The Famous Millionaire

Soyun entered the departure gate. Hyunwoo and Jinyoung Paek got out of the airport.

Kwon quickly checked out Soyun’s flight.

Her flight schedule was a bit unexpected. Yu Zuung, the main vocal Yirim and Jiah flew to Los Angeles, but Soyun alone headed for San Francisco.

After turning it over in his mind for a minute, Kwon curled his lips.

“Haha, you’re very meticulous! Don’t guess I can’t find you!”

Then he called an acquaintance of his in America. As he frequently visited America on a business trip, he had lots of acquaintances in Los Angeles and San Franciso.

“Hey, James. Do me a favor.”

“Which favor?”

“You know Sohyun of Hey, Girls, right? Soyun Han.”

“Of course, I do. She was really pretty.”

“She will be arriving at San Francisco Airport tomorrow morning. Just check out where she is moving. I appreciate if you can take pictures of her movement. I beg you!”

“Got it. Count on me.”

Kwon sent him photos of Soyun entering the gate. James could easily find her as she wouldn’t change her clothes, even if she hid her face with a mask and a cap.

***

After seeing Soyun off at the airport Hyunwoo went back to the KOVE DREAM office. He felt lighthearted, on the one hand, and thrilled, on the other. When he thought about Yu Zuung, he felt empty as if there was a huge void in his heart.

But his feelings like that were fleeting. The moment he entered the office he was swamped with lots of work.

These days he had to take care of lots of stuff related to searching for investment markets with the money that KOVE DREAM and Ani & Funny made.

There was a need for a good mix of Vietnamese companies and Korean technology for this. As long as he found companies with the two factors, Hyunwoo freely invested.

DF Technolgoy was a typical example. As soon as he discovered competent engineers specializing in LED, he invested 3 billion won.

Hyunwoo’s investment didn’t stop there. He continued to discover high-potential companies and connected them with relevant technical experts.

Recently, he helped a citric acid expert to move to China.

The expert’s name was Kyongsun Han. Though he was over 70, his passion for work and physical fitness surpassed even that of young men.

Hyunwoo invested as much as he wanted. He took over a factory worth 2 billion won, registered it as Sungsin Co. and then had Kyungsun run it. Kyungsun’s stake in the company was 10%.

China’s citric acid had a bitter and unpleasant finish, but Sungshin’s citric acid had no such taste. It just felt only sour and refreshing.

Chinese people expressed surprise at that. They even said it was a miracle.

But Kyungsun took it in stride. He even shook his head and said,

“This isn’t enough. I have to take my Korean equipment back here.”

Hyunwoo bought back the equipment Kyungsun had already sold and shipped it back to China.

As for DF Technology, Hyunwoo invested three billion won initially, and another two billion won later. He sent three Korean technicians there, found a total of four technicians in America and dispatched them to DF Technology.

But there was little progress with the passage of several months. It was such a contrast with Sungsin Co. from which Hyunwoo redeemed all his investments in just two months.

But he didn’t lose hope.

Hyunwoo called Sungjun Lim, who was a LED engineer and former owner of Hanbit Lighting Co. in Korea.

“Do you need my help?” asked Hyunwoo in a calm voice, holding back his frustration.

But Sungjun’s voice was bright this time.

“I think we have made it. We have succeeded!”

Hyunwoo’s eyes opened wide at his shouting for joy.

But Hyunwoo didn’t react quickly.

“What are you talking about?”

“We have the outcomes of the new product. We’ve obtained the best values in all the factors such as luminous efficiency, luminous flux, luminous flux maintenance, system efficiency, color temperature, and color rendering. They’re amazing values.”

Hyunwoo was bewildered for a moment. He couldn’t believe his wording ‘best values in all the factors.”

“Are you really sure you have enhanced the necessary technology?”

“It’s not just a matter of technology enhancement. Our product is superior to any other product in the world. Even I can’t believe this.”

Only then did Hyunwoo feel his expectation was growing.

“Hyunwoo, I would like to have KOVE DREAM test our product right away. I want to sell our product under the name of KOVE DREAM as soon as possible,” said Sungjun.

Hyunwoo was of the same opinion. He would select the testing agency as soon as possible.

“Got it.”

Hyunwoo called Korea Quality Certification Association (KQCA) with respect to testing the new product of DF Technology.

KQCA quickly responded to his request.

Several days later, he heard that KQCA’s test team flew to Vietnam.

It would take at least 15 days to get the final results of the test. So, he didn’t need to be impatient until then.

In the meantime, there broke out embarrassing news. When Hyunwoo stopped by the Ani & Funny office and reviewed the business report, Kyungsu suddenly asked, “Hyunwoo. As for the last lady whose identity remains veiled, is her name Soyun of Hey Girls?”

Hyunwoo’s heart sank momentarily.

Anything about Soyun was top secret. None of the Ani & Funny staff was aware of her identity. Even Yu Zuung and Jiah, her fellow masked dancers, didn’t know her face.

How could Kyungsu get wind of it?

Hyunwoo denied it for now because Kyungsu might have asked it on a guess.

“What the heck are you talking about?”

Given Kyungsu’s explanation, Hyunwoo felt it was something he could paper over.

“There is a story about her on the internet. According to the story, it was 100% certain that the last masked dancer was Soyun Han. The story contained pictures of her leaving Incheon International Airport. I see a photo of you and Jinyoung, too.”

Hyunwoo’s jaw dropped at that.

“Let me take a look.”

He quickly came to Kyungsu’s desk and checked out the monitor.

The story was posted today. Exactly as Kyungsu explained to him. The photos showed Hyunwoo and Jinyoung seeing her off and Soyun, taking off her mask, going through the departure line.

He was put on the spot. The evidence was perfect. If he recklessly refuted the story, he would have to face the music when it proved to be true later.

But Kyungsu asked again without knowing the gravity of the situation.

“Looks like she is right, doesn’t it?”

Hyunwoo quickly raised his fingers and put them on his lips. Even though the story came out, he had to make sure the Ani & Funny staff just keep tight-lipped about it.

“Please gather all the staff here. Only the staff upstairs.”

The staff quickly moved at Hyunwoo’s direction.

“We should never reveal her identity until the time we have in mind. For it might put a woman’s life in jeopardy. So, please help her.”

Thanks to Hyunwoo’s quick warning, they listened with a serious look.

“She might be Soyun or not. Just say No Comment whenever you are asked.”

“Do you mean we have to say No Comment if someone asks me about it?” asked Kyungsu.

Hyunwoo just nodded.

“Don’t you think they are more curious if I answer that way? Even I can’t wait to find out…”

Hyunwoo’s eyes opened wider at that. He felt this story might generate more publicity effects than he expected.

“I don’t care. We just keep quiet about her until the time we decide to disclose her. Just help her. I beg for you!”

They nodded at his request.

“Got it.”

As expected, the news about Soyun spread quickly. Soyun was photographed at the airports in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Though she hid her face with a mask and a cap, she put on the same clothes she wore when she left Incheon Airport, which made her fans easily infer that she was Soyun.

The more the story spread, the more interested people got in her identity.

“Is it true she is Yuni of Hey Girls?”

“Wow, it’s the first time I see her in years! Time heals all wounds. I thought she was in hiding since her sex scandal broke, but now she is coming back.”

As they became increasingly interested in her, Ani & Funny got also busier. Reporters kept calling them and numerous fans demanded her identity be revealed.

Even Ani & Funny staff were pestered with such requests.

But their reaction was all the same.

“No Comment.”

It was neither Yes nor No.

That raised the people’s suspicion all the more. Some argued she must be Soyun, while others opined she might be a different woman, with each side never budging a bit.

Even entertainment experts were divided. An entertainment TV show even hosted a debate on the identity of the masked dancer.

But they could not make a final conclusion. Nobody was sure.

But there was one exception.

As soon as the story about Soyun appeared, Taesu Ahn, the president of AT Entertainment, was convinced she was Soyun.

“Obviously, she is Soyun Han.”