CH63 | MCT

A Toast with a New Colleague (1)

While Kim Hwan was flustered by the unexpected call, Tae-soo spoke calmly.

[I called to ask if there's any available time in the chairman’s schedule.]

"Oh, you should have contacted us earlier. The chairman's schedule is completely full, and there isn't a single free moment for the next week. In fact, he'll be leaving by car in just 30 minutes."

[Thirty minutes is enough. May I meet with the chairman briefly?]

"What? Where are you right now…?"

[I'm here at Geumsan Group.]

Startled, Kim Hwan jumped to his feet.

"Please, don’t hang up for a moment. Let me check with the chairman and get back to you right away."

Unlike his usual composed manner, Kim Hwan sprinted to the chairman's office and knocked urgently on the door.

Chairman Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan Group, who had been reviewing documents at a leisurely pace, frowned.

"What on earth has you so out of breath? That’s not like you."

"Gasp… Gasp… Kang Tae-soo from Taeyang Mining wishes to meet with you."

"Kang Tae-soo? The one who went to the Middle East?"

"Yes, he's here now. He insists on meeting you."

Jang Jun-yong stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"What’s my schedule looking like?"

"You have to leave for the next location in 30 minutes."

"So, I have time for a cup of tea."

Jang Jun-yong nodded.

"Tell Kang Tae-soo to come in."

There was something he had been meaning to ask Kang Tae-soo anyway.

‘I wonder what Kang Tae-soo thinks about the Jubail Industrial Port construction joint bid.’

The bid for the Jubail Industrial Port construction project had been secured by sending an oil tanker filled with water and making a direct appeal to the Saudi royal family.

It was a massive $930 million project.

***

Knock, knock.

"Come in. I've been expecting you."

Chairman Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan Group welcomed Tae-soo with open arms.

Tae-soo greeted him politely and took the seat offered by Jang Jun-yong.

"Have you been well?"

"As you can see, I’ve been doing fine. You look much tanner than before."

"The Middle Eastern sun is quite intense."

Tae-soo bowed slightly.

He had three matters to discuss with Jang Jun-yong.

Starting with the first.

Tae-soo hadn’t forgotten a favor.

"First, I’d like to express my gratitude. I heard that you spoke to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on my behalf."

"Oh, that’s nothing to thank me for. I even warned the Saudi ambassador not to say a word about it, but it seems my friend has a loose tongue."

"It wasn’t the ambassador who told me."

"Then who did you hear it from?"

Tae-soo had heard it from Song Chang-jun, the second secretary at the Saudi embassy.

The ambassador had been eager to take credit for his involvement through his close aides.

After all, he likely wanted a transfer to a better post outside of Saudi Arabia.

However, the ambassador himself hadn’t said a word directly.

Tae-soo simply smiled.

"The trailer, forklift, and crane you sent have been put to good use. I truly appreciate it."

"As long as they’re being used well, that’s all that matters. That’s why I sent them in the first place."

"For that reason, I’d also like to place an order for heavy equipment from Geumsan Heavy Machinery."

Jang Jun-yong leisurely draped his arm over the sofa.

"The equipment you pulled from Cheongil wasn’t enough, was it?"

"You already know, don’t you? That was the maximum amount Cheongil could provide, so that’s all I mentioned at the time. But now, to speed up construction, I need more heavy equipment."

It wasn’t a difficult request.

He wasn’t asking for a favor—he was offering to buy them.

In fact, considering the volume of the order, Geumsan should be the one thanking him.

"Alright, Geumsan will sell you the heavy equipment."

"I’d also appreciate it if you could handle the delivery to Saudi Arabia smoothly."

"Haha, since we’ve already sent a barge before, finding the port won’t be a problem."

Tae-soo picked up a pen and began jotting down the quantities for his order from Geumsan Heavy Machinery.

Jang Jun-yong nodded.

"With that amount of heavy equipment, you should be able to complete the road construction on schedule."

"That’s the plan."

"Alright, I’ll have everything shipped to your location as soon as possible."

"Thank you."

Tae-soo had completed the first task of his visit to Geumsan—ordering the necessary heavy equipment.

It was a way to reciprocate the support he had received in securing additional machinery.

‘Now, it’s time for the second task. The golden business card.’

Tae-soo spoke politely.

"And I truly appreciate your generosity. Not only did you allow the oil tanker to dock at the port, but you’re also lending it to me indefinitely until I finish the construction."

"I heard the drought in Saudi Arabia is severe. It wouldn’t do for you to collapse from a lack of water before the project is completed."

The rainy season in Saudi Arabia was still a long way off.

Even with the water from the oil tanker, it wouldn’t be enough.

"I’m lending you the tanker, so make good use of it and return it when you’re done. You can refill it a few times in other countries along the way."

"Isn’t this the new oil tanker you acquired for your trip to Bahrain to purchase oil? Are you sure about this? It seems like too much to ask for, even with the golden business card."

"You may not know this, but the Saudi royal family reached out to me."

Jang Jun-yong took a sip of his tea.

"They expressed their intention to purchase the oil tanker."

"And did you sell it?"

"Of course not. When an opportunity like this lands in my hands, I wouldn’t just sell it off cheaply."

Even if they offered a generous price, the profit would be mere pocket change.

And Jang Jun-yong of Geumsan had no interest in small-time deals.

"I asked for something else instead."

"What did you ask for?"

"The Jubail Industrial Port construction project in Saudi Arabia."

The Jubail Industrial Port project.

The bidding process had taken place in 1975, and the construction began in 1976.

It was a project that bore the mark of Jang Jun-yong, chairman of Geumsan.

At the time, the contract was worth a staggering $930 million.

That amount was an astronomical sum—equivalent to half of South Korea’s total national budget at the time.

‘This was originally Jang Jun-yong’s project. But now, he wants to use the oil tanker as leverage to secure it. Is this fate? Or a meticulously calculated move?’

Tae-soo nodded.

"The Jubail Industrial Port project is something anyone would covet. However, as far as I know, the construction plans haven’t been officially announced yet."

"That’s true. But I happened to hear a few words from someone involved in the planning stage."

Jang Jun-yong was implying that he had knowledge of the project even before its official announcement.

Saudi Arabia’s western cities along the Red Sea were under the jurisdiction of Rahman, the head of urban development there.

However, Jubail was located on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, along the Persian Gulf.

‘Who is in charge of developing the eastern cities?’

That was something Tae-soo had yet to confirm.

"The person in charge of planning the development of the eastern cities… That’s interesting."

"I don’t know exactly who oversees urban development there."

"Then how did you find out about the Jubail Industrial Port project?"

"I’ve spent quite some time traveling abroad—securing funding for my shipbuilding business. During that time, I met someone."

Jang Jun-yong smirked.

"Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The twelfth son of the founding king."

What a powerful connection.

‘Abdullah… He’s destined to become Saudi Arabia’s sixth king. Geumsan’s connections run deep.’

Tae-soo’s connection was Rahman.

Rahman’s father was the fifth son of the founding king—Khalid, who was set to ascend the throne as Saudi Arabia’s fourth king in March 1975.

Meanwhile, Jang Jun-yong’s connection was Abdullah, the twelfth son of the founding king.

Abdullah would later assume regency in 1995 and officially ascend the throne as Saudi Arabia’s sixth king in 2005.

‘On top of that, he’s currently the commander of the National Guard under the Ministry of Defense. He serves as the right-hand man to Khalid, the Minister of Defense. When Khalid ascends the throne, he’ll appoint his younger brother Abdullah as Deputy Prime Minister.’

Essentially, both of them were holding onto the same major connection.

Everything traced back to Khalid, the key figure.

"You’ve secured quite a powerful connection," Tae-soo remarked.

"Which is exactly why…"

Jang Jun-yong leaned in slightly and asked with a subtle smile.

"Would you be willing to show me the connection you’ve secured as well?"

"What kind of connections could I possibly have, compared to someone like you?"

"Haha, such modesty."

Jang Jun-yong didn’t believe it.

Instead of empty humility, he trusted Tae-soo’s skill.

He had seen firsthand how Tae-soo skillfully persuaded Park Jung-hwan.

Taking another sip of tea, Jang Jun-yong spoke.

"Why don’t we submit a joint bid?"

"A joint bid? Are you suggesting we work together on the Jubail Industrial Port project?"

"That’s right."

It was an unexpected proposal.

"I need a bit of your skill and connections to increase our chances of winning the bid."

It was fascinating.

Jang Jun-yong, who was originally set to independently develop the Jubail Industrial Port, was now suggesting a partnership with Tae-soo to secure the project.

‘Even without me, Jang Jun-yong… you would have won this contract anyway.’

But life is unpredictable.

Who could have known that in two years, Jang Jun-yong would actually secure the Jubail Industrial Port project on his own?

"A joint bid, huh... I'd like to hear more details."

"I’d be happy to explain."

Jang Jun-yong called in his secretary, Kim Hwan.

"Cancel all my upcoming appointments."

"Chairman, that includes the meeting with the congressman and—"

"Cancel everything. There’s no conversation more important than this right now."

They were discussing a $930 million construction project—an undertaking worth half of South Korea’s national budget at the time.

There was no way he would prioritize a mere congressman over this discussion with Tae-soo.

"Tea won’t be enough. How about a drink? I know a great bar."

"Sounds good to me."

Even though the sun had yet to set, he was already suggesting drinks at a bar.

That meant this conversation was going to be a long one.

***

As expected, Park Jung-hwan’s face dominated the front pages of every newspaper for days.

Whether it was the morning edition or the evening edition—he was everywhere.

• Fly to the desert if it means saving even one citizen! The President’s unwavering resolve!

• President Park’s decisive action saves 12 lives!

• The flawless rescue operation of the kidnapped Koreans! The President was behind it all!

• A joint operation between Saudi Arabia and South Korea! A diplomatic triumph!

As he folded the newspaper, Park Jung-hwan let out a hearty laugh.

"His name was Kang Tae-soo, right? That guy’s got some serious skills."

Cha Ki-beom responded,

"He secured the identities of all 12 key personnel—including the seven kidnapped executives of Samwon Construction, as well as the CEO and board members who had fled and been in hiding for months."

"He even tracked down the ones who had gone into hiding for months? Impressive."

Park Jung-hwan stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"And not a single complaint or protest has been sent since Kang Tae-soo arrived in Saudi Arabia?"

"None whatsoever."

"As soon as he landed in Saudi Arabia, the Bedouins stopped fighting and, by the next day, they were already working as laborers on the road construction?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"How did he convince the Bedouins? And is it true that he even built his own cement production facility because importing cement was too much hassle?"

"Yes, it is."

Park Jung-hwan slammed his knee in excitement.

"Ha! I knew he wasn’t just an ordinary guy! That bastard actually pulled it off!"

The image of Kang Tae-soo flashed through his mind—the bold man who had stood before him in the Pohang Steel president’s office, fearlessly listing off his demands.

"He completely outmaneuvered that old fox, Han Cheong-ho of Cheongil, and then had the audacity to talk about improving my image—pulling his little tricks. But I’ll admit, he delivers results."

"We also caught some undercover agents who had infiltrated as special operatives."

"What? I thought you were supposed to catch them—after the Red Cross negotiations were over?"

"A perfect opportunity presented itself. One of my men caught them, but Kang Tae-soo’s assistance was crucial."

Park Jung-hwan stroked his chin again.

"He wouldn’t have helped with force, so how exactly did he shake them up?"

"It was simple. He voluntarily handed over Samwon Construction’s leadership, then even booked their flights home."

Cha Ki-beom shared the inside story.

Tae-soo had told the captain he could take all the credit, but the captain couldn't bring himself to take full credit for everything.

So, he had subtly mentioned Tae-soo’s involvement.

"What? Hahahaha! You’re telling me that’s all it took?"

"Well, maybe it doesn’t sound like much, but in reality, it saved the special forces a huge amount of effort. They no longer had to scour the desert looking for the CEO."

Park Jung-hwan nodded.

"Right. All I needed was those kidnapped guys to fix my public image. But Kang Tae-soo went out of his way to drag the CEO back and present him to me."

That move was extremely calculated.

Park Jung-hwan couldn't help but grin.

"He played it brilliantly—helped me achieve my goal perfectly. And it looks like the road construction project will be completed soon, too."

He turned to Cha Ki-beom.

"That being the case, I should acknowledge the significance of him delivering the CEO as well. This might be a good time to prepare a little gift for Kang Tae-soo."

If he got what Park Jung-hwan was planning to give him...

Tae-soo would probably be grinning from ear to ear.