Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 103

103. The Inauguration of the Taeyang Group (6)

Rahman gracefully performed the Saudi royal greeting towards Park Jeong-hwan.

[Allow me to introduce myself, Rahman bin Khalid bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. The fifth son of Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the first king of Saudi Arabia, and the twelfth son of Khalid, the Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia.]

They remembered their ancestors and proudly recited their names and lineage.

However, those unfamiliar with Saudi culture were bewildered.

To think they would list their lineage for so long just to introduce themselves.

[So, you are a nephew of the current Saudi King and a son of the Saudi Minister of Defense. Pleased to meet you. I am Park Jeong-hwan, the President of South Korea.]

Park Jeong-hwan welcomed the state guest with open arms.

[What brings a Saudi royal here?]

Park Jeong-hwan had not received any prior contact from the Saudi royal family.

Moreover, he hadn’t invited them as state guests.

[I am visiting your country for personal matters. I heard about the inauguration of the Taeyang Group and came all the way to celebrate with my friend on this joyous occasion.]

A Saudi royal.

Moreover, a grandson of the first king, a nephew of the current king, and the son of the Saudi Minister of Defense, who had solidified his power during the recent Middle East war.

[Kang Tae-soo, this friend of yours has some impressive connections.]

[Indeed. Isn’t he a talent that even the King of Saudi Arabia is watching closely?]

Tae-soo hadn’t even been seen by the Saudi King yet.

Rahman winked at Tae-soo.

[Why else would His Majesty have issued five oil supply licenses in recognition of this friend’s contributions? No country supporting the Western powers has been able to obtain such licenses.]

Oil supply licenses.

During the Middle East war, Middle Eastern oil-producing countries refused to supply oil to Western powers that supported Israel.

Saudi Arabia was at the forefront of advocating for the expulsion of Western forces and championing resource nationalism [the principle of countries controlling their own natural resources].

‘But there was a license to receive oil supplies, at least from Saudi Arabia?’

‘Ah, now that I think about it, I heard that five major corporations had no problems with their oil supply.’

‘So that’s how it was done.’

The prominent figures from the political and business circles who had attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cheongil Hotel nodded in understanding.

Park Jeong-hwan glanced at Tae-soo and said to Rahman,

[It seems like too generous a gift to give to someone in charge of a small highway construction project in the western city of Saudi Arabia. What great deed did he perform to receive such a license? I can’t understand it at all.]

Park Jeong-hwan’s voice was cold.

He must have handed over Park Jeong-hwan’s weaknesses to the Saudi Minister of Defense and received the license in return.

Han Cheong-ho had argued that.

On the other hand, Kang Tae-soo said he had received the license for personal achievements.

Han Cheong-ho’s words shook Park Jeong-hwan’s heart more than Kang Tae-soo’s.

[Didn’t this friend of yours tell you?]

Rahman looked back at Tae-soo in amazement.

[Thanks to this friend, the long-lasting Middle East war was brought to an early end, in just three weeks!]

[What?]

Park Jeong-hwan quickly looked at Tae-soo.

Park Jeong-hwan’s eyes were unusually shaken.

Even Cha Ki-beom, who was always expressionless, widened his eyes and clenched his fists tightly.

‘An early end to the Middle East war…….’

‘If it’s a contribution of that magnitude…….’

‘It was worth receiving the oil supply license.’

People stared at Tae-soo with their mouths wide open.

‘So that’s why Rahman winked.’

The advice Tae-soo had given to the Saudi Minister of Defense wasn’t that grand.

-There will be a Middle East war soon, so Saudi Arabia should secretly secure military supplies to prepare for it.

‘I didn’t tell them a plan to end the Middle East war early, but rather taught Khalid how to use the Middle East war and what to gain from it.’

He had been recognized for that contribution and received the oil license.

However, Rahman blatantly lied.

-Tae-soo is a person who contributed to the early conclusion of the Middle East war, and Saudi Arabia has recognized this contribution by granting him the oil supply license.

‘How are you going to handle this?’

The scale of the lie is too great!

But Rahman continued to speak shamelessly.

[Otherwise, would the Saudi King have withdrawn his decree, ‘Oil supplies are prohibited to countries that have contributed to the Western powers,’ and recognized a special case?]

Everyone nodded.

Because the words of the Saudi King carry weight.

Park Jeong-hwan’s gaze towards Tae-soo became strange.

‘So that’s how it happened?’

It also matched Kang Tae-soo’s words, ‘personal achievements in Saudi Arabia.’

Park Jeong-hwan glared sharply at Han Cheong-ho.

And he said gently to Tae-soo.

“If that was the case, you should have told me properly.”

“It’s not a big deal. What matters is the result, not the process.”

What Tae-soo brought was an oil supply license.

What Tae-soo offered to Park Jeong-hwan was more important than how Tae-soo brought it.

Park Jeong-hwan said to Rahman.

[This humble friend didn’t tell me the details, so I didn’t know.]

[That’s probably the case. He’s so humble, unlike someone who is foul-mouthed, constantly stirs up discord, and betrays at any opportunity.]

Rahman’s fierce gaze was fixed directly on Han Cheong-ho.

[Did you know that this fellow Han Cheong-ho almost broke off the exclusive diplomatic relations between the Saudi kingdom and South Korea?]

Rahman’s lie started again.

‘He abandoned Samwon Construction and betrayed Rahman. It wasn’t something that would break off exclusive diplomatic relations with the Saudi royal family.’

But Rahman was determined to speak.

[You may not know, but the Saudi royal family went through so much trouble because of him. The President, at least, must know.]

I know. How could I not know?

The Saudi royal family had been pressuring Park Jeong-hwan with unofficial letters.

That’s why Park Jeong-hwan had taken the chairmen of Geumsan and Cheongil to Pohang Steel.

It was Tae-soo who had stepped in to resolve the matter at that time.

‘There was such a thing. I had completely forgotten.’

Suspicion had blinded him, so Park Jeong-hwan hadn’t even noticed the past achievements.

Park Jeong-hwan stared blankly at Tae-soo.

He stood silently with a calm expression, without saying a word.

‘He must have felt wronged, but he didn’t say a word.’

Park Jeong-hwan had rejected Tae-soo’s requests for a meeting, but he had completely forgotten about it.

Rahman said.

[It is an honor to unexpectedly meet the President of your country like this. However, I don’t want to stay here for even a moment longer, so I must bid you farewell.]

[Didn’t you come all the way here because you had something else to do?]

[No. I just came to see it with my own eyes.]

Rahman looked around at Han Cheong-ho and the people around him.

[At this difficult time due to the oil crisis, I just came to see how this country rewards a talent who has dedicated his personal achievements to the country. And I have seen it clearly.]

Rahman looked at the heads of the conglomerates.

[Among you, there must be companies that bought oil from Saudi Arabia using the oil supply license given by this friend. But no one came to the Taeyang Group’s inauguration ceremony.]

Some of the conglomerate heads and officials bit their lips at Rahman’s gaze.

Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan, who was standing next to him, quickly raised his hand.

[No. Didn’t I go?]

[Ah, Geumsan came. But the other three companies definitely didn’t come. When I return, I will tell His Majesty exactly what I saw today.]

The faces of the conglomerate heads changed.

[The oil supply license that has already expired? Would they really withdraw it? The future is much longer than the past.]

It was a painful warning that Saudi Arabia would not easily supply oil in the future.

Just as the presidents of Samcheong, Lucky Seven, and Korea Oil Corporation were about to open their mouths, Rahman raised his hand to stop them.

[I don’t believe words. What I believe is action, and the result. To show it through action, you will have to prove it with money.]

Rahman had engraved Tae-soo’s teachings in his bones.

Rahman politely greeted Park Jeong-hwan again.

He ends by saying his long name.

[…Rahman, son of …, it was an honor to meet the supreme ruler of your country.]

The eyes of the presidents of Samcheong, Lucky Seven, and Korea Oil Corporation, who were burning with anxiety, were stinging.

‘If he goes back like this, he will cut off the oil supply from Saudi Arabia and Middle Eastern oil-producing countries again.’

The country is still reeling from the oil crisis.

Thanks to Kang Tae-soo, they have been able to import oil for half a year, but if the oil supply is cut off, the economy will be severely affected.

Park Jeong-hwan had no choice but to ask Rahman.

[Since we met like this, how about staying a little longer? I invite you to my Blue House [the executive office and official residence of the South Korean president]. Let’s go and have lunch together.]

[I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can have lunch at the Blue House.]

Rahman refused firmly.

Rahman smiled at Tae-soo.

[Why would I have come all the way to this distant foreign country? It is to celebrate my friend’s event. I am planning to have lunch at my friend’s event, so I cannot accept that request.]

He’s saying he can’t go to the Blue House because he has to eat at Tae-soo’s event.

[Then it’s simple. Let’s have lunch together at Taeyang Group. We can talk about oil there.]

[Ah, that’s a good idea. That would be fine.]

[Anyway, it’s the inauguration of a new conglomerate group that will support this country. I was worried that I couldn’t give a congratulatory speech in person and only sent a congratulatory message.]

Han Cheong-ho was horrified at Park Jeong-hwan’s words.

“Your Excellency!”

Park Jeong-hwan doesn’t even look at Han Cheong-ho.

Park Jeong-hwan smiled at Tae-soo.

“How about it? It’s a little late, but I’m thinking of going and giving a congratulatory speech for the inauguration of the Taeyang Group.”

“Thank you. I’ll take care of lunch instead.”

Tae-soo smiled.

“My mother’s cooking is amazing. You’ll be able to taste a different flavor from the Blue House’s head chef’s cooking.”

“I look forward to it.”

Park Jeong-hwan patted Tae-soo on the shoulder.

“Let’s go that way.”

Chief of the Presidential Security Service Cha Ki-beom and Chief of the Presidential Secretariat Kim Jeong-rim naturally followed.

The heads of other conglomerate companies, who were in danger of having their oil supply cut off immediately, were the same.

They quickly approached Tae-soo and opened their mouths.

“Can I come with you too? I’ve been meaning to attend the Taeyang Group’s inauguration ceremony, but I couldn’t.”

“I should go and congratulate you too. I have a sense of shame. Don’t take this matter too seriously.”

“Let’s have lunch together and talk about oil. Isn’t it a matter of national economy?”

Tae-soo smiled.

“Okay. However, if Mr. Rahman says he doesn’t like it, I…….”

Rahman, who heard the translation, interrupted Tae-soo’s words.

[If my friend is okay with it, I’m okay with it too. Our Saudi royal family doesn’t deliberately reject a hand that offers goodwill.]

Rahman winked at Tae-soo.

He didn’t want Tae-soo to be hated by the heads of the conglomerate companies because of Rahman.

Then the presidents of Samcheong, Lucky Seven, and Korea Oil Corporation hurriedly followed.

“S, shall we go too?”

“The groundbreaking ceremony is over.”

“I heard that Saudi Arabia has made a lot of money from oil these days. It would be great if they could invest in our bank.”

Suddenly, famous people began to look around and leave the venue in droves.

People hurried to their cars in the parking lot and headed to the Taeyang Group’s inauguration ceremony.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Cheongil Hotel, which had been crowded with people, was deserted in an instant.