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Chapter 291: Showcase (2)

However, things were different now. After traveling back in time, I knew I could handle someone like him—a spoiled chaebol heir.

As I noticed Hong Sung-Beom arrogantly sitting with his legs crossed, Moon Yung-Mi grimaced, clearly displeased by his presence as well.

"Such arrogance at a young age..." Moon Yung-Mi muttered.

Moon Yung-Mi held a significant level of caution toward HK Apparel, the industry leader, and for a good reason. Over the years, they had poached designers from her company and even plagiarized designs when they couldn\'t get their way to cause countless problems.

Moon Yung-Mi was grumbling under her breath as we made our way to the reserved seating area, but she switched to a bright smile as if nothing had happened as soon as we approached people.

"This is my husband. Go ahead and introduce yourself," she added.

I greeted Lee Jong-Hoon, the co-president of LM Apparel. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lee."

With a warm expression, Lee Jong-Hoon stood up and shook my hand firmly. "Our sales at LM Apparel have seen a significant increase this year. They say it\'s all thanks to you."

Lee Jong-Hoon\'s cheerful demeanor prompted Moon Yung-Mi to laugh heartily. "You should give proper praise if you\'re going to compliment someone."

"Ahem. What do you mean? This is as high as my praise gets," Lee Jong-Hoon responded.

Though typically quiet, Lee Jong-Hoon seemed invigorated by the recent 15% boost in LM Apparel\'s sales thanks to having Yoo-Jin as their model.

Next, I greeted Hong Sung-Beom and Gu Wang-Soo of HK Apparel. Gu Wang-Soo responded with an awkward smile, while Hong Sung-Beom extended his hand reluctantly with a visibly annoyed expression.

In the meantime, Lee Yung-Ah finished organizing the backstage area and returned to the stage to give instructions to the staff.

"Move the seats in section C back a little more. If they\'re too close to the runway, the stage won\'t be fully visible and the models might feel uneasy. Just a bit further. Yes, right there!" she instructed the staff.

"Miss Jong-Mi, can you check the sightline from section D? Make sure the lights aren\'t obstructing the view!" she continued.

Lee Yung-Ah carefully checked the sightlines herself from the audience seats and then came down from the stage.

A few moments later, the invited guests began to fill the seats. Among them were Executive Director Jo Sang-Myung of LZ Fashion, President Jang Ji-Hye of Womans, as well as reporters and representatives from international brands like Channy and Goodcci.

It seemed like every key player in the Korean fashion industry was present.

The show still hadn\'t started even after the guests had taken their seats, causing Miso to tug impatiently at my arm. "Uncle Yoon-Ho, when is it going to start?"

"It\'ll begin soon. Just wait a little longer," I told her.

"Hmph~ but I\'m bored~" Miso whined.

As I tried to comfort her, Miso fidgeted with her fingers and glanced up at me. "Uncle Yoon-Ho~ If I stay well-behaved, can we get that bone hangover soup you promised later?"

She looked at me with sparkling eyes, clearly still fixated on the idea of going for the soup which I had mentioned earlier backstage.

"You\'re not really bored, are you?"

Taken aback by my response, Miso quickly waved her hands in denial. "Wh-what do you mean? I\'m super bored. Really!"

I smirked. "Oh, is that so? Then I\'ll have to tell your mom that you were bored waiting for her."

Miso immediately began to squirm nervously.

"No, that\'s not what I meant. It\'s not like that..."

I smiled and reassured her, "I\'m just kidding. Of course I\'ll get you that soup. But first, we\'ll have some Hanwoo that Mdm. Moon is treating us to. Then, we\'ll grab the bone hangover soup to take home. Okay?"

Miso let out a sigh of relief and nodded happily. "Okay! I\'ll be good now!"

Miso responded enthusiastically and immediately sat up straight. She then started humming to herself, trying to ward off the boredom.

A moment later, the lights on the stage began to dim slowly.

I nudged her. "Miso, it looks like it\'s about to start."

"Yay~!" Miso cheered.

After what felt like an eternity, the L.M.L brand showcase was finally beginning.

***

The T-shaped stage was soon bathed in bright spotlights as the show kicked off.

The large LCD screen used as the backdrop displayed a stunning night view of Seoul before transitioning to the L.M.L logo at its center. A soft background music filled the room, and a delicate rose scent wafted through the air.

Lee Yung-Ah skillfully captured the audience\'s attention by engaging their senses, ensuring the scene was imprinted in their minds.

After a brief moment, Lee Yung-Ah stepped to the center of the stage and announced the start of the fashion show.

Lee Yung-Ah gave a detailed explanation of the brand. "L.M.L is a total fashion solution for high society. Moving forward, L.M.L will..."

Then, she gestured to one side of the stage before stepping back.

At that moment, the background music shifted once again.

That was when Yoo-Jin, dressed in L.M.L\'s clothing made her grand entrance.

Yoo-Jin, clad in a subtle mint-colored two-piece suit and carrying a pristine white L.M.L bag, commanded the runway with an air of confidence.

Yoo-Jin walked with the poise of a seasoned model with the tips she had picked up from Lily in a relaxed demeanor. For Yoo-Jin, this runway was just providing her another role to play—a model.

She walked with confidence in her steps until she reached the end of the runway where she turned and posed, showing off the outfit from all angles.

The reporters quickly flashed their cameras to capture the charismatic Yoo-Jin.

At that moment, Yoo-Jin winked at me with a playful expression. I quickly raised my hand to subtly give her a thumbs-up, half-concealing it with my sleeve so others wouldn\'t notice.

Seeing my gesture, Yoo-Jin smiled before turning back to continue her walk down the runway.

Yoo-Jin\'s presence on the runway was striking. Her performance was so polished like that of a professional model that no one would have guessed it was her first time on a runway.

The industry insiders watching Yoo-Jin\'s walk couldn\'t help but murmur in admiration.

However, there was one person whose expression darkened amidst all the praises—it was Hong Sung-Beom, the executive director of HK apparel.

***

Thanks to the impressive performances by Yoo-Jin and Lily, the first part of the showcase concluded successfully.

Moon Yung-Mi offered to watch over Ling Ling and Miso for a bit, giving me the chance to head backstage with Wang Long.

Shortly after, Yoo-Jin quickly changed outfits and came running down the hallway with some of the staff. "Oppa, how was I just now? Did I seem awkward?"

"You were perfect. Everyone was complimenting you," I praised her with a smile.

Yoo-Jin placed her hand over her heart and let out a sigh of relief. "Phew~ That\'s a relief."

"More than that, are you feeling okay? Do you need me to grab you a drink or something?"

"No, I\'m fine. Mrs. Lee Mi-Ri has been taking great care of me, so there\'s nothing to worry about."

Apparently, Lee Yung-Ah had informed the entire backstage team about Lee Mi-Ri\'s impressive portfolio. Thanks to everyone finding out that she had firsthand experience managing large-scale fashion shows in New York, Lee Mi-Ri was now co-managing the entire fashion show with Lee Yung-Ah.

\'She really is something else...\' I marveled.

I realized once again that bringing Lee Mi-Ri on board was one of the best decisions I\'d made.

"I\'m glad to hear that. Oh, and after the show, Mrs. Moon said she\'d treat us to some Hanwoo beef. So let\'s have a nice dinner together," I added.

"Yay~!" Yoo-Jin cheered joyfully.

Having skipped dinner the previous night to prepare for the show, Yoo-Jin hummed a cheerful tune as she headed back to the dressing room.

As Wang Long watched Yoo-Jin, he cautiously asked, "Yoon-Ho, will L.M.L be launching in China too?"

"Probably."

"I have some connections there. Want me to introduce them to you?" Wang Long asked.

"You\'ve got a distribution network?"

Wang Long nodded. "Yeah. If you need it, just let me know. My company works with them too and I can make sure you get good terms."

The company Wang Long mentioned was the third-largest fashion company in China. With a partner that had a vast distribution network covering the entire country, this could be a huge opportunity for L.M.L to make a big leap in China.

However, there was a condition.

Wang Long continued. "But in exchange, let Lily be the model in China. How about that?"

Lily was a celebrity under Shanghai New Media Inc., and Wang Long was making sure to take care of his fiancée as well.

"Isn\'t this insider trading?" I joked.

Wang Long laughed in response and said that this was how business was done in China.

"This is what we call guanxi."

I smiled and replied, "Alright, let\'s see what this famous guanxi can do for us."

"Okay!"

As Wang Long smiled playfully, it was almost time for the second part of the show.

"Wang Long, I\'m going to the restroom real quick," I said.

"Alright, I\'ll head back first. I\'m a bit worried about Ling Ling," Wang Long replied.

Wang Long was concerned that Ling Ling might cause some trouble, so he went ahead to take his seat.

I walked past the stage toward the VIP restroom. There were two VIP restrooms backstage and I deliberately chose the farther one because I saw some people near the closer one.

After quickly taking care of my business, I stepped out only to see Hong Sung-Beom approaching with his chief secretary by his side.

As soon as he spotted me, Hong Sung-Beom frowned. "Hey, you! Jung Yoo-Jin\'s talent agent!"

\'Hey? He\'s being so rude right off the bat, huh?\' I fumed.

"Are you talking to me?" I asked.

"Yeah, you."

Hong Sung-Beom really had a knack for getting on someone\'s nerves and the words that followed were even more aggravating.

"Let\'s not drag this out. How much for Jung Yoo-Jin? Name your price," said Hong Sung-Beom arrogantly.

Hong Sung-Beom was treating sponsorship fees and ad payments as the same thing. I knew what kind of person he was, but hearing it in person made me clench my fists without realizing it.

Seeing my expression darken, the chief secretary quickly tried to explain and gave excuses. "Uh, what Mr. Hong meant was how much would it take to hire Miss Yoo-Jin as an advertising model?"

\'Is that what he calls an excuse?\' I thought.

Hong Sung-Beom smirked and continued from where the secretary left off. "Yes, just name your price. I\'ll match whatever you ask."

I shot back at Hong Sung-Beom with a sharp tone. "Do you not know that Miss Yoo-Jin already has an exclusive contract with LM Apparel? And as far as I know, HK Apparel\'s offers have already been rejected several times."

Yoo-Jin was currently enjoying top-tier treatment as the exclusive model for both LM Apparel and L.M.L. With her image now closely associated with LM Apparel, there was no reason to switch to HK Apparel, especially not to work with someone like Hong Sung-Beom.

However, Hong Sung-Beom was full of unwarranted confidence and made an outrageous proposal. "Alright, fair enough. Maybe I was a bit stingy before. How about 2 billion won a year? Plus, I\'ll slip 200 million into your account as a bonus. How does that sound? Not bad, huh?"

\'He really thinks of company money as his personal slush fund,\' I thought.

"I\'ve never considered nor will I ever consider such a risky deal," I responded coldly.

Hong Sung-Beom frowned. "A risky deal? Don\'t make me laugh. I know how you talent agents pocket money on the side..."

Only then did I realize the reason he was treating me this way. He thought I was like those other talent agents who would hand over female celebrities to him for money.

The chief secretary, who at least seemed to have more sense than Hong Sung-Beom, quickly pulled out his business card and offered it to me. "Mr. Jung, we can take care of the termination of the exclusive contract with LM Apparel for you. How about we meet separately sometime to discuss this further?"

I ignored the card that Secretary Kim Seung-Moon offered and addressed Hong Sung-Beom directly. "You want me to break my trust for a measly 200 million won? What do you take me for, some kind of thug? And let me make one thing clear: Miss Yoo-Jin will never wear HK Apparel, not in this lifetime. So forget about it!"

When I raised my voice and made my stance crystal clear, Hong Sung-Beom pushed Kim Seung-Moon aside and stepped closer to me. "What? Forget about it? How dare you, you arrogant little talent agent bitch..."

The chief secretary tried to intervene. "But sir! There are reporters outside..."

However, Hong Sung-Beom simply shoved him aside. "Fuck. Screw the reporters! You handle them!"

Hong Sung-Beom was so worked up that he actually raised his fist as he approached me. It seemed like he had some experience with physical training, but his stance was so sloppy that it almost made me laugh.

I briefly considered the idea of taking this opportunity to punch this spoiled chaebol brat. But then I noticed a security camera at the end of the hallway.

\'Maybe I should just let him hit me and pretend to collapse,\' I contemplated.

With all the reporters here for the fashion show, it could make for a sensational headline.

At the same time, possible headlines from the reporters flashed through my mind.

[HK Apparel, Executive Director Hong Sung-Beom Assaults Jung Yoo-Jin\'s Talent Agent!]

I continued to wonder, \'Maybe I could hand over the security camera footage to Reporter Jang Moon-Ki?\'

Just then, a voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Our dear Executive Director Hong, you seem to be very busy with all your public and private affairs, huh?"

Hong Sung-Beom flinched and lowered his fist with an irritated look on his face upon hearing the voice.

The speaker was none other than Kim Ae-Ryeon, an executive director who was widely considered the likely successor to Daechon Inc. after the arrest of Vice President Kim Ae-Ja.

Kim Ae-Ryeon was someone even Hong Sung-Beom couldn\'t treat recklessly. After all, Daechon Inc. mainly dealt with department stores and distribution which meant that Daechon Department Stores—one of HK Apparel\'s main clients—was a company Hong Sung-Beom needed to maintain good relations with.

"What brings you here...Ms. Kim?" Hong Sung-Beom asked.

"What do you think? I\'m here to watch the fashion show."

It seemed she hadn\'t been present for the first part of the show but had come to watch the second.

Kim Ae-Ryeon spoke. "Executive Director Hong, let me give you a piece of advice."

Hong Sung-Beom frowned. "I don\'t need any advice. I know how to handle my own business."

"I\'m giving it because it seems like you can\'t handle it."

"What do you mean by that?"

At that moment, Kim Ae-Ryeon pointed at me and said, "You should think carefully before messing with this guy. If you cross the line, you might end up like my sister."

Hong Sung-Beom looked dumbfounded and tilted his head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Figure it out yourself. Anyway, is there anything else you need to say? Because I have some private matters to discuss with him. Could you get lost?" said Kim Ae-Ryeon.

It was clear she wasn\'t asking politely to "move aside"; she was bluntly telling him to "get lost."

Hong Sung-Beom trembled with anger, but turned on his heel without another word when Kim Ae-Ryeon glared at him again.

"Chief Kim, what are you waiting for? Get moving!" Kim Ae-Ryeon yelled.

"Ah, yes, ma\'am!"

As the chief secretary hurried ahead, Hong Sung-Beom followed behind.

The exchange was a clear display of the pecking order and power dynamics even within the world of chaebols.

Watching Hong Sung-Beom disappear, Kim Ae-Ryeon\'s expression turned icy as she spoke. "Honestly, that guy\'s just a horny dog. It\'s idiots like him that give chaebols a bad name."

Leaving behind some harsh words, Kim Ae-Ryeon shook her head before turning to me with a smile full of meaning.