Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 238

Woojin thought of the old saying: *When the tide comes in, you must know how to row the boat.* This was it, the tide was rising. He leaned forward, his heart quickening.

He had just started to speak when all eyes in the bright meeting room snapped to Mr. Oh, the team leader. Mr. Oh nodded slowly, a small smile playing on his lips.

“That’s right,” he began, his voice calm. “The Director of Culture from Icheon City called our Chairman directly. They both agreed this was important enough to discuss together, and so, here we are today.”

At Section Chief Oh’s words, Woojin and Sojeong’s eyes shone with excitement.

Woojin had a general idea of Icheon City’s proposal from Section Chief Oh on the drive to KSJ Entertainment.

However, hearing the official details was much more exciting.

Woojin waited for Section Chief Oh to continue, his expression eager.

“Then, can we hear about this proposal now?” Sojeong asked.

Section Chief Oh nodded again and began to speak slowly.

“Of course. So, this is how it happened…”

The story Section Chief Oh told contained very interesting details.

“So, it started with CEO Seo’s presentation that became so popular?” Kang Sojeong asked.

Section Chief Oh continued, “That’s right. The video on Seoul City’s social media became a hit, and as you know, it led to several articles, right?”

“It did,” Sojeong replied.

“Among those articles was one titled: ”

Woojin had seen the article Section Chief Oh mentioned, and he nodded.

“Ah, I see.”

Section Chief Oh continued, “An employee in the Icheon City Culture Department saw the article and, confused, reported it to their boss.”

Sojeong looked puzzled. “Why confused?”

“It’s understandable to be confused when an article publishes something that even the Icheon City Hall employees don’t know.”

“Oh, that’s interesting.”

Woojin hadn’t heard the actual proposal yet, but he was already excited.

‘Things can happen like this too.’

Woojin’s reputation was growing, so it was natural that his popularity would cause a ripple effect.

But Woojin hadn’t expected it to reach an Icheon City official and lead to a counter-proposal.

As Woojin was thinking, Section Chief Oh finally got to the point.

“So, the proposal is simple.”

He paused. “Could we unveil the set, which is planned for the Living Fair, at the same time as Icheon City?”

Woojin and Sojeong’s minds raced.

Sojeong spoke first. “If we gain something, we must give something, right?”

“Of course.”

“Can we hear about it?”

“Well, there are several ideas, but the biggest one is designating the area as a ‘Tourism Special Zone Candidate Site’.”

“Pardon?”

“The governor designates a Tourism Special Zone, but the Mayor of Icheon can choose the candidate sites. If the candidate site meets all the requirements, it’s almost certain to be designated unless something major happens.”

Sojeong was surprised. She knew ‘Tourism Special Zone’ was good, but as an outsider, she didn’t know the details.

Woojin was different. He had been thinking about the Tourism Special Zone since he bought the set.

“Designation as a candidate site… That’s a good offer.”

“That’s right.”

“Are there any other candidate sites in Icheon City?”

“Not that I know of. Icheon City’s Seolbong Park, where they hold the Rice Culture Festival, was a candidate once, but it was dropped because it was hard to meet the requirements.”

“You know a lot about this, Section Chief?”

“Ah, I asked them about it.”

“You’re thorough.”

“Haha, thank you.”

To become a Tourism Special Zone, you need:

First, at least 100,000 foreign tourists.

Second, tourist information, public services, and lodging that meet the needs of foreign tourists, as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requires.

Third, land not used for tourism, like forests, farms, factories, or homes, must be less than 10%.

Finally, the areas that meet these conditions must be connected.

Woojin’s set didn’t meet any of these conditions.

It didn’t have tourist facilities, and it was unlikely to attract even a hundred foreign tourists.

Even the Rice Culture Festival, which brings the most tourists to Icheon City, has never had more than ten thousand tourists.

But this could change.

The set had three advantages.

First, Woojin, the popular designer, created it.

Second, the COEX International Living Fair would soon display the set.

Finally, the drama was a big production with a lot of money behind it.

With all this, attracting 100,000 foreign tourists wasn’t impossible.

If that many tourists came, building tourist facilities would be easy.

Even the land requirement could be met easily. The set was in an empty field that needed development.

It was like creating a planned city.

‘Of course, this depends on Icheon City’s support…’

So Woojin asked, “Section Chief?”

“Yes, Mr. CEO?”

“This ‘designation as a candidate site’… it’s not just talk, is it?”

Section Chief Oh looked surprised, as if Woojin’s question was sharp.

“Oh… That’s important.”

“Exactly. If Icheon City only designates it as a candidate site and doesn’t support it, it’s just an empty promise.”

“How do you know so much about this, CEO Seo?”

“Let’s just say I have a knack for business.”

Section Chief Oh saw Woojin differently. He knew he was a talented businessman and designer, but he hadn’t seen it firsthand.

Woojin’s sharp question showed his business skills.

Section Chief Oh continued, “Icheon City has no reason to make empty promises right now.”

“Why is that?”

“The Mayor of Icheon has been trying to attract foreign tourists for years.”

“Ah, I see.”

“This is a golden opportunity for Icheon City to achieve their goal of attracting tourists.”

“I can see that.”

“However, the city has a limited budget… They’ll try to get the most results with the least support, but CEO Seo should try to get as much support as possible.”

Woojin’s mind raced. The key was to figure out what would attract them most.

Woojin thought it was ‘performance’.

‘Unless they want kickbacks… nothing attracts public officials like good results.’

It couldn’t be a vague promise. He needed to show exactly when and what results would appear.

If he presented a specific plan, Icheon City would have to provide full support.

“Then, I’d like you to arrange a meeting with the Icheon City Culture Department staff next time.”

“You want to talk directly.”

“Of course. It’s a sensitive and important matter.”

“Alright. I’ll call the director tomorrow and try to set a date.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Section Chief Oh was very helpful. The success of this project would greatly improve the Seoul Design Foundation’s ‘performance’.

The meeting went smoothly. Woojin, Sojeong, and Section Chief Oh all wanted the same thing: the success of .

When Sojeong and Section Chief Oh brought up ideas, Woojin organized them neatly.

About an hour passed, and everyone looked happy.

Sojeong was happy to get information for .

Section Chief Oh felt clearer about how to proceed.

Woojin felt good because he could get what he wanted faster than planned.

“I think we can finish up for today,” Woojin said.

“Okay,” Sojeong replied.

“I’m good too,” said Section Chief Oh.

“Then, I’ll share the progress by email.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Section Chief Oh,” Woojin said.

“Haha, you’re welcome. The two CEOs here are working the hardest. Oh, and CEO Min Jooyoung, who isn’t here.”

They smiled and sipped their coffee.

With the important matters settled, they watched the trailer video Sojeong had prepared.

“Wow… the CG is amazing! It looks real,” Section Chief Oh exclaimed.

“This part isn’t CG, Section Chief,” Sojeong said.

“Really?”

“If you go to the set, the building looks like this.”

“How can a building like that not collapse? It looks like it’s floating!”

“We used some structural tricks. It’s an optical illusion.”

Section Chief Oh was amazed as he watched the video.

But Woojin was the most surprised.

‘Is this… the Millennium’s Beloved that I knew?’

The trailer video was much better than the drama Woojin remembered.

The set was better because Woojin designed it, but the CG and directing were also amazing.

KSJ Entertainment had a bigger budget than in Woojin’s past life, and the money saved on the set was used to improve the video.

Woojin hadn’t expected it to be this good.

‘This is going to be really fun, isn’t it?’

Even Woojin, who knew the whole story, was interested after watching the short trailer.

Woojin thought, ‘Maybe I should invest more in this project.’