Chapter 152: An Invitation to Spend Money

The invited guests savored the multi-course meal that kept appearing. Everything they put in their mouths, the plates they used, the tableware, and the tablecloths.

They knew that all of it had been flown in from France on a private jet. This event only happened twice a year, so they meticulously examined everything, as if not wanting to miss a single detail, and took their time with the meal.

“Do you also take orders for the tableware and plates?”

“Of course. If you find something you like, just call one of our staff to place an order.”

Looking around the banquet hall, several staff members were already diligently explaining something to the guests.

Luxury goods that could only be purchased by those chosen by Soonyang, even if it wasn’t the world’s choice. They knew that these luxury items wouldn’t be found in department stores, so no one but the invited could possess them.

This exclusivity was what gave the invitation its value.

Receiving an invitation from Soonyang was as good as a certificate of being in the top echelon of Korean society. My aunt, who orchestrated this strategy, was extraordinary.

As the long dinner ended, the lights in the banquet hall dimmed, and a young, handsome man appeared at the front.

He would explain the features, advantages, and rarity of the various brands exhibited at today’s banquet, and reveal the integrated concept that brought numerous brands together.

“The obsession with beauty holds a very important meaning. Because within it lies Soonyang’s way of expressing the brand’s identity.”

A video editing the S/S collection runway began to play on the front screen.

“From the vintage-inspired wide-lapel half-canvas heritage line to the classic fit and shoulder-emphasized signoria line, we present a lineup of seven silhouettes using unique materials.”

Once the presentation, which was still filled with abstract and vague words, ended, everyone slowly stood up and began shopping in earnest.

They exchanged greetings and mingled with acquaintances, sharing opinions. Though unseen, a fierce battle of wits began within the smiles and glances of those women.

They spent money as a way to flaunt their superiority over others.

It was a blind shopping spree.

There were no price tags on the exhibited luxury goods.

The blouse they were pointing at to reserve could cost millions of won, and the slippers for the beach in the summer could easily exceed a million won.

Unless you were quite confident, you wouldn’t even touch the jewelry.

Even if you liked something and wanted to buy it, asking the price was unthinkable.

The moment you asked, “How much is this?”, gazes would pour in.

Those gazes contained contempt for the vulgarity of converting luxury goods into money and disdain, as if asking why someone so poor they needed to ask the price had come to this place.

Another of my aunt’s strategies was hidden within this.

Among the two hundred or so items, some were very inexpensive, ranging from 5% to 10% of the total.

A few tens of thousands of won for a small wallet, high heels costing just over a hundred thousand won….

Soonyang’s collection wasn’t just composed of expensive items. It demonstrated that it was composed of true luxury beyond price.

Therefore, asking the price in this setting was considered a vulgar act of valuing worth only in terms of money.

My aunt keenly surveyed the banquet hall before suddenly moving around. She simply exchanged eye contact and did a quick round, but the atmosphere of the banquet hall changed.

As if not wanting to miss my aunt’s gaze, reservation speeds increased with people saying, “Please prepare this for me.” They seemed to think they needed to make a good impression to be invited to the F/W season as well.

My aunt, who had caused such a tremendous effect, glanced at me and quickly left the banquet hall.

“This is enough. Staying longer will devalue us. Let’s go.”

Was it some kind of mystique strategy?

It felt a bit disappointing to end like this. Among the hundred or so guests, there were definitely many households with whom building connections would be helpful.

My aunt, sensing my thoughts, spoke.

“Postpone greeting those people for later. I have to do a round of thank yous anyway, and I’ll list the worthwhile families for you. It’ll help with the duty-free shop permit.”

“You’re giving me many opportunities to expand my network.”

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not for you, but for me.”

“Is it because a nephew is more comfortable than your brothers?”

“No, you have more leeway than your older brothers.”

“Leeway?”

“Yes. Call it confidence? If it were your older brothers, they would have already chased me off to a provincial golf course. They wouldn’t even let me touch management.”

My aunt smiled at me.

“But you let me stay in my position, and even said I could bide my time while you fended off the competitors. And I intend to do just that.”

“You believe expanding my network will be advantageous in the competition with my uncles.”

“Of course. You need to be careful of your uncles too. Connections build up with the years you’ve lived. Your grandfather is your shield right now, but… just you wait.”

My aunt stared intently into my eyes and spoke with a warning tone.

“When your grandfather passes away, the National Tax Service and the Financial Supervisory Service will descend upon Miracle from that very day. And of course, they’ll mobilize every connection to try and take over even the US headquarters.”

“So, I need to get to know people who can be a shield from now?”

“Yes. If you fall, I won’t be able to avoid exile either. So, this is for my sake.”

Hope is a good thing.

It’s not good for the person who holds it, but good because that person moves the way I want them to.

Planning is better than hope.

* * *

“Don’t send out invitations to those below 100 million won starting next season.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Having received the reservation status report, my aunt cut it off decisively. Below 100 million won meant they hadn’t touched any of the jewelry.

Jewelry is the finishing touch of fashion.

If you wore a ten million won dress, the jewelry you wore with it should easily exceed 100 million won to match. Not buying jewelry meant they were short on money from the start.

This meant there was no reason to treat them as VVIPs anymore, so they would be removed from the invitation list.

“Wait a minute, let me see that list for a moment.”

The employee who was about to leave hurriedly handed over the list.

I carefully reviewed the list of customers below 100 million won, scrutinizing their reservation purchase history and their husband’s occupation, even the personal details of their family members, and began jotting down necessary notes.

“Prepare things according to what’s written there and get their available dates scheduled, then let me know.”

The employee holding the list subtly glanced at my aunt when I called out.

“You need to consider my instructions as the Vice-chairman’s orders if you want to keep working here. Don’t you even have that much sense?”

“Ah, yes. I… I’m sorry.”

As the employee, flustered and bowing, was about to leave, my aunt raised her hand to stop him. Then, with curious eyes, she asked me.

“Are you even disciplining the staff now? Well… I suppose it’s about time. But what did you hand him? This memo?”

“I checked and gave him a list of people we should continue to invite in the future. Who they are and what they do is more important than their purchasing level.”

“So, what’s on the memo?”

“It’s a list of gifts to deliver when I visit them personally.”

My aunt carefully examined the memos on the list, adding something with her pen, crossing things out, and scribbling again.

“Prepare these according to my revisions. And schedule things firmly as Chief of staff Jin Do-jun says. So Chief of staff Jin doesn’t make any wasted trips.”

“Understood, Vice-chairman.”

Once again, the employee bowed and left, and my aunt let out a low whistle.

“Our Do-jun learns quickly. The gift list is quite appropriate.”

“It’s not difficult. Necklaces for women’s clothing, watches for men’s clothing. Giving what’s needed. But what did you change?”

“I only modified the necklace and watch brands. To match what they purchased.”

Did she want to show that she was better than me? Or was it an excuse to switch to something cheaper?

“But why are you trying to take care of those people? They aren’t significant enough to put in that much effort, are they?”

“Because they are public officials. Unless they make a major mistake, public officials only have promotions to look forward to. Considering 5 or 10 years down the line, they’re good long-term investments.”

If they were invited, it wasn’t simply because they were high-ranking public officials. Their families had the financial means to enjoy blind shopping.

Public officials with backing and ability would at least reach near the top.

“Even without this kind of investment, public officials are like well-behaved cats to Soonyang. It’s unnecessary to spend money on them. The additional gifts you added today alone cost 300 million won.”

“Ah, I’ll cover that money. From now on, the company’s finances should never be in the red.”

“It’s alright. This much is….”

“Didn’t you say that the National Tax Service or the Financial Supervisory Service might raid us at any time? The target could be our Soonyang Distribution. We need to be careful.”

“Preparing in advance…?”

“Yes. If the current high-ranking central officials have a good relationship with my uncles, then in five years, we need to fill those positions with people who have a good relationship with us.”

My aunt’s expression hardened.

It seemed she hadn’t yet considered the possibility of her brothers attacking her.

“Aunt. My uncles have closer relationships than I do, so think carefully. All the distribution-related subsidiaries under the Soonyang name have been taken away. Do you think they’re the kind of people who would give up and move on just because it’s part of the inheritance?”

My aunt’s expression became even more rigid.

“They’ll try to take it back. If you’re not careful and let your guard down, you’ll be hit hard. Think about why you handed the distribution business entirely over to me. It was because of the several trillion won you missed out on.”

“Hey! Stop it. My stomach hurts.”

She said, laughing, but the laughter didn’t last long.

“We can’t afford to have our stomachs hurt twice. We need to prepare a shield to protect us in advance.”

Perhaps the invitations for this F/W season will be sent out in two batches. One for the traditional customers, and the other for those who will act as our shield.

* * *

“Excuse me, are you Chief of staff Jin Do-jun?”

“Yes, Madam. I apologize for not greeting you properly the other day.”

“Oh, no. How could you greet everyone individually at such a complicated banquet? You don’t have to worry about it.”

The seemingly affable middle-aged woman greeted me with a smile. She already knew who I was.

This woman, whose father had become wealthy overnight through land speculation, had a very useful man as her husband, currently holding the position of Director-General of a government bureau.

The staff carefully placed several boxes in the living room and handed over a stylish envelope.

“Please confirm if this matches your reservation.”

The middle-aged woman quickly reviewed the bill, her eyes widening slightly. Only now did she realize how much money she had spent, and her expression suggested it was far more than she had planned.

Though her father was a wealthy man comparable to a chaebol through land speculation, a crow-tit was just a crow-tit, unable to become a stork. Her stomach would be churning.

I presented her with two small boxes, watching her expression.

“This is… ?”

“You purchased a suit for your husband, didn’t you? This is a watch that would go well with that suit. Please accept this small token of our appreciation.”

Everyone feels good about getting something for free. Especially when that free gift is about twice as expensive as the clothes she bought. Her mood would improve tenfold.

“Oh my, you didn’t have to go to such trouble…!”

She already knew the price of this watch. The slight frown on her forehead vanished, and her lips stretched into a wide smile.

“Since he works for the government, there must be many eyes around him… I brought this for him to use when he wants to change his mood occasionally.”

Inside the box were the price tag, warranty, and even the receipt. She would understand the meaning of the receipt. It meant this wasn’t a bribe, but a purchase, so she could rest assured.

This middle-aged woman’s satisfied smile was as good as a contract that she wouldn’t refuse my request.

I spent a busy day making these kinds of contracts with dozens of people.