Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 168

Woojin was thinking about building a tall building, but there were rules about how much of the land he could use. It wasn’t as simple as just building on the whole space.

In Seongsu-dong, a special area to help businesses grow, the rules said he could only use about 70% of the land for the building itself. There were also rules about the total floor space he could build.

He could get more space by giving some of the land to the city for public use. Even with all the extra space he could get, the building could only be a little over a thousand pyeong.

“Maximum 13 floors. Total floor area of 1072 pyeong. It’s not Seoul Forest or Han River view, but there’s a view of Jungnangcheon to the north… It’s definitely not bad, this much,” Woojin said, leaning back in his chair and gesturing at the map with a pen.

Jintae nodded, taking a sip of his iced coffee. Beads of condensation ran down the sides of the tall glass in the morning heat. “That’s right. After looking into it a bit, it’s a property with a pretty good price per pyeong.”

Seokhyun, perched on the edge of his seat, looked thoughtful. “Seongsu Station’s a bit of a trek, isn’t it?”

“It’s about 8 minutes to Ttukseom Station, though,” Woojin replied.

“When you put it that way, it sounds alright,” Seokhyun said.

Spread out in front of them was a map of Seongsu-dong, along with documents about the best properties the real estate agent had shown them.

‘When I looked for a site in Seongsu-dong in my past life, a site of this size in this location was almost 10 billion won… This is only 3 billion won,’ Woojin thought, taking a pleasant sip of the Americano from Cafe Fresco, briefly recalling his past memories.

Woojin had looked into the Seongsu-dong site in his past life when he had secured a knowledge industry center project at the construction company he was working for at the time. So, he was comparing the market price he saw around 2024 with the current market price.

Although it was a building to be used as a company building, a company building is originally one of the biggest assets that a company can have. Thinking about future value was only natural for Woojin.

‘Okay. I’ll wait a little longer and… if nothing better comes up, I’ll have to go with this one.’

Just as Woojin was thinking this, Seokhyun asked, “But, CEO, why are you building such a big company building? Are you planning to fill all the floors with employees later?” He asked with a slightly confused look.

Even if they acquired Seongjin Construction, WJ Studio didn’t need that much space. Even if they generously estimated the number of employees to be around 130, two or three floors would be more than enough.

Woojin couldn’t help but laugh at the question that showed Seokhyun hadn’t considered the bigger picture. “No, well, it would be nice if that happens someday… but if it gets to that scale, it would be better to build a new company building again.”

“Then?” Seokhyun asked.

“Our company will only use the top three floors for now,” Woojin replied.

“Um…?”

“Why do you think we have to use the entire company building? We can lease it out.”

Seokhyun sat up straighter, his eyes widening. “Ah!”

“If we choose the location well, we can get about 1,500 per floor in rent. The first floor could even get double that, maybe?” Woojin explained.

“Wow…!” Seokhyun exclaimed.

Woojin already had plans in his head for after the company building was built: how to match the leases and how to optimize the working environment.

He pictured the ground floor buzzing with the aroma of Cafe Fresco coffee, the second floor a comfortable extension of the cafe. Higher up, a tenth-floor lounge with soft lighting and views of the city, a place for his employees to relax and recharge.

More than half a year after the brand was launched, Cafe Fresco had become the leading domestic franchise coffee brand. Owners who wanted to open a franchise were lining up and waiting.

Just by having this Cafe Fresco located on the first and second floors, the building value could be greatly increased. Woojin was also planning to use his connections with Seokjung to bring in NA Food One’s restaurant brands.

The area starting from Ttukseom Station was expected to become a popular commercial district, so it was a very good plan in the long term. Even before signing the land purchase contract, the business plan was almost complete.

‘Now all that’s left is to come up with the most amazing design possible without compromising the business potential….’

Woojin, who had been talking with Jintae and Seokhyun for about twenty or thirty minutes, prepared to leave the office. He bounced on his feet, a bright look in his eyes.

“Jintae, the appointment with the real estate agent is at 12:30, right?” Woojin asked.

“That’s right,” Jintae confirmed.

“Let’s grab a slightly early lunch before we go,” Woojin suggested.

“Sounds good,” Jintae replied.

Woojin wanted to work on the design draft of the company building and start the design as soon as possible, but signing the contract was the first step. He was very excited to look around the real estate today.

‘If I go on a field visit myself, I might discover something I didn’t expect….’

As Woojin left the office with this thought, he encountered a situation he really didn’t expect that day.

Seongsu-dong was a mix of crumbling brick factories with broken windows and small, tired-looking houses. Rust stained the metal doors of workshops, and weeds pushed through cracks in the pavement. It was hard to imagine this place becoming trendy.

The location was good, but Woojin believed Seongsu-dong became popular because it was one of the few industrial areas in Seoul where development was encouraged.

There were plans to develop the area with new technology companies and high-rise apartments. This made it a good place for investment. In 2011, it was still run-down, so the land was cheap compared to what it could be in the future.

That’s why Woojin wanted to build WJ Studio there. He was feeling a little embarrassed by the real estate agent, President Yoon, who was a whirlwind of energy, almost bouncing as he walked and gesturing wildly with his hands as he spoke, his voice rising with excitement.

“Ha, actually, Mr. CEO, I don’t really want to recommend buying a site in this northern area as a company building site,” President Yoon said.

“Why?” Woojin asked.

“Even if they say they’re going to develop it, things don’t change that quickly. It’s such a poorly developed area that it will take a very long time to be redeveloped,” President Yoon replied.

“Ah, I see,” Woojin said.

“I know a few good buildings near Konkuk University. Why don’t you look into that area?” President Yoon suggested.

“Not land, but buildings?” Woojin asked.

“Buildings that are over twenty years old have already lost value,” President Yoon explained.

“That’s true,” Woojin agreed.

“If you grab those and fix them up, you can sell them again for a good profit,” President Yoon said.

President Yoon, from Seoul Forest Real Estate near Ttukseom Station, had been very helpful when Woojin was finding a place for the knowledge industry center. Woojin liked his careful and hardworking personality, but he was starting to think President Yoon was a bit too nosy.

‘I’m grateful that you’re giving me advice so sincerely… but I’ve been here 10 or 20 years later, you old man…,’ Woojin thought, a slight smile on his face.

From President Yoon’s point of view, it would be better if Woojin bought the factory site, but he was trying to give honest advice. Woojin smiled and listened to his story.

“I’m still trying to secure the widest possible site at a cheap price, so I don’t think Konkuk University will be possible,” Woojin said.

“Ah, I see,” President Yoon replied.

“It’s a shame, but I can’t help it. I’ll let you know when I make more money,” Woojin added.

“Haha. You’re already making enough money while you’re young, how much more are you trying to make? You’re amazing,” President Yoon said.

Fortunately, Woojin cut him off a few times, so he didn’t try to be more nosy. Woojin smiled, seeing the good intentions in President Yoon’s advice.

As they entered the factory area, Woojin talked about another property he had analyzed. He wanted to find a property with a similar location and price.

“The property you mentioned, is it the gas station site on Gwanganaru Road?” Woojin asked.

“You know it right away,” President Yoon said.

“Haha. Of course. I’ve been rolling around in this neighborhood for a few years,” Woojin replied.

President Yoon took out a small notebook and flipped through it, looking for properties that met Woojin’s needs.

“Um. Well, I can’t say for sure that it’s better, but there are a couple more properties with similar conditions,” President Yoon said.

“Oh, really?” Woojin asked.

“Since you’ve walked all the way here, let’s take a look at them one by one?” President Yoon suggested.

“Of course. It’s not a transaction that costs a penny or two, so I have to see it with my own eyes and decide,” Woojin said.

Thud- Thud-

Woojin, who had been briefed by President Yoon on a few places, started walking towards that direction, admiring the scenery.

‘In this neighborhood, the biggest problem is the small apartment buildings. That’s why the business potential didn’t come out, and even after ten years, only the apartments were still standing there…,’ Woojin thought.

Being able to compare the past and the future was Woojin’s unique privilege, so he naturally recalled his past life memories. It was the past for Woojin, but at this point, it was the future that would happen.

But the future was already slightly changed by Woojin, so it wouldn’t be strange if something else happened at any time.

Woojin stopped walking before arriving at the first site. A prickling sensation ran down Woojin’s spine, a sudden chill in the air despite the warm sun. He felt a pull, like an invisible thread tugging him towards the alley.

‘Hmm…?’

President Yoon, who was walking ahead, was getting farther and farther away, but Woojin couldn’t take a step because of the sudden sense of discomfort.

‘What is it? I’m sure there was something in that alley?’

Woojin asked Mr. Yoon to wait and went into the alley. The alley was narrow and shadowed, even in the midday sun. The air hung still and heavy, smelling faintly of dust and something else… something metallic.

Then he saw it. Not just haze, but a shimmer, a golden light that seemed to rise from the very stones of the alley, swirling and dancing like heat rising from hot asphalt, but with a magical, otherworldly glow.

And after a while, Woojin stopped dead, breath catching in his throat. His eyes widened, fixed on the impossible sight before him.

“……!”