Golden Spoon Investor

In front of the tall-walled mansion, Kim Hyung-gi, who had served as Chairman Park Tae-hong's chauffeur for many years, was carefully dusting off the large Maybach sedan.

He had washed it just yesterday, but his diligent nature made him go over it again, making sure not even a speck of dust remained.

Just then, a familiar Mercedes sedan glided up the driveway and stopped in front of the Maybach.

Han Ji-seong stepped out from the passenger seat in a neat suit, gave Kim Hyung-gi a polite nod, and quickly opened the back door.

A pair of long legs stepped out first, followed by Seok-won, dressed in a light cashmere coat over a white turtleneck.

Seeing him, Kim Hyung-gi hurried over and bowed deeply with a warm smile.

"Welcome, Young Chairman."

Since he'd known Seok-won since childhood, almost like family, Seok-won returned the greeting with a gentle smile.

"Have you been well?"

At his kind tone, Kim Hyung-gi beamed.

"Yes, thanks to you, sir. I'm always grateful for your thoughtfulness."

"Don't mention it. I'll see you again soon."

"Yes, sir. Please, go on inside."

As Seok-won and his secretary Han Ji-seong walked toward the mansion, Kim Hyung-gi watched them with a fond smile.

"For someone who's made so much money, he hasn't changed a bit."

Unlike most chaebol families, the Park household was known for their warmth and kindness toward their staff.

Among them, Seok-won especially treated Kim Hyung-gi and the old housekeeper, Mrs. Gunsan, like real family—genuinely, without pretence.

Knowing it came from the heart, Kim Hyung-gi couldn't help but bow his head in quiet gratitude.

Meanwhile, in the now-bare garden where all the autumn leaves had fallen, Seok-won crossed the path to the main house and opened the front door, calling out brightly,

"I'm home."

At once, Madam Jo Deok-rye came hurrying over, her face lighting up.

"You're back?"

"Yes."

Seok-won gave Madam Jo Deok-rye a light hug before pulling back and asking,

"Has Hyung arrived?"

Hearing him, Vice Chairman Park Jin-hyung appeared, holding his twelve-month-old son in his arms, wearing a cozy knit sweater.

"You're late," Jin-hyung teased.

Seok-won's eyes lit up the moment he saw his nephew, and he focused on the little boy immediately.

"Jun-woo's here too."

"Sam-choon," the toddler babbled.

The child, just starting to babble, recognized him and let out a short, cute sound, making Seok-won's eyes soften completely.

"Our Jun-woo… he's grown so much since the last time I saw him."

"Uh-huh," the baby replied.

"Look at those chubby cheeks! So soft and squishy."

"Hwee-eng," Jun-woo cooed.

Seok-won playfully pinched the little round cheeks, but only backed off after his older brother scolded him.

"Don't make the baby cry. Go greet your father properly."

"Got it."

Carrying the child along with his older brother, Seok-won stepped into the living room, where Chairman Park Tae-hong sat solemnly on the sofa.

"I'm home."

"Welcome back," the chairman replied.

Seok-won's sister-in-law, Choi Bo-kyung, emerged from an inner room and spotted him, giving him a warm clap of the hands.

"Oh my! Welcome back, Young Master."

"Hello, sister-in-law."

"You always look so handsome. You could really be a model."

Then Choi Bo-kyung playfully winked one eye.

"Oh, you've already done a Gucci photoshoot and debuted, right?"

"Hahaha," Seok-won replied, scratching his head sheepishly and giving an awkward laugh.

"I really saw that and thought, 'Is Young Master really entering the entertainment world?' My heart was racing."

"I only did it because the designer begged me so much," Seok-won said.

"But you were practically a professional. Well, the subject was excellent, so the photos came out great."

"Please, just forget about it…"

Seok-won's embarrassed reaction made Choi Bo-kyung grin even wider, bursting into mischievous laughter.

As the family chatted together in the living room, the staff wheeled in a specially made three-tiered cake on a tray.

With appropriately sized candles lit, Madam Jo Deok-rye blew them out, and everyone standing around—Seok-won and his family—applauded together.

"Happy birthday!"

Caught up in the lively atmosphere, Madam Jo's face brightened with a cheerful smile.

"Thank you all. I appreciate you coming, especially you two, even though you must be busy."

"It's your birthday, Mother. Of course, we had to come."

"Seok-won's right," added his older brother.

Seeing her two grown sons acting so properly, Madam Jo's expression softened with happiness.

"Ahem," Chairman Park Tae-hong cleared his throat and spoke with his usual solemn tone.

"Happy birthday."

Madam Jo raised an eyebrow playfully.

"Are you just saying that for show?"

"Of course not," he replied.

When Chairman Park Tae-hong gestured, Mrs. Gunsan quickly brought over a large box wrapped with a ribbon.

"It's a special hat, custom-made by a famous designer in England."

"Oh my, really?"

Madam Jo Deok-rye's eyes lit up as she eagerly untied the box.

Inside was a wide-brimmed, deep purple floppy hat, adorned with silk and gemstone floral decorations on luxurious felt fabric. It was stylish, feminine, and elegant—a perfect match for Madam Jo, who loved wearing hats.

As expected, her face immediately brightened with a radiant smile.

She lifted the hat and placed it on her head, exclaiming with delight,

"I was just thinking of buying a new hat! How did you know?"

"Ahem. We've shared so many years together; of course I know what you like," Chairman Park replied with a proud expression.

"It looks absolutely wonderful on you, Mother!"

"Hoho, does it?"

Noticing the compliment, Choi Bo-kyung smiled, and Madam Jo tried the hat from different angles, clearly delighted with it.

"Mother, we have a gift for you as well."

Her eldest son, Park Jin-hyung, handed over a small, neatly wrapped box.

"Oh my, you shouldn't have. What a thoughtful gift," Madam Jo said with a smile as she began unwrapping it.

Inside was a heavy rectangular wooden box, engraved with the logo of Patek Philippe, the ultimate pinnacle in watches.

"Oh my, how beautiful!"

When she opened the box, a Patek Philippe Nautilus appeared, its ocean-blue dial surrounded by dozens of diamonds set in an octagonal bezel.

As Madam Jo Deok-rye lifted the watch to examine it, she noticed her name engraved inside in elegant gold script and gasped in surprise.

"Isn't this my name?"

"It was specially custom-made for you, Mother," her eldest son said.

With the engraving, it was truly a one-of-a-kind item in the world.

Deeply moved, Madam Jo looked at her son and said,

"My goodness. Thank you so much."

Clearly delighted with the gift, she immediately strapped it onto her wrist. Choi Bo-kyung beside her squealed in excitement.

"Oh my! Anyone can see that this is yours, Mother."

"Hoho, really?"

"It suits you perfectly!"

Madam Jo laughed heartily, beaming with joy.

As the lady of a wealthy family, she could easily afford high-end items like a designer hat from England or even a Patek Philippe watch, especially since their conglomerate owned one of the top three department stores in the country.

But what truly mattered was that her husband and children had gone out of their way to commission a unique, custom-made gift just for her. That thought filled her with emotion.

With a gentle gaze toward her eldest son and his wife, she said,

"Thank you for the gift. I'll treasure it."

At that moment, Chairman Park Tae-hong interjected with a slightly pouty expression.

"And what about my gift?"

Seeing his eyes, asking if he had been left out, Madam Jo smiled reassuringly.

"I have a gathering in a few days, so I'll wear this and show it off to the ladies."

"Well, if you really want to brag…"

"If you tell them your husband gave it to you for your birthday, everyone will be so jealous."

"Who said anything? Ahem."

At last, Chairman Park Tae-hong's expression relaxed.

"Now it's my turn," he said.

Seok-won gestured, and Han Ji-sung, standing nearby, handed over a luxuriously wrapped gift box.

Slightly slimmer and taller than the watch box his brother had given earlier, the box immediately drew everyone's attention.

"This is my gift for you," Seok-won said.

"Oh my, what is this?"

Madam Jo Deok-rye accepted the gift with her usual words but an expectant smile.

As she unwrapped it, a sturdy, elegantly crafted box was revealed. Its size suggested it held jewelry, like a necklace or earrings. Madam Jo's eyes sparkled as she lifted the lid.

"Ah…"

At that moment, sunlight streamed through the large living room windows, passing the drawn-back curtains, and hit the box. The diamond necklace inside flashed with a dazzling brilliance.

The necklace, almost the size of a newborn's fist and glowing with a warm yellow hue, left everyone stunned, eyes wide with amazement.

"Oh my!"

Even Choi Bo-kyung, who used to wear extravagant jewellery at events, covered her mouth with one hand, unable to tear her gaze away from the necklace.

Chairman Park Tae-hong and Vice Chairman Park Jin-hyung, seeing such a large diamond for the first time, couldn't hide their astonishment.

"My goodness…"

Madam Jo Deok-rye, momentarily dazed by the necklace's dazzling radiance, soon regained her composure and lifted her head to ask,

"What on earth is this?"

The rest of the family stared in surprise as Seok-won replied casually,

"It's a birthday gift for you, Mother."

"Last time you surprised your father with a private jet, and now a diamond necklace?"

Madam Jo Deok-rye shook her head in disbelief.

If it had been an ordinary diamond necklace, she wouldn't have been particularly impressed—after all, she already owned several. But the piece Seok-won had brought was on another level entirely.

Gazing at the diamond radiating presence from its box, she asked,

"How many carats is this?"

"Originally it was 107 carats, but a bit was trimmed during the cutting process, so it ended up at 100 carats," Seok-won explained.

At the mention of 100 carats, Madam Jo drew a sharp breath, and Choi Bo-kyung, standing nearby, practically sparkled with excitement.

"Oh my! 100 carats? No wonder it looked so big. I've never seen a diamond this large before!"

Her reaction was even more animated than Madam Jo's, but understandably so. Even as a woman accustomed to luxury and rare jewels, Madam Jo had never seen a flawless, drop-shaped diamond with such a pure, subtly yellow glow.

"It's from the Mir mine in the Sakha Republic of eastern Siberia, one of the world's largest diamond mines. Its color earned it the nickname 'Yellow Sun,'" Seok-won continued.

"Yellow Sun…" Madam Jo repeated, gently stroking the necklace. "It really shines like the sun in a clear sky."

Seok-won smiled inwardly at the captivated expressions around him and added,

"When Russia declared a moratorium, some bonds were purchased at rock-bottom prices. One of the company bonds issued by a state-owned diamond mining firm was repaid with rough diamonds instead of cash. This necklace was made from one of those diamonds."

"Jacob Thompson designed it?" Choi Bo-kyung asked immediately, clearly up to date on fashion.

"Yes. I thought it would suit you perfectly, Mother, so I had him turn it into this necklace," Seok-won said.

"Jacob Thompson, the Gucci head designer?"

"That's right. Gucci is preparing to launch a new jewellery line, and this necklace is their first piece."

"Oh my, really?"

The fact that the famous designer Jacob Thompson had personally crafted the piece and that it was Gucci's first accessory in their new jewellery line made Madam Jo Deok-rye even happier.

"Mother, you must be thrilled," Choi Bo-kyung said, her face full of envy.

"With a diamond of this size, the price must be astronomical," she added.

"It's truly one of a kind, not even up for auction, so it's hard to put an exact figure on it," Seok-won explained. "But according to Jacob Thompson, if it were for sale, it would easily exceed thirty million dollars."

"Thirty million!"

Bo-kyung's jaw dropped, and everyone else's faces mirrored her shock.

"A necklace worth hundreds of billions of won—how can you possibly wear it?"

Even Madam Jo looked a bit overwhelmed, but Seok-won waved it off casually.

"Come on, no matter how big or expensive the necklace, it can't outshine your beauty."

"Oh, you cheeky boy. That's not what I meant," Madam Jo replied with a playful hand wave, though her expression betrayed no real annoyance.

"Jewels shine brightest when worn, so don't just lock them away in a safe. Wear them often," he added.

Then, as if remembering something, Seok-won continued, "Ah, and we used the leftover diamonds from the necklace's crafting to make a matching pair of earrings. Take a look."

Handed a small velvet box by Han Ji-sung, Madam Jo opened it to reveal a pair of two-carat, teardrop-shaped diamond earrings matching the necklace.

"Oh my! These are beautiful too," Bo-kyung exclaimed, clapping repeatedly, while Madam Jo's own smile grew radiant.

"They're truly stunning," Seok-won said.

"Well, who wouldn't be happy receiving diamonds?" Madam Jo said, beaming at her family.

In that moment, surrounded by loved ones and exchanging gifts, Madam Jo Deok-rye felt pure, unbridled happiness.