Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 13

13. Pohang Iron and Steel – Park Tae-jong (2)

Park Tae-jong glared at Tae-soo.

“A deal? I don’t recall scheduling an appointment. Did you receive formal permission to enter the premises?”

“Unfortunately, I understand your situation isn’t ideal right now, so I’ll wait until you’re finished with your business.”

Park Tae-jong shook his head.

“I won’t consider any deals. Just leave.”

*How rigid.*

Tae-soo took out a wad of paper from his pocket.

And on the back of the last page, he wrote, .

Tae-soo placed the wad of paper in Park Tae-jong’s hand.

“What’s this?”

“A gift. Or, strictly speaking, you could call it a leash.”

There couldn’t possibly be a leash made of paper.

Park Tae-jong frowned.

“Is this a bribe?”

“Is there anything I need to ask you for right now? The blast furnace isn’t even finished yet.”

Tae-soo pointed to the steel mill under construction.

Park Tae-jong looked at Tae-soo with a blank expression.

“I heard you’re having trouble with a Japanese mongrel.”

“Hmm.”

“If you don’t want to deal with it yourself, you can pass it on to the National Intelligence Service [South Korea’s primary intelligence agency]. Well, then.”

Tae-soo bowed and turned around.

Just then, he ran into a Japanese man stomping angrily toward them.

The Japanese man scanned Tae-soo and Hol쭉이 [a Korean slang term for someone thin and lanky] up and down, narrowing his eyes.

“Ha! What a sight! What kind of place is this where peddlers come and go! Mr. Park, is this how you manage the site?”

A very fluent Korean, albeit with a strong Japanese accent.

*No, that was impolite.*

“Hey, you peddler. Where do you think you’re going? Stand right there! This is an important diplomatic matter.”

The Japanese man forcibly stopped Tae-soo.

“A diplomatic matter?”

“Of course! It seems you entered this place without permission. I’ve directly recognized the risk of Japanese technology being leaked, so shouldn’t I clearly question the Korean government about this?”

Tae-soo turned to see Park Tae-jong looking embarrassed.

*He was already eager to find fault, and now he had a perfect excuse.*

*Both the accident on site and the intruder who bypassed security.*

“Peddler, you wait your turn over there!”

“Why should I?”

“If you run away while I’m talking to Mr. Park, he’ll have to take all the responsibility!”

Hol쭉이 glanced at Tae-soo with anxious eyes.

‘Looks like we’re screwed. Should we make a run for it?’

Tae-soo shook his head.

His face was confident, as if to say, ‘Go ahead and try.’

“Mr. Park, how did you manage your workers that such a big accident happened on site? Have you forgotten that there’s less than a year left until the completion deadline?”

The Japanese government had promised Park Tae-jong technology transfer.

Accordingly, ‘Shin Nippon Steel,’ a giant Japanese steel industry company, had dispatched a technical advisor for the steel mill construction.

This Japanese man was the dispatched technical advisor, Takeshi Ushiroda.

“Accidents can happen while working. Fortunately, the work is progressing smoothly.”

“Mr. Park, you call it smooth when the factory you’ve built is about to collapse? That’s a joke! I can’t work with someone with such a lax attitude toward safety! I’m going back to Japan!”

Ushiroda didn’t want to miss this opportunity to find fault.

Park Tae-jong was the closest aide to a powerful figure in this country.

Park Tae-jong’s only wish was to build the best steel mill.

All the developed countries had refused to transfer steel mill technology.

Except for Japan.

So, Park Tae-jong had no other choice.

To build the steel mill, he had to listen to Ushiroda’s demands, however reluctantly.

*If not now, when else can I lecture such a powerful figure as much as I want, hehehe.*

Having seized a critical weakness, Ushiroda had nothing to fear.

He enjoyed nitpicking and constantly harassing Park Tae-jong.

‘Since there was an agreement between Japan and Korea regarding the steel mill, Mr. Park can’t do anything. I can just beat the punching bag as much as I want, hehehe.’

Ushiroda was very pleased with the current situation.

“Just look at today’s accident! It’s sloppiness that’s unimaginable in Japan. You’re fundamentally flawed!”

“You’re the one who’s fundamentally flawed. What a spectacle?”

“What?”

Ushiroda turned his head sharply at Tae-soo’s words.

Tae-soo nodded.

“So, it was you. The Japanese mongrel.”

“Who are you?”

“A peddler. Isn’t that what you called me earlier?”

“······.”

Ushiroda glared at Tae-soo.

“Do you know who I am, talking so impudently?”

“Do I need to know that?”

Tae-soo scratched his ear.

Ushiroda was furious.

“Listen carefully. I am the technical advisor of Shin Nippon Steel and was personally dispatched to Korea by the Great Japanese Government-”

“I know that very well. That’s why you should have behaved yourself. Who told you to act like a dog in another country?”

Ushiroda flinched at Tae-soo’s forcefulness.

Tae-soo gestured to Park Tae-jong.

Pointing to the wad of paper he was holding.

Park Tae-jong finally looked closely at the thick wad of paper in his hand.

-A gift. Or, strictly speaking, you could call it a leash.

-I heard you’re having trouble with a Japanese mongrel.

-If you don’t want to deal with it yourself, you can pass it on to the National Intelligence Service.

“What is that? I want to see it too.”

Ushiroda reached out his hand to Park Tae-jong.

Meaning to hand over the wad of paper Tae-soo had given him.

“Mr. Park, what are you doing? Why don’t you kick this impudent guy out? No, since he tried to leak Japanese technology to the outside-”

“Hey, Japanese. I think you’re mistaken. You’re just as tied to this steel mill as I am.”

Park Tae-jong, who had been looking at the wad of paper, suddenly raised his head.

Tae-soo pointed alternately to the wad of paper and his own neck.

‘Tied down? A collar? A leash?’

Park Tae-jong seemed to realize something.

‘He’s finally caught on. The owner has to pull the leash himself.’

Tae-soo smiled.

He could crush this Japanese man himself, but there was a reason why he was yielding to Park Tae-jong.

“If you go back to Japan? They’ll dispatch another technical advisor. It’s something the Japanese government promised.”

“What are you saying?”

“It’s not like you’re the only technical advisor in Japan.”

Ushiroda was very angry.

“Fine! If I go back to Japan like this, let’s see if the Japanese government will send another technical advisor! This project was barely successful! I’m packing my bags right now!”

Ushiroda glanced at Park Tae-jong.

‘It’s about time Park Tae-jong stepped in.’

For some reason, Park Tae-jong couldn’t take his eyes off the wad of paper.

“Mr. Park! Are you using this impudent guy to oppress me? I’ll formally protest to the Korean government. Of course, along with the Japanese technology leak!”

Ushiroda gnashed his teeth even more when Park Tae-jong didn’t take his side.

“Fine, Mr. Park. Let’s see if you can complete the steel mill without me!”

That’s when it happened.

Park Tae-jong took out the wad of paper and began to read it haltingly.

“You received kickbacks in exchange for supplying materials, and you extorted commissions by threatening labor agencies.”

“Wh, what are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“You impersonated the Japanese government to work as a job placement broker, and, huh! You were involved in smuggling and illegal immigration?”

“I, I don’t know anything about that.”

“All your relatives and acquaintances were attached to you and sucked you dry. You put a lot of effort into money laundering.”

“Mr. Park, what are you saying right now?”

Ushiroda’s complexion suddenly began to turn pale.

Park Tae-jong’s eyebrows also twitched.

Park Tae-jong’s gaze as he glared at Ushiroda was as sharp as a blade.

Unable to bear it any longer, Park Tae-jong threw the wad of paper at Ushiroda’s face.

The wad of paper that had been hit and bounced off fluttered in all directions.

Thud.

Ushiroda picked up a piece of paper that had fallen on his shoe and read it.

The things he wanted to hide were written in a row.

How many such papers were there?

‘H, how could this be! I clearly hid and concealed it without leaving any traces?’

Ushiroda’s eyes trembled violently.

“Did you think you could get away with it as long as your name was clean? They searched all your relatives, acquaintances, and alumni.”

“Wh, who on earth!”

“Be quiet! I’m going to hand this over to the National Intelligence Service.”

“Th, the National Intelligence Service? But I represent the Japanese government-”

“I’m sure they’ll handle the diplomatic issues well on their own.”

“Mr. Park!”

Ushiroda had been finding fault with every project, giving instructions, acting high and mighty, constantly ignoring and harassing people, and delaying construction.

Ushiroda’s weakness had been handed over to Park Tae-jong.

‘I was having so much fun trampling on Park Tae-jong that I forgot! Park Tae-jong is a powerful figure. He has considerable ties with our Japanese government. If this fact becomes known in Japan?’

His family left in Japan would not be safe.

And neither would he.

Cold sweat ran down Ushiroda’s back.

‘The Japanese government must not find out. Not now, even if it’s after the steel mill project is over.’

If it was after the steel mill project was over, it could be dismissed as a personal crime.

But if the person dispatched to build the steel mill committed a crime, and the steel mill project agreed upon between the countries was delayed as a result, and the responsibility was placed on the Japanese government?

‘I’ll be retaliated against for tarnishing Japan’s reputation. My life is over.’

Ushiroda, terrified, began to tremble.