’s brown eyes gleamed mysteriously. It was no exaggeration to say that the current discovery was a series of coincidences.
Even exploration team leader Kellik couldn’t have imagined that they would find both a copper vein and a gold vein simultaneously.
When everyone said it was precarious, there was someone who boarded the sinking ship alone. Who could that be?
“Oppa, I’m really nervous.”
Why is she acting this way? It’s not like it’s her first time visiting the mansion in Ichon-dong, but her face was clearly tense.
A stranger might think she was going to a formal family introduction.
As they arrived in front of the red brick wall of the mansion in Ichon-dong, Son Yooha took a deep breath. Perhaps the Ice Queen’s personality had changed from her past life.
“Yooha, does the food suit your taste?”
Suddenly, the saying “a father-in-law’s love is for his daughter-in-law” came to mind. At the dinner table, Father kept talking to Yooha.
Anyone seeing it might really think she was his daughter-in-law, worried that the food might not suit her taste after living abroad for so long.
“The food is really delicious, Father.”
I almost spat out a grain of rice without realizing it. The longer she lived abroad, the more shameless she seemed to become.
Son Yooha, speaking like a demure bride covering her mouth with her hand, was delivering lines that could only be seen in a drama.
Mother, as well as Grandfather sitting at the head of the table, couldn’t hide their smiles at that sight.
“So, Yooha, I heard you visited Korea University a few days ago?”
“Yes, Grandfather. As soon as I arrived at the airport, I greeted the elders at home and went straight to see Hyun oppa.”
“Hoho, I would like to hear more details. They say that nothing is more interesting than a love story, second only to a fight.”
Grandfather, who never used to talk much at the dinner table, also looked slyly excited.
Mother and Father leaned forward and pricked up their ears. Yooha, acting shy and coy, began to speak.
“The moment I saw him, it felt like time had stopped.”
Though I prided myself on my poker face, my face turned as red as a beet at that moment.
Of course, in my past life, I hadn’t had a single proper relationship, let alone a girlfriend.
But Son Yooha recounted our story as if narrating the plot of a romance movie, in great detail.
Her eloquence was no joke; it was clear that all the nervousness until now was just an act.
Even now, she captivated the attention at the dining table during the crucial moments.
“At that moment, Hyun oppa tightly held my hand.”
“Oh my!”
“So, what happened next?”
Dinner was already forgotten. Mother clenched her fists like a young girl, and Father urged as if waiting for the highlight scene of a movie.
Even Grandfather couldn’t hide his delighted smile. At that moment,
“I’d like to say more, but Hyun oppa might be embarrassed, so I’ll stop here.”
Son Yooha blushed and lowered her head, as if embarrassed. Mother looked regretful for not hearing the end of the story.
At the same time, Grandfather and Father’s gazes turned to me. They had expressions as if thinking, “You rascal, you did well.”
“Mother, I’ll help with the dishes!”
Son Yooha quickly slipped into the space between Mother and the housekeeper. A loving smile never left Mother’s face as she looked at Yooha.
“Yooha, would you like to peel the apples?”
“I’m good at peeling apples, oppa.”
Who would have thought I’d live to see the Ice Queen peeling fruit?
She gracefully sat on the couch in the living room with the fruit platter, looking like a noble lady.
As if her previous words weren’t a lie, she peeled the apple beautifully. Grandfather exclaimed in admiration at the sight of the perfectly peeled apple, with no unnecessary parts, like a smooth thread.
“Seeing Yooha peel apples so well makes me think she is ready for marriage. What do you think, Kang?”
“Father-in-law, I couldn’t agree more. In my life, I’ve never seen anyone peel an apple as well as my wife, except Yooha. I thought she was just beautiful, but she also has such great skills. She is undoubtedly the best bride material.”
Hearing those words, Son Yooha’s face turned as red as a persimmon, but her hands didn’t stop peeling the apple.
Could it be just my imagination that I felt like my nose was hooked firmly?
“The Barbara chairman is visiting Korea?”
The presidential office was abuzz since the morning. It was because of unexpected news.
The chairman of the Barbara Group, currently the hottest keyword in the US securities market, was coming to Korea.
“What’s the reason for the visit?”
“The exact reason has not been revealed yet. According to the information, the number of attendants is expected to exceed one hundred, and they are known to be coming on a private jet of the Barbara Group. Domestic groups have already obtained the information and are moving quickly.”
Who is the Barbara chairman? A Jewish figure who has extended his influence into the mining and railroad industries and is known as the biggest player in the American real estate market.
Moreover, he is known to have a keen insight and sharp intellect to the extent that he is called a master of investment.
With the Barbara Group currently competing for the top ranks in market capitalization in the US, it was natural for the presidential office to react so sensitively.
In the aftermath of the financial crisis, attracting investment from foreign companies was more important than anything else.
“Report immediately if there is anyone among the domestic heads who has a connection with Barbara!”
Despite the urgent question, no one could readily answer. After all, the Barbara chairman was a figure who was difficult to meet even within the US.
Known as a wealthy American, his thoroughly calculative nature meant he rarely attended social gatherings or had exchanges between groups, so it was unlikely that any domestic group heads knew him.
“It is said that the visit was decided suddenly. It is expected that the Barbara Group will make a statement about the reason for the visit today, but there is also a possibility that they might not disclose the exact reason.”
In other words, no one knew Barbara’s intentions.
“What kind of investment is he planning that such a high-profile figure is coming all the way from the US to Korea? How can we call ourselves the elite group of Korea with such slow information!”
At that moment,
“Chief, this is personal information, but…”
“Personal information?”
“Previously, Forbes interviewed the Barbara chairman. When asked to choose a country he wanted to visit, he unusually chose Korea. When the interviewer asked why he wanted to visit Korea, he said it was because he had a friend in that country.”
A friend?
“Rumor has it that the friend is…”
“The friend is?”
A silence fell over the room at the next words.
“A violinist named Hyun.”
“Oppa, you’re really good at driving.”
Son Yooha still seemed awkward yet amazed at my driving.
She even complimented me, saying I was good at driving. Of course, with decades of experience, it would be a shame if I couldn’t do this much.
As they got closer to the airport, the speed decreased, and the feeling of regret increased.
The airport was bustling with people, as it was the day Barbara chairman was scheduled to arrive.
Among the busy crowd were not only ordinary people but also reporters and security guards everywhere.
The reason the airport was so lively was due to Barbara chairman’s visit.
He had announced in advance that he would use the official entry hall, not the VIP passage, for the sake of domestic reporters.
“Yooha, take care.”
With the two grandfathers coming out together, there were too many reporters, so I took on the task of seeing Yooha off.
Perhaps because I pulled my hat down low, or because everyone was waiting for Barbara chairman, no one recognized me.
“Oppa, you’ll come to America often, right?”
“If you invite me, I’ll make sure to visit during vacation.”
Son Yooha smiled brightly like a child and hooked her pinky finger.
Sometimes she was as elegant as the Ice Queen, but at other times, she was endlessly cute. She had the charm of a chameleon.
I walked through the airport with Yooha until it was time to check in. At some point, we were holding hands.
“By the way, Michelle wants to see you again.”
“Michelle?”
“The friend you saw at school that time, there’s also a girl named Camilla who is a fan of yours. She bragged that she bought several of your albums. Oppa, did you know you’re very popular in America too?”
Could it be that my appearance was also popular in the US? It must be thanks to the album’s success. But it seemed Son Yooha didn’t think so at all.
“Don’t flirt with other girls in Korea while I’m gone!”
For a moment, the image of the Ice Queen from the past overlapped.
Of course, who would I be to let it go in one ear and out the other? As the departure time approached, Yooha kept glancing at her wristwatch, looking more regretful.
The good news was that all eyes in the airport were on Barbara chairman, so I didn’t have to worry about people staring at us.
“Oppa, thank you for treating me so well even though I came suddenly.”
Son Yooha’s hesitant and shy appearance was incredibly cute.
At that moment, without thinking, I grabbed Yooha’s shoulders and pulled her towards me. It wasn’t a calculated hug but an instinctive one.
Yooha’s cheeks turned peachy pink. At that moment,
Huh?
I could hear whispers behind me. But Yooha only hugged me tighter around the waist, as if she wouldn’t let go.
How much time had passed? The whispers were followed by the sound of footsteps.
Finally, I noticed the figures of dozens of people. What was going on? An idea popped into my head.
At that moment, as if reading my mind, Barbara chairman and I locked eyes as he walked towards me.
