Chapter 40

40

Yongshin Land. It was a name he had heard before.

It seemed that due to continuous minor issues with the amusement park facilities, the park's operating license was revoked and it was forced to close down two years ago, as he had seen on the news.

"What kind of project could they be planning for a place that closed down two years ago...? It wouldn't work to reopen it after a renovation, given that it was shut down due to poor construction."

Seol Ye-jin rolled a candy in her mouth and turned to look at Kim Yun-seo.

"From what I understand, it has changed to private ownership. It was used as a filming location until recently."

"Filming location...?"

"Yes. They say it was used for location rentals and concept photography studios, offering paid venue rentals. It seems they tried to keep it going somehow until a few months ago, when operations were finally halted. I think the government probably bought the private property around that time."

Why would they bother to buy it? Kim Yun-seo also looked unconvinced as she spoke. Seol Ye-jin, seeing this, twirled the candy stick.

"Well, there must be a reason, like needing to use the national budget. It's not like Yongshin Land is a huge piece of land. Anyway, Mr. Kang Seok, I heard that the Department of Cultural Arts is planning a large-scale public art project using Yongshin Land."

Seol Ye-jin leaned forward and tapped the documents with her well-manicured nails.

"And this is the plan for the project. I don't know the details, but there are rumors that Secretary Ryu Su-hyun is good at securing funding. It's likely to be a large-scale project, and the benefits will be significant."

Although he is only a 4th-grade official, Ryu Su-hyun is a new young blood in the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Of course, he doesn't look young. His eyes are sunken with dark circles, and he holds a high-caffeine drink in one hand, gulping it down as if it were a blood transfusion. He looks extremely tired and unhealthy, the very picture of a 4th-grade official who has been working overtime.

'Is the reason he's good at securing funding because he works 24/7...?'

After receiving a phone call, Ryu Su-hyun, who had just washed his face, looked like a zombie as he left the entrance of the芍药画廊 (Peony Gallery).

Seol Ye-jin, recalling the image of Ryu Su-hyun that had just flashed through her mind, shook her head.

What does it matter to me?

"Anyway, Mr. Kang Seok wasn't there, and neither was Mr. Go Doo-han, so they urgently handed it to me."

Kang Seok nodded, understanding. At that time, he was probably having a conversation with Mr. Jeong Byung-gwon at a café.

"They wanted to wait for you, but there were so many phone calls. You know how it is for civil servants, right?"

Kang Seok nodded, his eyes still on the documents. He was curious about what they planned to do with the eerie Yongshin Land. However, the documents were too thick to read right now. He wouldn't be able to finish them even if he started reading now. It would be better to read them later.

Whoever this person is, if they can carry such thick documents to the gallery, they must be a workaholic.

"They said they would contact you formally soon. Here is their contact information."

Without unfolding the documents, Seol Ye-jin handed him a business card. She also hinted that if he received a call from the number on the card, he should at least answer it, mentioning that Ryu Su-hyun is currently the most successful civil servant.

If Seol Ye-jin is praising him this much, he must not be stingy with money.

Kang Seok, holding the business card, glanced at the documents for a moment, then firmly turned over the paper that read "Yongshin Land Public Art Project Plan" on the first page.

"Thank you. I'll read it later."

What was important right now wasn't the documents.

Kang Seok looked at Seol Ye-jin and Kim Yun-seo. Behind the two women, the orange sunset was peeking through the closed curtains.

Today was the opening of a solo exhibition by Go Doo-han, one of the few blue-chip artists in this small land.

Given that Go Doo-han is one of the few genuine celebrities in the Korean art world, the exhibition hall was filled with many famous new stars. It was like a gathering of stars.

For Seol Ye-jin, the gallery owner, this was one of the few important opportunities of the year. Yet, she had rejected that opportunity to call Kang Seok to the gallery.

There must be a reason.

Time is money, and today was the day when the value of money was the highest. She wouldn't have called him to the gallery, the farthest room inside, just to hand over a document with a grand name like "Yongshin Land Public Art Project Plan."

"Why did you call me here?"

Seol Ye-jin smiled.

"Indeed, Mr. Kang Seok is different."

Even when selling exhibition tickets, she had noticed. Kang Seok, though a high school student, sometimes seemed younger than Go Doo-han. He felt like a solid rock that had experienced many trials and tribulations.

This confidence must come from knowing how brilliant he is.

What must it feel like to know your own value best? What kind of mind did I have at that age? Seol Ye-jin looked at Kang Seok, who possessed a youth and emotion she didn't understand, with a hint of envy.

"Have you already guessed?"

Seol Ye-jin, holding a candy, looked at Kim Yun-seo. Kim Yun-seo, who had been standing behind the sofa, brought over the documents. It was the contract they had signed when accepting the mural commission.

"I called you here to discuss the mural you installed."

More specifically, to discuss the additional payment for the remaining maintenance of the mural installed two days ago. Kim Yun-seo quickly flipped through the contract and pushed it towards Kang Seok.

"Besides the 20 million won advance payment, I think it's time to discuss the additional payment."

The contract, when he was commissioned to create the mural, stated that the 20 million won would be paid before the mural was completed, and the additional payment would be given based on the benefits after the mural was completed.

"According to the contract, the additional payment for the mural is to be paid based on the benefits after the mural is installed. We have discussed internally how to quantify these benefits..."

Kang Seok was also curious about this.

'Was this the reason you called me here?'

If so, it meant that Seol Ye-jin, or rather the Peony Gallery, believed that discussing the additional payment with him was more beneficial than talking to the celebrities outside.

Kang Seok's lips twitched. Honestly, he wasn't upset.

At that moment,

"This is the average number of visitors to our Peony Gallery over the past six months. It's based on the visitor records from the six months before the installation of the mural."

Kim Yun-seo pushed a new document towards Kang Seok. As he flipped through the graphically presented data, Kim Yun-seo concluded:

"An average of 62 visitors per day. You can consider that 62 people visit our Peony Gallery daily."

Kang Seok raised an eyebrow. That's quite a lot. Even in Guanhoon-dong, where there are many galleries, this was a high number.

The Peony Gallery is not a permanent exhibition gallery. It usually displays works by artists with whom it has agency contracts and occasionally hosts small solo exhibitions. Considering this, 62 visitors a day is a significant number.

'The average must have been boosted by Mr. Go Doo-han's solo exhibitions.'

The regular solo exhibitions of Go Doo-han at the Peony Gallery must have significantly contributed to the average visitor count.

"We don't plan to change our operating procedures significantly in the future, and we have no plans for remodeling except for the mural. Therefore, if more than 62 visitors come in a day, it must be due to the installation of the mural."

Kim Yun-seo took out a new contract and placed it on top of the documents. This was already the fourth document.

Kim Yun-seo, leaning forward, began to summarize the contract content as she flipped through the pages.

"We believe that the increased number of visitors will lead to significant benefits in the sales of Peony Gallery artworks. While we can't measure it proportionally, we will reflect the benefits in a mutual contract. In exchange for securing permanent exhibition rights for the mural, we will calculate the number of visitors exceeding 62 per day and pay 10,000 won per person as a performance-based bonus, which will replace the additional payment."

10,000 won per person.

Kang Seok, reading the contract, was surprised by the large amount. His mouth was closed in a straight line, but it was a look of surprise.

10,000 won per person is a significant amount of money.

Moreover, they plan to pay it monthly based on monthly calculations.

Of course, there were additional clauses in the new contract, such as only counting one visit per person every four days if they visit repeatedly, but it was still a significant amount of money.

The Peony Gallery is a gallery with a steady demand.

On days like today, when a solo exhibition by Go Doo-han is held, the number of visitors can easily exceed 200. This would mean a significant expenditure for the Peony Gallery.

Why would the Peony Gallery make such a proposal first?

It was a contract that seemed to offer no clear benefit to the Peony Gallery. Kim Yun-seo flipped another page.

"However, the average number of visitors, currently set at 62, and the 10,000 won incentive can be renegotiated in the future. The contract will remain valid until the renewal period, and at the renewal period, we will meet face-to-face to renegotiate and renew the contract on a semi-permanent basis."

Kim Yun-seo, who had been speaking rapidly without hesitation, raised her head. Kang Seok's hand grabbed the pen at the end of the contract.

"Renegotiate and renew face-to-face?"

"Yes."

"What is the renewal period?"

"Two years."

"Can we meet via video call?"

"Face-to-face meetings are preferred."

Face-to-face. Mutual negotiation. Renewal period of two years.

Kang Seok twirled the pen. This is what they wanted.

The Peony Gallery, or rather these two, wanted a contract that provided an opportunity to meet and negotiate every two years.

Kang Seok raised his head. Seol Ye-jin's seemingly gentle eyes were burning coldly. The eyes of a businessman. A hot heart and a cold head. Seol Ye-jin was buying a dinner appointment with Kang Seok two years from now with money.

She was confident that Kang Seok would grow even more in two years.

In short, this was an investment that would pay off more in the future. The fact that the renewal period was two years and it was a semi-permanent contract made it even more so.

Kang Seok, understanding their goal, relaxed his shoulders. He leaned back into the sofa and smiled.

"I want to extend the renewal period to three years."

Time is money. And the time Kang Seok will have next year and the year after will definitely be more valuable. The future cannot be easily mortgaged, especially if there are no regrets.

Kang Seok clenched his teeth, recalling the time he made Julius II's tomb in his previous life.

When Kang Seok made this request, Kim Yun-seo was the one who was surprised. While Seol Ye