“It’ll take about two years.”

“For what?”

“To double your salary.”

“…”

“After taxes, I’ll make sure you take home about 10 million won per month. Starting in March, two years from now.”

Woo-jin didn’t toss out vague promises; he gave a concrete figure.

That’s when Jin-tae realized something.

This crazy kid wasn’t joking around.

“You’re not planning to open some random house-building business, are you? Or maybe illegal gambling?”

“Ah, I forgot to mention. Everything I’ll be doing will be 100% legal.”

“What kind of legal work would allow you to pay me that much?”

“That thing you do all the time.”

“What? Carpentry?”

“Exactly. Why else would I want to bring you in?”

“…”

With Jin-tae remaining silent, Woo-jin began speaking again.

Now that he’d cast his fishing line, it was time to throw in some bait.

“I’ve already secured a decent contract with Cheon-ung Construction.”

“…”

“I’ve also scouted out other opportunities aside from Cheon-ung. And most importantly, I’ve arranged funding for self-sufficient operations.”

In architectural offices, “self-sufficient operations” typically referred to buying land, constructing buildings, and selling them directly.

This could range from small multi-unit housing projects on lots spanning just a few dozen pyeong to large buildings on hundreds of pyeong.

Even for smaller projects, at least 500 to 600 million won in cash was required.

Although construction loans could cover 60–90% of the costs, the remaining 10–40% still needed to be paid upfront in cash.

So, when Woo-jin mentioned securing funding, it was only half-true.

In reality, the 500 million won budget he was eyeing wouldn’t be available for a few more months.

Jin-tae spoke up again.

“Were you always this loaded?”

“Hmm, kind of.”

Being rich didn’t necessarily mean having a lot of money. Woo-jin believed that having unique experiences was another kind of wealth.

“Bullshit.”

“What?”

“No way you’re rich. Not in this country. Real rich kids don’t even know how to use sandpaper.”

“Haha.”

Watching Jin-tae crack jokes, perhaps as a way of coping with cognitive dissonance, Woo-jin laughed in good spirits and continued.

From his overall business plans to detailed solutions, Woo-jin’s ideas sounded increasingly absurd.

But Jin-tae just listened.

From the moment Woo-jin had brought up doubling his salary, everything had already felt unrealistic.

“That’s all I can tell you for now.”

“Just to reiterate, I have no reason to lie to you. You know that, right?”

Even after Woo-jin finished speaking, Jin-tae remained quiet.

He was startled by his own emotions.

Logically, this was all absurd.

But listening to this kid talk, it somehow felt possible.

‘It doesn’t make sense, but… it kind of does? Am I drunk?’

Having said everything he intended, Woo-jin casually raised his glass again.

“I’m not asking for an answer right away.”

“Of course not.”

“Just let me know by the third week of April.”

“If that’s not ‘right away,’ then what is?”

“I’m not asking for an answer here and now, am I? Haha.”

Woo-jin didn’t bring up work again.

He knew when to stop.

‘Dragging the conversation out unnecessarily would just make me look desperate.’

Having played his hand, all he could do now was wait for the results.

Even if Jin-tae didn’t agree, there were always alternative plans to pursue.

Switching back to more casual topics, the two chatted for another 30 minutes before leaving the restaurant.

Screech

“Auntie, we’re ready to pay!”

“Alright, coming!”

As Woo-jin paid for the meal, Jin-tae, who had just finished getting dressed, followed behind him.

Approaching Woo-jin, Jin-tae asked in a low voice as if speaking to himself.

“So, what’s the name of your company?”

Hearing the mix of emotions in Jin-tae’s voice, Woo-jin smirked slightly and replied.

“WJ Studio.”

---

The day Woo-jin shared a meal with Jin-tae marked the start of an even busier period for him.

It wasn’t because the contract with Cheon-ung Construction had moved forward immediately.

It took about two weeks after a phone call with Park Kyung-wan for Woo-jin to finally sign the contract.

Woo-jin’s busyness stemmed from preparations to establish WJ Studio as a legitimate business.

Even with Park Kyung-wan’s enthusiastic support and favorable opinions within Cheon-ung Construction,

Woo-jin couldn’t sign the contract while operating out of a workspace that only produced models.

He had to transform it into a proper architectural firm capable of handling interior construction projects.

From administrative paperwork to logistical arrangements, there were many things to address.

‘While I don’t need to worry about carpentry, I have to establish solid connections for other aspects.’

Interior construction typically begins with demolition—removing existing structures to create a blank canvas for new designs.

‘Cheon-ung Construction’s showroom in Cheongdam must have been used as a model house before. We’ll probably have to start with demolition.’

After demolition comes carpentry.

Carpenters set up the framework and structure while simultaneously handling electrical work.

‘I can manage this with a team of five or six people myself.’

Once carpentry and electrical work are complete, the next step is plumbing and other installations.

Plumbing and fire safety systems need to be in place before beginning the final design touches.

Once painting, tiling, and other finishing touches are complete, the interior construction is finished.

‘I’ll oversee the finishing touches as the supervisor, but for demolition, electrical, and plumbing, I need reliable teams.’

Smaller architectural firms rarely employed full-time specialists for all these tasks.

Keeping such a large workforce on payroll would require a substantial budget.

The moment projects dried up, paying their salaries would cost millions, making it unsustainable for most companies.

Woo-jin was no different.

He planned to directly handle the areas he excelled in, such as carpentry and finishing.

For everything else, he sought skilled teams to collaborate with.

“Please, director. I’ll match the labor costs as best as I can. Could you connect me with a reliable team?”

[Alright, I’ll see what I can do. But good teams usually have packed schedules.]

Most of Woo-jin’s industry connections were from his past life.

Years of experience had forged those bonds.

However, he wasn’t without options to leverage those connections now.

With strong relationships in his past life, Woo-jin knew their preferences and habits.

If he approached them step by step while maintaining a professional distance, he could rebuild those connections faster than before.

Among the directors of labor offices Woo-jin remembered, one of them, Kim Jin-tae, was someone he could count on.

It might have been partly due to luck, but things were starting to fall into place.

“Come on, with your skills, getting one team for each part isn’t even a challenge, right?”

[Hah, listen to this kid. Flattery won’t make teams magically appear.]

“Next time, let’s have some grilled intestines and soju with Jin-tae hyung. I know a fantastic place for gopchang and daechang.”

[Hmm… How did you know I like gopchang? Fine. I’ll try my best, but pick a date.]

“If it’s about the construction schedule, we already have it….”

[The date for eating gopchang with Jin-tae, you rascal.]

“Ah, yes…! Of course!”

They say that with a few connections, you can know just about anyone in the world. In that sense, the construction industry in Korea is quite small. A little effort would be enough to reconnect Woo-jin with his previous network.

That’s why Woo-jin planned to use every connection to its fullest potential.

“I’ll use everything I can. There’s still a long way to go.”

Of course, being so busy meant he had to skip some classes. Fortunately, his close classmates covered for him when needed. Though one friend had a unique way of expressing himself.

“Hey, Woo-jin. Today, we learned something amazing.”

“Hmm? You mean from Digital Space Graphics (DSG)?”

“Yeah.”

“Probably just continuing last week’s project. I already finished the assignment last week.”

“Foolish Korean.”

“I’m not foolish.”

“Then bow down before this great Jayden.”

“Did you get indigestion from the pizza at yesterday’s house party or something?”

“You couldn’t even imagine the incredible feature I learned.”

“Really?”

“So, if you’re curious, bow to me right….”

“Not curious.”

“What?”

“I’ll just ask the professor next week.”

“Ugh….”

“Alright, I’m off to grab a bite.”

“Wait! Hold on!”

“What is it?”

“I’ve had a change of heart.”

“…?”

“I’ll graciously tell you without making you bow. This is Jayden’s benevolence toward a poor Korean.”

“….”

Despite the chaotic days, time passed, and soon the appointed date arrived. Right after his morning class, Woo-jin headed to Cheon-ung Construction’s headquarters.

---

“The promotional hall is scheduled to open on May 20.”

“That’s cutting it close.”

“Stop exaggerating. If you do it like you did in Suseo, you’ll have it flipped in three weeks.”

“That’s assuming the designs are ready beforehand.”

The 25th floor of Cheon-ung Construction’s headquarters. Sitting in a reception room overlooking Seoul, Woo-jin was face-to-face with Kyung-wan.

“Haha. I’ve already been nagging the design team.”

“You must’ve worked them hard.”

“Something like that. I heard they’ve been pulling all-nighters for a week straight.”

“Oh no…”

“In any case, the design team will send over the plans by the end of today.”

“Got it.”

“Can I trust you again this time, Director Seo?”

“Director? That gives me chills. Anyway, there’s no need to worry. I won’t let you down, Manager.”

From a marketing team meeting to adjusting opinions with the finance team, Woo-jin didn’t take long to finalize and stamp the subcontract.

The prior coordination had smoothed things out, and Woo-jin didn’t push for more. While he could’ve raised the construction cost a bit, he signed at the price Cheon-ung suggested.

The contract was favorable, thanks to Kyung-wan’s influence, but Woo-jin chose to focus on long-term gains.

“Think long-term. Always.”

There would be plenty of chances to make money later, but building recognition as a new, small-scale company was rare. Woo-jin figured image mattered more than a few extra bucks.

“So, the construction starts on May 1?”

“Yes, Manager. Depending on the situation, we might bring in materials the week before.”

“Well, the second floor will be empty starting April, so let me know. Starting a bit earlier is fine.”

“Haha, thank you.”

After stamping the contract, Woo-jin left Cheon-ung’s headquarters in high spirits.

Ding!

A message confirming the contract completion appeared on his phone.

[Web Message]

[○○Bank] 4/22 14:43
8391001**212
Contract Payment
Electronic Transfer Deposit
35,250,000
Balance 70,142,275

Contract payments are typically 10% of the total project cost. Thus, the 35 million KRW Woo-jin received was also 10%, making the total project worth 350 million KRW.

“This should be enough to pre-order the necessary materials.”

Adding this to the 35 million he earned from the model outsourcing meant Woo-jin now had about 70 million KRW in his account. Though a substantial sum, Woo-jin felt little excitement.

Once he paid Seok-hyun and Jayden’s wages and prepared for construction costs, the balance would quickly drop to near zero.

“Of the 350 million, I’ll save 50 million and pour the rest into this.”

While the exact estimate would depend on the designs, Woo-jin already had a general picture in his head. After all, he had frequently visited the Cheongdam promotional hall since Kyung-wan first mentioned the contract.

“Jin-tae hyung said he’d reply by the end of this week. Things are falling into place.”

Sitting in a corner of the bus, Woo-jin organized his thoughts. His next destination was Munjeong-dong in Songpa-gu. Today wasn’t just the day to finalize his contract with Cheon-ung—it was also the day to reap the seeds he’d sown two months prior.

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