Swoooosh.
Hot water streamed from the showerhead, cascading down over his firm muscles.
Broad shoulders, a trim waist, and sharply defined abs — everything about him was sculpted to perfection.
It wasn't the kind of bulked-up physique you get from simply building muscle for show. His body had perfect balance, the kind that reminded one of a statue crafted by a renowned artist — beautiful in its symmetry and detail.
On top of that, his sharp features and chiseled jawline could rival any Hollywood actor.
With a face like a modern-day David, Seok-won consistently ranked first in the company's female staff popularity polls.
It was lucky this was an office. If it had been a school, his locker would have been overflowing with letters and gifts every single day.
Naturally, the women's standards shot up, which made life a lot tougher for the male coworkers. With a guy like him around, it was no wonder the others looked like squid by comparison.
A moment later, Seok-won turned off the water and stepped out of the shower booth. He dried his hair and body with a large towel, then wrapped another towel around his waist and lightly applied skincare to his face.
While the Plaza Hotel provided its own line of amenities, the top-floor penthouse had been customized for Seok-won alone — the hotel's owner and sole resident. All products inside were tailored to his personal preferences.
Leaving the bathroom, Seok-won walked over to the bed — large enough to comfortably fit three or four people.
Lying there under the sheets was a blonde beauty with her bare back exposed: none other than Kinsley, Gucci's main model.
Currently holding the number one spot in global model rankings and in the midst of her busiest season, Kinsley had reached out as soon as she heard Seok-won was in New York.
They reunited yesterday, went on a date, and spent a delightful evening together.
"Kinsley."
Seok-won sat on the edge of the bed and placed a soft kiss on her flawless cheek.
Kinsley stirred, blinking awake as he greeted her with an irresistible smile.
"Good morning."
"..."
"What's wrong?"
She stared at him blankly for a moment, then pouted.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"That smile of yours is way too sexy. I swear, ten out of ten women would fall for you instantly. So stop smiling like that."
Amused by her playful grumbling, Seok-won grinned, eyes twinkling.
"You're one to talk. You're the only person I know who looks this gorgeous first thing in the morning."
Kinsley gave a soft laugh and, instead of replying, wrapped her slender arms around his neck and kissed him.
"I wish we could stay like this all day."
"Then let's do that."
"You know I've got a schedule. I have to head to California today, remember?"
"What time's your flight again?"
"The flight's at 3."
Kinsley sighed, her forehead resting against his, a hint of regret in her breath.
"Then we still have plenty of time."
"Huh? What are you planning to do?"
Seok-won, now up on the bed, ran his hand along her slender waist, making Kinsley burst into laughter.
"That tickles!"
Her tousled hair fanned out across the pillow as she giggled, her chest rising with each breath. Moments later, she wrapped both arms around Seok-won as he climbed on top of her and kissed her deeply.
***
That afternoon.
Dressed in a perfectly tailored navy pinstripe suit, Seok-won stepped into a fund office in Lower Manhattan, accompanied by Han Ji-sung.
The 31st-floor trading floor was as noisy as ever, filled with ringing phones and the constant shouting of traders placing orders.
As they weaved through the busy crowd of Eldorado Fund traders, Seok-won spotted Choi Ho-geun and the other Korean employees. He paused for a moment to watch them.
While he stood there, a white man with sharp features and jet-black hair approached him.
"You're here," the man greeted.
It was Dan Baradan, who had taken over as senior chief after Andrew was promoted to CIO.
With both hands casually in his trouser pockets, Seok-won turned his head toward Dan and asked,
"How are the staff from Korea adjusting?"
Dan glanced briefly toward the trading floor.
Andrew was seated at a desk cluttered with monitors, explaining something to the team. Choi Ho-geun and the others nodded along, their faces fully focused.
Even from a distance, the eagerness in the eyes of Hong Jae-hee and Yoo Seok-hyun — the two youngest among them — was plain to see.
"They're adapting quickly. It's not Wall Street, but since they've worked hands-on in the field, they pick things up fast when we explain them. More than anything, they've got a decent eye for the market."
Coming from Dan — known for his cold, no-nonsense demeanor and rarity in giving compliments — it was high praise. Seok-won raised an eyebrow slightly, surprised.
"Hearing that from you is a bit unexpected."
"Honestly, I didn't think they'd do this well. If I could, I'd make them offers to join us here full-time."
That was as close to a glowing endorsement as you could get from someone like Dan.
Seok-won had high hopes. Choi Ho-geun and Jung Hwan-yeop were standouts not just at Daheung Securities but across all of Yeouido's financial district. He was confident they'd hold their own even on Wall Street.
But now, hearing that even rookies like Jae-hee and Seok-hyun were impressing someone as demanding as Dan? It filled Seok-won with pride — almost as if he were the one being complimented.
"I'm sorry, but they're essential to a major project we're working on in Korea. I can't let them go."
"I figured as much, especially after you went as far as bringing them all the way to New York. A shame, but I understand."
"While they're here, help them gain as much experience and insight as possible."
"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."
Noticing something in Dan's expression, Seok-won gave him a curious look.
"Starting next week, I'm thinking of giving each of them around a million dollars to manage directly. Are you okay with that?"
"You'd really allow that?"
Surprised, Seok-won asked again, and Dan simply shrugged.
"You learn more by doing than by watching over someone's shoulder or just listening to explanations. Hands-on experience always teaches better."
And he wasn't wrong.
Seok-won thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"You're right. If you think they're ready, go ahead."
"Understood."
Just then, a voice called out from behind them.
"There you are."
Turning around, they saw Landon approaching.
"The folks from NVIDIA just arrived."
"Oh?"
A glimmer of interest flashed in Seok-won's eyes as he asked,
"Where are they now?"
"They should be waiting in the conference room."
Wearing a subtly excited expression, Seok-won moved first.
"It's not polite to keep guests waiting. Let's go greet them right away."
"Of course."
Seok-won and Landon headed upstairs toward the conference room.
When they opened the door, the room was shielded by blinds drawn over glass walls. Inside, three men stood as they entered — a young Asian man with a soft, round face and gold-rimmed glasses, along with two white men seated at the table.
The Asian man was none other than Trevor Hwang — a Taiwanese-American who graduated from Stanford, previously led microprocessor design at AMD, and co-founded NVIDIA with two colleagues three years ago.
Even before his regression, Trevor was widely known as one of the world's richest men and a trailblazer in the tech industry. Seok-won recognized him immediately.
"Apologies for the wait. You're from NVIDIA, correct?"
"That's right."
"Welcome. I'm Landon Shore, managing partner of Eldorado Fund."
Flashing the affable smile of a seasoned lawyer, Landon extended his hand first.
"Trevor Hwang. A pleasure."
Trevor Hwang, clearly a little tense, shook hands before introducing the two men beside him.
"These are two of the executives I work with."
"Roy Beast," said the tall man on the left.
"I'm Michael Golner, handling the finance side," added the other, who wore a purple tie.
Landon shook each of their hands in turn, then gestured toward the man standing beside him.
"This is Mr. Park Seok-won, the head of our fund."
Trevor, who had already been sneaking glances at Seok-won's striking appearance, immediately brightened.
"I was really impressed by your CNBC interview—your prediction of the market crash was incredibly accurate. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."
"You're too kind. I just happened to get lucky that time," Seok-won replied, smiling as he took Trevor's hand.
Ever since that CNBC interview, more and more people had started recognizing Seok-won. In a way, it was a relief—introducing himself as the head of Eldorado Fund no longer drew surprised or doubtful stares.
With the formalities exchanged, both sides took seats across the long conference table.
Seok-won glanced curiously at Trevor, who wore a neatly tailored suit. It was a departure from his usual style. Much like how the name "Steve Jobs" conjured up an image of a black turtleneck and Levi's jeans, Trevor was known for always wearing a black t-shirt and leather jacket—even in formal settings.
'Guess he hasn't nailed down his signature look yet.'
Then again, no one's born in a leather jacket. And considering he was here today seeking investment, dressing formally made perfect sense.
"First of all, thank you for coming all the way from California," Seok-won began.
Trevor waved a hand, his demeanor refreshingly down-to-earth.
"Not at all. When someone's offering investment, I'd fly anywhere."
The honesty caught Seok-won slightly off guard.
"You're surprisingly candid."
"If you do just a bit of research, you'll figure out our situation pretty quickly. No point in putting on a front that won't hold up, right?"
Trevor replied with a faint, bitter smile.
He had a point.
Those in the know were well aware that NVIDIA had been teetering on the brink ever since its second graphics card project was canceled before launch. If he'd come in pretending otherwise, it would've only invited mockery.
'Of course, knowing what I do about NVIDIA's future… I wouldn't have written them off so easily.'
Still, there was something refreshing and trustworthy about Trevor's no-nonsense attitude.
'I suppose this is why TSMC's founder agreed to manufacture NVIDIA's third GPU, even when the company was nearly bankrupt.'
That third GPU had been a total gamble—an overhaul of the existing architecture that finally succeeded after a grueling year of development. But with no manufacturer willing to take the risk, they had no way to mass-produce it.
Given their lack of funding, they had gone straight from simulation and design to production—no prototype, no safety net.
Had they been able to offer money up front, the situation might've been different. But with no capital to even produce a prototype, how could they afford an advance payment?
'And that's when their savior stepped in—TSMC.'
If TSMC hadn't agreed to manufacture the newly developed graphics card, there would be no NVIDIA today—no future tech giant poised to surpass both Intel and AMD and claim the semiconductor throne.
Brushing aside that brief thought, Seok-won looked calmly across the table at Trevor Hwang, who still sat stiffly, his face taut with tension.
"I appreciate you being upfront without playing games. So let's skip the small talk and get right to the point."
Locking eyes with Trevor, Seok-won asked:
"How much do you need?"
"…I—sorry?"
The blunt question clearly threw Trevor off.
"I'm not sure I follow."
Trevor adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, confused.
In response, Seok-won pulled a checkbook from his inner jacket pocket, opened it, tore out a single check, and placed it on the table.
Then, leaning back in his chair, he nodded at the check—still blank—and spoke.
"Write down the amount you need. I'll fund it."
"…!"
TL/n -
Jensen Huang is pretty iconic for that. He almost always wears a black leather jacket and a black shirt—usually a t-shirt or polo—during public appearances, keynotes, and product launches. It's kind of his trademark look, like Steve Jobs with the black turtleneck.