Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 20

20. The Dream of a Rich Man

His son bows at a perfect 90-degree angle, offering a respectful greeting.

“Greetings. I am Park Cheol-wan, the construction supervisor from Taeyang Construction.”

“Huh–”

Park Cheol-wan hands something to his father, Park Tae-jong.

It turns out to be a business card.

“Vice President of Taeyang Construction? Cheol-wan, you?”

After reading the business card, Park Tae-jong’s mouth drops open.

He has never seen his father, always stern and soldierly, so surprised.

Park Cheol-wan scratches his head.

“It seems the president of Pohang Steel is quite surprised.”

“President of Pohang Steel? Are you talking to your father right now?”

“Isn’t this an official setting? We are not father and son right now, but a client and a subcontractor.”

“Huh······.”

Park Tae-jong abruptly turns his head to look at Tae-soo.

Contrary to the expectation that he would be wearing a playful expression, Tae-soo has a surprisingly serious face.

“Director Kang, please explain this situation properly.”

“It’s as you see it. We’ve recruited your talented son into our company. He will be in charge of overseeing the construction sites you’ve commissioned.”

“A fellow who has never done construction before. And what? Overseeing the site? Do you think that’s possible?”

Tae-soo looks directly at Park Tae-jong.

“Why do you assume it’s impossible? Just because he lacks experience? Did President Park have experience when he built Pohang Steel?”

Of course not.

There were no technicians in Korea capable of building an integrated steel mill, so they had to search all over the world.

How hard was it to persuade the Japanese government to bring in a technical advisor for the integrated steel mill?

Because of that, he had to endure that arrogant Japanese jerk for a full three years.

“You didn’t have experience building a steel mill, so you couldn’t build one? That’s not the case.”

“Well, because there was a technical advisor for the steel mill······.”

“You promised me that you would provide us with a technical advisor as well.”

“Hmm.”

Park Tae-jong closes his mouth.

“My son is a different case.”

“Of course. It’s very different.”

Unexpectedly, Tae-soo nods, and not only Park Tae-jong but also Park Cheol-wan stares blankly at Tae-soo.

Tae-soo smiles.

“President Park, you lacked the capital to build the steel mill, the technical advisor was deliberately difficult, and you had to build not only the steel mill but also the port, roads, and even the employees’ village. In short, a total mess. But what about our Vice President Park Cheol-wan?”

Me? What about me?

Park Cheol-wan points to himself with his finger, his eyes wide.

“We received a contract fee and down payment from Pohang Steel, and we have been promised payment according to the percentage of completion. President Park has promised to solve the capital issue directly.”

“No, that’s what I······.”

“Moreover, Japan’s top technical advisor will willingly and wholeheartedly help with the school construction. Frankly, building a school is much easier than building a steel mill, right?”

“······.”

That’s true.

Park Tae-jong is speechless.

Tae-soo smiles.

“What’s more? We will use the already built roads and the already completed accommodations.”

“Huh······.”

“In short, we are in a much more advantageous position than President Park, who started from scratch. Are you still going to oppose it unreasonably? Just because he’s your son?”

“Hmm.”

Park Tae-jong closes his eyes.

However, his tightly closed lips stubbornly point upwards.

It meant that he had nothing to say but couldn’t admit it.

Tae-soo gestures to Park Cheol-wan.

Park Cheol-wan unfolds the large paper he had tucked under his arm.

It was a sheet of paper the size of a broadsheet.

When the paper is spread out on the table, a detailed blueprint with explanations is revealed.

“What’s this?”

“This is the school building plan that our Vice President has conceived, supplemented, and added to over four sleepless nights. Based on the existing basic design, he has separately extracted the points to be careful of during construction and the important parts.”

“Y-you made this, Cheol-wan?”

Park Tae-jong looks at his son with a fresh perspective.

Park Cheol-wan looks down at the design carefully with serious eyes.

‘I stayed up for three nights for this briefing today. There’s only one chance. I have to persuade my father. With skill.’

Park Cheol-wan searched for related books in the library and asked the construction site staff one by one.

He even went to see Ushiroda, the technical advisor he usually hated to encounter.

Thanks to that, Ushiroda had a terrible few days.

He was stuck on the steel mill construction all day and was barely trying to rest, but Park Cheol-wan came to visit every night.

Ushiroda, who had been tormented until dawn, even cried out, ‘I know my faults well, so please stop tormenting me! Let me sleep! You’re going to kill me!’ and ran out of the room.

“···The tap water and classroom finishing materials are directly related to the children’s health. Therefore, our Taeyang Construction felt the need to pay special attention to this part······.”

Park Tae-jong listened to his son’s explanation for a long time in silence.

He closed his eyes tightly.

‘He prepared this in just three days? Is that really possible?’

Park Tae-jong thought that he wouldn’t be able to do it himself.

‘I have always prided myself on not being second to anyone in Korea when it comes to passion······.’

Park Tae-jong was smiling without realizing it.

‘Now that I see it, my son takes after me.’

It was a satisfying smile.

As the president of Pohang Steel, and as Park Cheol-wan’s father.

“···That’s all.”

Park Cheol-wan’s briefing, which lasted more than 30 minutes, ended.

Park Tae-jong nodded with a much softer expression than before.

“I listened well to the briefing from the Vice President of Taeyang Construction. I was especially impressed by the improvements made with the children in mind. You have prepared a lot in a short period of time.”

Park Cheol-wan’s head shot up.

‘My father is using honorifics with me? Using the title of Vice President of Taeyang Construction?’

He was dazed.

As if he had completely forgotten that he had first referred to his father as ‘President of Pohang Steel.’

“My requirements for Taeyang Construction are the same as before. Build it according to the design. As promised, I will provide some of the materials, the blueprints, and a technical advisor.”

“Of course.”

Tae-soo nodded.

Park Tae-jong reached out to his son.

“I look forward to working with you, Vice President Park.”

It was a hand offering a handshake.

“It’s a school where the children of Pohang Steel will study. A place where future talents will grow. There must be no negligence. We will also cooperate as much as possible.”

Park Cheol-wan firmly grasped his father’s hand, or rather, the hand of the client and head of the partner company.

“I am the one who should say that I look forward to working with you, President Park. I will cover the lack of experience with effort and meticulousness.”

“The process is important, but the result is more important.”

Park Tae-jong was serious.

“A place that will not collapse even in an earthquake, a safe place even in a natural disaster. Our children must study in such a school.”

“I will keep that in mind. I have already familiarized myself with Japan’s earthquake-resistant design. I will focus more on that part and build it.”

“Good. I will trust you, Vice President Park of Taeyang Construction.”

“Thank you so much for trusting and entrusting it to me, President Park of Pohang Steel.”

The two fathers shook hands.

As they said earlier, in a cooperative relationship between a client and a subcontractor.

‘I didn’t know Cheol-wan was such a reliable fellow.’

His son’s eyes are quite determined.

The spirit he exudes is also great.

‘To think that the person who recognized my son’s true worth was not his father, but this young friend. He surprises me again this time.’

Park Tae-jong looked at Tae-soo, who was watching the father’s handshake with a pleased expression.

‘That sly fellow. Still, how could he entice my son and take him away! This is really something, my son and I are both involved with a cheeky guy at the same time.’

Park Tae-jong’s eyes, looking at Tae-soo, were filled with satisfaction.

‘He must be thinking of raising my son under his wing. This is a checkmate that I can’t help but allow even though I know it. It’s a checkmate. But I like it very much, hahaha!’

Perhaps that’s why.

Park Tae-jong turns to Tae-soo with a rare mischievous expression.

Tae-soo flinches.

‘No, what on earth is he thinking? I can smell money all over the place. And it’s strong!’

Every time this man comes to the president’s office, he keeps handing out things that smell like money.

It makes people’s hearts flutter.

Park Tae-jong raises one finger.

“Up to the university.”

“Yes?”

“Pohang Steel Affiliated University of Science and Technology. I will entrust my dream to Taeyang Construction.”

Pohang Steel Affiliated University of Science and Technology.

Also known as POSTECH.

It is Korea’s best university of science and technology, which Pohang Steel started building to provide its employees’ children with excellent facilities and the best faculty.

‘Jackpot! They’re going to have us build this? Instead of Pohang Construction?’

“It will probably be difficult to build the university right away. It will probably take 10 years before we can start building in earnest, as we need to secure a large site and raise construction funds to match.”

That was true.

Originally, it would start construction several years after Pohang Steel’s smelter was completed.

A prestigious university that opened on December 3, 1986, and produced a series of excellent engineering talents.

“In order for Korea, a country with a small land and a lack of resources, to develop, the only way is to rely on excellent talents. To this end, I want to create a university that will nurture the best talents. For the future of this country.”

Park Tae-jong seems to have already decided to build a university a long time ago.

He had planned it more than 10 years ago and decided to secure the site and funds in advance.

“I will devote myself to steel and contribute to this country. You will brighten the future of the country with construction. Can you do it?”

Tae-soo smiles.

‘You shouldn’t refuse goodwill!’

If so, you should accept it right away!

“Of course. Taeyang Construction will also participate in the dream that Pohang Steel is dreaming of.”

Park Cheol-wan clenched his fist at his father’s words.

“Father with steel, me with construction. It turns out that we can achieve the dreams of our two fathers, which I thought would be completely different.”

“Hahaha! To think that you would take over my dream, I couldn’t be happier as a father.”

Park Cheol-wan and Park Tae-jong looked at each other and smiled.

Tae-soo also smiled brightly next to them.

Thud.

At that time, Park Cheol-wan leaned back on the sofa.

Perhaps because the tension was relieved, the corners of his mouth kept twitching.

Park Cheol-wan rubbed his dry eyes, quietly closed his eyes, and muttered.

“I did it.”

“Good job, Vice President Park.”

“A dream with my father······.”

He stopped talking.

Puzzled people waited for the rest of the story, but that was the end.

Snore, coo-.

When people heard a familiar breathing sound from Park Cheol-wan, they burst into laughter at the same time.

He had fallen asleep.

“He must have stayed up for several nights.”

“That must be the case. Judging by what he prepared, it wasn’t an amount that could be done in three or four days.”

Park Tae-jong looked proudly at his sleeping son for a long time.

Park Tae-jong looked at Tae-soo and nodded.

“POSTECH [Pohang University of Science and Technology]. With this, I have repaid my son’s debt.”

“Let’s do that.”

Somehow, I got one more job unexpectedly!

Even with a jackpot I couldn’t even imagine!

Park Tae-jong was in a good mood.

“Hahaha, I happen to have some good whiskey, would you all like to sit down for a while?”

“No, thank you for the offer, but no.”

Unlike last time, Skinny, who was standing still behind Tae-soo, shook his head firmly.

Park Tae-jong was surprised.

“I thought you would be quite happy to accept?”

“Of course, if it’s President Park of Pohang Steel’s whiskey, I’ll jump up even in my sleep. But not now.”

“Is there a reason?”

“As you can see, I’m on duty.”

Skinny proudly stuck out his skinny chest and said.

“Ahem, I can’t neglect my security. Loyalty, loyalty!”

“Security? You’re guarding this friend? Hahaha! Well, it feels like something has changed.”

“So, about the whiskey you’ve decided to give me, can I take it with me? I’m going to drink it after work later. The scent is amazing. Slurp.”

“Hahaha! Go ahead. I’ll gladly give it to you. Hahaha!”

Park Tae-jong couldn’t help but burst into hearty laughter.

Tae-soo’s face turned a little red, and he covered his eyes with one hand.

‘Why is the embarrassment my responsibility, damn it.’

That bastard, he’s definitely doing that on purpose.

‘I got everything I could get in Pohang. More than expected.’

Shall we go to Seoul now?

To check what news has come from Han-soo.

‘Did he find a decent mine?’

It’s Han-soo’s specialty to scour the bottom and get useful information!

I’m already looking forward to seeing how good a guy he’s picked.