Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 182

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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182. You’re going to ride that?

Chirp, chirp, chirp!
In the early morning, three or four sparrows sat on the Garden parasol table, making a raucous commotion.
A mackerel-striped cat that had grown considerably and now matched its mother’s size crept across the grass with its belly pressed flat, stalking the sparrows.
The creature, fully concentrated on the sparrows atop the table, wiggled its hindquarters as it calculated the perfect moment to pounce.
Should I do it now or wait?
Just as the mackerel cat finally made its decision and extended its claws to leap upward with valor—

Flutter, flutter!
Chirp, chirp!!

The sparrows, sensing danger, took flight first and vanished into the distance.

“Meow!”

The mackerel cat, having lost its prey right before its eyes, struck the ground with a deflated thud.

Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!

The sparrows, huddled together on a branch far beyond the cat’s reach, chirped mockingly at their would-be predator.

“Meooow….”

The cat, its shoulders drooping, let out a disheartened cry and scratched at the ground in frustration.

Yawn.

The mother cat, perched on the terrace railing and toasting bread in the warm morning sunlight, gazed at the scene with a look of utter disdain and let out a wide yawn.
After finishing breakfast in such peaceful tranquility as always, Park Tae-hong was in the master bedroom adjusting his necktie while looking in the mirror.
When Jo Deok-rye opened the door and entered, Park Tae-hong lifted his eyes from the mirror and asked.

“Have you packed all the luggage?”
“I gave it to the Driver, so it should be loaded in the car trunk. You said it was a three-night, four-day schedule, right?”
“That’s right. There’s no direct flight to Shenyang, so we have to go through Beijing. And since there are only three or four flights a week from Beijing back to Seoul, if I miss Thursday evening’s flight, I’ll have to take another route.”

Since establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1992, Korean enterprises had been expanding their presence, and economic exchanges between the two nations were flourishing.
However, because people still rarely traveled back and forth in the private sector, including tourism, there weren’t many regular flights, and the cities served were limited to only a few places like Beijing and Shanghai.

“It must be quite inconvenient.”
“Once exchanges become more active in the future, travel will become easier too.”

If there were a direct flight, it would take barely two hours, but having to transit through Beijing meant wasting half a day—something that displeased Park Tae-hong as well.
However, routing through Beijing was the fastest way to reach Shenyang, where the Daeheung Textiles Manufacturing Plant was located, so there was no choice.
As Park Tae-hong reached for his jacket, Jo Deok-rye raised her hand to stop him.

“Just a moment.”

She stepped forward and carefully straightened his slightly crooked necktie with both hands.

“Since your tie is blue, a silver pin would suit it perfectly.”

Watching Jo Deok-rye fasten the tie pin with meticulous care, Park Tae-hong grumbled.

“I find this tedious.”
“On a business trip, you’ll meet not just company employees but all sorts of people. It’s better to appear put-together than disheveled.”
“Fine, fine. I understand.”

Though he complained aloud, his eyes held warmth as he gazed at his wife, who had supported him with such meticulous attention to detail since his youth.

“I should be going now.”

Park Tae-hong checked his wristwatch and hurriedly put on the jacket Jo Deok-rye handed him before leaving the bedroom.
Seok-won, who had been waiting in the living room, rose from the sofa and asked.

“Are you heading straight to the airport?”
“Yes.”
“Have a good business trip.”
“I will.”

Park Tae-hong replied matter-of-factly, then turned to look at his wife’s face.

“I’ll be back soon.”
“I hear the water in China isn’t good, so be careful with your stomach.”
“My stomach has always been strong—don’t worry about that.”

I chuckled, and Jo Deok-rye gave me a sidelong glance.

“There you go again. How long do you think you’ll stay young forever? When you get older, you should learn to take care of yourself.”
“I understand.”

Anticipating that the nagging would grow longer, Park Tae-hong quickly grabbed his shoes and put them on.
Seok-won, who watched his parents bickering and smiled quietly, followed Park Tae-hong out.

“I’ll head to work as well.”
“Yes, have a good day.”

As we stepped outside, the mother cat and her kittens, who had been huddled together on the parasol table and chairs grooming themselves, meowed at the sight of us.

“Heh, these little ones. They’re even saying goodbye to wish us a good day.”

Park Tae-hong, who had unconsciously worn a fatherly smile, soon composed himself into a stern expression and strode across the garden with Seok-won.
As the two of us emerged beyond the gate, Kim Hyung-gi, the driver, stood in front of the Mercedes sedan and quickly bowed upon seeing Park Tae-hong.

“You’ve come out, Chairman.”

Park Tae-hong gave a small nod and turned to Seok-won, who had come with him.

“Once I leave today, I won’t be back until Thursday at the earliest. In the meantime, try to come home early if you can.”

Seok-won, seeing how his father cared for his wife while pretending not to, suppressed a smile and answered.

“Yes, I will.”
“Ahem.”

Park Tae-hong cleared his throat awkwardly and turned to Kim Hyung-gi, who was holding the car door open.

“Let’s go then.”

As Park Tae-hong climbed into the back seat of the Mercedes, Kim Hyung-gi carefully closed the door.

“I’ll be on my way then, Second Young Master.”
“Yes. Drive safely.”

Kim Hyung-gi bowed respectfully before quickly taking his place in the driver’s seat.
As I watched the Mercedes sedan glide smoothly away and disappear into the distance, I murmured to myself.

“He’s got quite the tsundere side to him, doesn’t he.”

Among the wealthy families, there were no shortage of couples who performed as display window marriages—acting out a facade of harmony while conscious of others’ gazes and their social standing.
Yet watching my parents, even in their advancing years, maintain such genuine affection and care for one another, I couldn’t help but smile.
I turned back, already anticipating what kind of reaction Chairman Park Tae-hong would have when he saw the gift waiting for him at the airport.

* * *

Gimpo Airport Passenger Terminal.

“It looks like he’s arriving now.”

Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho, who had arrived early at the airport to wait for the China business trip, turned his head at Choo Se-young’s words.
There, a familiar black Mercedes sedan came into view, gradually slowing as it approached.
As the large sedan came to a stop, Choo Se-young quickly opened the rear passenger door.

“Welcome, Chairman.”

Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho bowed respectfully in greeting.

“Have you been waiting long?”
“Not at all.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong stepped out of the car and glanced around before speaking.

“The departure time is ten o’clock, correct?”
“Yes. We still have plenty of time, so please take your time going in.”
“Very well.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong spoke as he watched Kim Hyung-gi removing luggage from the trunk alongside Choo Se-young.

“Then I’ll see you Thursday.”
“Yes. Please travel safely.”
“Let’s go.”

Park Tae-hong strode forward alongside Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho.
Manager Choo Se-young followed quickly behind, pulling two travel suitcases from the trunk.
Park Tae-hong and his entourage entered the administrative building and headed straight to the protocol office on the third floor.
It was a familiar place—he used the airport protocol office frequently whenever departing to avoid the gazes of other passengers and various inconveniences.
Following an airport employee’s guidance, I pushed open the wooden door and found myself in a room with thick carpet covering the floor and two tables with a sofa arranged inside.
While not particularly lavish, it was a considerable privilege to rest comfortably in this separate space rather than waiting mixed among ordinary passengers in the crowded departure hall.
Of course, not just anyone could use the protocol office—only high-ranking government officials, members of parliament, or business leaders ranked within the top fifty in the financial world were permitted entry.
Park Tae-hong unfastened his jacket buttons and sat comfortably, habitually pulling out a cigarette and placing it between his lips. Manager Choo Se-young quickly lit it for him.
After taking a deep drag of the white smoke and exhaling, Park Tae-hong spoke.

“It’s inconvenient not being able to smoke freely whenever I board a plane. At least this flight is relatively short, so that’s fortunate.”
“Indeed, sir.”

Manager Choo Se-young, who had been listening to their conversation, carefully interjected.

“Excuse me, but I’ll need your passport to complete the departure procedures….”
“Ah, that’s right.”

Park Tae-hong retrieved his passport from his jacket’s inner pocket—one his wife had prepared for him.

“Here it is.”
“Thank you.”

Manager Choo Se-young accepted the passport with both hands and immediately left to complete the departure procedures.
With a cigarette between his fingers, Park Tae-hong leaned back and turned his gaze toward Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho, who was sitting on the left sofa.

“You said the governor of Liaoning Province will attend the Shenyang Manufacturing Plant expansion ceremony?”
“Yes. He notified us in advance that he would attend along with high-ranking officials, including the director of the Public Security Bureau.”

Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho continued speaking as he watched Park Tae-hong tap his cigarette into the crystal ashtray on the table.

“Since this is one of the largest foreign investments Liaoning Province has attracted, it appears he intends to publicize it significantly as his own achievement.”
“That’s typical of politicians.”

Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho leaned forward and continued speaking, noting Park Tae-hong’s indifferent expression.

“Though he currently holds the position of governor of Liaoning Province, which is considered a minor post, considering he’s the son of a revolutionary elder who participated in the Long March, he’s a figure with high potential for advancement to the central government.”
“Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, then.”
“If you establish a good relationship with him during this opportunity, it will be quite beneficial for conducting business in China.”

Park Tae-hong understood better than anyone how connections with those in power influenced business operations in authoritarian nations like China, just as Korea had been in the past, so he gave a small nod of acknowledgment.

“What was the name of Liaoning Province’s governor again?”
“Wei Jizhong.”

Wei Jizhong.
Park Tae-hong murmured the name softly to commit it to memory, his expression tinged with regret.

“I should have brought a gift for our first meeting.”

At that, Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho responded as if he’d been waiting for exactly this moment.

“I anticipated you might say that, so I’ve already prepared a pair of gold Rolex watches as gifts for Governor Wei Jizhong and his wife.”

Park Tae-hong’s face broke into a satisfied smile at such perceptive and efficient handling.

“When did you arrange all that? You’re truly remarkable.”

Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho, pleased by the praise, smiled softly and bowed his head slightly.
Just then, Manager Choo Se-young, who had stepped out of the room, returned.

“All departure procedures have been completed.”
“Good work.”

Park Tae-hong slipped the returned passport into his inner jacket pocket.
Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho then rolled up his sleeve to check the time before speaking.

“Shall we head to the gate for boarding now?”
“Already? We still have some time, don’t we?”

Park Tae-hong spoke while gazing regretfully at the cigarette he hadn’t finished smoking.
For a moment, Manager Choo Se-young, caught off guard, found himself glancing sideways at Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho without thinking.
However, Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho displayed acting skills that would rival a professional actor, smoothly deflecting with an unruffled demeanor.

“It would be inconvenient to board with the other passengers, so please go ahead first. I’ve already arranged this with the airline in advance.”

Though something felt slightly off from his usual manner, Park Tae-hong didn’t give it much thought.

“Then I’ll just finish this cigarette and get up.”
“Of course, sir.”

A moment later.
Apparently one cigarette hadn’t been enough, for Chairman Park Tae-hong smoked another before finally leaving the protocol office, taking the elevator down to the first floor.

“This way, sir.”

As I followed Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho, who was leading the way, I furrowed my brow in confusion—we weren’t heading toward the departure gate at all, but rather exiting the building entirely.

“Where are we going?”

Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho turned back to me with a smile on his face.

“To the aircraft you’ll be taking, sir.”
“Then we should be heading to the departure gate. Why did you bring me out here?”

I responded with a displeased tone, my brow furrowed.
As my expression darkened noticeably, Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho raised one arm and pointed toward a business jet parked in a spacious section of the parking lot some distance away.

“That’s the aircraft you’ll be taking today, sir.”
“What?”

I stared at where Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho was pointing, my brow furrowing even deeper.
Wondering if I’d misheard, I asked again.

“I’m taking that?”
“Yes, sir.”

Chief Secretary Gil Seong-ho nodded with a broad smile on his face.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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