Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 145

145. The Last Puzzle (2)

Song Chang-joon shook his head firmly.

“Chairman, there’s no need for you to bother with such unpleasant tasks.”

“No. I’ll meet them myself.”

“Chairman, in the end, we’ll have to refuse them. Why create unnecessary resentment?”

If we listen to all their circumstances and then refuse, it will only leave resentment.

It’s more infuriating to spend valuable time and lower ourselves, only to be rejected.

“I’ll handle it myself. Please pretend you don’t know anything about it.”

It’s better to be sharp, clean, and firm when refusing.

And resentment and animosity remain for the person who is rejected.

“I’ll take the resentment and hatred, so please stay away. That’s better.”

It was Song Chang-joon’s loyalty to Tae-soo.

‘I appreciate the thought, but I’ve been waiting for them.’

Tae-soo strode towards the reporters.

“Long time no see.”

The Dongbang Ilbo reporters were delighted at Tae-soo’s greeting.

“Chairman!”

“We believed you would meet with us, Chairman!”

“It’s noisy here, let’s go somewhere quiet.”

Tae-soo moved towards the container office.

The Dongbang Ilbo reporters hurriedly followed Tae-soo.

* * *

Container office.

As Tae-soo sat down, the two reporters also sat across from him.

“Chairman, thank you so much!”

The reporters, who had already been turned away from nine companies, were overjoyed.

Song Chang-joon poured them each a cup of tea.

Tae-soo took a sip of tea and said,

“I just read the Dongbang Ilbo. I saw the blank advertisement.”

The two reporters nodded with somber faces.

“Yes, pressure came from above, and the companies all pulled their advertisements.”

“That’s why we shamelessly came all the way here.”

“Please help us, Chairman Kang. At this rate, Dongbang Ilbo will be shut down.”

You might think that simply removing advertisements wouldn’t lead to closure, but it’s not true.

It’s a huge threat to a newspaper company.

For a newspaper company that lives off advertising revenue, it’s a fatal blow.

‘It’s not for nothing that the chaebols threaten to pull advertisements.’

Everything costs money, from creating the newspaper to printing it and putting it on sale.

There’s no area where money isn’t needed, from reporters’ salaries to printing costs and office operating expenses.

More money is needed than the subscription fees paid by newspaper readers.

Therefore, they place corporate advertisements on the newspaper pages and use the advertising revenue to cover the shortfall.

“Chairman, you know that Dongbang Ilbo’s advertisements are on a weekly reservation system, right?”

“We have to take reservations because we make the advertisement printing plates.”

At the time, newspaper advertisements were by reservation.

They received reservations for a week’s worth of advertisements in advance and made the printing plates for them in advance.

The advertisements were printed by pressing with that printing plate.

“The advertisers have canceled their week’s worth of reserved advertisements one after another.”

“Even if we try to fill the advertisement space again, it takes time to produce the printing plates.”

“Dongbang Ilbo has to publish blank advertisement newspapers for a week.”

It was an unprecedented situation.

A newspaper with blank advertisement columns.

The public must have been horrified to receive the newspaper.

“Chairman, please put TaeYang Apartment advertisements back in our Dongbang Ilbo.”

They were meeting a corporate advertiser for the first time, and they couldn’t return empty-handed.

Dongbang Ilbo had to get the advertisement somehow to survive.

Tae-soo drank his tea silently.

‘Dongbang Ilbo will send out blank advertisement pages for a while. But readers will spend their own money to fill the empty advertisement space with small personal advertisements.’

They divide one newspaper page into five sections, and the bottom five-section advertisement is divided and divided again.

They created a size where one line could barely fit and posted personal advertisements.

‘In my previous life, the first donor for the charity advertisement was Assemblyman Kim Dae-joon.’

The man who had even served as president in his previous life took the lead in supporting Dongbang Ilbo.

Seeing that, citizens voluntarily emptied their pockets.

‘It was a case of “ten spoons, one meal.” Thanks to the citizens, Dongbang Ilbo barely avoided closure.’

At the time, many citizens, from high school students to the elderly, directly submitted advertisements to Dongbang Ilbo.

A concept similar to a fund raised by multiple investors appeared.

It was a petition from the people who hoped that Dongbang Ilbo would not be shut down.

‘Dongbang Ilbo survived for nearly a year with the help of the citizens. It barely avoided the regime’s hammer blow by riding on public opinion.’

Park Jung-hwan is only concerned about public opinion.

Thanks to the support of the citizens, corporate advertisements began to come in again at the end of the first half of 1975.

Advertisement reservations returned to their original trajectory, barely overcoming the closure crisis.

‘But that’s when internal divisions began. Eventually, it split into two newspapers. That’s how the newspaper gradually deteriorated.’

Dongbang Ilbo, which was united in raising its voice against democratization and military dictatorship.

Eventually, management and reporters turned against each other, and laid-off reporters founded a new newspaper.

That’s the Hanminjok Newspaper that continues to this day in the 21st century.

‘But what to do? In this life, Dongbang Ilbo shouldn’t be revived as it is.’

Tae-soo doesn’t want Dongbang Ilbo to recover here.

Instead, he was thinking of embracing Dongbang Ilbo in a different way.

‘I’ll handle things before the first charity advertiser, Assemblyman Kim Dae-joon, steps in.’

Tae-soo got up from his seat.

“Please return to the newspaper company first. I’ll follow soon.”

“Yes?”

What on earth does this mean?

The two reporters were bewildered.

“I will visit Dongbang Ilbo directly this afternoon.”

“Yes?”

“I’m planning to make a good offer to the president of Dongbang Ilbo. Please convey that.”

“Y-yes?”

The reporters made dazed noises.

Realizing what was happening, the reporters jumped up.

“Thank you. We will convey that.”

They hurried away without looking back.

They had to go to Dongbang Ilbo and convey this important story to the president.

Song Chang-joon, who had been staring blankly at Tae-soo for a while after the reporters had all left.

Suddenly gave a thumbs up.

“Wow, you’re really the chairman. You don’t buy resentment, you don’t show sympathy, you don’t break your pride, and you don’t give advertisements.”

What is it?

Is this an insult or a compliment?

“Just asking a few questions and listening to their situation, and things are working out.”

Song Chang-joon shook his head.

“You were right to confidently say that you didn’t need to cut them off on my level. To think you could chase away the reporters so cleanly.”

Song Chang-joon bowed politely.

“I learned a lot. I really respect you.”

“…….”

Why does Song Chang-joon’s respect come from such strange places?

Tae-soo sighed and said,

“Please cancel all afternoon schedules.”

“Yes?”

Song Chang-joon couldn’t help but make a dazed noise as well.

Tae-soo was already grabbing his coat and car keys.

‘I need to meet Assemblyman Kim Dae-joon before going to Dongbang Ilbo.’

That was the reason Tae-soo was going to meet the president of Dongbang Ilbo in the afternoon.

* * *

Dongbang Ilbo headquarters.

In the president’s office, executives gathered and raised their voices.

“President, we’ve visited 127 companies by today, but they’ve all been stopped at the front door.”

“They say they’ll be in trouble if they get involved with our Dongbang Ilbo.”

“The reserve funds will run out in ten days. We can’t hold out any longer.”

“What do we do now?”

Dongbang Ilbo President Kim Sang-min.

He sat at his desk and covered his head with both hands.

“That’s enough. I know, so please leave now.”

Inevitably, the executives left the president’s office.

Dongbang Ilbo President Kim Sang-min groaned.

“I didn’t know Park Jung-hwan would even suppress advertisements. No, should I be thankful that he didn’t come out to the Central Intelligence Agency and drag the reporters away?”

A hollow laugh came out.

“I can’t see the future.”

A sigh came out involuntarily.

“The banks won’t give us loans, the companies are cutting off advertisements, and the newspaper subscription fees aren’t enough.”

At this rate, it’s closure.

“There’s no way to hold out. Park Jung-hwan has played a cruel trick.”

Just then.

Knock knock.

“President, the chairman of TaeYang Group has arrived.”

“Oh!”

The person they were waiting for.

Finally, TaeYang Group Chairman Kang Tae-soo has come.

The two reporters who went to TaeYang Group to get advertisements in the morning returned in a hurry.

-The chairman of TaeYang Group is coming to Dongbang Ilbo this afternoon!

-He told us to tell the president that he would make a good offer. What kind of offer will he make?

Dongbang Ilbo President Kim Sang-min swallowed hard.

He was so nervous that his hands were shaking slightly.

“T-tell him to come in.”

The president’s office door opened.

The two reporters opened the door.

They were looking at the chairman of TaeYang Group, Tae-soo, not the president, Kim Sang-min.

“Chairman, please come in.”

They opened the door and stepped aside.

Tae-soo walked through the open door.

Kim Sang-min jumped up to greet Tae-soo.

“I’ve been waiting for you. Welcome. Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Sang-min, the president of Dongbang Ilbo.”

“I’m Kang Tae-soo of TaeYang Group.”

“Please sit here.”

Kim Sang-min offered the sofa.

As Tae-soo sat on the sofa, Kim Sang-min also sat on the sofa.

“What brings the chairman of TaeYang Group to Dongbang Ilbo? I heard you came to make a good offer?”

Kim Sang-min knows well how Tae-soo overcame difficulties and became the chairman of a chaebol [a large South Korean business conglomerate].

Wasn’t it Dongbang Ilbo that covered that story?

Therefore, Kim Sang-min’s expectations swelled.

Wouldn’t this man in front of him suggest a brilliant method?

“I’m going to acquire Dongbang Ilbo.”

“Acquire…….”

The swelling expectations deflate like a balloon.

Kim Sang-min couldn’t hide his crumpled expression.

“I thought you came to support us after hearing about Dongbang Ilbo’s situation. Or I was hoping you would tell us a clever way to overcome this difficulty.”

“How can I avoid the President’s axe?”

That’s right.

Why wouldn’t Kim Sang-min know the current situation?

“Closure or merger and acquisition. Is there any other way?”

There isn’t.

“I don’t care if Dongbang Ilbo is shut down. I can acquire it for even cheaper then.”

In the end, he’s saying he’ll acquire it.

“If Dongbang Ilbo’s sign changes, the President will also stop wielding the axe.”

Kim Sang-min closed his trembling eyes.

‘Dongbang Ilbo’s advertisements from companies have been cut off, and bank loans have also been cut off.’

Dongbang Ilbo’s situation is the worst.

‘There’s a lot of accumulated debt and a lot of family members [employees]. At this rate, we won’t last a month and will be shut down.’

The end of Dongbang Ilbo is clear.

‘To be shut down and scattered like this, or to be acquired and have the Dongbang Ilbo family members find new positions under TaeYang Group. Is that the only choice?’

Dongbang Ilbo President Kim Sang-min bit his lip tightly.

Dongbang Ilbo’s finances, which can survive without advertisements, are extremely poor.

Kim Sang-min was at a loss because he couldn’t see any way to save Dongbang Ilbo.

Tae-soo quietly waited for Kim Sang-min.

‘Park Jung-hwan has made up his mind and is wielding the axe, so no one can escape. The only exception is to endure by riding on public opinion, as in my previous life.’

Absolute power holder Park Jung-hwan is only concerned about public opinion.

In his previous life, he barely avoided it thanks to the public opinion expressed through the citizens’ charity advertisements.

‘But that won’t happen in this life.’

He had already met with Assemblyman Kim Dae-joon.

‘Unlike in his previous life, Assemblyman Kim Dae-joon will not place the first charity advertisement in Dongbang Ilbo.’

Tae-soo knows exactly how Dongbang Ilbo will make a comeback, so would he stand by and watch it happen?

‘This has already been discussed. I’m sorry, but Dongbang Ilbo has a separate job to do to shake Park Jung-hwan.’

Tae-soo is trying to attack Park Jung-hwan with public opinion.

‘There is a newspaper that Dongbang Ilbo must publish in the shadows. The name is Jirashi.’

Jirashi.

A Japanese word meaning paper scraps, leaflets, or advertisements made for propaganda.

Just as the whole nation listens to the rumors circulating in the stock market, the newspaper that will come out under the name Jirashi will stimulate Park Jung-hwan in a very secretive way.