Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 245

Trust. It’s like the strong thread that holds everything together when people work together. Without it, even the best plans can fall apart.

Woo-jin knew this deeply. He believed that when you start a new project with someone, showing them you trust them completely is the most important first step. It was like saying, “I believe in you, and I believe in what we can do together.”

He didn’t miss even the smallest detail he promised.

He made sure the set in Icheon City was confirmed as the special filming location for , of course.

From all the characters appearing in the special to subtly mentioning the set’s development as a tourist attraction during the broadcast, he reliably fulfilled everything he had mentioned at the city hall, making the Icheon City Cultural Department officials very happy.

‘This is excellent.’

Of course, if Culture Director Jo Yong-hyun, who would be working with Woo-jin, was not a trustworthy person, Woo-jin’s hard work might not have mattered.

But Woo-jin trusted his ability to judge people.

Director Jo Yong-hyun, whom he had met at City Hall, seemed like a frank and straightforward person.

Usually, people who are honest and direct are more likely to be good people, valuing responsibility and trust.

‘Director Jo is probably watching this right now. And if I’m right… I’ll probably get a call tomorrow morning.’

The plan that Woo-jin and Director Jo Yong-hyun had made was so carefully planned that nothing could be late.

From the day aired to the first broadcast day of the drama , there were only about four months left, and many things needed to be done during that time.

So, Woo-jin wanted to call him right away, and Jo Yong-hyun probably felt the same.

While Woo-jin was thinking, the show ended, and the preview for the next episode started.

The preview showed more footage from the filming at set in Icheon City, which would be used for almost three episodes.

So, the Millennium’s Beloved special would probably run for three weeks.

Tak-

Woo-jin opened a can of beer and took a big sip. Seok-hyun, who was watching with him, turned and asked,

“Wow, the video turned out really well, Woo-jin.”

“Video? I told you today’s episode would be fun.”

Seok-hyun shook his head.

“Not . I’m talking about .”

“Ah.”

“Even just seeing the short clips, I want to watch the drama right away.”

“Is it that good?”

“Yes, it is! I don’t know if the video editing was amazing, or if the drama is genuinely interesting… But I think I’ll definitely watch the first episode when it starts.”

“Oh…….”

Woo-jin felt even better about Seok-hyun’s comment than he did about the comment that was fun. A wider smile spread across Woo-jin’s face. He leaned back, feeling a warmth spread through him that was better than any coffee.

‘It wasn’t just that I was seeing it too positively because I made it. It’s definitely more interesting than I saw before.’

Seok-hyun then added in a quiet voice,

“And Seong Ha-young is so pretty.”

Woo-jin sighed and said,

“Of course.”

Seok-hyun didn’t even notice Woo-jin’s expression, and his eyes lit up.

“Hey, you’ve met Seong Ha-young, right?”

“Ha-young? I’ve seen her two or three times.”

“Wow, seriously. ‘Ha-young,’ he says.”

“Why?”

Seok-hyun cleared his throat.

“Next time you see her, can you take me with you?”

“Weren’t you a fan of Ria?”

“What does that have to do with this? I can be a fan of Ria and a fan of Seong Ha-young too.”

Woo-jin shook his head and chuckled.

“Hmm. Once our new company building is finished, Ha-young said she’d visit…….”

“Oh, awesome. Crazy! Really?”

“I should call Seok-gu on a day he’s out on business.”

“Holy! Isn’t that a bit much, my friend.”

“Depends on how you behave.”

“Damn it! Jayden! Punish this evil boss!”

Jayden, who had been dozing off beside him, jumped up and opened his eyes.

“What’s wrong, Seok-hyun? What wicked thing is the evil boss planning now?”

“Well, this bad guy is saying that…….”

Woo-jin sighed as he watched the two friends jumping around on the sofa and complaining about him.

“If you’re going to be so loud, can you please leave my house, friends?”

Seok-hyun and Jayden answered at the same time, like twins.

“We can’t do that.”

“That’s not possible.”

Woo-jin looked surprised.

“I’m the homeowner?”

Seok-hyun answered first.

“On days like this when your mother isn’t here, we can’t leave our best friend alone at home.”

Jayden also answered.

“It can’t be helped. Seok-hyun has agreed to help me with my promotion match today.”

“You can play the game at Jayden’s house.”

Jayden shook his head.

“No. We have to play on Woo-jin’s computer to increase the chances of winning.”

“What kind of logic is that?”

“Probability and Statistics.”

“What?”

This time, Seok-hyun answered.

“It’s a conclusion based on probability and statistics from big data.”

“Big data? How many games have we played at my house?”

Jayden said.

“Five games. We won three of them.”

Woo-jin sighed, shook his head again, turned off the TV, and got up from the sofa.

“I’m going to go to bed. You two have fun.”

He thought going to sleep early would be good for his mental health.

Of course, his two friends wouldn’t let him go to sleep so easily.

“We can’t do that, Woo-jin. You have to see Jayden’s fantastic play.”

“You said we should hang out together for a long time. Are you going to be like this, CEO?”

So, Woo-jin ended up going to bed after three in the morning.

Monday morning arrived too quickly. Woo-jin’s eyes felt heavy as he walked into the office with Seok-hyun. He hadn’t slept enough thanks to their late-night gaming.

“CEO, you’re here?” The cheerful voice of Mina, the secretary, greeted him.

“Yes,” Woo-jin mumbled, rubbing his tired eyes. “Am I a bit late?”

“No, not at all! You’re just usually here before the sun even rises,” Mina laughed, placing a stack of files on his desk. The scent of fresh paper filled the air as she moved. “Here are the meeting notes from last week, and the research you asked for.”

“Yes, thank you. Just leave them there.”

“Yes, CEO!”

The files on the desk were all about .

They included collaboration agreements with various companies connected after the Living Fair, and articles that had appeared online after became popular.

But since they weren’t urgent, Woo-jin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

‘Oh, I’m tired.’

Playing with Seok-hyun and Jayden was fun, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t tired.

‘Should I rest for about 10 minutes before starting?’

Even with his eyes closed, Woo-jin was thinking about the tasks he had to do that day.

Because he had started so many things, Woo-jin had a lot to think about every day.

‘The basic design plan for Seongsu District was handed over on Friday. I’m supposed to go to the new company building site this afternoon…….’

Woo-jin couldn’t relax, so he got up to make coffee to wake himself up.

He thought a cup of iced coffee would help.

‘By the way, it’s about time I got a call…….’

Woo-jin glanced at his smartphone on the desk. Would Director Jo call today? He probably watched the show last night. A small flutter of excitement went through him.

The call he was waiting for was from Director Jo Yong-hyun.

Of course, Woo-jin could have called first, but that didn’t feel like the best approach.

Since he had already given something important, it was better for the other side to act first.

While Woo-jin was thinking, his smartphone started to vibrate.

Bzzzt! Bzzzt!

Woo-jin put ice in his coffee, placed the cup on the table, and sat down.

He answered the phone.

[CEO Seo! This is Jo Yong-hyun! Is it a good time to talk?]

Jo Yong-hyun’s deep voice showed his excitement.

Woo-jin smiled.

“Yes, Director. I’m available.”

Jo Yong-hyun spoke quickly.

[Haha. I watched the live show yesterday.]

“You mean ?”

[Of course. I watched it with my staff.]

“Yesterday was the weekend, though?”

[We had a beer at a pub.]

“Ah.”

[Everyone enjoyed it. CEO Seo, you looked great on screen, you know?]

“Haha, thank you, Director.”

They exchanged greetings.

Both had a lot to say, but since it was their first call in a while, they didn’t start talking about work right away.

But that didn’t last long.

Jo Yong-hyun got to the point.

[I submitted the proposal as soon as I got to work today.]

“The proposal is……?”

[The business proposal for the land-use change I mentioned.]

“Oh……! That was so fast…….”

[I trusted CEO Seo. Haha. I had everything ready and was waiting.]

“I really appreciate you saying that.”

Woo-jin nodded, very pleased.

Director Jo Yong-hyun had called early, showing that he meant what he said about finishing the paperwork quickly.

Jo Yong-hyun spoke again.

[I really enjoyed the drama clips too. It seems like it will be a really fun drama, just like you said.]

“I’m not just saying this because I’m involved, but the drama will be really successful. You can look forward to it.”

[Haha, of course.]

Jo Yong-hyun laughed.

[So, CEO Seo.]

“Yes, Director.”

[Do you have any videos used in the drama marketing, or a rough idea of the investment needed……? Anything we could use?]

Woo-jin answered right away.

“You said you submitted the proposal…… So you’re going to use it for more reports?”

[Yes, that’s right. I’m confident about this project, but the higher-ups need to check if it will really work.]

“Of course, I have to provide it. I’ll prepare as much as possible.”

[When can we get those materials?]

“I’ll send them by Wednesday at the latest.”

[Thank you.]

While talking to Jo Yong-hyun, Woo-jin wrote notes in a notepad.

Just like at City Hall, Jo Yong-hyun seemed like a good business partner for Woo-jin.

‘It’s not easy to get work done this smoothly.’

Woo-jin smiled more and more as the call went on.

Now, it was Director Jo and Icheon City’s turn to trust Woo-jin.