Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 52

52. Invitation from the Saudi Royal Family (4)

Rahman chuckled.

[To show we’re on the same side, let’s share something good and strengthen our resolve. Hey, you!]

Snap.

Rahman snapped his fingers, and a bodyguard approached.

[Bring out that red wine we had earlier. I’ll have another glass with my esteemed ally.]

‘This guy is really laying it on thick,’ I thought.

To think he’d openly drink red wine in Saudi Arabia, unlike in Dubai.

[Aren’t alcoholic beverages prohibited in Saudi Arabia?]

[But you’re a foreigner, aren’t you? It’s for welcoming guests.]

[I saw you take a sip earlier, didn’t I? You also saw me spit it out, throw away the wine in the glass, and even the bottle.]

Rahman smiled mischievously and said quietly.

[Everyone sneaks a glass or two. Shouldn’t I taste a $40,000 wine at least once? It can’t always be for others to enjoy.]

Now that I think about it, breaking the wine bottle earlier was also a calculated move.

It was a bluff to intimidate me at our first meeting, plus the mindset of, ‘if I can’t have it, no one else can.’

[What are you waiting for? Bring it out quickly.]

The bodyguard quickly went into the cabin and returned with a bottle of $40,000 wine.

I couldn’t stop him.

Taesu picked up the wine decanter.

And poured the wine directly into it.

[To properly savor the finest wine, you need time to filter out the sediments. Rahman, I’m sure you’ve identified what the ‘sediments’ are in this situation, right?]

Rahman flinched.

Something clicked in his mind.

[Surely…]

[Discard the sediments.]

‘Sediments, huh?’

‘Yes, the dregs must be discarded.’

[And you should drink the clear, refined wine on top. That’s how you drink the finest wine.]

Rahman’s eyes widened.

‘Yes, as this man says, this might be a blessing in disguise.’

He could now create a list of those who needed to be discarded because of this incident.

Rahman was busy making a mental hit list.

After a while, he looked at Taesu with newfound favor.

[I’m not just taking a gamble; I’m incurring another debt.]

Rahman said with a relaxed smile.

[How should I repay this? Should it be with oil again?]

It was a very welcome attitude.

There’s nothing better than repaying with oil.

[Well, if you’re comfortable with oil, please give it to me in oil.]

[How much do you need this time?]

[The more, the better. Oh, and one more thing.]

Let’s invest some spare funds to prepare for the oil shock.

[I want to buy oil at the current market price. I want to receive the oil in December.]

Rahman subtly probed Taesu.

[Is there a specific reason for setting these conditions? Why not now, but specifically December, after the road construction?]

But Taesu wasn’t one to be manipulated.

[It’s because I haven’t completed the road construction yet and haven’t earned Rahman’s full trust. I want to finish the road construction quickly and receive the oil with a clear conscience.]

Rahman was very pleased and slammed his hand on the armrest.

[Good, very good! Just make sure to finish the construction properly with that determination! Then I’ll use whatever means necessary to get you the oil! I have that much power.]

Of course.

His father is the Minister of National Defense.

It wouldn’t make sense if the grandson of the founding king had no power.

Moreover, he’s a man who, at just over thirty years old, is developing the entire western city of Saudi Arabia.

He’s already showcasing his abilities and making a name for himself.

‘Will Rahman become known as the builder of the western city of Saudi Arabia in the future, unlike in my past life? Or will he become known as a city builder in Dubai, as in my past life?’

Taesu assessed the man in front of him.

He was a man with considerable ambition and shrewd calculation skills.

In fact, Han Cheong-ho, who was known for his keen eye for talent, had set his sights on him and tried to recruit him.

‘The fact that Samwon Construction won the road construction project in ’72 has also been erased from history. It seems like something related to Rahman.’

Taesu looked at Rahman with intense interest.

‘In my past life, Samwon Construction failed in the ’72 road construction. Rahman, who was in charge, seems to have had a problem because of this. What could it be? Who is behind him that Han Cheong-ho cut ties with?’

Rahman always had a lonely and forlorn look in his eyes.

He liked to hold a glass of red wine in the glass window of Dubai’s finest hotel and look down at the high-rise buildings.

‘The place he can’t return to, and the person he wants to see but can’t… the place he looked at with a heavy heart was… in the direction of Saudi Arabia.’

Taesu now understood what he had said in passing before.

‘If I can finish the road construction safely within the deadline this time, many things will change. First of all, Rahman may not have to leave Saudi Arabia for Dubai.’

Taesu pondered for a moment.

‘Let’s take another gamble. Anyway, since we’re in the same boat, I have to prevent him from being kicked out of the Saudi royal family. This is an opportunity to firmly establish roots.’

The decision was made.

Rahman’s father is the Minister of National Defense.

Taesu whispered to Rahman.

[I have something to tell you. This is information that your father, Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, needs to know, not just you, Rahman.]

Rahman preemptively defends himself.

[Don’t even think about using me to lobby my father. As the 12th son, and having been pushed to the west after being marked by those above, I don’t have that kind of influence.]

[It’s not that kind of thing. Just listen.]

It’s not a request.

He clearly stated it was information.

But it would be information that the Minister of National Defense couldn’t ignore.

[Tell me.]

[Do you know about the actions of Anwar Sadat, who became the next president after Gamal Abdel Nasser, the former president of Egypt, suddenly died of a heart attack a few years ago?]

[Sadat?]

Rahman waved his hand to dismiss the bodyguards.

Then, he leaned closer to Taesu and listened intently.

Taesu said quietly.

[He is promoting the unity of Arab countries while also sending friendly gestures to Western countries. He is also reforming outdated domestic organizations. Unlike former President Nasser, he has a strong desire to reclaim the Sinai Peninsula.]

[I know that too. I heard from my father that he is inviting Soviet advisors to improve the military’s structure and increase the intensity of training.]

Taesu nodded.

[That’s right. You know that Sadat is constantly threatening Israel, right? He says he will start a war every few months.]

[He’s just bluffing, even pretending to issue military mobilization orders.]

It’s a well-known story.

Unlike Nasser, who hid his intention to attack and kept Israel tense, Egyptian President Sadat was openly making threats and bluffs.

As a result, Israel was very nervous and made thorough preparations, but in reality, the Egyptian side did not show any significant military movements.

Rahman, the son of the Saudi Minister of National Defense, couldn’t possibly not know the story.

[Isn’t that a kind of political posturing? In the international community, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is regarded as a bluffer who only makes threats.]

That was the deceptive tactic that Egyptian President Sadat was aiming for.

‘In fact, when Sadat issued a real declaration of war just before starting the Fourth Middle East War [also known as the Yom Kippur War], the whole world dismissed it as another empty threat.’

But Egyptian President Sadat really started the Fourth Middle East War a few days after the declaration of war.

And Israel was caught off guard and hurriedly tried to defend itself.

‘Sadat’s deception worked wonderfully. The Syrian and Egyptian allied forces launched a full-scale surprise attack while Israeli soldiers were on vacation and security was lax.’

Taesu hinted to Rahman.

[There’s news that Egypt and Syria are secretly buying huge amounts of weapons from arms dealers.]

This is also the reason why a man in Hanbok [traditional Korean clothing] is traveling abroad busily these days.

Taesu chuckled inwardly.

‘How much is this information worth in oil?’

If Rahman uses it well, it’s high-quality information worth hundreds of millions.

But if he doesn’t use it, it’s just meaningless chatter.

[Why don’t you suggest to your father that he investigate this secret arms dealing?]

Rahman’s expression changed drastically.

[That’s ridiculous! It’s just Egypt’s bluff. Isn’t your country the same? A country divided into North and South is in a state of truce, but it provokes and threatens from time to time.]

[It’s different. Making threats and showy military mobilization orders are minor. But arms smuggling is on a completely different level.]

[What do you mean?]

[You have to consider the financial commitment. It’s about pouring in actual military funds.]

It’s a simple principle.

[You have to look at the money, not the words.]

People lie, but money doesn’t lie.

If you look at how money moves, you can understand a person’s true intentions.

[People don’t waste money.]

Those words struck Rahman’s heart like an arrow.

‘You have to look at the money, not the words? Because people don’t waste money?’

Taesu just smiled gently.

The more he did, the more conflicted Rahman’s expression became.

‘But really, if such a thing happens? If the Sinai Peninsula becomes a battlefield?’

Thump.

Rahman couldn’t stay seated and stood up.

[I think I should go now. I was glad you accepted the impromptu yacht invitation. Let’s end it here today and look forward to the next time.]

He turned to leave.

Then, he turned back to Taesu.

[I will definitely repay this debt handsomely. Because this is a matter of the country’s survival and success.]

Rahman was quicker than Taesu.

[Of course, I will repay it with oil. Since your information plays an important role, I will repay it properly, so don’t worry about it. Even if it’s not me, my father will use his influence.]

Taesu slightly shook the contract.

[As I said before, you have to look at the money instead of people’s words. The foundation of trust is the contract, isn’t it?]

[I can’t argue with that.]

Rahman hurriedly scribbled his signature on the contract and rushed into the cabin.

Taesu chuckled as he watched him leave.

‘Rahman’s early years were quite awkward. He wasn’t this easily flustered in Dubai.’

His ability itself is undoubtedly outstanding.

Moreover, his father is Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

He is a figure who even outmaneuvered his brother to become the Minister of National Defense.

‘Saudi Arabia’s arms purchases are among the highest in the world, so naturally, the Ministry of National Defense wields significant influence. He has a powerful father.’

Khalid is literally a powerful man among powerful men.

‘I’m really curious to see what kind of reaction Khalid will have when he hears this.’

That’s why.

He had his son, Rahman, deliver this information.

‘Everything I can do here is done.’

All that’s left is to work hard on the construction.

Finish the construction within the deadline no matter what!

‘I should return to Korea soon.’

There’s one thing left to take care of before going to Korea.

‘The executives of Samwon Construction.’

All I have to do is hand them over to the special agent.

‘Cha Ki-beom. What kind of guys will he send me?’