Chapter 110: The Flower that Bloomed in the Earthquake part 4

In the PR departments of companies engaged in star marketing across several countries, a state of emergency had effectively been declared. Utilizing every contact available, they sought information from all possible competitors across nations, keenly observing each other. For these companies, this was an opportunity to convert their nominal donations to Nepal into a goldmine of public interest and brand marketing effectiveness. This phenomenon was particularly intense in Northeast and Southeast Asia, and some European countries followed suit. Nations traditionally not engaged in star marketing stood by, watching. Yet, even they began to see the value in participating in the bidding using their corporate social responsibility funds.

As each day passed, the world's interest in Fantagio's moves grew, with journalists forming queues at Fantagio's doorstep, hoping to glean even a fragment of information. Some went as far as taking company insiders out for expensive coffee in hopes of extracting information. However, Son Lin had not disclosed even the bidding prices to Wang Hao, the chairman, ensuring the information remained encrypted and accessible only through her company account.

In Fantagio's boardroom, with Chairman Wang Hao at the center, Son Lin and Director Yan'an sat down for a meeting. Wang Hao seemed extremely pleased with the current situation, continuously smiling.

"So, Director Son Lin, how is the auction proceeding?"

Son Lin nodded slightly and replied, "There are 23 hours left until the auction closes. We have received bids from 103 companies so far, with the highest number from Korea and China, followed by Japan and France."

Listening in, Director Yan'an commented, "103 companies? That seems fewer than expected."

Son Lin, twirling a pen while facing Yan'an, responded, "It appears that medium-sized companies have opted out of bidding. Moreover, in countries like Korea, where corporate hierarchies are prevalent, subcontractors and affiliated companies fear bidding against their parent companies."

Chairman Wang Hao, leaning back deeply into the sofa, added, "That makes sense. The same is true for China."

Son Lin agreed, "Indeed, the phenomenon is even more pronounced in China. However, most of the top-ranked companies have participated in the bidding."

Director Yan'an glanced at Chairman Wang Hao before asking, "But why keep even us, the management, in the dark? Don't you trust us not to leak information?"

Son Lin glanced sharply at Yan'an before replying, "I do not think of you both in that manner, but if a company we must strategically align with bids a lower amount, would you still be able to conclude the auction fairly?"

"Perhaps it's best to consider the company's position, no?"

"That's exactly why we're not disclosing it."

Director Yan'an tapped his pen on the table in dissatisfaction, "Director Son Lin, are you representing Fantagio or Geon Kim personally?"

With a scoff, Son Lin retorted, "Of course, I am with Fantagio. That's precisely why I am handling this matter with the long-term future in mind."

An argument ensued between Son Lin and Director Yan'an until Chairman Wang Hao intervened, "What are you both doing? We should be supporting each other, not fighting. Director Yan'an, why so eager for information? Even I, the chairman, don't know it."

Director Yan'an hurriedly waved his hands, "No, it's not that I want the information for its own sake. I was thinking bidding in a way that benefits our company's position might be more advantageous."

Son Lin, with a cold gaze, countered, "Isn't that the same as saying, 'Show me the list of bidding companies and let me pick'?"

Director Yan'an glared back, "So, you're going to do as you please?"

Son Lin turned to Chairman Wang Hao, "As stated in Geon Kim's extension contract, he agreed to a 3-year deal with Fantagio on the condition that I am here. If I leave Fantagio, Geon leaves too. You're aware of this, right, Chairman?"

Director Yan'an stood up in outrage, "Are you threatening us?!"

Son Lin maintained eye contact with Chairman Wang Hao, who after a moment, glared at Director Yan'an. Taken aback by the chairman's stern look, Director Yan'an quickly lowered his head. After a tense silence, Chairman Wang Hao finally spoke.

"Son Lin is well-prepared, and I saw no issue to intervene. But it seems we must address this. Secretary!"

At his call, a female secretary entered with a document. Chairman Wang Hao directed her to give it to Director Yan'an.

Director Yan'an, visibly shaken, opened the document to find photos of himself meeting various people in a café. Over twenty images depicted him engaging with different individuals. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he looked up at Chairman Wang Hao.

"Chairman, these meetings were just part of networking..."

With a stern look, Chairman Wang Hao silenced him, "It seems you haven't accepted anything yet."

Director Yan'an, panicking, insisted

 on his innocence, "Yes! I've been asked for favors, but I've never accepted anything!"

After a moment of silence, Chairman Wang Hao continued, "Had I not intervened, you would have accepted after the auction, wouldn't you? Do we look like fools to you?"

Director Yan'an, overwhelmed, hung his head. Chairman Wang Hao, after a brief pause, addressed Son Lin, "You're doing well. Please see this through to the end. You must be busy; go ahead. Director Yan'an, let's talk some more."

As Son Lin exited the room, closing the door behind her, the sound of a breaking ashtray echoed.

"Crash!!! You bastard!!!"

Son Lin smiled as she left the scene.

The next morning, Fantagio's server room staff were swamped, coping with server traffic that had long since exceeded its limit due to heightened interest. With the website down, the customer service team was overwhelmed with calls. Walking past the bustling office to her own room, Son Lin sat down and powered on her PC.

Upon entering her password, Son Lin's face lit up with a broad smile. After stretching and sighing contentedly, she picked up the phone. Soon, Yeongseok's voice came through.

"Hello?"

"Ah, CP. It's Son Lin."

"Oh, Director! Long time no see. I'll get Geon for you, just a moment."

After a brief hustle to find Geon, amidst the background noise, Geon's voice finally came through.

"Hello? Director?"

"Yes, Geon. Where are you? It's quite noisy."

"Ah, I'm on-site, working. Give me a moment; I'll find a quieter spot."

As Geon moved away from the noise, Son Lin switched the phone to speaker mode and waited. Once the background noise had sufficiently quieted down, Geon spoke again.

"Phew, Director, can you hear me?"

"Yes, loud and clear."

"Sorry about that. We're still in the midst of reconstruction here. What's up?"

"Today's the day for the auction results. You might want to pay attention, Geon."

"Oh? Is it already that time? Sorry."

"That's very much like you, Geon."

"Haha, yes. So, how did it go?"

"The top three bids have been finalized."

"Great. When do we start shooting?"

"We'll have to coordinate that after finalizing the contracts. But aren't you curious about which companies won the bids?"

"Pfft, yes. Which ones?"

"The third place went to SJT, a Korean telecommunications company. Second place was taken by Germany's Mercy Benz."

"Benz? The car company?"

"Yes, it's a luxury brand. Apparently, it's been targeted by criminals who envy and resent its wealthy owners, causing image issues. They bid in an attempt to shed this negative perception."

"I see. And the first place?"

"It's not a company, Geon."

"Then, a non-profit? But they usually don't have much money, right?"

"It's a country. The United States."

"What? The US?"

"Yes. It seems they redirected the money they would have donated to Nepal to you, thinking that 90% of it would still end up in Nepal anyway. This way, they only spend 10% of the money to elevate America's value in the eyes of the world."

"That's complicated. But what kind of ads does a country make? Like public service announcements?"

"That's what it says, though it doesn't specify which kind. I'll let you know after we disclose the bids and finalize the contracts."

"Alright, Director. I'm counting on you."

"Now, aren't you going to ask how much?"

"Haha, yes. How much? 400 million? No, since you were involved, Director Son Lin, it must be more than the standard rate. Maybe around 500 million per ad?"

"It's 18 billion won. Per ad."

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, Geon. 18 billion won."

"Is that... a joke?"

"That's the correct amount. Companies set aside funds for brand marketing through corporate social responsibility initiatives. In events like this, they donate money, continuously informing the public they're not a "black company," thereby improving their brand image. By using that money for ads, and once those ads are aired, people naturally feel that buying products from those companies contributes to Nepal's relief efforts, also portraying them as 'good' companies. That's why the amount is astronomical."

"Ah... yes... But this amount is too overwhelming for me to comprehend. Whether I can live up to its value is another question..."

"Your current global status is more than enough, Geon. Plus, the current disaster situation adds to it."

"I see... but this is a bit too much for me to process. Alright, Director. Please keep me updated."

"Geon... 18 billion is the single amount offered by the third-place company."

"Excuse me?"

Three hours later.

At the Charlie Brion newspaper office located in Paris, France, two journalists were constantly hitting the refresh button on their laptops. Among them, a bald man wearing horn-rimmed glasses turned to the journalist beside him and asked.

"Olivier, how about you? Can you connect?"

The man referred to as Olivier was a man with black, medium-length hair tied back with a spring hairband. Olivier was biting his nails and furiously pressing the F5 key on his laptop.

"No, not at all. You neither, Bruno?"

Bruno sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, could this be deliberate, to give Chinese journalists a head start?"

"Does that make sense? It's a traffic overload. From what I know, Fantagio uses AWS servers, not their own or IDC servers. AWS isn't based in China, Olivier."

"Really? Ah, I don't know much about servers... Anyway, this means it's not just us, right?"

"Yes, it's the same situation worldwide. But I understand. If we're doing this, other journalists are likely doing the same."

"Ah... If we're late with the news, Chief Bengson will have our heads..."

"That's why we're pressing like mad. We need to see it in time to include it in today's evening edition."

Suddenly, a loud noise made Bruno and Olivier look up in surprise. They saw a man who seemed to have tripped over, rolling on the floor by the desk at the entrance, with books scattered all around him.

"What's going on, François? What's so urgent that you knocked over the desk like that?"

François was rolling on the floor, holding his knees.

"Ah, my leg!! Is my leg still attached, Olivier? Aaargh!"

Olivier looked down at François with a bewildered look.

"Yes, the body your mother gave you is still intact. What are you doing?"

François sprang to his feet, waving his hands frantically.

"Ye-Yes! Th-The memo, from Fantagio!"

"What? Where, where?"

François pointed outside the door.

"The chief is looking at it now! Let's go quickly!"

The three rushed to Chief Bengson's office. The door was open, and several staff members were gathered around the chief, who was holding a fax. Chief Bengson, after looking at the document for a moment, exclaimed.

"Alright! We need to start now to get this in the evening edition!"

Chief Bengson pinned the document to the office door as he spoke, and the employees crowded around to read it. François, pushed aside by the crowd, shouted.

"Ah! Let me see too! Bruno, read it out loud for me!"

As Bruno began to read the document aloud, with a bit more volume, other journalists stopped their jostling and listened to him.

"First of all, we at Fantagio would like to express our gratitude for the immense interest and love you have shown us, allowing us to successfully complete the bidding process. Additionally, we apologize for the inconvenience caused by server traffic overload and for having to convey the results through this document."

Bruno took a breath before continuing.

"The winning bids were: in third place, SJT Group from Korea, in second place, Mercedes Benz from Germany, and in first place... the USA government? What, the U.S. government won the bid? A nation stepped in?"

The journalists murmured upon hearing Bruno's words. Bruno glanced at a shocked Olivier before continuing to read.

"The bid amounts will not be disclosed without the consent of the advertising company. While some basics have been provided, details need to be negotiated. If negotiations with the winning company or country do not proceed, we may contract with the next highest bidder. Thank you."

As Bruno finished, journalists rushed back to their desks to start writing their articles. Olivier, still staring at the dispersing crowd, asked Bruno.

"A country making an advertisement? A public service ad? But why spend so much on a public service ad?"

Bruno, with a troubled look, did not answer, and François spoke.

"It's the U.S., trying to secure its position in the global market. With Russia becoming more powerful and China rising, it's a country with many concerns."

**

The announcement from Fantagio spread rapidly through the internet less than 15 minutes after the memo was delivered. Four hours after the memo release, when Fantagio officially announced its crowdfunding, journalists worked late into the night. Fantagio set the crowdfunding goal at 299.45 million yuan, with 50% of the funding covered by Fantagio itself.

The amount announced by Fantagio, roughly 50 billion Korean won, with half being borne by Fantagio, meant that Fantagio's share from the auction's proceeds exceeded 25 billion, focusing journalists' attention on revealing the auction bid amounts. However, representatives from Fantagio remained tight-lipped.

As Fantagio kept silent

, companies became more anxious. The contract was not merely for an advertisement but also for sending relief funds to the Nepal earthquake, necessitating disclosure of the amount for greater brand marketing impact. SJT from Korea was the first to disclose the amount to journalists, shocking the global community.

[Korea's No.1 Telecom Company SJT Signs an Advertising Contract with Geon Kim for 18 Billion Won!]

[Seoul=NewsS] Reporter Kang Han-seo

Korea's leading telecom company and the sixth-largest conglomerate, SJT, has signed a 6-month single-shot advertising contract with Geon Kim, who was appointed as UNICEF's goodwill ambassador at the Nepal earthquake site, for 18 billion won (USD 15.73 million). An official stated that the contract with Mr. Kim was signed with funds intended for social contribution activities, hoping to provide even a little help to the victims and bereaved families of the Nepal earthquake. This amount is unprecedented for a single advertising contract, but the special nature of the relief activity has formed a high price for this one-time deal. Additionally, SJT announced plans to send a special filming team to Nepal to shoot the advertisement without disturbing Mr. Kim's relief efforts on-site.

The news that broke out in Korea was reported on global news channels within an hour, and the world was astonished by the astronomical amount, but the premise that 90% of Fantagio and Kim's share would be donated allowed everyone to watch with a smile. That evening, inspired by the news from SJT, Mercedes Benz disclosed their contract amount.

[World's No.1 Car Company, Mercedes Benz. Confirms Advertising Contract with Kay for USD 34.2 Million]

Especially the Koreans couldn't close their mouths in astonishment, and many stayed up late searching for articles as if it was the World Cup. Everyone was enthusiastic about what Kim Geon was accomplishing, and this excitement exploded the next morning with the official announcement from the U.S. government.

[U.S. Government Announces Contract with Kay for USD 70 Million!]

[Oh my God!! Kay, three contracts totaling USD 120 Million, Astonishing the World!]

[Kay's Share Exceeds Ten Million Dollars with 10% Earnings!]

[Fantagio Crowdfunding Goal Achieved, USD 50 Million Donated to Nepal]

[Kay Decides to Donate an Additional 5% from His 10% Earnings. The Angel of Our Times]

The world was both shocked and delighted by this warm news, and Lynn moved quickly. After negotiating contracts with the three parties and considering the special nature of the situation, an upfront payment was received, and she immediately connected with UNICEF's representative to directly supply the necessary materials to nonprofit organizations in Nepal instead of the government.

An enormous amount of materials was shipped to Nepal, delivered to the Gorkha village by helicopters and trucks. This was broadcast live on news channels, and soon there was no one in Nepal who didn't know the name Kay. Geon watched the supplies being delivered from a distance, merely smiling.

Yeongseok filmed the numerous boxes branded with the UNICEF logo arriving and asked Geon.

"Aren't you a bit disappointed? It's all UNICEF logos on the boxes. They could have at least put your name somewhere."

Geon lightly laughed while watching the UNICEF staff busily moving boxes.

"I didn't intend to stand out, but it's embarrassing enough as it is. If my face was on those boxes, I'd probably be too embarrassed to return to Korea. Haha"

"I guess I'd feel embarrassed too if my face or name were on the boxes, hehe"

Geon looked at the staff for a moment before suddenly asking.

"What about Chae-eun?"

"Oh, I saw her talking with her boss on the satellite phone this morning. She's probably off helping at a school or something."

"Doesn't she have any schedule next? I'm essentially jobless so I can stay here, but she's active, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she was talking about that this morning. But staying here might actually be more beneficial for generating buzz. Her image can't get any better than it already has. The head of the girl group's agency was regretting not taking this opportunity, haha."

"What about you? Aren't you doing the next program?"

"Are you kidding? Do you know what the ratings for 'The Himalayan Song' are? It's over 30%, man. Cable TV is a hit if it goes over 2%, and here we are, beating popular broadcast dramas. Why would I go anywhere else? The CEO is trying by all means to keep you here for at least one more episode. Hahaha"

"Haha, really? That's good."

Yeongseok continued to stare at Geon's side profile and then said.

"But, how about shaving the beard? You should take care of your image, what's that? When did you

 last shave, really?"

Geon, with a scruffy beard making him look like he had been meditating in the mountains, laughed while touching his face.

"It's fine. I'm not here to impress anyone, and I'd rather sleep more than spend time shaving."

"Come on, have some self-awareness as a celebrity. What's the point if you don't think of yourself as a celebrity? Everyone else sees you as a public figure. You're going to end up with a dark history."

"Let it be then. I'm not living off acting or modeling."

The persuasion from Yeongseok continued for a while, but Geon just laughed and shook his head. As Yeongseok was getting tired of convincing him, about thirty monks in red robes approached the site. Yeongseok's eyes widened as he said.

"Uh? Isn't that monk in the front, Hailke?"

"Where?"

Geon caught sight of Hailke walking at the front of the monks. Geon ran up to him and bowed with his hands pressed together.

"No way, High Monk! What brings you all the way here?"

Hailke bowed deeply in a way different from before, with his palms pressed together so much that his hands almost touched his knees.

"Om mani padme hum. Greetings to the Guru of all Lamas."

"What? Guru? What's that?"

"The Dalai Lama has bestowed upon Kay the title of Guru, the teacher of all Lamas."