Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 70

70. Discussing War in Front of the Minister of National Defense (2)

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Secretary Song got out of the taxi and headed to the hotel.

Click. Click.

He was dragging an empty suitcase instead of a travel trunk full of dollars.

‘I safely delivered the money to the Saudi Minister of Finance.’

He met a big shot more easily than expected.

The gates opened as soon as Han Cheong-ho said he had sent a trunk full of dollars.

‘Korea and Saudi Arabia are the same. Politicians rush out barefoot when they bring bundles of money.’

Honestly, how difficult would it normally be to meet the Saudi Minister of Finance?

But a travel trunk full of dollars makes the impossible possible.

It’s the power of money.

-Go and tell your master. Tell him not to worry and just trust me. I am the Saudi Minister of Finance, hahaha.

The Minister of Finance patted his chest and asserted.

Han Cheong-ho would have loved to see that.

Perhaps it was because his position was the Minister of Finance.

He really loved the bundles of money.

-Wait there for a moment. I need to check if they are counterfeit before you leave.

So, Secretary Song had to wait a long time in the reception room for the counterfeit bill inspection to finish.

‘He was greedy and meticulous. He openly called a currency expert in front of me to check each bill.’

Secretary Song shuddered, recalling the Minister of Finance’s actions.

Even though he brought real dollar bills, he was treated like a distributor of counterfeit bills.

‘I was drained just meeting one person. Now it’s time to meet the Minister of Construction.’

That was the reason he returned to the hotel.

‘I’m glad I brought one trunk at a time. If the Minister of Finance had seen the other trunks, he would have taken them all on the spot.’

His greed, his obsession, his blatant attitude. He was a man who threw away all pretense in front of money.

Secretary Song shuddered as he looked at the empty suitcase.

Just then.

“Ugh!”

Someone covered Secretary Song’s mouth from behind.

He smelled a foul odor coming from the towel that covered his mouth.

That was the end of Secretary Song’s memory.

[Move him.]

Goon [thugs] in black clothes shoved the limp Secretary Song into the trunk of a car.

Vroom.

The car started.

* * *

-What can I gain from this war?

Taesu couldn’t easily answer this question.

In fact, the answer was simple.

-Khalid, you will gain everything from this war.

But he couldn’t say that.

After the war, the current king is assassinated in March 1975.

Khalid, who seized power in the Middle East war, ascends to the next king.

After defeating all his political rivals.

‘But the current Khalid has not made a decision. I don’t see a determination to check his brothers and win the power struggle.’

So he couldn’t say it.

He would only be misunderstood for creating discord among the brothers.

The trust he had built would collapse in an instant.

‘This issue will be a problem if I rush it. I need to help him find the answer slowly on his own.’

So, Taesu answered something else instead.

[Let me first answer the question of how to win the war in three areas.]

[Good.]

Khalid concentrates.

[First, we plan to win the war itself, which is taking place in the Sinai Peninsula.]

Taesu asked.

[Why are Egypt and Syria acting so differently in front and behind?]

In front, they are massively bluffing, threatening, and making false declarations, putting on a show by mobilizing troops.

But behind the scenes, they are diligently preparing for war and secretly buying weapons from arms dealers.

[That’s because Sadat is using deception to deceive the enemy.]

[That’s right. Egyptian President Sadat is working hard to lay the groundwork with his deception. He has started a large-scale gambling game against the whole world.]

Taesu placed his hands on the table.

[The Sinai Peninsula is where that gambling game is taking place. Saudi Arabia has also been forcibly assigned a seat.]

Not just Saudi Arabia.

If the Sinai Peninsula becomes a battlefield, other countries in the Middle East will be forced to participate.

[Will you overturn the gambling game? But will the game be overturned? Isn’t it already a war that two countries are determined to wage?]

The war is about to break out.

[Or will you tell other countries now that Egypt and Syria are preparing for war? Even though the Egyptian president is shouting about war every day, no one believes it?]

If they had believed it, Sadat would not have been called a bluffer who makes false threats.

[What should Saudi Arabia do to prepare for war on a large scale, even if it’s just us? Khalid, you must raise your voice in the Saudi royal family to prepare for war. Will everyone believe you then? Khalid, you will be attacked instead. Your reputation will fall to the ground.]

[That can’t happen! My reputation must not fall to the ground!]

Khalid clenched his fist.

It’s a terrible thing to even imagine.

He can’t be treated like a bluffer like Sadat.

[You are right. People have already been deceived by Sadat’s tricks. They will take my words lightly and mock me. But I can’t just stand by and do nothing. What should I do?]

[Sadat has been laying the groundwork for this gambling game for a long time. If you are involved in the gambling game, you just need to become the winner. Let’s use Sadat’s deception.]

The rules of the gambling game are simple.

Winner takes all!

[How do you mean use deception?]

[There is a famous Korean saying, ‘The flower of lies is a counter-lie.’ It is a deceptive tactic to win by using the opponent’s deception.]

There is no such famous saying in Korea.

It’s a line from a movie that hasn’t even come out yet.

It is also a way to win in a gambling game where everyone is deceiving each other.

[Counter the deception with deception?]

[Currently, Khalid, you are the only one who believes that Egypt and Syria will start a war. Therefore, you can move behind the scenes without others knowing.]

Khalid’s eyes widen.

He realized Taesu’s intention.

[I see what you mean. You mean I should pretend not to know and prepare for war behind the scenes.]

Khalid looks down at the arms dealer’s business card.

[So, you gave me this business card?]

It is the contact information of an arms dealer who is secretly selling weapons to Egypt and Syria.

Surely, he didn’t give him the business card to catch them and punish them severely.

[Saudi Arabia must also prepare military supplies to prepare for war. But there is no need to prepare loudly in front.]

[Good. I will also secretly buy military supplies from the arms dealer.]

He will hide the fact that the Saudi Minister of National Defense has noticed the war from everyone.

The Ministry of National Defense budget that the Saudi royal family pours in every year is the third largest in the world after the United States and China, based on the 21st century.

It was the moment when Jang Mal-dong had a huge VIP customer.

[If we are going to jump into the gambling game, we must first prepare plenty of chips.]

In a gambling game, chips are funds for betting.

In war, chips are military supplies.

[That’s right. If you have peeked at the opponent’s cards in a gambling game, the game is easy.]

He even knows the hands of Egypt and Syria.

The goal is Israel.

Not the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Khalid stroked his beard.

[If we are going to move quietly, we need to prepare secret supplies. Where should we use as a logistics base······.]

Taesu pointed to Rahman.

[Construction is in full swing where your son is. Isn’t there a facility that the Saudi royal family is sending various storage tanks and supplies, and building with support from the national treasury?]

[That’s right! Yanbu Port!]

Khalid clapped his knee.

Sudden construction is in full swing from Yanbu Port to the Bedouin village.

Various heavy equipment are being mobilized, and Bedouins scattered throughout the desert are gathering to carry out a major construction project.

In Yanbu Port, there is a large open space created by excavators and bulldozers laying the foundation.

Water tanks were installed to store water, and it was a place that would be used as an oil tank to store oil in the future.

[Create a logistics base there. Prepare a large warehouse and transportation facilities where you are building water storage tanks and oil storage tanks.]

[Since the decision has already been made, we don’t have to worry about what others think.]

[Since your son is the chief in charge, you can increase the scale of the construction as you wish.]

According to Taesu, even the Saudi royal family will not know about the secret logistics base.

Everyone already knows that construction has started, and the royal family’s support for it has been completed.

So, they won’t care about what specific construction will be added in the future.

[Also, another great thing about the logistics base is the incredibly large and deep port that Rahman has created.]

Khalid clapped his knee.

[The port is large enough for military ships to come and go.]

[Your son drew a big picture in advance to use it as an oil forward base.]

That’s not all.

[Bedouins have gathered from all over the desert to participate in the construction. Most of them are excellent desert warriors.]

[If necessary, we can hire them as mercenaries! Nothing could be better.]

Everything fits.

Khalid slammed the table.

[Good, Rahman, build a logistics base in Yanbu Port. I will secretly support the necessary military funds.]

[I will follow my father’s will.]

[If this goes well, you will also gain military merit.]

Then Rahman’s position in the Saudi royal family will become even more solid.

‘Kang Taesu, thanks to you, my son will properly take root in the Saudi royal family. I must take that merit into account.’

Khalid looked back at Taesu.

[The construction will be carried out under Rahman’s command. Can I ask you to participate in that construction as well? Of course, I will support the construction cost.]

[Of course. I ended up doing the logistics base construction while doing road construction.]

Rahman smiles slyly.

[Father, this friend likes oil. Give it to him in oil.]

[In oil? Hahaha. Good.]

[Father, that friend doesn’t believe words. He won’t move without a contract, will he?]

[Let’s write that contract. It’s not that difficult.]

Khalid strokes his beard.

[You have been busy with our country’s construction. If you participate in the Bedouin construction and the logistics base construction, will you be able to meet the deadline for the road construction you are in charge of?]

[Knowing that, I ordered a lot of additional heavy equipment. It probably won’t be a problem.]

He met Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan in Korea and called for heavy equipment.

If it’s Jang Jun-yong, he will support the heavy equipment as soon as possible.

Khalid was slightly impressed.

‘Now that I see it, he is not only smart but also meticulous. He is a scary person.’

But he is not afraid.

An alliance formed with Rahman out of goodwill.

He is a person who claims to be Rahman’s friend.

In fact, he doesn’t feel like he will harm Rahman.

‘Rahman brought a great friend home. He has a good eye for people. He also has good fortune. He is indeed my successor.’

Khalid looked back at his son Rahman with a pleased face.

His designated successor is different in some way.

To bring such a talented guy as a friend.

[Khalid, this is the victory plan for the second war.]

[Good. Tell me. I will listen carefully.]

[War is when the Minister of National Defense’s influence is strongest. This is also an opportunity for you to straighten yourself out in the Saudi royal family.]

The war that Taesu is talking about now is not the Middle East war.

It is the political strife (廷爭) [power struggles] that takes place in the Saudi royal family.