Chapter 236:

Chapter 236:

236

It Wasn’t There, But Now It Is (4)

Ko Hun discussed with the viewers and finished the poster and the slogan.

The clock was pointing at nine o’clock.

“Yawn.”

He had developed a habit of going to bed early during the nine weeks he stayed at Henri Marso’s mansion, so he felt sleepy as soon as it was nine at night.

Ko Hun blinked and checked the chat window.

└You must be sleepy lol. So cute.

└Go to bed soon.

└I want to eat pork belly rice.

“Yes. I think I should go to sleep. But when do you guys sleep? Don’t you have school or work today?”

Ko Hun checked the current time in Seoul on his computer.

It was five in the morning.

He had been broadcasting for two or three hours, which meant they had been watching him since three in the morning.

└You shouldn’t ask that.

└Sorry, mom ᅲᅲ

└I’m unemployed, so I’m fine.

└But isn’t it uncomfortable to work from home?

└I work at night.

Ko Hun lowered his head as he read the chat.

“Thank you very much. I appreciate you watching my broadcast and helping me find people.”

He saw a chat asking if it wasn’t uncomfortable to work from home.

“I bought a big house because I was reluctant to rent a separate studio. I don’t know about later, but it should be fine with two or three people.”

The viewers were puzzled.

Ko Hun wouldn’t have any trouble with the high real estate prices in Paris.

Even alone was traded at an enormous price, and the total value of the works that Henri Marso had bought, including , was close to 20 billion won in Korean currency.

The viewers recognized Ko Hun as a wealthy person, even though they didn’t know how much he paid in commissions and taxes.

Not to mention his grandfather Goh Sooyul, who was beyond words, and the inheritance he received from his parents, which must have been considerable, they couldn’t understand Ko Hun’s words.

“Oh, my grandfather bought the house. I could rent a studio if I wanted to, but I’m saving money to build a gallery. I entrusted my money to someone Marceau introduced me to, and I’m also investing in stocks and bonds.”

└How big do you want to build it?

└The construction cost shouldn’t be that much, right? It’s mostly the land price.

└Ko Hun, 12 years old: I’m saving money to build a gallery in Paris.

└What did I do when I was 12...

“I want to build something like Marceau Gallery, but the official land price is 150,000 euros per square meter. The actual transaction price is more expensive. Marceau told me that the construction cost was also considerable. So I’m saving money.”

└The official land price is 495,000 euros per pyeong?? Then the actual price is about 1 billion won per pyeong??

└You’re rich.

└1 billion won per pyeong lolololololol

└That’s insane.

“Yes. So I don’t have that kind of money right now. Yawn. I’m going to sleep. See you next week.”

Ko Hun waved his hand and ended the broadcast.

[The Fortress Breaks 10 Million Viewers! Fourth Highest Record Ever]

[The Fortress’s Huge Success Brings Joy to Theaters]

[World Design Takes Legal Action Against The Fortress, Illegally Leaked After a Preview in China]

[World Stars Keep Posting Their Tickets for The Fortress]

The movie by director Christine Norman announced a huge success from the first day of its release.

The servers of major theaters in each country were unstable due to the large number of visitors, and this was proven by the box office revenue announced at the point when the first week of its release had passed.

earned an opening score of 177 million dollars and ranked first in the US box office, and earned 485 million dollars worldwide in the first week of its release.

World Design Studio and Christine Norman Foundation continued their aggressive marketing as if they had been waiting for it.

The starring actors visited various countries and attended previews and events for the fans.

A staff member came over and announced the start of the signing event.

Ko Hun, who had been lost in thought, smiled brightly.

“I’ll be back.”

“Good luck!”

He was quite tired after signing for two hours.

He didn’t hurt his hand thanks to not overdoing it like last time, but he couldn’t draw sunflowers for them, so he tried to have a longer conversation with them and lost his energy.

He went back to the hotel and lay down on the bed without washing.

Strangely enough, his body was so tired, but his mind was full of hope.

He felt his heart pounding with a sense of satisfaction he had never felt before.

The people who came to the Whitney Biennale signing event came again this time.

Anthony White, Joshua Miller.

He couldn’t forget them, and they were overjoyed just by the fact that he remembered their names.

“Hoon, you have to wash and sleep.”

Grandfather came into the room and he jumped up.

“Grandpa.”

“Hmm?”

“The person who came from New York came again today.”

Grandfather smiled brightly.

“That’s a nice thing.”

“Yes. And I heard from Mr. Tae Ho how much I can make from The Fortress.”

“It must be a lot. How much did they say?”

“About three to three point one billion so far.”

“That much?”

Grandpa was also surprised.

I wondered if this was how my mother and father had amassed such a fortune at a young age.

“Selling paintings for a high price wasn’t the only answer.”

Grandpa glanced at me and ruffled my hair.

“You sound like your dad.”

“Did he say that too?”

He nodded.

“Probably. It wasn’t possible with just paintings. When there was a story attached, and the characters moved, people liked it more and wanted to know more, right?”

“That’s right. The power of stories. Hun, you like novels and dramas too, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Whether it’s painting or music. Or even a comprehensive art like movies. You need some kind of story to make people like it. That’s why works with a backstory are loved.”

I nodded.

I was shocked when the paintings I had drawn as Vincent sold for hundreds of billions of won.

It was only after time had passed that I understood how Vincent van Gogh’s life had influenced the price of his works.

The story contained in a single painting.

It could be the artist’s life or the process of creating the painting.

Who had it after it was completed, and how it became known, were also topics of interest.

People were fascinated by it.

“I don’t have to hope that rich people will buy it for a high price. I had a way to achieve my dream without that.”

Grandpa breathed a long sigh and smiled.

“Maybe it’s a much harder way than that. You have to tell your own story, but in a very interesting way.”

Grandpa was right.

If I painted what the public wanted, it would be no different from when I painted what the nobles wanted in the past.

I had to protect myself and make them want to hear my story.

That wouldn’t be easy.

“It’s okay.”

But if that was the path to my dream, I would gladly walk it.