Return To The Building Owner [EN]: Chapter 696

699

That was the ‘heart of a father’ he was talking about.

He’d initially said he would build the building with the heart of a father.

He wanted to create a neighborhood where his children, and all children, could run and play freely.

Frankly, it was a refreshing shock.

I’d been in this business for over 30 years, but this was a first.

At first, I doubted it, thinking it was nonsense, but once I realized he was serious, my heart was moved.

I wanted to join him.

Until now, I had built buildings to make money, but now I wanted to build buildings with the heart of a father, just like he said.

Of course, that feeling wasn’t as strong as the incentive he mentioned, but it was still somewhat there.

That’s why I focused more on the construction.

Yoon Tae-ho looked at Hyun-sung and then opened his mouth.

“Actually, I wanted to work with you too, Mr. President.”

“With me?”

“Yes, that’s right. At first, when you said you wanted to build the building with the ‘heart of a father,’ I thought it was nonsense, but after realizing you were serious, I started the construction with the same heart as you.”

Yoon Tae-ho looked around the construction site for a moment and then continued.

“I’ve been building buildings for over 30 years, but this is the first time I’ve felt this way. So, I was more dedicated to the construction, and that’s why I was able to finish the demolition quickly. Now, although the first construction work, the demolition, is over, I will continue to work with the same heart as you until this construction is finished.”

He chuckled.

Yoon Tae-ho smiled slightly at the end of his words. Then he immediately continued.

“But no matter what other reasons there are, it’s true that I rushed the construction because of the incentive. I can’t deny that. But as you said, Mr. President, that’s not all of it.”

Hyun-sung nodded.

At first, he thought that he was rushing the construction only because of the incentive he had offered.

But from some point on, he felt something different from him.

He didn’t know exactly what it was, but he had a feeling that there was something else besides the incentive.

But he didn’t know that it was the same feeling as him.

Hyun-sung smiled and said.

“I felt that there was something, but I didn’t know that it was the same feeling as me. I’m grateful that you thought that way.”

“No, I’m more grateful. You are the one who made me, who had never had such thoughts while building so many buildings, feel that way.”

“Whatever the reason, I’m grateful too. And I’m also grateful that you finished the first construction safely without any safety accidents.”

A construction site is always accompanied by safety accidents. But despite the many pieces of equipment that were put in, there wasn’t even a small safety accident.

“I also paid special attention to that part. No matter how well you do the construction, you can’t have a safety accident.”

“Yes, of course. Please continue to pay attention to that part in the future.”

“Don’t worry. As I said at the beginning, safety is the top priority at my site.”

Hyun-sung nodded as if he understood, and then asked again.

“Are you going to start the foundation work tomorrow?”

“Yes, that’s right. We’ll start with the excavation work first. It’s a big project to dig down to the 5th basement floor, so we’ll be busier from tomorrow. And then…….”

Yoon Tae-ho continued to explain the construction schedule. When his explanation was over, Hyun-sung nodded and said immediately.

“The neighborhood will be crazy for a few months, right?”

“Yes, it will be. In order to shorten the construction schedule, work has to be done simultaneously in seven places, so this neighborhood will be chaotic. But don’t worry. We’ve selected only the best teams with a lot of experience, so they’ll all do well.”

“Are you going to work without holidays this time too?”

For the past three weeks, he had been working without a day off, even on Sundays. Hyun-sung is talking about that now.

“Probably. A contract is a race against time, so they’ll work hard. And I’ll also hurry to see the finished work as soon as possible.”

“A work?”

Hyun-sung tilted his head at the word ‘work.’ Usually, they don’t use the word ‘work’ when building a building.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“Did you just say work?”

“Yes, I’m thinking of this construction as a work of art. Until now, I’ve just been building with the mind of simply building a building, but this time it’s different. As I said a little while ago, I’m also going to build the building with the heart of a father. I’m going to mobilize 30 years of know-how to create the best work this time.”

“Ah, that’s what you meant.”

Hyun-sung nodded and immediately smiled.

When he was first introduced to him by Chairman Shin Chun-oh, he heard that he was qualitatively different from other builders. He seemed to know the meaning of that now.

“There was a reason after all.”

“Yes? What reason?”

“Chairman Shin introduced you to me, saying that you are definitely qualitatively different from other builders.”

“Chairman Shin said all sorts of things.”

Yoon Tae-ho scratched the back of his head as if he was embarrassed.

Hyun-sung smiled slightly at the sight.

Yoon Tae-ho said that he had been working in this industry for over 30 years. But he couldn’t help but be more drawn to his appearance of being embarrassed by these words.

Hyun-sung smiled and took out a check from his wallet and handed it to Yoon Tae-ho.

Yoon Tae-ho checked the check and was surprised.

“No, isn’t this a ten million won check?”

“It’s a reward for your hard work. Buy some fried chicken on your way home. Thank you for your hard work without Sundays.”

“Ten million won for fried chicken…….”

Yoon Tae-ho was just dumbfounded.

He had done so many constructions for over 30 years, but this had never happened. Honestly, he had never received even a million won extra.

Who wouldn’t want money?

But he was handing over ten million won as if it was nothing.

He said he was only thirty-one years old.

How could such a person do this?

“Mr. President, this is too much.”

“It’s my way of showing appreciation. So please just accept it.”

The moment he understood what he meant by the word ‘work’ a little while ago, his heart was moved. So he took out the check right away.

“Still, this is…….”

“Instead, I’d like to ask for the best work.”

“The best work?”

“Yes, a space where our children can run and play freely. Of course, the same goes for the park.”

Yoon Tae-ho, who had been thinking for a while, said with a serious expression as if he was determined.

“Yes, I understand. I will do my best to create the best work in my life.”

“Yes, I’ll look forward to it.”

Hyun-sung nodded.

In his head, a wonderful bird’s-eye view hanging on one wall of the office flashed by. It was the appearance of this neighborhood that would change in two years.

***

Hyun-sung, who had parted ways with Yoon Tae-ho, headed to the office.

About a five-minute walk.

Beep-beep!

The phone rang.

Hyun-sung answered the phone right away.

“Hello.”

-Hyun-sung, it’s me.

“Oh? Who is this!”

The person who called was Lee Soo-hyuk. There were three best friends from high school. The three were Lee Jung-woo, Kim Il-soo, and Lee Soo-hyuk.

The last time Hyun-sung talked to Lee Soo-hyuk was four years ago.

The reason why he lost contact with him was because he went into a temple to write after graduating from college.

It wasn’t even a nearby place, but a temple called ‘Muryangsa’ [a remote Buddhist temple] in Goseong, Gangwon-do.

It’s in the deep mountains, so of course, cell phones don’t work. So, he couldn’t contact him even if he wanted to.

“How’s your health?”

The most important thing was his health. He called his parents’ house in the countryside during the holidays, just in case. But even his parents couldn’t get in touch with him. So, Hyun-sung asked about his health first.

-That’s…….

Lee Soo-hyuk couldn’t continue speaking for some reason.

Hyun-sung felt anxious for a moment. Come to think of it, his voice had no strength from the beginning.

Hyun-sung asked right away with an uneasy heart.

“Hey, Lee Soo-hyuk! Where are you now?”

-…… Hospital.

“…….”

Hyun-sung was speechless for a moment at the word hospital.

After a while.

Hyun-sung asked again.

“Where is the hospital?”

-Wonju Christian Hospital.

“Wait, I’ll leave right away.”

Hyun-sung hung up the phone and started running towards the parking lot.

***

Hyun-sung got into the car and called his wife, Yoon Ji-soo, and told her about the situation. His wife also felt sorry for him and told him to be careful.

Vroom!

As soon as he finished talking to his wife, Hyun-sung stepped on the accelerator pedal with all his might.

After a while.

Hyun-sung arrived at the hospital and went straight up to the hospital room.

Lee Soo-hyuk and his mother, Yoo Soo-min, were in the hospital room together. It had been a long time, but Yoo Soo-min recognized Hyun-sung right away.

“Who is this, isn’t it Hyun-sung?”

“Yes, Mother. It’s me. Have you been well?”

After briefly greeting his mother, he looked straight at Lee Soo-hyuk.

“What happened?”

“……That’s how it happened.”

Lee Soo-hyuk’s appearance of barely answering seemed to be seriously ill at first glance.

Lee Soo-hyuk said again.

“Let’s go out to the lounge for a while. There are other people here too…….”

The hospital room was a 6-person room. So, it seemed uncomfortable to talk a lot. Hyun-sung had no choice but to follow Lee Soo-hyuk to the lounge.

“Hey, you. What happened?”

As soon as he arrived at the lounge, Hyun-sung asked first. Then Lee Soo-hyuk just looked out the window and said nothing. Hyun-sung looked at his back. It was his back that seemed so small today for some reason.

He wanted to ask again, but he waited a little longer. It seemed that he had some story to tell.

After a while.

Lee Soo-hyuk turned his head and looked at Hyun-sung and then opened his mouth.

“Who drives down right away like that? Incheon is not exactly close…….”

He just wanted to hear his voice. So he called. But as soon as he answered the phone, he said he would come down and the phone hung up.

At first, he doubted it. Wonju and Incheon were not close, and he didn’t think he would come down here from there.

But two hours later, he appeared in front of him.

“Hey, let’s talk about that later and tell me in detail what happened. What’s wrong with you that you’re even hospitalized?”

“You’re still impatient.”

“Tell me quickly. What’s wrong with you?”

“Head.”

Lee Soo-hyuk turned from the window, sat next to Hyun-sung, and said.

“Head? What’s wrong with your head?”

“Something’s growing in my head.”

“What does that mean? Something’s growing in your head? Don’t say that and tell me in detail.”

“Hmm…….”

Lee Soo-hyuk couldn’t continue speaking.

After a while.

Sniffle.

Hyun-sung immediately turned his gaze and looked at Lee Soo-hyuk. He was crying. Hyun-sung could tell that his condition was more serious than he thought for a moment.

Then Lee Soo-hyuk called Hyun-sung in a low voice.

“Hyun-sung!”

“Oh, yeah.”

“What should I do now?”

Lee Soo-hyuk suddenly covered his head with both hands. Then he shook it from side to side.

Then he continued.

“It’s a tumor. A tumor in my head…… sob.”

“…….”

Hyun-sung had suspected it. He had been uneasy since the word ‘head’ came out a little while ago, but he never thought he would have a tumor.

“Hyun-sung, I’m scared.”

“What did the doctor say?”

“1 year…….”

“What?”

Hyun-sung doubted his ears. What is this bolt from the blue? The guy who went into the temple to write appeared after 4 years and said 1 year?

“Hey, you. What are you talking about? 1 year?”

“The survival period is 1 year. Maybe before that…….”

“Hey, what nonsense are you talking about? What bastard told you that you only have 1 year left?”

Hyun-sung couldn’t believe it. No matter how he thought about it, this was not it. He’s only thirty-one years old now. But the survival period is 1 year…….

“Hyun-sung, I’m so scared. Please save me. Huh?”

“Okay, I got it. Don’t cry, I understand.”

Lee Soo-hyuk was still crying.

Hyun-sung took his hand. It was to check if the healing power he had worked for him too.

In order for the healing power to work, the tumor in his body must be felt first.

He wished it would apply to everyone, but Hyun-sung’s ability was not like that.

There were people who reacted and people who didn’t, depending on the person.

Hyun-sung closed his eyes and began to concentrate.