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# Chapter 4 – The Crazy Client
【Passive Skill Upgrade: Hyper-Precision Guide】
Description: Eliminates all errors that occur within the human field of work.
By calculating the material’s molecular-level stability, the minute vibrations of tools, and even the contraction and
expansion of materials caused by changes in temperature and humidity, it reaches the divine realm where work errors
converge to zero.
“What is this?”
Jinwoo’s heart began pounding violently.
No matter how small the margin of error was, furniture restoration was still work performed by humans.
Since it was impossible to eliminate errors entirely, he thought the description was absurd.
‘Let’s test it.’
Jinwoo stood in front of the German-made Powermatic 2000 table saw, holding a piece of Brazilian rosewood, one of the
finest materials left over from the Colt Army restoration.
When he turned on the Powermatic, the heavy sound of its motor filled the workshop.
Just as Jinwoo was about to bring the piece of rosewood close to the saw blade—
Flash!
A hologram appeared before his eyes.
It was a flow line so incredibly precise that it took into account the wood’s growth rings, minute humidity levels, and
even the direction of the fibers inside the material.
Jinwoo held his breath and pushed the piece along the hologram.
His movements were as cautious as those of a craftsman from J.W. Woodworks.
He had always been confident in his cutting abilities, but this was on an entirely different level.
‘What the hell? It’s almost as if… the wood is being sucked in.’
The wood advanced smoothly.
The cut was completed in an instant.
Jinwoo ran his finger over the cut surfaces of the two pieces of rosewood.
The cut was as smooth as glass. When he brought the two pieces back together, they fit perfectly, as though they had
never been separated from a single piece of wood. Not even the slightest refraction of light occurred.
“Wooooah…”
To be honest, Jinwoo believed that he had already reached a certain level as a furniture restorer and that further
technical growth would be difficult.
But the skill he had just acquired was telling him otherwise.
That this was not the end.
That there was a realm beyond it.
‘This is insane.’
His heart pounded like crazy.
I’m in America now.
If you possessed genuine skill, this was a land where the possibilities for receiving proper recognition and growing
were endless. But for those without such abilities, it could become hell itself.
A cold, ruthless land of capitalism.
And here, I had acquired the ability to rise beyond the ceiling.
It felt as though God himself was pushing him from behind.
If there’s something you want to do, go ahead and try everything.
Accomplish whatever you desire.
It felt like he was finally being rewarded for the days he had spent struggling desperately just to survive.
‘Don’t get excited. I need to stay calm, especially at times like this.’
He had already experienced what happened when he became so excited that he failed to see what was around him and ended
up falling into the abyss.
This time, he had to make use of this opportunity and walk the right path.
After sitting in the workshop chair for a moment, he reaffirmed his two goals.
First, perfect revenge.
His ex-wife, Jennifer, and her lawyer, Ryan North.
The money, reputation, and everything belonging to J.W. Woodworks that they had stolen from him.
To repay the humiliation they had inflicted on him, simply making money would not be enough.
He had to crush the false reputation and hypocrisy they had built, then make them collapse miserably through the thing
they valued most: their social influence.
Second, he had to become the best.
He did not merely want to rebuild his workshop. His own name, J.W. Kang, had to become a brand that symbolized
world-class quality and trust.
The social elites of New York, London, and Paris would line up to acquire even one of his works, while his labor fees
would soar beyond imagination, placing him in a position no one could approach.
That had been his dream when he first came to America.
Besides… these two goals were connected as one.
The problem was finding a balance between speed and safety.
There was nothing more foolish than rushing ahead too quickly and falling flat on his face again.
The fastest method that came to mind right away?
Returning to flea markets, finding artifacts like the Colt Army, and selling them.
But… that alone would not be enough to bring Jennifer down.
‘And there’s no guarantee that another jackpot like that will happen.’
An incident where a seller unknowingly put something valuable up for sale at a flea market.
Such things were not common. Repeating the same method over and over again carried far too much risk.
Los Angeles had an active black market for antique artifacts, but it was also a place where the watchful eyes of the IRS
were particularly sharp.
What would happen if one person repeatedly discovered rare artifacts at flea markets and released them into the market?
Naturally, rumors would spread, and that person would become a target.
He was already a foreigner. If that happened, he could be deported from the country immediately.
Furthermore… even if this method allowed him to increase his assets, it would not restore J.W.’s reputation as a
furniture restorer.
That did not mean he would stop using flea markets altogether.
He had no intention of foolishly giving up such a lucrative opportunity.
He would simply use it sparingly, just enough to avoid causing trouble.
He would treat it as insurance to be used in times of emergency.
‘I need to aim for an even bigger jackpot. The fastest, safest, and most certain method.’
Right now, he needed the power and connections to prove himself and protect himself.
If he could obtain those, his current abilities would become like a fish in water—or rather, a whale in the ocean.
In the past, he had been able to approach numerous high-value clients thanks to his ex-wife.
But things were different now.
He had to bring those people under his control through his own strength.
Through this workshop, his newly acquired abilities, and the skills of the carpenter Kang Jinwoo.
He had already decided on the entire process and method.
“Let’s get started.”
Jinwoo sat in front of his laptop and sent emails to famous antique dealers, art curators, and agents throughout Los
Angeles.
He included the location of his new workshop, along with the message that J.W. Woodworks had returned.
A day passed, and he checked the flood of replies.
From: LA Premium Antiques
Unfortunately, we currently have no projects that fit our portfolio. Everyone knows that you lost ownership of your
workshop after your divorce and left Los Angeles. We wish you luck.
From: The Heritage Guild
Mr. J.W. Kang. Entrusting you with a project at this point would pose a risk to our agency’s reputation.
I believe you must first restore your credibility.
From: Christopher Norman’s Assistant
Master Norman currently has a five-year backlog of commissions.
It is good that you are making a fresh start, but you do not fit our portfolio.
“…As expected, the small fry aren’t biting.”
He had anticipated this, but the replies were still cold.
The Los Angeles antique market was small, and rumors spread quickly.
Even if J.W. Works had once been a famous name, that period had been very brief. And the fact that Jinwoo had lost
ownership of his workshop and fallen into ruin was already common knowledge.
On top of that, he was an Asian man without permanent residency.
And his ex-wife, Jennifer, was an influential person who had probably spread rumors about him wherever she pleased.
In other words, he was in the perfect position to be abandoned by stubborn white dealers.
‘It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is getting the one I was aiming for to take the bait.’
There was a commission that suited him perfectly in this situation.
Projects that were so ridiculously demanding and difficult that agencies wanted to dump them somewhere as if they were
unwanted leftovers.
And… if his thoughts were correct, there was exactly one person who would offer such a commission.
Just as he was taking a sip of beer, a notification sound rang from his inbox.
‘It’s here.’
The corners of his mouth curled upward.
The Hill Agency.
Hyenas obsessed with brokerage fees. In other words, they were crazy people who accepted every commission imaginable
without caring whether it was good or bad.
From: Simon Hill, The Hill Agency
Subject: Our Official Response Regarding the Return of J.W. Woodworks
Mr. J.W. Kang,
Your reputation in our industry has suffered considerably because of the incident involving you and Jennifer, and I
believe you are aware of this as well.
However, I know how desperate you were, and we would like to help a talented artist.
Therefore, I would like to propose the following commission for your consideration.
Commission: Restoration of the 18th-Century “Duke of Windsor’s Desk Set” Series
A set of study desks produced in the 1750s.
The drawer handles containing the craftsman’s secret markings and the pin-tail joints must be replicated without causing
any damage.
In particular, the pin-tail sections incorporate the finest craftsman’s “Breathing Joint” technique of the era. The
design is such that even an error of just 0.001 mm will cause the wood to warp.
Repairs must be carried out using original Cuban mahogany, Swietenia mahagoni, harvested in the late seventeenth
century. Please be advised that the client may file a lawsuit if a substitute material is used.
Client: “Phantom”
“What an opportunity, my ass. You hyena bastard.”
He chuckled and clicked his tongue.
Phantom was a major figure in the American luxury market, a super-famous name.
Rumors about him were everywhere. Some said he was a powerful figure in political and business circles, while others
claimed he was a Silicon Valley tycoon.
But most restoration experts avoided his commissions.
Because…
‘That guy is a completely insane perfectionist.’
He was a lunatic who would unleash a torrent of profanity over even the slightest error and file a lawsuit against the
other party for property damage.
There were enough carpenters who had accepted his commissions and ended up closing their workshops to fill an entire
truck.
That was why, when Jinwoo had operated his workshop in the past, even Jennifer had stubbornly refused to accept his
commissions.
And on top of that… this commission was on an even crazier level.
‘Original Cuban mahogany. Interesting.’
Original Cuban mahogany.
After diplomatic relations with Cuba were severed, obtaining the material had become nearly impossible.
With so many demanding conditions attached, nobody would have wanted to accept this commission. The hyenas must have
thrown the bomb at him.
Under normal circumstances, he would have cursed them out and not even given the commission a second glance.
But… for the current him, this was the perfect prey.
‘Because I can satisfy the demands of that insane perfectionist.’
The abilities he had awakened over the past few days.
By using them, he would not only be able to process materials without any margin of error…
He would also be able to fulfill the ridiculous demand for Cuban mahogany.
This was the perfect commission to announce the resurrection of J.W., the genius carpenter who had come from Korea.
Jinwoo began typing on his laptop.
From: J.W. Kang
Subject: Re: Acceptance of the Duke of Windsor Project
Mr. Hill, I accept all of your conditions.
If you entrust this project to me, I will complete the desk set as an immortal work of art.
However, regarding the cost of the Cuban mahogany…
I would like to negotiate a contract in which the cost is included in the labor fee at the price I propose.
Sincerely,
J.W. Kang
After sending the email, he waited for several minutes.
The hyena’s reply arrived almost immediately.
From: Simon Hill, The Hill Agency
Subject: We Have Received Your Reply
I hold J.W. Kang’s unwavering determination and spirit as an artist in high regard.
Along with the contract, we will hand over the desk set to you. Please come to our warehouse by noon next Friday.
We can discuss the details when we meet that day.
“Let’s see… how this turns out.”
A pleasant tension filled him, and the corners of Jinwoo’s mouth lifted into a wide grin.