Chapter 190: Yacht Party and a Private Beach

Raising my hand, I signaled, and a concierge rushed over.

The moment I whispered my request, his eyes widened, but he quickly plastered on a smile.

As the concierge bowed slightly and hurried off, the bodyguards’ eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“What did he say?”

“He said he’ll check and let us know, and that there shouldn’t be any issues. Let’s wait and see.”

The bodyguards cheered, but their excitement would soon turn to disappointment.

Partying is something people who know how to party do well. No matter how much these guys and I try to throw a yacht party, it won’t be any different from what we’re doing now.

Only the location will change.

Though the advantage of slowly cruising and enjoying the scenery is there.

A little while later, the concierge came running back, beaming, and handed me some paperwork. I quickly scanned it and enthusiastically signed.

“Alright. Let’s have breakfast on the yacht tomorrow morning.”

Among the bodyguards, whose smiles stretched from ear to ear, someone asked very cautiously,

“But Chief of Staff, about how much does it cost to rent a luxury yacht like that?”

“Huh? Oh, I didn’t look at the price. I just checked the part about the 24-hour rental.”

The difference after having a lot of money is the digits I check.

When I didn’t have money, I meticulously checked how much I spent, but when I have so much I can’t even estimate it, I only check the increasing income.

Instead of checking the price and debating whether to spend the money, now all I do is check what kind of service it is.

“Then I’ll head in first. See you tomorrow. Don’t worry about me and eat and drink your fill.”

I left the bewildered security team, who were witnessing a new side of me, and went into the villa. I wanted to sink into the jacuzzi in the bathroom and relieve my fatigue.

* * *

“Are we really going fishing?”

“Yes. They said the yacht has all the fishing gear, right?”

Team Leader Moon, who hadn’t even mentioned fishing until last night, was now excited, saying the thrill of catching fish on a luxury yacht would definitely be special.

When we arrived at the dock, a small speedboat was waiting for us.

“Oh my, hello?”

“Where are you headed so early?”

Four women greeted us with bright smiles—none other than the private jet flight attendants.

Due to the nature of private jets, the captain and crew stay here until we return to Korea. Of course, their accommodation costs are also included in the fare.

Though they stay in regular rooms, not private villas.

“You’re up early?”

As soon as I casually greeted them, they quickly came closer.

“Yes. The morning seaside scenery is so beautiful. And this is our first time here too….”

Kota Kinabalu isn’t a familiar destination for Koreans. Korean national carriers haven’t opened direct routes yet, so you have to fly to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore and then transfer for another two-plus hours by plane.

“Our Chief of Staff rented that whole thing over there.”

One of the bodyguards quickly chimed in, pointing to the yacht floating on the sea.

They gave the exact reaction the bodyguard had hoped for.

“Wow! Really?”

“I’m so jealous. I heard that yacht even has a pool….”

Looking at the bodyguards with even more eager eyes than the envious flight attendants made me chuckle.

Physically, they’re older than me, but aren’t they in their thirties? The prime of their lives.

“Would you like to join us? It’s just us, so there’s plenty of room.”

Who knew that a single invitation to join would bring so much joy to both the men and women.

“Please wait a moment. We’ll get ready and come right out.”

The women who hurried back to their rooms and the bodyguards who waited seemed to be holding back screams of excitement.

“Let’s have a few go first.”

I boarded the boat first. The motorboat was too small to take all those women at once.

If we add the four slender women, will it feel a bit more like a yacht party?

* * *

Team Leader Moon stared intently at the fishing rods he had lined up, as if he were going to catch a shark, while I sipped coffee with the captain on the bridge, watching the young men and women chatting and laughing happily.

The yacht moved slowly, and at its pace, the hidden scenery of the beach was revealed.

“Captain, what’s that over there?”

“Where…? Ah, yes.”

The captain looked at the sea I was pointing to.

“It’s a decent beach, but you’re wondering why there’s not a single person there, right?”

“Yes. It’s much nicer than the private beach at my villa.”

“There’s a resort planned for that spot. The talk started quite a while ago, but strangely, there hasn’t been any progress.”

“Hmm….”

Cool shade provided by palm trees, a white sandy beach, and shallow waters. It was truly the perfect location for a resort or hotel.

“Can we go there?”

“Of course. Shall I prepare to disembark?”

“No. Everyone else seems to be having fun, so I’ll go alone. Please get me some drinks and a picnic blanket.”

“Yes, sir. Then please take this.”

The captain slipped a walkie-talkie into my pocket.

“If you get bored of resting, just let me know. We’ll come pick you up immediately.”

Leaving my solitary footprints on the sand of the large beach wasn’t bad. I strolled under the hot sun and then settled under the shade of a large palm tree.

Lying down and feeling the warmth of the sand, a cool sea breeze caressed my face. Heaven wasn’t far away.

I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up feeling truly refreshed, a breathtaking view unfolded before my eyes.

Kota Kinabalu is close to the equator, so the weather is consistent, with clear skies and crimson sunsets year-round, earning it the nickname ‘Island of the Enchanting Sunset.’ The sunsets viewed from this beach are considered one of the three greatest sunsets in the world, along with Santorini in Greece and Fiji in the South Pacific.

Lost in the beautiful scenery, I was startled when Team Leader Moon approached.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Oh, yes. When did you get here?”

“A little while ago. We all came down here to have a barbecue and drink beer. I hope we didn’t disturb you.”

“No, I slept well. But did you catch any fish?”

Team Leader Moon frowned.

“I think these fish recognize nationalities. The yacht crew are catching them as soon as they cast their lines, but mine just keep avoiding me.”

“Still, isn’t seeing this amazing sunset better than fishing?”

“Thanks to you, Chief of Staff, I’m seeing a sight I’ll never forget. Thank you.”

Even the resort staff preparing the food couldn’t take their eyes off the sea. It was a sight they’d seen dozens, maybe hundreds of times, but beauty always brings new inspiration.

As the red light faded from the sky and sea, the barbecue party started again. Unlike yesterday, with four beautiful women present, the atmosphere was quite different.

A strange tension and excitement lingered in the air. But it was just that level, there wasn’t a deeper feeling.

Four women, but more men.

Since they were young guys, I expected a fierce battle of wits, but I didn’t see any of that.

They stopped right at that line, and no one made a move to take things further. The women even seemed more proactive.

I understood the reason for this strange atmosphere when we returned to the resort.

When we arrived at the dock, the bodyguards showed no hesitation and immediately got into the van.

“We had a great time today. Then we’ll see you on the plane when we return to Korea.”

Those were the words the bodyguards tossed to the disappointed women.

The women’s expressions were as bewildered as I was, but the van door closed, and they drove off without a second glance.

“Go have more fun. I’m okay with it.”

But not a single bodyguard showed any sign of welcoming my suggestion.

“No, sir. We’ve had enough fun. Any more is likely to cause problems. Especially with women involved.”

“The Soonyang Group’s name is in front of us. We need to be careful at times like this.”

Team Leader Moon finally spoke.

“It’s okay if you go off the rails, Chief of Staff. We’ll block everything and make sure not a word leaks out. But we can’t go off the rails. That would be causing trouble for you.”

They were trained people who could refuse beauties ready to fall into their arms, so they wouldn’t be swayed by most temptations.

I was confident that they were trustworthy enough.

“Oh, and contact the Kuala Lumpur branch and have the branch manager come here on the first flight tomorrow morning.”

“Yes? Why there all of a sudden…?”

“There’s something I need to check.”

“Understood. I’ll contact them immediately.”

When we arrived back at the villa, they didn’t start another drinking binge. They seemed satisfied with drinking enough on the first day, and everyone showed restraint.

* * *

The Kuala Lumpur branch manager, who had flown in on the first flight of the morning, bowed deeply, looking extremely nervous.

“I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly. You must be busy….”

“Not at all. If you had told me you were coming, I would have made arrangements.”

“I didn’t come here on official business, so there’s no need for formalities. Please don’t worry about it.”

The branch manager and I started breakfast alone.

“Let’s talk while we eat.”

“Ah, yes.”

He cautiously picked up his fork. He must be feeling complicated.

Wasn’t I being touted by the media as a powerful dark horse of the Soonyang Group?

Meeting with someone like me privately could lead to misunderstandings about who he was siding with. Furthermore, he might incur the displeasure of Vice-chairman Jin Young-ki, who was in charge of Soonyang Corporation, his direct affiliation.

But he couldn’t refuse my request to meet. He must be on edge.

“The reason I asked to see you isn’t anything special, I just need you to look into something for me.”

“Yes. What do you need me to look into?”

“If you go north from here, there’s quite a long beach. The sand is beautiful, and the surrounding scenery is picturesque.”

“Ah, is that so? Well, there are many such beaches here.”

“The one I saw is exceptional. Yesterday, I rented a yacht and went around this area, and that beach was the best.”

“A yacht? Ah, then it’s still an undeveloped area.”

“Yes. But according to the captain, there’s talk of a resort being built, but there’s been no progress.”

“Ah…. There are quite a few places like that here. During the time it takes from planning to completion, incompetent people jump in without enough planning ability to continuously attract investment. Even though Kuala Lumpur is an international city, Malaysia still has many underdeveloped aspects, no matter what anyone says.”

“I see. Then please look into it for me. I’d like to buy that beach and build a house there.”

The branch manager stopped the fork he was holding.

“Yes? Just a house?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“Ah, no. I just assumed you were thinking of building a resort….”

“Oh no, I’m not interested in such complicated projects. I thought it would be nice to buy the whole beach and build a villa. Since beach access is difficult, it could be used as a completely private space. Hehehe.”

He nodded as if he understood.

He must have understood that a wealthy third-generation chaebol wanted a place to build a house in a picturesque location and indulge in pleasure and dissipation.

“Building only a villa on a beach like that is a bit of a waste, don’t you think? How about developing a full-fledged resort? Of course, with a villa as well….”

“No. As I said, I’m not interested in complicated projects.”

“But the cost will be significant. From what you’ve described, the beach seems quite large…. Just the land acquisition cost alone would be tens of billions of won.”

“I’m considering up to a hundred billion won. Would that be enough?”

“O-One hundred billion?”

A hundred billion won for a small beach villa? He must have thought I was crazy. And the branch manager’s thoughts would be conveyed verbatim to my two uncles.