CH34 | MCT

Using the President to Set the Stage (2)

Park Tae-jong spoke with a serious expression.

"Have you heard of Samwon Construction?"

"Samwon Construction? Isn't that a mid-sized company making a name for itself by specializing in government contracts?"

"That's right. That very same Samwon Construction has just begun its expansion into Saudi Arabia."

Tae-soo was taken aback.

'There's no way Samwon Construction has already entered the Saudi market.'

Something felt off.

'Samwon Construction was indeed the first Korean company to enter the Middle Eastern construction market. But it's too early for that.'

Samwon Construction had set its sights on overseas markets early on.

Their target was the oil-rich Middle East, where industrial infrastructure, construction materials, and technical expertise were in short supply.

Among those nations, Saudi Arabia was their first major focus.

'Samwon Construction secured Korea’s first-ever Saudi construction contract in 1974—the Kaibar Highway. But it’s still too early for that, and now I hear the Saudi royal family is protesting a road construction issue? What’s going on?'

The Kaibar Highway was a 164-kilometer, two-lane road connecting Kaibar, north of Jeddah along the Red Sea, to Al Ula.

It became Korea’s first major success in Middle Eastern construction, paving the way for the oil boom-driven construction surge in the region.

Tae-soo knew this history well, which was why the current situation didn’t make sense.

"Already?"

"It’s been a while. They won the road construction contract last year."

This was unexpected.

'They signed a contract for road construction in 1972? But I thought they failed.'

Samwon’s first attempt to enter the Middle Eastern market was through a Saudi Arabian road construction bid in 1972.

However, the Saudi government had refused to trust an unknown foreign company like Samwon Construction.

In the end, they awarded the contract to a local firm, and construction proceeded without Samwon.

'Why is this different from what I know?'

Something wasn’t adding up.

That only made Tae-soo more focused.

"Which road are they building?"

"From Yanbu to Umluj."

"Hmm… That’s different from what I know. Didn’t the Saudi government ultimately favor their local construction firms?"

"Last year, the Saudi government planned two major road projects, and Samwon Construction won one of them. A Saudi-based company secured the other."

"Hmm…"

“The contract is worth $12.5 million, with an estimated construction period of two years.”

“I thought the Saudi government wouldn’t trust a foreign company, but they managed to secure the deal.”

Tae-soo felt uneasy for a different reason.

‘I smell money. This is a goldmine.’

But the problem was, the money was already in Samwon Construction’s hands.

Feeling frustrated, he smacked his lips in regret.

“To do construction work in Saudi Arabia, a sponsor is a must. Who is backing them?”

“Officially, a local construction company called Shobokshi has accepted the role of Samwon’s partner.”

“Officially? Then who’s really pulling the strings?”

“Rahman bin Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. As the name suggests, he’s the twelfth son of Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the fifth son of Saudi Arabia’s founding king.”

“Khalid’s son?”

Tae-soo shot up from his seat, unable to contain his shock.

‘Damn it! Khalid is the man who will soon become the King of Saudi Arabia! And his son is acting as a sponsor?’

His head was spinning.

From the moment he heard the Saudi royal family was involved, the scent of money had been overwhelming.

‘This is the real deal. The kind of money that makes people lose their minds.’

It was dizzying.

The sheer magnitude of wealth was enough to cloud his thoughts.

‘This is a jackpot! I’ve grown accustomed to the scent of money by now, but this… this is on another level. Middle Eastern oil money really is something else!’

Tae-soo forced himself to steady his breathing.

‘Khalid ascends to the throne in March 1975 after his older brother—the current king—is assassinated. And now, his son is personally backing a Korean construction firm? Unbelievable.’

Historically, it was known that Samwon Construction had lost the bid for the Saudi road project.

‘But in reality, they won the contract, and now it's causing diplomatic friction between Saudi Arabia and South Korea?’

It was absurd.

The events unfolding before him didn’t align with recorded history.

Which could only mean one thing.

‘Someone powerful deliberately buried this story.’

More questions surfaced.

‘Why cover it up? There must have been some undisclosed agreement between the Saudi royal family and the South Korean government.’

Tae-soo swallowed dryly.

He needed to go through this carefully, piece by piece.

“If a Saudi prince is backing them, there shouldn’t be any issues. So why is the Saudi royal family so furious that they sent a letter of protest?”

"From the executives of Samwon Construction down to the lowest-ranking laborers, they all abandoned the site and ran away. The construction has been completely halted for months now."

Tae-soo was dumbfounded.

‘And for that, they sent an unofficial letter of protest to the president? There must be more to this.’

Something about this situation didn’t sit right. He furrowed his brows.

"There has to be a reason, right?"

"They got caught up in a Bedouin clan war."

"A Bedouin clan war? You’ve got to be kidding me."

Tae-soo clicked his tongue in disbelief.

The Bedouins were a nomadic people spread across the Arabian Peninsula and the greater Middle East, known for their strong clan-based society.

Their inter-clan disputes were notorious, and they had a fierce and ruthless reputation.

More importantly, they were a major power base for the Saudi royal family.

"If they got entangled in a Bedouin conflict, I can’t blame them for fleeing. That’s not a fight anyone would dare to take on."

Park Tae-jong swirled the whiskey in his glass and chuckled.

"So, you know about the Bedouins too. They are, without a doubt, the desert’s fiercest warriors."

"But can a clan war really last for months?"

"This case is special. The fight broke out over a desert well. And from what I hear, the clan chief’s son was killed."

"A battle over water in the desert… and a chief’s son was killed? Then they’ll be fighting to the death."

"Exactly. That’s why the Saudi royal family made the first move. The top executives of Samwon Construction got caught up in the conflict, and now they’re all missing. No one knows whether they’re alive or dead."

Tae-soo finally nodded in understanding.

‘This could turn into an international incident, so the Saudis sent the letter as a preemptive move. They're essentially informing us of the situation under the guise of a protest. It’s a way of making it clear that they won’t take diplomatic responsibility, while pressuring us to handle the mess quietly.’

Park Tae-jong scowled.

"There’s another problem. When Samwon Construction secured the Saudi contract, Cheongil Group was involved. But now that things have gone south, they’re pretending it has nothing to do with them."

"Cheongil Group?"

"How else do you think Samwon managed to land a Saudi royal as their sponsor? It was only possible because Han Cheong-ho from Cheongil pulled the strings."

"Unbelievable!"

Tae-soo couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into laughter.

‘Han Cheong-ho must have used his connections at Cheongil Refinery to arrange the sponsorship and pocketed some money in the process.’

But what now?

With Samwon Construction botching the project, Han Cheong-ho—the one who made the introduction—was bound to get dragged into the mess.

"Han Cheong-ho must be in quite a predicament now."

"No need to say it."

Park Tae-jong smirked.

After all, he was no friend of Han Cheong-ho.

"How do you think this situation should be handled, sir?"

"Logically speaking… since Samwon Construction’s leadership is missing, Cheongil Construction—the company that liaised with the Saudi royal family—should take responsibility."

"Do you think Cheongil will actually take responsibility?"

Park Tae-jong shook his head.

"Han Cheong-ho is already cutting his losses, just like a lizard shedding its tail."

"Hmm."

Park Tae-jong closed his eyes for a moment.

"Cheongil is claiming that all they did was introduce Samwon to the Saudi royals. Since Samwon is the actual contractor and the one receiving payments, they argue they have no further obligations."

"But if the royal family is upset enough to send a protest letter, wouldn’t the president push Cheongil to handle the situation?"

"It seems Cheongil has greased enough palms up and down the chain. The president’s aides are already shielding them, insisting Cheongil bears no fault."

Park Tae-jong’s expression darkened as he thought about Han Cheong-ho.

"Saudi Arabia has had diplomatic ties with South Korea since 1962. It's one of the rare Middle Eastern nations that maintains a friendly stance toward us. Thanks to that relationship, we’ve been able to import oil at lower prices."

"And since the president is aggressively pushing his heavy and chemical industry expansion policy, oil is absolutely essential. He won’t want to risk straining relations with the Saudi royal family."

"Exactly."

Park Tae-jong nodded.

Tae-soo nodded along as well.

"That means this has turned into a massive headache for the president. Big enough for him to come all the way down to Pohang just to discuss countermeasures."

"Hmm… But that’s just my speculation."

Tae-soo’s eyes gleamed.

"But if the president does decide to consult you on this matter… then—"

"There’s no choice but to hold Cheongil responsible. There’s no other way, is there?"

"But if the president intended to do that, he wouldn’t have come all the way down to Pohang."

"Hmm."

That was a fair point.

Park Tae-jong let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes.

Tae-soo swallowed hard.

The more they talked, the stronger the scent of money became.

‘If I play this right, I can kill three birds with one stone. I can screw over Han Cheong-ho, rake in some Middle Eastern oil money, and even establish connections with the Saudi royal family.’

This was an opportunity!

A once-in-a-lifetime chance—one he had to seize before the oil shock hit.

Time to make a fortune—enough to buy up Gangnam apartments!

"So in short, someone has to complete this construction, but there’s no one willing to step up, correct?"

"That’s right."

‘Everyone’s avoiding this project because of the Bedouin tribe issue. But if I can resolve that? This project will go from being a cursed mess to a golden opportunity. Just look at the money dripping from it.’

Money doesn’t just appear out of thin air.

It shows up where things can be done.

Where things should be done.

Where the rewards are huge.

‘If something feels completely impossible or too trivial, I don’t get this gut feeling. But this? This is the scent of opportunity!’

Follow the money, and success will follow.

Tae-soo grinned.

"What if I take on the Saudi road construction?"

"You?"

Park Tae-jong’s eyes snapped open.

Then, his brow furrowed slightly.

"It won’t be easy. If it were, Samwon wouldn’t have fled, and Han Cheong-ho wouldn’t be cutting his losses."

"You’re absolutely right. It’ll be incredibly difficult. But that’s what makes it worth trying."

"The Bedouin tribe is deeply involved. If there was any room for negotiation, this wouldn’t have escalated to this point."

"No conflict lasts forever. Even a seesaw suspended in midair has to touch the ground eventually."

Tae-soo grabbed a ruler and an eraser from the desk, quickly assembling a makeshift seesaw.

He smirked.

"See this? When a seesaw is balanced midair, it represents a deadlock."

He carefully adjusted the ruler to keep it level.

"Eventually, though, one side has to hit the ground. Do you know how to make that happen?"

"It’s about weight difference, isn’t it?"

"Exactly. The first method—adding weight to one side of the seesaw."

Tae-soo placed a coin on one end.

The seesaw instantly tilted.

"See? But adding weight to a suspended seesaw isn’t as easy as it looks. How much money would it take to make it tip?"

"Hmm…"

"That’s why I’m going to use a different method."

Park Tae-jong’s curiosity was piqued.

How exactly did Tae-soo plan to put an end to the Bedouin tribe’s conflict?

"And what’s your plan?"

Tae-soo simply smiled.

That calm, confident grin made it clear.

Park Tae-jong was convinced.

"You already have a way to resolve this, don’t you? That’s why you’re willing to take on the project."

"That’s right. But I’ll need your help, sir."

Park Tae-jong’s eyes sharpened.

"And what exactly do you need me to do?"

***

Vroooom. Screeeech.

The presidential car came to a stop in front of the Pohang Steel office.

Security vehicles flanked it, while several luxury sedans followed behind.

Pohang Steel’s key executives, led by Park Tae-jong, lined up in front of the office.

They were there to greet the president.

Tae-soo positioned himself at the end of the line.

Click.

The rear passenger door swung open, and two middle-aged men in sharp suits stepped out.

One was President Park Jung-hwan, whose face was all too familiar from television and photographs.

The other was Chief of Security Cha Ki-beom.

"President Park Jung-hwan and Chief Cha Ki-beom, huh?"

Tae-soo studied them closely.

In his past life, he had never seen them in person.

It felt strangely surreal.

"They say they got caught up together in the 10.26 Incident back in '79... No wonder they seem so tight."

There was an unmistakable trust in their eyes as they exchanged glances.

Then, Park Jung-hwan turned that same trusting gaze toward Park Tae-jong.

A warm smile tugged at his lips.

"It’s been a while, Tae-jong. How have you been?"

"I’ve been well, Your Excellency. I trust you’ve been in good health, too."

Park Tae-jong bent at a precise 90-degree angle, greeting him with a crisp bow.

Park Jung-hwan chuckled.

"Still so formal. I hear the steel mill construction is picking up speed?"

"I regret that we couldn’t move faster from the start."

"Well, since I’ve come all this way for an inspection, I’ll see it with my own eyes. Lead the way."

"Right this way, sir."

As Park Tae-jong took the lead, Park Jung-hwan and Cha Ki-beom followed, engaging in casual discussion about the steel mill.

But then, as another luxury sedan pulled up and an unexpected figure stepped out, Tae-soo's eyes widened in shock.

"Chairman Jang Joon-yong of Geumsan Group?"

A conglomerate chairman had personally accompanied the president all the way to Pohang.

"I was just thinking that getting Geumsan’s support would make things much easier... And now the stage is set perfectly.

This is beyond ideal. This is incredible."