Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 105

105. What Cannot Be Severed (2)

Who doesn’t know that?

Tae-soo understands perfectly why Park Jung-hwan is acting this way.

Isn’t it obvious he’s trying to curb Tae-soo’s rise as a chaebol [a large South Korean business conglomerate] and keep him under control?

But Tae-soo didn’t give in to the pressure; he admirably defended his pride and earned recognition instead.

“You could have taken the easy way.”

“I never intended to choose the easy path from the start.”

If he had chosen the easy way, he wouldn’t have clashed with Han Cheong-ho.

“Is it stubbornness? Obstinacy? Or pride?”

“I hope you see it as conviction.”

Tae-soo’s resolve is unbreakable.

“Conviction… nothing is easier to break than that.”

Everyone holds a purpose in their heart.

But this world isn’t kind enough to allow one to uphold their convictions.

So, Park Jung-hwan exhaled another puff of smoke.

It was a sigh.

“But nothing shines as brightly as a conviction that has been upheld.”

Tsk, tsk.

Park Jung-hwan flicked his finger to extinguish the cigarette.

“I’ll be watching. To see if you ultimately uphold your conviction, or if the storms of the world break your conviction first.”

As Park Jung-hwan put out his cigarette, Tae-soo handed the lighter back to Cha Ki-beom.

However, Park Jung-hwan raised his hand to stop him.

“Keep it.”

Tae-soo doesn’t smoke.

Yet, why insist on keeping the lighter?

“Let’s use it to light the next cigarette.”

There was another reason for entrusting the lighter to Tae-soo.

“Just once.”

Park Jung-hwan placed his custom-made silver cigarette case in his pocket.

“If there’s something you want to trade for a cigarette, speak up then.”

Tae-soo looked at the silver lighter.

It had the Blue House [the executive office and official residence of the President of South Korea] emblem on it.

“Anything… at all? Regardless of favors or sins?”

“Of course.”

It meant he could ask for any favor, or be forgiven for any wrongdoing, once.

It was like Jang Jun-yong’s golden business card from Geumsan.

No. This was an absolute ruler.

How could it be compared to a mere business card from a company chairman?

“You said you wanted to develop Gangnam [a wealthy district in Seoul], build apartments?”

Tae-soo didn’t expect Park Jung-hwan to bring up the apartment construction first.

“I heard you bought quite a bit of land in Daechi-dong.”

“Yes.”

“Start it.”

It was unexpected.

Originally, it took quite a long time for Cheongil Apartments to get approval for construction.

Even with Han Cheong-ho going around greasing the palms of officials in relevant departments, it wasn’t easy.

But Park Jung-hwan’s one word eliminated all the trouble.

“Consider it the price of the cigarette you lit today.”

It was too expensive for the price of a cigarette.

“It’s a gift for someone who has overcome trials and defended their pride.”

He doesn’t utter a single word of apology for misunderstanding.

He doesn’t show any remorse either.

The supreme leader of a country doesn’t apologize easily.

That was Park Jung-hwan’s pride.

“Thank you.”

Park Jung-hwan turned away first.

Cha Ki-beom followed behind him.

“Don’t expect the same resourcefulness you showed this time in the future.”

Was it praise or a threat?

“Go ahead and pave your own flower path.”

Give & Take.

Even neighborhood thugs didn’t touch the stores if they received protection money; that was the code of conduct.

It meant that since he had paid the protection money, he wouldn’t touch the Taeyang Group for the time being.

“Climb as high as you can. Otherwise, your back will break.”

It sounded like the amount of protection money was going up.

Cha Ki-beom brushed past Tae-soo and muttered quietly.

“Well done.”

It was a curt compliment.

At that moment, a black car sped into the parking lot.

It was Park Tae-jong and Park Cheol-wan, who had come up from Pohang.

“Your Excellency!”

“Tae-jong, you’re late.”

Park Tae-jong spotted Park Jung-hwan and rushed over.

“Good thing. Let’s have a drink together at the Blue House.”

“Yes? Y-Your Excellency. I’m here all the way from Pohang to celebrate the launch of Taeyang Group, just now…”

“Whiskey.”

Park Jung-hwan pinpointed the liquor Park Tae-jong liked.

He was feeling empty after smoking the cigarette.

But Park Tae-jong was flustered.

“I came all this way, so I should at least offer my congratulations…”

“Are you refusing my offer now?”

“…Of course not. It’s been a while, so we should have a drink.”

Without even saying a word of congratulations to Tae-soo, Park Tae-jong was dragged off to the Blue House.

Park Cheol-wan came running with a large office box.

It was a box containing about a dozen rolls of large drawing paper.

“President, no, Chairman! I’ve finished everything you asked for! I’m a little late!”

Park Cheol-wan smiled brightly and held up the box.

Tae-soo was very satisfied.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The completed version came out faster than expected.

Tae-soo’s gaze towards the hardworking Park Cheol-wan was warm.

As Park Jung-hwan left, Lee Chang-won and Noh Il-guk, who had been watching, quickly approached Tae-soo.

“This is perfect timing. We’re scheduled to have a joint briefing this evening anyway.”

Three capable subordinates had been preparing for this in their respective fields under Tae-soo’s instructions.

Today was the day they would show everything they had prepared together in a joint briefing.

“You said we’d have a day off after today’s event…”

“We’ve been working overtime every day because of this…”

“I just came up from Pohang and I’m still feeling motion sickness…”

Tae-soo cut them off.

“We’re busy. The briefing is this evening, and we have limited preparation time.”

Ah, there’s no room to argue.

The three followed Tae-soo with haggard faces.

* * *

Taeyang Heavy Industries, President’s Office.

[That guy who said he’d come to see me off to the front door must have gone all the way to North Korea.]

Rahman looked at the president’s office door with dissatisfaction.

It had already been 10 minutes, but Tae-soo hadn’t returned.

The flies drawn by the smell of oil money were just annoying.

[I hope your King doesn’t misunderstand this matter.]

[How could the harmony between our two countries be ruined by something like this?]

[We will continue to be a country and a company that cooperates with your country for a long time.]

The presidents of the three chaebol companies that attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Cheongil Hotel instead of Taeyang Group.

Samcheong, Lucky Seven, and Korea Petroleum Corporation were groveling before Rahman.

It was a struggle to avoid even a little of the global disaster-level event that the whole world was suffering from: the oil shock.

[I thought the discussion about oil supply was already over.]

That’s true, but Rahman seemed uncomfortable, so this commotion was happening.

They had already been marked once and even received a warning that their oil supply would be cut off.

[I’m tired. I’m going back to the hotel to rest.]

It meant that if they bothered him any more, he wouldn’t be lenient.

The chaebol people wiped their cold sweat.

[Ah, you should. Now that I think about it, we’ve been holding you for too long.]

[You must be tired from the long flight, we were inconsiderate.]

[We’ll see you again next time. Let’s meet again for something better.]

The chaebol people retreated.

But for some reason, Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan didn’t take his butt off the sofa.

[Why are you still here?]

[To escort Rahman to our Geumsan Hotel.]

Jang Jun-yong rubbed his hands together and smiled subtly.

[We have prepared a suite at the Geumsan Hotel. Would you like to have a drink with me? There’s something important I’d like to discuss…]

[I thought I told you that the discussion about oil supply was already over.]

[I haven’t even been able to say a word about the Jubail Industrial Port construction project.]

That was the reason why Rahman specifically came to Korea to find Tae-soo.

To congratulate the launch of Taeyang Group and to talk about the Saudi Jubail Industrial Port construction project.

Rahman tilted his chin slightly and replied sharply.

[Why should I talk to you about the Saudi construction project?]

Rahman was openly saying that he wouldn’t discuss the Saudi Jubail Industrial Port construction project with Jang Jun-yong.

[When I launched an oil tanker to Saudi Arabia, I made a request. That was the Jubail Industrial Port…]

[Tell that directly to His Majesty the King. Not me. I have no intention of talking to you.]

He was as firm as a radish [idiom meaning unyielding].

Geumsan’s Jang Jun-yong could only smile awkwardly at the sharp refusal.

At that moment, the office door opened and Tae-soo entered.

[Rahman, wouldn’t it be possible to talk with the chairman of Geumsan as well?]

It was incomprehensible.

[Why? I only need Kang Tae-soo. I don’t have any reason to be with this guy?]

[I received a proposal for a joint bid first, and I gave my answer.]

[I didn’t move up the Jubail Industrial Port construction project for his benefit.]

Rahman had been working day and night on the Jubail Industrial Port construction project to put it in Tae-soo’s mouth.

He shortened the construction project by a whole year for that reason alone.

He had overcome all the overtime, overwork, and countless difficulties to get here, all for Tae-soo.

It was never to put it in Geumsan’s mouth.

[He is my ally. I hope you can be with us.]

[It’s a $1 billion project. It’s good to eat good things alone.]

Wasn’t that an amount equivalent to half of a country’s national budget?

If a company ate this profit alone, wouldn’t it be natural for it to rush forward?

Rahman looked at Jang Jun-yong with displeasure.

[You can just cut it off. What’s so special about an alliance?]

Tae-soo shook his head.

[Unless they break faith first, I will never abandon them first. We will be together until the end.]

[Don’t be foolishly stubborn. Isn’t a $1 billion project enough to break up?]

It was advice for Tae-soo.

[My faith is not worth just $1 billion. If it was such a shallow faith, I wouldn’t have reached out in the first place.]

“You…”

Geumsan’s Jang Jun-yong was making an impression of being moved.

[Money is not a reason to form or break an alliance.]

[If profit and loss are not important, is there any reason to form an alliance?]

[If profit and loss were important, we could just make a deal. Would there be any need to form an alliance?]

[Then what is the reason you form an alliance?]

[Trust.]

A smile flickered across Rahman’s face.

[Kang Tae-soo, now that I see it, you’re a romantic man.]

Rahman clasped his hands together and leaned forward.

[What loyalty is there in this industry? There are no more futile words than loyalty and trust. You should know that since you’ve seen me.]

Rahman had been abandoned by Han Cheong-ho, whom he had trusted, and had been driven to the brink.

[Isn’t it worth protecting because loyalty and trust are rare?]

Tae-soo held out his hand to Rahman.

[Do you think I am the same as Han Cheong-ho in Rahman’s eyes?]

[Of course not.]

[Do you regret taking my hand?]

[Not at all.]

Rahman took Tae-soo’s hand.

Rahman had no intention of letting go of the tightly clasped hands first.

[I trusted you, so I shared life and death with you.]

They discussed the Middle East war together, built logistics bases together, and shared the joy of completing the highway.

If he didn’t have faith in Kang Tae-soo, he wouldn’t have introduced him to his father, Khalid.

[Did you say there’s no loyalty in this industry? That there are no more futile words than loyalty and trust? Then why are we together?]

[Because… I trust you.]

Rahman couldn’t help but chuckle.

No matter how much he shouted that loyalty was futile, Rahman himself was keeping faith with Tae-soo.

[Just like Rahman, I am the same. So is Chairman Jang of Geumsan. As long as faith is with us, the alliance will go to the end.]

Rahman looked at Jang Jun-yong with strange eyes.

Rahman asked seriously.

[Is this guy a friend too?]

Rahman looked up and down at Jang Jun-yong and asked.

[Surely not a friend at this age?]

No matter how you look at it, he seems to be at least a father or grandfather.

[Even if a friend’s friend is a friend, I’m a little burdened.]

Why wouldn’t he be?

[Friends and allies are clearly different.]

[Isn’t that right?]

Did you see that? Jang Jun-yong, you and I are different.

I am Kang Tae-soo’s friend.

Rahman, who had become elated, leaned back comfortably on the sofa.

[While Rahman is here this time, I would like to introduce you to my allies one by one. They are people who can work together. Shall we go to the Geumsan Hotel?]

Rahman’s eyes lit up.

[Very good.]

A place to introduce the people Kang Tae-soo trusts…

It was worth coming all the way from Saudi Arabia to Korea.