Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 136

Mal had said he would make hundreds of complaints, but Woo-jin ended up sending just under thirty.

However, these thirty complaints had a lot of power, mainly because they were made with great care.

Kyung-wan’s wife, who was paid by Woo-jin for her help, was truly a professional complaint expert.

‘The complaints are all different, and every one of them is well-written,’ she had said.

Woo-jin sent these complaints to achieve one main goal: to make sure the Wangsimni private investment project design competition was announced.

Even though the goal was the same, the complaints were slightly different.

The reasons for wanting the announcement varied, and some complaints hinted at it indirectly.

Also, the complaints were sent through more than one place.

They went to the district office, the People’s Complaint Center, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, and other agencies.

Woo-jin made sure to be sincere and not annoying, so the agencies had to take action.

Woo-jin learned for the first time that complaints could be used in this way.

All he did was give the texts he got from Kyung-wan to a few people.

So, when Kyung-wan called, excited, Woo-jin could only admire him.

Kyung-wan asked, “Did you see the text I sent?”

Woo-jin replied, “Chief, you have a smartphone. Can’t you use an app instead of texting now?”

Kyung-wan said, “Don’t change the subject! Did you see how great Director Park is?”

Woo-jin answered, “I did. It’s the first time I’ve seen a response to a complaint come so quickly.”

Kyung-wan boasted, “Right? He is truly in a different league.”

Woo-jin said, “That ‘league’ thing is really… But I admit it. I was really surprised this time.”

Kyung-wan chuckled, “Heh heh. Don’t forget to pay me back several times over.”

Woo-jin responded, “But honestly, didn’t your wife do all the work?”

Kyung-wan insisted, “The idea was mine!”

Woo-jin conceded, “I admit it…”

Kyung-wan laughed in a way that sounded like a cartoon villain.

Kyung-wan kept boasting, but Woo-jin was happy to let him.

‘Thanks to him, the work has become much easier,’ Woo-jin thought.

Even though Kyung-wan provided everything from the idea to the solution, it was Woo-jin’s job to make the most of it.

Because even if you do the same work, you can get better results depending on how you do it.

So, Woo-jin spoke again.

To make the results even more certain, there was one thing he needed to discuss with Kyung-wan.

Woo-jin asked, “Now that the official document has been issued, the announcement will be made soon, right?”

Kyung-wan replied, “Probably in less than a week?”

Woo-jin asked, “Then should we just wait until then?”

Kyung-wan responded, “Well, should we wait and see? Why?”

Woo-jin said, “I have a pretty good idea.”

Kyung-wan asked, “A good idea? What is it?”

Woo-jin paused for a moment and spoke to Kyung-wan, who asked again, puzzled.

“This is just my guess,” Woo-jin said.

Kyung-wan asked, “Why are you hesitating so much?”

Woo-jin asked, “How do you think Taeho Construction got the construction rights?”

Kyung-wan replied with an absurd expression, “Why are you saying that so cautiously? It’s obviously lobbying.”

Woo-jin confirmed, “Right?”

Kyung-wan asked, “But why?”

Woo-jin asked, “Then where did the money for that lobbying come from?”

Kyung-wan responded, “Well, obviously from the company…”

Woo-jin said, “Looking into it, Taeho Construction’s financial state is terrible. Do they have enough money to pay Paramount in cash?”

Kyung-wan asked, “Hmm. What are you trying to say?”

Woo-jin’s voice began to lower slightly.

Woo-jin knew about the future accidents and corruption that would happen at the Wangsimni project site.

Based on these facts, he suspected something.

‘Will Taeho Construction back down so easily?’ he wondered.

The complaint method that Kyung-wan came up with was so creative that it felt amazing.

It was such a brilliant method that it was like a checkmate.

But no matter how close to a checkmate they were, Taeho Construction could not easily give up the design rights.

If the design and construction didn’t match, the money they could steal would decrease a lot.

Especially if a design by a famous overseas designer like Bruno was chosen, there would be no room left.

Because they would conduct strict construction supervision exactly according to the book.

Woo-jin, who had worked at construction sites, knew these facts very well.

‘They’re the kind of guys who made a lot of money by causing the framework to collapse due to poor construction, resulting in casualties. Would they give up all that money and back down like this?’

So, Woo-jin thought about it from their point of view.

And he came to one conclusion.

The only thing that people who tried to solve everything with lobbying could think of was the same level of thought.

‘A company like Taeho Construction must have connections in the agencies. They might try to block the announcement of the competition with money… Or they might push forward even if the announcement is made,’ he thought.

He thought the first option was more likely.

Even though the competition results with obvious corruption were announced, proceeding with the construction as is.

Taeho Construction could bear it, but Paramount would definitely want to avoid it.

Unlike Taeho Construction, Paramount was a huge company with the title of a distribution giant.

And one of the things that such companies care about the most is their corporate image.

The working-level staff who had already taken the money would also try to finish it off by giving the construction rights.

‘Even if I don’t know for sure, it’s more than 90% certain,’ Woo-jin thought.

Therefore, Woo-jin wanted to discuss using Taeho Construction’s expected actions in reverse with Kyung-wan.

He was going to add a little fuel to the fire for Taeho Construction, who was trying to cross the reed field carrying a burning bundle of firewood.

Kyung-wan asked, “So, you’re saying that Taeho Construction will definitely try to lobby the public agencies?”

Woo-jin replied, “That’s right.”

Kyung-wan said, “Hmm, it’s not an easy story, but it’s not impossible either.”

Woo-jin said, “If they’re not stupid, they wouldn’t try to lobby recklessly, but if they have connections, it’s a different story.”

Kyung-wan asked, “So, what’s the conclusion?”

Woo-jin suggested, “How about setting a trap here?”

Kyung-wan asked, “A trap?”

Woo-jin explained, “Actually, the person who will post the announcement is already decided, and if they block it, the route through which pressure will be applied is obvious, right?”

Kyung-wan asked, “Are you suggesting we request a sting operation? That’s illegal, isn’t it?”

Woo-jin clarified, “Hey, this isn’t a sting operation.”

Kyung-wan asked, “Is it not?”

Woo-jin explained, “A sting operation is when you cause someone to commit a crime and arrest them, but this is when you expect a crime and wait for it.”

Kyung-wan said, “Hmm… Now that I hear it, it is.”

Woo-jin said, “So, Chief.”

Kyung-wan responded, “Speak.”

Woo-jin asked, “Can you lend me some connections through Chunwoong Construction?”

Kyung-wan chuckled, “Hehehe.”

Woo-jin, puzzled, asked again, “Why are you laughing?”

Kyung-wan replied, “No, it’s just funny.”

Woo-jin asked, “What is?”

Kyung-wan said, “There is definitely a connection that could be helpful in this situation.”

Woo-jin exclaimed, “Oh…! Really? Then why is that funny?”

Kyung-wan said, “But, that connection. It’s not actually my connection.”

Woo-jin asked, “Yes?”

Kyung-wan said, “To be exact, you’d have to go through more than one person?”

Woo-jin asked, “Um…?”

Kyung-wan said with a playful expression, “Among our company executives, there’s a managing director who’s quite close to me, you see?”

Woo-jin asked, “If it’s a managing director… Are you talking about Managing Director Kim Jin-pyo?”

Kyung-wan replied, “No, you met him last time.”

Woo-jin said, “That’s right.”

Kyung-wan asked, “Did I seem close to him?”

Woo-jin responded, “Um, not really, I don’t think.”

Kyung-wan chuckled, “Hehehe.”

Kyung-wan said, “Besides Managing Director Kim, there’s Managing Director Oh Gwang-hyuk, who’s retiring this year. I think we’ll have to get some help from him.”

Woo-jin exclaimed, “Oh…!”

Woo-jin was excited.

If it was a connection of a managing director-level figure at Chunwoong, they would likely be a high-ranking official in the agency.

Kyung-wan asked, “When are you free?”

Woo-jin asked, “Are you going to make an appointment for me?”

Kyung-wan replied, “Isn’t the sooner the better?”

Woo-jin said, “Of course. They’re probably already moving on their end.”

Kyung-wan asked, “So when?”

Woo-jin responded, “I have to adjust my schedule. I’ll be available even at two in the morning.”

Kyung-wan said, “Good. Then I’ll call you back. Hehe.”

Woo-jin hung up the phone and tilted his head.

The story seemed to go well, but Kyung-wan’s voice sounded a bit suspicious.

“What is it? Why is he so excited again?” Woo-jin wondered.

But the suspicion about Kyung-wan’s suspicious voice was only temporary.

Woo-jin began to organize the plans in his head again.

‘If I can really catch them as I think…’ he thought.

At first, he was just trying to prevent the competition corruption, but it had gone this far.

He was thinking of making a plan to get Bruno’s design selected in the competition and push out Taeho Construction afterward.

But if he did well, he could solve two problems at once with this one move.

So, Woo-jin hummed after hanging up the phone with Kyung-wan.

“Alright…!” he said.

Now that the most troublesome thing was resolved, he felt like he could handle other tasks better.

Just as Woo-jin, who had finished his day’s schedule in a good mood, was packing up to leave work, he received another call from Kyung-wan.

Kyung-wan said, “Tomorrow afternoon. How is it?”

Woo-jin exclaimed, “Oh…! Great. I told you I’d be available even in the early morning.”

Kyung-wan said, “I’ll make a restaurant reservation, so come to the place I text you by 1 PM.”

The address Kyung-wan texted Woo-jin was a famous high-end Korean beef restaurant in Hannam-dong.

It was a fancy restaurant where you could easily spend over 500,000 won for two people on the chef’s choice menu, where the chef chooses seasonal dishes with the freshest ingredients.

Woo-jin searched for the restaurant and was shocked by the price.

But he couldn’t do anything about it.

Now was not the time to save a few hundred thousand won.

‘When else would I get to eat this kind of menu?’ he thought.

So, Woo-jin happily drove to Hannam-dong at the appointed time.

Today was the deadline for the competition, but fortunately, Woo-jin didn’t have anything specific to do.

Woo-jin arrived at the restaurant right on time. The drive had been slow, the city roads thick with lunchtime traffic.

He parked his car in the wide, quiet parking lot.

As he stepped out of the cool car into the warm air, a knot of nervousness tightened in his stomach.

He smoothed down his shirt, trying to appear calm, but inside, his heart was beating a little faster.

Just the managing director-level figure from Chunwoong Construction was a big deal, but he had heard that one more person, who was even more important, would be coming.

It seemed like he was talking about the connection who would give Woo-jin practical help.

‘Who on earth is coming that the chief isn’t even telling me about beforehand?’ he wondered.

With a slightly stiff expression, Woo-jin cautiously walked towards the restaurant.

Kyung-wan had arrived and was at the entrance.

Kyung-wan greeted, “Yo, you’re here?”

Woo-jin responded, “You’ve arrived?”

Kyung-wan said, “I just got here too.”

Kyung-wan entered the restaurant first and gave his name, and an employee kindly guided him to a room.

The employee said, “Please come this way, sir.”

With each step, the saliva in his mouth began to dry up.

But when the door to the room opened, Woo-jin had to stop.

He heard a voice that made him doubt his ears.

A rough, old man’s voice said, “Hey, you little punk. Why are you so late?”