Mining And Construction Tycoon [EN]: Chapter 87

87. The Negotiator (3)

The spacious conference room felt barren with just a table and four sofa chairs.

Because the sofas were too heavy to move easily, Han Cheong-ho worried that rearranging them would make him lose face.

His plan to seize the upper hand by sitting at the head of the table was foiled.

“Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan must be broke. Is this really a conference room? Even the benches in front of a local supermarket are better. Tsk.”

Tae-soo had warned him in advance when he met Jang Jun-yong.

-Han Cheong-ho is going to make a mess, so please remove anything that might get damaged.

Jang Jun-yong complied with Tae-soo’s request without a word.

“So, are you going to sit down or not?”

“You insolent brat. Have you forgotten your manners?”

“If you don’t want to sit, we can proceed. You can sign standing up.”

“Tsk.”

Reluctantly, Han Cheong-ho plopped down on the sofa.

Secretary Park sat next to him and took out the prepared contract.

Han Cheong-ho threw the contract at Tae-soo.

“Sign it.”

Tae-soo scanned the contract.

“You’ve written a lot of nonsense.”

Tae-soo tossed the contract into the trash can next to the table.

It was a clean job, without a hint of regret.

Han Cheong-ho’s eyebrows twitched.

“Are you rejecting Cheongil Oil?”

“I can’t sign this kind of contract.”

“Then don’t sign it.”

Han Cheong-ho smirked.

“I clearly proposed the acquisition of Cheongil Oil, but you, Kang Tae-soo, rejected it. Even the President can’t say anything more. I’ll be on my way.”

“Wait. It’s not over yet.”

“It’s over for me.”

Han Cheong-ho stood up abruptly.

With a carefree expression, he turned towards the conference room door.

But Tae-soo’s words stopped him in his tracks.

“Shouldn’t we show the President a document stating that we’ve reached an agreement?”

“Is there a need for that?”

Han Cheong-ho lectured the young man with a condescending look.

“You’re too young to know, but when negotiations fall through, it usually ends with leaving the table.”

“If it were a normal merger, that would be enough. But isn’t this a merger ordered by the President himself?”

Those words were the problem.

Words like a snare that kept Han Cheong-ho from leaving the conference room.

“I plan to report that Cheongil ran away as soon as the negotiations started because they didn’t want to give up Cheongil Oil.”

“You’re the one who threw the contract away, Kang Tae-soo.”

“You seem to have forgotten that I said I couldn’t sign this kind of contract.”

Tae-soo said, clasping his hands together.

“Let’s just look at the result. If you leave like this, the President will issue a stern warning to Cheongil. Since we’ll have to meet again anyway, I wonder if we’ll see each other before the final bankruptcy…”

Park Jeong-hwan had firmly ordered the merger to be completed before the final bankruptcy.

Cheongil Oil, already in a state of initial bankruptcy, is heading towards final bankruptcy.

Time is not on Han Cheong-ho’s side.

‘Damn it! There’s no way to avoid this.’

Reluctantly, Han Cheong-ho slumped back onto the sofa.

In an instant, his face, pride, and suit were all crumpled.

“Write up an agreement regarding the failed merger.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then why did you stop me?”

“You need to properly hand over Cheongil Oil to me.”

At Kang Tae-soo’s signal, Han-soo, who was sitting next to him, handed over a document envelope.

Kang Tae-soo took out a one-page contract.

He slid it across the table to Han Cheong-ho.

“What’s this?”

“It’s the contract I prepared. Unlike someone else’s, it’s easy to read, simple, and clear, right?”

It was a merger contract for Cheongil Oil, worth hundreds of billions of won [South Korean currency].

A big deal that involved dozens of related legal clauses.

Considering that the prices at the time were about 1/30th of what they were in 2020, it was a contract worth trillions of won.

But the contract was only one page long.

“This is a contract for Cheongil Oil, worth hundreds of billions! Are you kidding me?”

“Let’s get our facts straight. Cheongil is the one playing games.”

Did they think he wouldn’t see through their shallow trick?

“You call this a contract?”

“As you can see. A one-page contract is still a contract.”

What’s so special about a contract?

If we agree on the content, sign our names, and stamp it, that’s all there is to it.

“It’s just one page. It’s not a long contract, so why don’t you read it first?”

“There’s no need to read it.”

“Then just sign it, stamp it, and get out of here.”

Han Cheong-ho crumpled the contract and threw it into the trash can.

Just like Tae-soo had done.

“We’re no different. Let’s call it a draw this time.”

“Unlike me, I think Chairman Han will have to take that contract out of the trash can.”

Tae-soo leaned back on the sofa and smiled.

“Don’t you realize the situation has changed a bit from before?”

“Nothing has changed. We both rejected the other’s proposal. That’s all.”

Han Cheong-ho stood up from the sofa again.

Since there were two rejected contracts, there was no reason to be held back this time.

But Tae-soo shook his head.

“Kang Tae-soo proposed a merger contract to Cheongil. But Cheongil intentionally refused to even read the contract. How will the President take that? The stern warning is even more certain now.”

There was a problem.

Han Cheong-ho’s face crumpled.

His face, pride, suit, and even the contract were all crumpled.

“Kang Tae-soo!”

“Sit down and read the contract calmly.”

“Fine, let’s take a look!”

Reluctantly, Han Cheong-ho sat back down on the sofa.

He was furious at the thought of being repeatedly pushed back in the battle of wills.

“The contract!”

Han Cheong-ho reached out to Tae-soo for the contract.

Tae-soo casually pointed to the trash can.

“I already gave it to you. Take it out and read it.”

Han Cheong-ho clenched his fist.

His teeth ground together involuntarily.

Secretary Park, sweating profusely, took out the crumpled contract from the trash can.

He smoothed it out as best he could and handed it to Han Cheong-ho.

“Ch, Chairman. Here it is…”

“Give it to me.”

Han Cheong-ho finally took the contract and read it.

It was only a few lines long.

But the more Han Cheong-ho read, the wider his eyes grew.

“That son of a bitch!”

Han Cheong-ho crumpled the contract again and threw it back into the trash can.

Unable to contain his anger, he kicked the trash can with his shoe.

Crash! Rumble.

With a loud noise, the trash can broke and rolled across the conference room floor.

The trash inside was scattered haphazardly on the floor.

“Are you telling me to sign that contract now?”

“Yes.”

“Are you crazy?”

“You seem to be.”

“Kang Tae-soo, are you out of your mind!”

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

Tae-soo was calm.

It was in stark contrast to Han Cheong-ho, who was seething with anger.

“Only a madman would present something like that to me? Sign? Never!”

“You will.”

Bang!

Han Cheong-ho kicked the table in anger.

On a roll, he pushed over the sofa as well.

Crash!

He was so angry that he had strength he didn’t know he had.

Han-soo, who was sitting next to him, was also tense, looking back and forth between his brother and Han Cheong-ho.

Secretary Park had already fled to the corner of the conference room, trembling.

“Have you ever seen such a daylight robber! Are you trying to mess with me now, relying on the President’s protection?”

Even in this situation, Tae-soo was so relaxed.

Far from being shaken, his expression remained a subtle smile.

Naturally, Han Cheong-ho was furious.

“The acquisition price for Cheongil Oil is 10 won [approximately $0.007 USD]?”

That was the first reason Han Cheong-ho was angry.

“Not 1 billion, but 10 won? If this isn’t a joke, what is!”

That wasn’t all.

“Based on the time of signing the merger, Cheongil Group will bear all of Cheongil Oil’s previous deficits?”

Han Cheong-ho had deliberately dumped all the deficits within the group onto Cheongil Oil.

But now, Cheongil Group had to pay it back.

“Why should I pay that! You don’t even know the basics of mergers, you son of a bitch!”

Originally, mergers involve taking on the debts of the company being acquired.

The acquisition price is determined after considering the debt, assets, net profit, and potential for growth.

“Cheongil Oil has a lot of debt, so, okay, I’ll understand the acquisition price of 10 won! But you’re offering an acquisition price of 10 won and refusing to take on the debt? Does that make any sense?”

That was the second reason Han Cheong-ho was going crazy.

In short, Tae-soo was openly saying that he would swallow Cheongil Oil for free while refusing to take on the debt.

There was another point that made Han Cheong-ho angry.

“Furthermore, deeply reflecting on the harm done to social and economic order by disregarding business ethics, we apologize by handing over Cheongil Heavy Industries for 10 won as well?”

Even Cheongil Heavy Industries, which Park Jeong-hwan hadn’t ordered him to hand over!

Also for 10 won!

At this point, it was only natural for Han Cheong-ho to lose his mind and foam at the mouth.

“If this isn’t crazy, what is! You crazy bastard!”

No matter how he thought about it, it was beyond common sense.

He even doubted whether he had read it correctly.

He couldn’t even trust his memory from a minute ago.

“If you’re going to be crazy, be crazy by yourself! Where did you get this thing you call a contract!”

Eventually, Han Cheong-ho unfolded the crumpled contract lying on the floor again.

A one-page contract, with only a few lines.

No matter how many times he looked at it, it was the same.

So, how could the great Han Cheong-ho not go crazy?

“Aaaaaa-!”

Han Cheong-ho jumped up and down in anger.

He was a madman.

“Even if Cheongil Oil goes bankrupt! Even if the President gives me a stern warning! I will never sign! This can’t happen!”

Han Cheong-ho shouted, trembling.

He held the crumpled contract in his hand and thrust it into Tae-soo’s face, venting his frustration.

“If the President sees this contract, he won’t scold me anymore! Kang Tae-soo, you’ve crossed the line!”

Han Cheong-ho turned his back.

He clutched the contract he would present to Park Jeong-hwan.

Then Tae-soo quietly opened his mouth.

“You’re the one who crossed the line, Han Cheong-ho, not me.”

Tae-soo took something out of his pocket.

“What will the President say when he sees this?”

Han Cheong-ho stopped in his tracks.

Tae-soo was too confident.

‘What is that bastard Kang Tae-soo relying on?’

He couldn’t ignore it because he didn’t know the reason for his confidence.

But he didn’t want to turn around because he was afraid that his pride would be completely exposed.

For a moment, he felt all sorts of emotions.

‘It’s related to Park Jeong-hwan. It can’t be a small matter.’

Han Cheong-ho turned his head.

Tae-soo drove the wedge in, seeing the defeat and humiliation deeply embedded in his eyes.

“Sign the contract. Sell me Cheongil Oil and Cheongil Heavy Industries for 10 won each. If you refuse, I’ll send this to the President.”

What Tae-soo held in his hand was a photograph.

Han Cheong-ho’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

His hands began to tremble.

“N, no way…!”

When he spent six hours in his study trying to figure out why Park Jeong-hwan had changed his mind.

There were three things that bothered him.

But one of them had popped out of Tae-soo’s hand.

“No!”

Han Cheong-ho screamed.