CH19 | MCT

Recruiting Talent (4)

Tae-soo’s proposal was unexpected.

Holjook quietly studied Tae-soo.

"You and me, Tae-soo?"

"Yeah."

"You don’t just start a partnership on a whim."

Tae-soo grinned.

"Holjook, let’s work together. Call it a partnership, call it whatever you want."

"Are you drunk?"

"Do you not want to?"

Holjook silently took another drink.

"Let me think about it."

That was an unusual response from him.

Holjook had stuck with Tae-soo through thick and thin—when he was being chased by loan sharks and even after he joined Cheongil Group.

"Acting all high and mighty now, huh?"

Tae-soo hadn’t been this drunk in a while.

He had come here to bait them with molybdenum but had ended up securing a school construction contract.

Things had gone better than expected, and he was feeling good.

And Holjook was right there with him.

There was no reason not to drink.

But for some reason, the liquor tasted bitter to Holjook.

"Tae-soo probably doesn’t need me anymore. He’s got guts now, and he’s handling business so well. I was shocked, honestly."

It felt like watching a child who once needed constant care suddenly grow up overnight.

That realization stung a little.

"He took on a Japanese businessman that even President Park couldn’t mess with. He commanded that massive construction site like a true leader and didn’t back down to Park either."

It was impressive.

So impressive that Holjook felt an odd sense of distance between them.

"And his negotiation skills… I didn’t even have a chance to step in. He was like a bigger player than Park himself. It almost feels wrong to call him a friend now."

Holjook downed his drink with a bitter smile.

"When he talked to Park Cheol-wan about real estate, they spoke as equals. And yet, I barely understood a word of it, even though it was in Korean. Tae-soo has been learning and preparing for a long time."

Maybe that was why.

After realizing Tae-soo’s true potential, Holjook felt strangely out of place.

"I feel like I’ve been left behind. Like I’ve been abandoned."

It was as if Tae-soo had grown up and moved far beyond his reach.

As a friend, he should have been happy for him. But instead, he just felt lonely and empty.

Tae-soo seemed larger than life now.

Like someone who belonged among the real giants.

"Holjook, is something bothering you?"

"I’m not as naive as Park Cheol-wan. I’ll take my time weighing the pros and cons—staying within my limits."

"Is there a better offer out there than mine? Still, you should work with me. Gotta have some loyalty, right?"

Tae-soo poured more soju into Holjook’s glass.

Glug, glug, glug.

"Holjook."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For staying by my side until the end."

"You’re being sentimental."

Holjook chuckled and took a sip.

"I used to run full speed ahead, never looking back. Chasing success, repaying debts, like a runaway train with no brakes. And then—crash. That was the end."

Han Il-kwon had cut it all short.

Had cut my life short.

"Crash? Why are you saying such unlucky things all of a sudden?"

"It’s just a metaphor."

The memory of Han Il-kwon, sneering as he described in detail how he had killed my family, flashed through Tae-soo’s mind.

His expression darkened with fury.

"I have a debt to settle. The rage, the resentment—it’s enough to tear me apart from the inside out."

Holjook froze mid-drink.

He looked into Tae-soo’s eyes—and realized.

This was real.

Bang.

Holjook slammed his glass down on the table.

His eyes burned with even more rage than Tae-soo’s.

"Is it Mi-yeon?"

"No."

"Then who is it? Who’s the bastard?"

"Someone."

Tae-soo couldn’t bring himself to say Han Il-kwon’s name.

He clenched his jaw so tightly that a trickle of blood appeared at the corner of his lips.

Holjook saw it. And he went still.

"Who is it? What the hell happened?"

Holjook rolled up his sleeves, his voice seething with anger.

"Just say the word. I’ll beat that bastard half to death."

Even just hearing that made Tae-soo feel grateful.

He shook his head.

"I’ll do it myself. I’ll make sure he suffers—more than I ever did. I’ll crush him completely."

Tae-soo’s fist clenched tight.

Seeing that unwavering determination, Holjook nodded.

"If you ever need help, just say the word. I’ll have your back."

Loyal to the end, this guy.

That’s why I could never let go of you, Holjook.

Tae-soo looked at him with quiet affection.

"Holjook, I never once doubted that we’d be together until the very end."

"Why are you stating the obvious?"

Tae-soo smiled.

"This time, I won’t be a runaway train. I’ll walk alongside you—slowly, together."

"That’s corny as hell."

"We’ll take in the sights, stop at rest areas for good food, and actually enjoy the journey."

Holjook scoffed, but a smile tugged at his lips.

Tae-soo looked Holjook straight in the eye.

"So come with me, Holjook."

"I don’t think I’d be much help."

Beneath the table, Holjook’s fist clenched tightly.

Tae-soo, oblivious, just grinned.

"What are you talking about? Without you, I would’ve fallen apart a long time ago."

"No. You would’ve done just fine without me."

If success was the measure, then sure.

Tae-soo’s nose for money was as sharp as ever, and Cheongil Group, that massive machine, had become his hands and feet.

But that was all.

"I was lonely. Fighting alone was exhausting. No one was there. No one to laugh with me, cry with me."

"Fighting alone? I was always by your side."

"That’s exactly why. Because you’re here with me now, I finally feel okay. Just having you around gives me strength—you know that, right?"

Holjook closed his eyes for a moment.

"Tae-soo… I don’t have much to offer. The only thing I’m really good at is drinking. And you’re saying you need someone like me?"

"Yeah."

Tae-soo nodded without hesitation.

"Let’s go together, Holjook."

What was he supposed to say?

Should he promise to always stay by Tae-soo’s side?

Holjook lowered his head.

"If you stay with someone like me, I’ll just hold you back. You should be running with people who match your pace. I’d only slow you down—like dead weight."

Tae-soo burst into laughter.

As if Holjook had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Holjook. You know, in a three-legged race, it’s not about how fast you are. It’s about running in sync with your partner. Speed doesn’t matter at all."

Tae-soo placed a firm hand on Holjook’s shoulder.

"I do need capable people. But more than that, I need people I can trust."

"······."

"I can hand off my work to anyone with the right skills. But my back? That, I can’t entrust to just anyone. It has to be you."

"······."

Holjook couldn’t look away from Tae-soo’s eyes.

"Holjook, you’ll help me, won’t you? You’ll watch my back, right?"

"…Damn it."

Holjook scratched his head roughly.

His heart was pounding.

He couldn’t calm down.

He grabbed the soju bottle on the table and drank it like water.

"Krrrk—!"

Thud.

Holjook let out a loud laugh.

How could he not give in when Tae-soo put it like that?

"Alright! I’ll watch your back!"

"Thanks."

A weight lifted from his chest.

Then, suddenly, embarrassment crept in.

'So this is why Park Cheol-wan kept blushing.'

Holjook had scoffed at the small-framed man for constantly turning red.

And now here he was—his own face burning up.

'Damn it. That bastard totally reeled me in. I’m not the kind of guy who falls for sweet talk like this. But I got completely swept up.'

The sense of bitterness had faded, but why had embarrassment taken its place?

Holjook awkwardly turned his gaze away.

At just the right moment, he noticed a table across the room where three young women were drinking.

Perfect timing!

"Oh, right—make me one too."

"Make you what?"

"That thing you made for Park Cheol-wan."

"A business card?"

Tae-soo tilted his head, puzzled.

That cheap little card? Why?

"Heh, nothing hooks women like a business card. Give me a fancy title too, make me look important."

"······."

And so, the night deepened in Pohang.

***

July 31, 1972 – Monday, 10:00 AM.

Pohang Steel President’s Office.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Come in."

Park Tae-jong, reviewing a stack of documents, looked up curiously.

His surprise only grew when he saw who had entered.

Tae-soo and Holjook.

"Are you here for the contract payment? The employee I sent to the bank hasn’t returned yet."

"That’s part of it."

"Hmm?"

Park Tae-jong set down the papers.

"What is it? Is there something else?"

"Last time we met, I forgot something important."

"Something important? Did you leave something behind? Come take it."

"Thank you. I didn’t expect you to give it up so easily. I’ll take it then."

"What are you talking about? What exactly are you taking?"

"Your son."

"…What?"

Park Tae-jong was dumbfounded.

What kind of nonsense was this?

If it were his daughter, he might have understood. But his son?

Step, step.

Someone followed Tae-soo into the room.

A small-framed man in a neat suit, wearing round silver-rimmed glasses.

He looked slightly embarrassed, yet his smile was steady and confident.

There was no doubt about it—this was his son, Park Cheol-wan.

"Why are you here? What’s going on?"

"This is the important thing I mentioned earlier. I forgot to introduce him."

With a grin, Tae-soo stepped aside, placing Park Cheol-wan at the forefront.

"Meet the new Vice President of Taeyang Construction and the lead project manager for the school Pohang Steel has commissioned."

Park Tae-jong's head snapped toward his son.