Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 170

The human eye gets used to seeing things over many years.

We see many things because of light. Our eyes learn to understand these things based on rules and what we’ve seen before.

Shadows are also something our eyes recognize.

A shadow is created when something blocks light, making the area behind it darker.

So, if there are no shadows in certain places, it can look strange.

Because of this, Woojin was able to figure out the secret of the Golden Print.

He thought, ‘They’re giving a hint about how much sunlight there is!’

The drawing in Woojin’s notebook wasn’t a design for a building.

It was a diagram showing how much sunlight the area gets, considering the buildings around it.

The Golden Print showed the maximum amount of sunlight the site could get at that time.

Woojin realized something important. ‘Now I know why the Golden Print appeared here.’

He understood how valuable the site was, something he wouldn’t have realized without the Golden Print.

He thought, ‘It’s on a main street, at the entrance to Seoul Forest Road, with views of Seoul Forest and the Han River. Plus, Ttukseom Station is right in front.’

The site Woojin had first thought about was near the Jungnangcheon Stream. But this place, where the Golden Print appeared, is on the main street between Ttukseom Station and Seongsu Station.

It’s on a corner, right at the entrance to Seoul Forest Road, where the main street meets at a three-way intersection.

Woojin hadn’t considered this place at first because of a few problems.

First, the train tracks from Ttukseom Station to Hanyang University Station and Wangsimni Station are right in front of the site.

Second, the area behind it is a ‘Type 2 Residential Zone,’ where buildings can’t be very tall. He thought this meant the site was also in that zone.

‘I didn’t know the area north of Seoul Forest Road was different,’ he thought.

Because of the height restrictions in the Type 2 Residential Zone, he didn’t think he could build a headquarters taller than 10 floors there.

So, even though the location was better than his original choice, the problems seemed bigger.

But because the Golden Print appeared, Woojin got more detailed information about the site.

He found hidden advantages.

The train tracks are on the other side of the road, so they don’t block the view or make too much noise.

Also, the area north of Seoul Forest Road has fewer height restrictions, like an industrial area.

Finally, because it’s on the edge of this less restricted area, he could get a view from Seoul Forest to the Han River.

The area south of Seoul Forest Road has stricter height limits.

This site was perfect. He could enjoy the benefits of the Seoul Forest Road area, which would become more popular in the future, and build a tall building.

The Golden Print only showed Woojin information about sunlight, but he learned much more by researching that hint.

‘If I had given up, I would have regretted it later,’ he thought.

So Woojin bought the site without hesitation.

Even though he hadn’t finished the design using the Golden Print, he knew the location itself was valuable.

Woojin pointed at the map. “President, I’ve decided. We’re building here.”

CEO Yoon blinked, looking from the map to Woojin. “Here? But… President, are you sure? This spot?” He looked a little worried.

“The two plots marked in red – are they for sale?” Woojin asked, ignoring CEO Yoon’s hesitation.

“Yes, they are. But… it’s right by the elevated train line, and the back is all residential…” CEO Yoon started to list the problems.

Woojin smiled slightly. “I know, I know all the downsides, CEO Yoon. But trust me, there’s a reason I need this place. Can you work your magic and get it for the best price possible?”

CEO Yoon sighed, but a small smile touched his lips. “If you’re set on it, President, then I’ll make it happen. I’ll talk to the sellers today and see what I can do.”

CEO Yoon got the deal at a lower price than the market price, just as he promised.

Because the site was so large, it cost more than Woojin had planned, but he didn’t regret it.

He had to spend about 1.5 times more money, but the real value and the value you can’t touch, like a great location, seemed to be more than 3 times that.

“Wow, is this where WJ Studio’s new headquarters will be built?” Jintae asked.

“That’s right,” Woojin replied.

“Ttukseom Station is close, and Seoul Forest is close. The location is amazing!” Jintae said, not knowing how much Woojin had worried. Woojin smiled.

“The final payment is in August, so we have plenty of time,” Woojin said.

“Okay. It’ll be a bit tight, but sales next month will be good, so we’ll have enough money,” Jintae replied.

“The original owner was a factory owner, so we don’t need to clear the land,” Woojin added.

“That’s good news,” Jintae said.

“I want to start construction around September, so please do some preliminary work by then,” Woojin requested.

“Okay. What about the design?” Jintae asked.

“I’ll handle that myself,” Woojin answered.

“Good, good,” Jintae said.

Once the site purchase was underway, everything else went smoothly.

WJ Studio handled everything from design to construction, and Woojin, as the CEO, directed it all.

Many of the usual reporting steps were skipped.

The construction company is also the developer and the client, which is ideal.

‘Now, I just need to come up with the best design that satisfies this Golden Print…’ Woojin thought.

Woojin sat at his desk in the CEO’s office and unfolded the yellow paper, feeling excited.

His task was to create the best design using the information from the Golden Print.

‘The Golden Print gave information about the amount of sunlight based on the surrounding environment… The Golden Print must want me to design something that makes the most of that information,’ he thought.

Woojin knew that if he didn’t satisfy the Golden Print, the golden hologram wouldn’t disappear.

He might have to live with the golden lines in his headquarters forever if he didn’t create the best design.

‘That shouldn’t happen…’ Woojin thought, shaking his head at the terrible idea.

He was confident, though.

“Well, shall we begin?” he said to himself.

Woojin’s hand, holding the pen, began to move quickly across the yellow paper.

He wanted to start construction in September, so the design needed to be finished by July.

August would be busy enough with the detailed design for construction.

‘A design that makes the most of sunlight…’ he thought.

Woojin sat thinking for almost three hours, then stretched and stood up.

“Ugh…! Is it this late already?” he exclaimed.

He had been focused on drawing for the first time in a while and hadn’t moved until his shoulders were stiff.

‘I’ll stop here for today… I should have a design meeting tomorrow,’ he decided.

From facade design to floor plan, Woojin had drawn more than ten pictures. He left them on his desk and packed his bags.

They were more like idea sketches than finished designs, but he planned to bring them to the meeting tomorrow.

“Hyung Jintae, are you still here?” Woojin asked.

“Ah, I was just about to leave work,” Jintae replied.

“Let’s go together. I’m leaving now,” Woojin said.

“Okay. Shall we have dinner together for the first time in a while?” Jintae suggested.

“Well, let’s do that,” Woojin agreed.

Woojin was in a better mood than ever, perhaps because the preparations for the headquarters construction were almost finished.

As Woojin was talking with Jintae and getting on the elevator…

Whirr!

On one of the yellow papers left in Woojin’s office, a golden hologram began to ripple.

The Spanish architectural designer Mateo was facing a difficult situation.

It was related to his job: the stadium architectural design he had recently won the rights to.

He was having trouble because of the stadium design he had won the rights to a while ago.

“No, manager. If we twist the plane more than this, it’ll be hard to have enough seats for the audience,” Mateo said.

“If you arrange the audience seats irregularly along the curved surface, you can use the remaining space,” the manager replied.

“Haa… That’s true, but…” Mateo sighed.

After talking with Bruno a couple of months ago, Mateo had practically won the design rights for the San Mames Stadium.

The contest results hadn’t been officially announced, but he had impressed Chairman Luciano with the unusual facade design he wanted.

Being from the Basque Country helped.

Mateo was overjoyed.

Winning this design right meant he had work for several months, and the San Mames Stadium would be a great addition to his portfolio.

But then the problems started.

Mateo had drawn an unusual design to please Chairman Luciano, but he faced problems in the detailed design process.

“The chairman will be angry if it’s different from the design I showed him,” Mateo worried.

“Manager… Didn’t I say that the concept design could change during the detailed design process?” he asked.

The structures designed for beauty caused problems when they were designed for actual construction.

Mateo thought he could persuade the chairman, but he was wrong.

The chairman and his staff were more stubborn than Mateo expected.

“Please think more, Mateo. I’m sure you can design a more wonderful stadium,” the manager urged.

“I’ll try… I’ll try, manager,” Mateo replied.

“Honestly, I don’t know why I have to do this, but… the chairman won’t back down easily,” the manager admitted.

“I know…” Mateo said.

“Even if I approve it, he might not confirm it if he’s not satisfied,” the manager added.

“That’s right,” Mateo agreed.

“Let’s try a little more. The chairman believes in you,” the manager encouraged.

“I understand,” Mateo said.

Mateo felt stressed.

‘What should I do? I can’t give up now,’ he thought.

To create the design the chairman wanted, he needed a three-dimensional design method, but Mateo didn’t have that technology.

‘Ugh…’ he groaned.

Mateo called Bruno again, even though he felt bad about it.

He thought Bruno, who knew more about advanced architectural design, might have an answer.

“Hey, Bruno. I’m really sorry, but…” Mateo began.

Mateo was ready to credit Bruno as a designer if he needed more help than he thought.

But Mateo got an unexpected answer from Bruno.

[Actually, I don’t have the technology for 3D design either, Mateo,]

“Haa… Is that so?” Mateo sighed.

[But I know someone who might be a great help to you,]

“What?! Who is it?!” Mateo exclaimed.

[Mateo, do you have time to come to Korea for a while?]