Golden Spoon Investment Portfolio - Chapter 489

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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489. Would you still purchase the land despite the current situation?

As snow fell in pristine white sheets, I stepped out from the rear seat of a large Mercedes sedan parked in front of the Yongsan Defense Ministry Building, and the familiar Chief Secretary approached me.

“Welcome. The Minister instructed me to bring you here, so I’ve been waiting for your arrival.”
“I apologize for the inconvenience.”
“Not at all. Please follow me to the Minister’s office.”

I followed the Chief Secretary as he led the way, accompanied by Han Ji-sung Deputy Manager and Dr. Choi Tae-ho, President of Blue Space.
The entire Defense Ministry building was a security facility with strict entry procedures, but the Chief Secretary had made arrangements in advance, so we were able to enter simply by leaving our identification cards.
The group crossed the lobby, where military uniforms were more visible than civilian clothes, boarded the Elevator, and headed straight to the Minister’s office.
Upon arriving at the Attached Office, the Chief Secretary first asked for our patience.

“Please wait a moment.”

He then went to the Minister’s office and knocked before opening the door.

“President Park Seok-won has arrived.”
“Show him in.”

The Chief Secretary held the door and stepped aside, speaking respectfully.

“Please come in.”

I nodded slightly and entered the Minister’s office with my companions, where An Yong-guk, the Minister of National Defense, rose from the sofa to greet me.

“It’s been a long time since we last met.”

I grasped the hand Minister An Yong-guk extended first and spoke with a smile.

“Thank you for making time despite your busy schedule.”
“You’re not just anyone—if President Park wants to meet, I have to make time even if I don’t have any.”

Minister An Yong-guk answered readily and raised one arm, pointing to a sturdy, middle-aged man wearing the insignia of a Brigadier General standing nearby.

“This is Lee Yong-gu, the Director responsible for managing state-owned property under the Ministry of National Defense.”

Lee Yong-gu stepped forward with a respectful demeanor and spoke.

“It’s an honor to meet you for the first time. I look forward to working with you.”
“I’m Park Seok-won. I should be the one saying I look forward to working with you.”

Seok-won shook hands with Lee Yong-gu with a gentle smile on his face.
Lee Yong-gu, who had been inwardly tense upon hearing that Seok-won was the world’s wealthiest magnate and a powerful figure close to the Blue House, felt slightly reassured by his unexpectedly unpretentious and approachable demeanor.
In the meantime, Seok-won introduced his companions.

“This is Dr. Choi Tae-ho, the president overseeing Blue Space, a private space development company we established not long ago.”

Dr. Choi Tae-ho, dressed in a gray suit, then spoke with a somewhat stiff expression.

“I’m Choi Tae-ho. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

After the brief introductions were exchanged, Minister of National Defense An Yong-guk offered his guests seats.

“Let’s not stand on ceremony. Please, have a seat and let’s talk.”
“Of course.”

Both groups sat on the sofa in the minister’s office, facing each other.
Minister An Yong-guk also took a seat beside Lee Yong-gu rather than in the place of honor in the center.

“What would you like to drink?”

Though Minister An Yong-guk was the host, the group’s attention naturally turned toward Seok-won.

“I’ll have coffee.”

Minister An Yong-guk immediately followed up.

“Then shall we all have coffee?”
“That sounds good.”
“I agree.”

Once everyone agreed, Minister An Yong-guk gave a subtle nod to his secretary.

“I’ll have it prepared right away.”

After the secretary’s staff member left, Minister An Yong-guk glanced sideways at Seok-won before speaking softly.

“I understand you wish to purchase Ministry of National Defense land in Mosulpo, Jeju Island.”
“That’s correct. As stated in the proposal I sent earlier, I intend to construct a space launch facility in Mosulpo. The designated site includes some Ministry of National Defense land, and I’d like to acquire it.”

At Minister An Yong-guk’s gesture, Lee Yong-gu, who stood beside him, unfolded a detailed map of the Mosulpo region that had been prepared in advance onto the table.
He then pointed with his finger to the area broadly outlined in highlighter below Mosulpo Harbor as Minister An Yong-guk posed his question.

“This is the western region of Daejeong-eup Seotalorum, correct?”

After confirming the location, Seok-won gave a small nod.

“Yes, that’s right.”

At that moment, a knock sounded and a secretary’s staff member entered, causing the conversation to pause briefly.
The staff member set coffee and refreshments on the table according to the number of people present, then bowed and left the room.
During this brief interlude, Minister An Yong-guk, his hands clasped together, spoke while gazing down at the map.

“Before you arrived, we held an internal meeting. Everyone responded positively—the land has been left unused for quite some time, and moreover, your commitment to donate a naval pier as part of the launch facility construction was well received.”
“That’s fortunate. I assure you the naval pier donation will be fulfilled without fail, so please have no concerns.”
“However, there is one problem.”

Seok-won, who had been smiling in the favorable atmosphere, furrowed his brow slightly.

“What might that be?”

Minister An Yong-guk turned his head and passed the baton to Lee Yong-gu.

“It would be better if you, as the operational expert, explained it rather than I.”
“Yes.”

Lee Yong-gu straightened in his seat and spoke calmly while looking at Seok-won and Dr. Choi Tae-ho across from him.

“It’s true that the land you wish to purchase contains no significant military facilities. However, approximately 450,000 pyeong—excluding the Altneul Airfield area with its unpaved runway—is currently being leased and cultivated by local residents as farmland.”

Seok-won immediately grasped the implication and frowned.

“In other words, once word spreads that a space launch facility will be built, the local residents who lease and farm this land will mount significant opposition.”
“Precisely.”

An Yong-guk, who had been gauging the room, interjected cautiously.

“Since it’s idle land that isn’t being used anyway, and given that maritime shipping route security has become a pressing concern, acquiring a naval base of considerable scale would be advantageous. We support the space launch facility construction. However, if the residents oppose it, we’ll inevitably face significant complications.”

Lee Yong-gu, seated beside him, also added his thoughts with equal caution.

“Furthermore, the area around Altneul Airfield still contains numerous hangars, defensive fortifications, and ammunition depots built by the Japanese military during the colonial period, along with historical sites related to the tragic April 3rd uprising. The opposition will be formidable.”
“In fact, about a decade ago, the Air Force attempted to develop a new air base utilizing Altneul Airfield. The project was abandoned due to fierce resistance from local residents and civic organizations.”
“I see. I wasn’t aware such an incident had occurred.”

At An Yong-guk’s words, the furrow between my brows deepened further.
Dr. Choi Tae-ho beside me also realized that simply transferring the land wouldn’t suffice, his expression turning crestfallen.

“Honestly, I could feign ignorance and simply hand over the land, but that would clearly cause you considerable trouble. So I’m informing you in advance.”
“Had I rashly proceeded with construction as you suggest, it would have been quite problematic. Thank you for the warning.”

An Yong-guk regarded me with a skeptical expression and asked.

“Will you still purchase the land despite these circumstances?”

I turned my head toward Dr. Choi Tae-ho, meeting his gaze.

“What do you think?”

Dr. Choi Tae-ho hesitated momentarily with a conflicted expression before responding with evident reluctance.

“Mosulpo is the optimal location for the launch facility, but if the obstacles are substantial… it would be difficult to proceed as planned.”

I posed the question in a measured tone.

“So if we consider only the geographical and locational advantages, Mosulpo is the best choice.”
“That’s correct.”

I nodded, touching my cleanly shaved chin as I deliberated briefly.
Everyone remained silent, waiting to see what decision I would make.
By the time the coffee before me had grown lukewarm, I lifted my head and spoke.

“We will proceed with purchasing the land in Mosulpo.”

The three men were startled, having expected me to either give up or deliberate further.

“Are you certain? Local opposition could be far more substantial than anticipated.”

An Yong-guk expressed his concerns once more, worried that I was being too hasty, but I didn’t waver in my decision.
Instead, I spoke with unwavering confidence.

“Now that I’ve discovered facts I hadn’t previously grasped, I need to modify our existing plan somewhat.”
“That would certainly be necessary.”
“So rather than purchasing only a portion, we’ll acquire all the land owned by the Ministry of National Defense in Mosulpo, including the Altneul Airfield.”
“It will be challenging, but if there’s anything we can assist with… yes?”

Confronted with this unexpected proposal, An Yong-guk and Lee Yong-gu widened their eyes, unable to conceal their bewilderment.
Dr. Choi Tae-ho beside them also stared at me with an astonished expression.

“Are you saying you’ll purchase all 610,000 pyeong of land?”

As An Yong-guk sought confirmation, I nodded without the slightest hesitation.

“That’s correct.”
“No, if you’re acquiring all 610,000 pyeong rather than just a portion, local resistance will only intensify. How do you intend to handle that?”

An Yong-guk was genuinely concerned, yet I remained composed.

“I’m acquiring more land precisely to resolve local opposition and create mutual prosperity.”
“What do you mean by that….”

The three men exchanged glances of even greater confusion.
Dr. Choi Tae-ho in particular, apparently believing I was overextending myself, spoke with a worried expression.

“While Mosulpo is indeed optimal, if local residents oppose violently, construction delays could significantly derail our plans.”
“That won’t happen, so there’s no need to worry.”

Though I couldn’t fathom what I was thinking, and this wasn’t a private conversation, Dr. Choi Tae-ho refrained from further objection—especially since I held the purse strings and ultimate decision-making authority.
However, he couldn’t hide the concern etched across his face.
At that moment, I turned to An Yong-guk with a new proposal.

“If you transfer all the land owned by the Ministry of National Defense, I’ll donate six Chamsuri-class patrol boats to the Navy in addition to the dock I already promised.”
“Is that truly the case?”
“Of course.”

The Chamsuri-class patrol boats were 150-ton vessels that served as the Navy’s primary fast attack craft, deployed to defend coastal waters and intercept North Korean spy ships.
Though the proposal came out of nowhere, and despite these being older models whose mass production had ended years ago, there was no reason to refuse a donation of six military vessels worth tens of billions of won each—not just one, but six, entirely free of charge.
Between this and the thirty K9 self-propelled guns he’d committed to donating previously, Seok-won seemed to Minister An Yong-guk like Santa Claus himself, arriving with lavish gifts whenever business arose.
Minister An Yong-guk composed his expression, barely suppressing a chuckle that threatened to escape.

“Ahem. Since you say you have a plan to resolve the local residents’ opposition, let’s proceed that way. For us, it’s like a chicken rib—neither useful nor disposable—but it’s far better for Chairman Park to take it and develop it than to simply let it sit idle.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Lee Yong-gu beside him.

“Wouldn’t you agree?”
“You’re absolutely right.”

Lee Yong-gu, receiving the attention, quickly nodded in agreement.

“Ideally, I’d like to transfer the land at a discount given your generous donation of both the naval dock and patrol boats, but that could create legal complications, so it’s difficult.”
“That’s fine. Actually, it’s more convenient for me to price it properly than to risk headaches down the road.”

At my casual tone, Minister An Yong-guk smiled faintly.

“You certainly live up to your reputation as the world’s wealthiest magnate—your generosity is remarkable.”
“You’re too kind.”

I let the flattery roll off my back and continued.

“Once you send me a new valuation for all 610,000 pyeong of Ministry of National Defense land in Mosulpo, we can work out the details and proceed with the contract.”

Since the deal posed no loss whatsoever for the Ministry of National Defense, Minister An Yong-guk readily agreed.

“Excellent.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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