Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 125

125. A Gathering of Stars (2)

An unacceptable outburst erupted.

Jeon Doo-ho shouted as if having a seizure.

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Enraged, Jeon Doo-ho threw the glass he was holding.

Tae-soo quickly grabbed Jang Seo-yeon’s arm and pulled her back.

“Careful.”

Clang.

The glass shattered at Jang Seo-yeon’s feet.

If Tae-soo hadn’t pulled her back, she would have been hurt.

Despite her shock, Jang Seo-yeon didn’t scream.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Jang Seo-yeon gripped Tae-soo’s arm tightly.

Her eyes showed gratitude, but she soon fixed her gaze on Cha Gi-beom and Jeon Doo-ho.

“Cha Gi-beom, there’s a limit to slander!”

Cha Gi-beom glared at Jeon Doo-ho even more menacingly.

“Be very clear that I’m watching you. Whether it’s overstepping your authority or not, I don’t care. My top priority is to identify and eliminate impure elements and reactionaries who threaten His Excellency.”

It was unbearable.

“Are you saying that I am an impure element, a reactionary who threatens His Excellency?”

“You know very well yourself.”

“I’ll have to ask His Excellency directly. How can doing my best as the commander of the Security Command be considered the work of an impure element?”

Sparks flew between them.

“I must formally suggest to His Excellency: Should we keep a sycophant by his side who confuses his ears and eyes with flattery and constantly stirs up discord?”

“A sycophant? Are you calling me a sycophant?”

“You know better than anyone.”

“Then I, too, must ask His Excellency directly: How can doing my best for His Excellency’s safety be considered the work of a sycophant?”

Tae-soo watched them spiraling into the worst possible situation and fell into a strange reverie.

‘Is this what a power struggle around Park Jeong-hwan looks like?’

A woman’s jealousy invites disaster, and a man’s jealousy invites bloodshed.

“Stop it! What do you think you’re doing?”

At that moment, Shin Ji-soo, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, stepped between them.

“His Excellency will be furious if he finds out. Why are we turning against each other?”

Shin Ji-soo spread his arms to widen the distance between them.

“What kind of disgraceful behavior is this in front of so many people? If you tarnish His Excellency’s reputation, he will be greatly displeased.”

At the mention of Park Jeong-hwan, Cha Gi-beom turned away first.

“Don’t push your luck, Jeon Doo-ho.”

Jeon Doo-ho also turned away.

“I’ll see how long you can keep running wild, Cha Gi-beom.”

The two walked away in opposite directions.

Then, Jang Jun-yong opened the door from the VIP room and came out.

“His Excellency is complaining about the noise outside. Please, everyone, be quiet.”

The hall became as silent as a graveyard.

So many people held their breath, not making a sound.

A bizarre stillness flowed.

It was a scene that directly showed Park Jeong-hwan’s power.

“Well, who is this?”

A familiar figure entering the 7th-floor hall broke the silence.

It was Han Cheong-ho.

“Kang Tae-soo.”

Han Cheong-ho walked straight to Tae-soo.

Because of the silence, everyone focused on Han Cheong-ho.

And on Kang Tae-soo, who stood facing Han Cheong-ho without avoiding him.

“You’ve been holding out nicely. And you spouted nonsense to my son.”

Han Cheong-ho’s eyes overflowed with anger.

“How much do you want?”

He sounded like Won Bin [a famous South Korean actor, implying a cold, charismatic delivery].

How much for what?

“I’ll give you three times the price. No more. If you don’t want to lose your land with your eyes open, take the money and get out.”

Han Cheong-ho was full of confidence.

“This is your last chance. Choose. Are you going to sell the land or not?”

It was utterly absurd arrogance.

He should be begging to buy the land, but neither the son nor the father could let go of their high-handed attitude.

“Just three times? That’s not enough to even put between my teeth. I’m not selling the land.”

Han Cheong-ho chuckled as if he expected it.

“You’ve thrown away your last chance. I’ll never give you a generous price for that land again.”

What was he so confident in?

“Did you say you’re building a waste facility? Or making agricultural fertilizer? Do you think you can’t get the approval from the relevant officials to cancel the business permit? Think again!”

Han Cheong-ho smiled meaningfully.

“Do you think the relevant officials can’t overturn it because it’s already done? You’ll pay dearly for being so arrogant. There’s nothing in this world that money can’t do.”

“There are even fewer things in this world that go as you please.”

Tae-soo looked straight at Han Cheong-ho.

“Do you think you can get away with bribery? Do you think you can move the higher-ups and get everything your way? Don’t be mistaken.”

Tae-soo tapped his chest.

A rustling sound was heard.

It was a gift he had prepared in advance for today.

“Do you think I can’t move the higher-ups you can move?”

Han Cheong-ho clenched his fist.

Tae-soo took a step forward and said.

“If you move the officials, I can move them too. If you can move His Excellency, I can move him too. You have money, and so do I.”

Tae-soo was now a tycoon who had nothing to lose.

Tae-soo’s spirit was formidable.

But Han Cheong-ho was even more confident.

“See this?”

Han Cheong-ho held up an invitation.

It was an invitation with gold trim.

“His Excellency personally called me here.”

Tae-soo also took out an invitation.

It was the same invitation with gold trim.

“I’ll probably be there too.”

Han Cheong-ho glared at Tae-soo.

“His Excellency personally approved it. Do you think you can dare to overturn His Excellency’s will? No way!”

That was why Han Cheong-ho was so confident.

Park Jeong-hwan had allowed Han Cheong-ho to build the Jamsil apartment complex.

So the project had to succeed no matter what.

Park Jeong-hwan would remove anyone who got in the way.

“I’ll be watching closely today. I can’t wait for the moment when His Excellency takes your land and puts it in my hands.”

“Well, will it go as you please?”

Tae-soo smirked.

“I’ll be watching closely too. I’m looking forward to the moment when His Excellency takes your land and puts it in my hands.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Han Cheong-ho glared.

“I’ll show you clearly today what Han Cheong-ho can do, but Kang Tae-soo can’t!”

“I’ll show you clearly too what Kang Tae-soo can do, but Han Cheong-ho can’t.”

Neither of them would back down.

Tae-soo drove in the wedge.

“Shall we make a bet? Who will be smiling when we leave this VIP room today? I’ll be the one laughing again this time.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“It’s not just the final winner who laughs. The one who laughs every time laughs until the end. And the one who will be laughing today is me, Kang Tae-soo.”

Tae-soo raised his fingers and counted.

“Molybdenum mine, Saudi highway, Cheongil Oil & Heavy Industries, Jubail Industrial Port, and now this Jamsil land. You should remember that I laughed at all of them.”

People swallowed hard at the fierce confrontation.

‘What’s with the atmosphere today?’

‘This is no joke. I need to be careful.’

Shin Ji-soo, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, hesitated for a moment.

Should he stop them or not?

Click.

At that moment, the VIP room door opened.

Jang Jun-yong turned his head to look for someone.

“The chairman of TaeYang, Kang Tae-soo, the chairman of Cheongil, Han Cheong-ho, and the president of Korea National Housing Corporation, Kim Bang-sik, are asked to come inside.”

He was calling the Big 4 of the Gangnam apartment development to one place.

“Hmph!”

Han Cheong-ho entered the VIP room first.

Jang Seo-yeon looked at Tae-soo.

“Come back safely.”

She had watched the fierce battle of wills between the men right next to her.

She was pale with fear, but she stood tall.

Tae-soo felt sorry for her, who had been put in a difficult position because of him.

“You should go downstairs. You don’t look well.”

“Don’t worry about me and go in.”

Jang Seo-yeon staggered.

Tae-soo grabbed her arm.

“Shall I escort you downstairs?”

“I’m alright. I was just a little surprised.”

Looking at Tae-soo, Jang Seo-yeon whispered.

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I would have been seriously hurt.”

If Tae-soo hadn’t pulled her in?

What if she had hurt her leg on the glass shards?

If that had happened, she might have had to quit dancing immediately.

The thought alone made her dizzy.

Jang Seo-yeon bowed politely.

“Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.”

Tae-soo turned to go to the VIP room.

“Th-there…”

Jang Seo-yeon clenched her fist with a determined look and raised it.

“Fighting! What Han Cheong-ho can’t do, Kang Tae-soo can! I’ll be cheering for you.”

Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan and Han Cheong-ho of Cheongil were sworn enemies.

Since her father treated Han Cheong-ho as an irreconcilable enemy, Jang Seo-yeon naturally had a strong aversion to Han Cheong-ho.

And she had watched Tae-soo stand up to Han Cheong-ho without backing down.

Jang Seo-yeon glared at the VIP room door and said.

“I’ll be waiting here, so please come back victorious.”

It was as if a fighting match was being held inside.

It was absurd.

“Fighting! Shoulders up! Chest out! Confidently, fighting!”

But she could feel her determined resolve, and it felt good.

Thanks to her, the competitive spirit and fighting spirit that had been raging through his veins calmed down.

He felt more determined.

Tae-soo smirked and raised his fist just like Jang Seo-yeon had done.

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

Tae-soo turned and entered the VIP room.

Without putting in any extra effort, his shoulders and chest were straight.

You could tell from his back alone that he was full of confidence.

‘His back is quite broad. Confident.’

Jang Seo-yeon stared at Tae-soo’s back.

It was a back that showed an unyielding will.

* * *

The VIP room was so filled with cigarette smoke that it looked like a raccoon den.

Park Jeong-hwan sat back on the sofa with a cigarette in his mouth.

His furrowed brow showed that he was not happy with the current situation.

Tae-soo closed the door, bent down, and greeted.

“Greetings, I am Kang Tae-soo of TaeYang.”

Jang Jun-yong gestured for him to sit next to him.

“Come and sit here.”

As Tae-soo took a seat next to Jang Jun-yong, Park Jeong-hwan looked around at the four men.

The Big 4 in charge of the Gangnam apartment development were gathered in one place.

“You all know why I called you here separately, don’t you?”

He had specifically called the four men who had stepped up to develop the Gangnam apartments.

So there was no way they wouldn’t know his intentions.

“You’ve taken out full-page ads in the newspaper. You all have great enthusiasm. I like it.”

It was the Gangnam development that Park Jeong-hwan was pushing forward.

Among them, residential development, namely apartments, was at the forefront.

Once people moved in, the commercial district would develop, and office buildings would soon follow.

“It seems like TaeYang will be able to build apartments sooner than expected. Are you confident in building the best luxury apartments?”

“I am confident.”

“Good.”

He liked the confident answer.

Next was Geumsan.

“Geumsan is advocating employee apartments and employee welfare. I heard that the number of applicants for new employee recruitment was overwhelming.”

“It was effective to run newspaper ads early. Moreover, His Excellency mentioned in advance that we should create a large-scale complex, so this was bound to happen.”

“You’re building from Unit 1 sequentially?”

“We had no choice because we were a little short on funds.”

This was because they had slipped in the bidding for the Jubail Industrial Port and were doing subcontracting work.

The remaining money was used to acquire companies that were collapsing during the oil shock.

So they were a little short on spare funds.

“Korea National Housing Corporation, have you completely finished purchasing the Gaepo-dong Jugong apartment site?”

“It’s currently progressing smoothly at about 80%. You don’t have to worry.”

“Good.”

Park Jeong-hwan’s eyes turned to Han Cheong-ho.

“Cheongil, who is in charge of Jamsil, is the problem.”

“I have no excuse.”

It was all because of Kang Tae-soo.

Han Cheong-ho glared fiercely at Tae-soo.

“There are malicious groups who are obstructing the project by deliberately holding out.”

Park Jeong-hwan already knew.

But he wouldn’t let it slide.

“I’ll be blunt.”

Park Jeong-hwan threw a pack of cigarettes on the table and said.

“No matter what, make the Gangnam apartments a success.”

That was why Park Jeong-hwan had created this opportunity.

He looked at Han Cheong-ho.

“How many *pyeong* [a Korean unit of area, approximately 3.3 square meters] of land have you bought to build apartments?”

His eyes were fierce.

“Did my words sound like a joke to you?”

Han Cheong-ho swallowed hard.