Golden Print [EN]: Chapter 303

A year felt very long to Woo-jin.

He had traveled all over the world, seeing amazing sights, tasting new foods, and meeting interesting people. Even then, he had a lot of time left of his break.

So, Woo-jin stayed in America, his last stop, for a long time.

America was a vast country with many famous buildings that Woo-jin wanted to see. Because of that, it was the country he stayed in the longest.

Woo-jin sat in his hotel room, thinking.

‘I’ve seen so many tall buildings in America,’ he thought. ‘That was good. But what else can I do? Something I can’t do back in Korea. Something special for this moment. Hmm… something only in America.’

The answer came to him easily.

Woo-jin didn’t know many people in America, so his choices were simple.

‘The LTK headquarters… it must be in Manhattan, right?’

LTK Financial Group, a large international company, was the developer of the Magok MICE project, a big project in Korea that Woo-jin had been in charge of. That was his only real connection to this vast country.

If he had ended up in Europe, things would be different. In Spain, he had friends like Bruno and Mateo. Even without them, he had met many people at conferences. But America? Just LTK.

So, Woo-jin didn’t wait. He picked up his phone and called the Korean branch of LTK, using a private number.

“Hello?”

[Ah, Director Seo! Haha, what brings you here? How are you?]

Woo-jin had been directly managing the Magok MICE project until just before he left Korea.

Therefore, he was quite close to some of the employees.

Among them was Director Yoon Sang-jin, the general director of the MICE complex project. It was his personal number that Woo-jin had called.

“I’m doing well, of course. I’ve been relaxing for almost a year now, you know.”

[Haha, I’m really envious. I’d like to take a long break like you, Director.]

Woo-jin called Director Yoon not only because he was the highest-ranking LTK employee he was friendly with, but also for another reason.

“By the way, Director, it seems you’re in Korea now?”

[Ah, yes. I’m scheduled to leave the country soon, but is there something you need?]

The Magok MICE project was one of the largest projects within the LTK Group, ranking in the top three.

Therefore, Director Yoon Sang-jin, who oversaw this project in Korea, often visited the LTK headquarters in America.

Moreover, Woo-jin knew that Yoon Sang-jin was a talented financier who had worked at the LTK headquarters for over ten years.

There was even talk that if he successfully completed the MICE project and returned, he would be given a Director position at headquarters.

Someone like Sang-jin would certainly have many connections in America, so he was the first person Woo-jin, staying in America, thought to contact.

“Ah, it’s nothing much… I’m in Manhattan.”

[Oh…! What brings you to America? Which state are you in?]

When he called Sang-jin, Woo-jin was staying in California, but he told a small lie.

“I’m in Manhattan.”

[Oh! Really? How long will you be staying?]

“I’ll be here for at least two weeks. I was wondering if you might be at headquarters, so I called… it connected via international call. Haha.”

Director Yoon Sang-jin flew to America at least twice a month.

So, two weeks was enough time for him to come to America at least once.

And Woo-jin’s guess was right.

[I’m leaving the day after tomorrow, Director. It’s a business trip for about a week.]

“Oh! Really?”

[If you have time, Director, would you like to have a cup of coffee around that time?]

“I’d love to. I don’t have any connections in America, so I was feeling quite lonely.”

[Haha, it’ll be nice to see you again, Director.]

They weren’t particularly close when they were in Korea, but when you have the chance to meet someone from your country abroad, you feel more welcome and friendly.

Moreover, both of them were quite sociable, so the meeting was easily arranged.

[Our headquarters is at 22 Wall Street.]

“Oh, I see.”

[There’s a nice coffee shop nearby, so I’ll mark it on Google Maps for you.]

“Thank you, Director. Then I’ll see you next week.”

[Yes, Director!]

Becoming closer to Yoon Sang-jin, a capable person, would somehow be helpful to Woo-jin, but that wasn’t Woo-jin’s only goal.

‘If I can connect with ALuna through Director Yoon, I might be able to tap into the American design industry network….’

The connections to ALuna, one of the world’s best design groups, were what Woo-jin wanted most.

“Well, shall I book a plane ticket first….”

After hanging up the phone with Yoon Sang-jin, Woo-jin immediately booked a flight to Manhattan and secured accommodation.

“If I’m lucky, I might be able to spend the remaining time really productively….”

But even at this moment, Woo-jin couldn’t have known what kind of results this sudden decision to go to Manhattan would bring.

The plane landed in New York. Stepping out into the busy Manhattan air, Woo-jin felt a rush of energy. Yellow taxis zoomed past, horns honking. Towering buildings scraped the sky. He had only just arrived, but already, something unexpected was happening.

“Director! Over here.”

“Haha, Director! It’s been a long time. Almost a year!”

On that very day, when he met Yoon Sang-jin on Wall Street…

“But, who is this person here….”

“Nice to meet you, Director Seo Woo-jin. My name is Jo Jin-cheol, and I work at JK Financial Group.”

“Haha, you’re surprised, aren’t you? This friend of mine insisted so much….”

Woo-jin, who had come to Manhattan hoping to connect with ALuna, had gained other unexpected connections.

“He works near here, and he’s been a friend of mine for a long time. He insisted on coming along, saying he’s a fan of Director Seo Woo-jin….”

And this meeting was the start of yet another series of butterfly effects.

Jo Jin-cheol, who was said to be Director Yoon’s friend, was also an executive at JK Financial Group, another large international company.

They seemed to be the same age, which meant Jo Jin-cheol was also in his late 40s.

‘An executive at an international financial firm at this age… they’re really amazing people,’ Woo-jin thought.

Woo-jin didn’t know much about the financial industry, but he knew that it was more competitive than any other.

Especially an international financial firm on Wall Street.

That meant the competition was against countless talented people from all over the world.

“My daughter, actually, dreams of being a designer.”

“How old is your daughter…?”

“She entered high school this year.”

“Haha. It’s the perfect time to start studying design.”

“She’s been going to art classes since middle school. Haha.”

Jo Jin-cheol said that he hadn’t known about Seo Woo-jin for very long.

Unlike Yoon Sang-jin, who stayed in Korea longer, Jo Jin-cheol had been living in America for almost ten years.

Seo Woo-jin was a name known across Korea, especially in the world of architecture. His innovative designs had reshaped city skylines, earning him awards and accolades. But for Woo-jin himself, fame felt like a distant echo, something that existed outside his quiet, everyday life.

Not for his daughter, though. For her, Woo-jin wasn’t just Dad; he was a design god. She dreamed of following in his footsteps, her sketchbook filled with ambitious building designs inspired by his work. “Dad, you’re amazing!” she’d often exclaim, her eyes wide with admiration.

This admiration had sparked a curiosity in Jo Jin-cheol, a powerful executive at JK Financial who was considering expanding into Korea. He’d heard whispers of Woo-jin’s brilliance and decided to investigate. The more Jin-cheol delved into the world of Seo Woo-jin, the more impressed he became. He spent hours online, scrolling through articles and images of Woo-jin’s stunning creations, a growing sense of awe building within him.

Jin-cheol knew little about design, but he could easily recognize the brilliance of WJ Studio, the company Woo-jin had founded as a university student.

And so, Jin-cheol became a true fan of Woo-jin.

When he learned that Sang-jin was working with Woo-jin, he immediately wanted an introduction.

He was currently in Manhattan, but with JK Financial’s planned expansion into the Korean market, he intended to relocate to Seoul.

Then, this opportunity arose.

“You’re giving me too much praise, I’m a little embarrassed. Haha.”

“Haha, well, it’s all deserved praise!”

At Sang-jin’s comment, Jin-cheol nodded and added.

“That’s right. We were just job seekers at your age, Mr. Seo. Haha.”

So, instead of just coffee, Woo-jin found himself having dinner and drinks with the two of them.

It was quite different from the original plan, but all three of them had a very enjoyable time.

Even though they worked in different fields, they were all experts in their own areas.

And they all enjoyed sharing their in-depth knowledge and experiences.

“So, Director Cho, are you coming to Korea soon?”

“Perhaps. It will take more than a year… I want to return home, and if a Korean branch is newly established, one of the executives will have to go.”

“Ah. I see that there are no Koreans other than you among the JK executives.”

“That’s right. There is one Korean senior, but he was born and raised in the United States, so he is practically American.”

At Jo Jin-cheol’s explanation, Yoon Sang-jin added.

“So, if this friend does well, he might come in as the head of the Korean branch. As you just heard, there is no one else in JK who can do it besides this friend.”

“Wow…! If you’re a branch manager, isn’t that like a president in a Korean company?”

“That’s right.”

“Haha, it’s a bit embarrassing to be called a president. The branch that is being created for the first time isn’t that big.”

So, in the drinking party where various stories were shared late into the night, this topic also came up.

“By the way, CEO Seo.”

“Yes, Director Cho.”

“Have you completely taken your hands off the company lately?”

“Well, yes. Thanks to that, someone must be suffering a lot… Haha. My sabbatical ends in a month.”

“Then you will return to the company around September.”

“Yes, that’s right. But why…?”

Jo Jin-cheol, who was fascinated by Woo-jin’s personality and the depth of his architectural design knowledge, made an unexpected proposal.

“Actually, our headquarters has purchased a site in the Yeouido financial district, the heart of Seoul’s business world.”

“A building site?”

“That’s right. At first, I was thinking of renting, but a good site came out at a reasonable price, so I bought it.”

“Oh, you did a good job. If it’s Yeouido, there will be enough investment value.”

Woo-jin, hearing this, couldn’t help but have his eyes sparkle. He knew exactly what was coming next.

“If you have time next week, could you come to our headquarters?”

Woo-jin couldn’t help but be quite surprised.

“Headquarters?”

Jo Jin-cheol was being more active and direct than Woo-jin had expected.

“If possible, I would like CEO Seo to design our Korean branch office building.”

“So that’s… how it happened.”

Kyung-wan, who had been listening to Woo-jin’s explanation, shook his head with an absurd expression.

“No… You are so lucky!”

“I just made it up.”

“And lucky? Isn’t this all proof that I was always thinking about the company even during my sabbatical?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Woo-jin hadn’t gone to work yet.

Kyung-wan had barged in on Woo-jin who was resting at home.

After receiving an amazing phone call from the planning director, Kyung-wan immediately called Woo-jin.

Kyung-wan, who found out that Woo-jin was in Korea, came to his house without notice. They were at a beer house on the second floor of the residential-commercial complex where Woo-jin lived.

“Anyway, you should have given me a heads-up if something like this happened.”

“I was going to tell you anyway. I didn’t know the call would come so quickly.”

“If you had told me a little sooner, our kids wouldn’t have had such a hard time.”

“What hard time?”

“Do you know how much blood and sweat they shed preparing the proposal?”

“I’m a little sorry about that… I didn’t know the company was preparing.”

“What?”

“I just went to the headquarters that day and showed Director Cho my portfolio, and then things progressed so rapidly that I ended up signing the contract.”

Kyung-wan was speechless for a moment, perhaps because he was so embarrassed.

In the end, the two could only look at each other and burst into laughter.

Kyung-wan, who met Woo-jin’s eyes again, shook his head and joked.

“Hoo… How can I say anything to the CEO?”

“Well, isn’t it all for the best? Haha.”

The two, who had met after a long time, started talking excitedly as they enjoyed their beer.

‘Seo Woo-jin is making a comeback in a very unique way.’

It was a sudden visit, and it was the first time Woo-jin had seen him since he came to Korea. It was a time to catch up.

When the story about the JK Financial Group’s headquarters was over, the subject moved back to Woo-jin’s travel stories.

From the story of how he first went to Hong Kong to Woo-jin’s very exciting travel stories.

But Kyung-wan, who was listening to Woo-jin’s travel story, couldn’t help but be more and more shocked.

“Were you… really traveling?”

There were many absurd stories, as much as the story of going to the JK Group headquarters.