Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 85

85. The Negotiator (1)

Tae-soo quickly stopped eavesdropping.

“Oh… our boss’s car isn’t here. Looks like he already left.”

“Didn’t that man drink alcohol?”

“Oh… well… maybe a driver?”

“Ah, I see. I asked a silly question, of course.”

Park Kyung-hye couldn’t even imagine the possibility of not having a driver.

Park Cheol-wan had been close to her family since childhood, but he couldn’t help but be nervous around the president’s daughter.

“Why are you looking for our boss?”

“He’s handsome.”

“……”

Jung Yoon-ah turned to look at Tae-soo.

Tae-soo wore an incredulous expression.

Park Cheol-wan fidgeted, then found a convenient excuse.

“Ah, Kyung-hye, you have mud on your shoes.”

“Oh? Really.”

“Let’s go back. We need to wipe them off before they get ruined.”

Park Kyung-hye reluctantly turned toward the hotel’s main entrance.

Seeing this, Tae-soo completely abandoned his plan to call a taxi from the Geumsan Hotel’s main entrance.

Tae-soo whispered very quietly to Jung Yoon-ah.

“Do you happen to know how to drive?”

* * *

Tae-soo and Jung Yoon-ah ended up as pedestrians.

It was perhaps natural, as there weren’t many female drivers in the 70s.

They walked quite a distance from the Geumsan Hotel to a bus stop.

“The buses have stopped running, and taxis aren’t easy to catch either.”

“Indeed.”

Jung Yoon-ah didn’t seem too worried.

“Aren’t you worried? You don’t think I’ll leave you on the street and go home alone, do you?”

Of course not.

“Is your home far? If it’s within walking distance, I’ll walk you…”

“It’s far.”

Jung Yoon-ah pouted.

“It seems like you want to send me home. We’ve met again like a miracle after so long, and you don’t even suggest having a beer together?”

Tae-soo couldn’t help but chuckle at her cute grumbling.

She glanced slyly in the direction of the Geumsan Hotel and said,

“Is it because of that person from earlier? You seem to be quite popular. You even have women following you around.”

“Absolutely not!”

Tae-soo vehemently shook his head, horrified.

Come to think of it, this man was running away from that woman and had taken her hand to come all the way here.

Only then did Jung Yoon-ah smile brightly.

“You really didn’t call me when you went to Saudi Arabia, did you?”

“I haven’t been back in the country for more than a few days.”

“You really lost my contact information, didn’t you?”

“Is this it?”

Tae-soo took out her contact information from his wallet.

It had been sleeping in his wallet for over half a year.

Seeing the contact information in Tae-soo’s hand, she smiled brightly.

“Even so, are you still going to tell me to just go home?”

Jung Yoon-ah linked her arm with Tae-soo’s and leaned slightly against him.

The soft and tender sensation stimulated Tae-soo.

He remembered how her body reacted to him.
Tae-soo looked at his wristwatch.

“Unfortunately, curfew is approaching. It seems like we won’t be able to go home.”

It was still a long time before midnight when the curfew siren would sound.

“We’ll have to rest there, it seems.”

Tae-soo pointed to an inn visible in the distance.

It was an inn in the opposite direction from the Geumsan Hotel.

Jung Yoon-ah burst into laughter.

Tae-soo put his arm around her waist and laughed.

“Since we’re resting anyway, shall we have a beer together?”

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that.”

Jung Yoon-ah winked.

“I’ll pay for breakfast tomorrow instead.”

She shook the daily wage she received from working as a helper at the Geumsan Hotel.

* * *

The night grows deeper.

In the Geumsan Hotel’s 5th-floor hall, famous figures are leaving one by one.

Someone grabbed a young man in his late 30s, smelling of alcohol, as he came out of the hall.

“Are you Kim Woo-jin, the president of Daeun Construction?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I am Choi Mu-ryong from Chomyung Bank.”

Choi Mu-ryong smiled as he handed over his business card.

“Would you like to have a drink with me separately? I have a proposal to make.”

Even if it’s not Han Cheong-ho, there are many people to join hands with.

For someone who lacks money but has great potential for growth, this helping hand must be very welcome.

Like rain during a drought, like a meritorious subject who helped establish a nation, they repay the small help now with great gratitude.

* * *

January 8, 1974.

President Park Chung-hee [South Korea’s president from 1963 to 1979] declared Emergency Measures No. 1 and No. 2.

These were emergency measures regarding the prohibition of constitutional amendment discussions and the establishment of emergency military tribunals [special courts martial].

With these measures, President Park Chung-hee outlawed the movement to revise the Yushin Constitution [a highly authoritarian constitution implemented in 1972] that had begun last year.

Tae-soo folded the newspaper.

“The dictatorship is reaching its extreme. It’s a truly terrible time, even looking back on it.”

A few days later, on January 14th.

President Park Chung-hee declared ‘Emergency Measure No. 3 for National Life Stabilization’ in response to the first oil shock [the 1973 oil crisis].

From the next day, the number of people arrested for violating emergency measures began to increase.

People were tense and barely dared to breathe.

“The fact that we created the brilliant 21st-century Republic of Korea after passing through such a terrible time was all thanks to the people who fought for democratization. It was a freedom won with many sacrifices.”

January 18th.

Finally, an article that decorated the front page of the economic newspaper appeared.

Cheongil Oil Refinery is going through bankruptcy proceedings.

Tae-soo smiled as he folded the newspaper.

“Shall we go acquire and merge the bankrupt Cheongil Oil Refinery now?”

An agreement had been reached in advance to acquire Cheongil Oil Refinery before the final bankruptcy and entry into court receivership [a form of corporate rescue].

Since it was President Park Chung-hee’s order, there was no room for nonsense to interfere.

“Now, once I sign the acquisition contract, Cheongil Oil Refinery will become Taeyang Oil Refinery.”

Tae-soo got up.

The preparation was complete.

Tae-soo headed to the Geumsan Hotel with Han-soo.

This was because Tae-soo had designated the Geumsan Hotel as the place where he would sign the Cheongil Oil Refinery acquisition contract.

* * *

Han Cheong-ho’s study.

Han Cheong-ho had also finished his preparations.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Secretary Park reviewed the prepared contract one last time before looking up.

Han Cheong-ho grabbed his coat and left the study first.

Secretary Park quickly grabbed the contract and followed behind him.

Outside, the driver had already started the engine and was waiting for them.

“To the Geumsan Hotel.”

The time of the decisive battle is approaching.

* * *

The conference room of the Geumsan Hotel.

For some reason, Jang Joon-yong was already there.

Jang Joon-yong welcomed Tae-soo, who entered the conference room, with open arms.

“Welcome. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“What brings our busy Chairman here at this hour?”

“Cheongil Oil Refinery went completely bankrupt and is being handed over, and it just so happens that the acquisition contract is being signed at my hotel? It’s a fun moment that you can’t see even if you pay for it, so I had to squeeze out some time to come and see.”

I really need to see what kind of expression Han Cheong-ho, that bastard, will make.

That was the reason why Jang Joon-yong of Geumsan set aside everything else and rushed out.

“Han Cheong-ho of Cheongil said he would prepare the contract…”

“I have also prepared a contract.”

Han-soo held up a document envelope.

Tae-soo chuckled.

“Han Cheong-ho has been up to some tricks this time. Do you happen to know about it?”

It was news that Jang Mal-dong, who calls himself an information merchant, angrily ran out barefoot to tell him.

Jang Mal-dong pointed his finger in the air towards the Cheongil Group, where Han Cheong-ho was, and cursed for a long time.

Jang Joon-yong had also heard about it.

“I know. I was waiting to meet you because of that.”

Jang Joon-yong asked cautiously.

“How about giving up on this Cheongil Oil Refinery acquisition?”

Cheongil Oil Refinery, which Park Chung-hee blocked bank loans for and warned other conglomerates not to touch.

It was an opportunity that Tae-soo had prepared by even obtaining oil supply rights from Khalid to eat Cheongil Oil Refinery.

However, Jang Joon-yong stopped him because he was worried about Tae-soo.

“Han Cheong-ho has done some dirty work. It’s despicable to divert assets like that.”

That’s right.

It was something that Han Cheong-ho had planned and carried out from the time he said he would hand over Cheongil Oil Refinery to Park Chung-hee.

All employees working at Cheongil Oil Refinery were transferred to other affiliates.

Among the various facilities attached to Cheongil Oil Refinery, all those that could be used elsewhere were diverted.

Everything that could be sold was sold off.

In that way, he did his best to make Cheongil Oil Refinery an empty shell.

Not only that.

“Han Cheong-ho has poured not only the deficit from Cheongil Oil Refinery but also the deficits from other affiliates into Cheongil Oil Refinery. He deliberately planned to go bankrupt.”

From the time he brought it up to Park Chung-hee, the bankruptcy of Cheongil Oil Refinery was a foregone conclusion.

He recovered everything that had been poured into the bottomless pit and even took out the water that was there.

Instead, he filled it with filth.

It was something that Han Cheong-ho would do.

“He sold off all of Cheongil Oil Refinery’s stock before it became scrap paper.”

Han Cheong-ho and the Cheongil Group sold all of their Cheongil Oil Refinery shares and made money.

Thanks to that, the decline in Cheongil Oil Refinery’s stock price has been enormous in just a few days.

Only the retail investors were shedding tears of blood.

“He has no business ethics. He’s a complete piece of trash.”

Jang Joon-yong, who can be called a stranger, is so angry, but Tae-soo is just smiling calmly.

Jang Joon-yong burst into anger.

“Are you laughing now? Aren’t you angry! The Cheongil Oil Refinery that you worked so hard to get has become trash!”

“Even if Cheongil Oil Refinery looks like an empty shell on the outside, it’s not really trash.”

Jang Joon-yong looks at Tae-soo as if he were crazy.

“Cheongil Oil Refinery is burdened with a lot of deficits and has disposed of most of its facilities. It’s gone past being an empty shell and is now trash.”

That’s why Han Cheong-ho will appear triumphantly and act arrogantly.

He will be thrilled that he has given Tae-soo a big blow in return.

But there is something that Han Cheong-ho doesn’t know.

“I deliberately provoked him at that time. I wanted Han Cheong-ho to pull off such a shallow trick. But he really fell for it so easily. I’m even more grateful.”

That was the reason why Tae-soo was smiling.