“Are you two acquainted?”
Director Jim Filmer looked curiously at Kang Hyun and Cotton, alternating his gaze between them.
He had already heard that Misha’s fiancé would be attending the garden party with her. According to Misha, Cotton was a renowned prodigy in the IT field and a young entrepreneur.
“CEO Hyun?”
“CEO?”
However, Cotton addressed Kang Hyun as ‘CEO’ while looking at him. Noticing Misha’s hint, Cotton quickly greeted Director Jim Filmer.
“I’m Cotton, Misha’s fiancé. Nice to meet you, Director.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Misha. But it seems you know Hyun well?”
At that moment, Kang Hyun signaled to Cotton with his eyes. There was no need to unnecessarily let Director Jim Filmer know that he was the CEO of VH Company.
However, Cotton, who wasn’t very adept at social cues, completely misunderstood Kang Hyun’s signal.
“Yes, I know him well. CEO Hyun is one of the most outstanding geniuses I’ve ever met. I never imagined I’d see him again here today. After our last investment contract, I was dying to talk to him again. It’s unbelievable how he knows so much about portable nanochips!”
Oh my god.
Cotton’s face was already flushed as if he had had a straight shot of whiskey. That’s how passionate he was about nanochips.
On the other hand, Director Jim Filmer looked as if he still didn’t understand what Cotton was talking about. At that moment,
“Cotton, you mean the genius CEO you mentioned was actually the violinist Hyun?”
“Violinist Hyun? Misha, what are you talking about? This person is the CEO of VH Company.”
“No, the violinist I’ve been talking about is this person. The musician who’s taken Hollywood by storm!”
Kang Hyun felt a headache coming on. Cotton and Misha were engaging in a comedic conversation like Dumb and Dumber.
The main topic of the conversation was Kang Hyun. Cotton, who was clueless about classical music, thought Kang Hyun was a genius in the nanochip field, while Misha was busy explaining Hyun’s fame as a violinist.
Receiving such extreme praise right in front of him felt incredibly embarrassing. Director Jim Filmer, in the meantime, looked at Kang Hyun with a peculiar gaze, as if he were an alien.
“CEO, what do you think about the potential for expansion in the nanochip field?”
Kang Hyun had been conversing with Cotton for thirty minutes already. Cotton looked as lively as a fish in water.
Although Kang Hyun was only sharing snippets of knowledge he had acquired over his life, Cotton treated him as if he were a legendary genius.
Even Director Jim Filmer occasionally threw questions at Kang Hyun.
“Hyun, I knew you were a genius who scored a perfect score on the SAT in Korea, but I didn’t realize you were this incredible. To think you could impress a prodigy recognized by MIT!”
“Uncle, you have no idea how much Cotton talks about Hyun. Normally, he’s not interested in other people at all, but ever since meeting the CEO of the investment company, his eyes have changed. At first, I thought the CEO was an incredibly beautiful woman, and my heart almost sank.”
“Hyun, please tell us more about your first meeting with Cotton. I’m really curious.”
Due to Director Jim Filmer’s insistence, the garden party’s attention was suddenly focused on Kang Hyun. As he hesitated, Cotton began to speak first.
Cotton was a recognized prodigy at MIT, and he had never met anyone who could refute his theories. Even his mentor considered him a partner rather than a student.
But the person who directly challenged his theory on installed nanochips was Kang Hyun.
Gulp.
Kang Hyun wondered if Cotton had always been this good with words.
The attendees of the garden party were now listening to Cotton’s story, forgetting even to sip their drinks. Director Jim Filmer’s eyes were especially sharp.
If it were exaggerated, it seemed like he was about to write a script based on Kang Hyun and Cotton’s story.
“Hyun, do you have a girlfriend?”
Director Jim Filmer suddenly asked Kang Hyun. He looked puzzled, wondering what the question was about.
“If not, what do you think about some of my nieces? You have many fans among them. Another group of nieces will be coming from Beverly soon, and they are also ardent fans of yours. Not to brag, but my family is very good-looking. Some of my nieces are even models!”
Perhaps because of that, the women at the garden party looked at Kang Hyun with heated gazes. Director Jim Filmer was no different. But was it just his imagination that he felt Son Yooha’s gaze from somewhere?
“Mr. Kim, your skills have really deteriorated.”
The golf ball hit by Manager Kim Sangguk’s full swing drew a parabola and fell into the bunker. Chairman Wang laughed heartily at the sight.
Just a few months ago, he hadn’t swung this poorly. At this rate, a triple bogey was inevitable.
“I’m sorry, Chairman.”
“No need to apologize. Thanks to you, Mr. Kim, I’m going to have a very delicious lunch today, so it’s a gain for me. By the way, it seems you were too busy with meetings on your overseas business trips to play golf at all?”
“Yes, I had frequent meetings on site.”
For the past six months, Manager Kim Sangguk had traveled various countries following Kang Hyun’s instructions. Starting with nearby China, he went to India, Europe, and even the United States. It was no exaggeration to say he had toured the world.
Chairman Wang, receiving a golf club from the caddy, asked,
“Mr. Kim, what do you think of VH Company’s potential?”
“Pardon?”
“I am also a shareholder of VH Company. Shouldn’t I know how my investment is doing?”
The de facto leader of VH Company’s operations was none other than Manager Kim Sangguk.
Chairman Wang was curious about the growth of VH Company over the past few years, especially since Manager Kim was expanding the company’s scale in Korea.
Manager Kim Sangguk began to speak after a brief pause.
“So far, the tangible results are limited to the investment in an Austrian pharmaceutical company and some technical support investments. To be honest, the returns are minimal compared to the investments. Our CEO is involved in so many ventures.”
“Hyun, you mean?”
“Yes, as soon as investment returns are realized, he reinvests them into new ventures.”
Manager Kim Sangguk didn’t go into details. He didn’t mention that Kang Hyun was providing investment support to numerous talents worldwide through VH Company.
But given Chairman Wang’s position, he probably already had a good grasp of the information even without being told. Chairman Wang then looked at Manager Kim Sangguk with a curious gaze.
“Mr. Kim, when I first appointed you as the head of the strategic planning office, you were known for clearly distinguishing between public and private matters and being cold-hearted before anyone. Weren’t you the only one who ever expressed opposing views to my opinions?”
“At that time, I didn’t have enough experience to understand your deep intentions, Chairman.”
“No, even back then, you were an outstanding resource. The results speak for themselves. That’s why I placed you in the strategic planning office without hesitation. Frankly, I didn’t expect you to stay at VH Company for this long. I thought you’d come back to the strategic planning office after a short stint.”
Indeed, the reputation and scale of VH Company and the strategic planning office of the Jeil Group were worlds apart. However, Manager Kim Sangguk replied without hesitation.
“I’ve staked my future on VH Company.”
“To that extent?”
“Yes, traveling around the world for six months has made me more certain. Once VH Company surfaces, the world will be astonished. And CEO Hyun will be at the center of it.”
Chairman Wang smiled contentedly at Manager Kim Sangguk’s resolute expression. It seemed he had chosen the right grandson-in-law after all.
There were strange rumors circulating in Hollywood. The story was that a single musician had captivated numerous renowned directors.
The source of the story started with Director Jim Filmer. The music for his upcoming film was already making waves in the market.
There were even rumors that the best OST award at the Venice Film Festival had already been decided, which spoke volumes.
“Can you meet him?”
“Leave it to me, Director.”
Tommy, a PD from the American ABA network, wore a determined expression. He headed straight to Central Park, a frequent haunt of the blue-chip figure stirring Hollywood.
“Tommy, do you think we’ll really meet him by just wandering around?”
They couldn’t even find a phone number or email address. Contacting his agency always resulted in the same response.
Interview declined, appearance declined. It made no sense. No one ever turned down an offer from the ABA network.
But the subject was that significant. He had not only enchanted Hollywood’s top directors but was also receiving love calls from great figures worldwide.
“Miguel, we’re hungry. Go get some sandwiches.”
Miguel, his junior, pouted and started walking.
Not only the American ABA network but other networks had also requested an interview with him, but the answer was always the same. He was harder to meet than the President of the United States. At that moment,
“Oppa, you’re so clumsy!”
A couple was sitting on a bench in Central Park, radiating affection. The girl was Asian, with skin even fairer than most Caucasians, and eyes that reminded one of a cat.
The boy, on the other hand, was wearing a cap pulled down low and eating a sandwich. The girl brushed crumbs off the boy’s lips with her hand.
They seemed to be smiling just by looking at each other.
It was a beautiful scene, as radiant as the brilliant sunlight in Central Park. But seeing this, Tommy felt a pang of loneliness.
“Tommy, they said the sandwich ingredients are sold out?”
“What? Then you should have bought something else.”
“You didn’t even tell me what to buy. If you’re going to be so picky, you should have come with me.”
Tommy held his forehead at Miguel’s retort. His junior never listened to him. And on top of that, he had zero sense.
“Man, what if Hyun passes by while we’re both away?”
“Tommy, I told you we can’t meet Hyun. The rumors about him frequently appearing in Central Park were all made up by Hollywood’s directors. How can such smart people spread baseless rumors?”
At that moment,
“Tommy?”
At the familiar name, the boy in the couple on the bench looked up.
At that moment, the PD from the ABA network, Tommy, and Kang Hyun’s eyes met.
