Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 669

The Next Day, Evening.

In a restaurant in Bupyeong, fifty members of the Merchant Association were gathered.

Among them, Hyun-sung appeared particularly nervous, fidgeting with his hands as if trying to shake off the tension.

Then, Lee Se-young, the former chairman, came forward.

“Hello, members,” Lee Se-young began. He explained the purpose of the meeting and the selection of the new chairman.

Time passed, and finally, Hyun-sung’s name was called.

Hyun-sung rose and stepped forward. Lee Se-young continued, “Everyone, this is President Kim Hyun-sung. Though the youngest, he will represent the merchants of this neighborhood and work for our rights, development, and harmony. He has willingly accepted this difficult role. Please give President Kim Hyun-sung a warm round of applause.”

Thunderous applause erupted as Lee Se-young finished.

A moment later, Hyun-sung stepped forward and began to speak with a confident demeanor.

“I would like to greet the members. I am….”

After a brief introduction, Hyun-sung explained how he planned to change the neighborhood and the specific steps he would take.

His explanation was lengthy, the result of two days of preparation.

About thirty minutes passed before Hyun-sung concluded, “If you have any questions, please ask.”

A man in the front row raised his hand. “May I ask one question?”

“Yes, of course!” Hyun-sung nodded, looking directly at the man with an expression of confidence. He was ready for anything, a testament to his thorough preparation.

“After listening to the chairman’s words, I am honestly so surprised and my expectations are so high that I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight. But I have one question. To change this neighborhood as the chairman said, it seems like it would take more than just a few pennies. If it’s not too rude, I was wondering how much money the chairman can afford.”

It was a natural question. An individual was proposing to transform an entire neighborhood, so curiosity about their financial resources was inevitable.

The question about money was natural. As the man said, it wasn’t something that could be solved with just a few pennies.

Hyun-sung answered confidently, “I am thinking about 1 trillion won [approximately $850 million USD].”

“Huh? 1…trillion…won?” The man stammered, overwhelmed by the enormous sum.

“Yes, that’s right. And of course, there is a separate reserve fund.”

“…….” The man simply shook his head, speechless.

After a short pause, another man in the middle raised his hand. “You said you were going to build a mixed-use building. How many floors are you planning?”

“Fifteen floors. The first three floors will be commercial, and the fourth floor and above will be residential.”

“If it’s fifteen floors, the parking lot will have to be quite large. How will you handle that…?”

“I will discuss the details with the architectural office, but I think using up to five basement floors would be sufficient. I am planning to secure up to 120% of the parking space compared to the number of residents, also considering those who come to the commercial area.”

The man nodded, satisfied with the answer.

“Excuse me,” a man in the middle said, raising his hand.

“Yes, please speak.”

“You said you would prevent disputes over noise between floors, but is that really possible?”

“Yes, I have already confirmed that issue with construction experts. The answer was in the construction cost.”

“Construction cost?”

“Yes, they say that if you invest twice the normal construction cost, you can solve the noise problem. That way, our children can run and play freely at home.”

It was a crucial issue, so he had consulted construction experts in advance.

As Hyun-sung continued, people began to murmur. The man who had asked the question then inquired, “If the construction cost is high, doesn’t that mean the sale price will also increase?”

“That won’t happen. The sale price will be set in proportion to other apartments in this neighborhood.”

“So, you’re saying that you will bear that much loss?”

“To be precise, it’s not a loss. To put it simply, I just have to eat less.”

Clap clap clap…….

Someone started clapping, and soon everyone joined in.

It was, in fact, almost unbelievable. What construction company would sell at the same price as other apartments when the construction cost is twice as high? The applause was a natural reaction.

But it was possible because it was Hyun-sung.

A woman in the back raised her hand. “How many buildings will be built?”

“Seven buildings. At first, I was thinking of eleven, but I changed my mind. I will create green spaces in the remaining four building sites.”

“Green spaces? Are you talking about a park?”

“It won’t be a big park, so you can think of it as a mini-park. I will create green spaces between the buildings, about 700 pyeong [approximately 25,000 square feet] each. There will also be a playground for children in that space….”

“Wait a minute!” The woman interrupted. “You just said 700 pyeong, but if you make four mini-parks like that, wouldn’t that be almost 3,000 pyeong [approximately 107,000 square feet]?”

“Yes, that’s right. It will be about that much.”

“You’re saying you’re going to build a park instead of a building in that space?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m thinking. Our children will be able to run and play freely in that space. Of course, it will also be a resting place for the residents.”

“Is that really possible in Korea?”

“I will definitely make it happen!” Hyun-sung’s words were full of conviction.

The woman tilted her head and asked, “And one more thing. You said earlier that your thoughts had changed from the beginning. Is there any particular reason for that?”

“Yes, there is.”

“What is it…?”

“I’m going to be a father in January next year. So, I decided after thinking about how our children would be happy with a father’s heart.”

“So, you’re saying you want to create a new neighborhood with a father’s heart?”

“Yes, that’s exactly it. I want to create a space where all of our children can run and play freely both at home and outside. I think that is ultimately the happiness of all of us.”

Clap clap clap…….

Applause erupted again, louder than before.

“Excuse me,” a woman raised her hand.

“Yes, please speak.”

“I have a question about the daycare center. Are you really going to build a daycare center in every building?”

“Yes, of course. I will create a residential space where you can live without worrying about your children.”

“That’s….”

The woman hesitated and then continued, “For working couples like me, it’s too good, but the problem is whether it can really be maintained. That’s what I’m worried about….”

It was a valid concern. Maintaining a daycare center for the number of households in one building would not be easy.

Hyun-sung answered, “Of course, you will be worried. But if we provide subsidies, that problem can be easily solved.”

“Subsidies? Who? From the country?”

“No. I will give it to you.”

“The president himself?”

“Yes, that’s right. My biggest goal is to completely solve the parking problem and the children’s problems. So, that’s the method I came up with.”

“Wow! This is really amazing. If our neighborhood changes like this….”

The woman stopped talking and spread her hands wide. The people gathered began to murmur, their faces full of anticipation.

“If there are no more questions….”

“Let’s ask one more question,” an elderly man said. He looked to be over 60. “I heard you were going to run a senior center, and I’m curious about how you’re going to run it.”

“I’m thinking of making a 50-pyeong [approximately 1,800 square feet] commercial space on the third floor of each building into a senior center.”

“Hehe, 50 pyeong each….”

“Yes, that should be enough. And I am planning to create conditions for the elderly to work.”

It was one of the problems he had considered.

He had seen it often in his past life: people being considered surplus to society simply because of their age, even though they were capable of working.

“Did you just say conditions where they can work?”

“Yes, that’s right. Of course, they won’t be able to earn a lot of money, but I’m thinking of making it so that they can earn enough for their allowance.”

What they wanted was not just money, but the opportunity to work.

Even though they were physically able, they became mentally exhausted because there was no place to hire them.

This is what Hyun-sung wanted to solve: to give them the opportunity to work.

“Hehe, if that’s the case, there’s nothing more to ask for. Anyway, thank you.”

“Yes, I will work hard to promote it.”

After that, a few more questions followed, and Hyun-sung continued to explain to the best of his ability.

As time went by, the eyes of the people who gathered were definitely changing. The initial doubt was gradually replaced by expectation.

After a while, with no more questions, former chairman Lee Se-young stood up again.

“Okay, okay, it seems like there are no more questions….”

Then, a man in his forties raised his hand.

“Wait a minute.”

“Yes, President Lee, what is it?” Lee Se-young asked. The man looked at Hyun-sung and asked, “When are you going to start?”

“I was originally planning to start in four years, but I’m thinking of moving right away from tomorrow. I’m thinking of starting construction as soon as the talks with the tenants are over. I don’t think the construction period will exceed two years, no matter how late it is.”

“So, you’re saying that it’s possible to move in the year after next?”

“Yes, that’s the plan now.”

“Hmm….”

After hesitating, the man continued, “How about the occupancy rights…?”

“I will give priority to the people here first, then to the people who live in this neighborhood, and finally, I will give the opportunity to outsiders.”

“Thank you. To be honest, it’s embarrassing, but I was personally thinking of moving because the neighborhood was too run down. But now, I don’t think I need to. Anyway, I want to express my gratitude to President Kim for taking the initiative for this neighborhood.”

The man looked around and continued, “Everyone! Let’s give our new chairman a warm round of applause. In a few years, our neighborhood will be the best neighborhood to live in Korea. Come on, everyone! Applause!”

As soon as he finished speaking, applause erupted from all over the place.

After a while, Lee Se-young reached out to Hyun-sung.

“President Kim, thank you. You saved our neighborhood after all.”

Hyun-sung firmly grasped Lee Se-young’s hand. People came up and started shaking hands with him.

That’s how Hyun-sung’s initiation ceremony ended.

Soon after, the food was prepared, and everyone began to eat with happy faces. Drinking, of course, was part of the celebration.

The problem was Hyun-sung. No matter how strong he was at drinking, the amount of alcohol poured for him was considerable.

Time passed, and Hyun-sung’s body began to sway, though his mind remained clear.

Then, former chairman Lee Se-young 벌떡 [suddenly] stood up from his seat.

“Okay, everyone. On such a pleasant day, we can’t not listen to our new chairman’s song, can we? Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right!”

“Okay, President, get up.” Lee Se-young grabbed Hyun-sung’s hand.

Who was Hyun-sung? He had drunk some alcohol and wasn’t one to refuse such a request.

Hyun-sung got up and grabbed the microphone.

“Ah, hello? Before I sing, I would like to say just one thing. Let’s make our neighborhood the best with the thought that we are all one family! Can we do that?”

“Yes!” Everyone answered loudly.

Hyun-sung continued, “Okay, then please enjoy the youngest member’s talent show from now on.”

The accompaniment began, and Hyun-sung’s song began to ring out.

-Ariari Seuri Seuri Arario~~~.

Hyun-sung’s favorite song, Gangwon-do Arirang [a famous Korean folk song from Gangwon Province].

Was it because of the alcohol? Hyun-sung started dancing. That was the beginning. Everyone in the room got up and started dancing.