Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 229

229. Solar Reign (3)

The telegram Tae-soo sent packed a serious punch.

“What? Tae-soo’s getting married?”

The breakfast table erupted in chaos.

Tae-soo’s parents were ecstatic, buzzing with excitement.

“Is she pretty?”

“How old is she?”

“Forget this, we need to go home! Pack your bags, now!”

Their son, who seemed destined to be a lifelong bachelor, was finally tying the knot!

Tae-soo, who hadn’t even blinked when they’d tried to marry him off and send him to Saudi Arabia, was suddenly doing exactly that.

Han-soo roughly wiped the rice from his face with his handkerchief.

“No need for that. Hyung [older brother] sent a telegram saying he’s coming here.”

“Tae-soo? When’s he arriving?”

“Today.”

“Today?”

Tae-soo’s mother slammed her spoon down.

She shot up and began to frantically rush around.

“Beauty salon first? New clothes? Or clean the house first?”

Just then.

Ding-dong.

The clear, beautiful sound made their hearts skip a beat.

Han-soo peeked through the peephole.

“It’s Tae-soo hyung. But there’s a beautiful foreign woman with him…”

“A foreigner?”

He wasn’t even on a business trip abroad, and he’s bringing a foreign woman to Korea?

And getting married right away?

Well, Tae-soo always did move fast.

Bang.

The moment they saw Alice standing in front of the door.

They understood why Tae-soo had decided to marry her without a word.

Alice radiated the kind of aura only possessed by a select few top stars.

The daughter of a noble family exuded elegance and wealth.

The whole family simultaneously gave a thumbs up.

[Welcome! Welcome! Thank you so much for coming.]

[Have you eaten? Steak? Spaghetti? Or just a simple hamburger or cereal?]

His parents, speaking awkward English after only two years in America, welcomed her with open arms.

* * *

Rockefeller Family Head’s Office.

In a room to the left of the office, the head of the Rockefeller family lay in bed.

The Rockefeller family head, still connected to life support.

The Rockefeller family head, whom they met again after a few months, looked even more gaunt than before.

[I’ve been waiting…]

He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

When the Rockefeller family head waved his hand, the chief butler brought the documents.

[Take it…]

The Rockefeller family head had prepared the marriage approval document in advance.

Though the handwriting was shaky, he’d signed it himself and even stamped it properly with the Rockefeller family seal.

It had been notarized by the Rockefeller family’s legal team, and even the marriage registration forms for Korea and the United States were ready.

Once Tae-soo and Alice signed, all the official procedures would be complete.

[Promise me… They’re still family…]

Alice couldn’t answer.

She couldn’t forgive the person who had killed her mother and brother and trampled on her.

Tae-soo put his arm around Alice’s shoulders.

[Let’s do as Father says.]

[Tae-soo.]

[Sometimes, a life at rock bottom is worse than death.]

Tae-soo intertwined his fingers with Alice’s.

The diamond ring he’d given her when he proposed snagged on their intertwined fingers.

[I’ll make sure of it. Don’t you trust me?]

[…I trust you. If it’s you, you’ll handle everything perfectly.]

Alice felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

[Okay. I promise.]

[You…]

The promise wasn’t received by Alice, but by Tae-soo.

Because he knew Tae-soo’s inner thoughts, he couldn’t rest easy until the very end.

The Rockefeller family head reached out to Tae-soo.

Tae-soo firmly grasped the trembling hand.

[Appropriately… Clean it up gently…]

[I understand. As Father said, I will handle the family appropriately and gently.]

Tae-soo placed the Rockefeller family head’s hand back on the bed, as if to reassure him.

Only then did the family head’s complexion noticeably improve.

The Rockefeller family head pulled Alice’s hand and placed it on Tae-soo’s.

[This is instead of a wedding ceremony…]

In his condition, he wouldn’t be able to attend his youngest daughter’s wedding.

He’d wanted to hold his daughter’s hand and walk her down the aisle, handing her over to his son-in-law.

[Live well…]

He noticed the sparkling teardrop diamond ring on his daughter’s finger.

He knew instantly who had given it to her.

[If possible, happily…]

He patted his daughter’s hand.

[This guy will be your strength…]

His nonchalant tone was filled with affection.

A rare display of emotion for the Rockefeller family head.

[Go out now…]

Alice straightened her knees.

Tae-soo tried to leave with Alice, holding her hand.

[You stay…]

The chief butler led Alice out of the hospital room, leaving Tae-soo behind.

Only the father-in-law and son-in-law remained.

* * *

A long silence settled in the room.

With only the father-in-law and son-in-law left, the air was heavy and gloomy.

Could there be a heavier silence than this?

[Chris isn’t the right person to lead the family…]

A father knows his son’s capabilities.

Chris’s maternal family has ties to the World Bank, based on British finance.

Chris’s brother-in-law is Warren Buffett, a genius in stock investment.

[To protect this family, money alone isn’t enough… But he doesn’t understand that…]

Chris chose money over inheritance.

As a result, he has amassed a fortune at a young age.

The amount of stock held by Chris’s investment company alone is enormous.

That’s why Chris has such a strong focus on money.

[A family that gained power based on oil… He’s too busy playing with numbers…]

To protect wealth, you must have power.

Power comes from the ability to control others.

The root of the Rockefeller family was oil.

[He will lose the oil fields… Give up his connections… And the family will only maintain its appearance…]

He saw it clearly.

It was the future Tae-soo knew from his previous life.

[But you know how to wield power…]

He had watched Tae-soo swallow Cheongil [likely a large corporation or entity].

He also knew how Tae-soo had removed the military dictatorship president who boasted absolute power.

He controls the military and intelligence agencies, and even holds the prosecution and the media in the palm of his hand.

That’s how Tae-soo came to choose even the president of a country to his liking.

[This is the price for my daughter’s ring…]

He made her remove the ring from her withered, gaunt finger.

It was a sophisticated gold ring.

An item that served as the family’s seal.

[Try it on…]

The ring fit perfectly.

Of course, it had been processed in advance to fit Tae-soo’s finger size.

[It seems like an item that shouldn’t be given to just anyone.]

[If I have to give it away anyway, it’s better to give it with a good feeling. Don’t you think…?]

It wasn’t just a statement to test his intentions.

He was certain.

That the next head of the Rockefeller family would be Ellis.

The man who would make it possible was right in front of him.

[It’s an item that’s only valid in unofficial settings… Don’t go around stamping it recklessly…]

It meant he would give Tae-soo power.

It was a signal to change the game of the succession war to his advantage.

‘I’ve obtained a good item. I’ll put it to good use.’

Even just Park Jung-hwan’s lighter made things easier, didn’t it?

The Rockefeller family head’s seal was an item that could cause a huge mess.

So he asked.

[Aren’t you worried? You can guess how I’ll handle the Rockefeller family.]

That’s why he asked not to harm his family members.

[If you’re going to use the Rockefeller’s power as you please… you won’t ruin the family, will you…?]

Knock knock.

The chief butler, who had escorted Ellis out, returned.

The chief butler first checked the head of the family’s ring on Tae-soo’s finger.

A strange expression, both bitter and relieved, briefly appeared and disappeared.

[Please accept this. The head of the family told me to give it to you.]

The chief butler handed over documents that had been prepared in advance.

The list of those who changed their attitude as soon as the Rockefeller family head fell ill was at the top.

‘A list of those to be eliminated.’

There was even a ledger below the list that meticulously recorded their shameful acts.

‘A book of secrets. It definitely saves time and effort. I like it.’

Tae-soo grinned.

[Since I’ve received such a valuable gift, I’ll exterminate them all on behalf of my father-in-law.]

[They are retainers…]

[Of course. I’ll start by clearly organizing the ranks. I’ll make them vomit everything they’ve secretly eaten.]

He’d heard the prison facilities in the United States were also unique.

Which prisons were notorious worldwide?

Who would be a good executioner?

‘Since it’s America, should I shake up the IRS [Internal Revenue Service]?’

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

An agency under the U.S. Department of the Treasury, with full authority over tax collection in the United States.

With approximately 98,000 employees and an annual budget of approximately 8.2 billion, it was the largest agency under the Department of the Treasury.

The Tax Criminal Investigation Bureau under its umbrella was a police organization that worked closely with the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration], and federal marshals to arrest and apprehend tax evaders at the federal level.

‘The most hated government agency by Americans properly robs the thieves’ coffers.’

The fact that enforcement was possible with little interference from state governments.

Also, the fact that it had enough firepower to strike at the back of the head of those in power.

He liked everything.

[Then I’ll use Rockefeller’s power with peace of mind. My plans are going to be brought forward.]

Tae-soo took out a thick stack of documents.

The chief butler received them and roughly examined them.

His mouth dropped open.

[No, this, this person again… !]

It was the same reaction as when he received the documents asking him to detonate the Lockheed scandal [a major bribery scandal involving Lockheed Martin Corporation].

[What are you going to do to cause this trouble again? Are you going to replace all the high-ranking Chinese officials?]

That wasn’t all.

[Why are you bothering England, France, and Canada again? Wasn’t it enough to turn Germany and Italy upside down during the Lockheed scandal…?]

United States, England, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan.

These seven developed countries are called the G7, short for ‘Group of Seven’.

[Gasp! Why are you so bold as to touch the Soviet Union…! Are you planning to dismantle the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics? Does that even make sense? The only country in the world that can compete with the United States…?]

Rustle.

The more he turned the documents, the worse the chief butler’s migraine became.

[Huh… Subordinating OPEC [Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries], which is mainly composed of existing Middle Eastern countries, and developing African countries… Oh, my head.]

Thud.

He was even afraid to read further.

The chief butler simply gave up.

[During the Lockheed scandal, you dealt with high-ranking officials and politicians from each country all at once. Are you going to do that again this time?]

[Isn’t that quick and easy?]

[Who doesn’t know that it’s an efficient method? During the Lockheed scandal, the head of the family took off his shoes and took care of the aftermath…]

He thought he knew what he was going to say next.

-It’s a burden for the head of the family, who is getting weaker day by day.

‘If Miss Ellis becomes the next head of the family, this man will take care of the aftermath himself, so it doesn’t matter.’

Tae-soo looked at the head of the Rockefeller family.

[Is my father-in-law dissatisfied with the way I handle things like this?]

[Not at all…]

The head of the Rockefeller family laughed loudly.

[I like the boldness… A man should have that much skill…]

He was too much for Ellis’s partner.

The same went for when Ellis became the next head of the Rockefeller family.

[The reason you detonated the Lockheed scandal must have been because of oil…]

[It was a coincidence.]

[You are secretly forming a cabinet to take over the next Japanese government…]

[…Did you know?]

It was unexpected.

It was hard to see him as a man waiting for the day he would die, with his illness so obvious.

He was looking at the world from his sickbed.

[Isn’t that a mess I laid out myself…? So you’re thinking of controlling the Japanese government from behind like the Korean government…?]

[I don’t want to be backstabbed. Also, I don’t leave obstacles in my way.]

[I’d rather get rid of them…]

It was because it was an obstacle to the continental shelf oil development that Tae-soo was promoting.

That’s why he removed all the Japanese routes that Park Jung-hwan had created.

Now, only Tae-soo held the connection with the Japanese government.

It was to 확실히 과시하기 위해서다 [clearly show off].

[The countries you shook up during the Lockheed scandal… Except for Saudi Arabia, which has an alliance with you, you’re all working behind the scenes…]

[It’s a hard-earned opportunity. It’s a waste to just hand it over to someone else.]

That’s why Han-soo and Hol쭉이 can’t return to Korea.

[This time, China, the Soviet Union, England and France, Canada… and even the United States, which our Rockefeller family holds tightly…]

Only the head of the Rockefeller family was able to see through Tae-soo’s grand dream.

[You’re trying to become a powerful man who moves the world…]

Didn’t the head of the Rockefeller family also say that?

You must have power to protect your wealth.

Tae-soo was taking steps to achieve the 태양 천하 [rule the world].

[Of course, you’ll pass on the Rockefeller name to your and Ellis’s child…?]

[I don’t want to.]

[It’s a qualification to inherit the Rockefeller family… You still don’t want to?]

Tae-soo grinned.

[Maybe by the time our child inherits the head of the family, becoming the successor of the 태양 [Tae-yang] Group will be better than sitting in the head of the Rockefeller family.]

It was a confident declaration.

The head of the Rockefeller family laughed loudly and was delighted.

[Well, we’ll see about that…]

The father-in-law and son-in-law looked at each other and grinned.