Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 215

215. The Goal is Cheongil Construction (3)

Lee Mun-bok pulled something from his briefcase, a triumphant smirk plastered on his face.

“We need to dispose of Cheongil’s stocks, too.”

Jang Mal-dong clenched his fist.

It was exactly as Tae-soo had predicted.

-Lee Mun-bok will come to dispose of Cheongil’s stocks.

-When that happens, don’t look at anything else and buy up one type of stock.

“It’s Cheongil Construction stock. You know very well that Cheongil Construction is the holding company of Cheongil Group, right, Director? It’s hard to come by.”

Cheongil, like other *chaebol* [large South Korean conglomerates], had a circular cross-shareholding structure.

Lee Mun-bok, as president of Cheongil Construction, also held and managed shares of affiliates under borrowed names [a common practice to obscure ownership and control].

That’s why he was offering to sell the affiliate shares held under borrowed names by Cheongil Construction.

‘There aren’t many Cheongil Construction shares available, though.’

When Han Il-kwon put Lee Mun-bok in charge of Cheongil Construction, he’d seized control of nearly all of Cheongil Construction’s shares.

It was to keep Lee Mun-bok in check, preventing any funny business.

‘Still, what I’ve got is quite a bit. He’ll go crazy when he sees this. He thinks he’s eating up the entire Cheongil Group.’

He was planning to sell it at an exorbitant price.

That’s why Lee Mun-bok had been putting Cheongil Group’s real estate up for sale cheaply.

The atmosphere had to be ripe to dispose of Cheongil Construction shares at a premium.

But for some reason, Jang Mal-dong wore a lukewarm expression.

“I’m not interested in Cheongil Construction stock.”

Jang Mal-dong rummaged through the documents and asked, “Don’t you have Cheongil Motors?”

“Cheongil Motors?”

Lee Mun-bok blinked, confused.

“No, why Cheongil Motors of all things? It’s been withering away since losing Cheongil Heavy Industries, and the stock price is hitting rock bottom.”

“So you’re saying the stock price is really cheap?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“Why are you talking so much nonsense? Do you have it or not? Are you selling it or not?”

“…I have it. I’ll sell it.”

Lee Mun-bok answered with a sullen expression.

Only then did Jang Mal-dong smile with satisfaction.

“How much Cheongil Motors stock do you have?”

“I have 4%.”

“Tsk, for someone who’s supposedly the president of Cheongil Construction, why do you have such a measly amount of Cheongil Motors stock?”

‘Well, because I’m just a salaried president.’

Lee Mun-bok swallowed the words that rose to his throat.

Instead, he brandished the Cheongil Construction stock again.

“Cheongil Construction stock will be much more valuable than that. I’ll give it to you at the market price, no more, no less. It was hard to get. How about 2% of Cheongil Construction?”

“No deal.”

“Then I’ll give you a 5% discount from the market price. I can’t go any lower.”

“I said no deal, didn’t I? Just give me Cheongil Motors.”

Jang Mal-dong snatched the bundle of documents from Lee Mun-bok’s hand.

He rummaged through it, looking for documents related to Cheongil Motors stock.

Lee Mun-bok asked with a blank face, “How about other affiliate stocks this time…?”

“I’m not buying.”

“If you don’t like Cheongil Construction, there’s Cheongil Food, Cheongil Shipping, Cheongil Securities, and Cheongil Insurance.”

“I said I’m not buying.”

“Why are you so fixated on just Cheongil Motors…?”

‘Because Kang Tae-soo wants Cheongil Motors.’

‘He told me to buy only Cheongil Motors, nothing else.’

Jang Mal-dong also swallowed the words that came to his throat.

Instead, he asked subtly, “That’s enough stock, is there anything else?”

“Are you talking about the factory?”

“Yeah, that.”

Lee Mun-bok’s eyes lit up as he opened his briefcase again.

It was something that Han Cheong-ho would have clutched the back of his neck if he had known, but Lee Mun-bok had no qualms about it.

* * *

Seodaemun-gu, Hyeonjeo-dong, Seoul Detention Center.

Gyeongseong Prison, built in 1908, was renamed Seodaemun Prison and is now called Seoul Detention Center.

In the past, it was a place where independence activists during the Japanese colonial period and pro-democracy activists during the military dictatorship after liberation were imprisoned.

While the name was changing, many political offenders entered the prison due to political upheavals such as the April 19 Revolution and the May 16 military coup.

For example, Moon Se-gi, who assassinated Mrs. Oh Young-soon, was executed here, and Kim Jae-guk, who was involved in the assassination of Park Jeong-hwan, is also imprisoned here.

In his previous life, Kim Jae-guk was executed here and ended his life.

“Inmate number 4885. Visiting time.”

Han Cheong-ho followed the guard.

When he entered the reception room, a familiar face was waiting for him.

“You’ve come all the way here. Has the sun risen in the west?”

“You’re still the same, Father. Shouldn’t you be grateful that your son came to see you after a long time? Why do you start with nagging? That’s why I didn’t want to come.”

Han Cheong-ho and Han Il-kwon sat facing each other across the glass window.

“So, what’s going on? You’re always busy playing around; you wouldn’t have come to see me unless it was something important.”

“Father, I need a lot of money. Don’t you have a hidden vault or something?”

“I used it all up building Cheongil Hotel and Cheongil Apartment.”

“Is there really no way to get money? Should I sell the villa?”

“How are you managing the company that you’re already thinking about selling assets?”

“It’s all because of the mess you made, Father.”

It was unfair.

“How did you get involved with Ahn Jeong-woo that I have to return all the government money?”

“Ahn Jeong-woo? Why?”

“That’s what I came to ask. Did you grab him by the collar and fight him?”

Han Cheong-ho frowned.

“I’m not involved. I’ve never even seen his face properly. I don’t know him.”

“Is that possible? You didn’t even make an impression on the politician who will be the next president.”

“If he had ever run for a member of the National Assembly or a city councilor, I would have known. That’s why it’s strange.”

Han Cheong-ho knows the ways of politics very well.

“Politicians are not ordinary people. They are all smart guys who are flying and crawling in their fields, gathering from all over the country to compete for power. It’s a fight between those who have money, power, fame, and influence.”

Those who are famous and rich in a region challenge city councilors, provincial councilors, and members of the National Assembly.

Furthermore, presidential candidates are those who have reached the pinnacle of party power.

It is a seat that is ultimately granted to only one person after a group of such people fight.

So, why else would people say that the president is chosen by heaven?

“That Han Cheong-ho has never heard of a guy becoming president? This is more difficult than a low-level construction worker becoming the number one *chaebol* in Korea in an instant.”

“But that’s what actually happened. Even though it’s through indirect elections, the public’s approval rating is unusual. Everyone is supporting Ahn Jeong-woo.”

It is an undeniable reality.

Thanks to that, Han Cheong-ho’s special pardon was also called off.

It’s a shame.

“I can’t believe Kim Jong-pyo collapsed so futilely even after taking my bribery ledger.”

It was hard to believe considering his skills.

That’s why Han Cheong-ho readily handed over the bribery ledger.

“There shouldn’t have been anyone who could stand up to the schemer Kim Jong-pyo.”

“What’s the point of being a schemer? He was involved in the assassination of Park Jeong-hwan and sank.”

“Kim Jong-pyo is not related to the assassination of Park Jeong-hwan. He just lost in a political fight. Who was the opponent? If it’s not a big shot from the opposition party…”

“It’s the *chaebols*.”

He couldn’t understand.

The *chaebols* are the ones who line up to donate political funds to politicians.

They have no reason to stand up to the acting president.

“Why are the *chaebols* angry with Kim Jong-pyo?”

“Why else? Rockefeller was so surprised by the news that he was cutting off the oil supply that he stepped on Kim Jong-pyo instead.”

Han Il-kwon spoke about what he had seen and heard.

Then Han Cheong-ho laughed in vain.

“So, Kang Tae-soo ultimately made Ahn Jeong-woo president. Moreover, he monopolized oil development and divided the land development rights among the *chaebols*. He’s a clever guy.”

It’s Kang Tae-soo again.

“Kang Tae-soo is going to ruin our Cheongil.”

Han Cheong-ho groaned.

“So, how are you going to get the money?”

“There’s a competent guy, Lee Mun-bok.”

“I don’t trust that guy. He betrayed Geumsan after being sweet-talked by me.”

“I know. But he has to run around for me for a month. Hehehe.”

Han Il-kwon’s eyes flashed coldly.

“Let’s see how much he can scrape together. It won’t be money to fill his belly, but money to cut it open.”
Han Il-kwon smiled viciously.

“One scapegoat is enough to bear the people’s resentment.”

Han Cheong-ho understood immediately.

“You’re planning to carry out the work with Lee Mun-bok in front and stab him in the back.”

“I have to steal the money that Lee Mun-bok scrapes together. Lee Mun-bok will be kicked out after being cursed.”

Han Il-kwon was waiting for Lee Mun-bok to scrape up money.

He was planning to kick him out of the Cheongil Group because of his notoriety.

“Just watch, Father. The fate of the freeloading bastard is already decided.”

Han Il-kwon hummed a song.

Han Cheong-ho asked slyly, “You’re holding on to Cheongil Construction stock tightly, right?”

“Of course. Do you think I don’t know that Lee Mun-bok is trying to take over the construction company and aim for the chairman’s position?”

Cheongil Construction is the holding company of Cheongil Group.

“I also know that Lee Mun-bok has been buying Cheongil Construction stock in the stock market.”

“Lee Mun-bok?”

“He’s probably collected about 2%. But it’s only 2%. He can’t change anything with that.”

Han Il-kwon holds a whopping 17% of Cheongil Construction stock.

Han Cheong-ho owns 31% of Cheongil Construction stock, and Han Il-kwon’s mother owns 8%.

They have secured more than half of the shares of the Cheongil Group holding company, so there is nothing to fear.

That’s why Han Il-kwon is so confident.

“Should we take all of Cheongil Construction stock from Lee Mun-bok this time? Hehehe.”

“That’s good, Hehehe.”

The two fathers laughed together.

They were a father and son who worked together better than anyone else in this kind of thing.

They had no idea that Tae-soo was secretly collecting Cheongil Motors stock.

And they didn’t know that Lee Mun-bok was much faster than they thought.

* * *

The 27-story Taeyang Building located on the main street of Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu.

The chairman’s office was located on the top floor of the Taeyang Group headquarters.

Knock knock.

“Chairman, it’s Director Jangsu of the bank. Would you like to take the call?”

“Yes.”

When Tae-soo allowed it, the secretary handed him the phone.

“This is Kang Tae-soo. Elder, how have you been?”

-Have you been waiting long? Lee Mun-bok unpacked his bags as you said.

It was the news he had been waiting for.

“How did it go?”

-What do you mean how did it go? He scraped it all up at a very low price. He picked out only the things you called for and bought them at half price.

“How did Cheongil Motors go?”

-Lee Mun-bok put out 4%.

It’s a shame.

Honestly, I expected to get a little more.

Thanks to the fact that he had been targeting Cheongil Motors stock for a long time, he had collected quite a bit.

4% is enough to turn the tide.

“You did a good job. Thank you for your hard work.”

-Tsk, it’s noisy. It’s not like you did anything great.

Jang Mal-dong is disgusted by Tae-soo’s praise.

Jang Mal-dong, who is cursing like that, but his face is full of joy, is vivid in his mind.

Tae-soo puts down the phone.

Tae-soo looked at Kim Kwang-rok sitting on the sofa in the chairman’s office.

“Are you keeping a close eye on Han Il-kwon and Lee Mun-bok?”

“Of course. They were from the Central Intelligence Agency, how could they not do that?”

As soon as Tae-soo came out of the Geumsan Hotel, he stuck people all over Lee Mun-bok.

There was a reason why he was focusing on monitoring Lee Mun-bok more than Han Il-kwon.

“That guy’s actions are amazingly fast.”

This was because Lee Mun-bok was second to none when it came to betrayal, even if he didn’t know anything else.

“He has already disposed of all of his assets and has been going around Cheongil affiliates and subcontractors. It’s only been a few days, but he’s already scraped it all up.”

That’s why he ordered Jang Mal-dong to call the bank directors immediately.

That’s also why he was confident that he would buy it at a low price from Jang Mal-dong.

“How is Han Il-kwon doing?”

“He seems to have roughly noticed that Lee Mun-bok will betray him, but I don’t think he expected him to sell it so quickly and run away.”

“That must be it.”

A smile hung on Tae-soo’s lips.

It’s because of Han Il-kwon’s sinister personality.

He’s probably thinking leisurely that he’s going to thoroughly play with Lee Mun-bok for a month.

“Lee Mun-bok is secretly going around bars every night these days, looking for brokers. He’s looking into illegal immigration.”

It was a time when there were more ships than planes.

He means that he will move secretly by ship because he will be caught at the airport right away.

Kim Kwang-rok smiled meaningfully.

“But the broker who offered to smuggle Lee Mun-bok… I know him too.”

“Who is it?”

“You know, that Japanese guy we caught at Incheon Port.”

He is a construction technology advisor for the Pohang steel refinery.

This is getting interesting.

Tae-soo said to Kim Kwang-rok.

“We need to catch that guy one more time.”

Kim Kwang-rok smiled, revealing his gums.

“Leave it to me.”

Tae-soo got up from his seat.

“Let’s go.”

It’s collection time.