Max-Level Son of a Chaebol Family - Chapter 55
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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55. An Opportunity Not to Be Missed
The Grim Reaper smoothly approached, following behind President Kim of Wookwang Construction.
Click.
Just then, the door to the Mayor’s Office at Seoul City Hall opened.
The person Mayor Gu personally escorted out was Father.
Mayor Gu burst into hearty laughter with an extremely satisfied expression.
“Thanks to you, it seems like the plans for Subway Line 3 and Line 4 are becoming much clearer.”
Mayor Gu lightly patted Father’s shoulder.
“As expected, conversations with someone who shares the same vision are truly enjoyable. If it weren’t for the District Mayor Meeting, I would have had an even deeper conversation with you. What a shame this turned out to be. Let’s promise to meet again next time.”
“Yes.”
“I really like that confident and composed attitude of yours. How much more trust are you going to give me?”
Mayor Gu smiled contentedly.
“You’ll need to properly prepare and submit the Subway Line 2 Construction Bid Documents.”
“Of course.”
“I have no intention of leaving any blemishes on my record. So you’ll need to be even more careful when submitting your materials. My heart leaning toward Taeseong and turning a blind eye to push Taeseong forward even if the Construction Bid Documents are hastily prepared are completely different things.”
“Yes, Taeseong won’t handle anything carelessly, so you don’t need to worry about that.”
“Good! That’s exactly what I wanted to hear! Be careful on your way back.”
“Then I’ll be going.”
Father bowed politely.
President Kim of Wookwang Construction and Secretary Choi stopped walking when they saw this scene.
President Kim of Wookwang Construction’s expression became deeply furrowed.
“I guess he’s meeting with the decision-maker before the construction to lobby. That’s political-business collusion.”
But the response came not from Father’s mouth, but from Mayor Gu’s.
“Political-business collusion? Then why did you come to see me?”
It was a sharp retort.
“I have ears to hear and Eyes to see. It seems like you’ve been buttering up city councilors and district councilors, as well as city hall bureaucrats, constantly trying to interfere with my affairs. I don’t look favorably on such things. That’s what political-business collusion is, so how is this political-business collusion?”
“Mayor Gu, it seems there’s been some misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? So you’re saying I don’t know anything and am just nitpicking for no reason. This is truly absurd.”
Mayor Gu walked away without looking back.
Father had also walked away in the opposite direction and disappeared long ago.
President Kim of Wookwang Construction quickly followed after Mayor Gu.
“Mayor, please spare me a moment. I have something to discuss regarding the Subway Line 2 construction.”
“Did you make an appointment with me? I’m going to be very busy, so I’d like you to head back now.”
“This is important business. I’m certain you’ll think it was worth your time – an attractive proposal…”
“I see. As it happens, I also have a proposal to make. Fair and square.”
“Pardon?”
“The District Mayor Meeting will take over 30 minutes to finish. Since it’s year-end, it’ll probably take more than an hour.”
“Yes, I’ll wait.”
“In the meantime, try drawing up a Subway Line 2 Route Map.”
When Mayor Gu gestured, his aide immediately handed over a Seoul City Map.
President Kim of Wookwang Construction’s eyes widened.
“What do you mean all of a sudden? Draw a Subway Line 2 Route Map?”
“We’ve decided to change the Subway Line 2 Route Map. Since Wooguang is one of the most promising construction company candidates, I’m giving you a chance to present your opinion on the subway plan.”
Mayor Gu smiled smugly.
“Go ahead and draw the subway route that Wooguang dreams of. Just mark about 40 stations.”
“How can I possibly draw a subway route map within an hour?”
“Don’t think too hard about it. If you do well, you’ll get bonus points, and even if you don’t, there won’t be any disadvantages.”
“Mayor Gu, you’re not making a difficult request – you’re making an impossible request!”
President Kim of Wookwang Construction’s deeply furrowed face wouldn’t relax.
“Forty stations? Do you know how much that increases what we have to consider? Wooguang has to bear all the construction costs too, so making such an irresponsible request…”
“What, can’t do it? Not confident? Taeseong did it in 30 minutes. I guess it’s too hard for Wooguang?”
“…Pardon?”
President Kim of Wookwang Construction asked back in shock.
“What did you just say? Taeseong did what how?”
“Taeseong drew a Subway Line 2 Route Map within 30 minutes. Even Hyeonmu did it, but only Wooguang is saying they can’t.”
“Th-thirty minutes? Both Taeseong and Hyeonmu?”
Mayor Gu gently placed his hand on President Kim of Wookwang Construction’s shoulder.
“If you’re not confident, you can give up. I’ll consider that to be the extent of Wooguang’s capabilities.”
President Kim of Wookwang Construction seemed to be holding back his curses.
“I don’t think I’d want to work with someone who lacks ability, vision, and insight.”
“…I’ll do it. I’ll try. I have to make it work somehow.”
“Good. Since you’re approaching this so enthusiastically, I’ll trust you and wait.”
Why did Mayor Gu’s smile look so sinister?
Mayor Gu left for the conference room without looking back.
President Kim of Wookwang Construction, left behind in the Mayor’s Office corridor, clutched his hair.
“Damn it!”
As soon as he saw the Seoul City map that Mayor Gu had handed him, he let out the curse he’d been holding back.
“How did Taeseong mark 40 stations and submit it within 30 minutes? Even if you mark one station per minute, there’s not enough time! What kind of crazy bastard does this?”
He looked completely lost about where and how to even begin tackling this.
The Grim Reaper chuckled with glee.
Then he left President Kim of Wookwang Construction behind and smoothly disappeared somewhere.
The Grim Reaper had other people to check on besides President Kim of Wookwang Construction.
Specifically, the Taeseong Chemical lackeys that Uncle Cheol-gu had identified.
* * *
The Vision Sharing with the Grim Reaper was cut off like that.
‘Looking at the Wookwang Construction president’s expression, the subway route map is doomed… Oh! Master!’
I suddenly snapped back to attention.
I worked my short legs hard and quickly scurried over to Master.
I was curious about what those golden documents Master was holding were.
“Hello?”
I put my hands together and bowed politely.
“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t this Little Customer?”
“Since I didn’t come to the pawn shop, please drop the ‘customer’ part.”
“Right, what should I call you instead of Little Customer? Should I call you Taeseong Group’s 3rd generation heir?”
Master smiled.
“I had a feeling from the time that secretary was following you around, but I never imagined you’d be Taeseong’s youngest grandson.”
“Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Cha Jeong-hyeok.”
“Yes, thanks to you I received the invitation well and got to see quite a show. I also got to drink expensive liquor from your grandfather. Thanks to the free drinks, I made back the gas money for driving the car.”
Seriously, when it comes to free drinks, he’d jump up even from his sleep.
“Thanks to you, Taeseong was also able to attract investment funds. Thank you.”
“What thanks. This side also made out well, so it was quite a good deal. If there’s another opportunity next time, let’s work together again.”
“Of course. Players should help each other out.”
“Right, players in this field should share the good opportunities.”
We master and disciple looked at each other and smiled.
“If you have time, would you like to have tea with me?”
“I was actually on my way to the hotel coffee shop anyway. Ahem!”
“I’ll have ssanghwa tea. With two eggs floating in it.”
“Are you showing off because you’re from a wealthy family? Why are your tastes so refined? Saying you’ll drink it with two whole eggs floating in it. Hah!”
“Of course. I’m the 3rd generation of Taeseong Group, so I can afford that much luxury.”
“Oh my, it seems like time is…”
Before Master could check his wristwatch, I shook my coin purse.
“Of course I’ll be paying.”
“It seems like there’s plenty of time left before my appointment. Then shall I have ssanghwa tea too?”
Seriously, if it’s free, he’d even drink lye water.
But I opened my wallet with a happy heart.
“Then I’ll get yours with two eggs floating in it too, Boss.”
“Oh ho, I’ve never drunk anything so luxuriously in my entire life, I’m already looking forward to how it will taste.”
During my cold and hungry childhood, I owe Master a great debt of gratitude.
I’m grateful that he would make me new clothes every spring for the new school term.
I’m also grateful that he would quietly light mosquito coils in the summer.
I’m grateful that in autumn he would slip me money to buy books, telling me to make pretty autumn leaf bookmarks.
And I’m grateful that in winter he would roast sweet potatoes and garaetteok on the pawn shop stove for me.
“But who are you meeting at the hotel?”
“Would you know if I told you?”
“Probably.”
Master seemed to be at a loss for words as he coughed awkwardly for quite a while instead.
“What brings you here? You’re the one who always complains that everything at hotels is expensive.”
“Who wants to come to an expensive hotel? Those pretentious people insisted on meeting at a hotel, so I had no choice but to come.”
“Pretentious people?”
I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion.
Master used to meet such people at the Pawn Shop, not at hotels.
Most of them came crawling on their knees, desperate for quick cash.
“I’m thinking of establishing a Bank.”
“Pfft!”
Uncharacteristically, I spat out my Ssanghwa Tea.
Master’s statement was that shocking.
“You’re establishing a Bank?”
Master had spent his entire life operating in the shadows, running money through the Pawn Shop.
No matter how much wealth he had accumulated, no matter how he had become a land tycoon by sweeping up prime real estate.
Master had never once expressed any intention regarding banks.
So I couldn’t help but be shocked.
Why all of a sudden?
“It’s thanks to you that this came about.”
That was even more absurd than his talk of establishing a Bank.
It was so absurd that I had to ask again.
“What does a Bank have to do with me?”
“You sent me an Invitation, didn’t you?”
Invitation?
“Do you have any idea who I met at Year-End Night yesterday and what we talked about? This Can’t Be! Like lightning striking my mind, my Eyes opened wide.”
“Didn’t you say the same thing when you first discovered Private Loans while struggling through the war?”
“Exactly! I was thinking how foolish I’ve been, not knowing about such good opportunities and stupidly crawling around at the bottom all this time – my past life of narrow vision feels like such a waste!”
Master slapped his knee.
“The words of those who decide the major affairs of this Government are full of profitable information! I picked up something really good there!”
“What exactly did you hear?”
“Financial reform.”
Master moistened his throat with a sip of Ssanghwa Tea.
Indeed, his voice became more secretive yet clearer.
“Kid, have you ever heard of the private loan freeze measure?”
“Yes, it’s when the President invoked emergency powers to turn Private Loans into worthless scraps of paper in an instant.”
It’s comfortable not having to deliberately act like a child in front of Master.
“In just one week, the reported private loan amount was about 360 billion won. This was equivalent to about 80% of Korea’s total money supply and about 34% of domestic credit balance.”
“…!”
“It was an extreme measure to eliminate Underground Finance that was encroaching on Institutional Finance at once, and to absorb funds from the private loan Market into Institutional Finance. Thanks to this, the unstable Institutional Finance was revived, and banks could cover their bad debts.”
“Huh…!”
“You could say it was killing two birds with one stone, mixed with the Government’s will to forcibly rehabilitate 45% of the top 83 companies that were insolvent.”
Master stared at me with his mouth agape.
Then he burst into a hollow laugh.
“You’re really seven years old…! No, never mind. Yes, everything you said is correct. You got it all right, nothing more, nothing less.”
“So why bring up the private loan freeze measure? Are they implementing a second private loan reform?”
“A smart kid is also quick-witted. Yes, there are rumors going around that they’re preparing another round of financial regulations.”
Well. I doubt that.
‘That’s probably a deliberately spread false rumor.’
In fact, implementing just one private loan freeze measure placed quite a considerable economic and political burden on the Blue House.
As President, it would be too much to carry out consecutive financial reforms that greatly shake the economy.
Moreover, with the presidential election scheduled for next July.
It seems difficult to throw another curveball at the Financial Sector.
“I don’t know how many major financial regulations this Military Government has forcibly implemented since coming to power. Not only monetary reform and currency devaluation, but regulations like the private loan freeze measure came out one after another! Whenever the Government drew the Sword of regulation, Underground Finance would be massacred en masse.”
But Master seemed to think differently.
His lowered voice became even more secretive than before.
“It looks like they’ll soon issue regulatory measures to suppress real estate Speculation.”
The 8.8 real estate regulations!
They will definitely enforce that to prevent overheating of real estate Speculation.
“Real estate regulations inevitably must be accompanied by Financial Sector regulations as well.”
Master smiled broadly.
“So it’s a bit early, but we’re thinking of establishing a bank and heading out to Sunny Side. Before regulations tie our hands. We need to play in bigger waters.”
Without realizing it, I stared blankly at Master.
‘That sounds good?’
I think I know why those documents are glowing golden.
This was a good opportunity for me, for Master, and for Taeseong.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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