CH37 | MCT

Using the President to Set the Stage (5)

As Park Tae-jong opposed the idea, Kim Jeong-rim quickly intervened.

It was to help fulfill Han Cheong-ho's wishes.

"What are you saying right now? Think back to when we were building the school and roads. Let’s put our trust in him just this once. If support is needed, we can all pitch in little by little. Isn’t that what sipsi-ilban (十匙一飯) is all about?”

‘That’s right! Well said! Sipsi-ilban! That’s a great expression!’

Tae-soo outwardly made a deliberately troubled expression, but inside, he was laughing in delight.

‘The scent of money is getting stronger! At this rate, I can squeeze Han Cheong-ho dry.’

At that moment, Han Cheong-ho also nodded.

"Since he’s volunteering for the job, we should let him go. If things don’t seem to be working out, we can discuss it again then."

Park Jeong-hwan turned to Jang Jun-yong.

"What do you think, Chairman Jang?"

"I agree that he’s quite capable. Seeing how he handled things in Pohang, I’m even more convinced."

He was implying that Tae-soo had done a remarkable job of winning over Park Tae-jong.

Jang had already heard from his secretary about Tae-soo’s skills, but seeing them firsthand left an even stronger impression.

"If he needs support, we should provide it."

Jang Jun-yong wore an intrigued expression.

With the situation settling in favor of Tae-soo, Cha Gi-beom, who had been silently listening, also chimed in.

"With such prominent figures all recommending the same person, why not give him a chance?"

At last, Park Jeong-hwan turned to Tae-soo.

"Would you like to take on the Middle Eastern construction project?"

"Are you all promising to support me?"

"Hahaha, we’ll provide the support. Let me ask again—will you take on the Middle Eastern project?"

"Alright. I’ll do it."

Tae-soo nodded confidently.

After all, this was a game set up with the president himself.

It would be an unbearable regret if he didn’t make the most of it.

‘I laid out the blueprint, and Park Tae-jong stirred things up. The president, his close aides, and the heads of major conglomerates have all come together to complete this grand setup. There’s no way I’m letting someone else take this.’

Even at this moment, the scent of money was thick in the air.

So intoxicating that it nearly drove Tae-soo mad.

‘So, is it finally time to start collecting?’

Tae-soo’s eyes gleamed as he glanced around.

His gaze met Han Cheong-ho’s dead-on.

Park Jeong-hwan let out a hearty laugh and looked at Tae-soo.

"Alright, what do you need?"

"First, I’d like to receive support from Cheongil Heavy Industries for 40 excavators, 30 dump trucks, 25 concrete mixers, 30 bulldozers, as well as well-drilling rigs, exploration drills, core drills, and crushers."

"What?!"

Han Cheong-ho sprang up from his seat like a compressed spring.

He was so shocked that his hands trembled.

"Are you trying to strip me bare?!"

It was so outrageous that he even ground his teeth in front of Park Jeong-hwan.

Park Jeong-hwan frowned as he looked at Han Cheong-ho.

"Sit down. Don’t raise your voice in front of me."

"B-But, Your Excellency! Did you hear what this guy just said? Heavy equipment isn’t cheap, and he’s asking for—"

Tae-soo quickly cut in.

"I’ll buy all of it on an installment plan. So, sell it to me—right now, all of it."

"What?!"

Han Cheong-ho’s face twisted in frustration.

Park Tae-jong burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! He’s not even asking for it for free—he just wants to buy it on installments. Are you really going to refuse that? Hahaha!"

Han Cheong-ho shot a sharp glare at Park Tae-jong.

Then, turning his gaze back to Tae-soo, he found the man grinning smugly.

Tae-soo even shrugged, adding to the provocation.

"What else can I do? Even if the Bedouin conflicts settle down, the deadline is still ridiculously tight. We’re not building a dirt path through a village orchard here—we’re constructing a proper road. If the equipment isn’t top-notch, there’s no way we’ll finish on time, is there?"

Park Jeong-hwan let out a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha! He’s right. Since you’re heading to the Middle East, you should at least be determined to finish the project before the deadline."

Tae-soo’s words resonated with Park Jeong-hwan.

And so—

"Chairman Han, be generous. Give him everything he asked for."

"Your Excellency!"

"And forget the installment plan. That’s not support; that’s just a sale. You’re a major conglomerate—don’t be so stingy over something like this."

"Your Excellency! Something like this? Do you have any idea how much—"

Thud.

Park Jeong-hwan slammed his fist on the table.

Then, he fixed Han Cheong-ho with a severe glare.

"Enough. Do you really want to test my patience before you even worry about angering the Saudi royal family?"

Han Cheong-ho pressed his lips together tightly.

Park Jeong-hwan spoke firmly.

"If you refuse, then Cheongil can handle the Middle Eastern construction on its own within the deadline."

"Your Excellency—"

"You already turned it down. I won’t tolerate any more excuses."

This was a direct threat from the president.

Park Jeong-hwan was already fed up.

Because of Cheongil’s attempt to evade responsibility, he was now the one dealing with the Saudi royal family.

No matter how much political funding he had received from Cheongil, he would not allow them to take his authority lightly.

Clench.

Han Cheong-ho tightened his fist.

Park Jeong-hwan drove the point home.

"Listen, Chairman Han. Don’t forget who helped Cheongil Heavy Industries grow. Building something is difficult, but tearing it down? That’s easy."

A blatant threat.

Cheongil Electronics, Cheongil Refinery, Cheongil Chemicals, Cheongil Heavy Industries, Cheongil Construction—the entire empire.

None of it would have grown this powerful without the president’s protection.

‘What would happen if that protection was withdrawn? If Cheongil fell out of His Excellency’s favor, it would be torn apart in an instant.’

Han Cheong-ho closed his eyes.

Everyone in the room knew there was no other choice when the president took this stance.

"I will follow Your Excellency’s orders. But if the construction isn’t completed on time and Cheongil Refinery suffers any fallout, I will make sure to recover every single loss—with interest."

Even in defeat, Han Cheong-ho refused to go down easily.

Park Jeong-hwan didn’t rebuke him further.

"Fine, do as you will. But do you even have anything to recover?"

"Cheongil will take everything he owns. That includes the rights to the molybdenum mine."

Park Jeong-hwan nodded in satisfaction.

"Well? Does this arrangement work for you?"

He turned to Tae-soo, who gave a nod.

"Yes. It feels like I’m taking a bit of a loss, but I’ll accept."

"A loss?"

Han Cheong-ho snapped his head toward him.

He didn’t say another word, but everyone in the room knew exactly what he was thinking.

-Do you even realize how much that heavy equipment costs?!

-And you’re whining over a mere ten-year molybdenum mining license?!

If they weren’t in front of the president, he probably would’ve shouted those words.

His body trembled with frustration.

Han Cheong-ho clenched his fist, his eyelids trembling slightly.

Watching this, the others secretly nodded to themselves.

‘That’s satisfying to see! After all, Cheongil is the one most responsible, so it makes sense that they should provide the biggest support. This is more than reasonable—he should be grateful!’

‘That guy really went big with his demands. He called for exactly the maximum Cheongil could afford to give—no more, no less. His guts and calculations are impressive.’

‘No wonder Han Cheong-ho is foaming at the mouth. Hah, this is hilarious.’

The Middle Eastern construction project was a ticking time bomb. Not only was there the risk of conflict with the Bedouins, but the tight deadline made failure highly likely.

From their perspective, even if the project succeeded, it wouldn’t bring them much benefit—but if it failed, they would face brutal retaliation from the Saudi government.

‘If you think about it, this is just a huge risk with little reward. No wonder no one wants to take it on.’

‘Considering that, the conditions placed on Cheongil aren’t even that excessive.’

‘That’s probably why His Excellency isn’t interfering—he knows it’s fair.’

At that moment, Tae-soo turned to Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan.

"And I’d like to borrow a ship from Geumsan."

"A ship from Geumsan?"

Jang Jun-yong’s eyes widened at the unexpected request.

His gaze was filled with both curiosity and caution.

"I heard Geumsan recently secured its first oil supply contract with Bahrain."

"That’s correct."

Tae-soo grinned.

"When is the ship scheduled to depart?"

"At the end of this month."

"Would it be possible to move up the departure date a little?"

"Move it up? Why?"

Not just Jang Jun-yong, but everyone in the room was puzzled.

What did an oil tanker bound for Bahrain have to do with the Saudi road construction project?

Tae-soo smirked.

"The ship is planning to depart empty, isn’t it? Since it’s going there to load up on oil?"

"That’s right."

Oil tankers operate in the opposite manner of regular cargo ships.

They depart empty, arrive at their destination, load up with oil, and return fully laden.

"Chairman Jang, I need your help in transporting water and construction materials to the Middle East. On your way to Bahrain, could you make a stop in Saudi Arabia to deliver them?"

"What?"

Realizing Tae-soo’s plan, Jang Jun-yong burst into laughter.

"You want to load water and materials onto my oil tanker?"

"Oh, and we need to transport heavy equipment too. But I suppose there won’t be enough space on the tanker for that, will there?"

"Hahaha! Then I suppose we’ll need to provide some barges as well?"

"If you could, I’d be incredibly grateful."

"Hahaha!"

Jang Jun-yong laughed heartily.

Tae-soo smirked to himself.

‘Chairman Jang, this is actually a strategy you’ll use years later during the Bahrain shipyard project. I’m just borrowing it a bit early.’

But for Jang Jun-yong in this moment, the proposal seemed quite shocking.

He raised a thumbs-up.

"You’ve got quite the sharp mind. With this method, you could drastically shorten the construction timeline."

Jang Jun-yong nodded repeatedly, clearly pleased.

"And since the tanker is leaving empty anyway, there’s no issue with loading it up with water. Transporting all the heavy equipment and materials at once? Brilliant thinking—an excellent plan."

President Park Jung-hwan was equally amused by Tae-soo’s idea.

"That’s an excellent plan. What do you say, Chairman Jang? Can we make it happen?"

"Of course. I’ll lend you the tanker and a few barges. I’ll even cover the fuel costs for the journey."

Jang Jun-yong then turned to Han Cheong-ho with a smirk.

"Compared to what Cheongil is providing, the cost of fuel is nothing. It’s a small price to pay."

Han Cheong-ho glared sharply at both Jang Jun-yong and Tae-soo.

Tae-soo casually added, "Time is tight. We need to load the materials and equipment onto the barges quickly. Can we start loading water into the refinery tanks right away?"

"Alright, I’ll have everything prepared in advance. The refinery tanks will need extra thorough cleaning before we can load water."

Jang Jun-yong chuckled as he looked at Tae-soo.

"Give me a day or two. But I wonder—will Cheongil’s heavy equipment make it onto my ships on time?"

His direct challenge made Han Cheong-ho’s expression darken.

President Park Jung-hwan turned to Han Cheong-ho with a smile.

"Cheongil, start loading your heavy equipment onto the barges immediately. Cheongil Heavy Industries isn’t too far from Geumsan Shipping, so you can get it done right away. You can manage that, can’t you?"

Once again, the question had only one possible answer.

Han Cheong-ho remained silent for a moment.

Tae-soo secretly laughed to himself.

‘Park Jung-hwan is openly pressuring him—there’s no escape. Han Cheong-ho, your answer was decided long ago.’

After a long pause, Han Cheong-ho finally responded.

"Yes, we’ll get the heavy equipment loaded without delay."

"Remember, this is a promise you made yourself."

"I understand, Your Excellency."

Han Cheong-ho clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fury as he glared at Tae-soo.

‘Han Cheong-ho looks like he’s about to explode from frustration.’

Tae-soo glanced over at Park Tae-jong, who raised his hand with a laugh.

"In that case, Pohang Steel will supply the construction materials."

"Excellent!"

Park Jung-hwan clapped his hands in delight.

"Good, very good! With everyone pitching in, things are coming together smoothly. This is how business should be done!"

At that moment, Tae-soo turned to Park Jung-hwan with a knowing smile.

"There’s something I’d like Your Excellency to support as well."

Park Jung-hwan looked at him, puzzled.

"Me? Is there something I need to contribute?"