Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 6

6. Molybdenum Mine, and Brothers (2)

The miner swung his pickaxe skillfully.

Each time the pickaxe struck the wall, stone dust billowed around.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

After a while, with a cracking sound, a section of the wall crumbled away.

The hidden interior was revealed, like a secret room.

‘This is it!’

That rich smell of money.

It’s coming from right there.

“What is that?”

“What do you mean?”

“That, that whitish thing.”

“Oh-”

The miner skillfully swung his pickaxe again.

The miner examined the mined ore under the light.

The miner handed the ore to Kang Hansoo.

“At first glance, it looks very similar to graphite. But this is Molybdenite.”

“Molybdenite?”

“To be exact, it’s Molybdenum sulfide. They say it’s used a lot in making guns, cannons, and airplanes, so it was also called a ‘war mineral’.”

“······!”

Hansoo looked at Taesoo with a thunderstruck expression.

‘He’s quick on the uptake, as always.’

Like a sharp tack from the National Intelligence Service [referring to someone astute and efficient].

“This, could it be what you were talking about······.”

“That’s right.”

“Molybdenum, it’s really molybdenum.”

“It is.”

“To actually discover molybdenum, it’s unbelievable.”

Molybdenum. Also known as moly.

It is a national strategic resource, an extremely important mineral.

In particular, it is widely used to make chromoly steel by adding chromium and molybdenum.

Because it is high-strength and resistant to corrosion.

‘Power plants, the defense industry, the petroleum industry, the gas industry, the chemical industry are also using it.’

There are many places to use it, so there are many places to sell it!

‘Filaments, extreme pressure lubricants, engine oil additives. There’s no place this mineral doesn’t go.’

The uses are endless!

‘Good! That’s it!’

Taesoo clenched both fists.

But the person who was jumping up and down was someone else.

“This is amazing! It’s amazing! It’s a molybdenum lode [a rich deposit of ore]!”

The miner was more excited and jumping around than the mine owner.

“A molybdenum lode hidden behind the wall of an abandoned mine! I couldn’t have imagined it! How could this be!”

He was about to foam at the mouth and rush to hack away with his pickaxe, but he barely managed to stop himself.

“Let me go! I have to dig that!”

“Calm down.”

“No, how can I calm down when it looks like molybdenum lodes are going to come out in droves right before my eyes?”

The miner huffed.

Then he grabbed Taesoo and his eyes sparkled.

“What’s the secret?”

“Pardon?”

“There must be a secret! You pointed out this wall to break down!”

“······.”

I can’t exactly tell him the truth.

The more Taesoo was at a loss, the more the miner nodded vigorously.

“I understand. You can’t easily reveal the secret. As someone in the same industry, it was rude of me to ask about trade secrets.”

He convinces himself.

“To have a more keen exploration technique than me, who calls himself an expert! Amazing!”

He even admires it.

“Aha! Now I know! You saw this and realized it! The secret to finding molybdenum lodes was this! Oh!”

He figures it out on his own, he masters it on his own.

“Truly amazing! How could such a young person know this! There are so many talented people in the world. Thanks to you, I’ve had my eyes opened! Thank you!”

He admires it on his own, then thanks him on his own.

Taesoo smiled awkwardly.

‘It’s so much easier since I don’t have to blabber on.’

The miner raised his hand.

In that hand, he firmly held a pickaxe.

“Don’t stop me! I’m going to properly pinpoint the molybdenum lode!”

* * *

They came out of the mine with the mined molybdenum ore.

Hansoo couldn’t believe it even after experiencing it himself.

“Like a blind squirrel finding an acorn. I can’t believe it.”

Looking at the molybdenum ore, he couldn’t help but believe it.

“It’s really molybdenum. What are you going to do now?”

“What else? Of course, I have to mine it and sell it.”

Hansoo smiled meaningfully.

“Molybdenum in this abandoned mine. Kang Taesoo discovered something that no one else has found?”

“I was lucky.”

“Don’t give me that luck crap. You knew there was molybdenum here in advance, didn’t you?”

“Huh? How did you know that?”

“You specifically asked me to find a miner who was skilled enough to recognize molybdenum.”

“······.”

A mistake.

“I’m dying to know. How did you know it was molybdenum?”

Because I knew that Oh Chunshik made a fortune with a molybdenum mine?

But I can’t just say that as it is, so what to do.

Oh well, whatever.

I closed my eyes and blurted out.

“The shaman told me. Dig in the dirt. Then you’ll make a fortune with molybdenum.”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“It’s true. I just believed what the shaman said.”

“······.”

Hansoo was dumbfounded.

“You went to the shaman’s house with Yongshik hyung [older brother/friend] a few days ago.”

“How did you know that?”

“The kids reported it. They said you were possessed and crying?”

“······.”

When I saw the panorama of my life as I was dying, I had so many regrets that I couldn’t help it.

“I can’t stop you.”

Kang Hansoo shook his head and turned away.

Taesoo was embarrassed, no, dumbfounded when he strode away.

‘What, is that guy just going to let it go because I said it was the shaman’s words?’

You’re smart, aren’t you? You’re quick-witted, aren’t you?

There’s no way you wouldn’t know that I was making it up.

‘He’s letting me off because I’m his hyung [older brother]? This guy is so bad at being honest.’

Taesoo shouted loudly at Kang Hansoo’s back as he walked away.

“Hansoo, let’s go together!”

Why are you suddenly running like that?

* * *

The miner, having finished his business, went down the mine.

In front of the abandoned mine, only the two brothers were left.

Hansoo opened his mouth first.

“You said you’re going to mine and sell the molybdenum?”

“Of course.”

“There’s also a way to sell the entire mine.”

“At a bargain price?”

Did he say the market price of the mine was 100,000 won?

“If you prove that molybdenum is buried there, you can resell it at a high price.”

“No, we’re taking it. The whole thing.”

Taesoo shook his head firmly.

“It’s an opportunity given by heaven. Just watch, I’ll make you a fortune with molybdenum. You’ll be saying, ‘Hyungnim [term of respect for an older brother or male friend], you’re so cool!’ without even realizing it.”

“You’re always talking big. Do you think making a fortune is that easy?”

“What’s so difficult about it? Sometimes you win the lottery in life.”

“What’s a lottery?”

“······.”

Uh, for now, it’s like a housing lottery?

This is difficult to explain.

Taesoo scratched the back of his head.

Hansoo was unfamiliar with his hyung’s overflowing confidence.

“I thought you had changed, but now I see you’re the same. Do you know how much I struggled to clean up after you every time? Are you going to make me do that again this time?”

“Yeah, you did. You always silently protected me······.”

Hansoo was surprised that Taesoo readily admitted it.

Taesoo’s eyes were warm as he looked at his younger brother.

‘Our Hansoo, he always brought me all sorts of high-level information from the National Intelligence Service. He’d subtly get rid of the guys blocking my path, and he’d drag down the guys grabbing my collar.’

I didn’t really know how grateful I was when he was by my side.

After Hansoo left, how long did I suffer from the relentless checks from all sides?

There’s a reason why the chaebols [large family-owned conglomerates] coveted the swordsman.

‘I never properly thanked him. You don’t know how much I regretted that.’

Taesoo looked at Hansoo with wistful eyes.

“That must have been the case. While I was running forward, you and Holjooki were watching my back and sides. So that I wouldn’t fall, so that I wouldn’t get hit in the back of the head.”

“······.”

“You took on all the dirty work for me. You took the knife for me, you fought for me, you got hurt for me.”

“······.”

Taesoo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“I, I’m sorry. And thank you.”

These were the words he had repeated to himself for a long time after Hansoo died.

It was the one thing that remained a regret until he died.

“I was so busy running forward that I didn’t know you were running with me.”

“······.”

“I’m really grateful that you didn’t give up on me, even though I was a bad hyung. I felt secure thanks to you. I mean it.”

“Ugh······.”

Hansoo clenched his fist.

Something welled up in his chest, and he bit his lip tightly.

Hansoo couldn’t face Taesoo, so he turned his back.

“Stop with the cheesy talk. It’s not like Kang Taesoo. It doesn’t suit you.”

“Okay, Hansoo. Let’s go together from now on. Even if you run, run with me by my side.”

“Slow.”

Hansoo nodded.

“So practice running a lot. Then I’ll consider running with you.”

“Hahaha, okay.”

When he glanced back, Taesoo was smiling brightly.

‘Kang Taesoo, no, our hyung seems a little different.’

Hansoo’s lips were also unknowingly curling up.

He was unknowingly opening his heart to his hyung little by little.

‘Okay, let’s do it together!’

Molybdenum really came out of the mine.

Now, all that’s left is to make a fortune.