CH64 | MCT

A Toast with a New Colleague (2)

Park Jung-hwan spoke to Cha Ki-beom.

"Take the president of Samwon Construction to the Central Intelligence Agency."

"What do you intend to do?"

"Kang Tae-soo personally handed this guy over. What do you think that means? It means he wants us to strip Samwon Construction clean."

An official letter was sent to the Saudi government to resume construction.

Since Samwon Construction had been acquired by Taeyang Construction, the road construction would be completed by Taeyang Construction.

"I gave my word, so I have to see it through myself."

It wasn’t a difficult task.

Handing over a construction company? That was nothing.

"Tell them to transfer Samwon Construction to Taeyang Construction. Start the acquisition process. If they cooperate willingly, let them go."

This was a gift Park Jung-hwan had prepared in advance for Tae-soo.

"Sir, that might be a bit difficult," Cha Ki-beom said unexpectedly, voicing his thoughts.

Park Jung-hwan raised an eyebrow.

"Are you defying my order?"

"No, sir," Cha Ki-beom replied.

"We barely started digging into Samwon Construction, and the dirt is already flying everywhere. Letting them go just because they cooperate would be too lenient. The charges against them are serious."

"What charges?"

"There’s a wide range—from minor offenses to serious crimes. Should I start with the crimes committed domestically or those in Saudi Arabia?"

Park Jung-hwan slammed his fist onto the armrest.

"Unbelievable! Crimes inside and outside the country? These bastards are tarnishing the reputation of South Korea?"

Committing crimes abroad was one thing, but doing it under the name of a South Korean construction company?

"If they went overseas, they should be boosting national prestige and bringing in foreign currency! It’s already humiliating enough that they ran away. And now, crimes on top of that?"

Because those bastards abandoned the construction project and fled, the Saudi royal family had sent a letter of protest to Park Jung-hwan.

Receiving that letter had been infuriating and embarrassing.

Cha Ki-beom listed the wrongdoings of Samwon Construction one by one.

The list was full of offenses that couldn't be ignored.

"It was a construction company created for laundering political funds. They mainly took on government contracts and used state funds to create slush funds. They also handled dirty work for politicians."

"These scumbags!"

"From the company president down to the executives, they’re all former gangsters."

The more he listened, the angrier he got.

"Drag these thug bastards to the Central Intelligence Agency. Squeeze every last bit of dirt out of them."

Even that didn’t feel like enough.

"Find everyone involved with Samwon Construction and lock them up. Give the rest to Kang Tae-soo."

Only then did Cha Ki-beom bow his head.

"I will follow your orders. Should we also transfer all the apartment and government projects that Samwon Construction was handling to Kang Tae-soo?"

"Transfer everything."

"I will do so."

This, too, was a small gift and a gesture of gratitude from Cha Ki-beom to Tae-soo.

Cha Ki-beom recalled Tae-soo's telegram.

-Even after all this, do I still have to thank you?

What an audacious guy—but he liked him.

***

A bar located in the sky lounge of the Geumsan Hotel.

Among its many rooms, there was one exclusively reserved for entertaining VIPs.

Inside, Tae-soo and Jang Jun-yong were sharing a drink.

"I knew things would go smoothly if I talked to you."

Jang Jun-yong seemed quite pleased.

He reached into his inner pocket and took out a special gift—a gold business card.

"Take it."

"Why are you giving me this?"

"I'm not giving it to you—I'm returning it."

Jang Jun-yong placed the gold business card firmly in Tae-soo’s hand.

"I’ve arranged to receive compensation from the Saudi royal family in exchange for the oil tanker. And with that, I plan to secure the Jubail Industrial Port construction project."

"That’s a matter between you and the Saudi royal family. How could I possibly benefit from it?"

"What’s wrong with picking up some benefits along the way? That way, I can benefit from you as well."

Jang Jun-yong laughed heartily.

"The Saudi royal family won’t hand over the Jubail Industrial Port so easily. It’s not exactly a profitable deal for them. That much is obvious."

That was likely true.

Business and personal matters were always kept separate.

No matter how expensive the oil from the tanker was, it couldn’t compare to the $9 billion value of the Jubail Industrial Port.

"Still, because of the tanker, I at least have the chance to submit a bid."

Many construction companies would be fiercely lobbying just for that opportunity.

They would go to extreme lengths to secure such a major contract.

Even if Jang Jun-yong lent out his tanker a dozen times, it wouldn’t be enough to win the bid outright.

But the Saudi royal family had accepted his goodwill.

"As you know, entering a construction bid in Saudi Arabia is no easy task. Foreign companies need a local sponsor, and securing one is a challenge in itself."

Saudi Arabia had high entry barriers.

But there was plenty of work.

Just as Tae-soo coveted the opportunity, Jang Jun-yong must have as well.

"That's why I need you to lend a hand."

"What power do I have?"

Tae-soo only owned Taeyang Construction, a company as small as a speck of dust.

Compared to Jang Jun-yong and the vast resources of Geumsan, the gap was immense.

But Jang Jun-yong shook his head.

"Do you think Geumsan holds the same weight overseas? The moment I step outside, I can't throw my weight around as easily."

Geumsan Group was rapidly expanding under Park Jung-hwan's protection.

But internationally, it was not yet a recognized powerhouse.

Especially not in Saudi Arabia.

"Right now, I need the kind of power that can sway people’s hearts."

"And what exactly do you want me to do?"

"I'll provide the money. You take it and win over the hearts of the Saudi royal family."

It was an appealing proposal.

But it was also puzzling.

"Wouldn't it be simpler if you handled this personally, Chairman Jang?"

"That's not an option for me right now. Let's just say I have other circumstances to consider."

Jang Jun-yong's expression darkened slightly.

So Tae-soo didn’t press further.

He was curious, but he held back.

He would find out eventually.

"And whose heart, exactly, do you want to win over?"

"The King of Saudi Arabia."

Tae-soo couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"Do you really think that's possible?"

Asking Tae-soo to meet the Saudi king was beyond absurd.

"I know it’s close to impossible. But Han Cheong-ho of Cheongil has managed to secure an incredible connection."

"Do you know who Han Cheong-ho is connected to?"

"He spent years cultivating a relationship with a man named Rahman. But recently, he switched sides."

That much, Tae-soo already knew.

It was the very reason Rahman now bore a grudge against Han Cheong-ho.

"And who did he switch to?"

"Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud."

Jang Jun-yong let out a sigh.

"He’s the Minister of Finance. So if we want to outmaneuver Han Cheong-ho, the only step higher is the King of Saudi Arabia himself."

What a headache.

Of all people, Han Cheong-ho had secured a connection with the Minister of Finance.

Fahd was the ninth son of the founding king and the next in line to become the fifth King of Saudi Arabia after Khalid.

‘Now I see why Han Cheong-ho severed ties with Rahman. He latched onto the Minister of Finance instead.’

While Khalid, the Minister of Defense, was undoubtedly powerful, Rahman was merely his son—just one step removed from real influence.

‘Han Cheong-ho must have weighed his options between the Minister of Defense’s son and the Minister of Finance.’

And in the end, the Defense Minister’s son was out.

Instead, Han Cheong-ho seized the Minister of Finance, who currently held immense power.

A shrewd strategic move.

‘Rahman has no idea that he’s actually the heir to Defense Minister Khalid.’

Khalid had many sons.

Rahman was the twelfth.

And above him, there were numerous older brothers.

Han Cheong-ho likely didn’t realize that Rahman was Khalid’s most favored son.

‘Things are getting interesting.’

Tae-soo turned to Jang Jun-yong and asked,

"Trying to win over the King of Saudi Arabia—does that mean you’re planning to compete with Han Cheong-ho?"

"That’s right. Han Cheong-ho has caught wind of it, too. He’s got his eye on the Jubail Industrial Port project. I’m ahead of him in most areas, but when it comes to connections, I’m at a disadvantage."

It was a massive project worth $930 million.

That was nearly half of South Korea’s annual government budget.

No wonder Han Cheong-ho was drooling over it.

"But even so, wouldn’t it be difficult to secure the Jubail contract with just the Minister of Finance’s backing?"

"No, Han Cheong-ho made the right move this time. Do you know who the Minister of Finance is aligned with?"

"Who?"

"Turki bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The fourth son of the founding king—the man sharpening his blade for the next throne."

"The fourth son?"

Tae-soo had never heard of Turki.

He was not in line for the throne.

The current king was Faisal, the third son of the founding king, and the next in line was Khalid, the fifth son.

The fourth son had been completely left out.

‘That means he must be the one currently engaged in a power struggle with Khalid.’

Ultimately, he would be overshadowed and lose his chance at the throne.

Following Khalid, the next king would be the ninth son—the Minister of Finance.

The fourth son, in the end, would never leave his mark in history.

"What position does the fourth son, Turki, currently hold?"

"Minister of Construction."

Damn. Of all things.

Jang Jun-yong sighed.

"Now you understand why I want to win over the King of Saudi Arabia, don’t you?"

Of course.

The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Construction had joined forces.

And the Jubail Industrial Port project would be heavily influenced by both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Construction.

So Tae-soo couldn’t help but ask:

"Now, I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

"If you know that Han Cheong-ho has the backing of both the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Construction, why are you still pursuing the Jubail Industrial Port project so aggressively?"

Jang Jun-yong, chairman of Geum-san Group, only had ties to the twelfth son, Abdullah, who was the commander of the National Guard.

Compared to the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Construction, that connection seemed woefully insufficient.

And yet, Jang Jun-yong was determined to secure the Jubail project.

"Why? Do you think it’s impossible?"

"I wouldn’t go so far as to say impossible. In fact, I believe that truly impossible things are rare in this world."

And in the end, Jang Jun-yong did successfully win the Jubail Industrial Port project.

"But realistically speaking, when it comes to connections, your chances against Han Cheong-ho are quite slim."

"That’s true…"

What were the odds of a foreigner successfully winning over the King of Saudi Arabia?

Reality is cold and unforgiving.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Construction of Saudi Arabia.

If both ministers were backing Han Cheong-ho?

That would be why Han Cheong-ho was so confident in his victory.

Yet, Tae-soo was smiling.

"Probability—it’s such a convenient standard, isn’t it? When faced with a difficult challenge, people use probability as a measure, and it makes decisions incredibly simple."

Jang Jun-yong nodded in agreement.

"If the probability of success is low? Well, that’s precisely why it’s considered a difficult challenge in the first place."

Tae-soo's eyes gleamed.

"When people use probability as a justification, most simply choose to give up. Because that’s the easier choice. It gives them peace of mind. They comfort themselves, saying, ‘It was a long shot anyway.’ But in the end, what do they really gain from that?"

Tae-soo clenched his fists.

"Low chances of success. Tough challenges. Impossible tasks. The things that everyone else gives up on—those are the very things you must take on if you want to get ahead."

Like the Jubail Industrial Port project.

"History is rewritten when the impossible is achieved."

Jang Jun-yong nodded solemnly.

"You're right. I’ve spent my life rewriting history in my own way."

His eyes shone with determination.

"Shall we create a new chapter of history together?"

Tae-soo liked the sound of that.

And so, he had to ask:

"Chairman, this will not be an easy path. From here on, we will be walking a treacherous road."

Tae-soo's path had always been one of hardship.

From a mere 100,000-won mine to the ambition of becoming a financial tycoon.

Like a mantis daring to strike at the colossal Cheongil Group.

A path of vengeance so brutal that everyone dismissed it as impossible.

He was walking that lonely road.

"I’ll walk it with you."

Jang Jun-yong did not hesitate.

"The moment I brought this up to you, I had already made up my mind. I’m fully prepared for this."

"I understand your resolve, Chairman."

So Tae-soo had no choice but to match it.

"This time, we will crush Cheongil and secure the Jubail Industrial Port project—no matter what."

They had to take this.

A major project would build their track record, and in the process, they would humiliate Han Cheong-ho.

A perfect two-for-one deal.

Why would they let that slip away?