Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 525

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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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525. You’ve inherited my eye for talent

[Bluehole Group Chairman Park Seok-won Acquires Three Daekwang Group Subsidiaries Following Minguk Life Acquisition!]
[Daekwang Securities, Diners Club Korea, Daekwang Electromechanical Industries Confirmed for Sale to Bluehole Group]
[Bluehole Securities Acquires 7.71% Stake in Daekwang Securities Held by Britain’s Hermès Fund Through Block Deal; Merger Expectations Drive Daekwang Securities Stock Surge]
[Business Community Riveted by Chairman Park Seok-won’s Aggressive Expansion Strategy]

Chairman Park Tae-hong gazed at the morning newspaper headlines plastered with news of his second son’s acquisition of Daekwang Group subsidiaries, his expression radiating satisfaction.

“Heh heh heh. He’s barely finished acquiring Minguk Life, and already he’s snatched up three Daekwang Group subsidiaries simultaneously. He’s my son, but he’s truly remarkable.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong chuckled as he recalled the Federation of Korean Industries meeting held days earlier to elect a new leader in place of the detained Chairman Yu Chun-seok. There, not only Kwak Dong-hun of Saseong Group but all the heads of the top ten conglomerates had subtly attempted to connect their daughters or granddaughters with Seok-won.

“Kekeke. Thanks to having such an accomplished son, even I walk around with my head held high these days.”

Of course, he harbored no intention of arranging a strategic marriage between his son and the daughter of another chaebol family or influential politician.

“Besides, he wouldn’t listen even if I told him to. What could he possibly lack that would require me to force him into a loveless political marriage?”

Like his eldest son, if Seok-won said he had found someone he cared for, Park Tae-hong would support their marriage regardless of who it was.
The only regret was that while his eldest had already produced grandchildren, his second son showed no signs of serious romantic involvement with anyone.

“Tsk.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong leaned back in his chair and clicked his tongue.

“That boy. Business is fine, but it seems he has no intention of pursuing romance at all.”

In Chairman Park Tae-hong’s eyes, it was a waste—his son possessed strikingly handsome features yet showed no inclination to use them.
At the sound of a knock, Chairman Park Tae-hong quickly composed his expression and spoke in a stern voice.

“Come in.”

Jung Yun-kyung entered through the door and approached his desk.

“Chairman. A painting has arrived from your second son. What should we do with it?”

That’s when I recalled that last time I had obtained a painting that Seok-won would appreciate, and I had instructed him to have it hung on the wall of the Chairman’s Office.
Chairman Park Tae-hong casually pointed with his chin at the empty wall beside the bookshelf and spoke.

“Hang it there.”
“Understood, sir.”

Though Chairman Park Tae-hong preferred calligraphy to paintings, since it was a gift from his second son, he decided to have it displayed in the Chairman’s Office.
Soon, a female curator in a crisp business suit entered the Chairman’s Office accompanied by workers carrying a securely sealed wooden crate on both sides, guided by Jung Yun-kyung.

“You can hang it here.”

Jung Yun-kyung pointed to the wall that Chairman Park Tae-hong had indicated moments earlier.
The female curator nodded in acknowledgment and issued instructions to the workers accompanying her.

“Please carefully open the crate.”
“Yes, ma’am.”

The workers drove nails deep into the wall using an electric drill at appropriate positions, then carefully pried open the lid of the elongated wooden crate.

“This is a precious work, so it cannot sustain even the slightest damage.”

As the curator standing beside them watched over the work like a sentinel, repeatedly cautioning them, the workers’ movements became even more deliberate and careful.
When the workers carefully removed the 20×30-sized framed artwork from inside and leaned it diagonally against the floor, the curator knelt on one knee while putting on white gloves.
She then carefully unwrapped the bubble wrap that had been meticulously layered to protect the artwork, and finally the painting in the frame revealed its true form.
Chairman Park Tae-hong, who had risen from his desk and was watching the proceedings from a slight distance with his arms crossed, spoke with an expression of pleasant surprise.

“This is a fan-mounted calligraphy and painting.”

The curator responded with a smile on her face.

“Indeed, you have a discerning eye, sir.”

Paintings or calligraphy written on fans were called fan-mounted works.

“During the Joseon period, literati would exchange fans on the Dragon Boat Festival, and as time progressed, they would write calligraphy on them to share correspondence, or paint landscapes like they would on paper. Among fan-mounted paintings, this is an exceptionally rare national treasure-class work featuring ink orchid paintings and calligraphy by Chusa Kim Jeong-hee, who was particularly fond of painting orchids.”

Upon hearing this, Chairman Park Tae-hong’s eyes widened at the mention of Chusa Kim Jeong-hee.

“Wait, so you’re saying that this here was painted by Chusa Kim Jeong-hee himself?”

At the curator’s pressing question, I nodded my head.

“Yes, sir. It’s an extremely rare work—only a handful exist in the Domestic Market.”
“Ah, I see.”

Park Tae-hong let out a gasp of admiration.

“Would you like to examine it directly?”

At the curator’s courteous offer, Park Tae-hong responded with a light cough.

“Ahem. Yes, let’s do that.”

Park Tae-hong stepped closer to the frame and scrutinized the work with a serious gaze.
As I unfolded one side of the fan, the orchid painted upon it emanated precisely what Chusa Kim Jeong-hee had always spoken of—the “fragrance of characters and the spirit of books”—the essence of literary refinement itself.
The calligraphy inscribed on one side displayed the steely, forceful brushwork characteristic of Chusa’s hand, with angular strokes and a striking contrast between thick and thin lines that perfectly embodied the distinctive style of his later years.
Park Tae-hong, who had always admired Chusa Kim Jeong-hee’s calligraphic works, let out a soft exclamation.

“Truly magnificent.”
“As you can see, there’s no discoloration or damage whatsoever, and the preservation condition is exceptional—a masterpiece in pristine state.”
“Indeed.”

Park Tae-hong nodded, unable to tear his gaze from the work.

“Then, now that you’ve confirmed everything, shall we hang it on the wall?”
“Yes, let’s.”

At the curator’s gesture, the workers carefully lifted the frame and hung it on the wall.

“There. The left side seems slightly tilted.”

Unlike his initial indifference, Park Tae-hong now stepped forward and began fussing over the positioning, causing beads of cold sweat to form on the workers’ foreheads.

“Yes, that’s right. Just a bit more… there.”

After adjusting the level several times, Park Tae-hong finally found the perfect angle, his face radiating satisfaction.

“Excellent. I’m quite pleased with it.”

Seeing Chairman Park Tae-hong beaming with satisfaction, the curator extended the file folder along with a pen.

“Would you sign the receipt of delivery?”
“Of course.”

Chairman Park Tae-hong readily accepted the pen and scrawled his signature across the receipt the curator presented.

“Then we’ll be taking our leave.”
“Thank you for your work.”

As Manager Jung Yun-kyung led the curator and workers out of the Chairman’s Office, Chairman Park Tae-hong, now alone, stood before the framed artwork and gazed upon Chusa Kim Jeong-hee’s brush painting with an entranced expression.
After standing lost in contemplation for some time, Chairman Park Tae-hong suddenly recalled something and approached his desk, picking up the mobile phone resting there and searching for his second son’s number before pressing the call button.
After a brief moment, the ringtone sounded several times before Seok-won answered.

[Yes, Father.]
“What on earth did you send me, you rascal!”
[From the way you’re speaking, it seems the artwork has arrived.]

Hearing his son’s casual tone, Chairman Park Tae-hong stepped closer to the framed painting once more.

“That’s right. A brush painting by Chusa—if it’s genuine, it must be worth a considerable sum. No, it’s not about the price. Just looking at it, it’s clearly a national treasure-class work. How on earth did you acquire something so precious?”

Seok-won then replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

[As the bubble burst, fine artworks that Japanese corporations and individuals had purchased during the good times are now flooding the market.]
“So you brought this from Japan as well?”
[That’s right. It was looted during the Japanese occupation and had been in the possession of a real estate magnate, who recently put it up for sale. I thought of you and purchased it.]

Though his wealth paled in comparison to his globally-operating son, Chairman Park Tae-hong was among Korea’s most prominent conglomerate owners, possessing more than sufficient resources to acquire a single fine artwork, no matter how national-treasure-class it might be.
Yet despite his wealth, the fact that his son had purchased such a rare work—one difficult to obtain even with money if no pieces were available on the market—simply because he thought of his father moved Chairman Park Tae-hong deeply.

‘That boy. Raising a son like that was worth it.’

Though Chairman Park Tae-hong felt immensely pleased inwardly, the words that escaped his lips were gruff.

“Why waste money on such frivolous things.”
[Having a painting on the wall brightens the atmosphere and looks nice, doesn’t it?]

Chairman Park Tae-hong suppressed his increasingly rising smile and responded.

“Well, since it’s a gift, I’ll hang it up.”
[If you don’t like it, I can replace it with something else.]
“No! Don’t be ridiculous. Why go through all that trouble? Just leave it as is.”
[Understood.]

Chairman Park Tae-hong, suddenly anxious that I might take it back, cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“By the way, will you come next Sunday?”
[It’s Mother’s birthday, so of course I’ll be there.]
“Then I’ll see you then.”
[Yes, Father.]

After ending the call, Chairman Park Tae-hong gazed at Chusa Kim Jeong-hee’s work hanging on the wall with a broad smile.

“He takes after me, so he has good taste too. That’s why his investments turn out well.”

Thus Chairman Park Tae-hong lingered before the framed artwork for quite some time, neglecting the work that needed to be done.

* * *

The Mercedes sedan carrying Seok-won turned toward his Seocho-dong residence, leaving the 63 Building bathed in golden light behind as the sun set.
Seok-won, leaning back into the plush seat and gazing out the window, felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled out his phone.

[Is it okay to talk, Boss?]

At the sound of Landon Shore’s voice from New York, Seok-won straightened up and spoke.

“What’s the matter?”
[The SEC plans to announce Modunnet’s NASDAQ listing sometime today.]

A deep smile spread across Seok-won’s lips as he heard the news.
The SEC, the Securities and Exchange Commission, was the authority through which any company seeking to list on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ had to pass review and obtain approval.

“Then we’ll move straight into investor relations and demand surveys.”
[Considering how hot the internet fever is—stock prices skyrocket just from the words ‘dot-com’ or ‘net’—I expect we’ll see excellent results.]

I shared the same sentiment, so I nodded slightly while holding the phone to my ear.

“Regardless of nationality or profitability, there’s a frenzy to buy any internet-related stock, so that’s what will happen.”
[If Modunnet successfully lists, it will mark the first direct NASDAQ listing by a Korean company.]
“That’s right.”

I responded calmly.

[If the stock price surges well above the offering price as expected, it won’t be quite like Yahoo or Netscape, but you should still see considerable returns.]

Bluehole Venture Capital had steadily accumulated Modunnet shares in the over-the-counter market as the company pursued its direct NASDAQ listing, holding a 10% stake.

[You’re expecting a windfall, which is why you’ve decided not to sell your shares at the IPO, unlike other shareholders, isn’t it?]
Landon Shore, having worked alongside me for so long, read my intentions with sharp insight, and I smiled.

“Let me know right away if there’s any other news related to Modunnet’s listing.”
[Understood.]

After receiving further reports on various Wall Street sentiments, I hung up and turned my gaze beyond the Han River Bridge, where the sunset was slowly descending.

“Bubbles always burn brightest and largest in their final moments.”

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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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