Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 25

25. Molybdenum Price Surge (1)

“You’re abandoning your beloved employees, the mine, and the factory? Where are you going?”

The mine owner answered resolutely.

“I have to go. I heard it was acquired by a good person, so I must leave now.”

“Let’s work together. Just like always.”

“Together? Like always? How can that be possible?”

The mine owner retorted as if it were nonsense.

Tae-soo nodded with a smile.

“That’s why I asked you to wait just three days. Where are you going now, after all this time?”

“······.”

“I was so worried you’d leave that I rushed over here. Can’t you see the sweat?”

“······.”

Han-soo also nodded from the side.

“Let’s do it. Why else would Hyung [older brother/friend] leave me here to hold onto the president?”

“This is······.”

The mine owner didn’t know what to say and turned his head slightly.

“What face do I have to stay here? I ruined the business and almost left my family out on the streets.”

“Was it the limestone mine and cement factory that were the problem? You were just unlucky.”

“I was the one who decided to develop the gold mine and carried it out. It’s right that I take responsibility.”

“Then take responsibility.”

“······?”

“Don’t abandon the employees who trusted and followed you. Take responsibility until the end.”

Tae-soo grinned.

“I want the limestone mine and cement factory to run well, just like now. To do that, we need you. Let’s work together.”

The employee next to Tae-soo nodded.

Having been forewarned by Tae-soo, he seemed happy to be able to actively persuade the president to stay.

“Our company couldn’t have grown this much without you. All of our employees will scatter. Let’s do it together this time, President.”

“You······.”

Other employees also nodded.

“That’s right, President. Why else would we have waited until now?”

“If we weren’t going to work with you, we would have looked for jobs at other mines long ago.”

“What will happen to us if you leave?”

Looking at the employees who had shared joys and sorrows with him for the past decade, he was overwhelmed with memories.

It wasn’t just the mine owner, but the employees as well.

“You paid for my mother’s hospital bills and surgery. If we let you go like this, my mother will cry.”

“Who carried me to the hospital after the truck overturned while delivering cement? If it weren’t for you back then, I would have lost my leg.”

“When our house caught fire, you and all the employees rushed over and carried water buckets until dawn. I’ll never forget that until I die. If you leave, I’m leaving too.”

With each word from the employees, he felt choked up inside.

The mine owner nodded with tearful eyes.

He patted each employee on the shoulder, vaguely recalling the events of that day.

The employees grabbed onto the mine owner’s clothes and shook their heads.

Don’t leave. Let’s stay together.

Tae-soo said to the mine owner.

“The word ‘family’ (食口) [Shikgu, literally ‘eating mouth,’ referring to those who share meals] means eating from the same pot. When sharing a meal, whether you’re the president or not, titles don’t matter.”

Those words struck the mine owner’s heart like an arrow.

‘Right. Wouldn’t it be okay if I wasn’t the president, as long as I share meals with my family?’

To be honest, the mine owner didn’t want to leave either.

He had built the mine from scratch, enduring all sorts of hardships.

And what about the factory?

He wanted to work with his beloved employees a little longer.

Tae-soo firmly grasped the mine owner’s hand.

“We are still young and lack experience. We desperately need your experience and know-how. Let’s do it together.”

The mine owner felt sincerity from Tae-soo.

He sighed.

He couldn’t possibly resist.

‘To hold onto someone like me. I’m so grateful.’

Tears welled up in the mine owner’s wrinkled eyes.

The employees shouted in unison.

“President, let’s continue to share meals together!”

“That’s right, President. What taste would there be in eating without you?”

“Even the new president is holding onto you like this. You can’t leave like this.”

The mine owner, unable to hold back, began to sob.

He quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

What was it about this attachment?

The mine was being taken over, the factory was being taken over, and his livelihood was about to be cut off, yet they didn’t show a single hint of resentment towards their incompetent president.

What am I?

Watching that scene, Tae-soo made up his mind.

‘There’s a lot of work to be done in the future. There aren’t enough people to be my hands and feet. A mine owner who works hard to reclaim the mine would be a reliable partner. He’s a good person, and his abilities are good too. Perfect.’

Tae-soo had suffered from loan sharks and had a terrible time.

Tae-soo knew better than anyone how terrible and hopeless that was.

Tae-soo didn’t want the mine owner to collapse like this.

“How about this?”

Everyone focused on Tae-soo.

“I will appoint you as the general manager of the mine and factory. The salary will be based on performance. You can take home a lot of money for working hard.”

Mumbling.

At Tae-soo’s words, the employees and the mine owner looked at each other.

Tae-soo said.

“If you manage to earn back the amount I acquired, I will return the limestone mine and cement factory to you. How about it?”

No matter the circumstances, he couldn’t just give it away like a pushover.

This was clearly the mine and factory that Tae-soo had exchanged for 20 million won from Jang Mal-dong.

‘If he works hard with the determination to repay the debt and reclaim the factory and mine, the results will be great. By the time the mine owner has paid off the acquisition amount, he’ll probably want to sit in the position of president of our company’s affiliate, right?’

That was something to be decided then.

For now, it was enough for him to run the mine and cement factory with sincerity and to the best of his ability.

It was truly a win-win proposal for both of them.

The mine owner opened his mouth wide as if he had never imagined it.

“Y-You’re going to return the mine and factory?”

“I’m not just giving it back. You’re properly paying the price and taking it over. It will take some time, though.”

Hope began to bloom in the mine owner’s heart.

He had hope that he might be able to reclaim the limestone mine and cement factory that he thought he had completely lost.

The employees also held hands tightly and rejoiced.

Regardless of shame or face.

The mine owner closed his eyes and shouted.

Having made up his mind, the mine owner asked Tae-soo.

Regardless of shame or face.

“Would it be okay for someone like me to stay with you?”

Tae-soo nodded as if it were obvious.

“Of course. Thank you.”

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

The mine owner, his face stained with tears, shook hands with Tae-soo and smiled brightly.

The employees who watched the scene applauded loudly.

That day, the employees’ favor towards Tae-soo reached its peak.

“The new president is the best!”

“You’re so cool!”

“Let’s all work hard together!”

“You’re handsome!”

The employees whistled and cheered.

The mine owner also cheered for Tae-soo.

‘I need to properly tell the employees one last time. For the new president.’

The mine owner shouted loudly.

“From now on, this person is the president here!”

The mine owner looked back at the employees.

“I am no longer the president. But I am so happy to be able to work with our family in the future! It’s all thanks to the new president!”

The employees responded enthusiastically and applauded.

The mine owner grabbed Tae-soo’s hand and lifted it up.

“Long live Taeyang Mining! Long live Taeyang Cement!”

The employees and the mine owner, who were about to shout cheers, froze at the same time.

Since it had been newly acquired, they shouldn’t use the old company name, they realized.

Tae-soo said with a smile.

“It will be Taeyang Mining, Taeyang Cement. We just need to add one more stroke.”

Daeyang and Taeyang are just one stroke apart.

The mine owner and the employees laughed loudly.

“Well, on a good day like this, we can’t leave out makgeolli [Korean rice wine]!”

When Holjook brought makgeolli in a whole container, the employees cheered at the same time.

Han-soo and Tae-soo also received a bowl of makgeolli each and drank it in one gulp.

The mine owner shouted loudly.

“Long live Taeyang Mining! Long live Taeyang Cement!”

The employees also shouted loudly.

“Long live Taeyang Mining! Long live Taeyang Cement!”

Holjook shouted even louder from the side.

“Long live makgeolli! Long live the welcome party! Give us some snacks!”

This time, the employees laughed and shouted loudly.

That day, Tae-soo generously threw a pork belly party.

* * *

President’s office, Pohang Steel.

Park Tae-jong, holding the phone, jumped up.

“The United States is declaring a halt to molybdenum extraction? A complete halt to molybdenum exports? Is that true?”

He was dumbfounded.

The news came directly from the United States.

He couldn’t hear the other words coming from the other side of the phone.

He didn’t even know how the call ended.

When he came to his senses, he was scribbling wildly on a blank piece of paper with a fountain pen.

-Kang Tae-soo.

-Molybdenum.

-Chromoly steel.

-Steel mill construction funds.

Looking at the scribbles, Park Tae-jong muttered to himself.

“Soon, the price of molybdenum will skyrocket, and the price of chromoly steel will jump along with it.”

If the price of chromoly steel skyrockets, the steel mill will have to rush to produce and sell chromoly steel accordingly.

Because the steel mill construction funds are so insufficient, they have to roll up their sleeves and do anything that makes money.

“This is ridiculous. To think that the situation would come where we would actually sell chromoly steel to raise funds.”

The face of the confident young man came to mind.

-Soon, the price of molybdenum will jump two or three times. The price of chromoly steel will also jump along with it, but will you still only produce thick plates then?

-That’s why I’m making this suggestion. How about securing steel mill construction funds earlier with chromoly steel?

What did he say back then?

-At that time, we will have no choice but to produce and sell special steel first. But that will never happen.

-It will be quite some time before we produce chromoly steel.

His mouth tasted bitter.

If he had just signed the contract back then, he wouldn’t have had to bring up the regretful words first.

It hadn’t even been fifteen days since that young man had visited.

“Daeun Mining doesn’t produce molybdenum either, and there are no mines in Korea that produce molybdenum. Should we wait and see the price fluctuations of molybdenum a little more?”

The United States monopolizes 87% of the global molybdenum market.

Moreover, molybdenum is a national strategic mineral that is used everywhere.

“Whether the price fluctuates or not is no longer the issue. The issue is how much the price will skyrocket.”

If the United States suddenly pulls out like this, the whole world will be stuck with only 13% of the usual amount of molybdenum.

The price will undoubtedly skyrocket like crazy.

Park Tae-jong chuckled.

“If you don’t jump in when you can clearly see the money to be made, you should take off your businessman’s clothes.”

When he was wearing the military uniform, what did he care if the price of molybdenum skyrocketed or not?

He just had to protect his country and his people.

But now, he is in a position to build a steel mill, make a profit, and return it to the people.

“Let’s go.”

Park Tae-jong made a decision.