Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 159

The news of Sunyeong Apartment’s association winning the case spread incredibly quickly through news articles.

Real estate investors, and even ordinary people who weren’t usually interested, had all seen the headline at least once.

It had become quite a big issue.

Of course, Woojin and Kwak Hongshik had also been working quietly behind the scenes to help.

To quickly raise the market price of Sunyeong Apartment, which had fallen, getting news coverage was the best way.

Neither Woojin nor Hongshik had the power to control the media.

However, this wasn’t just an ordinary, carefully planned trick.

It was exciting news. It was about ordinary people winning against a big company, which many people found interesting.

If they shared the information widely to many news places, it could easily be made into many articles.

So, this issue eventually made it to the 8 o’clock news.

[Next news item.]

[The redevelopment of Cheongdam Sunyeong Apartment is gaining momentum.]

[After a lawsuit with the emergency committee that went up to the second trial, the association finally won…….]

The television in the corner of the small, warm Korean soup restaurant showed the news. Steam rose from Kyungwan’s bowl as he watched, a smile spreading across his face. He took a loud slurp of the broth.

“Krooh……! Delicious!”

Woojin watched him, a slight smile playing on his lips. “You seem to be in a pretty good mood?”

Kyungwan grinned, nodding enthusiastically. “What do you mean, asking? Of course, I am.”

“What does the executive director say?”

Kyungwan chuckled. “He practically patted me on the head! Told me to stick close to you, Woojin. Said if I do, I might be an executive director myself in a few years!”

“Haha.”

Today, Woojin met Kyungwan after a long time.

Since the Sunyeong Apartment matter was almost finished, they decided to have a bowl of Korean soup after work. The comforting smell of broth filled the air.

There was nothing special to talk about regarding work.

Although there was almost a 20-year age difference between the two, Kyungwan felt comfortable with Woojin as if he were meeting a friend. And Woojin felt the same way.

‘Actually, in terms of mental age……. Kyungwan is probably the most similar to me.’

Kyungwan watched the news with a warm smile on his face.

In fact, Kyungwan didn’t earn any money from this.

The shares bought from Chunwoong were bought with company money.

But despite that, Kyungwan seemed to be in an even better mood than Woojin, and Woojin chuckled.

“How much are you going to sell Chunwoong’s items for?”

“Well, about 1.3 billion, as you said?”

“Put the items up for sale quickly.”

“Why?”

“Once those are all sold, I’m going to raise the price even higher.”

Kyungwan chuckled, clinked his soju glass with Woojin, and poured it into his mouth in one gulp. “Wow, you are something else. Look at that greedy heart?”

Then, in a subtle voice, he spoke to Woojin again.

“Did you earn about 2 billion this time?”

“I only earn it if it’s sold. It hasn’t been sold yet, though.”

“Just roughly tell me, you punk. So, how much do you think you’ll earn?”

“Hmm……. After deducting acquisition and registration tax, transfer tax……. After deducting car and miscellaneous expenses, wouldn’t I have close to 3 billion left?”

“Wow……! Seo Woojin, I’m jealous. I’m jealous.”

An exclamation burst from Kyungwan’s mouth.

He was really jealous of Woojin.

In fact, if he wasn’t jealous of Woojin in this situation, that would be a lie.

‘3 billion. Someone can’t even touch that much money in their entire life, and he’s doing it in his 20s……. Krooh……!’

But at the same time, Kyungwan was also sincerely happy that Woojin was doing so well.

It was like feeling vicarious satisfaction from the success of a close acquaintance?

Woojin’s success was helpful to him as well, but it was a completely separate, pure emotion.

So, more than anything, Kyungwan was curious about Woojin’s next move.

To be exact, Kyungwan was very curious about what Woojin would do with the success he had achieved this time.

Kyungwan asked Woojin with a hopeful voice.

“So, what are you going to do with that money now?”

“I’m going to build an office building.”

“An office building? For you guys, WJ Studio?”

“Yes.”

At the word ‘office building,’ Kyungwan’s eyes twinkled slightly.

“Where?”

“I have to look for a site from now on.”

“You must have some candidate locations.”

“I can’t go to Jongno. It’s too expensive there.”

At Woojin’s words, Kyungwan asked back with a dumbfounded expression.

“Hey, when did I tell you to come near our company?”

“That’s how it felt, that’s how it felt.”

“Why would I?”

“I think you’ll pretend to go on a business trip and come to hang out whenever you don’t want to work.”

“What, did you learn mind-reading or something?”

“Haha.”

“So, where are you going to go?”

“I don’t know yet. I have to find a site first.”

While talking with Kyungwan, Woojin naturally thought about the plan to build an office building in his head.

‘My company’s office building…….’

He told Kyungwan that he didn’t know where to go, but in fact, Woojin had a few locations in mind.

First of all, the first candidate location was the Seongsu-dong business district, where WJ Studio is currently located.

The reason was not much different from the reason why Woojin chose the knowledge industry center in Seongsu-dong.

The Seongsu business district, which was about 40 million won per pyeong of land as of 2011, was a neighborhood where the land price would rise to nearly 100 million won around 2020.

He also liked the location in terms of practical use.

If you cross the Jungnangcheon River to the northwest, you’ll be in the Gangbuk city center, and if you cross the Han River to the south, you’ll be right in Apgujeong.

Having lived there for a few months, it was very easy to move to the core areas of Seoul.

‘If I can get the site cheaply, I might just take root here.’

And the second candidate location was Bangbae-dong in Seocho-gu.

To be exact, the main street near Naebang Station.

Until around 2019, Bangbae-dong was a fairly undervalued area in Gangnam.

Despite being located in the heart of Seocho-gu, transportation was blocked by the high-altitude Seoripul Park, so it felt disconnected from the core of Gangnam.

Seocho Station and Naebang Station are only about 1 km apart in distance, but to actually move, you had to go around the Seoripul Tunnel for a long time.

‘But once the Seoripul Tunnel is뚫, the location itself will be completely different.’

Bangbae-dong is a neighborhood that will be completely transformed into a new location from around 2019.

Starting with the opening of the Seoripul Tunnel in April 2019, development is constantly continuing in the area itself.

First of all, the dilapidated residential areas from Bangbae-dong 1 to Bangbae-dong 4, which remained as villa villages until the end in Gangnam’s three districts, will be developed into new cities starting in the early 2020s.

Bangbae-dong, which was called the last new town in Gangnam following Gaepo-dong.

In addition, the infrastructure of the area will be improved with the Sadang Station Complex Transfer Center project in the late 20s, so in the long term, it was a better location than Seongsu.

Like in the past, when it was called the best wealthy village with Ap‧Seo‧Bang (Apgujeong, Seocho, Bangbae) in the 80s, it will regain its former status.

Nevertheless, why is Bangbae-dong the second choice?

There was a reason for that, of course.

That’s because it takes too long for Bangbae to develop like this.

’10 years is not that short of a time.’

WJ Studio has achieved tremendous growth in just one year.

And Woojin is naturally not satisfied with this.

The bigger the business, the faster the growth rate increases like a snowball.

Therefore, the point in time 10 years later was a future that Woojin could not dare to judge even now.

So, Woojin was a little more inclined towards the Seongsu-dong business district, which is currently growing rapidly.

“Hey, your soup is getting cold. Why are you sitting there spacing out all of a sudden?”

Woojin, who woke up from his thoughts at Kyungwan’s voice, scratched the back of his head and replied.

“Ah, I just had something come to mind.”

At that, Kyungwan shook his head and picked up his spoon again.

“You’re such a unique guy. But that’s why you were able to control the Cheongdam-dong reconstruction project.”

Woojin scraped up the remaining soup in the bowl and poured it into his mouth, then came out with a lighter feeling.

Today is the last Friday of April.

After such an eventful April, it was already approaching the middle of 2011.

Woojin sold all but two of the seven properties he had purchased.

Except for one property purchased under his mother’s name and one property purchased under the company’s name, he sold them all off.

The tax was over 1 billion due to short-term capital gains, but he didn’t think it was a waste.

As a result, the seed money was gathered much larger than Woojin had initially thought.

So, after harvesting all the seeds he had sown.

There was a whopping 8 billion won in WJ Studio’s corporate account.

Of course, the money earned this time was less than half of that.

The share of operating profit increased as WJ Studio’s sales grew in the meantime was also quite large.

“Wow, I can’t believe I’m going to see this amount of money in my account.”

Woojin also smiled and nodded as he watched Jintae open his mouth wide after checking the balance.

“I know. We’re pretty successful, hyung.”

“Hey, is this the level of success? Damn it. If I had known this would happen, I should have bought even a share of the company from you.”

“I wouldn’t have sold it even if you said you would buy it?”

“Tch. How cold-hearted.”

In fact, Jintae had a really small share in WJ Studio.

Woojin had recently given a little bit of shares to the employees as stock options.

Of course, the total of those shares was less than 1 percent, but Jintae received the most shares among them.

So, Jintae was really grateful to Woojin.

“By the way, why did you only call me this morning?”

Woojin, who slid a teacup with a tea bag in front of Jintae, slowly continued to speak. “Let’s talk while having a sip of tea.”

The expression he had been giggling with just a moment ago had disappeared, and Woojin had a rather serious expression.

“Hyung, do you remember what I said around last fall?”

“Hmm? Last fall……? What are you talking about?”

When Jintae tilted his head, Woojin opened his mouth again.

“I was talking about the company’s merger and acquisition, do you remember?”

As soon as he heard the word ‘merger and acquisition,’ Jintae immediately nodded.

The story at that time was not a light conversation, so Jintae remembered it carefully without forgetting it.

“Of course, I remember that.”

“Really?”

“Why, is it time now?”

“That’s right. I called you because I think it’s time to start moving.”

Jintae, who heard Woojin’s words, searched his head for a moment.

He recalled the contents he had investigated from time to time after Woojin brought up the story last year.

“The first company you mentioned as a target for acquisition at that time was Sungjin Construction. Right?”

Woojin was slightly surprised by Jintae’s accurate memory.

“Oh, that’s right. You have a good memory?”

Jintae smiled and replied.

“It’s not that I have a good memory, but I’ve been investigating it ever since.”

“Krooh……! As expected!”

“Well, it’s not that great……. I have the documents organized. Shall I bring them?”

At Jintae’s question, Woojin waved his hand and replied.

“Ah, no. I’ll see it tomorrow morning, not now.”

“Really?”

“I have meetings all day from lunchtime today, so it’s hard to talk for a long time.”

“Oh, right, you said you had a meeting with Seona Hair’s direct store?”

“That’s right.”

Woojin nodded and took a sip of his teacup.

Looking at him, Jintae asked again with a puzzled expression.

“Then why are you bringing this up today when we can talk about it tomorrow?”

Woojin’s answer followed immediately.

“There’s one thing I want hyung to do by tomorrow.”

“What is it?”

Woojin said in a calm voice.

“There’s a company called Urim Company?”

“Hmm? What kind of company is that all of a sudden?”

“It’s an SPC (Special Purpose Company). A special purpose corporation.”

When Jintae tilted his head, not grasping what Woojin was trying to say, Woojin opened his mouth again.

“It’s a place that’s closely related to Sungjin Construction’s financial status.”

“Really……?”

“You’ll find out if you dig into it. Please investigate Urim Company’s financial status by tomorrow.”