Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 131

Mining Mogul and Construction Tycoon – Episode 131

131. For a Chaotic Scene (4)

Park Tae-jong, dumbfounded, slammed his whiskey glass roughly on the table.

“1 billion? Not 100 million, but a full 1 billion in slush funds?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Has that bastard gone mad? What does a soldier need that much money for?”

The amount was absurd.

It was far too excessive to call a conglomerate chairman he was meeting for the first time and demand it.

Lee Se-ho downed his whiskey in one gulp and asked,

“Anything else?”

“He said he would crush the Taeyang Group. He said he would give it to Chairman Han Cheong-ho as a wedding gift for his younger sibling.”

“This crazy bastard!”

Park Tae-jong couldn’t help but curse.

He drank whiskey like water and looked at Tae-soo again.

“Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Jeon Doo-ho really spouted such nonsense?”

“Yes.”

“What’s his reason for crushing the Taeyang Group?”

“He said the slush funds decreased because of me.”

The generals’ faces flushed red.

Jeong Seung-hwan, the First Field Army Commander, spoke in a grave voice.

“Jeon Doo-ho is getting too big for his boots.”

Lee Se-ho clenched his fist tightly.

“Isn’t it a daily occurrence for him to act so arrogant, relying on His Excellency’s protection?”

Jang Tae-won was indignant.

“I heard he’s planted people from the Oseong Society [a clandestine group within the military] everywhere and is operating a hotline.”

Park Tae-jong turned to Tae-soo.

“I heard Jeon Doo-ho had a fight with Cha Gi-beom earlier. Do you know anything about it?”

Park Tae-jong and the generals arrived late, so they didn’t know the details of the fight between Jeon Doo-ho and Cha Gi-beom.

“I heard Jeon Doo-ho started the fight with Cha Gi-beom first?”

“He said he was unhappy that the Chief of the Presidential Security Service was receiving reports from the Defense Security Commander.”

“Hmm.”

The generals nodded.

“That’s because the former Defense Security Commander was afraid of His Excellency and hesitated to meet him directly.”

“So they agreed to report to Cha Gi-beom instead.”

“So Jeon Doo-ho, as the new Defense Security Commander, must be unhappy.”

Park Tae-jong asked.

“So what did Chief Cha say?”

“He ordered a ‘Study on Measures to Restore the Situation in the Event of Martial Law,’ asking why they were practicing for after martial law was declared.”

The generals’ faces changed.

Tae-soo drove the wedge in, repeating Cha Gi-beom’s words exactly.

“He said it seemed like they were preparing for something to happen to His Excellency, and asked if they would still deny plotting treason even after this.”

Silence filled the room.

For a long time, no sound was heard.

Only occasional low sighs or the sound of dry swallowing could be heard.

Park Tae-jong gulped down a glass of whiskey.

He slammed the glass on the table with a bang.

“What is all this about?”

Lee Se-ho, the Army Chief of Staff, asked his generals.

“Was the Oseong Society plotting something like this? Does anyone know about this?”

Jeong Seung-hwan replied.

“How would we know what the Oseong Society is plotting? Jeon Doo-ho controls all the information, and they move like a secret society among themselves.”

Jang Tae-won sighed.

“We don’t even know where the Oseong Society has infiltrated. We don’t know who is a member and who isn’t, so how can we know what they’re doing?”

The generals’ faces became serious.

They were keenly aware of the danger.

“For a private organization to be so rampant in the military…”

In his past life, he had turned a blind eye to it.

But now, the Oseong Society issue had surfaced before the Army Chief of Staff.

Lee Se-ho, the Army Chief of Staff, gritted his teeth.

“We almost wouldn’t have known even if they were plotting a real rebellion. Is it even possible that Cha Gi-beom has faster information than us, who actually move the military?”

Lee Se-ho, the Army Chief of Staff, jumped up from his seat.

Then the other generals and Park Tae-jong were surprised and asked.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to grab that bastard Jeon Doo-ho and grill him right now!”

Tae-soo took a sip of whiskey and asked.

“What are you going to grab him for?”

“He’s creating and running a private organization within the military! He’s plotting a rebellion!”

“Do you have any evidence?”

The generals paused.

Tae-soo continued.

“Defense Security Commander Jeon Doo-ho is receiving His Excellency’s full favor and is being promoted at lightning speed. His Excellency is also turning a blind eye to the Oseong Society, a private organization within the military.”

Everyone knew this fact.

That’s why the problem was so big.

“In this situation, we don’t know who the members of the Oseong Society are, what they’re doing, or how far they’ve progressed, so how are you going to grill him?”

Wasn’t that why they had been turning a blind eye, pretending not to see or know?

The generals weren’t fools either.

They were afraid of offending Park Jeong-hwan if they rashly touched Jeon Doo-ho.

“Why don’t you meet Chief of the Presidential Security Service Cha Gi-beom first?”

“Cha Gi-beom?”

“He seems to know quite a bit about what the Oseong Society is plotting.”

Certainly, Cha Gi-beom was one step ahead of them.

Army Chief of Staff Lee Se-ho nodded.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll meet Cha Gi-beom. While we’re at it, why don’t we go now?”

“Good.”

It was difficult for each of them to come out far from their garrisons.

It would be best to meet Cha Gi-beom when they were gathered together because Park Jeong-hwan had called them.

“It was nice meeting you.”

Army Chief of Staff Lee Se-ho extended his hand to Tae-soo.

While shaking hands, Tae-soo secretly handed him a note he had written on his palm beforehand.

Lee Se-ho’s eyes widened for a moment and then returned to normal.

He didn’t show it.

“Let’s meet again next time.”

That meant he would contact him separately.

Perhaps because they were generals, their execution was outstanding.

As soon as he finished speaking, they gathered their clothes and left the room.

Park Tae-jong reached out his hands but couldn’t bring himself to grab his old comrades.

“Like this, without even saying goodbye…”

The generals left.

To meet Chief of the Presidential Security Service Cha Gi-beom.

‘Cha Gi-beom won’t miss this opportunity.’

Cha Gi-beom was in a power struggle with Jeon Doo-ho over Park Jeong-hwan’s favor.

He wouldn’t foolishly let the generals who could suppress Jeon Doo-ho leave.

‘Chief Cha, I’ve given you wings on your back.’

What would happen if Cha Gi-beom joined forces with them?

* * *

Tae-soo and Kim Gwang-rok came out of the room.

Kim Gwang-rok looked at Tae-soo with a half-dazed expression.

“I thought you were just going to say hello, but you’ve really stirred things up.”

“I was just going to say hello.”

“…”

That was true.

Tae-soo had only rung the golden bell as a greeting to the generals.

The generals were greatly pleased and seated Tae-soo; it wasn’t Tae-soo who volunteered to appeal.

“I can’t beat you. Why does your head work so well? It’s really amazing to see from the side.”

Kim Gwang-rok shook his head.

“How can a single greeting make the generals of this country go to the Blue House with such serious faces?”

“It’s not my fault.”

“…”

That was also true.

Kim Gwang-rok was speechless and shook his head again.

He couldn’t possibly win in a war of words.

“I rang the golden bell, but I didn’t even get a drink. Tsk.”

Kim Gwang-rok licked his lips.

He couldn’t bear to leave like this, as the expensive liquor was still vivid in his mind.

Outside, Hol쭉-i and Park Cheol-wan were drinking together.

The atmosphere seemed good.

“What are you talking about so interestingly?”

“Oh? Tae-soo, did you say hello well? It was a bit later than I thought.”

He had been sitting there for a while, encouraging the generals.

“Tae-soo, someone rang the golden bell earlier? Sit down and drink to your heart’s content. Hehehe.”

Kim Gwang-rok, who knew who had rung the golden bell, sat down next to Hol쭉-i.

Then he examined the bottle of liquor Hol쭉-i was drinking and was shocked.

“Is this real? Rémy Martin Louis XIII cognac! Did Geumsan Hotel even bring in such expensive liquor?”

“A Saudi prince came to this hotel a while ago, and they were embarrassed because there was only cheap wine. After that, they decided to stock the hotel bar with the finest liquor.”

“…”

Louis XIII was an ultra-expensive liquor that was released in limited editions.

It was a product of the world’s top 5 cognac companies.

Surely not.

“Hehehe, they only brought in three bottles to Korea this time. They’ve already taken two, and I got the last one.”

“…”

Tae-soo silently held out his glass.

Hol쭉-i poured generously.

“Drink a lot. You have to drink expensive liquor at times like this. You’ll never be able to drink it with your own money later. Hehehe.”

“…”

It was liquor he was drinking with his own money.

Seeing that, Kim Gwang-rok grinned, revealing his gums.

“Hey, pour me a glass overflowing too, Hol쭉-i.”

“Ah, of course, Gwang-rok hyung-nim [older brother] should drink a lot too.”

Kim Gwang-rok whistled.

“Wow, whoever rang the golden bell must be feeling pretty sore?”

“Hehehe, right? I thought I’d never get to drink the finest liquor if I missed this opportunity, so I closed my eyes and took it. The moment I popped the cork, heaven helped me and the golden bell rang.”

“Khahaha!”

Kim Gwang-rok held his stomach and laughed.

Tae-soo emptied his glass in an instant and held it out.

“One more glass.”

“Good. I sold the house thanks to you, Tae-soo. At a very high price. Hehehe. You can drink it. Drink!”

“…”

Hol쭉-i poured another glass for Tae-soo and tilted his head.

“Tae-soo, you look strange today.”

“Khahaha!”

“Everything you do turns out well, so why are you making such a face today?”

“Khahahahaha!”

Kim Gwang-rok couldn’t stand it anymore and collapsed on the table, pounding his fists.

Only Hol쭉-i, who didn’t know what was going on, tilted his head.

Tae-soo looked at Park Cheol-wan and said.

“Have you heard about the apartment construction change this time?”

When the talk turned to work, Park Cheol-wan straightened his posture.

“I have. I heard you’re planning to build 12 of the 58 buildings first.”

“I’d like to hear your opinion on what problems there are when the plan is changed, and what facilities should be prioritized in relation to the residents’ community facilities.”

Park Cheol-wan placed the briefcase he always carried on the table.

Park Cheol-wan, who came to Geumsan’s commemorative event, carried some documents with him to check whenever he had time in between.

Park Cheol-wan took out a rolled-up drawing paper from his bag and spread it out.

It was a construction plan for the entire apartment complex.

“We need to decide which side of the first complex to build first. What does the chairman think?”

“We need to think about it together with the road construction that goes around the apartment complex.”

“Yes, because it’s surrounded by large roads on all three sides.”

“Let’s look at the map. Yeongdong-daero is over here…”

Tae-soo and Park Cheol-wan put their heads together, with the drawing in the middle.

Hol쭉-i and Kim Gwang-rok held their drinks and stared blankly at the scene.

“Do you want to do this even here? You should drink when you’re drinking. I didn’t get the finest cognac for this. I don’t know if the liquor is going into my mouth or my nose.”

“Khaha, leave them alone. I don’t understand even if I watch with my eyes open. My head hurts, so let’s just drink.”

“As expected, Gwang-rok hyung-nim. We have something in common.”

“Khahaha!”

Tae-soo looked at Hol쭉-i with cold eyes.

“Don’t forget to submit the CF [Commercial Film] advertising plan by tomorrow, right?”

“…”

“You have to earn the value of the expensive liquor you drank.”

“…”

Hol쭉-i quietly put down his glass.

Hol쭉-i grumbled.

“I’ve already called everyone. I’ve also decided on the CF model. I’ve scheduled a meeting with the model tomorrow.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ve also looked into dramas. I’ve promised to meet with broadcasting station officials tomorrow to sponsor a daily drama series.”

That was fast.

It hadn’t been long since he gave the order, but already?

“I increased the budget for the public relations department last time. Thanks to that, I’ve greased the wheels here and there more than you think.”

Hol쭉-i was doing a better job than he thought.

“Which broadcasting station are you meeting with?”

“TBS Dongin Broadcasting Station.”

“Dongin Broadcasting? A broadcasting station affiliated with the Samcheong Group?”

It was the broadcasting station currently headed by Lee Geon-hoo, the third son of Chairman Lee Byeong-chun, who would later become the head of the Samcheong Group.