CH41 | MCT

Three-Cushion Shot in One Go (3)

Jang Mal-dong’s mind worked quickly.

He clicked his abacus beads and smacked his lips.

"It’s exactly the kind of front I need, but..."

He let out a groan.

Clearly, he was torn. But at the same time, he didn’t seem to dislike the idea entirely.

"If you’re not interested, just forget it."

"Let me think it over. What’s the rush? I need to do some calculations too, don’t I?"

"You’re the same man who wanted to rush a wedding in three days. And now setting up a simple company is such a big deal?"

"Ugh."

Jang Mal-dong shut his mouth. He couldn’t exactly argue with that.

Still, it wasn’t a decision he could make lightly.

The man in the hanbok smiled slightly.

‘He’s quite good at handling Jang Mal-dong. And a contract labor firm, huh...?’

His eyes flickered with interest.

Then, he gave a subtle nod.

Jang Mal-dong caught the glance and suddenly slammed his hand down on the table.

"Fine. Let’s give it a shot. Compared to setting up a bank, this shouldn’t be too difficult."

"Excellent. Then let me give your new firm its first job."

"Hold on—what job? We haven’t even established the company yet. How are you already assigning work?"

"I felt bad for not giving you much business when you were setting up Jangsu Bank. It’d be rude of you to refuse my goodwill."

Jang Mal-dong grumbled, feeling a bit uneasy.

"Well, that’s... considerate of you. You mentioned being short on manpower—are you struggling to find enough workers?"

"Yes, so I’d appreciate it if you could lend me some of your men for a little while."

"Until when?"

"I’ve already put out a hiring notice. Just until I fill the positions."

The man in the hanbok nodded in understanding.

Jang Mal-dong sighed.

"Alright. We’re not collecting debts right now anyway, so I’ll lend them to you. They’ve been restless lately—this might be a good chance to stretch their legs."

"Thank you. I’ll make sure they get plenty of fresh air."

"Good."

Suddenly, Tae-soo flashed a mischievous grin.

"Their flight leaves tomorrow at 8 a.m. Just drop them off at the airport."

"What?!"

Jang Mal-dong jumped in shock.

"Wait, you said you just needed to borrow them for a bit!"

"Yes, we’re short on laborers for the Middle East construction projects. Until the new recruits arrive from Korea, let’s make use of your men."

"..."

Jang Mal-dong’s mouth fell open.

In an instant, his loan sharks were about to become Middle Eastern laborers.

"Well then, I’ll take your word for it, sir."

"..."

"Thank you so much for generously offering your men."

"..."

He was doomed.

Jang Mal-dong squeezed his eyes shut, realizing he had walked straight into a trap.

The man in the hanbok couldn’t hold back his laughter, his shoulders shaking.

‘Hah… I can’t believe it. Another complete defeat for Jang Mal-dong.’

Jang Mal-dong had played his trump card—marriage. But Tae-soo had crushed it effortlessly.

Yet every card Tae-soo pulled ended up cornering Jang Mal-dong instead.

‘This guy… I really want him on my side. I’m not just saying that—I genuinely don’t want to lose him.’

The man in the hanbok looked at Tae-soo with reluctant admiration.

"Th-this... this is fraud!"

"Fraud? Sir, I was perfectly clear from the beginning. In fact, I even gave you your first job. It’s not fraud—it’s generosity."

"You little... Damn it!"

Jang Mal-dong scowled furiously, slamming his fan against the table in frustration.

"Fine! A promise is a promise! I, Jang Mal-dong, always keep my word!"

"That’s why I respect you, sir."

Tae-soo gave a thumbs-up with a cheeky grin.

‘I came here with three objectives.’

First, an alliance.

Second, securing laborers.

Third, purchasing supplies.

‘In my past life, Jang Mal-dong went bankrupt due to the 8.3 Loan Freeze Policy. After that, he vanished without a trace, leaving a critical information gap in Cheongil Group.’

When he disappeared, so did the traces of his most secret dealings.

And that was exactly what Tae-soo was after.

‘This time, Jang Mal-dong didn’t go bankrupt. That means I should be able to get my hands on the goods.’

This was the real reason Tae-soo had sought him out.

Jang Mal-dong huffed angrily.

"If you’re done with your business, get lost! Why are you still sitting there like a leech?"

"There’s one more thing."

"What? Another one?!"

Jang Mal-dong’s face paled.

Meanwhile, the man in the hanbok couldn’t help but smirk.

‘So this is what he really came for.’

His curiosity was piqued.

His eyes sparkled with intrigue, while Jang Mal-dong let out a deep sigh.

He wanted nothing more than to kick this lunatic out of his sight.

"Fine. Let’s hear it. What else do you want?"

Tae-soo grinned.

"I want to buy the hidden goods you’ve been selling."

"What?!"

"Your business has expanded to the Middle East, hasn’t it? I imagine you’re making quite the profit."

"No way! How the hell do you know about that?!"

Tae-soo smirked and casually pointed his finger upward—not at the sky, but at the ceiling.

"Above? You mean… that backer of yours?!"

Jang Mal-dong’s face turned ghostly pale as he bit down on his lip.

"Who the hell is your backer?"

Tae-soo simply smiled without answering.

Jang Mal-dong ground his teeth.

‘That incredible backer of his—the one I couldn’t track down no matter how hard I searched! Who the hell is it?!’

He had already been burned once when he tried to buy insider information about the loan freeze policy.

After that, he had turned the entire underworld upside down, searching for clues.

But no matter how deep he dug, he couldn’t uncover anything.

‘Of course not. Because there is no backer feeding me information.’

His backer was the future itself.

As time passed, the secrets of the past were meticulously compiled in the archives of Cheongil Group.

And Tae-soo—once he became the group’s Chief Secretary—had gained access to those classified documents.

Jang Mal-dong’s file had been particularly fascinating.

‘I know exactly how Jang Mal-dong built the most powerful underground financial empire in Korea.’

Its roots stretched all the way back to the days of the anti-Japanese independence movement.

‘There’s more to his loan sharking business than meets the eye. Several hidden faces lurk beneath the surface. One was that of an information broker, gathering intelligence and war funds. And the other…’

Tae-soo nodded knowingly.

"Yes, that’s the one. I need to procure some goods locally. You can make that happen, right?"

Jang Mal-dong narrowed his eyes.

"You’re seriously planning to buy that?"

"Not just buy it—buy it in bulk! Enough to make jaws drop."

Tae-soo grinned.

"The money I made from molybdenum? Time to put it to good use."

Then, he laid out the specifics—what he needed, where it should be delivered, and when.

Just as Tae-soo had boldly declared, Jang Mal-dong’s jaw fell open in shock.

‘Three birds with one stone! I accomplished everything I came here for in a single move!’

This trip had been well worth it.

After Tae-soo left, the man in the hanbok couldn’t suppress the grin creeping onto his face.

At some point, he had taken the seat Jang Mal-dong had occupied earlier.

Jang Mal-dong sat beside him, pouring a freshly brewed cup of tea.

The man in the hanbok lifted his teacup and took a slow sip.

“The aroma is off. Is your mind unsettled?”

Unsettled? That would be putting it lightly.

Every time he met that lunatic, his nerves were completely shot.

Jang Mal-dong let out a long sigh, unable to find the words.

“Don’t dwell on it too much. He’s not someone you can easily handle.”

As if Jang Mal-dong didn’t already know.

Every time they met, he found himself at a complete loss for words.

“That bastard… he’s something else, alright.”

Which was why Jang Mal-dong kept losing ground to him.

Finally, the laughter he had struggled to suppress burst forth.

“Hahaha! Every single person who’s tried to deal with him ends up dancing in the palm of his hand. Kim Jung-nam, Kim Bong-nam, Han Cheong-ho… even Park Jung-hwan! Some of the sharpest minds out there, and yet all of them!”

“Tsk.”

He didn’t mention it, but Jang Mal-dong knew he was included in that list.

All he could do was sigh again.

The man in the hanbok laughed heartily, clearly amused.

“A labor contracting business, huh? Whether we take on government projects or not, it won’t matter. Just a simple company sign, a front for managing a steady supply of workers when needed. That kind of setup? I like it. Hahaha.”

“Is that really a good idea? You’ve kept yourself hidden in the shadows until now.”

“Park Jung-hwan has drawn his sword. He’s enforcing the loan freeze policy, so we can’t just stay crouched in the dark anymore. It’s time to explore other avenues.”

“But you already established a bank. Do we really need to start a labor contracting firm as well?”

The man in the hanbok smiled knowingly and looked at Jang Mal-dong.

“Jang Mal-dong.”

“Yes, sir.”

“That young punk saw through it all. Don’t tell me you failed to see what he did?”

“That is…”

“Just proceed.”

“Understood.”

The man in the hanbok smirked.

“Kang Tae-soo… quite the clever one. I like the way his mind works.”

“He’s no ordinary man. Why do you think I’ve set my sights on him as my lady’s husband? After seeing him, no one else even comes close.”

“You’re planning to serve him as your master, then?”

“For my lady’s husband, he needs to be at least that capable.”

The man in the hanbok couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.

“Hearing you say that makes me even more curious. I’d like a detailed report.”

“Of course.”

“Start with Kang Tae-soo.”

“Yes, sir.”

The man in the hanbok had been abroad for important business.

He had received crucial updates via telegram, but not the finer details.

“There were three key pieces of information I received about Kang Tae-soo.”

First, that Cheong-il’s Kim Jung-nam, Kim Bong-nam, and Han Cheong-ho all failed to secure molybdenum purchases.

Second, that Kang Tae-soo had gone to the Middle East to finalize a construction project.

Third, that Park Jung-hwan was supporting Kang Tae-soo on multiple fronts.

“For a telegram, that was enough information.”

“But I’d like to hear the details. Let’s start with Cheong-il Group’s visit to the molybdenum mine.”

“Understood.”

Jang Mal-dong nodded and proceeded to report on what had happened at the molybdenum mine, as well as Cheong-il Group’s response.

The man in the hanbok smiled, his lips curling upward.

The part about Han Cheong-ho returning empty-handed especially pleased him.

“Han Cheong-ho is quite skilled at both coaxing and pressuring people. And yet, he failed this time.”

“That lunatic’s nerve is truly something else.”

“He’s boldly baring his claws at Cheong-il. What’s his reason?”

“We don’t know. No matter how much we dig, there’s no direct connection between him and Cheong-il.”

“So, you tested Kang Tae-soo that way?”

Jang Mal-dong let out a deep sigh.

"I knew that sly bastard wouldn’t easily reveal his hand, but he didn’t even flinch. Not a single change in his expression."

Anyone else would’ve been caught off guard. But Kang Tae-soo? Not even a twitch.

Definitely no ordinary man.

"I can’t even begin to guess what’s inside that lunatic’s head. Must be at least a hundred snakes coiled up in there. And those eyes—young as he is, they look like they belong to a seventy-year-old geezer. Damn it!"

The man in the hanbok leisurely sipped his tea.

“If we don’t know the reason, then Han Cheong-ho certainly doesn’t either.”

A slow smirk formed on his lips.

“I bet Han Cheong-ho was sweating bullets. Persuasion or elimination—he always swings to extremes.”

“Seems like he failed at both. Kang Tae-soo still isn’t supplying molybdenum to Cheong-il, and Han Cheong-ho’s retaliation fell flat.”

“Persuasion aside, Han Cheong-ho actually tried to retaliate?”

“Yes.”

Jang Mal-dong continued.

“Right after visiting the mine, Han Cheong-ho went straight to the Blue House. He handed over a box of gifts to Kim Jung-rim, who then arranged a meeting with Go Dae-woon of Dae-woon Tungsten.”

The man in the hanbok chuckled darkly.

“So, he planned to take the molybdenum mine.”

His smirk widened.

“That kind of net isn’t easy to slip through. How did Kang Tae-soo manage to hold onto the mine?”

“That bastard is something else. Turns out he had already secured a ten-year exclusive mining permit from Park Jung-hwan five months ago.”

The man in the hanbok burst into laughter.

“Ha! The kid’s got skill! Who did he use as a connection?”

Kang Tae-soo had no direct ties to Park Jung-hwan—meaning he must have gone through someone with a close link to him.

The man’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“Kang Tae-soo’s mysterious backer, huh? Have we finally caught his shadow?”

Jang Mal-dong hesitated.

“There is… one name that came up, but…”

“Who is it?”