Side Story 35 – The Day of the Auction – Wang Long

The story Seon-Hu told was astounding, but as time passed, his decision felt endearingly lovely.

I shouldn’t interfere.

Woo Yeon-Hee contemplated and then made a decision. Thus, the image of the two ultimate beings engrossed in their game was left to her imagination.

However, it was indeed a picture hard to imagine without seeing it for herself.

Woo Yeon-Hee said regretfully, “I’ve decided not to go.”

The super-luxury yacht and even the crew were all prepared.

“Once the auction is over, we will head to the Mediterranean. Ethan will join us later.”

“Please don’t hesitate to tell me,” Amanda replied, seemingly overwhelmed.

Woo Yeon-Hee grinned. “Isn’t it better for you too, Amanda?”

“Yes.”

“The artworks will be moved either to Seoul or Berlin. I’ll let you know the details when I get the exact information. And this is important. Treat me comfortably, so I can feel at ease. We’ll see each other often from now on.”

As Woo Yeon-Hee passed by Amanda, she thought the perfume Amanda wore was fragrant.

It wasn’t just Amanda’s perfume that was pleasing. Since the long war ended, her life had been sweet every day.

It was a brief break before the auction of the special collection items. In front of everyone, Woo Yeon-Hee walked towards Seong-Il. Her wealth was once again proven as she had acquired all the exhibited items. Even among the secretive tycoons of the world, her wealth stood out, making everyone’s curiosity about her become even more intense.

Seong-Il asked after she approached him, “What on earth happened?”

Since hearing the sudden news that He would bring Osiris to Seoul, Seong-Il had been on edge.

“It seems Seon-Hu is a man after all. You know, men become more childish as they age.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s because of the game. He’s scaring so many people just for that.”

A game? Seong-Il felt relieved, but then he remembered Ki-Cheol.

He grumbled, “A game? That’s right. Games are trapping many people.”

“Why are you saying that?”

“Ki-Cheol. It’s a long story. He’s hopelessly stubborn. I kept telling him the soondae stew was so good that I could eat it every day. But he didn’t even listen to me for a second.”

“Soondae stew?”

“Yes. How can one refuse soondae stew? Isn’t that right, noona?”

“Yea, I’m getting a bit angry now.”

“Right? That’s exactly how I feel.”

“And Ki-Cheol?”

“Should I leave him be? As I was saying, I have no expectations from my son. He should just take care of himself, so I don’t care about his grades. So when he started internet broadcasting, I genuinely supported him. It could have been an opportunity for his talent to shine.”

“So, what game does he play?”

“I am not too sure. He is playing it with his friends, so he said his team will lose if he doesn’t join them. Whenever he talks about the game, his eyes sparkle. He should try eating soondae stew with such a passion.”

Woo Yeon-Hee neither laughed nor got annoyed. She said with a hint of slight reprimand in her voice, “I understand you want to feed your son delicious food. But Ki-Cheol is not a child. Are you possessed by a ghost of someone who died without tasting soondae stew? Poor Ki-Cheol.”

“You’ll understand when you have a child. Parent’s feelings can’t be controlled as desired.”

“I’ll play with my kids. Not for me, but for them. If my kids like games, then I won’t force them to eat soondae stew but play games with them. See, you don’t even know what game Ki-Cheol plays.”

“Have a child first, then tell me. I am eagerly waiting for that day.” Seong-Il then whispered with a smirk, “When are you going to offer me noodles[1]?”

***

“请不要抯心 (Please don’t worry).”

Wang Long couldn’t take his eyes off the yacht’s mistress even while directly reporting to the Supreme Leader, the President of China. Practically, the competitors were narrowed down to three groups. The young lady who owned the yacht, Russians from the Kremlin, and those who dealt in black waters.

However, the yacht’s mistress was a figure whose identity couldn’t be discovered. The amount she spent on classic and modern works was a staggering one billion dollars. Compared to the soon-to-start artifact, it could have been a small amount.

Nonetheless, not many entities could invest such a massive amount in art.

Certain names came to mind. Judging by how close she appeared with Caliber, she could be presumed to be from Korea, but all the names Wang Long thought of belonged to Western capital powers. Even now, the mistress was whispering secretly with the Caliber. Their conversation seemed grave.

She probably wants the special collection, right?

He had anticipated fierce competition, but he hadn’t expected ‘Jeonil’ to join forces with Caliber. The mistress certainly looked like she was with ‘Jeonil.’

Wang Long whispered, “That woman… She seems to be from Jeonil.”

The aura the mistress emitted was extraordinary. That small frame seemingly harbored blood from a powerful lineage. Much like himself.

“It seems so,” replied the man.

Market defenders like Jonathan Hunter and Gillian Taylor just started selling their stakes. Thus, the tycoons’ top priority should have been to capture the stakes coming into the market.

However, the mistress invested a massive amount in art. The wealth she displayed was enough to astonish everyone. And such a wealthy capitalist force was rare.

Jeonil was a capital power that first appeared in Korea in the late 90s. Over the last twenty years since then, it became a global capital market force controlling both Korea’s and France’s economies. The real owner of the Jeonil Group has always been hidden behind a veil.

“The Jeonil Group might be Korean capital,” Wang Long hypothesized.

The man next to him squinted. “Are you concerned about Caliber?”

“I’m not too worried. It seems like a process to show loyalty within their group. If He wanted to retrieve it, things wouldn’t have come this far.”

Wang Long decided to express his thoughts after contemplating for a long time.

“Actually, He seems to have no intention to influence humanity. To Him, everything about us might be as insignificant as dust. Why would He care about an old classroom floor? The chairman is gravely mistaken. Including my father, the senior members of our party are not seeing it correctly.”

“What are you trying to imply?”

“It’s the people’s money and our party’s money. Why waste the money that can support our hundred-year plan[2]? Moreover, dedicating it to Him might backfire.”

“So?”

“I have two requests. First, I’ll convince my father and the chairman, so uncle, please convince the seniors. If I win the bid, then wait for me to offer the relic. I am looking for His lover, Mary.”

“…Why?”

“While our voices might not reach Him, a word from His lover might be different.”

Wang Long concluded.

“I believe that offering the relic to His lover and expressing our sincere reverence for Him would be the only way to reach Him. He is also a man.”

Wang Long was expecting His lover to tell him at their bedside.

“But his known temperament is…”

“It’s scary, but that is better than standing before Him.”

“Do you know where His lover is?”

“We must find her with all our might.”

“You already have a plan, don’t you?”

“Yes. If the door to outer space opens, please promote me to be in charge. It’s my second request.”

Wang Long checked the time. There were about twenty minutes left until the final auction began.

The Awakened weren’t only in outer space. There was one right in his sight, known to be the closest aide to Him, Caliber Kwon Seong-Il. If Wang Long could approach him and build a relationship, wouldn’t he be able to get some information about His lover?

But there was a woman guarding Caliber, presumably an agent from Jeonil, making it impossible to approach him. In other words, she had monopolized Caliber.

If only that woman disappeared, I could somehow create an opportunity.

Wang Long ground his teeth in frustration.

***

Their eyes met, and even though their faces turned into smiles, it was noticeable. Woo Yeon-Hee felt a surge of annoyance.

Is he staring at me? At me?

This wasn’t the first time. When she felt uncomfortable and looked, their eyes inevitably met. Not once, but three times. The more irritating part was that when that Chinese man looked around, the other guests became more conscious of her.

When Woo Yeon-Hee furrowed her brow, Seong-Il said, “Just tolerate it, noona. How can I stop my popularity from soaring?”

Woo Yeon-Hee felt a bit better hearing Seong-Il’s joke. Then Amanda approached and handed over a note. It was a considerate move from the auction house. Only one amount was written on the note.

It was the starting price of the special collection, known as His relic.

「 $50,000,000,000 」

Soft exclamations of surprise echoed around. Every guest received the same note. People started to leave their seats with disappointed faces. They were the ones who couldn’t even start with that bid.

Woo Yeon-Hee also stood up and only a few decided to stay.

“…Such a high starting bid?”

“I’ll see you later.”

On her way back to her cabin, Woo Yeon-Hee felt a strong gaze again. It was from that Chinese man. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what that look was conveying, but one thing was clear. It was a mocking one.

For Woo Yeon-Hee, it was a moment when she felt more provoked than ever.

“Hold on. Just bear with it, Yeon-Hee,” she murmured to herself.

1. Asia has a tradition of having noodles when one gives birth to a child or on someone’s birthday. It symbolizes longevity and good fortune due to the long and unbroken nature of the noodles. ☜

2. 百年之計. ☜