Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 111

111. The Future Has Changed (3)

The inside of the plane was filled with sprawled-out people.

It was because everyone was heading to Saudi Arabia together on Rahman’s private jet.

Rahman clutched his aching stomach and groaned.

[I don’t think brandy is my thing.]

He was still hungover.

So was Tae-soo.

[I’m never drinking with Geumsan again. Whether it’s for comfort or celebration, there will be no more.]

They had been drinking brandy straight until dawn.

Now, they were on a plane without even having had hangover soup [a Korean soup often eaten as a cure for hangovers].

Next to them was a cluster of people reeking of alcohol.

The three musketeers from the Taeyang Group were also on board.

“Ugh, my stomach is killing me. You could have at least given me a heads-up about the briefing in Saudi Arabia.”

“Did you think this was that kind of briefing? I thought we’d get a day off after the briefing.”

“Turns out the day off was just the flight.”

Caught up in the chaos, Kim Woo-jin clutched his head.

His skull felt like it was splitting from the hangover.

“No, why me…? How did this even happen…?”

Jang Mal-dong abruptly handed Kim Woo-jin his passport.

At the airport, no less.

-How did you get this! Isn’t this illegal entry?

-You, the homeowner, opened the door and brought it yourself. Don’t you remember? How else would I have gotten your passport?

-But why am I at the airport?

-You said you couldn’t live comfortably here because of the debt collectors, right? You wanted to follow us to Saudi Arabia, right? You said you’d work hard, so help you, right? Don’t you remember any of that?

-My drinking habits cause blackouts…

-If you knew you blacked out, you should have stopped drinking. Just because you black out doesn’t mean you should lose your mind too, does it?

-…

-Why are you even arguing with me when you don’t remember anything? Shouldn’t you be apologizing first?

-…I’m sorry.

Next to Jang Mal-dong was Ahn Jung-woo.

The two of them were going to Saudi Arabia to push forward with the business they had proposed to Rahman.

Song So-ri was beaming, having bought a ton of Korean food ingredients.

“Koreans need to eat Korean food to live, after all.”

She had realized this deeply this time.

Korean food was the best.

* * *

As soon as they got off the plane, unexpected news was delivered.

Song Chang-joon, who had been waiting at the airport, shared news from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“There’s been a huge incident in Korea. The President was attacked, and the First Lady was killed on the spot.”

The group couldn’t hide their shocked expressions.

“What? When did this happen?”

“The tragedy occurred at the 8.15 Liberation Day celebration held at the National Theater in Seoul.”

Around 10:10 AM on August 15, 1974.

It happened while Park Jung-hwan was reading the commemorative address.

Since it was being broadcast live on television and radio nationwide, the shock was indescribable.

“Who would do such a daring thing?”

“The perpetrator was caught on the spot. A Korean resident of Japan…”

Everyone’s faces hardened as they listened to Song Chang-joon’s explanation.

‘The same thing that happened in my past life has occurred. I told Ahn Jung-woo to stop, but…’

Tae-soo quickly looked at Ahn Jung-woo.

“The thing I told you to stop doing back then, did you continue with it?”

“What thing?”

“When you asked me to take care of your daughter in Saudi Arabia.”

“You mean the thing where you dissuaded me from contacting Moon Se-gi.”

Ahn Jung-woo nodded.

“I followed your advice because he’s a dangerous guy. I gave up on that completely.”

Tae-soo pondered.

‘In my past life, Ahn Jung-woo was revealed to be behind the attempt to assassinate Park Jung-hwan, which ended with the First Lady’s death? How did this happen?’

Ahn Jung-woo was born into a family of hardcore independence activists and lived in the shadows his entire life.

Ahn Jung-woo committed three major daring crimes.

First, the attempted assassination of Park Jung-hwan, being the mastermind behind Moon Se-gi, who killed the First Lady.

Second, the successful assassination of Park Jung-hwan, being the mastermind behind Kim Jae-guk in the 10.26 Incident [the assassination of South Korean President Park Chung-hee on October 26, 1979].

Third, the attempted assassination of Chun Doo-ho, being the mastermind behind the attempted bombing of the Cheongil Group headquarters building.

Among them, the bombing of the Cheongil Group headquarters.

That was why Tae-soo set a trap to catch Ahn Jung-woo.

Ahn Jung-woo planted a bomb in the Cheongil headquarters and, taking advantage of the chaos, stole Cheongil Group’s confidential documents.

‘Han-soo and I caught Ahn Jung-woo together and handed him over to the National Security Planning Agency [South Korean intelligence agency, now known as the National Intelligence Service]. Han-soo rose to fame as a hero of the NSP because of that.’

That’s why Tae-soo advised Ahn Jung-woo to ‘stop because the plan was exposed.’

But Ahn Jung-woo says he quit that plan.

However, the First Lady’s death still occurred.

“May I ask why you met Moon Se-gi back then?”

“Moon Se-gi was planning a bombing in Japan to urge an investigation into the truth about the Kim Dae-joon National Assemblyman abduction [referring to the kidnapping of South Korean politician Kim Dae-jung in 1973]. I tried to contact him to stop it.”

Oops, I misjudged.

“Then the attempted assassination of President Park Jung-hwan has nothing to do with it…?”

“What are you talking about? No matter how daring I am, there’s no reason for me to do something like that. Now that I’ve come into the light, I’m using methods that suit it.”

Banks, security services, and even a Saudi arms factory.

Ahn Jung-woo was steadily moving from the shadows into the light, increasing his power.

‘Then who is it?’

The Cheongil’s top-secret documents clearly stated Ahn Jung-woo…

‘Was Cheongil’s information manipulated? Or is it because the future has changed?’

There have been several circumstances in the meantime.

The information from Cheongil that Tae-soo believed in fundamentally had something off about it in some important areas.

‘Only the parts related to Han Cheong-ho are off.’

Could it be that Ahn Jung-woo was framed, or has the future changed after meeting Tae-soo?

But Song Chang-joon shared another unexpected piece of news.

“The King of Saudi Arabia was also assassinated on the same day.”

This can’t be.

The assassination of the Saudi King takes place in March 1975.

Unlike in my past life, it’s been moved up by nearly seven months.

As a result, the next King of Saudi Arabia will be Khalid, who was the Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia.

“The Saudi royal family has become a battlefield. A total of 12 Saudi royals were killed and injured near the King when he was assassinated.”

Completely different from my past life.

In my past life, I heard that the Saudi King was assassinated by a mentally ill nephew’s shooting.

Twelve royals were not killed and injured.

Tae-soo asked urgently.

“How is Khalid?”

“He sustained a gunshot wound that pierced his left arm.”

“Is his life in danger…?”

“They say his life is not in danger. He was lucky.”

That’s a relief.

Song Chang-joon continued.

“I heard that the Saudi Minister of Construction died in this shooting.”

The fourth son of the first King died?

If so…

“Then Khalid, the fifth son of the first King, will be the first in line to the Saudi throne.”

The assassinated incumbent Saudi King was the third son of the first King.

In my past life, Khalid, the fifth son instead of the fourth son, became the next King.

“There is a strong movement to promote Khalid as the next King right now. However, the movements of the people on the side of the Minister of Finance, the ninth son, are unusual, but they will soon be suppressed.”

Some parts of the future have changed, but some parts have not.

[I have to go now.]

Tae-soo closed his eyes as he watched Rahman leave in a hurry.

‘Is it a predetermined fate, or a derived result?’

The butterfly effect that started with Tae-soo was growing exponentially.

* * *

Tae-soo’s group booked accommodations at a hotel near Jubail Airport.

After unpacking, everyone gathered in Tae-soo’s room.

Everyone looked unwell.

“What on earth is going on?”

“Such a tragedy happening in two countries on the same day…”

Song Chang-joon was also there.

Tae-soo asked Song Chang-joon.

“What is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs doing?”

“The embassy in Saudi Arabia plans to participate in the Saudi royal funeral. Therefore, I will be leaving for the capital, Riyadh, soon.”

There’s nothing that can be done since that’s the job of the Saudi embassy.

Song Chang-joon also asked Tae-soo.

“We’re one thing, but the chairman must be worried. Will you return to Korea to participate in the state funeral? Or will you attend the Saudi royal funeral?”

“I have no plans to return to Korea.”

The Jubail Industrial Port bidding is just around the corner.

“I plan to send a telegram to Korea. Han-soo will attend the state funeral in my place.”

“Then will you participate in the Saudi funeral?”

“No, I’m not a famous figure in Saudi political and business circles, so would I be qualified to attend the funeral?”

“Then…?”

Tae-soo jumped up.

“I want everyone to stay here and perfectly finalize the preparations for the Jubail Industrial Port bidding.”

“What are you going to do, Chairman?”

“I’ll have to follow Rahman.”

I’m going to meet Khalid.

“There should be no negligence in the bidding preparations without me.”

The three Taeyang Group presidents replied loudly.

“Don’t worry and go.”

“It’s the content that was briefed once, so we just need to supplement the insufficient parts.”

“We will prepare without any setbacks.”

It was a very satisfactory answer.

“Good.”

Tae-soo looked back at Jang Mal-dong and Ahn Jung-woo.

“What are you going to do? Will you stay here and arrange things after the situation stabilizes?”

“No.”

Ahn Jung-woo shook his head.

“We’ll follow you.”

“Then let’s do that.”

Tae-soo scratched his eyebrow as he looked at Kim Woo-jin.

“About you… I heard you black out when you’re drunk?”

“Yes! I’m sorry!”

Kim Woo-jin, who had been thoroughly scolded by Jang Mal-dong, was watching Tae-soo carefully.

It was after he had heard about his drunken antics from the three Taeyang Group presidents.

“What are you planning to do from now on?”

“…I don’t know.”

“I turned a blind eye and let you on the plane because you were drunk yesterday and even brought your passport, saying you wanted to go to Saudi Arabia with us.”

“I, I’m sorry.”

“Even if it was easy to come here thanks to Rahman, you’ll have to figure out how to go back on your own.”

Tae-soo stared at Kim Woo-jin.

“I have two suggestions for you.”

The first suggestion.

“To return to Korea as is.”

“I don’t want to.”

Kim Woo-jin shook his head.

“I have nothing left in Korea. As bank loans were blocked, the company was taken over, the collateral was taken over, and the family was scattered. All that’s left is debt and despair.”

Kim Woo-jin was crying out that he was suffocating from being chased by debt collectors.

A man who said there was no future, no dreams, and no hope in Korea.

That’s why he insisted on going to Saudi Arabia with us while drunk.

“I want to return home in glory. I want to succeed overseas. Just because I blacked out doesn’t mean my head is broken. I’ve been thinking that all along.”

Tae-soo nodded and offered the second suggestion.

“To come under the Taeyang Group.”

“Under the Taeyang Group?”

“Don’t if you don’t want to.”

Tae-soo got up from his seat.

A shadow fell over Kim Woo-jin’s face.

Kim Woo-jin had even been the president of a fairly large construction company.

To him, the suggestion to go under another company and endure a salaried life…

“Are there no other suggestions?”

“That’s all the suggestions.”

Tae-soo shook his hand.

Kim Woo-jin blankly looked at Tae-soo.

“If I bring a good business item, could you consider investing…?”

Tae-soo looked at Kim Woo-jin with cold eyes.

“If you need an investor, go to the bank. Don’t cling to me.”

“That’s…”

“You solve your own problems. There are only two things you can decide in front of me. Either come under me or don’t.”

Kim Woo-jin closed his mouth.

“I’m busy, so I have to go now. Please take your time to think about it.”

Tae-soo turned his back.

Jang Mal-dong, Ahn Jung-woo, and Song Chang-joon followed him.

“Let’s go to the capital, Riyadh.”

It’s time to meet Khalid.