Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Obtaining the Invitations (1)

From the morning, people began crowding into the Hannam-dong mansion.

The Taeseong Group elites each brought thick bundles of documents.

Thanks to that, Grandmother was busy preparing meals, and Mother was bustling saying she had to go grocery shopping.

Even so, there was a shortage of hands, so Secretary Kim even attached a few helpers.

Our house was running busily without a moment’s rest.

In that gap, I accompanied Uncle Cheol-gu and Yu Jong-tae and got into the car.

Yu Jong-tae in the driver’s seat, Uncle Cheol-gu in the passenger seat, and the back seat was my share.

“Young Master, where shall I take you?”

“To Hyunmu Construction.”

My purpose was clear.

Obtaining invitations from the president of Hyunmu Construction.

Sending the invitations to the big shots in the underground finance world.

The preparation for the year-end night event was sufficient with that.

* * *

The car arrived at the destination.

Uncle Cheol-gu smoked one cigarette in the parking lot, and Yu Jong-tae returned holding a black plastic bag.

“Young Master?”

“Wait a moment. I just need to write this.”

I lay face down in the back seat of the car and continued writing on the white paper with the Montblanc fountain pen.

Scratch scratch scratch.

Yu Jong-tae sitting in the driver’s seat poked his head out.

“What are you writing so carefully and meticulously?”

“It’s a note to give to the president of Hyunmu Construction.”

“As expected, our Young Master! You’re sending a greeting note to President Oh?”

“It’s not a greeting note?”

“Yes? Then what is that?”

“······A business proposal?”

Yes, as long as it’s not a threatening note, it’s fine.

“A business proposal?”

“A business proposal?”

Yu Jong-tae and Uncle Cheol-gu turned to look at me with very curious expressions.

Regardless.

I was busy moving the fountain pen.

“Done!”

I blew on the paper so the ink would dry well.

Only after confirming it was completely dry did I fold it neatly and write a number on the outside.

“Young Master, why are you writing a number on the outside of the note?”

“To make the errand convenient. Just hand the notes to the president of Hyunmu Construction in the order of the numbers written here.”

“Aha, understood.”

Yu Jong-tae obediently received the notes.

But he still had an expression of dying of curiosity.

“May I ask what this is?”

“Of course. However, whether to live on my trust or solve the curiosity. The choice is Team Leader Yu’s share.”

The reason I brought Yu Jong-tae this time is also to confirm whether he has the qualification to become my limb.

Yu Jong-tae attached a salute and grinned.

“A body that came here with sense, I will choose credit over curiosity.”

I handed even the document envelope to Yu Jong-tae and grinned.

“There are only 3 notes. If you don’t confirm the contents of the notes in advance and go, you’ll have to handle all the remaining matters with sense, won’t it be difficult?”

“Whatever, I’ll do it skillfully! Would I die just because I have no sense?”

“It’s fine even if you get chased out for acting without sense, but it’s troublesome if you can’t bring the invitations.”

“Ahem, I’ll bring them out somehow according to my ability! I, Yu Jong-tae, am a guy with that much work sense! Please trust and entrust it!”

I like capable guys!

Yu Jong-tae confirmed that there was no number written on the document envelope and asked subtly.

“This has no number, may I confirm it?”

“Of course. Instead, since you’re confirming in advance, you have to definitely receive the signature and seal of President Oh of Hyunmu Construction?”

“I’ll succeed staking my life!”

Actually, there was a separate reason why Yu Jong-tae, a Taeseong Group security guard, had to do the errand.

‘To cause a ruckus at this year-end night, it seems I need a definite ally called the hotel owner.’

One more.

It’s also an opportunity to buy favor from the president of Hyunmu Construction under the name of Taeseong.

“Have a safe trip.”

I smiled and waved my hand.

“Wait a moment, Young Master.”

Yu Jong-tae took something out of the black plastic bag one by one.

“Somehow it seemed like you would send only me inside and wait in the cold, so I bought this.”

It was steamed buns with steam rising and two bottles of warmly heated bottled soy milk.

Ha, as expected, in winter it’s steamed buns and warm soy milk!

Yu Jong-tae winked one eye at Uncle Cheol-gu.

“Then please take good care of our Young Master until I return. Hard-headed Lieutenant Colonel, no, Mr. Park Cheol-gu.”

“Ha······.”

“Mr. Park Cheol-gu’s is this!”

What Yu Jong-tae casually held out was hardtack.

“······.”

“There will also be star candy if you look. Then, I’ll go!”

Yu Jong-tae walked into the Hyunmu Construction office with large strides.

Snap.

‘Hey, guardian deity!’

[Field of view sharing!]

Good!

* * *

For some reason, the Hyunmu Construction president’s office was packed with executives gathered from the morning.

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction said.

“Last night I had a drinking session with the Blue House chief of staff, and I heard that above is carefully watching apartment redevelopment.”

“Oh, having interest in apartment redevelopment means a good meaning, right?”

“These days the Gangnam development boom has risen greatly. It’s exactly as the government aimed.”

The Hyunmu Construction executives were rejoicing.

“This also matches the work of cleaning up the city appearance before the Asian Games.”

“Moreover, it’s also the work of expanding the nests of the common people that the government wants.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction shook his head.

“It’s the opposite. It’s a bad meaning.”

“Yes?”

“An instruction came down not to mobilize service companies and force demolitions for the time being.”

“Yes? So suddenly?”

The Hyunmu Construction executives couldn’t hide their flustered expressions.

“If we don’t mobilize service companies, how do we proceed with the redevelopment construction?”

“We have to tear down the shantytowns to build apartments?”

“Until now, it was a government that encouraged development. Why did such an instruction suddenly come down?”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction crumpled his brow.

“It seems U-gwang Construction even set a fire while demolishing the Guro-dong shantytown this time. I hear there was quite a lot of human and property damage.”

“Yes? Was there such a matter?”

“There wasn’t even a single mention about that in the newspaper or broadcasting station news?”

“Anyway, people don’t know how the Guro-dong shantytown was torn down. Let’s just force it too.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction clicked his tongue.

“His Excellency regards exactly that point very unfavorably.”

“Yes? Why?”

“He knows that U-gwang even blocked the media.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction’s complexion darkened.

“I hear he burst into a roar saying dare a single company intend to cover his eyes and ears.”

“Umm.”

“It seems he’s enduring this once because he received something from U-gwang, but it seems he’s firmly resolving because of this matter. This is the tip from the Blue House chief of staff.”

The complexions of the Hyunmu Construction executives also changed along with it.

“If above is carefully watching, it seems we shouldn’t carelessly touch it.”

“In this situation, if our Hyunmu also does forced demolition and something goes wrong, the Blue House’s anger will head this way.”

“Originally, they said not to even approach near a burning house.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction looked around with cold eyes.

“So it became very troublesome. In a market where Gangnam apartment sales are this prosperous these days, we have to just suck our fingers.”

The reason Hyunmu Construction ended up sucking their fingers was exactly one.

“Without land, by what means do we build apartments?”

That was right.

Hyunmu Construction’s problem was that they failed to secure a proper apartment site.

‘As expected. I knew it would be like that!’

When I heard from Secretary Kim yesterday that this year-end night event is held at the Hyunmu Hotel.

The reason I called out in joy saying my luck is good.

‘I knew from reading the Hyunmu Group report. At this time, Hyunmu Construction struggled without securing an apartment site and missed a good opportunity and stamped their feet.’

Because they tasted bitterness at this time, afterward Hyunmu Construction collected lands across the country whenever there was a gap or something.

Certainly, President Oh of Hyunmu Construction now looked very dissatisfied with the current situation.

“I’ve said several times to secure apartment sites, is there not even one guy among the executives here who found a usable apartment site?”

The Hyunmu Construction executives began looking at each other’s eyes.

“When constructing the Apgujeong Hyunmu apartment large complex this time, funds were insufficient so we sold all the apartment sites we held.”

“At that time, not only shareholders but also banks and loan sharks all withdrew their investment funds in advance saying the large complex apartment sales would fail······.”

Large complex apartment construction was a matter where an enormous amount of funds unprecedented was invested.

Moreover, until then, Gangnam development didn’t enjoy such prosperity.

Also, it was a time when the perception that a house is a shanty or detached house was strongly embedded.

Calling apartments chicken coops and saying who would buy something like this with money, the opinion that it would naturally fail was dominant.

“But we pushed firmly, and as a result, the Apgujeong Hyunmu apartment sales created a boom and hit an unprecedented hit.”

In a word, it could be said they made a fortune.

Because thanks to the Apgujeong Hyunmu apartment brand, Hyunmu Construction obtained the name of a premium apartment construction company representing South Korea.

“We have a lot of money now. But. Why haven’t we secured a proper apartment site until now?”

The heads of the Hyunmu Construction executives gradually headed more and more toward the floor.

“We also went around redevelopment planned areas like U-gwang and agreed, so it took a lot of time.”

“The resistance of the shantytown people was not easy. Since it’s a matter where their living base is at stake······.”

“So we had no choice but to call service companies and do forced demolition now, but above another instruction like this came down······.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction’s eyes narrowed.

“In the end, it means you’re incompetent. If the shantytown seems to be delayed, shouldn’t you have purchased orchards or rice fields?”

“Most of there are bound as green belts.”

“The Ministry of Construction officials don’t issue development permits.”

“Even if you buy that, if the development permit doesn’t come out, you can’t build apartments.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction hit his own chest with his hand.

“The position called president exists to solve such problems. Do you think Hyunmu can’t do the lobbying that U-gwang does? Do I look that incompetent?”

“T, that’s not what I meant······.”

“There has to be something definitely prepared for me to distribute bribes and even feed alcohol. What do you think?”

“······I’m sorry.”

“Do I look like I gathered you from the morning just to hear sorry words?”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction nervously swept up his hair.

“Yesterday I heard unusual words. In the Blue House secretariat too, and in the Ministry of Construction too, words are gradually coming out. The words that Gangnam development has gone beyond success and become a venue for real estate speculation.”

“T, that means······.”

“It seems the government is showing signs of implementing real estate regulations soon.”

Wait. If it’s real estate regulations?

‘Ah, the 8.8 real estate regulation measure! Because of this, Cheonma Group almost completely ruined from the Cheonma apartment unsold bomb situation.’

For a construction company, the real estate regulation measure is literally no different from a great disaster.

“If the government’s real estate regulations start soon, then even if we want to sell, we can’t sell. Banks will lock the money, the government will draw the knife called tax investigation, and the market will freeze coldly.”

The government’s purpose is to put a brake so the real estate market doesn’t overheat.

That conversely means the real estate market is that hot now.

Money is always made at times like this.

“These days the Apgujeong Hyunmu apartments are selling like hotcakes. At times like this, we have to hit consecutively to firmly embed the name of our Hyunmu Construction in the public’s mind.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction ground his teeth.

“To build and sell apartments, it’s only right now, without land, by what means do we build apartments. Huh? What do you think of this? If you have a mouth, try answering.”

The Hyunmu Construction executives had no choice but to pour cold sweat.

A soundless scream that they couldn’t bring out of their throats would be echoing in their chests.

Just looking at the expressions, it was obvious what kind of feelings they had.

-Even if you nag us like this, there’s no way nonexistent land will fall from the sky!

-The Apgujeong Hyunmu apartment sales just hit a big hit. How much money has come in!

-That’s why when we clung so much saying not to sell at least the apartment sites, you didn’t even pretend to listen!

Whether the Hyunmu Construction executives groaned like mute cold chests or not.

“In the end, what have you guys been doing until now that only that sound comes out? Apartment sites, what will you do?”

The executives all had no choice but to lower their heads deeply saying ‘I’m dead!’

Because they don’t have the confidence to prepare apartment sites right now in a snap.

It was then.

Knock knock knock.

“What!”

“President, a person called a Taeseong Group security guard has come looking.”

“Taeseong Group security guard?”

The air in the president’s office froze coldly.

“Why is Taeseong Group looking for me? Without a prior appointment. Do I have to deal with even another company’s security guard in this situation now? Send him back immediately!”

“That’s······.”

The secretary who carefully opened the door and entered looked at the president’s eyes and carefully handed a note.

Do you perhaps need an apartment site?

It was my note with the number 1 written on the outside.

“Tell him to come in right now!”

“······.”

The executives looked at the president with dumbfounded expressions.