Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 209

Rockefeller’s Mess (2)

The Blue House, the presidential office.

Acting President Kim Jong-pyo was under constant pressure every day.

The war had been going on for two months already.

The media was launching an all-out offensive.

Thanks to this, there were daily protests in Gwanghwamun.

Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung, prominent figures from the opposition party, stood on the podium, grabbing the microphones and criticizing Kim Jong-pyo.

-Resign, you corrupt accumulator of wealth!

-Step down, you shameless person who ruined the nation’s economy!

-It’s time for the people to judge!

-How can we let a parasite of power become president?

Even newspapers and broadcasters, who would normally have been the ruling party’s shield, were competing to criticize Kim Jong-pyo.

No matter how much Kim Jong-pyo harassed them, they didn’t care.

-Advertising suppression!

-Tax investigations!

-Search and seizure!

None of it worked.

Even when he pressured them to cut off newspaper and broadcast advertisements, the Federation of Korean Industries companies stuck together and didn’t even pretend to listen.

Would a media company owned by a chaebol [large South Korean conglomerate] be unable to write articles due to a lack of advertising revenue?

The presidential election was just around the corner.

-The one who endures wins.

The chaebols had plenty of ammunition, but Kim Jong-pyo did not.

So, the loser in this fight would be Kim Jong-pyo.

The chief of staff said,

“Public opinion is not good.”

“Who doesn’t know that?”

Kim Jong-pyo roughly pulled down his tie.

He felt like he was suffocating.

“I should have completely consolidated the media a long time ago!”

He should have taken all the media companies away from the chaebols.

He should have left only the public broadcasters under his influence and killed them all.

Ever since the clash with Rockefeller at the Geumsan Hotel, the war with the chaebols had begun.

Those guys had cleverly chosen media warfare.

It was a fatal method for Kim Jong-pyo, who was aiming for the next presidential election.

“It’s a state of emergency! Find any excuse to shut them down so they can’t speak out! Hold on to them and shut their mouths!”

The chief of staff quietly sighed.

They had used all those methods, but none of them worked.

It was because Kim Jong-pyo didn’t wield as much absolute power as Park Jung-hwan.

The Central Intelligence Agency, which had been Park Jung-hwan’s sword, had turned its back, and Army Chief of Staff Lee Se-hoo didn’t even acknowledge him.

In addition, even the Commissioner of the National Tax Service, the Prosecutor General, and the Commissioner of the National Police Agency, who had followed Kim Jong-pyo, had turned lukewarm and pretended not to know.

They had been won over by the chaebol leaders.

“Strike at the chaebol’s main bases! Seize them at customs! Block bank loans! What will they do if their money lines are cut off?”

“No method works. They all pretend to follow orders, but in reality, they are taking the side of the chaebol companies behind the scenes.”

Kim Jong-pyo knew that better than anyone.

That’s why Kim Jong-pyo was so frantic.

Bang.

Kim Jong-pyo couldn’t stand it and slammed the desk.

“They’re looking at me like I’m a pushover! I’m Kim Jong-pyo, the acting president of this country! There’s no one with more power than me right now! But these bastards……!”

After Park Jung-hwan died, Kim Jong-pyo, who was the Prime Minister, became the acting president.

However, because he had the label of ‘temporary’ and had long been called the ‘puppet Prime Minister,’ everyone looked down on him.

It was because Park Jung-hwan had intentionally not given Kim Jong-pyo proper authority.

“What about the political funds that the Japanese government promised to send? What about the pro-Japanese forces that said they would support me? Why haven’t I heard from them?”

“I’ve sent telegrams several times urging them to provide support, but I keep getting the same answer.”

The telegrams the chief of staff handed over had been similar for days.

Kim Jong-pyo crumpled the telegram and threw it on the floor.

“They promised me they would support me!”

How much money have I fed them behind the scenes, and how many years of hard work has it been!

Now they’re turning their backs on me and running away?!

How am I supposed to endure without backing?!

Kim Jong-pyo, who had run out of bullets, was cornered at the edge of a cliff.

“Kang Tae-soo!”

Kim Jong-pyo growled.

It was the name of the man who had become the cause of all this.

Finally, Kim Jong-pyo made a decision.

“I’m going to the Taeyang Group headquarters.”

Wasn’t it because of the tangled relationship with Kang Tae-soo that his political career had become twisted?

To get out of this predicament, he had to find the first button that was misbuttoned and re-button it.

* * *

Taeyang Group Headquarters.

The Taeyang Group headquarters building, located in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, boasted a whopping 27 floors.

Tae-soo was working in the chairman’s office located on the top floor.

Knock knock knock.

“Come in.”

The chairman’s office door opened, and Secretary Song Chang-joon cautiously spoke.

“Acting President Kim Jong-pyo has arrived.”

Tae-soo didn’t even look up, looking at the approval documents.

Only the sound of a fountain pen moving was heard.

“Chairman.”

“I’m not done with work yet. Tell him to wait.”

“He’s threatening to see you right away. As you know, he’s not a man with a lot of free time.”

“If he’s so busy, tell him to just go back.”

Secretary Song Chang-joon quietly retreated.

Soon, loud noises and curses were heard from outside the chairman’s office.

Bang.

Kim Jong-pyo forcibly opened the door.

“Chairman Kang!”

The title had changed.

Regardless.

Tae-soo didn’t even acknowledge him.

“I won’t take up much of your time. 10 minutes is enough. Can’t you spare that much?”

The news that the presidential guards and Taeyang Group secretaries were arguing in front of the chairman’s office was immediately reported to the security office.

Kim Kwang-rok came running with a thud.

“Which bastard dares to cause trouble? Is it you?”

The 2-meter giant glared down at Kim Jong-pyo.

Kim Jong-pyo quickly shouted.

“10 minutes! Just give me 10 minutes! Then there will be no more trouble! I promise!”

“You’re already causing a nuisance. What are you doing? Drag this bastard out.”

Kim Kwang-rok was about to gesture to the Taeyang Group security guards when.

Tae-soo quietly raised his hand.

“That’s in 10 minutes.”

Tae-soo put down his fountain pen and stood up from his seat.

“What brings you here?”

It was a sign that he would allow a 10-minute meeting.

Kim Kwang-rok stepped back with a strange expression and stood behind Tae-soo.

Kim Jong-pyo quickly approached Tae-soo.

“Chairman Kang, I’m really grateful that you’ve taken the time. When you think about it, we don’t have any grudges intertwined with gains and losses…….”

No grudges?

Tae-soo stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass window that filled one wall of the chairman’s office, with his back turned.

“Taeyang Apartments, I mean.”

Taeyang Apartments, located across the 12-lane road.

12 out of 58 buildings had been completed, and the construction site where the remaining 46 buildings were being built all at once could be seen below.

It was a site where large cranes and heavy equipment were moving frantically.

“Thanks to you, we were able to sell all 58 buildings at once as planned.”

It was because Kim Jong-pyo had blocked the first sale of Taeyang Apartments.

Finding fault with the model house, citing noise and dust pollution for residents, etc.

Thanks to this, the advertising costs that had been poured in, the model house that had been prepared for the sale, and the reputation as the largest and most luxurious premium brand apartment had not yet been earned.

Construction costs and interest expenses were a bonus.

So, Kim Jong-pyo’s statement that there was no grudge relationship intertwined with gains and losses was wrong.

“That was my fault. I was foolish to have touched you.”

Kim Jong-pyo hurriedly admitted.

Lengthy excuses followed.

Kim Jong-pyo was wasting as much as 3 minutes on excuses.

“I will lift the regulations that have blocked the sale of Taeyang Apartments even now. So, let’s not get angry anymore…….”

“Why should I?”

It didn’t work at all.

Tae-soo was as cold as ice.

“6 minutes left.”

Kim Jong-pyo clenched his fist.

It was humiliating.

The situation where he always had to bow his head because he was weak was sickening.

That’s why Kim Jong-pyo always dreamed of being strong.

How did he get to this position!

“Okay, since apologizing with sweet words won’t ease your mind, it would be much more constructive to promise the future for Taeyang Group instead.”

Kim Jong-pyo rolled his eyes and looked at Tae-soo.

“As I said before, I will immediately lift all real estate regulations related to Taeyang Apartments. I will also withdraw all loan regulations and investment restrictions that have been pressuring the bank.”

He had a talent for making obvious sounds sound like bullshit.

“I’ll give you additional rights to the Gangnam development project. You’ll be building an apartment complex much larger than Daechi-dong in a place overlooking the Han River. Wouldn’t this be enough to heal the wounds you got from Taeyang Apartments?”

Still with his back turned, Tae-soo said nothing.

“In addition, I’ll give you the subway line 2 construction project. Would that ease your mind a little?”

Currently, the subway line 1 construction project was in full swing, starting from Seoul Station.

Kim Jong-pyo said he would give the Taeyang Group the subway line 2 construction project.

It was a lucrative project that everyone was eyeing.

‘If you have a large construction company, it’s a sweet offer you can never refuse.’

Kim Jong-pyo was confident that he could persuade Tae-soo.

But unexpectedly, Tae-soo didn’t budge.

Since he didn’t show any interest at all, Kim Jong-pyo quickly added.

“I’ll entrust you with the Han River bridge construction as well. We need to build about five more.”

“…….”

“Would you like to build Korea University? Carving out an entire mountain to build the campus of the best university in Korea. You’ve built a school in Pohang, so you know how lucrative university construction is.”

“…….”

“How about the highway construction? I heard you made a name for yourself in Saudi Arabia with highway construction? Should we lay two on the top, bottom, left, and right?”

“…….”

Tae-soo didn’t show any agitation.

“They’re all useless suggestions.”

“Okay, if all these suggestions are not satisfactory, what about Cheongil? I will definitely Cheongil…….”

Here we go again.

Kim Jong-pyo had already made a promise to seduce Tae-soo.

To bury Han Cheong-ho of Cheongil.

But Kim Jong-pyo did not keep his promise.

Rather, he went to Han Cheong-ho and promised a special amnesty for the presidential inauguration in exchange for receiving the bribery ledger.

‘I will deal with Han Il-kwon. I don’t need Kim Jong-pyo’s help.’

Tae-soo checked the time.

“3 minutes left. Is that all you have to say?”

Kim Jong-pyo was anxious.

No, he was angry.

“Do you have to cut off my political life to feel better?”

“I’m not interested in your political life.”

It was useless to bring up Cheongil, which had a clear grudge relationship, so what could he use to persuade Kang Tae-soo?

‘Since carrots are not working, I have no choice but to wield a whip.’

Threats work much better than carrots for those who have nothing to lose and have a lot.

“Do you think I’ll step down so easily? No. I will hold on to the end, even if I die. You know my temper well, don’t you?”

In the end, Kim Jong-pyo revealed his true colors.

Wasn’t Kim Jong-pyo the one who always retaliated even if he ignored favors?

From the beginning, he was just trying to deceive him with sweet talk to get through the immediate crisis.

He had vowed to repay the humiliation in any way possible if he became the next president.

Since Tae-soo didn’t fall for it easily, he had no choice but to take off the mask.

“The Lockheed Gate, I mean. You did it, didn’t you?”

Lockheed Gate.

When such a big incident suddenly broke out due to an anonymous informant, strategist Kim Jong-pyo instinctively thought of one person.

A man with a connection to Rockefeller, who held the United States in his hands.

A skilled person who could maliciously and persistently target Japan and detonate bombs.

It was Tae-soo.

“West Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, and even Saudi Arabia. How many powerful people have lost their jobs because of you? If I reveal the mastermind behind this to them, what will happen to you?”

Would a speculative threat without evidence work?

Besides, the powerful people in each country involved in the Lockheed Gate had all fallen.

Still, he liked this nonsense.

So Tae-soo laughed.

“Haven’t you ever thought about this? It’s a bribery scandal involving military suppliers that broke out simultaneously in various countries. But why didn’t it break out in Korea?”

West Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.

All of them are countries that purchased military transport aircraft through the military supplier Lockheed Corporation.

Isn’t Korea a country with one of the highest defense expenditures in the world every year as a country on armistice?

Was there really no corruption in the process of purchasing military transport aircraft in Korea?

“Don’t tell me you…….”

Only then did Kim Jong-pyo’s face change.