Kim Ji-Hoon was a well-known figure in the industry.

He was an outstanding craftsman, so skilled that many carpenters lined up to become his apprentices.

Moreover, he had spent about ten years working at Chunwoong Construction, the company currently in charge of building this site.

Thus, the moment Woo-jin mentioned his name, it was only natural for Kyung-wan’s attitude to change.

Kyung-wan himself had worked with Ji-Hoon before.

If Woo-jin had properly learned from him for a few years, he could even surpass carpenters with 5 to 10 years of experience.

Noticing this shift in Kyung-wan’s demeanor, Woo-jin waited for his response with a sly smile.

‘Well, I didn’t tell a lie, after all.’

In fact, Kim Ji-Hoon had been Woo-jin’s mentor in his past life.

They had worked together at construction sites for nearly five years.

Among all the carpenters Woo-jin had met, Ji-Hoon was one of the top three in terms of skill.

Of course, in this life, Woo-jin hadn’t even crossed paths with him yet, but that wasn’t a big issue.

Ji-Hoon was likely still abroad, so verifying the truth wasn’t an option for Kyung-wan anyway.

‘When exactly is the team leader returning? I need to make sure to visit him then.’

While Woo-jin briefly reminisced about his past life, Kyung-wan seemed to have finished his thoughts.

He spoke again slowly.

“If what you’re saying is true… there’s no reason not to give you a chance just because you’re young.”

Hearing this, Woo-jin nodded in agreement.

“It would be foolish to lie about something that would be exposed in half a day—no, in thirty minutes.”

“Hmm.”

“Team Leader Kim is currently overseas, so it’ll be hard to verify with him. But then again, does it even need verification?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“At the end of the day, as long as the work gets done well, isn’t that all that matters on-site?”

“……”

Woo-jin’s tone had a peculiar quality.

He openly acknowledged the difficulty of verifying his claim while simultaneously presenting compelling points that resonated with Kyung-wan.

‘Right. I didn’t even know Team Leader Kim was abroad, so for him to know that much… he must have some personal connection with him.’

Using knowledge from his past life, Woo-jin subtly validated his alleged relationship with Team Leader Kim.

At the same time, he reiterated his confidence in his abilities.

By this point, Kyung-wan had little reason to refuse.

‘Well, he even said I wouldn’t have to pay him if I don’t like his work. There’s no risk here.’

After pondering for a moment, Kyung-wan nodded and replied.

“Alright. If you’re that confident…”

He powered on the laptop sitting on the table and gestured for Woo-jin to take a seat.

“Let’s get started right away. I’ll call the site manager. We’re in a bit of a rush, after all.”

Woo-jin sat across from him without hesitation.

“Sounds good. Oh, and feel free to drop the formalities, Manager.”

Now that the groundwork was laid, it was time for Woo-jin to prove himself.

---

Woo-jin had already grasped the situation at the first-floor construction site in detail.

Even before the job posting went up, he knew they would be recruiting an interior carpenter.

‘Eventually, they’ll be so shorthanded they’ll even pull in framing carpenters for the interior work. I can see the situation without even being there.’

Woo-jin had come prepared.

With his skills and experience honed in his past life, combined with his foreknowledge of the Suseo site, he was determined to make an impression that would shock Kyung-wan.

And, of course, this was part of a bigger plan.

While the pay would be nice, it was only a secondary benefit.

The real goal was to build a reputation in the industry earlier and faster than he had in his past life.

Ultimately, Woo-jin dreamed of becoming an architectural designer, but he knew that field connections and infrastructure were invaluable.

Everything he was doing now would serve as a foundation for his future aspirations.

“Do you have the SketchUp files ready?”

“There are some perspective drawings printed, but we don’t have the 3D files.”

“Looks like the modeling files weren’t provided by the contractor.”

“That’s typical.”

“So, we’ll have to work off the blueprints alone…”

Woo-jin’s eyes glinted slightly.

“It looks like I’m the only one assigned to the task so far. Would it be alright if I start by creating a basic model?”

The site manager blinked in surprise.

“Modeling? You’ll do it yourself?”

“I’ll need a SketchUp file we can reference directly on-site.”

“Well, that would be great, but…”

“It won’t take long. Give me about five or six hours.”

“There’s no additional pay for modeling. You’re aware of that, right?”

“Of course. This is just for my convenience. But you’ll still cover my day’s wages, right?”

“Of course.”

As the conversation unfolded, Kyung-wan, who was listening nearby, was astonished.

The “basic SketchUp skills” listed as a condition in the job posting didn’t imply the ability to create detailed models from scratch.

In most cases, on-site SketchUp usage involved opening pre-made 3D files to check dimensions.

‘This guy better not just be all talk.’

With growing curiosity, Kyung-wan observed Woo-jin as he got to work.

---

The program Woo-jin had mentioned, SketchUp, was a 3D modeling tool primarily used for designing spaces.

Among 3D tools, it was one of the lightest and simplest to use.

You could think of it as the “MS Paint” of the 3D modeling world.

In his past life, Woo-jin had extensively used SketchUp.

When done well, SketchUp models could serve almost like 3D blueprints on construction sites.

‘Instead of spending time poring over floor plans and elevations, you can check dimensions with just a few clicks.’

Despite its utility, however, finding skilled SketchUp users among construction workers was rare.

Although it was the simplest of 3D tools, it still required effort to master.

‘Even after 20 years in woodworking, many people can’t handle CAD. So, this isn’t surprising.’

Woo-jin’s proficiency in SketchUp stemmed from his unique circumstances.

He was a rare breed who clung to his dream of becoming a designer even after more than a decade of on-site work.

For architectural designers, 3D modeling skills weren’t just an option; they had become an essential qualification over time.

Woo-jin had no choice but to desperately cling to SketchUp, as it was one of the few tools he could self-study effectively.

‘In hindsight, it was a great decision to learn it so diligently. I’ve made good use of it in many ways… and it seems like I’ll continue to do so now.’

Skillfully opening SketchUp, Woo-jin quickly imported the site blueprint files he had received from the field operator into the program.

What Woo-jin was doing now was turning the site blueprints, drawn on a flat surface, into a 3D representation in virtual space.

Since the purpose of the modeling was for construction use, there was no need for detailed texturing or the modeling of small items.

His objective was simply to accurately model the dimensions and locations of major structures necessary for interior work in 3D.

Click-click.

As Woo-jin focused intensely, almost as if he was being sucked into the monitor, the person next to him, Gyeong-wan, couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement.

‘Is he a modeler rather than a carpenter? What kind of carpenter is this skilled with SketchUp?’

As someone responsible for overseeing the site, Gyeong-wan had extensive field experience and knowledge.

Though he didn’t know how to use SketchUp himself, he was sharp enough to understand what Woo-jin was doing.

‘Did he install motors in his fingers or what…?’

However, that didn’t completely erase Gyeong-wan’s doubts about Woo-jin.

After all, what was needed on the site wasn’t modeling skills but carpentry skills, and Woo-jin’s carpentry abilities had yet to be proven.

‘I hope his carpentry skills are as good as his SketchUp skills….’

But Gyeong-wan’s concern turned out to be completely unfounded.

If Woo-jin’s modeling skills were one of his weapons, then carpentry was essentially his life.

The day after Woo-jin appeared at the office, the carpentry team was officially set up.

Exactly one week later:

“Woo-jin, would you consider working a few more months with us?”

“Why? The carpentry work is already finished, and I even moved up the schedule by two days.”

“Cheonwoong Construction doesn’t only have this site, you know? Starting from the next site, we’ll adjust your pay to a foreman level.”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“I have to go to school.”

“……”

The suspicion that had once filled Gyeong-wan’s gaze toward Woo-jin had now transformed into a look of earnest pleading.

---

Cheonwoong Construction’s management team leader, Jun-min, had been running around all day, exhausting himself to secure workers for the site.

He had mobilized every connection he had to recruit skilled labor.

In the end, Jun-min managed to gather a fair number of workers.

The problem, however, was that none of them were verified experts.

‘Sigh. Not having a foreman-level director is a major blow, but… if it comes to it, I’ll just have to borrow help from other teams.’

After exhausting every option and working until late into the night, Jun-min arrived at the site the next day with a “whatever happens, happens” mindset.

Arriving late due to having taken a half-day off after his long night, Jun-min was stunned as soon as he got to the site.

The first-floor interior work, which shouldn’t even have started yet, was already in progress with tools buzzing away.

‘What the…? Did the manager find someone on his own?’

Tilting his head in confusion, Jun-min soon felt a sense of relief spread across his face.

Judging by the speed of the work, it seemed like the site had successfully recruited skilled labor.

If that were the case, much of the burden on him would be lifted.

“Manager!”

“Oh, Jun-min, you’re here?”

Seeing the brighter expression on Park Gyeong-wan’s face, Jun-min was nearly certain of it.

The tangled situation must have been resolved.

“They’ve started the interior carpentry on the first floor…”

“Did you see?”

“How on earth did you find the workers? Foreman-level experts were basically nonexistent!”

“You think I made it to manager by playing go-stop? I’ve got my ways.”

Gyeong-wan, sitting proudly on the sofa by the window, chuckled.

Watching him from across the room, Jun-min let out a sigh of relief.

‘Fine. As long as the schedule is on track, that’s all that matters.’

Jun-min shook his head slightly and glanced out the window.

From the management office, the entire first-floor site was visible.

Curious, he took another look to check the site’s progress.

But in the next moment, Jun-min furrowed his brow.

“Wait a second.”

“What?”

“Why are there only three people?”

No matter how hard he looked, there were only three workers on-site.

“Well, because there are only three people working.”

“……?”

What made it even more bewildering was:

“Who is that?”

“What do you mean, that?”

“That guy dragging around the compressor. The bald one.”

The young man pulling a heavy air compressor while giving orders to the workers looked way too young to be in charge.

Understanding Jun-min’s confusion, Gyeong-wan let out a dry laugh.

“Hah, haha.”

Taking a sip of his tea, Gyeong-wan slowly spoke again.

“You should stop calling him baldy.”

“What?”

“That kid might just be our savior.”

Hearing this, Jun-min’s expression grew even more incredulous as he turned back to look at the site.

However, it didn’t take long for his disbelief to morph into shock.

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