Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 115

115. The Great Counterfeit Money Operation (4)

Fahd’s mansion was now empty.

Most of the guards were either dead or injured, and all the servants had fled.

Fahd’s mansion, once boasting impenetrable security, was eerily silent.

A taxi pulled up in front of the gate.

Screech.

Stepping out of the taxi was a middle-aged man, Han Cheong-ho, dragging a travel trunk full of dollars.

After ringing the doorbell for a while, a middle-aged woman appeared.

[Who is it?]

Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her nose was red and sniffing.

The haggard woman dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief.

[Please tell Minister Fahd that Han Cheong-ho has come from South Korea. I must see him.]

[My husband… he left the country a while ago.]

The middle-aged woman’s tear ducts exploded again.

Han Cheong-ho was dumbfounded.

[Left the country? Did he go on a business trip or something?]

[He was deported.]

Thud.

Han Cheong-ho was so shocked that he dropped the handle of the trunk.

‘How could the Minister of Economy and Finance, whom I trusted, suddenly…!’ he thought.

The man who would soon be the King of Saudi Arabia, out of the blue?

[No, why?]

[Counterfeit money distribution, they say.]

[……?]

It was incomprehensible.

But Han Cheong-ho sensed the truth.

‘Oh no! I’ve been had!’

It was clear that Khalid had moved first.

‘Then what about the Jubail Industrial Port construction project?’

How much money had gone into that!

* * *

Saudi National General Hospital.

The top floor VIP ward was packed with guards.

Khalid was sitting on the hospital bed, receiving treatment from his doctor.

The military doctor, who had followed Khalid around the front lines since his youth, had become the director of the National Hospital.

[Why is a gunshot wound patient gallivanting around? Your stitches have burst again! Was it push-ups or pull-ups this time?]

Neither push-ups nor pull-ups.

[It was something I had to do.]

The hospital director’s eyebrows shot up.

He was frustrated to death.

[Are there no talented people in Saudi Arabia? Is there no one to do the work except the sick minister?]

[Who else would catch Fahd?]

[Agh, that bastard!]

At the mention of Fahd, the hospital director grabbed the back of his neck before finishing stitching the wound.

[Did that greedy bastard stab you in the back again? Who is it this time? Rahman? Kadu?]

[He targeted me.]

[This 씨#*&$%(%*^*^%#&^#$%*$^& (!!]

The hospital director started swearing a blue streak.

Seeing him even throwing kicks into the air, it seemed his old temper hadn’t died down at all.

Khalid chuckled.

[Confiscation of assets, deprivation of position, deportation.]

The hospital director’s kick stopped abruptly.

His eyes were filled with astonishment as he turned to Khalid.

[Is that true?]

[He’s probably being driven across the desert in a jeep right now.]

That meant it was true.

That’s why it was unbelievable.

Khalid had always laughed it off, tolerating that wicked fellow for so long because he was his brother.

[What on earth did he do to get deported? Surely he didn’t start a rebellion or something? No, then his head would have been chopped off.]

[It was just something that happened.]

Khalid closed his eyes.

The hospital director couldn’t bring himself to ask any more.

He just silently stitched Khalid’s burst stitches again.

He disinfected the wound and properly bandaged it.

The hospital director dusted off his hands.

[Then there won’t be any more bursting of the wound. Well done.]

The hospital director stormed out of the hospital room without looking back.

[If you leave it alone, the wound will heal soon.]

He slammed the hospital room door shut and left.

Khalid repeated those words for a moment.

[Will the day ever come when this wound heals…….]

His older brother, younger brother, and nephews, 12 in all, had died.

Eight Saudi royals had participated in the second rebellion.

Khalid’s worries deepened.

Knock knock.

[Come in.]

[Father.]

It was Rahman.

[What happened?]

[They say he’s going to Dubai.]

[Dubai…….]

It seemed Fahd had chosen Dubai.

[What about the rest of the family?]

[They want to stay in Saudi Arabia. What should we do?]

[Let them.]

It seemed his brother had been abandoned even by his family.

Taking care of the family of a brother who had gone far away was the duty of the remaining brother.

[I’m on my way back from meeting the uncles who signed the petition.]

That was why he had sent Rahman with armed soldiers.

[They unanimously approve of your Majesty’s accession to the throne. The date of the coronation has also been decided.]

[When is it?]

[In a week.]

The hospital director would jump up and down again if he heard that.

Asking if there would be another bursting of the wound.

But it was something that couldn’t be postponed.

Sometimes, you have to move even if you’re prepared for the wound to burst.

Like this time.

[What did Kang Tae-soo take from Fahd’s basement?]

He was curious about what that smart guy was after.

Cash, jewels, title deeds, secret documents, and so on.

There was no better way to find out a person’s hidden heart.

-What do they choose?

-That is their greatest desire.

It was a gift and a test that Khalid gave to Tae-soo.

[He took everything.]

[Hmm?]

He must have misheard.

[What did you say he took?]

[Everything. All of it. Clean. Completely. He scraped it all up without leaving a speck of dust.]

[……?]

He was dumbfounded.

[Fahd’s assets… all of them… you mean?]

[To be exact, everything in the basement. He said he would gladly accept the gift. Saying that he doesn’t refuse favors.]

All that wealth that he had scraped together over the years?

He had clearly said to take it moderately, on your own, roughly, skillfully, and take good care of it, right?

[No, how did he take it? I didn’t even give him a bag to take with him.]

[You told him to take it skillfully, didn’t you?]

[I did.]

[He used your subordinates as if they were his own to raid the basement. Saying that you had given them a heads-up in advance?]

That’s right.

[I told them not to stop him from taking anything out of here.]

[He used that skillfully. They thought it was your order and helped him diligently.]

[Hahahaha.]

He really knew how to use his skills properly.

[Kang Tae-soo, he’s really something.]

[Shall we put pressure on him to return some of it?]

[No, let it be.]

Khalid smiled.

[He took his share on his own. Who can blame him for having such guts?]

He really liked him.

A man should have that much guts. Yes!

* * *

The Saudi Royal Palace in the capital, Riyadh.

Today was the day of Khalid’s coronation.

News crews from all over the world flocked to the event.

Among them was a news crew dispatched from Korea.

“The scale is enormous, isn’t it?”

“It’s the largest oil-producing country in the Middle East. It’s the coronation of Khalid, the brilliant general who was the main player in this Middle East war, what do you expect?”

Chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa.

A constant barrage of flashes.

It was a very lavish coronation, clearly showing the power of the Middle East’s largest oil-producing country.

The tedious coronation ceremony was long and drawn out.

“Senior, but who is that person?”

“Who?”

“I mean that young Asian man over there. Why is he taking a seat at a Saudi royal event?”

Come to think of it, it was strange.

He had taken a seat, albeit at the end, among the Saudi royals.

Next to him sat a dandy who was unusually flamboyantly dressed.

“The person sitting next to that man, isn’t that the Saudi prince?”

Come to think of it, it was a familiar face.

“Didn’t he visit Korea once last time? I think I saw him on the front page of the newspaper with President Park Jeong-hwan.”

“It was quite a stir back then, wasn’t it? They said an ‘unofficial meeting on oil supply with the Saudi prince’ was held. Right?”

“Thanks to that, everyone was happy that Korea was able to escape the oil shock and grow economically.”

That’s when it happened.

[The awarding of the Honorary Medal of Merit will now follow.]

Among the many names called, one familiar Korean name was heard.

[…Kang Tae-soo. That is all.]

The Korean reporters were startled.

“Kang Tae-soo? Could it be the young head of the Taeyang Group?”

“W, what’s going on?”

“Take a picture first! It’s a scoop!”

Chwa chwa chwa chwa.

[…Kang Tae-soo has greatly contributed to the early conclusion of the Middle East war, and has also made a significant contribution to catching the Saudi counterfeit money distributors, and has also played a bridge role in strengthening the harmony between Saudi Arabia and South Korea, and in recognition of this, the medal is awarded.]

Kang Tae-soo proudly puffed out his chest.

The new King of Saudi Arabia, Khalid, pinned a glittering medal on Tae-soo’s chest.

[It suits you well.]

[Thank you.]

Chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa.

The awarding of Kang Tae-soo’s honorary medal lasted less than 5 minutes.

It was a small incident that might be published small in the corner of the newspaper or not.

-Saudi King mentions South Korea in his inauguration speech! Promises cooperation!

-There was another Korean who shined at the inauguration ceremony!

But the next day, the front page of every newspaper published in Korea was plastered with Kang Tae-soo.

-The protagonist of the first Saudi Honorary Medal of Merit for a Korean!

-Kang Tae-soo, who is he?

-Taeyang Group, enters the ranks of a conglomerate group only 2 years after starting its business!

The next day, the front page of Korean newspapers was filled with other stories of Kang Tae-soo.

-Wins the Saudi Jubail Industrial Port construction project! A Korean has done it!

-Korea’s Taeyang Construction builds Saudi Arabia’s best oil outpost!

-The victor who ended the fierce bidding competition of as many as 20 countries! It’s Korea’s Taeyang Construction!

-A proud Korean company! Making its name known in Saudi Arabia!

-Has the construction boom started in the Middle East on the back of oil money!

Folding the newspaper, Park Jeong-hwan laughed heartily.

“Hahaha, Kang Tae-soo, this fellow has finally done it. I knew he would.”

Cha Gi-beom smiled beside him.

Park Jeong-hwan was rarely in such a good mood.

“To even receive an honorary medal at the Saudi King’s inauguration ceremony. The oil supply rights alone were enough, hahaha.”

To think that he had contributed to the early conclusion of the Middle East war.

To think that he had cooperated in arresting the Saudi counterfeit money distributors.

To think that he had been recognized for his contributions and received the first Saudi Honorary Medal of Merit as a foreigner.

And that foreigner was a citizen of South Korea.

He liked it more and more.

“The Saudi royal family has sent a formal letter of appreciation. They want to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the future, how can I turn a blind eye to that.”

Thanks to that, Park Jeong-hwan’s face was greatly saved.

There was no better news than this.

Park Jeong-hwan only had one regret, his international standing.

“We need to make Korea known to the world with more work.”

In the world, Korea is still recognized as one of the poor countries receiving aid from the United States and Western countries.

A war-torn country that is worse off than the countries of Africa!

That was why Park Jeong-hwan was desperately devoted to economic development.

“Chairman Jang must be very disappointed.”

Park Jeong-hwan clicked his tongue as he looked at Jang Jun-yong.

“He said he would jointly bid, but why did he give up?”

“He participated in the bidding as a partner company. I have to be satisfied with that.”

It was clearly different from a joint bid.

“Where did you learn to be so humble, unlike you?”

“Don’t you know? One of Geumsan Construction’s idiots ruined it.”

It was because of Lee Moon-bok.

Park Jeong-hwan also knew how Lee Moon-bok had stabbed Jang Jun-yong in the back.

“I heard that guy is dabbling in politics these days? He meets Han Cheong-ho often.”

“It seems Han Cheong-ho promised to support him.”

“A clever guy seems to be bad at calculating compared to his greed.”

Joining hands with Cheongil’s Han Cheong-ho, not Geumsan’s Jang Jun-yong, to enter politics.

“Do you think Han Cheong-ho, who is quick to calculate, will help willingly?”

“Isn’t that why he put in so much effort?”

“You don’t really think so, do you?”

Park Jeong-hwan laughed.

“Han Cheong-ho is not the kind of person who is patient enough to spend a long time nurturing talent. He would rather use and discard someone who proves their usefulness right now as a disposable item.”

Park Jeong-hwan knew better what kind of person Han Cheong-ho was.

Wasn’t Han Cheong-ho more talented as a politician than as a conglomerate chairman?

“Watch and see. How that guy gets thrown away.”

So Park Jeong-hwan was sure.

That guy who betrayed Jang Jun-yong and clung to Han Cheong-ho would soon be abandoned.

Those petty things were not important now.

Park Jeong-hwan rested his chin on his hand and pondered.

“Saudi Arabia is giving out medals, can we just turn a blind eye?”

He had raised his international profile, so he couldn’t just pretend he didn’t know.

The letter from the Saudi royal family also had a special mention of Kang Tae-soo.

That’s why he was worried.

“Gangnam development…….”