Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The Goodwill of the President of Hyunmu Construction

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction looked around the people.

Quite a few people sending dissatisfied gazes caught up in the instigation of President Kim of U-gwang Construction were captured.

“Let’s recall the purpose of the year-end night. Would His Excellency like a lot of sponsorship money being collected, or like hearing the report that they were chased out after causing a disturbance?”

The year-end night event was held by the Federation of Korean Industries according to the Blue House’s will.

The purpose is to clean the pockets of the rich guys and help underprivileged neighbors at the year-end and new year.

If not that, who would open their own pocket and pay living money saying it’s good.

“As everyone knows, we’ll record the sponsor list and amount and report above. At that time, what reason I’ll record next to the name of 0 won sponsorship money, I’ll leave to each imagination.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction glared at President Kim of U-gwang Construction.

“If you keep causing discord and disturbance like this, I’ll forcibly expel you from this place. President Kim, this is a warning.”

The face of the president of U-gwang Construction was red and blue.

The master clicked his tongue.

“Throwing a tantrum, throwing a tantrum. Nothing special bragging dirtily with nothing special matter.”

Grandfather laughed greatly and willingly welcomed the investors.

“Please come this way. If you all are willing to help Taeseong, of course we have to receive the investment money with a welcome heart. With a heart of gratitude, I’ll treat you to a grand drink. Secretary Kim!”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Take the investors and go write the investment agreement first.”

“Yes, understood. Then will you come this way?”

Secretary Kim took the four big shots.

Then people flocked around Secretary Kim in a crowd.

“I’m also thinking of investing a bit in Taeseong Construction.”

“How much do I have to invest to receive reserve land?”

“If becoming an investor on the same boat, even if not receiving reserve land, will you inform where the subway station enters?”

Secretary Kim looked back.

The Taeseong Group affiliate presidents immediately ran skillfully.

Attracting investment money to Taeseong Construction was the highest priority matter more than anything.

“Please come this way.”

“Our Taeseong always welcomes investors.”

“We’ll do our best and prove with results so you don’t regret investing in Taeseong Construction.”

Grandfather burst into a hearty laugh and shook hands with high-ranking officials and politicians.

Father who was publicly announced to become the new president of Taeseong Construction was also equally busy.

He looked busy exchanging words surrounded a lot by people.

The president of U-gwang Construction left alone in the hall clenched his teeth.

“Ha······!”

Taeseong Construction just resolved the unique gap of the fund shortage problem.

The president of U-gwang Construction wouldn’t have known that the large hole he made by seducing the former president of Taeseong Construction would be blocked so easily.

Whether a sense of crisis attacked, the president of U-gwang Construction frowned all sorts of faces like a person who downed a bowl of shit water.

“Damn it!”

The president of U-gwang Construction left the hall fuming.

“Just watch!”

Every step the president of U-gwang Construction took was imbued with blatant anger.

But no one paid attention to him.

There wasn’t even one person who conveyed one word of farewell greeting.

“Now it will become a bit quiet.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction snickered.

“Regrettable. President Kim of U-gwang Construction’s sponsorship money is 0 won. What reason should I record this as.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction had warned in advance.

He said he would record the reason together with the sponsorship money next to the name and submit it above.

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction took out a notebook and roughly scribbled with a fountain pen.

Ran away secretly after causing a disturbance and being embarrassed.

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction put the notebook and fountain pen into the suit pocket with a satisfied face.

“Clearly the year-end night is a charity bazaar helping underprivileged neighbors and sponsorship meeting, but the bazaar sponsorship money that should be collected isn’t collected and instead only Taeseong Construction’s investment money is collected a lot. Great skill, that is.”

The person that President Oh of Hyunmu Construction paid attention to was exactly our Father.

“Cha Seong-jun. I heard he was selected as the new president of Taeseong Construction. The one who sent Yu Jong-tae to me and handed over the Suseo-dong apartment site seems to have been the youngest of Taeseong Group.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction’s eyes were full of goodwill.

“If it’s the Subway Line 2 construction, it seems there’s something I can help with.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction came down from the stage and walked among the crowd.

* * *

‘Good!’

I clenched both fists tightly.

‘Our mother and son were successfully introduced on the official stage, but everyone’s gaze focused not on our mother and son but on Taeseong Construction! On the subway construction investment and reserve land!’

Because people turn their eyes to the bean crumbs that will fall to themselves immediately rather than digging into others’ household matters.

I circulated invitations for exactly this moment, and gathered the previous era’s big shots at this place.

‘It’s exactly the picture I drew!’

The rising sense of elation and the satisfaction filling the chest rose.

That’s why people called me Sillim-dong Ant Hell, one of the two reasons······.

“Jeong-hyeok.”

At Father’s call, I lifted my head.

Father came out from among the people surrounding him and approached in front of me.

Whether he brought it from the food court prepared on one side of the hall, colorful finger food was placed on a large plate.

No, to think he would bring only the foods I like.

“Are you hungry?”

“It’s fine.”

I’m dying busy getting the information that the underworld messenger brings.

Originally, if eating, I would have gone to a restaurant.

Is it the time to come to a place where this high-level information exchanges and leisurely eat food.

“Here. I don’t know if it will suit your mouth.”

“I’ll eat well. Thank you, Dad.”

I stretched my hand to receive the large plate.

Father smiled gently and held my hand and walked to the corner of the hall where there was a table and chair.

He placed the food plate on the table, put his hands under my armpits and lifted me up and sat me on the chair.

Father sat next to me and propped his chin.

“Perhaps are you scared?”

“No. Not scared at all.”

“Your legs must have hurt but you didn’t complain, you must have been hungry but you didn’t whine, people must have crowded and hit you but you didn’t fuss.”

Have I been to a party once or twice.

Has dealing with people been once or twice.

No need to make a fuss over nothing special······.

Father stroked my head.

“You endured well bravely. Good.”

It was a gentle and kind touch like stroking a newborn puppy.

“If tired, do you want to go lie down in the room?”

“Room?”

“I reserved a room at this hotel. Anyway, it seems Dad will be a bit late.”

Father held out a note with the hotel room number written.

I received the note.

Father was making a sorry expression.

“It’s the first place so it must be unfamiliar. Are you bored?”

“I’m playing well fun on my own so don’t worry.”

It was really fun.

From stock information that makes money to the secret movements of the political world.

This place was literally a gold mine of high-level information.

The funny antics that gentlemen whose names alone are known do were also very fun.

I grinned.

“Go quickly. The uncles are waiting for Dad.”

Around Father, there were many people anxious to somehow exchange conversation.

Where is the mind to even use on me.

Still, thinking that Father is pouring interest on me, the area around the chest was ticklish and hot.

“Shall we go see something cool later?”

“Something cool?”

“I hear they’re doing fireworks in the Hyunmu Hotel garden. It will be very pretty colorfully.”

Fireworks?

Did they originally do something like that at the year-end night event?

“Jeong-hyeok, Dad is asking just in case. The Suseo-dong land that Grandfather brought······.”

I lightly pulled Father’s clothes hem.

“Dad, President Oh has been waiting since earlier.”

“President Oh?”

When Father looked back, only then did President Oh of Hyunmu Construction smile.

“Sorry for interrupting the affectionate time between father and son?”

“It’s been a long time, President Oh. Anyway, I was about to ask when the fireworks would be.”

“That’s decided for 9 o’clock. Shall we talk for a bit?”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction slightly gestured with his eyes.

I pushed Father’s back.

“Have a safe trip. I’ll eat here.”

“Yes.”

Father stood up from his seat.

He fixed his clothes and went out among people.

‘Hey, guardian deity!’

[Yes, going.]

Sssss.

The underworld messenger quickly followed behind Father.

* * *

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction crossed the hall.

“I hear you’ve decided to take charge of the Subway Line 2 construction from now on?”

“Yes, it became so.”

“Good. Then I’ll introduce one person to you.”

“Introduction? May I ask who it is?”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction grinned.

“Seoul Mayor Gu Jae-cheol.”

If Gu Jae-cheol, he is a person who after serving as Jeju Province governor, Fisheries Agency director, Gyeongbuk Province governor and Seoul mayor, soon rises to Minister of Home Affairs.

A person nicknamed ‘Outlaw of the Wilderness’ by accelerating Gangnam development such as relocating Gangbuk’s prestigious high schools to Gangnam, constructing the Seoul Express Bus Terminal, constructing the Geumhwa Tunnel.

As expected, his greatest achievement could be said to be the Subway Line 2 construction.

“You also know? The Seoul mayor is the decision maker of the Subway Line 2 construction, the one who pays the construction payment, and the responsible person who manages and supervises the construction site.”

Subway Line 2 is a national project promoted by Seoul City.

“How far do you know about Mayor Gu?”

“I know him as an administrative official from an artillery officer background. I heard he’s a person that His Excellency values highly.”

“Yes. He can be said to be the closest aide who participated in the coup together with His Excellency. Mayor Gu is showing very great interest particularly in the Subway Line 2 construction.”

“I hear he’s ambitiously promoting the Line 2 construction saying it has to succeed more than the Subway Line 1 construction.”

“For reference, Mayor Gu thinks the Subway Line 2 route plan that former Seoul Mayor Yang Taek-seok established very unsatisfactory.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction conveyed a small whisper.

“Former Mayor Yang designed Line 2 as a route starting from Gimpo Airport, through Mokdong, Yeouido, Gongdeok, passing Euljiro, turning to Gangnam at Wangsimni and ending at Yangjae-dong.”

“If it becomes so, it might match the purpose of connecting Gangnam and Gangbuk according to Gangnam development, but it will be difficult to achieve the original goal of penetrating Seoul’s major busy areas that Subway Line 1 doesn’t pass through.”

“For exactly that reason, Mayor Gu completely overturned former Mayor Yang’s plan and made it a complete blank slate.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction’s voice became even lower.

“Mayor Gu is advocating the three-core city theory that Seoul City should consist of three downtowns of inside the four gates, Yeongdeungpo, and Gangnam.”

The moment I heard the words three-core city theory, something flashed in my head.

‘Come to think of it, Mayor Gu Jae-cheol impulsively changed the Subway Line 2 route! Into a circular line of Seoul’s downtown consisting of total length 48.8 km, 43 stations!’

Gu Jae-cheol’s anecdote is famous.

They say Gu Jae-cheol had excellent map reading ability perhaps because he was from an artillery officer background.

One day he called only the closest aides such as the urban planning bureau chief, urban planning section chief, subway construction headquarters chief to the mayor’s office and forcibly carried out the route change plan in top secret.

In front of people, he unfolded the Seoul City map prepared in advance and drew the Subway Line 2 route smoothly like making a military plan.

Muttering words like it has to pass in front of Guro Industrial Complex, and also has to pass in front of Korea University.

‘It was a snatch plan done in just 30 minutes, but when actually entering construction, surprisingly most of the subway route plan was realized as is without particular difficult construction.’

The only part changed from Mayor Gu’s plan during construction was that the transfer station with Subway Line 1 changed from Yeongdeungpo Station to Sindorim Station.

This was because with the technology at the time, it was impossible to pass under an already built station.

“Just take it as reference. It would be better if you use this information usefully well when meeting Mayor Gu. Or not.”

It was precious information that couldn’t be easily obtained even with money.

Father stopped his steps and looked at President Oh of Hyunmu Construction.

“Thank you for the goodwill.”

It was a polite greeting.

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction lightly patted Father’s shoulder and smiled.

“Didn’t you extend a hand to me first. The Suseo-dong apartment site.”