Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 225

225. Han Il-kwon’s Downfall (2)

Kim Kwang-rok’s relaxed smile was irritating to Han Il-kwon, who glared at him.

“Don’t push your luck. Get lost,” Han Il-kwon snapped.

Before he knew it, Han Il-kwon had a knife in his hand.

It was the same knife he used to play darts with people as targets.

Usually, when people saw something like this, they’d get scared and watch his every move.

But Kim Kwang-rok was different.

“Anyone who’s tried that kind of stunt in front of me has never ended up well.”

He’d stick them right back into their owner.

*Whoosh.*

The knife flew towards Kim Kwang-rok at a rapid speed.

It was sharpened to the point where it could cut skin just by grazing it.

But Kim Kwang-rok effortlessly snatched it out of the air.

“That’s not how you use this.”

*Swish.*

It came back several times faster than Han Il-kwon had thrown it.

Han Il-kwon couldn’t dodge it.

*Clang.*

Kim Kwang-rok’s knife accurately hit the knife Han Il-kwon was holding, embedding both in the wall.

A professional’s skill was on another level.

Kim Kwang-rok narrowed his eyes.

“You dodged military service, didn’t you? All you have is superficial swagger.”

“Did you ever see a son of a *chaebol* [a wealthy family conglomerate] go to the army? It’s obvious who goes to the army – poor people.”

Han Il-kwon’s remark greatly displeased Kim Kwang-rok.

When recruiting, they’re sons of the nation; when injured, they’re sons of nobody.

If that’s the case for Kim Kwang-rok and the spy special forces on the front lines, what more needed to be said about other units?

He didn’t even want to waste his breath talking to him.

“Clench your teeth.”

*Thwack.*

It wasn’t even a full punch, but Han Il-kwon’s head snapped to the side.

His eyes followed.

* * *

10 minutes later.

The door to the Cheongil Group chairman’s office opened.

Tae-soo came inside.

Kim Kwang-rok was sitting leisurely on the sofa in the chairman’s office, waving his hand.

“Hey, is the meeting already over?”

Han Il-kwon was easy to find.

He was sprawled at Kim Kwang-rok’s feet, foaming at the mouth.

The way he had rolled back his eyes and fainted was quite a sight.

“He was a weakling.”

How many guys with strong bones would there be in front of Kim Kwang-rok?

Han Il-kwon must have also completed Secretary Song’s systematic training program.

It was a different kind of training than Tae-soo’s, who had to be a human shield for the person he served.

Han Il-kwon, who had been bragging about it, wasn’t exactly someone who would get beat up everywhere he went.

But it seemed he was no match for Kim Kwang-rok.

“Ah, I had a little time for some ‘tough love’.”

Kim Kwang-rok placed the knives he had taken from Han Il-kwon on the reception room table.

Chief Prosecutor Kim Cha-yeol, who followed behind, quietly asked Tae-soo.

“Shall I tell the prosecutors to drag him away?”

“Hmm.”

He was troubled.

Should he really give him a tour of the prison first?

‘There are still a lot of debts to repay.’

Wouldn’t the shock be less if he heard about it through the news in prison?

“Just leave it to me. I’ll get you the results you want. Our guys are no joke when it comes to interrogation.”

Chief Prosecutor Kim Cha-yeol wanted to get into Tae-soo’s good graces no matter what.

He had been out of favor once because of Kim Jong-pyo.

That’s why he was even more desperate.

“I’ll make sure he never acts cocky again this time.”

It was tempting, which was the problem.

But Ahn Jung-woo interjected.

“Han Cheong-ho is already in jail. Putting father and son in prison together might not look too good, don’t you think?”

“Then what should we do?”

“Well, what should we do?”

Ahn Jung-woo also left the decision to Tae-soo.

Tae-soo made up his mind.

“First, we should give him a tour of the prosecutor’s office interrogation room.”

“Ah, good.”

“There’s no need to send him to prison. Just let him suffer for a few days and then release him.”

No matter what, he was going to show him Cheongil Construction going bankrupt.

He was going to make him feel with his whole body that it was impossible with his abilities, no matter how hard he tried.

He was going to give him the experience of his blood drying up every day as the bankruptcy date approached.

He was going to make him realize that Han Il-kwon was nothing without Cheongil Group.

“If there’s no need to send him to prison, then all the better. Just leave it to me. I’ll take care of it for sure.”

If they handed over the father and son to prison at once, the prosecution would have to bear the public’s sympathy and backlash.

Kim Cha-yeol gladly accepted Tae-soo’s decision because he was relieved of that burden.

Kim Cha-yeol said to the prosecutors waiting outside the door.

“Drag this bastard away.”

One prosecutor clung to each of Han Il-kwon’s limbs.

Han Il-kwon was dragged out of the Cheongil Group chairman’s office.

* * *

Tae-soo sat on the chairman’s sofa in the reception room.

Ahn Jung-woo sat to his right, and Kim Cha-yeol to his left.

Before he knew it, Kim Kwang-rok was standing behind Tae-soo, attending to him.

Taking a sip of warm tea, Ahn Jung-woo said.

“Unexpected.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you accept those who claim to be Cheongil’s loyal dogs?”

“Because they’re still useful.”

It was absurd.

“To find usefulness in someone who betrayed their master and engaged in dogfights. Are you thinking of recycling trash?”

“They’re useful precisely because they betray their master and seek personal gain.”

Ahn Jung-woo couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

So Tae-soo added an explanation.

“There’s something they absolutely have to do.”

“What is it?”

“Cleaning.”

It didn’t mean he was going to use Cheongil’s executives like real cleaning service workers.

It meant he was going to have them clean up all the problems related to Cheongil Group’s corruption with their own hands.

“I’m going to pass on the deficit to Cheongil Construction and hand over all the time bombs. Cheongil’s executives are perfect for that kind of thing. How much shady stuff have they done?”

From Han Cheong-ho on down, they were specialists in bribery and lobbying.

If the top is like that, how could the bottom be clean?

Because they were talented in management, they did a lot of things under the table, both internally and externally, without Han Cheong-ho’s knowledge.

‘In my past life, Han Cheong-ho died, and I had to clean up all that crap myself. Did I spend about seven years just cleaning up?’

It was a terrible memory.

Now that he had Cheongil in his hands as a group again, he would have to clean it up.

Just thinking about that hardship made him dizzy.

So Tae-soo decided.

-Let the person who threw away the trash clean it up!

That was the reason why he had silently taken in Cheongil’s traitors.

“A huge amount of debt will be created. Cheongil Construction’s deficit will balloon with the accumulation of decades of affiliate corruption.”

“Huh… Cheongil Construction is going to go bankrupt for sure.”

“That’s what I’m doing it for.”

Tae-soo wasn’t going to let Cheongil Construction make a comeback.

Ahn Jung-woo clicked his tongue.

‘Yeah, a man’s poisonous heart has to be this strong.’

He liked that side of him even more.

He kept making him want a son-in-law.

“Those who have betrayed once will betray again if they get the chance. Are you going to keep dragging them along?”

“Of course not.”

Was there any need to keep them around even after they had cleaned up?

There were plenty of talented people.

There were also plenty of people aiming for executive positions.

“Are you planning to hold another shareholders’ meeting? Even for you, this will be quite a burden.”

He forcibly merged Cheongil Group into Taeyang Group.

In the process, he ignored all opinions and pushed forward as he pleased.

“You should refrain from firing all the executives at once for the time being.”

“Are we not going to put soy sauce in the jar because we’re afraid of maggots? Even if it’s not a shareholders’ meeting, there’s a way to get rid of them.”

“What is it?”

“Cheongil executives’ ledgers.”

“…Was there such a thing? When did you prepare that?”

“Don’t you remember?”

Tae-soo put down his teacup.

“Right after the Cheongil Oil acquisition negotiations, I think there was a gift I sent to your house, cabinet and all.”

The first order Tae-soo gave after barging into the Cheongil Heavy Industries president’s office was that.

-Move all the documents stored by Cheongil Heavy Industries to Myeongdong.

-The same goes for Cheongil Oil’s documents.

“It was a document that Han Cheong-ho came to dispose of as soon as he was deprived of Cheongil Heavy Industries. Han Cheong-ho denied it, but he wouldn’t have rushed over like that if it wasn’t an important document.”

Tae-soo secured it first.

Han Cheong-ho was one step late because he was busy meeting with bankers to block Taeyang Group’s loans.

That’s how the document became Tae-soo’s.

“The corruption of Cheongil Group’s executives came out one after another. I organized it well and created the Cheongil executives’ ledgers.”

“Hahaha! So that’s what it was.”

Ahn Jung-woo couldn’t help but laugh.

He had forgotten all about it because he had made it and didn’t use it.

Kim Cha-yeol didn’t miss the opportunity to make an impression and confidently guaranteed.

“If there’s anything the prosecution needs to do, please contact me anytime. I’ll take care of anything for sure.”

He could feel his desperate will to preserve his position as chief prosecutor no matter what.

Tae-soo didn’t refuse that enthusiasm.

When Tae-soo nodded silently, Kim Cha-yeol finally straightened his chest.

* * *

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

The Gyeongseong Prison, built in 1908, is now called the Seoul Detention Center after being renamed Seodaemun Prison.

Han Cheong-ho found his son sitting in the reception room in advance.

“What’s with that state you’re in?”

He was in terrible shape.

His face was not only covered in red and blue bruises, but his swollen face was on the verge of bursting.

If he hadn’t heard in advance that it was ‘a visit from his son,’ he wouldn’t have recognized that the hideous figure in front of him was his son.

“Was it a traffic accident? Did you clumsily fall down the stairs or something?”

Otherwise, a person couldn’t be in that state.

It was the result of the light slap that Kim Kwang-rok had given him.

“And why are you dressed like that? So grimy. *Tsk tsk*, wash up a bit.”

He was frustrated.

“Do you think I don’t want to wash up? I ran here as soon as I got out of the prosecutor’s office, but all I get from you is nagging.”

“Why did you go to the prosecutor’s office? Don’t tell me you got caught?”

Secretary Song’s absence, who had been neatly handling things, was so great.

Han Cheong-ho clicked his tongue.

“That’s why I told you not to do things you can’t take responsibility for, right? I’ve warned you repeatedly.”

A sigh came out on its own.

“I can’t even back you up in this state, so what were you thinking when you went around causing accidents? Did you kill someone? How many? Did you mess with the children of wealthy families?”

“I didn’t kill anyone.”

He was relieved.

“If that’s not it, then why are you here?”

“A temporary shareholders’ meeting was held a few days ago, and Cheongil Group was taken over.”

At first, he didn’t understand what he was saying.

Han Cheong-ho picked at his earwax with his little finger.

Did he hear wrong?

“Kang Tae-soo swallowed Cheongil Group whole.”

This wasn’t the time for that guy to come and spout nonsense from broad daylight, even if it seemed like he was getting it for free, the position of group chairman was a position with a lot of work.

“If you’ve become the chairman of Cheongil Group, your words and actions must be weighty. You shouldn’t even say things like that as a joke.”

“Father, it’s not a joke.”

“Say something that makes sense! How could that guy Kang Tae-soo, the chairman of Taeyang Group, swallow Cheongil Group? That’s something that can’t happen even if the sky splits in two!”

Why was that?

Even though he dismissed it as nonsense, he felt uneasy.

His heart rate was rapidly increasing, and his blood pressure was starting to soar.

Han Cheong-ho’s face turned red, and he shouted loudly.

“You have 56% of Cheongil’s shares! No one can threaten your position! Crush those who resist with force!”

Han Il-kwon calmly told the story of that day.

Then, harsh curses burst from Han Cheong-ho’s mouth.

Then, at some point, he began to quiet down.

“While I was organizing the desk in the chairman’s office, that muscular bastard… Father?”

“Keu, keukeueup, keuheuheuk… !”

Han Cheong-ho’s condition was very strange.

His eyeballs were rolled back, showing the whites.