Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 201

The city reports blurred in front of Mayor Gu Yun-kwon’s eyes. He rubbed them, feeling the weight of his job pressing down. Lately, worries had been piling up, heavy and uncomfortable. As the Mayor of Seoul, it was normal to have many things to think about. But some problems felt like sharp stones in his shoe, bothering him more than others. These were the ones he couldn’t ignore, the ones that needed quick answers. And most of them were left over from the last mayor.

The former mayor had started many big, new plans to make Seoul a top city.

After the former mayor left office, people started complaining again about the projects he had pushed through strongly.

Now, Gu Yun-kwon had to decide what to do about these complaints.

“Mr. Mayor, the new dome stadium is completely not going to work. No team wants to use it.”

“It’s also hard to get there by public transportation, and we don’t have a solution.”

“Mr. Mayor, there’s a big problem with the West Sea Waterway project.”

“Big ships over 10,000 tons can’t use it.”

“We need cruise ships from China to make money from tourism… If things continue like this, we’re going to lose a lot of money.”

If the former mayor’s plans had been wrong from the start, Gu Yun-kwon wouldn’t have worried so much.

As the new mayor with a long time ahead, he would have had the power to fix the bad projects, even before people complained. Fixing what was wrong would have meant some sacrifices, but he would have accepted that.

But the problem was that the projects people were complaining about were similar to what Gu Yun-kwon wanted to do himself.

The real issue was that the former mayor had rushed ahead without thinking about what was practical, wasting the city’s money and causing problems.

The direction was almost the same as the city redevelopment projects that Gu Yun-kwon wanted.

Of course, Gu Yun-kwon wouldn’t have made things worse by being too eager.

‘It’s like the first button was buttoned wrong. If I undo it now, we’ll just waste more money, and nothing will be left.’

City development costs included more than just building. Tearing things down could cost even more than building, so he couldn’t just cancel the former mayor’s projects.

The decision to let Cheonwoong Construction handle the second phase of the Sebitseom project in Banpo Hangang Park was similar.

Sebitseom looked good but had no real use and had been empty since it was finished. Gu Yun-kwon had taken steps to make the most of it, ordering it to be renovated.

Yun-kwon was carefully looking at city matters like this, but many challenges remained. It gave him a headache.

“It’s no wonder you have a headache, Mr. Mayor,” Woo-jin said.

“Yes, the city projects have a lot of potential, but we’re wasting too much money.”

Woo-jin listened to Gu Yun-kwon and nodded, impressed. As the new mayor, he could have criticized the former mayor, but he spoke as positively as possible without saying anything bad.

Even without a long talk, you could see what kind of person he was. It was interesting that most of the things Gu Yun-kwon mentioned would be solved in the future.

Before Woo-jin went back in time, Gu Yun-kwon had fixed these problems himself. ‘Maybe he got advice from other architects or experts.’

But whatever the future held, this was a great chance for Woo-jin. The problems Gu Yun-kwon was worried about were things Woo-jin knew well.

Woo-jin knew better than anyone how to improve these projects. Gu Yun-kwon had solved them after many mistakes and learning, but Woo-jin had future knowledge to avoid those mistakes.

Whether it was important facts or small details, Woo-jin quietly listened to Gu Yun-kwon, waiting for him to ask for his opinion. He knew there was one story he wanted to tell.

Woo-jin was right. As the meal came out, Gu Yun-kwon finally got to the point. They were talking about various things, including the Hangang Renaissance project.

Gu Yun-kwon lowered his voice slightly. “It’s a project with ups and downs, but I really want to finish it.”

“It’s a great project. The Han River makes Seoul so attractive,” Woo-jin replied.

“That’s right. Many cities have rivers, but the Han River is wonderful,” Gu Yun-kwon said, pausing before continuing.

“So, Mr. Seo.”

“Yes, Mr. Mayor?”

Woo-jin was surprised by what he said next.

“I was wondering if we should speed up the Gangbyeonbukro Undergrounding project. I wanted to ask you a few things about it.”

“Pardon?” Woo-jin asked.

Woo-jin was shocked. He had expected many projects, but the Gangbyeonbukro Undergrounding project was unexpected. He swallowed hard and slowly began to speak.

The Gangbyeonbukro Undergrounding Project was about burying part of Gangbyeonbukro, the road on the north side of the Han River, underground.

It was a road project to make traffic smoother by putting the existing road underground.

Was it just for traffic? No. Burying a good road just to improve traffic wouldn’t be worth the cost.

However, there were many benefits to burying the main road, as follows.

The Han River could be so much more beautiful. Imagine walking along its banks without the constant roar of traffic. If the busy Gangbyeonbukro road could somehow disappear beneath the ground, think of the possibilities. A park could bloom where concrete once choked the earth, bringing nature back to the city. And the people living near the road, tired of the noise and dust, could finally breathe easier. This ambitious idea, the Gangbyeonbukro underground project, was expensive, yes, but could it be worth it?

Had Woojin completely missed this? Among all the projects Mayor Gu Yoon-kwon was known for, the Gangbyeonbukro Underground Project… Woojin’s memory insisted it was years away. He remembered it as something the Mayor only seriously considered much later, almost at the very end of his second term, after winning re-election. It simply wasn’t on Woojin’s radar for *this* conversation. He felt a jolt of surprise. *Underground road? Here? Now?* He hadn’t expected this at all.

Surprise faded, replaced by a quickening in Woojin’s mind. *Why now? Why this project?* He started to piece things together. *Maybe Mayor Gu had always wanted this, even in my… past life.* Perhaps it had been pushed aside then, buried under other urgent needs. Projects, even good ones, needed money, and Seoul’s budget wasn’t endless. Feasibility – could it actually be done, and would it work? – that was always the biggest hurdle. Woojin leaned forward slightly, his first question forming. “Mayor,” he began, his voice calm despite the thoughts racing in his head, “which part of Gangbyeonbukro are you considering?”

Gangbyeonbukro is a main road that is almost 30km long. Therefore, just because you’re doing an underground project doesn’t mean you’re putting all of these sections underground.

Mayor Gu nodded, anticipating the question. “We need the preliminary study first, of course,” he said, “but yes, I have a specific area in mind.”

“Could it be… Ichon district?” Woojin asked, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Mayor Gu’s eyes widened, a genuine look of astonishment. He’d been impressed by Woojin’s insights all afternoon, but this… this was different. *How did he know?* It felt like Woojin had plucked the idea straight from his brain, before it was even fully formed. A shiver of something like awe ran through him. But Woojin, seemingly oblivious to the Mayor’s reaction, continued smoothly.

“Yes,” Woojin confirmed, “the stretch between Wonhyo Bridge and Hangang Bridge, right by Ichon Hangang Park. That’s where I’d start.”

Mayor Gu swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. “And why do you say that, CEO Seo?”

Woojin smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes. “I was thinking like a Mayor.”

“Like me?” Gu Yoon-kwon leaned forward, intrigued.

“Think about Banpo Hangang Park,” Woojin explained. “After the renovation, the shops and restaurants nearby boomed, didn’t they? And you’re working on Sebitseom now, aiming for the same effect.”

“Exactly,” Mayor Gu agreed, nodding eagerly.

“Well, Ichon Park is just as popular as Banpo, maybe even more so. During the fireworks, you can barely find a patch of grass to stand on, let alone sit.” Woojin paused, letting his words sink in. Mayor Gu watched him, captivated, anticipation lighting his face.

“If you want this underground project to be a success, to really show what it can do, Ichon is the perfect place. Ichon-dong is already wealthy, well-established. Imagine how much more vibrant it could become with a bigger, better park. The impact would be huge.”

Not just Mayor Gu, but Hwang Jong-ho and Park Kyung-wan were also hanging on Woojin’s every word, their faces reflecting rapt attention. When Woojin finished, they both turned to Mayor Gu, their eyes questioning, waiting for his confirmation. Mayor Gu simply nodded, a slow, impressed nod.

“It’s like you’ve been reading my mind, CEO Seo!” Mayor Gu exclaimed, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Woojin chuckled softly. “Great minds think alike, Mayor.”

Mayor Gu nodded, his enthusiasm bubbling over. “Exactly! And you’re absolutely right. The feasibility study? It’s for the Ichon district.” His eyes gleamed with excitement. He felt a surge of optimism. With Woojin on the same page, perhaps he could get valuable insights, advice from someone who truly understood these projects.

But just as Mayor Gu was about to launch into his plans, Woojin’s voice cut through the air, changing the mood instantly.

“But, Mayor…”

“Yes?” Mayor Gu asked, his smile faltering slightly.

“…starting with Ichon might not be the best idea.”

“Wait, what?” Mayor Gu blinked, confusion clouding his features. “What do you mean?”

Woojin took a sip of water, the sound of the glass hitting the table echoing in the sudden silence. *Plop.* He set the glass down deliberately, then looked up, his expression serious. “If you’re willing to hear me out, Mayor…”