Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 199

Ujin looked at the magazine on the table and frowned.

“What’s this?”

“Can’t you tell? It’s a magazine. An architectural design magazine.”

“Yes, of course, I can see that, but….”

Ujin picked it up and looked at the front and back before asking again.

“What language is this? Italian?”

“Bingo.”

“Why are you suddenly giving me this….”

Min Joo-young chuckled, watching Ujin look confused.

“Just open it up. Take a look around page 30.”

“Hmm?”

Ujin turned the pages of the magazine. It smelled faintly of airport coffee. Then, suddenly, he stopped. His eyes widened, and his cheeks went a little red.

Staring back at him from page 30 was a face he knew very well. Too well. It was the face he saw every morning in his bathroom mirror, just after his shower.

But this wasn’t his reflection. This was a photo. A big, full-color photo of Ujin himself! He was standing at a podium, talking to a crowd. He remembered that day in Italy.

“Where did you even find this?” Ujin asked, his voice a bit quiet.

The photo was… not good. It looked like he was in the middle of a sneeze, or maybe trying to argue with a particularly stubborn mosquito. His mouth was open wide, and his hair was sticking up at odd angles.

Ujin quickly closed the magazine, trying to hide the embarrassing picture. But Min Joo-young was too quick. She chuckled and gently took the magazine back, opening it again to page 30.

“I bought it at the airport on my way back from Italy.”

“You… bought it?”

“Oh, of course, I didn’t buy it just to see your face. I’ve always liked it and subscribed regularly.”

“……”

Min Joo-young pulled her chair closer and spoke again.

“So, tell me everything! What *exactly* happened in Italy?”

Ujin blinked, a little confused. “What do you mean, ‘what happened’?”

Min Joo-young laughed and pointed at the magazine. “This! This amazing headline right above your, uh, *passionate* photo.”

“See here?”

“I don’t speak Italian.”

“‘Young Eastern architects bring a new wind to digital architecture.’”

“……. That’s quite grand.”

“Indeed, Seo. You’re an even grander person than I thought.”

“……”

“EAC, no less. How did that happen? I doubt there’s been any architect in their twenties who’s held a microphone at the EAC, anywhere in the world.”

“Well, the thing is….”

Ujin began to explain slowly to the rather excited Min Joo-young.

Ujin’s activities at the EAC had already been reported in Korea a few times, but it seemed Joo-young, who had been traveling overseas, was seeing it for the first time in the magazine.

“Min, you know I’m working on a project with Bruno, right?”

“I know.”

“Then do you happen to know an architect named Matteo?”

“You mean Matteo from Spain?”

“Yes.”

“Of course. How could I not?”

Ujin told the story simply, but Min Joo-young was still amazed.

Every part of Ujin’s story felt unbelievable.

If Min Joo-young hadn’t been in the industry, she probably would have just been vaguely impressed by Ujin’s story.

Because the EAC event wasn’t well known to the general public in Korea.

However, Min Joo-young was a specialist who had graduated from an architectural design university in Europe, before becoming a businesswoman in the material industry.

Therefore, she knew the prestige of the EAC better than anyone.

“Anyway, you’re amazing.”

At Joo-young’s words, Ujin scratched the back of his head.

“Please stop putting me on a pedestal. If you lift me up too high, it’ll hurt when I fall.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t think you’ll fall.”

“……”

Amused by Ujin’s flustered expression, Joo-young chuckled and sipped her coffee.

The purpose of her visit to Ujin’s office today was, of course, to discuss the Living Fair-related project, but somehow, the two of them had been talking about the EAC for the past thirty minutes.

“Hoo.”

Seeing Joo-young’s playful expression, Ujin shook his head, took out the prepared documents, and spoke again.

“Let’s stop talking about the EAC and get down to business, shall we?”

“Sure, let’s.”

“I think there are quite a few things we need to decide today….”

As Ujin continued, Joo-young’s eyes sparkled.

“That’s right. Considering the time needed to secure the materials and the construction period… we need to fix about half of the budget.”

From now on, it was time to start a business, leaving aside her friendship with Ujin.

After returning to Seoul, the first thing Ujin did was check on the projects in progress.

Starting with the new WJ Studio building being built next to Seoul Forest, the pavilion to be placed in the Parafield lobby, and the various interior design projects, large and small.

The number of projects WJ Studio was working on at the same time was now over ten, but Ujin was still directly involved in all of them.

‘I need to do the core directing as much as possible.’

However, the project he was most concerned about recently was, of course, the 2012 Living Fair.

The recognition and promotional effect that could be gained from the Living Fair itself, as well as the connection with the Seoul Design Foundation, and even KSJ Entertainment’s .

This project, in which these diverse and significant values were intricately linked, was larger than any project Ujin had done so far.

In that sense, today’s meeting with Min was very important.

Depending on how he handled today’s meeting, he could minimize the costs of this project.

It was important to have Bellostones pay for as much material as they could. But even more important was to design well and plan carefully.

Getting materials on time and making the construction period as short as possible were the most basic ways to save costs.

The two, with a calendar spread out before them, began to adjust their schedules, each with their own checklist.

“First, we need to decide how big the modular units can be if we want to move them around.”

“That’s right. We need to figure out the size that can be moved to the fair and then brought back to the site.”

A modular unit, as the name suggests, was a part designed to be put together.

It had to be flexible enough to be used no matter where the drama was being filmed. It also had to be easy to move to both Icheon, where the set would be built, and COEX, where the Living Fair would be held.

How this part was made was quite important.

“When did they say the drama filming would start?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I was wondering if the set would be built after autumn. If so, I was thinking of asking them to work on the part to be shown at the fair first.”

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that. The drama will already be filming by the time the fair starts.”

“I see.”

“It seems important to make sure the drama filming schedule and the Living Fair schedule don’t overlap… I should talk about this with CEO Kang So-jung too.”

“Okay. Then that part is settled….”

First, the two wrote down a detailed schedule, and then added the things they needed to do between those dates.

They checked what materials and workers they needed to make sure everything stayed on schedule.

“It would be good to have someone from Bellostones to supervise, wouldn’t it?”

“Of course. I trust WJ Studio’s supervision, but it’s always better to double-check.”

“Then I think we can set the schedule as it is until January.”

“We should look at the schedule again early next year, depending on what happens, right?”

“If there are no problems for you, Min.”

“Problems…?”

“The material supply schedule.”

“Ah, I’m fine with it.”

The meeting with Min Joo-young, which had started after lunch, continued until almost the end of the workday.

Since the meeting was about planning the detailed schedule, there were a lot of things to think about.

Even if the two CEOs set the detailed schedule, they would still need to have more meetings with the staff.

However, it was easier for the staff to work when the decision-makers had decided on as much as possible.

“Hoo. It seems like we’ve roughly finished.”

Ujin smiled, watching Min Joo-young stretch and sweep her hair back.

“That took longer than I thought.”

At Ujin’s reply, Joo-young looked at him, surprised.

“Longer? To be honest, I thought we wouldn’t be able to finish everything today.”

“Really?”

Min Joo-young nodded at Ujin’s question and said again.

“Actually, if we were to compare it to other companies, a meeting like this would take almost a week to go back and forth.”

“That long? Why?”

“Here, you’re the CEO and you know all the details, but that’s not the case with other companies.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Usually, it takes several days for something to be suggested, go up, and come back down… so a week is a short estimate.”

Ujin could only smile at Min Joo-young’s compliment.

What she had just said also applied to Bellostones, in a way.

Of course, WJ Studio, which was more like a design company than Bellostones, a material company, was a much more complex company to run.

As Min Joo-young packed up the meeting materials and put them in her bag, Ujin also stood up and said.

“Then be careful on your way back, CEO.”

At Ujin’s words, Min Joo-young pointed her thumb back and said.

“It’s almost dinner time, how about we have a meal together?”

Ujin replied with an apologetic expression.

“I’d like to, but I have another appointment later today.”

“A dinner appointment?”

“Well, it’s not exactly set in stone… but there’s a good chance that it will be.”

Min Joo-young nodded, looking disappointed.

In fact, she had wanted to hear more about the EAC while having dinner together tonight.

She had always been curious about the famous architects of Europe.

“Oh well, can’t be helped. Then let’s plan for next time.”

Ujin replied with a smile.

“Well, we’ll have to see each other three or four times a month until the fair opens… I’ll treat you to a delicious meal next time.”

“Okay. I won’t forget.”

Ujin, who had escorted Joo-young to the elevator, turned around and immediately opened his smartphone as the elevator doors closed behind her.

And he immediately made a call to someone.

“Yes, Director. The meeting just ended.”

The person Ujin called was Director Park Kyung-wan.

[What meeting took so long?]

“It was an important matter. It’s also related to today’s appointment….”

[Oh, really? How is it related?]

“It’s a project that the Mayor is interested in.”

[Ah, that Living Fair?]

“Yes, Director.”

Ujin, with his smartphone to his ear, entered the CEO’s office, quickly packed his bag, and put on his coat.

[Anyway, we’ve left already. You know it’ll be a disaster if you’re late, right?]

“Of course.”

[Let’s meet in the parking lot and go up together.]

“That would be better, wouldn’t it?”

[Then I’ll see you in a bit.]

Click-

Ujin, after ending the call with Park Kyung-wan, grabbed his car keys and immediately left the office again, heading for the elevator. He felt a mix of anticipation and slight nervousness about the upcoming meeting.

The place where Ujin had an appointment today was Seoul City Hall.