Side Story 35. The Day of the Auction - Wang Long

Side Story 35. The Day of the Auction - Wang Long

The story Seon-Hu told was astounding, but as time passed, his decision felt endearingly lovely.

I shouldn’t interfere.

Woo Yeon-Hee contemplated and then made a decision. Thus, the image of the two ultimate beings engrossed in their game was left to her imagination.

However, it was indeed a picture hard to imagine without seeing it for herself.

Woo Yeon-Hee said regretfully, “I've decided not to go.”

The super-luxury yacht and even the crew were all prepared.

“Once the auction is over, we will head to the Mediterranean. Ethan will join us later.”

“Please don’t hesitate to tell me,” Amanda replied, seemingly overwhelmed.

Woo Yeon-Hee grinned. “Isn't it better for you too, Amanda?”

“Yes.”

“The artworks will be moved either to Seoul or Berlin. I’ll let you know the details when I get the exact information. And this is important. Treat me comfortably, so I can feel at ease. We’ll see each other often from now on.”

As Woo Yeon-Hee passed by Amanda, she thought the perfume Amanda wore was fragrant.

It wasn’t just Amanda's perfume that was pleasing. Since the long war ended, her life had been sweet every day.

It was a brief break before the auction of the special collection items. In front of everyone, Woo Yeon-Hee walked towards Seong-Il. Her wealth was once again proven as she had acquired all the exhibited items. Even among the secretive tycoons of the world, her wealth stood out, making everyone’s curiosity about her become even more intense.

Seong-Il asked after she approached him, “What on earth happened?”

Since hearing the sudden news that He would bring Osiris to Seoul, Seong-Il had been on edge.

“It seems Seon-Hu is a man after all. You know, men become more childish as they age.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s because of the game. He’s scaring so many people just for that.”

A game? Seong-Il felt relieved, but then he remembered Ki-Cheol.

He grumbled, “A game? That’s right. Games are trapping many people.”

“Why are you saying that?”

“Ki-Cheol. It’s a long story. He's hopelessly stubborn. I kept telling him the soondae stew was so good that I could eat it every day. But he didn’t even listen to me for a second.”

“Soondae stew?”

“Yes. How can one refuse soondae stew? Isn’t that right, noona?”

“Yea, I’m getting a bit angry now.”

“Right? That’s exactly how I feel.”

“And Ki-Cheol?”

“Should I leave him be? As I was saying, I have no expectations from my son. He should just take care of himself, so I don’t care about his grades. So when he started internet broadcasting, I genuinely supported him. It could have been an opportunity for his talent to shine.”

Wang Long concluded.

“I believe that offering the relic to His lover and expressing our sincere reverence for Him would be the only way to reach Him. He is also a man.”

Wang Long was expecting His lover to tell him at their bedside.

"But his known temperament is..."

"It's scary, but that is better than standing before Him."

"Do you know where His lover is?"

"We must find her with all our might."

"You already have a plan, don't you?"

"Yes. If the door to outer space opens, please promote me to be in charge. It's my second request."

Wang Long checked the time. There were about twenty minutes left until the final auction began.

The Awakened weren't only in outer space. There was one right in his sight, known to be the closest aide to Him, Caliber Kwon Seong-Il. If Wang Long could approach him and build a relationship, wouldn't he be able to get some information about His lover?

But there was a woman guarding Caliber, presumably an agent from Jeonil, making it impossible to approach him. In other words, she had monopolized Caliber.

If only that woman disappeared, I could somehow create an opportunity.

Wang Long ground his teeth in frustration.

***

Their eyes met, and even though their faces turned into smiles, it was noticeable. Woo Yeon-Hee felt a surge of annoyance.

Is he staring at me? At me?

This wasn’t the first time. When she felt uncomfortable and looked, their eyes inevitably met. Not once, but three times. The more irritating part was that when that Chinese man looked around, the other guests became more conscious of her.

When Woo Yeon-Hee furrowed her brow, Seong-Il said, "Just tolerate it, noona. How can I stop my popularity from soaring?"

Woo Yeon-Hee felt a bit better hearing Seong-Il's joke. Then Amanda approached and handed over a note. It was a considerate move from the auction house. Only one amount was written on the note.

It was the starting price of the special collection, known as His relic.

「 $50,000,000,000 」

Soft exclamations of surprise echoed around. Every guest received the same note. People started to leave their seats with disappointed faces. They were the ones who couldn't even start with that bid.

Woo Yeon-Hee also stood up and only a few decided to stay.

"...Such a high starting bid?"

"I'll see you later."

On her way back to her cabin, Woo Yeon-Hee felt a strong gaze again. It was from that Chinese man. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what that look was conveying, but one thing was clear. It was a mocking one.

For Woo Yeon-Hee, it was a moment when she felt more provoked than ever.

"Hold on. Just bear with it, Yeon-Hee," she murmured to herself.

1. Asia has a tradition of having noodles when one gives birth to a child or on someone’s birthday. It symbolizes longevity and good fortune due to the long and unbroken nature of the noodles. ☜

2. 百年之計. ☜