Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 161

161. Two Days Before the Wedding (1)

Tae-soo had long been aware of Cha Ki-beom’s schemes.

‘If I had properly delivered the evidence I gave to Park Jung-hwan back then, Park Jung-hwan should have summoned me no matter what.’

Even if Cha Ki-beom hadn’t intervened, Park Jung-hwan couldn’t help but be shaken by the evidence.

Tae-soo wasn’t one to rely on luck in a situation with low probability.

He was the type to create a situation where escape was impossible, deliver a checkmate, and offer an irresistible proposal to firmly control the situation.

‘If Park Jung-hwan had received it, he would have noticed the full story of what Han Cheong-ho was being threatened with.’

What did Tae-soo send to Cha Ki-beom that night, claiming innocence?

It was burnt film and photos.

It was the remnants of what Han Cheong-ho had personally burned when stealing Cheongil Heavy Machinery from Geumsan Hotel.

It was the decisive clue that Han Cheong-ho had used to threaten the First Lady.

‘Park Jung-hwan said he received the Cheongil Oil acquisition agreement I sent to Jang Jun-yong and asked about what happened at the hotel. Jang Jun-yong would have also mentioned the burnt traces.’

No matter what Han Cheong-ho said, if he had confirmed the traces, Park Jung-hwan should have called Tae-soo.

Considering Park Jung-hwan’s temperament, it was almost certain.

However, Park Jung-hwan didn’t.

‘When Park Jung-hwan finally turned a blind eye, I guessed that Cha Ki-beom had joined hands with Han Cheong-ho.’

Since then, Tae-soo didn’t trust Cha Ki-beom.

Even when he continued to trade with Cha Ki-beom, he never revealed his true feelings or asked for help.

That was the end of their relationship, as he couldn’t trust him.

‘Cha Ki-beom, do you know what? The evidence I gave you that day was fake. Fake evidence that Park Jung-hwan couldn’t help but question.’

It was bait to lure Park Jung-hwan out.

Fake bait that anyone who knew the situation would find strange.

But the one who eagerly took the bait wasn’t Park Jung-hwan, but Cha Ki-beom.

Tae-soo tested Cha Ki-beom as a side benefit, and Cha Ki-beom was caught beautifully.

‘Thanks to that, I got very important information today. Cha Ki-beom, your weakness.’

He had already obtained two weaknesses of the loyal chief of staff, which he hadn’t been able to find until now.

That was enough gain.

Tae-soo was smiling.

“It’s not betrayal, and I’m not angry.”

Wasn’t Tae-soo someone who had been worn down by being pushed around by dirty people?

He had seen his family die violently, one by one.

It wasn’t as shocking as when he found out that it wasn’t an accident but murder.

Han Cheong-ho and Han Il-kwon, father and son, whom he had trusted, followed, and been loyal to all his life.

He lost his family and friends entirely at their hands, and in the end, Tae-soo even died.

Betrayal was a word used in such cases.

“Are you going to take revenge?”

Revenge (復讐) [bokusū – repaying a grudge].

To repay a grudge.

Cha Ki-beom hadn’t suffered enough to create a grudge yet.

The word revenge was also a word that should be used for what Tae-soo was doing to Cheongil now.

“I’ll just repay what I’ve been given. Favor with favor, malice with malice, betrayal with betrayal.”

That was enough.

“Since the interests were misaligned, there was a need to modify the plan a little.”

“Were the interests that deeply intertwined?”

What other interest could be stronger than life?

If the other party was determined to trample on Tae-soo and acted on it, shouldn’t Tae-soo repay them even more?

“Because many people will be involved.”

“You’ve been agonizing over thinking about the wedding day on May 18th.”

“The president and military generals will gather in one place. Just like I set the D-day, Han Cheong-ho will be aiming for the same day.”

Wasn’t it a golden opportunity?

“If even Cha Ki-beom, who has to secure the president’s safety, participates in the treason, it’ll be a real mess.”

“That’s another reason why Han Cheong-ho brought in Cha Ki-beom.”

“If the security personnel are fully committed to protecting the president, Park Jung-hwan will be fine, so he couldn’t let that happen.”

To think that even the loyal Cha Ki-beom would turn his back.

“Han Cheong-ho is amazing. A tongue that can turn even loyalty around.”

“He’s Han Cheong-ho, who became a chaebol [conglomerate owner] with only bribes and discord.”

An So-jeong said.

“I think it’s something he’s been preparing meticulously for a very long time.”

Tae-soo also nodded.

“Han Cheong-ho was also the one who drove Park Tae-jong, Park Jung-hwan’s confidant, to Pohang Steel.”

“Han Cheong-ho also took off Secretary Kim Jeong-rim’s clothes.”

“He brought in Jeon Doo-ho, the head of Ohseonghoe [a private organization], who was planted in the military, and incited a coup.”

“He turned Chief of Staff Cha Ki-beom’s heart and made him betray.”

At this point, even Tae-soo was a little impressed.

“Park Jung-hwan will be walking into enemy territory himself.”

Is there a way to use this situation more effectively?

‘Will they kill Park Jung-hwan first and then have Cha Ki-beom and Jeon Doo-ho fight it out? Or will they each look for opportunities separately?’

Tae-soo’s method would change depending on that.

Tae-soo also had to make all possible preparations.

“Now that you know what Cha Ki-beom and Han Cheong-ho are up to, what are you going to do?”

“First, I’m going to visit Tae Yang Electronics as soon as it dawns.”

“Tae Yang Electronics?”

“I need to check the development status of the bugging devices and relay devices.”

It was something he had been preparing for a long time to install throughout Cheongil Hotel.

He had been avoiding over-technology, but what could he do?

He was forcibly raising the development stage within the range possible with the current technology level.

For the past few months, the personnel at Tae Yang Electronics and the technology development research institute had been constantly working hard.

Because there was a time limit of May 18th.

“I’m also going to meet Kim Jae-guk, the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency.”

In his past life, the person who caught Cha Ki-beom was none other than Kim Jae-guk.

He was the man who stood in opposition to Cha Ki-beom until the very end.

“I need to supplement the *jirashi* [rumor mill] content as well. Let’s add the story of Jeon Doo-ho and Cha Ki-beom in the novel.”

“Okay.”

He couldn’t meet Park Jung-hwan, but he could shake him up in other ways.

Right through the newspaper.

He had obtained that roundabout method.

Unlike Han Cheong-ho, Tae-soo didn’t have to fret about not being able to reach Park Jung-hwan.

‘And one more person, Jeon Doo-ho.’

He had been agonizing over him for a very long time.

‘Now that I’ve received a declaration of war, I can’t be with Jeon Doo-ho. My determination to stand against him hasn’t changed.’

But he knew that Han Cheong-ho was coming out like that.

Shouldn’t he detonate all the bombs he could detonate in the middle of enemy territory?

He had been pondering that method.

“Han Cheong-ho has been playing the bat, going back and forth between Jeon Doo-ho and Cha Ki-beom.”

“That’s Han Cheong-ho’s specialty.”

Wasn’t Han Cheong-ho being called a politician rather than a chaebol entrepreneur?

He was letting go of Park Jung-hwan’s hand and preparing a boat to switch to.

“He must have been scared to put everything on Jeon Doo-ho.”

“He must have been desperate for insurance.”

That meant that Cha Ki-beom was the insurance in case Jeon Doo-ho’s coup failed.

Or vice versa.

“But it’s clear that he abandoned Park Jung-hwan.”

“Han Cheong-ho and Park Jung-hwan were close. But why did Han Cheong-ho decide to break up with Park Jung-hwan completely?”

“When you spit out a candy you’ve been sucking well, there must be a good reason for it.”

The *gomin* [worry/concern] started from there.

Why was Han Cheong-ho trying to abandon Park Jung-hwan?

He had raised Cheongil and cleared up Park Jung-hwan’s flaws.

There shouldn’t be a reason for them to turn their backs on each other.

‘That will be Han Cheong-ho’s decisive shackle.’

He had a hunch.

* * *

Friday, May 16, 1975.

Two days before the wedding.

‘Almost all the preparations are done. I just need to get the last card.’

That was why Tae-soo had come all the way here early in the morning.

“What brings a busy man here?”

The Central Intelligence Agency’s garden.

He received a call that Tae-soo had come.

Kim Jae-guk found Tae-soo sitting on a garden bench.

“It’s been a while.”

“Have you been well?”

“As you can see.”

Tae-soo handed Kim Jae-guk a coffee.

The two sat side by side and drank coffee for a while.

Kim Jae-guk opened his mouth first.

“I released the Gukbin-gwan guys.”

He thought he would.

Wasn’t it a favor that Han Cheong-ho exchanged for 12 members of Ohseonghoe with Cha Ki-beom?

“Instead of Han Il-kwon, a guy named Kim Jae-hak took the blame.”

“Kim Jae-hak?”

“The son of Kim Bong-nam, the president of Cheongil Chemical. I heard he’s the vice president of Cheongil Construction?”

That’s how it turned out.

“I heard you got a lot of related evidence, it’s a shame.”

It was a typical tail-cutting.

Or framing.

“Why is the justice of this country like this?”

Kim Jae-guk was furious.

“I should tell the President about this directly.”

“Would Cha Ki-beom let that happen? It’s hard to meet the President, right?”

“Very. Cha Ki-beom is amazing at defense, even if he’s not good at anything else.”

Even Kim Jae-guk had a hard time meeting Park Jung-hwan.

There was no need to say who was blocking access to this extent.

“Cha Ki-beom, that damn son of a bitch!”

Kim Jae-guk clenched his fist.

Tae-soo nodded as he looked at him.

‘Kim Jae-guk and Cha Ki-beom were enemies in my past life too.’

That’s why he came.

‘I need a decisive card to shake Park Jung-hwan.’

There was something Kim Jae-guk had to do secretly.

Kim Jae-guk said while drinking coffee.

“The way Cha Ki-beom is acting these days is a sight to behold.”

“The authority of the Chief of Staff has become very powerful with this law revision.”

“Right. They raised the status of the Chief of Staff, who is a vice-ministerial level, to a ministerial level.”

“They have a current lieutenant general as the Deputy Chief of Staff, and a current army brigadier general as the Chief of Security, right?”

“On top of that, they can also command the Capital Defense Command.”

The two places that Cha Ki-beom desperately searched for Ohseonghoe members this time were the Presidential Security Service and the Capital Defense Command.

That was even more so because they were all places that Cha Ki-beom could directly command.

“They created a dedicated restaurant for the Chief of Staff and created a security guard song to sing during shift changes.”

“It’s to increase loyalty and belonging.”

“Every Monday morning, they hold a flag lowering ceremony and a parade at the Gyeongbokgung training ground.”

“They claim to start the week energetically by gathering senior members of the Democratic Republican Party and ministers, but in reality, it’s to show off their power to them.”

All of these things happened after Cha Ki-beom drove out Kim Jeong-rim and seized all the power.

It was a series of shows to display Cha Ki-beom’s power.

“The tank march is the biggest problem.”

The culmination was the midnight tank demonstration.

They dispatched a company of tanks from the 30th Security Regiment of the Capital Defense Command every night to circle around the Blue House [the South Korean presidential residence].

The tank march, which took place from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m., even made residents anxious, thinking a war had broken out.

All of this was Cha Ki-beom’s power demonstration.

“They say it means that anyone who interferes with the President will be run over by a tank, but this is really something.”

“They say that even though there are so many complaints, they don’t budge?”

“What can he see in his eyes now? He’s running wild as if the world is his.”

Cha Ki-beom, drunk on power, had become the main enemy destroying the country.

The Ten Eunuchs (十常侍) [Shichangshi – corrupt officials] who ran wild by the emperor’s side at the end of the Later Han Dynasty must have been like this.

I’m talking about the eunuchs who blocked the emperor’s ears and eyes and monopolized power.

“I’m curious why the President is just watching Cha Ki-beom’s overreach. I wonder if he really doesn’t know what’s going on in the world?”

“That’s not it.”

There’s no way Park Jung-hwan would be that easy.

“Do you have any guesses? I don’t know at all.”

Tae-soo gave him a hint.

“What is the thing that the President cares about the most?”

“Let’s see. He’s at the peak of power, and he doesn’t lack money either. If it’s not a woman, it’s honor…….”

Since the First Lady died, no one would say anything even if he took a second wife.

“Come to think of it, he’s been quite fond of a female singer named Park In-hye these days.”

“Park In-hye?”

Could he be talking about that female singer from his past life?

The woman who drank with Park Jung-hwan until the day he died?

Wasn’t that woman Shim Soo-bin?

“I heard she’s a singer who plays the *tonggita* [acoustic guitar] and sings love songs in a mournful voice.”

A female singer who plays the *tonggita*?

It’s a little different from Shim Soo-bin.

‘Park In-hye instead of Shim Soo-bin? Ah, is it because the debut timing doesn’t match?’

As Tae-soo remembered, Shim Soo-bin debuted at the University Song Festival in ’78.

‘In my past life, I heard that Park Jung-hwan liked Shim Soo-bin’s debut song and often called her in to listen to her sing.’

May 1975.

In his past life, Tae-soo would be chased by debtors around this time and go under Han Cheong-ho’s shadow.

“I heard that the President has become increasingly depressed since the First Lady passed away. He often calls her in to listen to her sing, saying that he thinks of the First Lady every time he hears the songs.”

Kim Jae-guk looked at Tae-soo’s expression and smiled.

“I guessed wrong. Now that I see it, it wasn’t a woman, but honor?”

Tae-soo nodded.

“That’s the only thing the President lacks.”

Honor.

Recognition from the people.

Image renewal of the tarnished past.

“Cha Ki-beom is tarnishing the President’s honor. The reason he’s just watching it is because of honor?”

It was a seemingly incomprehensible statement.