Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 466

Ten days later.

The construction of the Dullegil trail, initially planned for five days, stretched to ten due to the addition of the performance hall. This new feature significantly impacted the timeline.

While adding chairs was straightforward, building the performance hall was a much larger undertaking.

The hall was designed to accommodate 1,000 people. Securing and preparing the foundation alone took eighty hours, or the equivalent of three days.

Fortunately, the construction site was isolated, allowing us to work through the night using heavy machinery. Without this, the project would have taken even longer.

Once the foundation was complete, the rest of the construction proceeded smoothly, and the lighting was finished within a week.

We were also lucky to have clear weather during the construction. Rain would have further delayed the project.

Despite the challenges, the construction timeframe was relatively short considering the scale of the project.

The primary goal of this construction was simple: to create more space.

We aimed to provide an area where a large number of people could comfortably enjoy nature, relax with tea or coffee, and take a break.

With the addition of one thousand chairs, we now have a total of fifteen hundred. Assuming two people per chair, we can comfortably accommodate three thousand people.

The performance hall also serves as a space for people to enjoy coffee and socialize, comfortably accommodating at least five hundred people.

In total, we can now host three thousand five hundred people simultaneously, with three thousand on chairs and five hundred in the performance hall.

Effectively, we’ve created the largest outdoor cafe in Korea. This is a long-term investment, designed to meet the growing demand for natural spaces over the next 20 to 30 years.

We anticipate peak hours will be between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. during lunchtime.

The buildings from the 1st to the 4th floor can accommodate about 500 people per floor, totaling 2,000 people.

Even if all those people finished their meals at the same time and decided to visit the cafe, there’s plenty of space now. This construction has significantly increased our capacity.

Knock knock.

“Mr. Yoo, you called for me?”

It’s Manager Yoo Min-chul, who oversaw the construction.

Perhaps that’s why Hyun-sung’s voice was particularly warm.

“Welcome! Please, have a seat! Would you like some coffee?”

“Yes? Yes, please. But, Mr. President, your voice sounds a little…”

“Why? Does it sound strange?”

“No, not strange, just… different from usual.”

“Isn’t it obvious? Manager Yoo just completed a huge construction project!”

Hyun-sung handed Yoo Min-chul a cup of coffee.

Yoo Min-chul bowed, seemingly embarrassed, and then said, “Of course, it’s my job…”

“Nonsense. As I always say, nothing is ‘just’ a given. You worked incredibly hard. It’s not just lip service; your dedication this time went above and beyond a sense of duty. It was truly touching.”

Hyun-sung was particularly impressed by Yoo Min-chul’s passion.

He remembered emphasizing the importance of ownership last time – not just working out of obligation, but taking initiative with a sense of personal investment.

This time, Yoo Min-chul seemed determined to prove his commitment, working tirelessly day and night. It was truly remarkable.

During the day, he was naturally present during working hours. But he also consistently appeared at midnight, meticulously checking every task to ensure everything was perfect.

At first, Hyun-sung thought it would only last a few days.

But Yoo Min-chul was consistent. Every night, from the first to the last day of construction, he arrived at midnight and spent two hours inspecting the completed work before leaving.

Even after Hyun-sung told him it wasn’t necessary, his behavior didn’t change for ten days.

How could Hyun-sung not praise him?

“I was more surprised by you, Mr. President,” Yoo Min-chul said, setting down his coffee cup after a sip.

“I only had to check in for a short time, but you were there every night, staying up all night at the site, weren’t you?”

“It was my job to support the team.”

“That’s what you think. I was genuinely surprised. Honestly, how many presidents would come to the site every night, not just during the day?”

“I didn’t do anything special. I just took care of the late-night snacks for the workers.”

That was true. There wasn’t much else he could do on-site. He figured he’d only get in the way if he went around micromanaging, so he decided to handle the late-night snacks from the start.

Yoo Min-chul continued, “It’s almost too much to say, but that was even more amazing.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“I know from experience that most presidents can’t resist supervising when they visit a site. They always want to be involved. But you didn’t do that at all. Instead, you took care of the most important thing: late-night snacks. In fact, that was the key to our success.”

“The key to success?”

“Yes, that’s right. Late-night snacks are crucial for workers, especially those working all night in the cold. You provided great snacks every day, helping them forget the cold. That’s why I say it was the key.”

Yoo Min-chul took another sip of coffee, as if parched, and continued, “Honestly, this construction couldn’t have been completed in ten days without it. Even installing a thousand chairs is no small feat. And the performance hall? It was only possible because of your late-night snacks, Mr. President.”

“Yes? Late-night snacks?”

Hyun-sung was confused, and his voice rose slightly without him realizing it.

Yoo Min-chul smiled and said, “Of course. Honestly, which construction site serves beef to its workers every other day? And not just cheap cuts, but the best cuts.”

“They’re working so hard in the cold.”

“Exactly! Your heart was conveyed. The sincerity you always talk about.”

“Haha, sincerity?”

Hyun-sung laughed. He always believed in the importance of sincerity, but hearing it from Yoo Min-chul made him chuckle.

“So, in the end, beef shortened the construction period?” Hyun-sung asked with a smile.

“Well, not necessarily.”

“Yes? It didn’t?”

“Beef definitely had an impact, but I think it was more about your warm heart being conveyed to the workers, as I said earlier. Even though they’re just making a living with their bodies, they understand people’s true intentions better than anyone else.”

That made sense.

Hyun-sung nodded and said, “So, it’s people’s hearts rather than beef, right?”

“To be more precise, it’s respect.”

“Respect?”

“Yes, the way you thought about those people. Other presidents usually just provide ramen in this situation. Since they’re already paying high labor costs for the night shift, they try to minimize food expenses. But you didn’t do that. You prepared late-night snacks with beef, the most expensive cut. How could they not appreciate that? I’m sure they felt respected as people for the first time in a long time.”

“Ah, yes…”

Hyun-sung nodded again.

Yoo Min-chul wasn’t just saying they ate beef; he was emphasizing that the care and consideration for the workers resonated with them.

“I’m sure the construction period was shortened by at least two days.”

“Two days?”

“Yes, that’s my assessment. In the end, you made a profitable decision. You shortened the construction period by two days with beef.”

“Haha, so that’s how it turns out?”

“Of course. That wasn’t the original intention, but that’s the result. Oh! By the way, why did you call me?”

Yoo Min-chul looked at Hyun-sung and asked.

“There were three reasons,” Hyun-sung replied.

“Three reasons?”

“Yes, one was to thank you for completing the construction safely and quickly, as I mentioned. Thank you for your hard work.”

“I was just doing my job, but I appreciate you saying that,” Yoo Min-chul said, bowing his head.

He knew his salary of 3 million won [approximately $2,500 USD] came with responsibilities, and he felt he was simply fulfilling them. But he was grateful for the acknowledgment and bowed sincerely.

“The second is the issue of safety personnel.”

“Are you talking about the Dullegil trail?”

“Yes. We’re opening the trail tomorrow, and we expect a large number of visitors. The cherry blossoms are in bloom, and the peak will likely be this weekend.”

“I agree. I’m really curious to see how many people use the trail.”

“We expect at least 30,000 people.”

That was a conservative estimate. Last year, the peak attendance was close to 60,000. Hyun-sung anticipated even more this year.

Even if only 50% of them use the Dullegil trail, that’s still 30,000 people.

“30,000 people?”

“That’s the minimum. We could see up to 50,000. It will be crowded all day, which increases the risk of accidents.”

“Ah, so you want to deploy safety personnel?”

“Yes. The safety personnel we hired last time have completed their training, so it’s time to deploy them.”

“Understood. We’ll deploy them starting tomorrow. But how many…”

“Deploy all 100 of them. If it’s not enough, we can hire more from the reserve candidates.”

With so many people, safety is paramount. They had hired and trained 100 safety personnel last winter.

“Okay, I understand. What’s the third thing?”

“This,” Hyun-sung said, handing Yoo Min-chul a piece of A4 paper.

“Oh? Isn’t this the factory site?” Yoo Min-chul asked.

“Yes.”

“You said you were going to start construction here next year, right?”

“The plan has changed. I spoke with Chairman Shin Chun-oh ten days ago…”

Hyun-sung explained his conversation with Chairman Shin Chun-oh in detail. He hadn’t told anyone else, but he trusted Manager Yoo Min-chul with the information about Nongshim’s factory.

Since Manager Yoo Min-chul handled external affairs, he needed to be informed.

After Hyun-sung finished, Yoo Min-chul said, “So, your prediction was correct?”

“Yes. The road condition was the biggest obstacle. We should proceed with the second plan.”

“You mean the wild vegetable factory?”

“Yes, and we should start construction this fall.”

“This fall? That’s fast!” Yoo Min-chul tilted his head. Three years ago, when they secured the factory site, Hyun-sung had said he would build the wild vegetable factory one year after Nongshim’s Shin Ramyun factory. Building it this fall would be two years earlier than planned.

“I delayed it because of the Shin Ramyun factory, but that’s no longer necessary.”

“That makes sense. If Nongshim gives up, we should move quickly. How many buildings are you planning?”

“One building initially, with another depending on sales.”

Yoo Min-chul nodded. “Then we should build a greenhouse first. We need to grow the wild vegetables to operate the factory.”

“That’s why I’m telling you in advance. You’ll be working hard again.”

“What hard work? I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

“Haha, I’m even more grateful to hear that. There’s another reason I’m rushing the factory.”

“Another reason?” Yoo Min-chul asked, curious.

“I’m planning to leave this place soon. I’ll be going to Incheon in three to four years. I’m preparing in advance.”

“…”

Yoo Min-chul was speechless. It didn’t make sense. Even with the safety personnel, there were 1,100 employees. And with the greenhouse and wild vegetable factory, there would be hundreds more.

Leaving all those employees behind seemed impossible.

“I’m going to meet my wife,” Hyun-sung added.

“…”

This was absurd. Yoo Min-chul could only stare at Hyun-sung’s face, dumbfounded.

Then, even more unbelievable words came out of Hyun-sung’s mouth.

469

Becoming a Building Owner after Regression