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# Chapter 3 – Establishing a Base
【Current Balance: $402,150】
I swiped my thumb down the screen of my smartphone banking app.
The refresh icon spun around and then displayed the exact same number again.
Five zeros.
Four hundred thousand dollars.
At today's exchange rate, it was a fortune worth approximately 560 million won.
“Phew...”
The LINE, a business hotel located along Wilshire Boulevard in LA's Koreatown.
Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the distant Hollywood sign, I took a sip of cold canned beer.
The sharp sting of carbonation traveled down my throat.
Just yesterday, I had been cooling myself down in a cheap $40 motel while filling my stomach with tap water. In just one day, I had risen from hell to heaven.
It reminded me of a Japanese manga I used to like.
The kind of story where the protagonist gets dragged into an underground labor camp, makes a miraculous comeback through pachinko, and claws his way back up.
No, my case was even more dramatic.
Because this wasn't simple luck. It was thanks to the awakening of my ability.
I took a large bite of the medium-rare T-bone steak I had ordered through room service and smiled with satisfaction.
‘This isn't a dream.’
I looked down at my palms.
Rough hands covered in calluses.
I had always been confident in furniture restoration, but now its value had reached an entirely different level.
I had gained eyes that could see through the value of old objects.
And I could restore them to an even higher standard.
‘I can climb back up. No, I might even reach the very top.’
The helplessness I had felt when my ex-wife and that bastard of a lawyer took everything from me and kicked me out.
The fear that I could be expelled from America at any moment.
In the place where those feelings had disappeared, a hot and weighty ambition had begun to coil.
With this ability, I might become a billionaire, a multi-billionaire, or perhaps even a trillionaire.
I could rise to the level of a true ‘Master,’ someone I had once regarded as nothing more than a dream.
And maybe, I might even have my own brand.
Of course, that was a story for the distant future.
For now, taking the first step was the priority.
“Now that I have money... I need to equip myself.”
Jinwoo cut off another large piece of steak, put it into his mouth, and opened his laptop.
He logged on to the real estate website LoopNet.
The search conditions were simple.
No noise complaints, access to three-phase power capable of running large machinery, and above all, immediate occupancy.
“Let's see...”
His eyes shone sharply as he scrolled down with an excited heart.
---
The following morning, 10 a.m.
Vernon, an industrial district south of LA packed with factories and logistics warehouses.
The area, lined with plain concrete buildings, was far from glamorous. But for people who made things, it was an ideal location.
Screech— Bang!
As the metal shutter rattled upward with a loud noise, a spacious area emerged through the pale dust.
“Hey, Mr. Kang! Here, here. The conditions are exactly as you requested.”
Sanchez, the Hispanic real estate agent, guided him inside while sweating profusely.
A rectangular space measuring approximately 2,000 square feet.
Oil stains remained scattered across the floor, probably left behind by the previous tenant, who had used the space as an auto repair shop. But none of that was a problem in Jinwoo's eyes.
‘The ceiling height is over five meters... Pass. The floor only needs another epoxy coating.’
Jinwoo slowly walked around the space, estimating the requirements with a professional's eye.
What he liked most was the electrical distribution panel installed along the wall.
The breakers were connected to thick industrial cables. Even if he ran a large table saw, dust collector, and compressor simultaneously, it didn't look like the breakers would trip.
“There are two large fans installed up there for ventilation, too. Perfect for work that produces strong odors. What do you think?”
Sanchez asked while watching his reaction.
Instead of answering, Jinwoo stared into the air.
The ability he had acquired...
He could use it even in moments like this.
【Skill ‘Space Analysis’ activated.】
Flash!
A blue grid unfolded across his field of vision.
Virtual furniture and machinery began appearing inside the empty warehouse.
Near the entrance, a loading area for bringing in materials.
In the center, the main workbench and table saw.
Along the inner wall, a French cleat wall for displaying hand tools.
And at the very back, a finishing booth where dust couldn't be allowed to circulate.
Inside his mind, the workshop was already running, accompanied by the humming of machinery.
‘Perfect.’
The workflow wouldn't become tangled.
It was a layout that could maximize work efficiency.
Jinwoo nodded and turned toward Sanchez.
“You said the monthly rent was $3,500, right?”
“That's right. The security deposit is two months' rent. But as you know, this neighborhood is extremely popular, so it'll be difficult to lower the price.”
Sanchez deliberately put on a pitiful expression.
Jinwoo gave a faint smile, pulled out his checkbook from his back pocket, and scribbled something down.
“For one year.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“I'll pay one year's rent upfront in a lump sum right now. In exchange, set the monthly rent at $3,000. And on the condition that you arrange for a floor-cleaning company to come in sometime this week.”
Sanchez's eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.
Nearly $40,000 in one payment? From this shabbily dressed Asian man?
But the check he held out was clearly genuine, bearing a bank guarantee.
“Oh... Oh my God! Mr. Kang! You really know how to make things happen! Of course! I'll have the floor cleaned so thoroughly that you could practically lick it and see your reflection!”
Sanchez grabbed Jinwoo's hand and shook it enthusiastically.
The deal was complete.
Jinwoo accepted the remote control key for the shutter.
The heavy, cold sensation of the metal.
This was different from his days at J.W. Woodworks, when the shop was registered under Jennifer's name because of his immigration problems, forcing him to constantly watch his step despite it being his own business.
This place was entirely mine.
One hundred percent my kingdom.
“Good. The base camp is secured.”
Now it was time to recruit the soldiers who would fill this empty kingdom.
After that, he went looking for a specialty woodworking machinery store.
He walked straight to the information desk and spoke directly to an employee chewing gum.
“Draw up an estimate for me. Include delivery and installation.”
“Ah, sure. What are you looking for? Something like the Ryobi power drills over in the sale section...”
“Powermatic PM2000 table saw. The five-horsepower model.”
The employee's jaw stopped moving.
Powermatic. The pride of American woodworking machinery, known as the ‘gold standard.’
It wasn't something an amateur woodworker could casually afford.
It was a high-end professional machine costing well over $5,000 per unit.
“And for the band saw, the Laguna 18|BX. For the jointer and planer, give me the eight-inch and twenty-inch models with helical cutterheads.”
The model names pouring from Jinwoo's mouth were all from the most expensive product lines displayed at the very back of the store, in the ‘Professional Zone.’
The employee stared blankly at Jinwoo, having completely forgotten about his gum.
“Um... sir? If you add all of that together, the amount is going to be quite substantial...”
“Keep writing. For the sanders, the entire Festool ROTEX lineup. Match the dust collectors to Festool as well. Oh, and add an XL-sized Domino Jointer.”
Festool, the Mercedes-Benz of the tool industry, combining German engineering at its finest.
Monsters of sanders that cost over a million won each.
In the past, Jinwoo had been too nervous to buy those machines new and could only browse secondhand marketplaces.
Now, he was selecting them as casually as if he were picking snacks at a supermarket.
But he wasn't nervous or tense.
His confidence only grew stronger.
‘This is all an investment in the future.’
He was acquiring the best allies to give wings to the overpowered ability he had obtained.
‘The hand tools should be over there.’
Leaving the dazed employee behind, Jinwoo walked toward the hand tool section.
He spotted Lie-Nielsen planes carefully displayed inside a glass cabinet.
Their beautiful forms, crafted from brass and steel.
Five hundred dollars per plane.
Jinwoo pointed at the display case.
“Everything from here to there. From block planes to jointer planes, give me every size. And that set of Japanese chisels over there, too.”
“W-Wait a moment!”
The store manager came running out as well.
They tried to escort Jinwoo to the VIP room, but he politely declined.
He simply stood in front of the register and took out his card.
“The total comes to $58,000, including delivery and installation. How would you like to arrange the payment plan...”
“Full payment.”
“Ah, understood.”
An answer without hesitation.
The card inserted into the terminal produced a cheerful beep.
“Delivery by tomorrow morning. Cancel it if you're late.”
“Of course! We'll even come at dawn to install everything if necessary! Thank you, sir!”
The manager and employees bowed at a 90-degree angle.
Jinwoo crumpled the receipt, stuffed it into his pocket, and left the store.
He could feel the strange gazes pouring from behind him, but he paid them no attention.
There was still one crucial piece of the puzzle left.
He headed straight to a nearby used car dealership.
He needed a sturdy pair of legs to transport furniture and materials.
“Show me a Ford F-150, no more than five years old, with a clean truck bed.”
“Yes, sir!”
An hour later, Jinwoo sat in the driver's seat of a black Ford pickup truck.
The magnificent roar of the V8 engine vibrated through his seat.
A new workshop, the best equipment, and a reliable truck.
All the preparations were complete.
Three days later, in the evening, the empty warehouse in Vernon had transformed into an entirely different space.
At the center, a Powermatic table saw bearing a golden logo stood proudly.
Along the walls, Lie-Nielsen planes gleamed with a brass-colored shine under the lighting.
The German-made Festool Systainer boxes were stacked in neat rows, resembling a well-organized armory.
Hiss.
Sitting on the edge of the truck bed, Jinwoo opened a can of beer.
The smell of new machinery and the scent of wood filled the workshop.
Everything in this space belonged to me.
I didn't have to worry about anyone else's approval, and I didn't have to fear being thrown out.
My own castle.
“It's unbelievable. Something like this... could be done so easily.”
A laugh escaped his lips.
The workshop he had dreamed of when he first came to America.
He had thought it was a distant dream, wondering how much money he would need to earn to establish a base like this.
When he had received the divorce papers from Jennifer and been thrown out, he had truly believed he would never be able to climb back up.
Yet he had achieved his dream so easily.
Of course.
‘This is only the first step.’
My dream didn't end here.
This was just the beginning, and the place I wanted to reach lay far in the distance.
Besides...
‘It would be nice to see the looks on Jennifer's and that lawyer bastard's faces when they realize they've bitten into something rotten.’
Crack!
Just as he crushed the empty beer can and his lips curled into a mischievous smile...
A blue light shimmered in the air.
───────
【Congratulations! Quest Completed: ‘Foundation for a Comeback’】
【Condition Fulfilled: Secured your own perfect workshop】
【Reward will be issued!】
───────
“Huh?”
My ability... Is there still more to it?
A look of shock appeared on Jinwoo's face.