CH24 | MCT

Acquiring a Mine (4)

Jang Mal-dong smirked slyly.

“So, you're after Dae-yang Tungsten and Dae-yang Cement, huh?”

“That’s right.”

Tae-soo didn’t bother hiding his intentions. Meanwhile, Jang Mal-dong quickly ran the numbers in his head.

“Let’s see… As you know, those are solid, valuable assets. Two million won wouldn’t even come close.”

“Normally, that’d be true.”

Tae-soo grinned.

“But it won’t be easy to sell, will it? Nobody has money to spare right now.”

He had a point.

But Jang Mal-dong smirked again.

“I’m not in a rush to sell. No reason I can’t wait. That’s not a problem.”

“If the mine and cement factory shut down, restarting them will cost a fortune.”

“Thanks to you, my pockets are nice and full. No need to worry about that.”

“Well then, suit yourself.”

Tae-soo nodded.

“If you don’t want to sell, that’s fine. Just give me the two million won written on the loan contract.”

Jang Mal-dong blinked.

“…Didn’t you come here for Dae-yang Tungsten and Cement?”

“Well, partly.”

“Then why aren’t you even trying to persuade me?”

“You mean like last time? Crawling on my knees, pouring my heart out?”

“…”

Tsk. That would’ve been nice.

But this brat never did anything the way Jang Mal-dong wanted.

Never.

“Come on, what’s the harm? Who knows? Maybe I’d actually fall for it.”

Tae-soo lazily waved the loan contract in the air.

“I came to collect money, not to beg. You know that.”

“…”

Fair enough. No debt collector begs on their knees.

For the second time tonight, Jang Mal-dong found himself at a loss for words.

The man in the hanbok couldn’t hide his amusement.

‘Impressive. He’s playing Jang Mal-dong like a fiddle.’

Jang Mal-dong snapped his head away in frustration.

“I was gonna let it slide… What a damn shame!”

“Oh? Because of that ‘debt of gratitude’ you mentioned before?”

“Damn right, you little bastard!”

Tae-soo chuckled.

“Well then, I’ll gladly accept it. How do you want it? Kneeling? A heartfelt speech? A bow?”

“Enough! Cut it out!”

Jang Mal-dong slammed the documents related to Dae-yang Tungsten and Dae-yang Cement onto the table.

He had already taken them out of the safe, knowing Tae-soo would be coming.

“Take them.”

Tae-soo’s expression shifted slightly as he looked at the papers.

‘I was planning to wear him down with a long fight and snatch them up at a bargain. This is unexpected.’

Truthfully, Dae-yang Tungsten and Dae-yang Cement were solid, profitable businesses. Getting them for just two million won was a near-impossible negotiation.

That’s why Tae-soo had timed his visit precisely—waiting until Jang Mal-dong was at his weakest.

He’d let the old man stew in anxiety for ten whole days, then struck the moment the loan freeze policy was officially announced, knowing Jang Mal-dong would be mentally drained.

‘I came prepared for a tough battle. I even had leverage ready to use against him.’

And yet, Jang Mal-dong handed them over without a fight.

The fact that only those title deeds had been set aside meant… he had decided to give them up long ago.

‘I had no idea. I acted all stiff for no reason.’

Tae-soo straightened his posture and bowed deeply.

“Thank you for your generosity, sir.”

A favour should be repaid with sincerity.

Tae-soo kept his head lowered for a long time.

The man in the hanbok discreetly hid his smirk.

‘I like this kid. He’s got character.’

The man gave Jang Mal-dong a subtle nod.

Seeing that, Jang Mal-dong flicked open his fan with a crisp snap.

“Alright. Now hand over the loan contract.”

Tae-soo respectfully placed the contract in front of Jang Mal-dong.

“Sir, Choi Moo-ryong of Jongno will soon step into the legitimate world.”

“Choi Moo-ryong?”

“He’s going to establish a bank.”

“…What? A bank?”

Jang Mal-dong froze mid-motion, still holding the contract, and stared at Tae-soo.

Tae-soo spoke with conviction.

“Why do you think President Park Jung-hwan went so far as to declare an emergency order to freeze private loans?”

The August 3rd Loan Freeze Policy had two main objectives:

To reduce corporate debt and improve financial stability.

To replace underground finance with official banks.

Tae-soo nodded.

“With the president drawing his sword, private lending won’t be viable anymore. But Choi Moo-ryong won’t just quit playing with money. So what’s the alternative?”

Jang Mal-dong agreed.

“Right. If he wants to keep running his money game, he’ll have to establish a bank… That bastard Moo-ryong… Hmm.”

Tae-soo tucked the Dae-yang Tungsten and Dae-yang Cement title deeds into his jacket.

Jang Mal-dong casually asked,

“Kid, why didn’t you demand a loan contract in return for this info?”

Tae-soo smirked.

“A favour should be repaid with a favour, don’t you think?”

Tae-soo tapped the title deeds inside his jacket.

‘Repaying a favour with a favour? This crazy old man is impossible to hate.’

Jang Mal-dong burst into laughter and waved his hands dismissively.

“Enough, get the hell out!”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll be seeing you again soon.”

At those words, Jang Mal-dong’s face twitched.

“Seeing me again? No thanks! Now scram already!”

He started ranting about Wang So-geum, as if trying to get rid of Tae-soo faster.

Tae-soo chuckled and stepped out of Jang Mal-dong’s room.

‘In my past life, Jang Mal-dong went bankrupt because of the August 3rd Loan Freeze. He never managed to start a bank. I wonder… what choice will he make this time?’

He hadn’t recovered all his private loans, but when it came to loan sharks in South Korea, Jang Mal-dong was still the undisputed king.

His current capital alone was leagues above Choi Moo-ryong’s.

If Choi Moo-ryong could start a bank, then why couldn’t Jang Mal-dong?

‘Choi Moo-ryong’s Chomyung Bank was deeply tied to Cheong-il Group. How far will Jang Mal-dong go to keep him in check?’

That was what intrigued Tae-soo the most.

Ultimately, the reason he sold Jang Mal-dong that piece of insider information was to curb Cheong-il Group’s influence.

After all, Chomyung Bank had played a massive role in propelling Cheong-il Group into the ranks of the chaebols.

“Tae-soo!”

The moment he stepped outside, Skinny came running up to him.

“How did it go?”

“Worked out perfectly.”

Tae-soo held up the title deeds to the mine and factory, shaking them lightly.

Skinny’s jaw dropped.

“You’re kidding! You got all that for just two million won?”

“Got lucky.”

“No way! That stuff is worth at least twice, no, three times that amount!”

“I received a favour.”

Tae-soo glanced back at Jang Mal-dong’s closed door.

‘He’s a lot more trustworthy than I expected.’

Things had gone much smoother than anticipated.

‘I can’t believe I got a limestone mine and a cement factory for just two million won.’

This was a jackpot no matter how you looked at it!

An insane stroke of luck!

And it wasn’t just any mine—it was one of the best in the region!

Now, he had everything: a molybdenum refinery, miners, transport vehicles, heavy equipment, lodging, and worker facilities—all in one go!

‘That’s it. All the molybdenum mining issues are solved.’

Now, all that was left…

Was to start digging.

A fortune was right within his grasp.

***

In one corner of the cement factory, the mine owner sat slumped on the ground.

His hands gripped his head, his face filled with despair.

‘If I had just held out for two more days, I wouldn’t have lost the mine and the factory. Damn it… even the heavens are cruel.’

Now, it all made sense.

Why had the loan sharks stormed in before the deadline had even passed?

Why hadn’t they given him a chance to negotiate, instead forcing him to stamp his seal immediately?

‘Those bastards knew the loan contracts were about to become worthless. That’s why they rushed.’

The mine owner shut his eyes.

Thinking about how just a few more days could have changed everything left a bitter taste in his mouth.

‘But what choice did I have? They said they’d burn the factory down on the spot. That they’d turn the whole mining village into a sea of flames. How could I not give in to that threat?’

He had regrets—but no remorse.

At the very least, he had protected the mining village and the cement factory.

It was just himself who had lost everything.

‘Now all I have to do is leave. The only thing that matters is that a good new owner takes over so my workers won’t suffer and can still send their kids to school. But that’s beyond my control now…’

The mine owner got to his feet, brushing the dust off his pants.

A cloud of cement powder burst into the air.

Just then—

Step. Step.

A tall, cold-looking young man appeared before him.

It was Han-soo, who had stayed behind on Tae-soo’s orders.

“There you are.”

The mine owner’s face was still swollen and bruised, his skin mottled with dark patches.

Han-soo handed him something.

“What’s this?”

“An egg.”

“…An egg?”

“It helps with bruising.”

“……”

The mine owner stared at the egg in his hand, then at the cold, expressionless young man standing before him.

His face gave away nothing.

Out of habit, the mine owner tried to read him, but then—

He let out a small chuckle.

‘Old habits die hard… Why am I even trying to figure out this young man’s motives? He just brought me an egg because he heard it helps with bruises. What else is there to read into? My life is already in ruins.’

Taking the egg, he gently rolled it over his swollen eyelid.

‘No more regrets. No point in blaming myself anymore. I should focus on how to move forward from here.’

At almost sixty years old, this was simply an early retirement, nothing more.

As he let go of his lingering regrets, his heart felt a little lighter.

“…Is this raw or boiled?”

“If you’d like, I can boil it for you. Do you prefer soft-boiled or hard-boiled?”

“……”

What the hell?

Does this young man not understand jokes?

He looked dead serious, as if he was about to go boil the egg right away.

The mine owner waved his hand in refusal.

“I was just joking. What does it matter if it’s soft-boiled, hard-boiled, or raw? It’s just for my bruise.”

"Then why did you ask?"

“Because before, I used to think that stuff really mattered. Soft-boiled, hard-boiled, raw… I thought that was identity. That things should exist exactly as they’re meant to, in the way they’re meant to.”

“……”

"I suppose my role ends here. Once I hear back, I'll pack up and leave."

New wine must be put into new wineskins.

‘I poured my entire life into this place. I never imagined I’d leave like this… but I must.’

He had nowhere to go. And frankly, he didn’t want to go anywhere.

But if the former owner lingered here, the new owner surely wouldn’t take kindly to it.

He was leaving for fear that his presence might bring trouble to his workers.

‘Hyung told me to keep the mine owner from leaving… but how do you persuade someone this determined? I have no idea where to start.’

Han-soo pressed his lips together.

The mine owner, feeling somewhat lighter, finally spoke.

"You probably wanted to follow your hyung, but you stayed to help. I appreciate that."

"Not at all. I haven’t done much."

"I heard you've been beating the hell out of those low-life thugs and gangsters trying to snoop around. Word is, they’re so scared they won’t dare step foot here again."

Well… I can’t comfort people, but I can at least do that.

That’s probably why hyung insisted on leaving me here in the first place.

‘I wish he’d hurry up and come back. If it were threats or torture, I could handle it. But trying to persuade someone nicely? No way…’

Han-soo deliberately averted his gaze toward the cement factory.

The mine owner followed suit.

"This place… it took me twelve years after acquiring the limestone mine to finally build this cement factory. The day it first started running, I hugged my workers and cried my heart out. I was just so happy."

It had been more than ten years since that day.

But the memory was still as vivid as ever.

"Thanks to this mine and this factory, we ate well, dressed well, and even sent our children to school and got them married. To me, this place is like a filial son—a true blessing."

"I know. You've run the mine and factory well."

"Yes, I worked hard. Now, it's time to let it go. I just hope it ends up in good hands."

Just then—

A worker came running, out of breath.

"Boss! He’s here! That young man from before!"

The mine owner and Han-soo both turned at once.

Tae-soo was walking into the cement factory.

"Hyung! Did everything go well?"

"Of course."

The mine owner swallowed hard.

Tae-soo strode over and spoke directly to him.

"I’ve acquired both the mine and the factory. That includes the facilities, workers, equipment, and all the miners as well."

"Do you know who the new owner is?"

"It’s me."

"Y-You?"

"Yes."

The mine owner's expression became indescribable.

A strange mix of shock, sorrow, exhaustion, regret, reluctance, and relief crossed his face.

Understanding the storm of emotions inside him, Tae-soo gave a silent nod.

‘It must be tearing him up inside. This was his life’s work…’

Meanwhile, Han-soo's eyes sparkled with surprise and curiosity.

‘Hyung bought this place? With just 20 million won?’

The mine owner let out a bitter sigh and nodded.

‘At least it’s settled now. As long as my people are taken care of, that’s enough. Now… I should start packing my things.’

"That’s a relief. Now I can finally be at ease."

"Where are you going?"

Tae-soo grabbed the mine owner’s hand and smiled.

"You’ve spent years with your workers, this mine, and this factory. Are you really going to abandon them all and leave?"