Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 58

58. Let’s Go to Korea (2)

“Hands up! Move and you’re dead.”

“Captain? Why are you here…?”

The assassin was taken aback.

Following the Captain’s signal, armed men flooded into the room.

It was Song Jin-gu, the loan shark, and the miners.

“Damn it!”

They were faster than the assassin.

Poosh.

Song Jin-gu’s rifle roared.

It was a hunting rifle for taking down beasts.

“Too bad. I have no personal feelings either. Sleep well.”

Song Jin-gu wished him a good night’s sleep.

The assassin, hit in the thigh with a tranquilizer dart, staggered.

“Get some deep sleep. When you wake up, you’ll be in Korea.”

“You won’t even get motion sickness. Heh heh heh.”

The tables had turned in an instant.

The assassin was quickly apprehended and disarmed.

A gag was stuffed in his mouth, and he was tightly bound.

The drug was already taking effect, and his vision was blurring.

“Throw this bastard in the next room and stand guard again. Change the bedding.”

“Yes, sir.”

They dragged the assassin and opened the door to the next room.

‘What?’

Three men in nightsuits, bound just like him, were already asleep.

The Captain shoved the assassin in, sighing.

“I told you to go to bed early. I don’t know how many more guys are going to ignore me and crawl in here.”

Song Jin-gu chuckled, waving the tranquilizer gun.

“For insomniacs, sleeping pills are the best medicine.”

The Captain spoke to Tae-soo.

“Amazing. I didn’t know you had such perfect defenses. Chief Cha’s worries were unfounded.”

Tae-soo recalled the note the Captain had given him.

It was from Cha Ki-beom.

Cha Ki-beom knew there was a mole of Han Cheong-ho among the bodyguards.

But he couldn’t identify who it was.

They were secretly bribed, only passing on information and subtly interfering with things.

That bothered Cha Ki-beom.

“Chief Cha wanted to minimize the contact time between the assassin and Kang Tae-soo, to reduce the risk factors.”

“But Chief Cha couldn’t postpone the schedule indefinitely. It would have been difficult to ignore what the President wanted.”

“Exactly. That’s why he decided to contact the embassy in advance and give them a heads-up. He had them deliver the note to me.”

While handing the note to the Captain, Cha Ki-beom provided Tae-soo with one more piece of information.

-The Captain is a trusted right-hand man of Cha Ki-beom.

So Tae-soo deliberately had the Captain deliver the note.

It was to bring him in.

The Captain grinned.

“Chief Cha hoped Kang Tae-soo would avoid it skillfully, but Kang Tae-soo thought differently. To break through head-on and turn it into a trap. You have a lot of guts.”

He knew Han Cheong-ho would send an assassin.

Moreover, Cha Ki-beom even sent the Captain to give him a heads-up.

He had already finished preparing for them.

There was no reason to fail.

“How did you prepare such an ingenious trap?”

The Captain recalled the note Kang Tae-soo had given him.

Below that was written Tae-soo’s accommodation.

“It was as if the rats jumped into the mousetrap themselves, just as Kang Tae-soo said. I couldn’t believe it even while watching from the side.”

Because the return time was imminent.

A hasty mind always leads to unreasonable actions.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You volunteered to be the cheese, didn’t you? When I first heard this plan, I even tried to stop you, saying it was too reckless.”

Tae-soo chuckled.

“Calculated risk is different from recklessness. You have to take it.”

“Waving the cheese around so boldly, the rats couldn’t help but rush in. You succeeded wonderfully.”

The Captain smiled meaningfully.

“All of this will be reported to Chief Cha as it is.”

“No, I hope you don’t.”

“What? Why…?”

The Captain was puzzled.

“This is a perfect opportunity to show Chief Cha how outstanding you are.”

He couldn’t understand.

Cha Ki-beom was a powerful figure, the Chief of the Presidential Security Service.

Everyone wanted to be noticed by him.

But Tae-soo was throwing away that opportunity himself.

“What would I do by appealing to him? It’s better for the Captain to get a promotion.”

The Captain’s eyes moved intensely at the word promotion.

He could refuse money.

That’s why he wouldn’t have been caught in Han Cheong-ho’s bribery net.

But Tae-soo knew that such people craved honor.

“Does Kang Tae-soo mean that you’re passing the credit to me?”

“Don’t you like it?”

Tae-soo smiled gently.

“You’ve come a long way to the Middle East. This secures one badge of honor from the President. But if you’re going to wear a badge anyway, it’s better to wear a better one, right?”

“A better one….”

“Since you’ve identified the spy infiltrated into the security team, Chief Cha will replace it with a better one.”

It meant that Cha Ki-beom would not forget the merit.

Greed filled the Captain’s face.

“Opportunity doesn’t come anytime. Take it.”

Tae-soo held out his hand to the Captain.

The Captain smiled and took Tae-soo’s hand.

“I’m shameless, but I’ll gratefully accept it. Opportunity doesn’t come anytime.”

“Of course. You’ve caught it well.”

“I won’t forget that you gave me the opportunity.”

“We’re making a good connection like this.”

The Captain thought, looking at Tae-soo.

‘He’s no ordinary man. People are mostly eager to package themselves beyond their abilities.’

Rather, Tae-soo was the opposite.

‘How, how much, and where to report to Chief Cha. This will be my homework.’

It didn’t matter if he took all the credit.

Even Kang Tae-soo was pushing him to do so.

Moreover, the assassins’ statements would be the same.

Only the Captain was confirmed when they were subdued, and no one saw Kang Tae-soo leading the scene.

‘The type of medal will change. Chief Cha will value my worth even more because of this.’

The Captain decided.

‘I’ll follow this man’s lead. I’ll be more successful and someday repay this favor.’

At the same time, Song Chang-joon was sending a telegram to Cha Ki-beom at the embassy.

It was a telegram that Tae-soo had asked for in advance.

-I will identify all of Han Cheong-ho’s spies among the bodyguards you sent.

-Should I still be grateful to you even after this?

* * *

Cha Ki-beom received the telegram his subordinate handed him.

-I will identify all of Han Cheong-ho’s spies among the bodyguards you sent.

-Should I still be grateful to you even after this?

He burst out laughing as soon as he saw it.

It was beyond his expectations.

‘Kang Tae-soo, he’s really something.’

He knew that Han Cheong-ho was moving from under his nose.

But they were bribing so cleverly that even the trustworthy guys had turned into spies before he knew it.

He didn’t know exactly who had crossed over and how far they had gone.

The only one he could completely trust was the Captain.

‘I sent the guys who were suspected of being spies, and it seems they were really spies.’

They were guys he hadn’t been able to catch properly even after keeping them by his side for years.

They were rat-like guys who stole the President’s information from next to Cha Ki-beom.

Kang Tae-soo said he had identified those guys.

‘What kind of trick did he use to catch these guys?’

He was curious.

Then the subordinate handed over another telegram.

It was also a telegram from the Saudi Arabian embassy.

-The special agents have completed their mission successfully.

-They left for Korea on the 7 AM flight.

-The Captain has the evidence photos of the operation and the personal information of the rescued people.

Perfect.

‘They all return home as soon as they set foot in the Middle East, completing their mission. Instead of avoiding it, it’s spy detection. My advice is becoming useless.’

Kang Tae-soo.

He’s really an amazing guy.

Cha Ki-beom said to the subordinate who brought the telegram.

“Call each media outlet.”

Gather the reporters at the airport.

The President’s image-renewal operation must continue here as well.

“Tell them that heroes are returning on a flight from Saudi Arabia to Korea. They are heroes who were dispatched by the President to rescue the people kidnapped in the Middle East.”

Cha Ki-beom got up from his chair.

‘The President will be very happy to hear this good news.’

Cha Ki-beom gave one more instruction to his subordinate.

“Also, send a telegram to Kang Tae-soo through the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

“What should I send?”

“Tell him Cha Ki-beom is grateful.”

He had his aching tooth pulled out, so he had to repay the favor properly.

“Send him that he’ll do whatever he wants.”

* * *

The airport was crowded with reporters.

Then the special agents from Saudi Arabia appeared first.

Behind them came the executives of Samwon Construction, whom they had rescued.

Chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa chwat [sound of camera flashes].

Camera flashes went off, and reporters’ questions poured out.

“Where did you get the information about the kidnapped citizens?”

“Was it the work of Middle Eastern terrorists?”

“Who directed and planned the operation?”

The Captain raised his hand.

He only spat out the words that had been promised in advance before departure.

“The President obtained intelligence about the kidnapped citizens and dispatched us to rescue them.”

Chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa chwat.

“If even one citizen is in danger, the state has a duty to rescue him safely! That’s what the President emphasized.”

Chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa chwat.

“Were there any difficulties in the dangerous mission?”

“It’s about saving the lives of citizens. We must willingly take the risks involved.”

The Captain concluded.

“The rescued people are very tired. They need stability and rest. Therefore, please refer to the Blue House spokesperson’s announcement for details.”

Chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa chwa chwat.

Following the Captain’s command, the special agents and Samwon Construction executives left the airport.

The reporters also rushed to follow them.

“The reporting is hot. Park Jung-hwan will be very happy.”

Tae-soo, who had been watching the scene from afar, also leisurely left the airport.

The first thing he did after getting out of the airport was to take a deep breath.

“Hmm, I like Korea after all. Just the right sunny weather.”

While he was away in the Middle East, spring had already come to Korea.

May 8, 1973.

Today is Parents’ Day.

“The return schedule is short. It’s going to be tight if I want to go back to the Middle East.”

There are three purposes for coming to Korea.

“First of all, I have to meet Jang Mal-dong. I brought two jobs for him, so the old man will be incredibly busy.”

There’s another person to meet.

“Jang Joon-yong of Geumsan. I have to meet him and express my gratitude. And I have something to ask him.”

One more thing.

“I have to send Han-soo to the United States.”

There’s something Han-soo needs to do separately in the United States.

The molybdenum mine, limestone mine, and cement factory will be run well by the former cement factory president.

There’s also a trustworthy accountant.

“If I want to go back to the Middle East on the plane I came on, I’m going to have to move incredibly busily, right?”

I have to hurry.

“To take over Cheongil Oil during the oil shock, I have to start moving now.”

It’s okay if I can’t take it over.

But I intend to at least smash it to pieces.