Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 197

197. The Valley of Emotion (2)

The Hannam-dong mansion, cloaked in dim light, resembled a fortress more than a home.

Above the five-meter-high stone wall, sharp glass shards and barbed wire served as formidable defenses.

The entrance was secured by a large, thick iron gate, with guards visibly stationed in the watchtower.

The imposing grandeur of the mansion was designed to intimidate.

It was a house that even seasoned thieves would think twice about approaching.

Creak.

A car halted before the gate.

The driver glanced at the back seat.

Choi Mu-ryong sat with his eyes closed, his face etched with concern.

“Chairman, what should we do?”

“Drive inside.”

“They won’t open the gate.”

“…Damn it.”

There was no way the guards in the watchtower hadn’t noticed the car.

When Han Cheong-ho was alive, they opened the gate without hesitation.

Since they refused to open the gate, the car remained stranded.

“Are you suggesting I sneak in with the money and leave quietly?”

Choi Mu-ryong glared at the mansion, grinding his teeth.

What choice did he have?

Desperation forced him to endure the humiliation.

“I will never forget this day, Han Il-kwon.”

Choi Mu-ryong stepped out of the car, clutching the bag of money.

The heavy iron gate creaked open, and Choi Mu-ryong disappeared into the mansion.

* * *

Supporting his daughter, Choi Mu-ryong kicked the gate in frustration.

The loud bang startled the driver, who quickly exited the car.

His daughter was slumped over, limp as a jellyfish, drool escaping her lips.

He helped her into the back seat.

Sparks of fury flashed in Choi Mu-ryong’s eyes.

“Han Il-kwon, you son of a bitch!”

How could he do this to someone else’s precious daughter!

“Who did I do all the dirty work for until now?”

Even the ruthless Choi Mu-ryong had someone he cherished and wanted to protect.

“Knowing how much I care for my daughter, you turned her into a drug addict?”

He had ruined his daughter, destroying her chances of marriage and a normal life.

He had destroyed the future of a person and a family.

“You started this fight, Han Il-kwon. You have no right to call me heartless.”

Choi Mu-ryong glared at the mansion with cold eyes.

“Your family will not escape my wrath either. Just you wait and see!”

If Jang Mal-dong was the kingpin of the Gangnam loan shark industry, centered around Myeong-dong, then Choi Mu-ryong held sway in Gangbuk.

Choi Mu-ryong, who had established himself in Jongno and engaged in all sorts of shady dealings, harbored deep resentment.

He was a far more ruthless man than Jang Mal-dong, the supposed champion of independence who masked his true nature as a loan shark.

Brrr.

Choi Mu-ryong’s car sped off into the darkness.

* * *

Han Cheong-ho’s study.

Han Il-kwon sat in the chair his father once occupied.

He propped his feet on the desk and clasped his hands behind his head.

He couldn’t be more at ease.

“Choi Mu-ryong, you must have always looked down on me, thinking I was pathetic. Now, you’re going to suffer because of your precious daughter. Hehehe.”

His drug-addicted daughter wouldn’t be able to escape the agonizing withdrawal symptoms.

It was inevitable that she would desperately seek out more drugs.

Choi Mu-ryong would be helpless as he watched his daughter crumble.

“You want Cheongil Motors? You dare to act like my uncle? What a joke.”

There was 1 billion won that Choi Mu-ryong had left on the desk.

Han Il-kwon flipped through the stacks of money and chuckled.

“A piggy bank should just sit quietly and spit out money. Tsk tsk.”

1 billion won.

He would use this to extinguish the immediate crisis.

“The first order of business is to save Cheongil Construction.”

Cheongil Motors and Cheongil Shipping were currently unstable.

However, Cheongil Construction, which was on the verge of losing its ambitious Cheongil Hotel and Cheongil Apartment projects, was the most pressing concern.

“How unlucky. If Cheongil Construction collapses under my watch, what will happen to my reputation?”

Han Il-kwon had already been ousted once for failing to perform his duties.

How had he managed to reclaim this position?

He couldn’t afford to be branded a failure again.

“The new head of Cheongil who overcame the group’s crisis with brilliant wit! How cool is that? Hehehe.”

That was why Han Il-kwon had squeezed a large sum of money from Chomyeong Bank.

-Attracting a large amount of investment at a time when the group is in danger!

That’s how Cheongil’s hero should be perceived.

“A win-win situation. I think I’m really smart?”

Where else could you find a chairman willing to invest as much as 1 billion won in a company struggling with financial difficulties?

Moreover, he had successfully screwed over Chomyeong Bank, which had been a thorn in his side.

He had accomplished two objectives at once.

“Choi Mu-ryong, you won’t be able to act up in front of me anymore.”

What if Choi Mu-ryong retaliated out of resentment?

He would drag his daughter to the police station.

If they conducted a drug test, she wouldn’t be able to deny it.

“Cheongil Ilbo [Cheongil Daily News] will spread the rumor that the daughter of the president of Chomyeong Bank is a drug addict.”

Wasn’t South Korea a country where drugs were strictly prohibited?

Moreover, people harbored strong taboos against narcotics such as opium and marijuana.

Chomyeong Bank’s image would be irreparably tarnished, and its stock price would plummet.

“It’s so reassuring to have a weakness. Hehehe.”

So that’s why his father kept a secret ledger.

He liked it very much.

Next time, he could secretly drug the daughter of Chomyeong Bank and lure her out to exploit her again.

A person addicted to drugs would sell everything they owned to obtain more.

Even their family, they would trade for drugs.

“I should put the rest in the safe and only take out 100 million won to use.”

Now that he had money, there were mouths he needed to silence.

It was a pity, but there was one mouth he could never ignore.

“I have to feed them well. They’re the ones who will be running around sweating on my behalf. I can’t help it.”

It’s always good to have drugs on hand to ensure their loyalty.

Han Il-kwon placed 900 million won in the safe in his study, grabbed the remaining 100 million won in a money bag, and stood up.

* * *

A man was silently observing Han Cheong-ho’s mansion.

It was Tae-soo.

‘I lived here for a long time.’

He was overwhelmed with emotion.

Han Cheong-ho had provided the Tae-soo family with a separate building.

His mother worked as a housekeeper, Tae-soo as a secretary for Cheongil Group, and Han-soo worked for the National Security Planning Agency [South Korean intelligence agency, now known as the National Intelligence Service].

They entered as Han Cheong-ho directed and lived like dogs for Cheongil for the rest of their lives.

It was a place where Cheongil kept and raised its loyal dogs.

A place where the Han family’s dogs barked.

It was a doghouse.

‘It feels so dirty to see the doghouse again.’

They put a leash on them so they could never run away.

It was a place that Secretary Song desperately wanted to escape, but couldn’t.

This was where his mother died.

‘My mother and Secretary Song died here.’

Tae-soo clenched his fist.

He glared at the imposing mansion.

‘Someday, I will destroy this place completely with my own hands.’

Kim Gwang-rok lowered his binoculars and said.

“The mansion’s security system has become lax.”

It had been 30 minutes since Choi Mu-ryong and his daughter returned, so it was understandable.

Tae-soo turned around.

Black clothes, black hat, black military boots, black mask, black belt.

Behind Kim Gwang-rok, who was fully armed in black, were people in the same attire.

They were Tae-yang Group security guards and Tae-yang Group intelligence agents composed of former Central Intelligence Agency [US intelligence agency] agents.

Tae-soo said.

“There are three infiltration targets. First, infiltrate Han Cheong-ho’s study and steal the safe.”

There would be 1 billion won that Choi Mu-ryong gave him.

He shouldn’t let Cheongil Construction recover.

Also, Han Il-kwon would suspect Choi Mu-ryong only if he lost 1 billion won as soon as he received it.

‘It’s not a method I enjoy, but I can’t help it.’

The huge sum of 1 billion won would be used for Cheongil Construction tomorrow.

There was no time to sit back and watch.

Also, there was no one as suitable as Choi Mu-ryong to divert Han Il-kwon’s attention.

‘I want the two to fight each other.’

That was why Tae-soo chose this method.

Because it was the most effective.

“Second, install eavesdropping devices throughout the house.”

If you know yourself and your enemy, you will win every battle.

Wasn’t Tae-yang Electronics the one that developed high-performance eavesdropping devices?

There was no need to spare the eavesdropping devices that he had used so well at the Cheongil Hotel.

“Third, we must find Han Cheong-ho’s secret ledger.”

It was the secret ledger that Han Cheong-ho had tried to use for the last negotiation with Tae-soo at the Central Intelligence Agency.

‘Since Han Cheong-ho thinks it’s his trump card, it won’t be an ordinary item.’

It was the last thing Han Cheong-ho tried to trade for his life.

Wasn’t it an item that he couldn’t hide his obsession and greed for until the moment he brought it up?

Tae-soo only knew of its existence, but he had never seen it himself.

‘Now that I’ve infiltrated the house, I should search it once.’

It was probably in Han Cheong-ho’s house.

‘He wouldn’t have hidden it at Cheongil Group headquarters. Just in case the prosecution comes barging in with a search warrant.’

The same goes for affiliates.

So, if it was an important item, he would have hidden it in his house.

In particular, Han Cheong-ho’s study was the most likely place.

‘There’s no place as safe as home.’

So Tae-soo decided to take a risk.

Kim Gwang-rok nodded.

“We must complete the mission for sure.”

“That’s right.”

The masked men nodded at the same time.

Tae-soo also nodded.

“Good. I’ll be waiting.”

Kim Gwang-rok turned around and said.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

It was then.

“Wait!”

Kim Gwang-rok’s voice hardened.

“Stop! Hide!”

The black masked men stopped at once.

The masked men hid behind cover in an instant.

Kugugung.

The gate was opening.

And a car came out leisurely.

Tae-soo watched the scene clearly through his binoculars.

‘Han Il-kwon?’

Han Il-kwon was going somewhere this night.

Tae-soo sensed it.

‘He’s going to a place as soon as he gets the money. A very important place.’

Tae-soo turned to Kim Gwang-rok.

Kim Gwang-rok also looked at Tae-soo with a puzzled look.

Kugugung.

As soon as the gate closed, Tae-soo quickly ran towards the car.

Kim Gwang-rok also quickly got into the passenger seat next to Tae-soo.

Without closing the car door, Kim Gwang-rok shouted loudly.

“Change of plans! Team 1 follows me, Team 2 and Team 3 go as planned.”

“Yes, I understand.”

In an instant, Team 1 followed Tae-soo.

The remaining Team 2 and Team 3 disappeared into the darkness.

The people in black masks went over the gate as soon as they hooked the rope.

It was a blink of an eye.

Click.

The remaining masked men entered leisurely through the open gate.

Tae-soo turned the car around without saying a word.

* * *

Kim Gwang-rok took off his mask in the passenger seat and asked.

“What’s going on all of a sudden? Why are you running out?”

“Han Il-kwon left with a money bag.”

“What?”

It was an unexpected turn of events.

“What about our guys? Are they doing useless things now?”

“No. That’s something we have to do at least once. Besides, it will be easier to work since Han Il-kwon is out of the house.”

Han Cheong-ho’s study was a place that could only be reached by passing through several rooms.

You could never find it if you were not familiar with the layout of this mansion.

It was something that could never have been successful if Tae-soo had not drawn the blueprint in advance.

He wouldn’t have deployed them if they weren’t special forces who were skilled at infiltration.

“Stealing the safe, installing eavesdropping devices, and finding the secret ledger. The infiltration purpose is clear.”

“Then why are you suddenly running?”

“I think we need to investigate Han Il-kwon’s whereabouts.”

“Why that bastard’s whereabouts?”

Buuuuung-

Tae-soo stepped on the accelerator to increase the speed.

Squeeeeeak-

Drifting to turn the curve without slowing down!

Kim Gwang-rok grabbed the passenger seat handle without realizing it.

“Han Il-kwon has had deep ties with the Gukbin-gwan [Government Guest House] guys.”

“I know that too.”

Kim Gwang-rok personally beat up the Gukbin-gwan guys.

However, as soon as the Chun Doo-hwan regime came to power in the 1980s, Gukbin-gwan was disbanded at the Samcheong Training Camp [a military-style re-education camp].

The fact that Han Il-kwon stood by and watched meant that they were just pawns that he easily used and discarded.

“Not those guys! The guys Han Il-kwon is really working hard for! The real power of Han Il-kwon!”

The power of Han Il-kwon that Tae-soo didn’t know in his previous life.

The forces that Tae-soo didn’t investigate according to Secretary Song’s advice to cover up the secrets of the Han Cheong-ho family.

“He’s probably going to those guys with the money bag.”

He was going to uncover Han Il-kwon’s secrets.

The secrets that Tae-soo didn’t know in his previous life.