Deputy Manager Woo Changhun thought they were completely screwed.
And all because Isabella had ordered a bottle of wine worth 3,000 dollars, around four million won. Add to that the cost of the steaks and the waiters' tips, and the final bill would easily exceed five million won. What ordinary office worker would pay for a dinner costing more than five million won? It was absurd.
However, they were in a situation where they absolutely had to squeeze information about Endivia out of Isabella. Because of that, he couldn't simply ask her not to order expensive wine. While Woo Changhun desperately tried to think of a way out, the young woman addressed him.
“Mr. Woo Changhun, did I order wine that was too expensive?”
The answer, “Are you kidding me?!” had already reached his throat and almost escaped his mouth, but Woo Changhun displayed superhuman patience and barely managed to restrain himself.
“Not at all. A three-thousand-dollar wine is perfectly fine.”
“Thanks to you, I'll get to taste such expensive wine.”
At that moment, I realized that everything was going wrong.
Because the handbag Isabella had placed on the table was the same brand as Tracy's. Since Isabella's bag was slightly larger than Tracy's, its price was clearly over one hundred thousand dollars.
Moreover, her clothes and jewelry were all couture pieces. Judging by her appearance and elegant manners, she was undoubtedly as wealthy as Tracy.
And now this incredibly rich woman was saying that three-thousand-dollar wine was expensive.
“Could it be... Isabella is testing us?”
If my guess was correct, we'd never get the information we needed from her.
As I thought about what to do, I suddenly remembered the credit card Chairman Park Yeongil had given me.
“When else would I use it if not now?”
With a “to hell with it” attitude, I addressed Isabella.
“I'm disappointed in you, Isabella.”
“...What?”
“What kind of wine is a mere three-thousand-dollar bottle? Do we really look like people of such low standing to you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I know how much your bag costs.”
Isabella assumed Cha Jiham was bluffing. After all, only a handful of truly wealthy people knew about the brand of her handbag.
“And how much do you think it costs?”
“Your handbag is a limited edition created by the world-renowned luxury handbag designer Celine Elina. I don't think I need to say any more.”
Isabella silently nodded.
Glancing at her, I turned toward the waiter who had frozen in place.
“I'd like to order the most expensive vintage wine your steakhouse has.”
“Sir, please give me a moment.”
The waiter hurried off, apparently to fetch the manager.
Immediately, Woo Changhun leaned toward me and anxiously spoke in Korean.
“Intern Cha Jiham, what are you doing?”
“Mr. Woo Changhun, you understand perfectly well yourself.”
“Apparently, you don't fully understand, but vintage wine can easily cost hundreds of millions of won!”
“Then we'll pay.”
“Where are we supposed to get that kind of money? I had no idea you were this reckless.”
“My MBTI results put me at ninety-nine percent J, a planner.”
“...Are you saying you've gone insane according to a carefully laid-out plan?”
Seeing that I was completely serious, Woo Changhun asked with a trembling voice.
“It means I have everything planned out. I'll cover the expenses, so don't worry.”
At that moment, the waiter returned with a man in his fifties.
The man bowed respectfully.
“Greetings, sir. I'm Manager Wallis. I heard from our employee that you wish to order vintage wine. Is that correct?”
“Yes. Please recommend the most expensive vintage wine you have.”
“The most expensive bottle in our collection costs five hundred thousand dollars.”
I had expected Manager Wallis to recommend something in the range of ten or twenty thousand dollars.
Instead, he had suggested wine worth nearly seven hundred million won.
No matter how rich someone was, drinking wine that cost five hundred thousand dollars sounded insane.
But then my eyes fell on Isabella, who was watching our conversation with genuine interest.
“Chairman Park, even if I have to sell my organs, I'll repay you these five hundred thousand dollars.”
“Manager Wallis, bring it.”
“...!!”
Everyone, including Manager Wallis, was left dumbfounded.
They probably thought the price was outrageous too.
But words once spoken could not be taken back.
“Manager Wallis, are you afraid we'll eat and run?”
“N-no, not at all...” the manager stammered, effectively confirming my suspicion.
With a proud expression, I took out my wallet and handed him the credit card Chairman Park Yeongil had given me.
“Charge the vintage wine first.”
Taking the card, Manager Wallis hurried toward the register.
Watching the scene, Isabella asked with genuine concern.
“Intern Cha Jiham, aren't you going a little too far?”
“Are you kidding me... Hoo~ Relax, relax...”
“It's only five hundred thousand dollars.”
“You really are a passionate man, Cha Jiham. Well, since you're treating us, I'll gladly drink it.”
“Isabella, you know the principle of give and take, don't you?”
“Of course. Tell me what you want.”
But before I could answer, Manager Wallis returned in a hurry.
Bowing even more respectfully than before, he handed my credit card back.
For some reason, however, there was no receipt.
I cautiously asked why.
“Our general manager instructed us to process the payment after your dinner has concluded.”
“And if we secretly run away?”
“We trust in our guests' integrity.”
“In that case, I'll pay later.”
“It would be discourteous of us to have such distinguished guests dine in the main hall. Please allow us to escort you to our VIP room.”
***
VIP Room.
When we entered behind Manager Wallis, the waiting staff greeted us with excessive courtesy and pulled out our chairs.
After everyone had taken their seats, Manager Wallis politely addressed me.
“Sir, the wine and steaks are being prepared. Please wait just a little longer.”
“All right.”
“I hope you enjoy your evening.”
As soon as Manager Wallis and the waiters left, Woo Changhun immediately asked me:
“Intern Cha Jiham, why didn't the manager charge the vintage wine?”
“To be honest, I don't know. But I do know why he made sure we dined in the VIP room.”
“And why is that?”
“So we can't run away.”
“Ah... I see.”
While Woo Changhun nodded in understanding, Isabella turned to me again.
“Now then, Intern Cha Jiham, tell me. What is it you want from me?”
No matter how urgent things were, now wasn't the right time.
“I'll tell you when dinner is over.”
“I'm dying to know. By the way, Cha Jiham, you seem to be very wealthy.”
“And why do you think that?”
“Unlimited credit cards aren't handed out to just anyone.”
Yun Sola silently laughed to herself while watching the conversation.
She knew his financial situation far too well.
That card had undoubtedly been given to him by Chairman Park Yeongil to be used at a decisive moment.
Naturally, she had no intention of exposing the truth to Isabella. She understood perfectly why he was putting on this show.
Lost in thought, she continued listening.
“I won't deny it.”
“By the way, you mentioned earlier that you have a wealthy acquaintance. Could you tell me who it is?”
If I answered that it was Tracy, Yun Sola would immediately glare at me with eyes burning in fury.
Telling the truth was out of the question.
“That person probably wouldn't appreciate having their name discussed with outsiders.”
“They must be very famous.”
“That I don't know.”
“Could it be... the acquaintance you're talking about happens to resemble Dakota Fanning?”
“W-what?! Does she know Tracy...?”
Brrr—
At the most critical moment, the phone on the table vibrated.
Glancing at it, I saw that it was Chief Secretary Kang Inhan.
Thinking that the timing was perfect, I excused myself, stepped aside, and answered.
“Yes, Secretary Kang.”
[Intern Cha Jiham, have you perhaps used the credit card the Chairman gave you?]
I hadn't actually made a payment yet.
There was no way transaction information could have reached Kang Inhan.
Carefully, I asked how he knew.
[The credit card company contacted me.]
“But I haven't made any purchases.”
[They're required to contact me whenever a transaction exceeds one hundred million won.]
Only then did I understand what had happened.
Manager Wallis had attempted to charge the five hundred thousand dollars.
The bank had likely assumed the card was lost or stolen and blocked the transaction, contacting Kang Inhan for confirmation. Naturally, he assured them the card was legitimate. In turn, the bank informed Manager Wallis about the card's owner.
Having learned this, the manager had decided to settle the bill after dinner.
“Ah, now I understand.”
[The Chairman said he's very curious why you decided to drink five-hundred-thousand-dollar wine.]
“Our company, Micron, TMSC, and BK are locked in a fierce battle for Endivia's HBM high-bandwidth chip manufacturing contract. But Micron...”
I explained the current situation to Kang Inhan in full detail.
“...Therefore, I had no choice but to put on a show to obtain information.”
[Ah, I see. Understood.]
“Please tell the Chairman that I'll repay these five hundred thousand dollars even if I have to sell my soul.”
[For the sake of achieving his goal, the Chairman would gladly spend not just five hundred thousand dollars, but five million dollars on drinks. So don't burden yourself with it and use the card freely.]
“But how can I...”
[Cha Jiham, you're destined to stand at the head of a massive organization after the Chairman. To do that, you need to develop a broader vision and greater courage.]
“At the head of a massive organization?”
[Once you've become a full-time employee of Hangang Group, the Chairman himself will explain everything. Enjoy your dinner.]
Click.
After hanging up, I turned around and saw an elderly man conversing with my companions.
As soon as I returned to the table, he respectfully addressed me.
“Good evening. My name is Gary Morton. I'm the sommelier. I've worked here for forty years and will retire at the end of this month. I thought I'd never have the chance to uncork that bottle before the end of my career, but you have given me this precious opportunity. I sincerely thank you.”
“Please, no need to thank me.”
“Allow me to fill your glasses.”
With smooth, practiced movements, the sommelier poured the wine.
“I wish you all a wonderful evening.”
After bowing respectfully, he stepped back to leave.
Suddenly, I felt I couldn't simply let him go.
As I pondered why, one phrase flashed through my mind.
“Retirement.”
“Was I always this considerate? Or is this another side effect of that medicine?”
“Please wait a moment.”
Stopping, the sommelier turned around.
“Yes, sir? Is there something you desire?”
“I would like to personally pour a glass of wine for Mr. Morton in honor of his well-deserved retirement.”