Black Label [EN]: Chapter 223

Black Label 222

223. Tic Toc (4)

Barely five minutes had passed since Jinman Park sent the text message. After quickly organizing the documents, Director Song called as I was about to leave the president’s office.

– Honey, did you hear from Jinman Park? He said the Ardo Chairman’s customized product is complete….

“Yes, I did. I was just about to go check it out.”

– Really? I’m near the office building right now. It’d be better to go together. I’ll go to the main street in front of the building, so wait a moment.

As soon as I stepped out of the office building’s main entrance, I spotted Director Song’s car parked there.

No sooner had I gotten into the passenger seat than Director Song started speaking in a highly excited voice.

“Honey, you saw the pictures, right? It’s insane. It’s true that it looks outstanding because of all the money poured into it, but the base design itself feels specialized for optional upgrades, doesn’t it?”

“No, I wanted to see the real thing first, so I only took a vague look.”

The entire drive to the Deokyi-dong factory site, Director Song was busy talking non-stop about the advantages of the customized product that she had identified.

Jaesung, too, didn’t show it, but he was in a state of deep tension and anticipation.

From the Madu Station area, where the office is located, to the Deokyi-dong factory site, it only takes about thirty minutes, even during the day with heavy traffic.

Was it because it was early morning with flashing traffic lights? Or was it because Director Song rarely took her foot off the accelerator and drove diligently?

The car carrying the two arrived at the factory site in just fifteen minutes.

“Everyone, thank you for your hard work late into the night!”

Director Song burst into the lab and said, and the researchers and Meister [master craftsman], who were exchanging excited conversations, greeted the two with great enthusiasm.

Soon, Director Song waved her hand once and asked back in a hurried tone.

“Let’s skip the formalities and see the watch. Where is the watch?”

Jinman Park pointed to the watch case on the table and replied.

“It’s packaged with all the components so that it can be sent to France right away.”

The watch case was made using only the finest *Ramskin* (lambskin leather known for its softness and suppleness).

This was also the result of the hard work of the Meister recruited from Dongdaemun [a famous fashion district in Seoul], who carried out a 100% handmade process.

Soon, Director Song put on cotton gloves and began to open the watch case with extremely careful hands.

And then.

“This is crazy….”

Director Song couldn’t help but utter a word of admiration after seeing the customized product inside.

Jaesung seemed to be equally immersed in deep admiration after seeing the watch, even though he didn’t express it out loud.

He was just busy examining the product with a serious face.

The crystal watch face, holding the fluorescent light, was emitting a strange bluish light.

The diamonds embedded in the index part beyond that felt like they were doing everything they could to show off their brilliance.

Soon, Jaesung picked up the watch with the vinyl sticker still attached, using his gloved hands, and began to examine it closely.

The inscription engraved using gold, the sharp yet magnificent watch hands, the second hand moving smoothly without any interruption—even the weight felt in the hand holding the watch.

To put it slightly exaggeratedly, everything felt perfect.

Soon, Jaesung began to check the back of the watch face.

As requested by Chairman Ardo, the back was also coated with crystal to maximize durability.

Also, to remind him of the fact that it was the first customized product, a special phrase was engraved on it.

– The First Customizing

As soon as he checked the phrase that seemed to be written in cursive, his heart began to beat as if it would burst.

Captured by an indescribable strange feeling, he put the watch back in the watch case.

Soon, the researchers and Meister, who had been watching Jaesung’s reaction, began to ask questions one by one.

“Lee, are you satisfied with the product?”

Finally, Jaesung nodded once and replied in a trembling voice.

“Yes, this is it. It’s exactly what I wanted.”

* * *

Less than an hour later, a young man in a neat suit stepped into the Deokyi-dong factory.

It was an employee of the delivery agency that had been difficult to recruit.

“Lee, it’s an honor to meet you.”

The delivery agency that Jaesung commissioned was not an ordinary delivery agency.

It was a special company that specializes in delivering customized products from several premium brands or luxury watch brands.

Of course, the employees were also made up of reliable people who had undergone systematic training.

Soon, Jaesung nodded once and began to continue speaking in a low voice.

“Nice to meet you. Can I get straight to the point since we don’t have much time?”

“Of course.”

The agency employee also had to move quickly, so he had not received any separate guidance from the company.

Soon, Jaesung began to explain the future schedule in a gentle tone.

“After moving to the airport with one of our employees, you will take the private plane we have chartered to France and deliver the item to the recipient.”

“Excuse me? A private plane?”

“Yes. It’s urgent.”

Soon, the agency employee began to look at the watch case placed on one side with suspicious eyes.

What should I say? It was a look of curiosity about what was inside.

But he didn’t bother to ask. He was a smart young man who knew that unnecessary curiosity was no different from poison.

“May I ask how long the delivery will take? I mean, how long will it take if we move diligently on a private plane without stopovers?”

“We plan to go straight to the recipient as soon as we arrive, but it will still take about 24 hours, give or take. Of course, that’s when we allow plenty of time. We will try to shorten it as much as possible.”

Soon, Jaesung nodded once and added, shaking hands with the man.

“I look forward to working with you.”

It was an ‘express delivery’ that was more expensive than the item itself.

It is an item that must go to its owner as soon as possible.

It won’t create any change if it rots in Korea.

However, from the moment it is worn on Chairman Ardo’s wrist, even short moments of just one minute and one second will be converted into operating profit.

Therefore, it was necessary to send the item away as quickly as possible, even at the expense of considerable expenditure.

After the agency employee hurriedly left the building, Jaesung took a seat in the lab and sighed.

“Hoo….”

He felt like his soul was leaving his body.

Now, all that was left was to pray that the watch would arrive safely.

And to wait for the evaluation from Chairman Ardo.

Looking around at the researchers and Meister, they also seemed to be in a state of half-doubt.

They had done their best and produced a satisfactory result, but they didn’t seem to be sure that it would unconditionally suit Chairman Ardo’s taste.

* * *

The agency employee had been able to vaguely guess the scale of this request from the moment he was informed that the client was Lee Jaesung, the owner designer of Wall Flower.

The company must have taken various conditions into consideration, since the client was ‘Lee Jaesung’, and especially since it was an overseas delivery, which is why they sent him to the Deokyi-dong area early in the morning.

He had expected that it would be on a different level from the requests of most fashion brands.

However, as he arrived in Deokyi-dong and listened to the overall explanation related to the delivery, he became convinced that it was a much bigger deal than he had imagined.

From the prepared private plane, to the delivery item whose identity was unknown, to the recipient’s information that could not be estimated because only the address was written….

And after arriving in France after more than ten hours of flight, he couldn’t help but be shocked.

“You are a guest from Wall Flower. The chairman has been waiting for you.”

He is currently walking on the top floor of a high-rise building towering in the center of France.

It is the top floor of the LVMH Group headquarters building, which can be said to be the impregnable fortress of the fashion group.

In the spacious office that he entered following the middle-aged man with a dignified impression, Chairman Ardo, called the emperor of the fashion empire, was sitting in his seat.

“Thank you for your hard work in coming all this way.”

“Thank you.”

“I would like to check the product first.”

The agency employee, with trembling hands, handed him the box, swallowed the saliva that had filled his mouth without him knowing, and continued.

“If you don’t mind, could you sign the confirmation?”

“Of course, of course.”

Most of the recipients he had been in charge of delivering so far were prominent figures in the domestic and foreign business world.

Some of them were *nouveau riche* [newly rich] who were fascinated by the rapidly changing reality, but most of them were direct family members and executives of well-known groups and companies.

However, none of those customers can be compared to Chairman Ardo.

Isn’t Chairman Ardo a person who can control the global fashion industry?

‘What kind of item did he send?’

Soon, Chairman Ardo, who had finished signing, hurriedly tore off the layers of cushioning and immediately began to open the box.

The employee’s gaze was also fixed on the box.

And then, the identity of the delivery item that was revealed was….

A luxury watch sitting demurely in a case with an extremely luxurious feel.

Soon, Chairman Ardo picked up the watch with a satisfied smile and began to carefully peel off the attached vinyl stickers one by one.

“Wow….”

He was just engrossed in looking at the watch with curious eyes, wearing a bright smile like a child who had received a toy as a gift.

The agency employee was also the same. With a blank face, he was just busy looking at Chairman Ardo, or, to be more precise, the watch in his hand.

Soon, Chairman Ardo gestured lightly to the agency employee and said.

“It’s really amazing. Would you like to listen to it?”

As the agency employee approached, Chairman Ardo brought the watch to his ear.

Tick, tock, tick, tock. The elegant sound of the second hand echoed in his ear for a moment.

Chairman Ardo continued to speak in a low voice, matching the beat of the second hand.

“Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc.”

Then, he withdrew the hand holding the watch and added.

“This sound will easily crush five or six Swiss watch brands. Your owner, Lee, has developed another crazy product.”

It seemed that he had mistaken the agency employee for a Wall Flower employee.