Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 102

102. The Launch of the Taeyang Group (5)

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Cheongil Hotel in Euljiro, Seoul.

President Park Jeong-hwan had just finished his congratulatory speech.

“I wish Cheongil Hotel unlimited prosperity.”

Clap clap clap.

The prominent figures from political and business circles attending the event applauded enthusiastically.

Park Jeong-hwan lightly waved in response and stepped down from the podium.

“Now, we will have the first shovel ceremony. All those participating in the first shovel performance, please come forward.”

There were a total of 15 participants for the first shovel ceremony.

Among them, of course, was Park Jeong-hwan, with Han Cheong-ho right next to him.

The dignitaries lined up in order and took up their shovels.

The press swarmed in front of them, snapping photos.

Click click click click click click.

The first shovel ceremony ended in an instant, and just as people were raising their shovels with white gloves on, cheering, something caught everyone’s attention.

Clap clap clap.

Park Jeong-hwan and Han Cheong-ho especially had their eyes drawn to one side.

A place so dazzling because of the midday August sun.

The light reflecting so brightly that everyone’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to it.

It was Rahman, leading a group of bodyguards.

Next to him was Kang Tae-soo.

“Kang Tae-soo, what brings you here?”

Han Cheong-ho handed the shovel and white gloves used for the first shovel ceremony to Secretary Park.

Han Cheong-ho walked toward Tae-soo, sneering.

“I bet your Taeyang Group launch was a flop. Who told you to hold the event on the same day and at the same time as the Cheongil Hotel groundbreaking ceremony?”

It was Cheongil who belatedly planned the event to ruin the Taeyang Group launch.

“As you can see, I was too busy with an important event to look at your event. Now that you’ve seen it, you know. How could I abandon the famous figures who came here?”

It was also true that everyone who wanted to be on good terms with Cheongil attended this event.

High-ranking officials from various related ministries, as well as the heads of all banks except for Jangsu Bank, were present.

Since Park Jeong-hwan was coming, Chief of the Presidential Security Service Cha Ki-beom and Chief Secretary Kim Jeong-rim also followed.

“Why did you come all the way here, abandoning your event? I didn’t even send you an invitation.”

It was a hint for the uninvited guest to leave.

Tae-soo smirked.

“The Cheongil Hotel groundbreaking ceremony is much later than scheduled. The demolition of the original building was finished a long time ago, and the designs have been out for ages. I was just wondering why it was so delayed.”

It was because he was creating a secret vault for Park Jeong-hwan elsewhere, pouring in his private funds.

Moreover, because of a single piece of paper inside the secret vault!

The blackmailing of the First Lady and extorting money from her had come to an end.

He had lost the golden goose. All because of Kang Tae-soo!

Han Cheong-ho moved closer to Tae-soo and said,

“How did you get in there?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Tae-soo shrugged his shoulders mockingly.

“Should I go ask the President? If he ever lost the password?”

“You son of a bitch!”

Han Cheong-ho’s face turned pale.

The moment Park Jeong-hwan became curious, Han Cheong-ho was a dead man.

Han Cheong-ho lowered his voice as much as possible.

“Then you die too! I’ll be punished, but you’ll die! You know that, right?”

“Why would I die? I don’t know anything. Can’t I even ask?”

Gritting of teeth.

It was the sound of Han Cheong-ho grinding his teeth.

“Do you think you can do that? The moment you open your mouth carelessly, I won’t care about anything. I’ll stop at nothing. Your whole family will die too.”

“Well, I wonder if the President knows that the First Lady was being blackmailed.”

It would be a disaster if Park Jeong-hwan found out about that.

He was able to blackmail Oh Young-soon because she was innocent and easily frightened, but what if Park Jeong-hwan found out?

“Oh Young-soon will never confess.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Han Cheong-ho thought that Oh Young-soon was even prepared to end her life.

Then he would really die at Park Jeong-hwan’s hands!

Cold sweat streamed down Han Cheong-ho’s spine.

It was qualitatively different from the sweat that was flowing in the scorching August heat.

“Let’s not tarnish the First Lady’s reputation. We need to draw a line. If we drag Park Jeong-hwan into this, we’ll all die. Let’s stop here.”

In reality, wasn’t Han Cheong-ho the one who tarnished the First Lady’s reputation?

However, Tae-soo also had no intention of telling Park Jeong-hwan about this.

He didn’t want to ruin the family that Oh Young-soon was so desperate to protect.

‘Park Jeong-hwan’s secret vault is like a minefield.’

Han Cheong-ho and Tae-soo were both stepping on mines in a minefield.

The moment anyone took a step, they would both be caught in the explosion!

If the vault was mentioned, the wealth and top-secret documents that Tae-soo had diverted would be revealed.

Tae-soo would also not escape great harm.

“Then don’t provoke me and get lost.”

Tae-soo walked past Han Cheong-ho and headed towards Park Jeong-hwan.

“I came here to thank the President.”

Tae-soo said.

“Mr. President, I understood the message you sent to me through someone at the Taeyang Group launch very well.”

Park Jeong-hwan had consistently ignored Tae-soo’s requests to meet.

Even knowing that Tae-soo was launching the Taeyang Group.

However, he frowned when Tae-soo barged in, asking to meet him.

“I understood the first message you sent me very well. Thank you so much for congratulating the launch of the Taeyang Group.”

Everyone nodded.

On the same day, at the same time, two events were held in completely different locations.

Since Park Jeong-hwan couldn’t be in two places at once, it was only right to send a congratulatory message to the Taeyang Group when he attended Han Cheong-ho’s event.

After all, it was the launch of a conglomerate.

“I will also resolve the second message you sent me at this event.”

Tae-soo gestured, and Lee Chang-won, Noh Il-guk, and Rahman’s bodyguards simultaneously lifted their briefcases.

There were a total of seven black 007 briefcases.

Each briefcase had the name of the company Tae-soo had acquired written on it.

“As you commanded, I will clear all debts definitively at this event.”

Tae-soo looked around.

“The Taeyang Group has acquired a total of seven companies this time. I will pay off all the debts incurred by these companies at once. So, each bank president, please come forward and receive the money.”

The prominent figures from political and business circles who attended the event were shocked.

‘Didn’t he say he received orders at the Taeyang Group launch?’

‘He’s going to clear the debts of the acquired companies here and now?’

‘How did he prepare the money in such a short time?’

‘I heard that Tae-soo was completely blocked from bank loans and investments.’

Tae-soo said.

“Open the briefcases.”

Click. Click click click.

The seven people holding the briefcases opened them simultaneously.

Inside the 007 briefcases, stacks of dollar bills were packed tightly.

“I have brought the amount you mentioned, prepared as requested.”

How much is all that?

People couldn’t say anything and just stared at the stacks of money.

“Each bank president can take the amount of money you lent to the companies acquired by the Taeyang Group. Once you receive the money, please fill out the receipt confirmation and finalize the loan-related documents.”

“He brought it in dollars instead of won [Korean currency]?”

“Isn’t it difficult to get dollars at the bank these days because of the oil crisis? So, I specially prepared it in dollars.”

Tae-soo looked directly at Park Jeong-hwan.

“Mr. President, how is it? I have definitely carried out your orders right before your eyes.”

Park Jeong-hwan nodded with an indifferent expression.

“Good.”

Then Tae-soo gave another gesture.

This time, Han-soo was pulling a travel trunk.

Whirr. Whirr.

Han-soo handed the trunk to Cha Ki-beom.

“This is the third message you mentioned, Mr. President.”

Park Jeong-hwan glanced at the Central Intelligence Agency [Korean Intelligence Agency during this time period] agent standing next to Tae-soo.

The Central Intelligence Agency agent nodded heavily.

“Take it.”

Cha Ki-beom handed the travel trunk to his subordinate bodyguard.

Cha Ki-beom smiled very slightly at Tae-soo.

It was an expression of admiration.

Cha Ki-beom was next to Park Jeong-hwan when he gave the order to the Central Intelligence Agency agent.

-Tell him that the amount and duration of the tribute will be determined depending on how Kang Tae-soo responds.

-Tell him to kneel, bow his head, and beg.

-Otherwise, the Taeyang Group, which was launched today, will be dissolved tomorrow.

The President was trying to bring Kang Tae-soo to his knees.

He intended to firmly break the spirit of the young man who was rising as a conglomerate.

-No matter how much a conglomerate struggles, it is ultimately under my control.

-The larger the company, the more it belongs to the nation.

-If you don’t submit to me, the company cannot exist.

That’s why Park Jeong-hwan deliberately blocked bank loans to Taeyang.

He ordered a lump-sum repayment of the debts of the acquired companies, using them as an excuse.

He demanded a huge amount of tribute that could not be given under the pretext of launching a conglomerate.

‘Kang Tae-soo did not submit. Instead, he skillfully resolved the President’s demands.’

Surprisingly, Park Jeong-hwan didn’t seem angry that his intentions didn’t work.

Instead, he was smiling.

“Mr. President, I have resolved all the messages you sent me at this event.”

“Good.”

Park Jeong-hwan smiled with satisfaction.

“He’s more resourceful than I thought. I like him. Yes, he has to be this good.”

Park Jeong-hwan gave up on forcing Kang Tae-soo to kneel.

“If he overcomes the trials and stands on his own two feet, we have to acknowledge him.”

He resolved impossible demands as if he had anticipated them.

Such a person is truly rare.

Even the heads of large corporations who are currently bowing to Park Jeong-hwan have not been able to resolve things like this.

So they have to prostrate themselves under Park Jeong-hwan’s feet forever.

“Pride is something you build yourself. Just like you, Kang Tae-soo. You earned that qualification with your own hands.”

Park Jeong-hwan looked at the bank presidents and said.

“Now that everyone has received their loan repayments, lift all the loan bans imposed on Taeyang from this moment on.”

Han Cheong-ho’s face turned ashen at those words.

“Y-Your Excellency!”

It would be a problem if Park Jeong-hwan stopped here.

This ban on bank loans and investments, plus the lump-sum repayment of the debts of the acquired companies!

With this, he thought Tae-soo would collapse and crawl on the floor, begging.

Please save me, please give me a break.

Then Han Cheong-ho was planning to demand one thing.

-Bring me what you talked about. Then I’ll give you some breathing room.

That was how it was supposed to go.

It wasn’t supposed to be resolved like this here.

He had put in half a year of effort to corner Kang Tae-soo.

“Kang Tae-soo, how did you prepare all this money? What means did you use when you can’t even get a bank loan?”

Han Cheong-ho knew.

How Tae-soo brought all this money.

It was clear that it was the money he stole from Park Jeong-hwan’s vault.

“It’s really suspicious. We need to trace the funds. If he gets a tax audit and is dragged to the Central Intelligence Agency, will he confess properly?”

He was overflowing with malice, determined to drag Tae-soo to the Central Intelligence Agency no matter what.

It was then.

Rahman, who had been quietly listening to the interpretation, stepped forward.

“[Han Cheong-ho, can’t you even see me?]”

He was clearly a man who looked like royalty, shining brightly.

“[I lent it to him. What are you going to do?]”

Han Cheong-ho pursed his lips.

He didn’t expect him to come out like this.

“[Did you think I wouldn’t have that much money? Are you going to arrest me and investigate me? Do you think the Saudi royal family would just stand by and watch?]”

That couldn’t be.

Could the Central Intelligence Agency arrest a Saudi royal family member? Could they go all the way to Saudi Arabia to conduct a tax audit?

‘Damn it, Kang Tae-soo! He’s getting away like this!’

Han Cheong-ho gritted his teeth.

Tae-soo shrugged his shoulders mockingly.

The reality was that Tae-soo had prepared the money himself, but what did it matter?

Thanks to Rahman volunteering as a shield, he was able to avoid troublesome work, so it was very good.

Park Jeong-hwan looked at Rahman.

“The Saudi royal family?”