Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 233

The conference hall in Seoul City Hall was very large. Almost every seat was taken. It wasn’t crowded like a rush hour train, but hundreds of people filled the room.

Many people in the hall were from the Seongsu Redevelopment group. This project was about their future homes, so they were very excited. Besides them, there were officials from Seoul City and the national transport ministry, and also designers from the competition. But even adding all these officials together, they were not many. Most of the other people were regular Seoul City Hall workers who didn’t usually work on this kind of project.

There was a reason so many people who weren’t directly involved were there. It was because of Seoul Mayor Gu Yun-kwon. When he heard from Hwang Jong-ho about Woo-jin’s ideas, Mayor Yun-kwon immediately understood. He felt Woo-jin’s vision was exactly what he wanted for the city and decided to fully support it. His support was simple but effective. First thing Monday morning, he sent an email to everyone working at Seoul City Hall.

The email said: [Dear employees, this is Seoul Mayor Gu Yun-kwon. Today, there is a special event…] …omitted… [If you come, the two hours will count as work time. We would appreciate your voluntary participation if your work allows.]

The email was short and to the point, but it was enough.

The Mayor’s email made many Seoul City Hall workers very curious. “Hey, is something happening today?” one asked. “It’s about the Seongsu project,” another replied. “Yeah, I know, but why all the fuss?” “It’s the design presentations today.” “Oh, right!” “I heard the Mayor really cares about this project… He even sent an email himself.” “Should we go check it out?” “Maybe after lunch, if we have time.”

Most city hall workers were busy, so getting work hours for attending wasn’t a huge bonus. If work wasn’t done, they’d work late anyway. But the email told everyone, “There’s an event today.” It gave them a reason to drop by, even during work. Even if only city hall workers came, it wouldn’t be a thousand people, but they would tell their friends. Little by little, the news spread.

To make it even more fun, they used social media to show they were there. “I came after lunch, how do I get work credit?” someone asked. “Just follow the Seoul City official social media page and post a photo or video!” came the reply. “Oh, cool!” This was also a way to get more followers for the city’s social media, so it seemed normal.

“A design presentation? I’ve never seen one of those,” someone said. “Sounds interesting. Let’s watch for a bit,” another agreed. “Okay.”

Because of these employees, the hall was full by the time the presentations began. And then, in front of all those people, the first presenter walked onto the stage. It was Woo-jin.

*Thump- thump.* Woo-jin was presenter number one. Out of five companies, he was first. Being first had good and bad sides in a design presentation. *This is the first time I’m presenting first on such a big stage.* The best thing about going first was catching the audience when they were most alert. People get tired and lose focus as presentations go on. So, the first presentation gets the most attention. But the bad thing was, it could be easily forgotten if later presentations were even better. Even if your presentation was great, if a more exciting one came after, yours might be overshadowed. So, how to make the most of being first and avoid being forgotten? Simple: give an amazing presentation. If you start with the best presentation when everyone is paying attention, it’s hard to ignore. Unless someone else is truly incredible, your presentation will stand out. That’s what Woo-jin was aiming for.

*Wow, more people than I expected?* With so many people watching, Woo-jin knew he had to show everything he had prepared perfectly. He wanted his presentation to be so good that the later, weaker presentations would look bad in comparison. He even hoped that the judges from the Ministry, who might already have a favorite, would be embarrassed to choose their original pick after seeing his work. Determined to make a big impact, Woo-jin stepped onto the stage. He spoke into the microphone, his voice clear and calm. “Hello, members of the Seongsu Redevelopment group, and citizens of Seoul.”

As his first words echoed, the audience started to whisper. “Wait, is that Seo Woo-jin?” “Huh? I can’t see properly.” “I think it is?” Then Woo-jin introduced himself. “I am Seo Woo-jin, CEO of WJ Studio, here for the Seongsu District Design Competition.”

The murmurs grew louder. “Seo Woo-jin? I know that name!” “Oh, isn’t he the one from that TV show, ?” It hadn’t been long since Seo Woo-jin became famous because of the Wangsimni Parafield project. Even people outside the design world knew his name.

“Wow, did you know he was presenting?” “No way!” “Seo Woo-jin is the presenter today!” “Amazing! Can we take photos?” “Maybe, but be discreet.”

Woo-jin looked out at the audience from the stage, feeling the buzz. He knew this was his chance to really grab their attention.

“[This is Seoul’s dream project, the first step to making the Han River even more beautiful and enjoyable for everyone,]” Woo-jin announced, his voice firm. The whispers quieted down. “[The Seongsu District Design Project is about creating the best homes for the people of Seongsu, who have waited so long for better housing in this area.]” All eyes were on Woo-jin, waiting for his next words. “[I want to thank the Seongsu residents and all the citizens of Seoul for giving WJ Studio this chance to put our best work into this important project.]” Now it was time to turn their curiosity into real interest. Woo-jin gestured to the screen behind him. It flashed white, filling the wall.

“Oh!” “Wow!” The image that appeared was breathtaking. It was a stunning view of the new Seongsu district, designed by Woo-jin and WJ Studio. “[I wanted to create the best Han River Park for everyone in Seoul,]” Woo-jin continued, but the audience was already lost in the picture on the screen. “[And for the residents, I wanted to create the most wonderful homes, right in this beautiful setting.]”

No words were really needed. The image showed the Seongsu Han River area, which everyone knew was currently filled with old, run-down buildings. But in the picture, it was transformed. It was so beautiful, it was hard to believe it could be real.

“Is that… an apartment complex?” someone whispered. “Looks like it. It’s a redevelopment project, right?” “Yeah, I heard it combines the Seongsu project with that underground road project the old mayor talked about.”

The audience was speechless, staring at the visual. Woo-jin, feeling more confident now, went on. “[This Seongsu project is the first step in making our Han River, already famous around the world, into something even more amazing.]” Woo-jin looked around at everyone, and then began his presentation in earnest. “[To make sure this first step is perfect, WJ Studio and I have prepared with all our heart and skills.]”

Earlier, when Jun-ho from Leeho Design was called to the stage, he had just smirked, watching Woo-jin’s back. *He looks so sure of himself.* Jun-ho’s smirk came from his strong belief that Leeho Design’s plan was much better than Woo-jin’s. *Let’s see what this famous young designer has.* His confidence wasn’t just because Woo-jin was young. The project deadline was so short that even Leeho Design, who had inside information, was struggling. Jun-ho figured Woo-jin probably didn’t even have a real portfolio yet. Sure, there was the Parafield pavilion, which made Woo-jin famous. But Jun-ho thought that pavilion was just Woo-jin taking credit for Bruno, the famous architect’s design. Just like how he got help from Chairman Kwon Joo-yeol. It was called Woo-jin’s work, but Jun-ho was sure it was really Bruno’s. People often see what they want to see. And Jun-ho was definitely one of those people. *I bet he’s going to show us something that looks like a student project and call it a design.* Jun-ho felt relaxed. His own design was the best work he had done in his ten years in the business. He was sure it was as good as anything in the world. He was just curious to see how this confident kid would react when he saw *his* presentation. He had no idea that his own face was about to change very soon.

“Wow, Seo Woo-jin is even better looking in person?” someone whispered. “Yeah, tall and handsome!” “Is he really still in college?” “Amazing, what college student enters a competition like this?” Jun-ho gritted his teeth, annoyed by the audience’s excited whispers about Woo-jin. He was sure their praise would turn to criticism as soon as the presentation started. But then, the bird’s-eye view appeared on the giant screen. Jun-ho froze. “……!” The Han River shimmered under a bright blue sky. Beautiful green parks flowed along the riverbanks, and stunning, modern buildings rose like gentle waves, reflecting the sunlight. Jun-ho stared at Woo-jin’s design, a picture so real and detailed it looked like a photograph of buildings already standing there. His eyes widened in disbelief.