Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 50

50. Invitation from the Saudi Royal Family (2)

Shortly after, the cruiser docked at the end of the harbor.

A man in a black suit disembarked from the cruiser and approached Tae-soo.

Tae-soo and Chief Corino waited for him.

Chief Corino seemed to recognize him.

[Greetings, Chief Corino. It’s been a while.]

[Looking at you now, you’re a Hakonen man.]

[Yes, I happened to hear the good news on my way here. I commend you on your great decision to end the tribal war.]

[It’s all thanks to this benefactor here.]

The bodyguard in the black suit glanced at Tae-soo.

He didn’t seem to consider him an important figure.

[The Saudi Royal Family is eager to learn more about the current situation. Would you be willing to come aboard and explain the circumstances?]

[I will.]

[Thank you, Chief Corino.]

[Is this gentleman also coming aboard?]

[No. They only requested Chief Corino.]

[In that case, I have no choice.]

Chief Corino turned to Tae-soo.

[I’ll be back shortly. It won’t take long.]

A moment later.

The bodyguard got off the cruiser again and rushed to Tae-soo.

Huffing and puffing, he caught his breath and spoke to Tae-soo.

[I apologize. I failed to recognize our benefactor and committed a great discourtesy. I have heard the full story from Chief Corino. As a member of the tribe and a citizen of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I thank you once again.]

The bodyguard bowed respectfully.

[Rahman wishes to meet and speak with you. Would you accept his invitation to come aboard the cruise ship?]

Tae-soo nodded.

[Very well. I gladly accept the invitation.]

When Skinny tried to follow Tae-soo, the bodyguard shook his head.

[Only this gentleman is invited.]

* * *

Following the bodyguard, Tae-soo boarded the luxurious cruise ship.

The best seat on the cruiser.

A man in his thirties sat on a chair adorned with gold and jewels, shaded by an awning.

He was draped in ornate clothes embroidered with gold thread and lavishly decorated with various bejeweled accessories.

With a stylish mustache and sunglasses.

‘A Middle Eastern fashionista.’

Rahman, seeing Tae-soo, stood up and welcomed him with open arms.

[Welcome. I welcome you aboard my ship.]

Chief Corino said.

[This is Rahman. He is the twelfth son of the current Minister of Defense and is in charge of the Western City Development.]

Tae-soo bowed politely.

[I am Kang Tae-soo from South Korea.]

[So, you’re the one who stirred up the entire desert as soon as you arrived in our kingdom.]

Rahman took off his sunglasses and smiled broadly.

‘Wait, this guy?’

But Tae-soo’s surprise was for a different reason.

‘Mr. Abraham?’

Tae-soo had met him before.

He was a famous figure who always attended global events in Dubai.

‘Why is the man who made a name for himself planning and building the city of Dubai now constructing a city in western Saudi Arabia?’

So, he was a bit confused.

‘I thought his identity was shrouded in mystery, but it turns out he’s a direct member of the Saudi royal family?’

Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates and is famous as its largest city.

In the 21st century, it will become a more famous port and tourist city than Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

‘Why was a Saudi royal building a city in Dubai? Was there a hidden reason?’

Rahman handed his sunglasses to the attendant behind him.

And he began his introduction leisurely and relaxed.

[If I were to introduce myself, I am Rahman bin Khalid bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. I am Rahman, the twelfth son of Khalid, the fifth son of Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the first king of Saudi Arabia.]

The introduction was long, but Tae-soo, already familiar with the old memories, took it in stride.

They remembered their ancestors and took pride in their ancestors and their names.

‘It’s a good thing Rahman’s name is short since he starts with the first king.’

It was common to include the names of grandfathers several generations back.

In severe cases, some people named themselves after eight generations.

Rahman pointed to the seat next to him.

[Sit here. I have so much to say to you.]

[Very well.]

Tae-soo sat in the seat offered by Rahman.

Chief Corino quickly tried to sit next to Tae-soo.

But Rahman raised his hand.

[No, Chief Corino, stay back. Our conversation will be only between the two of us.]

Rahman dismissed Chief Corino.

Chief Corino stepped back with a sullen expression.

[All of you, step back as well. We will have an important conversation.]

Rahman waved his hand to dismiss the bodyguards as well.

The bodyguards greeted indifferently and strode several steps back.

Soon, only Tae-soo and Rahman were left in the lavishly decorated reception room on the ship.

[Did you know? There are a total of 32 departments in the Saudi Royal Family, and only three of them are friendly to South Korea.]

Tae-soo knew it too.

Rahman folded his fingers one by one, saying.

[The Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Construction where I am.]

Rahman shook his completely folded fist and smiled coldly.

[What a pity. All the departments friendly to South Korea have disappeared because of this incident?]

From the beginning, there was a bone in his words [a hidden barb or complaint].

[Since I called you to my ship, I should at least offer you a drink as the host.]

Rahman picked up a wine bottle and glass and began to pour the wine.

[How about some wine?]

[Sounds good.]

Tae-soo also picked up a wine glass after a long time.

[What do you think of this wine? Does it look cheap or high-end?]

It was Rahman’s test.

But Tae-soo was the head secretary of Cheongil Group, who had to deal with high-ranking officials.

Of course, he had been properly educated about wine, and thanks to drinking it for many years, he had a considerable understanding of it.

[You can tell the aging year, quality, and origin of red wine by its color. Judging by the ruby color, it’s a very well-aged, top-quality wine.]

Tae-soo closed his eyes and savored the wine.

[It’s a wine based on the Shiraz variety with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. Is it perhaps a Penfolds Grange, 1951?]

Rahman swirled the wine glass with an arrogant pose.

[Accurate. I bought it for $40,000 a bottle. Not bad.]

Penfolds Grange is Australia’s best national treasure-level wine, considered the best by wine lovers around the world.

So much so that it was registered as an Australian National Cultural Treasure in 2001.

It is said to maintain the highest quality in every vintage released since 1951, with 1951 being considered the best.

‘Was it 2018 or 2019? It was selling for $90,000 a bottle in American wine cellars. He brought out an expensive wine worth over a hundred million won [~80,000 USD] to welcome a guest.’

As expected of a Middle Eastern royal. Is this how the rich spend their money?

It feels like my mouth is being treated well after a long time.

[It’s a very good wine.]

[Good wine? I thought so too. A brand that is the best wine in Australia and an expensive price to match. I thought it would at least be basic.]

Suddenly, Rahman frowned and opened his mouth.

[But it tastes worse than cheap wine. It tastes astringent and bitter. Ugh, I can’t drink it at all.]

He turned the wine glass upside down and poured the wine onto the floor.

And the look in his eyes as he glared at Tae-soo was as cold as ice.

[No matter how much money you spend to buy it, it’s garbage if you can’t drink it. Food waste.]

Rahman picked up the red wine bottle and threw it on the floor.

The red wine spread redly on the floor covered with white cloth.

[Samwon Construction. They promised to finish a 3-year project in 2 years, but they only built less than 1/3 of it and ran away.]

Rahman gritted his teeth.

[It was a $12.5 million project. It was a highway construction that would be the starting point for the Western City Development. Do you know why I put so much effort into developing this port and creating Shobok City? It was to make this port the center of the oil industry! You guys turned it into garbage!]

Rahman pulled at the collar of his clothes that covered his neck uncomfortably.

[Damn it, you guys are suffocating me.]

Rahman tore off his collar.

As if he wanted to tear Tae-soo to death.

Rahman threw the torn collar on the floor.

[You guys made me lose face. My pride is torn to shreds like this. My reputation is tattered like this piece of clothing.]

He growled like a beast.

[The Western City Construction project is about to be halted, and the unfinished road has been abandoned. I’m about to be dragged down from this position because of you guys!]

Tae-soo chuckled.

‘Rahman, a barking dog is not scary.’

The really scary dog is the one that silently rushes in and bites your neck in one go.

‘The fierce dog Mr. Abraham that Han Il-kwon feared. But now he’s just a puppy.’

Mr. Abraham, who had gone through thick and thin and climbed to the top in Dubai.

He was a scary figure who silently stabbed with a knife.

It was definitely different from the current Rahman, who was living comfortably under the protection of the Saudi Minister of Defense.

‘But no matter how young, a fierce dog is a fierce dog. It doesn’t grow into a house-sitting pet.’

Tae-soo clearly remembered him from Dubai.

So, he coveted him.

‘If I can tame him well while he’s still young and make him my ally, it would be like gaining a thousand troops and horses.’

Let’s give it a try.

Tae-soo looked at the wine glass and said.

[If a top-quality wine with a good aroma, good color, and a definite origin and variety tastes cheap, there are two possibilities.]

Tae-soo swirled the wine glass.

[Either you were scammed and bought cheap wine from the beginning, or you don’t know how to handle top-quality wine properly.]

[Are you insulting me now? I’m an idiot if I get scammed, and I’m a fool if I can’t handle top-quality wine!]

Tae-soo pointed to the wine bottle thrown on the floor.

[To properly savor top-quality wine, you need to decant it. Since you came on a cruiser speeding on the sea, the inside of the wine bottle must be a mess with sediment.]

But Rahman didn’t check it.

[Red wine is like an elegant but picky beauty. If you just serve it with sediment mixed in from long aging, it will naturally taste astringent. You need to take the time to separate the sediment to properly taste its flavor and aroma.]

Bang.

[Are you trying to teach me now?]

Tae-soo pointed to the wine decanter on the table and said.

[You prepared to drink top-quality wine properly like this, but you were too hasty. Perhaps it was because you were in a hurry after hearing that I was at the port.]

Tae-soo saw through Rahman’s situation at a glance.

[Were you impatient because you couldn’t wait an hour for the sediment to settle? To throw away top-quality red wine because you tasted a rough and astringent taste. Isn’t it a waste?]

[That measly $40,000!]

[Then are you going to throw away the $12.5 million road construction because you’re angry?]

Tae-soo knew better than anyone that Rahman couldn’t abandon the road construction.

‘If he could have abandoned the road construction in the first place, he wouldn’t have sent unofficial letters to harass Park Jung-hwan or pressured the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.’

Besides, Rahman revealed it with his own mouth.

-I’m about to be dragged down from this position because of you guys!

There is only one reason why Rahman is so angry.

‘Rahman is now in a position where he must complete the road construction.’

Tae-soo was confident.

‘You showed your cards too early, Rahman. You should have acted more relaxed to deal with me. Like you used to be.’

Tae-soo was sure.

‘Rahman is now cornered. So, he has no choice but to threaten me. Your weakness is that you have to complete the construction no matter what. So, you will never reject my proposal.’

Obvious cards.

Obvious chips.

Obvious result.

‘Rahman, you’re already on the same boat as me. And the one driving that boat is me, Kang Tae-soo.’

Both have the same goal.

In that the road construction must be completed within the deadline.

Rahman is an ally who has no choice but to be with Tae-soo.

So, he rushed over here, disguised as a threat to urge the construction.

Because Rahman can only survive if Tae-soo completes the construction quickly.

‘Rahman, thank you for coming all the way here to tell me your situation. I’ll live up to your expectations.’

It was Tae-soo’s turn now.