111: Chapter 111 Signing Ceremony

On the first day of February, the wind in Seoul was still biting cold. The curtains in the top-floor conference hall of Shunyi Foods' headquarters were drawn open, and sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a glossy reflection on the dark conference table.

Kim Young-jun stood by the window and glanced down. Pedestrians on the street, wrapped in heavy coats, walked quickly; no one looked up. He turned around and straightened the nameplate on the seat once more: Chairman Wang Shunyi, Shunyi Foods. Opposite him was Representative Lee Soo-man.

At five minutes to ten, the doors to the conference hall opened. Chairman Wang Shunyi wore that custom-made deep blue suit, with the dark-patterned navy blue tie gifted by Park Min-ji, secured by a gold pin below the knot.

Kim Young-jun followed behind him, while Choi Soo-jin walked at the very back clutching a folder. She had worked at SM Entertainment for five years. She recognized the legal representative sitting across the negotiating table today; the other party glanced at her upon entering and gave a slight nod without saying a word.

Both parties took their seats. The documents were spread out on the table in three copies. Choi Soo-jin flipped open the copy in front of her and checked it clause by clause: forty-eight thousand per share, Lee Soo-man transferring three percent, totaling six hundred and sixty thousand shares for 31.68 billion KRW.

Shunyi promised not to increase its stake by more than ten percent within three years. Its status as a financial investor remained unchanged; it would not participate in daily management or appoint directors. However, Shunyi held priority rights for endorsements; under equal conditions, SM Entertainment must prioritize arranging its artists to provide endorsement services for Shunyi Foods.

This clause had been ground out for a long time during the fourth round of negotiations. SM's legal team wanted to delete the words "priority rights" and replace them with "subject to negotiation," but Chairman Wang Shunyi did not yield. Finally, Lee Soo-man personally made the call, saying, "Sunyi is a shareholder; giving a shareholder priority rights is not excessive."

When it came time to sign, Chairman Wang Shunyi went first. He picked up the pen and signed his name on the last page; the strokes weren't heavy but were very clear. He set the pen down and pushed the document across the table.

Lee Soo-man's representative picked it up, glanced at it, flipped to the last page, and signed. The name was Lee Soo-man's, written in fancy, vertical script. The opposing legal team pushed the signed copy of the agreement back. Choi Soo-jin took it, carefully verified the signature and the seal across the pages, and nodded.

"Chairman Wang, Mr. Lee Soo-man asked me to convey that he is full of expectations for this cooperation."

The representative stood up and extended a hand.

Chairman Wang Shunyi shook that hand.

"Thank Chairman Lee for me. Shunyi Foods will not disappoint him."

The press conference was held on the same floor half an hour later. The doors to the hall were already open, and reporters were entering one after another. Choi Soo-jin stood at the door confirming the guest list, Kim Young-jun adjusted the microphones, and Lee Jung-hoon checked the logo on the backdrop once more.

Chairman Wang Shunyi waited in the hallway for ten minutes. His phone vibrated; Park Min-ji sent a message saying she was watching the news. He replied with one word: 'Okay.'

He tucked the phone into his inner pocket and pushed the door open to enter the press conference venue.

Flashes started popping from the moment he entered. He walked behind the podium on the stage and adjusted the microphone height slightly lower. Dozens of media outlets sat below. In the front row were economic reporters from KBS, MBC, and SBS; the rows behind were filled with camera and text reporters from online media, and the last row had several self-media bloggers holding up phones, their lenses constantly pointed at his face.

He stood firm and placed his manuscript on the podium. In truth, he didn't need to look; the figures and clauses were all in his head.

"Hello, friends from the media. Today, Shunyi Foods completed the acquisition of a 5.05% stake in SM Entertainment, becoming a significant shareholder of SM Entertainment."

His gaze swept from left to right, not reading from the script.

"The acquisition price was forty-eight thousand per share, totaling 31.68 billion KRW. This is Shunyi Foods' second investment in the entertainment industry, following JYP Entertainment. Together, the two investments total around 46 billion. Shunyi Foods will not stop here, but we will not expand blindly either. Our core will always be food. Entertainment is supplementary—it is to allow the Shunyi brand to be seen by more people."

Someone in the audience raised their hand. He lifted his chin slightly, signaling the KBS reporter to ask first. The reporter stood up with a microphone and asked, "Does this acquisition mean that Shunyi is going to make a large-scale entry into the entertainment industry?"

"No. Shunyi does not do content production, does not sign artists, and does not hold concerts. We buy shares to cooperate with good artists. SM's artists have influence in Asia, and Shunyi's products need that influence."

The MBC reporter asked, "Will Shunyi sign SM artists for endorsements?"

"Yes. Specific plans are still being communicated with SM's management; we will notify you when there is news," Chairman Wang Shunyi replied.

After the press conference ended, Kim Young-jun walked up from backstage and said in a low voice, "Team Leader Choi has already set up a meeting with SM's management to discuss endorsement details next week."

Chairman Wang Shunyi nodded. In the hallway, Choi Soo-jin was seeing off Lee Soo-man's representative and legal team. Both sides shook hands and said their goodbyes with minimal pleasantries.

In the evening, there was one more bottle of red wine than usual on Park Min-ji's dining table. Sister Lee had gone to the market in the afternoon to buy fresh Hanwoo beef, and the fat of the grilled meat sizzled on the griddle. The kimchi soup was freshly boiled, and the edges of the seafood pancake were fried to a crisp.

Chairman Wang Shunyi took off his jacket, loosened his tie, and sat at the dining table, watching her pour the red wine into the decanter. The liquid swirled slowly in the glass vessel.

"31.6 billion. You've spent it again."

She sat down across from him and picked up her wine glass.

"Money is only money when it's spent. On the books, it's just numbers."

She smiled and clinked her glass against his. The sound of the glass touching was very light, like two thin stones skipping on the surface of water.

He took a sip of wine and said, "I'm going to SM next week to talk about the choice of spokespersons."

She asked, "Is it Bae Joo-hyun? Or Yoo Ji-min?"

Chairman Wang Shunyi replied, "Both are possible, depending on their schedules."

"What about Kang Seul-gi?"

"Ah, Seul-gi. Her vibe is a bit cold; she might not necessarily be suitable for food advertisements."

She glanced at him and didn't ask further.

The TV was on, and the MBC evening news was reporting on Shunyi's acquisition of SM shares. On the screen was footage of him at the press conference that afternoon, standing behind the podium in his deep blue suit with a neutral expression.

It cut to the segment where he answered questions, showing him saying once more that Shunyi does not do content production. The scene cut away. Park Min-ji turned down the TV volume and placed a piece of grilled meat in his bowl.

"You'll be even busier from now on."

"Yeah. But not busier than before."

"Why?"

"Because before, I was busy alone. Now, everyone is busy together."

She didn't respond, picking up her glass and taking another sip. The wine left a dark red trail on the side of the glass, flowing down slowly.

After dinner, he helped her clear the dishes, but she didn't let him, saying, "Oppa, go sit in the living room."

He didn't move, standing at the kitchen door watching her wash the dishes. She turned back and said, "I feel self-conscious washing with you standing there."

He took a step back, leaning against the hallway wall, still able to see her. She didn't try to shoo him away again.

When he was putting on his coat after ten o'clock, she took an envelope out of the hallway drawer and handed it to him. Inside were profiles of all the female artists under SM Entertainment, printed out and sorted by age and popularity, with a photo and a brief introduction for each.

She said she had Choi Soo-jin organize it, fearing he wouldn't remember the names during the negotiations next week.

He took the envelope without opening it. "When did you do this?"

"Last week."

He looked at her. She lowered her head and straightened her apron, saying she was going back inside. He nodded and turned to leave.

The moment the elevator doors closed, he pulled the envelope from his inner coat pocket and drew out the first sheet. The person in the photo was smiling at him, eyes curved and teeth very white; he didn't recognize her. But he would, sooner or later.