Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 194

194. Let’s Make a Bet (2)

Gangwon Province, Wonju, Munmak, Chwibyeong Reservoir.

A gentle breeze rustles the surface of the wide lake, creating ripples.

A man sits under the shade of a large willow tree by the lake, casting his fishing rod.

It was the very person Tae-soo was looking for.

“Are you catching anything?”

As Tae-soo stepped into the shade, the man finally turned around.

“Who are you?”

Kim Jung-rim removed his hat.

“…Did you come all the way here to mock me?”

You should know very well how I lost my position.

“Mock you? I’m not so free that I would drive all the way to Gangwon just to mock you.”

“I don’t remember us being close enough to exchange pleasantries.”

Kim Jung-rim was a figure who boasted a strong relationship with Han Cheong-ho.

Kim Jung-rim had the power, and Han Cheong-ho had the money.

Han Cheong-ho would periodically deliver boxes of money, and Kim Jung-rim would watch over Han Cheong-ho.

The exchange of interests was considerable.

“With Cha Gi-beom and Park Jung-hwan dead, you’ve become a kite with a cut string. But what a coincidence? I’m in the same boat.”

“You’ve been moving quickly to grab onto a new string, I see.”

Kim Jung-rim had secretly sought out Jeon Doo-ho and provided him with slush funds [secret funds, often used for illegal or unethical purposes].

Kim Jung-rim was dreaming of a comeback.

“I’m so sick of this life here. I’m still in my prime to retire.”

He had been living as the Chief of Staff to the President, but he was kicked out, so he couldn’t possibly be happy with rural life.

“Why? Did you come to arrest me? Just because I contacted Jeon Doo-ho?”

If that were the case, someone from the Central Intelligence Agency or the Joint Investigation Headquarters would have come instead of Tae-soo.

Tae-soo turned his gaze to the wide lake and opened his mouth.

“You don’t need to be hostile towards me. Nothing is permanent in this world.”

“There’s no way you’d come to me with good intentions. You know better than anyone what kind of relationship Han Cheong-ho and I had.”

Kim Jung-rim and Han Cheong-ho were in cahoots.

So, that means they colluded to screw Tae-soo over.

They played a part in banning bank loans to the Taeyang Group.

Also, whenever Tae-soo tried to meet with Park Jung-hwan, they repeatedly blocked the contact.

Kim Jung-rim was certain that Tae-soo held a grudge against him for this.

“You had the power, and Han Cheong-ho had the money. The two of you were close. But in the end, Han Cheong-ho abandoned you.”

Tae-soo smiled.

“Let me ask again. Who do you hate more, me standing in front of you now, or Han Cheong-ho? Do you still have loyalty to Han Cheong-ho?”

Kim Jung-rim couldn’t answer.

“Then what about Kim Jong-pyo, who was the Prime Minister? He’s dreaming of the presidency, fighting tooth and nail to take control of the administrative office.”

Kim Jung-rim squeezed his eyes shut.

Kim Jong-pyo and Kim Jung-rim were old enemies.

Kim Jong-pyo was Park Jung-hwan’s brain, churning out cunning schemes, but he was heavily checked by Park Jung-hwan.

Kim Jung-rim was the one who took on the role of keeping Kim Jong-pyo in check, and he had been in conflict with Kim Jong-pyo for a long time.

“If he becomes president, do you think it will be harmful or beneficial to you?”

There would be no benefit, only harm in a relationship with Kim Jong-pyo.

Historically, when someone seizes power, they start with revenge and purges.

Kim Jong-pyo, who had been kept in check under Park Jung-hwan for a long time, would draw his sword against Kim Jung-rim’s forces.

“Just as Han Cheong-ho isn’t a lifelong friend to you, you and I aren’t eternal enemies. And if you compare me to Kim Jong-pyo, aren’t I the better option?”

Is it a second-best option instead of the best?

“I’m backing someone else for the next president.”

“Someone else? Kim Young-sam? Kim Dae-jung?”

“Ahn Jung-woo.”

“Ahn Jung-woo?”

Kim Jung-rim laughed.

“Listen, young man. You seem to not know, but in this world, reputation is more than half the battle.”

Why wouldn’t Tae-soo know that?

Politicians gain power from being talked about.

Is there any other reason why everyone raises their voices and acts as snipers?

“It doesn’t matter if the reputation is famous, infamous, or obscure. In that respect, Ahn Jung-woo is out.”

The reputation and political base he has built up so far are too weak.

“I guess you’re staying away from newspapers and broadcasts because you’re fishing.”

“Ahn Jung-woo is making a big noise about revealing Park Jung-hwan’s acts of treason? How long do you think that will last? In my opinion, there’s nothing there. It’s all a bluff. Park Jung-hwan wouldn’t so easily reveal his secrets…”

Tae-soo cut off Kim Jung-rim’s words.

“I’m the one who gave Ahn Jung-woo those secrets of Park Jung-hwan.”

“…!”

If Kang Tae-soo, not Ahn Jung-woo, had dug up the secrets….

It would be thorough and certain.

“You’re crazy too. You deliberately dug up something that would make Park Jung-hwan’s eyes roll back and created a mess. If Park Jung-hwan didn’t know, it’s a good thing, because if he did, you would have…”

“Why are you so sure that Park Jung-hwan wouldn’t know?”

“…!”

Kim Jung-rim’s mouth dropped open.

“Could it be…!”

Tae-soo didn’t answer.

But Kim Jung-rim connected his thoughts to the May 18th Cheongil Hotel incident.

The incident where Park Jung-hwan, Jeon Doo-ho, and Cha Gi-beom died on the spot, and Han Cheong-ho was taken to the Central Intelligence Agency.

The world was turned upside down by that incident.

“It was you. Now that I see it, it was you. Ha….”

Kim Jung-rim felt like he was being strangled.

The young man in front of him felt strangely frightening.

Silence flowed by the lake.

The wind blew between Tae-soo and Kim Jung-rim.

Finally, breaking the long silence, Kim Jung-rim opened his mouth.

“I see why you came to me now.”

Kang Tae-soo openly said that he was backing Ahn Jung-woo for the next president.

He had come all the way here to get rid of Kim Jong-pyo, who was an obstacle in his path.

“What do you want me to do?”

That was all he could ask.

* * *

As soon as he returned to Seoul, an unpleasant event awaited Tae-soo.

His secretary, Song Chang-joon, rushed over, his face pale.

“Chairman, we have a big problem.”

“What is it?”

If the National Tax Service had come and swept away documents and ledgers, it wouldn’t be anything new.

He had already told them not to be surprised even if the prosecution conducted a search and seizure.

But Song Chang-joon pointed to the opposite side and shouted.

“Government-hired thugs are out there destroying the model house!”

“Hired thugs?”

Hired thugs are workers dispatched by the state, local governments, demolition teams, or strike breakers for redevelopment projects.

Due to the nature of the work, they often use violent suppression like gangsters, so they are usually called that.

In the early days of urban redevelopment in the 70s and 80s, the government led the development and demolition projects, and in the process, they sent many hired thugs.

They were mainly used to demolish illegal shacks, street vendors, and suppress labor movements.

“They said they received many reports of illegal buildings and issued a forced demolition order!”

There is a procedure for forced demolition.

Even for unauthorized buildings, after ordering the restoration to its original state, administrative execution can only be carried out after following the warning procedure when it is not implemented.

‘But Kim Jong-pyo wouldn’t let that happen. He must have pushed it through using the situation of martial law.’

It was a show of force against Tae-soo.

Even if problems arise, they can be glossed over with power.

Tae-soo would bear all the disadvantages of demolishing the model house.

“Let’s go to the site first.”

Tae-soo got back into the car.

Secretary Song Chang-joon quickly got into Tae-soo’s car as well.

Vroom.

The car Tae-soo was in departed.

* * *

Taeyang Apartment construction site.

Hired thugs were swarming in front of the model house.

Each of them held shovels and sledgehammers in their hands.

Also, two excavators had arrived, and even dump trucks were parked.

“What? Get lost if you don’t want to get hurt!”

A hired thug chewed gum and gestured at Tae-soo.

“Hey, I warned you. You know what happens if you interfere with government work, right?”

He seemed to be flaunting his great power, which was disgusting.

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

“I’m warning you too. You know what happens if you block our chairman’s path, right?”

At Kim Gwang-rok’s signal, Taeyang Group security guards poured out.

Seeing that, the hired thugs tensed up.

“What? You want to try something? Huh? You know what happens if you mess with us, right?”

“I guess we’ll find out what happens if we beat you up first.”

“You little shit! Ack! Ugh!”

The 2-meter giant Kim Gwang-rok simply slapped both sides of his face as easily as catching a fly.

The guy who was acting tough fainted on the spot.

“Is your dick bigger than you? You’re a strange guy.”

With that, a confrontation between the hired thugs and the security guards began.

The hired thugs gathered from all directions, dragging their tools on the ground.

And the Taeyang Group security guards, dressed in black suits and arranged in a disciplined manner.

“I can’t see. Clear the way.”

Then someone shouted from behind the hired thugs.

The hired thugs parted like the Red Sea.

A young man was walking through the parted path.

It was Han Il-kwon.

“Oh, who is this?”

Han Il-kwon smirked and acted tough.

“The owner of the illegal building has finally come out? But what a pity? We’ve already half-destroyed it, kekeke [onomatopoeia for laughter].”

Why is Han Il-kwon here at this time?

Even commanding the hired thugs dispatched by the government.

“I heard the Taeyang Group is being beaten like a punching bag these days? Tsk tsk tsk [a sound of disapproval or pity].”

Han Il-kwon exaggeratedly feigned surprise.

“I’ve been waiting. It’s so nice to meet you. Right?”

Han Il-kwon smiled creepily.

He even hummed a tune leisurely and put his hands in his pockets.

Tae-soo and Han Il-kwon stood facing each other, one step apart.

“Were we ever on good terms to be happy to meet each other?”

“I was going to start by saying thank you today. But the reaction is so cold?”

“If it’s a thank you for putting my father in jail….”

Han Il-kwon suddenly smiled brightly at Tae-soo.

“You’re smart as always. That’s right, thanks to you, I became the next head of Cheongil. I thought I’d have to wait about 20 years, kekeke.”

He doesn’t seem to care that his father was taken to the Central Intelligence Agency.

If he did, he wouldn’t have greeted Tae-soo, who was like an enemy, so brightly.

Tae-soo tilted his head.

“Since when did Cheongil start acting as hired thugs?”

“Ah, I got a new business license. It’s a business that supplies services to the government. I created it today.”

Han Il-kwon raised his chin.

“I got the first request like this? What a coincidence. Isn’t it?”

“The next head of Cheongil Group seems to have a lot of free time.”

“Ah, I don’t have any talent for management anyway. I left all the group’s work to Lee Moon-bok and came out.”

Han Il-kwon winks.

“This is a side job. I guess this is my aptitude.”

“Even if causing chaos suits your aptitude, you’re past the age of playing around without knowing you’re losing your position.”

“Why would I lose my position? Aha, you mean leaving the work to Lee Moon-bok? Kekeke.”

Han Il-kwon grabbed his stomach and laughed.

“That’s a really stupid question. Don’t you know the saying, ‘The bear performs the trick, but the person earns the money’ [meaning someone else does the work while another profits]?”

Tae-soo’s eyebrows twitched.

Why wouldn’t Tae-soo know that?

Wasn’t that what he heard directly from Han Il-kwon just before he died in the VIP room of Cheongil Hospital?

-The bear performs the trick, but the person earns the money, you know?

-So, I wish you would just perform the trick and get lost. Because the foolish bear is stubbornly holding on, I’m going crazy!

Tae-soo’s eyes became even colder.

But Han Il-kwon smiled brightly.

“Lee Moon-bok is very excited these days. He’s so proud to be sitting in the chairman’s seat that he’s working himself to death, and it’s so funny to see. Kekeke.”

Tae-soo’s fists also clenched.

When Tae-soo worked so hard to grow Cheongil in his past life, Han Il-kwon must have been watching with those eyes.

“No matter what Lee Moon-bok does, there’s something that doesn’t change.”

Han Il-kwon’s eyes flashed.

They were the eyes of a murderer.

“That company is my company, and Cheongil’s dog can never become the owner. Even if the bastard dies, that fact doesn’t change.”

Tae-soo smiled.

“I wonder if you’d say that after being bitten by a mad dog.”

There was something he couldn’t say back when his mouth and tongue were paralyzed as he was dying in the VIP room of Cheongil Hospital.

He’s glad he can say those words now.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. There was something I wanted to say to you in person.”

Han Il-kwon’s last sneer still lingered vividly in his ears.

-You’re giving me a good gift until the last moment, you’re really a generous friend. You moron, kekeke.

So Tae-soo smiled happily.

“I’ll pave the way for your last journey. A direct course to hell.”

I have no intention of saving resources for revenge.

I’ll spare nothing and give it all.

“Han Il-kwon, I’ll repay all the debts I’ve received.”

He also recalled his own vow that he had cried out just before his death.

-Han Cheong-ho! Han Il-kwon! Cheongil Group! I’ll get revenge! I’ll destroy you! I can’t die like this!

-Han Il-kwon! I won’t forget you even in death! I’ll follow you to the end of hell! I’ll kill your whole family too!

That’s how Kang Tae-soo from his past life closed his eyes.

The word he thought of until the moment he closed his eyes was ‘revenge.’

“You’ll shed tears of blood more than what I received.”

“Ha…!”

“This time, I’ll destroy the Cheongil Group with my own hands, leaving not a single pillar standing. And….”

Tae-soo whispered in Han Il-kwon’s ear.

“You will die by my hand.”

Much more painfully than how I died by your hand.