Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 65

65. A Toast with New Allies (3)

Han Cheong-ho’s study.

Han Cheong-ho sat in his chair, gazing out the window.

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”

“Father, you called for me?”

A tall, handsome young man entered.

He had pale skin, cold, sly eyes, and thin lips.

It was Han Il-kwon, Han Cheong-ho’s son.

“What have you been doing out until this hour?”

“Father, I’m in my prime.”

“It’s the middle of the night. How long has it been since curfew?”

“Father, I’m an adult. It’s not like I came home at sunrise. Why are you picking on me?”

The son’s eyes flashed.

They were the eyes of a murderer.

“Where have you been, and what have you been doing?”

“Eating, meeting friends, hanging out with girls, that sort of thing.”

“With Kim Bong-nam’s son?”

“Why do you keep testing me when you know everything?”

The two were in cahoots, committing crimes together.

The son mostly led, and Kim Bong-nam’s son did the dirty work.

“I hear you’ve caused quite a stir again.”

“Caused a stir? We’re just having wholesome fun, wholesome.”

“That’s not what Secretary Song says. Can’t you tell me the truth?”

“What did Secretary Song say?”

“That you and Kim Bong-nam’s son left a girl in tatters?”

“Our Secretary Song is very efficient.”

Secretary Song, who was standing to the side, flinched.

“I took care of everything, silenced mouths, spread money around, even cleaned up the mess perfectly. How did you find out?”

“I, I, I….”

Secretary Song, terrified, swallowed hard.

It was Secretary Song who took the abandoned woman to the emergency room for treatment, apologized on their behalf, and provided generous compensation.

“Oh, why are you so scared? It’s not like I’m saying I’m going to throw you into the Han River [a major river in South Korea] right now.”

Despite his words, his eyes were icy.

Secretary Song knew all too well that this was a warning that he would definitely throw him into the Han River someday, if not now.

“Father, you have plenty of money. Let’s use it at times like this. It’s not like you can take it to the grave. How much would it cost to silence those little bugs?”

He was his only son.

The one who would become his successor and inherit everything.

“How many times has this happened?!”

Han Il-kwon was unashamed.

“Father, I can’t stand seeing bugs acting like people.”

Han Il-kwon made a bug gesture with his fingers.

“A cockroach is crawling on my body. A mosquito keeps buzzing around annoyingly. Isn’t it irritating? Don’t you get angry? Then what do you do? You have to swat them.”

He smiled calmly.

“It’s the same with people. I’m disgusted by those bug-like guys who hang around me. Those guys always do things that deserve to be beaten. Ugh.”

“Shut up, you bastard! How can you say such a thing!”

Han Cheong-ho grabbed something and threw it.

The book flew and hit the wall before falling to the ground.

A thin line appeared on Han Il-kwon’s cheek, and a little blood flowed.

“You little bastard, you can’t even reflect and you’re staring at me like that? Do you want to get beaten for hanging around me too?”

Han Cheong-ho, enraged, swung a golf club.

With a shattering sound, the Joseon white porcelains [Korean pottery from the Joseon dynasty] next to Han Il-kwon burst apart.

“Kneel! You son of a bitch!”

Han Cheong-ho swung the golf club again.

This time, towards Han Il-kwon’s head.

Han Il-kwon quickly knelt.

Whoosh-

The golf club narrowly grazed Han Il-kwon’s hair.

It was a swing that would have shattered his head if he had remained standing.

“There’s a limit to how much I can tolerate! If you keep acting like a fool, you’ll be beaten to death by my hand! Do you understand? Cut it out!”

“Okay, Father. You’re getting old, but you’re still strong.”

Han Il-kwon grinned.

“Why is our father so angry today?”

“Do you know Kang Tae-soo?”

“Kang Tae-soo?”

So, Father is angry because of Kang Tae-soo?

“I don’t know him.”

“Really? You swear you don’t know him?”

“I don’t know him. I’ve never even heard of that name.”

“Get out! Go out and think again! Come back in if you remember!”

Crash!

Han Il-kwon began to destroy the study.

Han Il-kwon came out of the study.

He saw Secretary Song, who was pale as a sheet, and his eyes gleamed.

“Secretary Song, do you have anything to say to me?”

Secretary Song trembled slightly.

“I think I need to know about Kang Tae-soo in detail.”

* * *

The president’s office at Pohang Steel.

Park Tae-jong put down the phone.

“Hmm, I hear Kang Tae-soo has done a great job this time.”

“Our president?”

Park Cheol-wan, his son, who was waiting with him to leave work in the president’s office, lit up.

“I heard the road construction in the Middle East is going well? It’s a highway construction that will become the artery of the Middle East’s western region. And I heard Yanbu Port was newly renovated to be bigger and deeper.”

Park Cheol-wan clenched his fists tightly.

“I wanted to follow you to the Middle East, but it’s a shame. I wanted to build the foundation for oil distribution that goes down the desert along the Red Sea with my own hands.”

Park Tae-jong smiled as he looked at his son.

“You’re quite something. But I heard Kang Tae-soo was almost in danger this time.”

“Danger? Did he run into robbers in the desert?”

“Not robbers, assassins.”

“Gasp!”

He even met assassins sent by Han Cheong-ho.

They wore masks and broke into his lodging in the middle of the night and shot at him.

“This won’t do. Kang Tae-soo’s safety seems precarious.”

Park Tae-jong picked up the phone again.

As soon as the other party answered, he immediately stated his business.

“This is Park Tae-jong. I want to find someone.”

He needed someone useful.

Someone who is tight-lipped, loyal, and highly skilled.

“Hasn’t that guy been discharged yet? I want to introduce him to a good job.”

That guy has definite flaws, but he also has definite strengths.

* * *

I’ll catch Cheongil.

I will definitely win the Jubail Industrial Port construction project.

The moment Tae-soo’s answer fell, Jang Joon-yong slapped his knee.

“That’s it! I knew you would give me exactly the answer I wanted!”

Jang Joon-yong was overjoyed.

Tae-soo was also happy.

He had found a colleague to catch Han Cheong-ho of Cheongil with.

How could he not be happy when he had him right in front of him?

Han Cheong-ho was overlooking one thing.

“Connections are not the only thing that makes things happen. Connections are just one of many methods.”

So, he shouldn’t guarantee victory just because he has good connections.

“Yes, you know it too. That’s the method Han Cheong-ho enjoys using. Using connections. It’s been a well-known method since ancient times, regardless of East or West.”

School ties, regional ties, blood ties, lobbying, and bribery.

Since it’s something people do, he was a person who bought people off and pushed things forward as he pleased.

That was Han Cheong-ho, a person who used a lot of money to win over many people and get things done.

“I think there’s something that Chairman Jang needs to do.”

“Something I need to do?”

Jang Joon-yong’s eyes sparkled.

It seemed he was still regretting not being able to win over the Saudi king directly.

“Gather Han Cheong-ho’s attention.”

“To where?”

“To the Jubail Industrial Port construction project.”

Jang Joon-yong chuckled.

“Is there really a need to do that? Han Cheong-ho is already eyeing the Jubail Industrial Port.”

“More strongly, so that he’s consumed by desire, so that he’s completely blinded.”

Tae-soo picked up a piece of fruit and held it high.

“The higher the probability of winning, the higher the expectations, of course.”

Because he had won over the Minister of Economy and Finance and the Minister of Construction.

Tae-soo dropped the fruit from a high place.

“But the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. The higher you fall from, the greater the impact. You’ll get quite a bit of dust if you roll on the dirt.”

He liked that very much.

How painful would it be for Han Cheong-ho when he failed?

Then Jang Joon-yong realized Tae-soo’s intention.

“You mean to fuel Han Cheong-ho’s desire. Higher, farther, so that his expectations and confidence reach the sky. Like a moth flying into a fire, unable to think of anything else.”

“That’s exactly it. I hope the moth that flew into the fire burns to death.”

“What points should I poke at?”

“Competitiveness, inferiority, a sense of crisis, suspicion, worry, anxiety. Shake these emotions.”

Tae-soo said firmly.

“I want a nervous Han Cheong-ho to spend money like water to succeed in this project.”

Tae-soo wanted Han Cheong-ho to be even greedier.

The more nervous he became dealing with Jang Joon-yong of Geumsan, the more certainly, the more, he would spread money to many people.

‘I want Han Cheong-ho to fail miserably. I want him to lose money and miss out on the project.’

He would catch Han Cheong-ho.

Together with Jang Joon-yong of Geumsan.

“I’ll try to meet and win over the Saudi king.”

“Can you do it? It would be very difficult right now.”

“If there’s no road, I’ll find one. If there’s no road to find, I’ll just make one.”

Tae-soo smiled.

“I also like rewriting history. Just like Chairman.”

History is rewritten when impossible things are realized.

But it wasn’t a reckless endeavor.

Tae-soo had something to believe in.

‘The Jubail Industrial Port construction project bidding is in ’75. The start of construction is in ’76.’

That’s why he could be confident.

The lifeline Han Cheong-ho grabbed was a rotten one.

‘Khalid will be inaugurated as the next king in March ’75. He will decide on the Jubail Industrial Port construction project.’

The current king will be assassinated in ’75 and die a sudden death.

Khalid is the one who will be inaugurated after that.

Khalid, the Minister of Defense whose influence has become enormous while leading the Middle East war, will defeat his political rivals and seize the throne.

‘Rahman is Khalid’s son. And Abdullah, the string Jang Joon-yong is holding onto, is Khalid’s right-hand man.’

Tae-soo understood.

Why Jang Joon-yong, not Han Cheong-ho, won the Jubail Industrial Port construction project in his past life.

Han Cheong-ho was pushed back by Jang Joon-yong even in connections.

‘Han Cheong-ho, I’ll show you the bitter taste of defeat properly this time too.’

Besides, Jang Joon-yong directly asked Tae-soo.

‘Jang Joon-yong didn’t ask me to win over the current king.’

The person Jang Joon-yong asked him to win over was the ‘Saudi king,’ who was one step higher than Han Cheong-ho’s connections.

‘The Saudi king who will decide on the Jubail Industrial Port construction project is Khalid. Rahman’s father.’

In this way, the impossible probability of winning over the Saudi king turned into a probability worth trying, and the probability worth trying turned into a very high probability.

‘I should pester my reliable ally Rahman to introduce me to his father.’

If I go to my friend’s house, I can see his father, who is the homeowner.

Jang Joon-yong extended his hand.

“Let’s definitely win the Jubail Industrial Port construction project.”

Tae-soo shook his hand.

“We will share the glory of victory together.”

Jang Joon-yong picked up a glass with his other hand.

“A toast to commemorate the joining of our intentions.”

Tae-soo also picked up a glass and clinked it against Jang Joon-yong’s glass.

“A toast to welcome a colleague who will walk a difficult path together.”

Clink.

It was a clear and beautiful sound.

* * *

Han Cheong-ho’s study.

A telegram came from Saudi Arabia.

-We are expediting the planning of the Jubail Industrial Port construction project.

-At this rate, we expect to issue a bid announcement in two years at the earliest, three years at the latest.

-We have also looked into a local company to sponsor Cheongil.

-The Minister of Economy and Finance and the Minister of Construction of Saudi Arabia are working together to push this forward.

-Who do you think will be the winner? Perhaps the person who is smiling while reading this telegram?

Han Cheong-ho rarely laughed out loud after reading the telegram.

“Hahaha! The Jubail Industrial Port construction project is mine now!”

A massive construction project worth a whopping 1 billion dollars!

The mecca of the oil industry in the eastern Saudi city of Jubail!

That great undertaking will be achieved by Han Cheong-ho, Cheongil Construction!