Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 16

16. Recruiting Talent (1)

Tae-soo answered calmly.

“I will build a school.”

“Wouldn’t a hospital or commercial building be more profitable?”

“I know.”

“Would you like to change your mind now?”

“No, thank you.”

Park Tae-jong was puzzled.

“Is there a reason?”

“Is there any special reason? Since I’m taking on the job anyway, I want to contribute to nurturing talent who will become the pillars of the nation.”

“Hahahaha!”

Park Tae-jong burst into hearty laughter.

The more he talked, the more he liked Tae-soo.

“Good, very good. I’ll entrust you with everything from elementary school to middle school and high school.”

“Thank you.”

Park Tae-jong originally intended to subcontract only one school, but he ended up giving him the whole set.

He had a feeling that this young man in front of him would do well.

“Let’s consider our debt settled with this.”

“Let’s do that.”

Park Tae-jong liked Tae-soo’s straightforward answers this time as well.

He liked Tae-soo’s unyielding attitude even more.

“The name of the company you’re going to establish is… Taeyang Construction, was it?”

“That’s right.”

“Taeyang Construction, huh? I’ll give you a gift as a token of my hope for your quick involvement. Just a moment.”

Park Tae-jong picked up the phone and connected to someone.

“This is Park Tae-jong from Pohang Iron and Steel. Mr. Park, Deputy Minister, I have a favor to ask. It’s about Taeyang Construction…”

Hol쭉이 [pronounced ‘Holjjugi’, a nickname implying someone thin or gaunt] was bewildered.

‘What’s going on? He’s been talking to some Deputy Minister since a while ago.’

Tae-soo seemed to know something, so he looked back at him.

As expected, Tae-soo was smiling brightly as if he had guessed something.

‘If it’s Deputy Minister Park, it must be Park Kwang-deok, the Deputy Minister of Construction.’

Tae-soo silently drank his whiskey.

Hol쭉이 craned his neck and listened intently to understand the situation.

“I need to build facilities for the employees of Pohang Iron and Steel. That’s right. The construction of the steel mill that the President desires so much is getting busy. Please say a word to expedite the process.”

Tae-soo’s smile grew even deeper.

“Thank you. Then, please take care.”

Park Tae-jong put down the phone.

Then, he nodded with a satisfied look.

“The general matters regarding the establishment of the company will be processed soon.”

“Thank you. I was waiting because I heard that things were delayed, but thanks to you, Mr. President, it’s being resolved like this. Thank you for the gift.”

Park Tae-jong grinned.

“Then, let’s consider this as Kim’s share.”

“Good.”

The debt of putting a leash on the Japanese Mangjong was settled with the construction subcontract.

This small favor was meant to be deducted as a debt for saving Manager Kim.

Hol쭉이 whistled inwardly as he looked at Park Tae-jong.

‘Power is indeed good. He has great backing.’

Following that, the construction subcontract agreement was written in an instant.

This time, Park Tae-jong, not Tae-soo, wrote down the contract.

“I will prepare the down payment by tomorrow. The rest will be paid gradually according to the percentage of completion.”

“Good. However, I will not accept promissory notes. May I ask for it in cash?”

“How about a one-month short-term promissory note?”

“As you can see, we are short of funds because it is the initial stage of the business. I would appreciate your understanding.”

“Alright, but this is the only time. Instead, it will take some time to prepare the cash, so give me a few days. Let’s meet again on Monday. How about that?”

“I understand.”

As Park Tae-jong was finalizing the contract, Tae-soo tapped the special terms section of the contract.

“You should write down the payment guarantee. If you are short of funds, I can introduce you to a place.”

“Where is that?”

“Have you heard of the Myeongdong Big Hand [a famous, influential figure in Myeongdong, known for lending money]?”

“Hahahaha, you know Jang Mal-dong? You’re really something!”

Park Tae-jong laughed loudly.

“I use Jang Mal-dong’s private loan, but for some reason, he’s urgently recovering it this time. So, I changed my business partner a few days ago.”

The reason why Jang Mal-dong is urgently recovering his private loan is well known.

It must be because of the information Tae-soo told him, the 8.3 Private Loan Freeze [a government measure to curb private lending, causing financial panic].

“Then, are you using Choi Moo-ryong’s private loan?”

“I had no choice but to do so.”

“Ah, that’s a relief.”

Tae-soo grinned.

‘Choi Moo-ryong probably doesn’t know about the 8.3 Private Loan Freeze at all, so the more he borrows, the more dangerous it is. Choi Moo-ryong is perfect for hitting rock bottom.’

The face of Jang Mal-dong, who was flailing around a few days ago because his feet were on fire, came to mind.

So did the face of Song Jin-gu, the Myeongdong hyena who would be toiling away under him.

“If you don’t like the payment guarantee, you should at least write an IOU [I Owe You].”

“Oh, I don’t want to write an IOU, so I’ll have to call a payment guarantor.”

Park Tae-jong smiled meaningfully.

“My payment guarantor will probably be quite a great person, can you handle it?”

Park Tae-jong’s payment guarantor.

Could it be that person?

No way?

For such a small matter.

“You’re a very smart friend. You seem to know who it is already.”

Tae-soo grinned.

“Don’t think about glossing over it. I won’t believe it until you bring him here in person.”

“He will be coming to inspect the smelter soon. You will be able to see him when the time comes.”

Wow, really?

“His Excellency seems to be quite interested in seeing you too.”

President Park Jung-hwan suddenly popped out.

* * *

The summer sun blazes overhead.

How far did I walk after leaving the Pohang Iron and Steel construction site?

There’s a bus stop over there.

Thud.

Sitting on the chair, I finally feel relieved.

The more I think about what happened earlier, the more Hol쭉이 keeps chuckling.

“Heh, heh heh. Heh heh heh. It’s absurd, really.”

“What is?”

“Isn’t it? I came all the way from Seoul to sell some mineral called 몰리 어쩌구 [mollie eojjeogu – gibberish sounding word for molybdenum]? But now I’m going to build a school. Heh heh heh heh.”

I didn’t expect that either.

I came to make an impression, but I actually signed a contract.

“What does molybdenum even look like? And that president, how can he sign a contract without even looking at the thing he’s buying?”

Hol쭉이 kept laughing.

“Heh heh heh, I’m so dumbfounded. At first, he treated me like a spy, but now he’s giving me everything as if he can’t give me enough. He’s giving me everything without asking or questioning. Heh heh heh.”

That was true.

Tae-soo also chuckled.

“I didn’t know things would turn out this way either.”

Tae-soo didn’t expect to get the school construction job either.

“He must have really liked you, Tae-soo.”

“Would you do business based on liking someone?”

“If that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t have thrown work at you. Business is all about people.”

Surprisingly, Hol쭉이 hit the nail on the head.

‘That’s right, people sometimes forget that. That business is all about people.’

Why else would they do 영업 [Yeong-eop – business networking/socializing] with alcohol and spread bribes?

There’s always something more that goes with the exchange of hearts.

That’s how people do things.

When he was in the Cheongil Group in the past, the only thing Tae-soo couldn’t do was spreading bribes.

‘Spreading bribes was Han Il-kwon’s specialty.’

Having women around, drinking alcohol, spreading bribes to buy people off, and sending people to take care of things.

Han Il-kwon was really good at bad things, shady things, and dirty things.

It’s just that he couldn’t run the company properly, but in a way, he was a remarkable guy.

That’s why Tae-soo was defeated without even being able to use his hands properly.

“Tae-soo, you have no choice, right? You’ll have to use bribes, offer girls, and spread expensive alcohol to get contracts, just like other people, right?”

Hol쭉이 looked back at Tae-soo with a bitter face.

Tae-soo, who was the head of the Cheongil Group’s general secretary office, knows better than anyone what Hol쭉이 is saying.

“If necessary, I won’t be picky about the means and methods.”

Hol쭉이 rarely shows a disappointed expression.

Hol쭉이 also knows that the world is not easy, so he nodded.

‘If I have to deal with Han Il-kwon, I shouldn’t put restrictions on the means and methods. Because I’ll be tying my own hands and feet.’

But I will be different from Han Il-kwon.

Just because I don’t care about the means and methods doesn’t mean I have to use dirty methods.

“But I won’t do things that are worse than beasts just to take the easy way out.”

“Huh?”

“It’s stupid to become a devil to catch a devil. This is all to become happy.”

Hol쭉이 looked up.

Tae-soo was smiling.

“I don’t want to succeed to the point of making the people I have to protect ashamed. I can succeed without doing such things. I have that much ability.”

The ability to smell money, this time I will use it for us, not for the Cheongil Group.

Tae-soo was looking straight at Hol쭉이.

“But if anyone touches my people, I will retaliate without regard to means and methods. I can’t stand that either.”

Han Il-kwon, who was reciting how he killed his family and friends, came to mind.

I should have punched that face that was giggling and enjoying it.

‘This time, I will make sure that no one lays a finger on my people. In addition, I will return more than what I received. Wait, Han Il-kwon…’

Sparks flew from Tae-soo’s eyes.

Hol쭉이 turned his head because his chest was getting hot for no reason.

“A passionate young man has appeared.”

“Why? Do I suddenly look cool?”

Tae-soo and Hol쭉이 burst into laughter at the same time.

“Haa- It’s hot. Tae-soo, it’s really too hot.”

“Because it’s the end of July at midday.”

Flapping, flapping.

Tae-soo takes out the molybdenum inspection sheet and fans himself.

‘I need a car. I need air conditioning. It’s so uncomfortable.’

At times like this, I desperately miss the cool air conditioning in 21st-century cars.

In 1972, even if you rode in a car, you opened the windows instead of using air conditioning.

With that manual 뱅뱅이 [baengbaengyi – crank] window crank.

“When is the bus coming?”

“Tae-soo, let’s go to the beach. Since we came all the way from Seoul to Pohang, we have to go swimming at the beach at least once. Huh?”

He was going to go to Seoul after receiving the down payment from Park Tae-jong anyway.

There were a few days of free time until Monday.

“Let’s do that.”

“Call! Call call call! Alcohol, call! Hehehe.”

It was then.

Brrr, brrr. Screech.

A sturdy jeep stopped in front of Tae-soo and Hol쭉이.

A young man about Tae-soo’s age was holding the steering wheel.

“Are you Kang Tae-soo?”

“Yes, who are you?”

The young man got out of the car.

He was petite, but he had a gentle and intellectual feel, which made him likable.

The round silver-rimmed glasses went well with his neat suit.

“My father told me to pick you up.”

“Your father is…”

“He said you were just with him. He’s the president of Pohang Iron and Steel.”

“Ah.”

Park Chul-wan smiled.

“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of the Pohang Iron and Steel family.”

“What reason would I have to receive your gratitude?”

“I heard that you gave us a leash to tame the Japanese Mangjong [slang for Japanese people]. Everyone is saying that they have simultaneously cured their 3-year-old gastritis.”

“I’m glad it was helpful.”

Park Chul-wan bowed politely.

“Ah, I’m late for the introduction. Nice to meet you. I’m Park Chul-wan. Get in.”

“I’m Kang Tae-soo. Then, I won’t refuse.”

“Oh, I’m Kim Yong-sik-”

Before Hol쭉이 could finish his greeting, the two had already gotten into the car.

Hol쭉이 sighed and quickly got into the car.

Tae-soo was rummaging through memories that seemed familiar but not quite.

‘Park Chul-wan. I’ve definitely heard that name often when I was young, who was it?’

It was a name he had heard often for several years since Tae-soo joined the company.

But it was a name he couldn’t hear anymore because he died in an unexpected accident a few years later.

‘It’s already been 30 or 40 years, so my memory… Ah!’

At that moment, a figure flashed through his mind like lightning.

‘The brain of Cheongil Construction! The master of real estate development and location selection!’

The man that Han Cheong-ho, who was unparalleled in his ability to see people, had painstakingly recruited even with 삼고초려 [Samgoryeo – a Korean idiom referring to the act of visiting someone three times to show sincerity and persistence in asking for their help or services].

To meet him here like this.