Max-Level Son of a Chaebol Family - Chapter 60

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

60. Reward Drink

 

The gazes of the Ministers who entered this private room were fixed on Father.

 

Sharp and piercing stares like blade edges swept over Father from head to toe.

 

They were sizing up how Father would take responsibility for his bold declaration just now: ‘I will prove my innocence through results instead of excuses.’

 

Father spoke calmly.

 

“I will directly show you why the same route map must inevitably be drawn even without attempting bribery and corruption. In fact, nothing but the word ‘competence’ is needed here.”

 

At Father’s brazen response, one of the President’s eyebrows rose.

 

The watching Ministers glared at Father with reproachful eyes.

 

Thanks to this, Mayor Gu’s complexion, which had already turned deathly pale, now became ashen black.

 

“Competence?”

 

“Anyone with a properly functioning brain would have no choice but to draw a similar Subway Line 2 route map.”

 

At Father’s audacity, not only the Blue House Chief of Staff but also the Ministers from each department drew in their breath.

 

Regardless of their reaction.

 

Father raised one hand.

 

“Suppose His Excellency had to draw a subway route map on the spot. The conditions would be as follows.”

 

Father spoke while folding his fingers one by one.

 

“About 40 or more subway stations, with a budget of approximately 180 billion won, a construction period of about 5 years, a total length of 48-49km route, connecting Gangnam and Gangbuk, and passing through important downtown facilities.”

 

Father shrugged his shoulders.

 

“To meet all these demanding conditions, there’s no choice but to create the most efficient route.”

 

“The map.”

 

When the President gestured with his hand, the Blue House Chief of Staff sitting beside him quickly picked up the subway route map that had fallen to the floor and spread it neatly on the table.

 

The route map submitted by Taeseong, drawn with a red marker, returned to its proper place.

 

“Except for that one.”

 

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

 

The Blue House Chief of Staff quickly cleared away the crude map that the Wookwang Construction President had drawn.

 

The map, crumpled up in an instant, went straight into the metal trash can.

 

“Hmm.”

 

The President gazed down at the two maps spread out on the table.

 

Unlike the Subway Line 2 route map that Mayor Gu had drawn with a pencil, the route map drawn with a red marker had text written in various places.

 

It marked downtown’s important facilities, even prioritizing them in order.

 

“Mayor Gu.”

 

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

 

He was called by his title, not his name.

 

It meant to answer according to his official duties.

 

What the President wanted was clear.

 

-Cross-verification of information.

 

Mayor Gu broke out in a cold sweat.

 

The President had not withdrawn his suspicion.

 

-Bribery and illegal solicitation.

 

Mayor Gu had to explain this without fail.

 

The current government was vulnerable in terms of legitimacy because it had seized power through a military coup.

 

Therefore, they had been whitewashing their image by putting forward words that the people would like, such as compensation for national merit recipients, restoration of lost cultural assets, and eradication of corruption, pretending to pursue a clean and righteous government.

 

So while they might turn a blind eye to the collusion between politics and business happening behind the scenes, they would not forgive corruption that was exposed right before their eyes.

 

That was an inescapable trap even for Mayor Gu, who was both the Seoul Mayor and the President’s closest aide.

 

“The reason for making the proposal.”

 

“I wanted to test whether there might be any better ideas, and what level of capability the construction company had. Since this is a major construction project that requires pouring nearly 200 billion won of national resources over 5 years, I wanted to be cautious during the planning stage.”

 

Mayor Gu’s words grew faster and faster.

 

“To be honest, it was a proposal I made almost as a joke because I thought I should humble the construction company’s arrogance from the start. But incredibly, this fellow drew the Subway Line 2 route map in just 30 minutes…!”

 

“Conclusion.”

 

“I swear I have never received bribes or solicitation. Also, I have always carried the Subway Line 2 route map with me and maintained perfect security for classified information…”

 

“That’s enough.”

 

With a light raise of his hand, the President silenced Mayor Gu.

 

The President lifted his chin toward Father.

 

“Continue. Prove it.”

 

“If we get greedy, Taeseong would have to bear all the costs and responsibility until completion, and if we try to be clever, we’d be in trouble for embezzling construction funds and shoddy construction. So under those conditions, that was the best option.”

 

The President leaned back against the sofa.

 

It was a signal to keep talking.

 

“The reason I specifically added the condition ‘under those terms.'”

 

“If we could extend the budget and deadline a bit more, it would be more efficient to add one more subway station that Mayor Gu missed.”

 

The President glanced down at the subway route map, and Mayor Gu was startled.

 

It seemed he had been secretly congratulating himself, thinking ‘It was the perfect plan!’ since his subway plan was remarkably similar to Father’s, so the shock appeared quite significant.

 

“What? A subway station I missed?”

 

“The Gangnam Seoul Express Bus Terminal.”

 

Seoul Mayor Gu Jae-cheol had made plans to build a comprehensive bus terminal in Banpo-dong to ease downtown concentration and develop Gangnam.

 

He temporarily completed it as a temporary structure and semi-forcibly relocated the express bus routes that had been scattered around Seoul Station and Dongdaemun Station by bus company.

 

That was just a year ago.

 

“Ah…!”

 

Mayor Gu slapped his forehead.

 

“Right! I completely forgot about that!”

 

This was Mayor Gu’s historically known mistake.

 

It was the reason why Gangnam Express Bus Terminal Station was added first to Subway Line 3.

 

“To forget and leave out such a crucial transportation hub connecting Seoul and provincial areas! This is truly an unforgivable oversight! Your Excellency, I’m truly sorry! I have no excuse.”

 

If Seoul Station and Cheongnyangni Station were considered railway terminals, then Yongsan Intercity Bus Terminal was the intercity bus terminal, and Gangnam Seoul Express Bus Terminal was the express bus terminal.

 

This place was supposed to become one of Seoul’s key transportation gateways connecting Gyeongsang Province, Gangwon Province, and Jeolla Province.

 

“If we insert it into the Subway Line 2 route map even now…!”

 

“Mayor Gu, as I mentioned earlier, due to realistic issues of budget and construction deadlines, that’s very difficult under current circumstances.”

 

“Ah…! I see. Taeseong would have to shoulder all the responsibility and cost burden.”

 

Mayor Gu stamped his feet in great regret.

 

“So that’s why you drew up the Subway Line 3 and 4 route maps like that! It’s something that could be simply resolved by adding just a bit more budget and deadline right now, but since that’s difficult, you moved it to the next plan…!”

 

The President opened his mouth.

 

“Good.”

 

The President gestured with his finger.

 

Then the Blue House Security Chief lowered the arm that had been blocking Father.

 

The Blue House Security Chief pointed toward the sofa with his chin.

 

“Sit.”

 

That was the distance from the President that Father’s answer had earned him.

 

It was merely the lowest seat in the private room, but the other Ministers were currently standing against the wall.

 

“…!”

 

Not only the Ministers but even the Blue House Chief of Staff looked at Father with surprised eyes.

 

Only Mayor Gu had an expression of barely contained joy, the corners of his mouth twitching.

 

Step, step, step, thud.

 

Father walked over obediently and sat in the permitted seat.

 

The President spoke while grinding his cigarette butt into the ashtray to extinguish it.

 

“Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Construction, Seoul City.”

 

“Yes!”

 

“A plan including this proposal. On my desk by next Monday.”

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

The faces of the summoned Ministers and Mayor Gu darkened at being told to finish it in just three days.

 

The President took out a new cigarette and put it in his mouth.

 

The Blue House Chief of Staff hurriedly pulled out a lighter, but the Blue House Security Chief who had rushed over roughly knocked his hand away.

 

“Don’t mess around. Got it?”

 

The Blue House Security Chief glared with his already fierce eyes wide open.

 

The Blue House Chief of Staff quietly placed the lighter he was holding on the table.

 

Only after the Blue House Security Chief had lit the President’s cigarette with his silver Zippo lighter did he smile with satisfaction and step back behind the President to stand at attention.

 

“The reason for deliberately excluding this area.”

 

Good! Expected question number 2 had begun!

 

Another national project for Taeseong Construction that could be easily obtained with a single word from the absolute ruler!

 

Let’s aim for that this time!

 

“Although the Gangnam Seoul Express Bus Terminal opened a year ago, due to the explosive increase in express bus passengers, Seoul’s current express bus traffic capacity cannot handle the full volume. Expansion construction is unavoidable.”

 

Father spoke quietly.

 

“If we assume this is a place where construction will be scheduled soon, the situation becomes extremely complicated. On roads that are already complex with express buses traveling up and down, what would happen if terminal expansion construction and Subway Line 2 construction proceeded simultaneously?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

“Road construction workers and underground civil engineering workers, as well as passengers and merchants using the highway will all converge at once. Naturally, considering the heavy equipment that must be mobilized and the loading of necessary facilities and materials that will be crammed in, the possibility of safety accidents is very high. That’s why I deliberately excluded it.”

 

Tap tap.

 

The President flicked his cigarette ash.

 

“Solution.”

 

“There are two methods. Either give up on including it in the Subway Line 2 route, or postpone the Gangnam Seoul Express Bus Terminal expansion construction.”

 

“Rejected.”

 

The Gangnam Seoul Express Bus Terminal was already in a situation where the terminal expansion construction couldn’t be delayed due to current passenger oversaturation.

 

Moreover, with passengers overflowing like this, if they excluded it from Subway Line 2 due to construction complexity, they wouldn’t be able to achieve the original goals of alleviating downtown traffic and fulfilling citizens’ transportation convenience.

 

“If we force it through?”

 

“We can concentrate the work on one construction company so they can coordinate the construction schedule, worker deployment, heavy equipment placement, and securing loading space.”

 

“Good.”

 

The President nodded.

 

Then the Blue House Security Chief standing behind the President immediately reacted.

 

He brought an empty drinking glass and set it down in front of Father.

 

Glug glug.

 

The Blue House Security Chief personally poured the Royal Salute.

 

“Drink. This is liquor poured by His Excellency.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Father respectfully lifted the drinking glass with both hands and downed it in one gulp.

 

The more this happened, the more peculiar the expressions of the Blue House Chief of Staff and the Ministers standing against the wall became.

 

Only Mayor Gu smiled proudly.

 

“Mayor Gu. Extend the Subway Line 2 construction.”

 

“Yes, Your Excellency. Including up to the Gangnam Seoul Express Bus Terminal, correct?”

 

“Give the terminal expansion construction to this fellow too.”

 

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

 

“Including the terminal shopping center construction.”

 

“Yes. Understood.”

 

Great! That’s exactly it!

 

“I don’t think we need to go through competitive bidding.”

 

“Then I’ll decide on a single bid. How about proceeding with a negotiated contract?”

 

“Handle it yourself.”

 

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

 

Mayor Gu’s smile grew even deeper.

 

With a single word from the President, everything proceeded smoothly.

 

‘The Gangnam Express Bus Terminal expansion construction and the terminal shopping complex construction have both been confirmed!’

 

Jackpot!

 

It wasn’t for nothing that the note I wrote glowed golden!

 

The President didn’t stop there.

 

“The subway construction. Is there any need to delay it further?”

 

He meant to move up the start date for the Subway Line 2 construction.

 

That meant no matter what Wookwang Construction tried, the Subway Line 2 construction belonged to our Taeseong!

 

It was a subway construction project confirmed by the President himself.

 

Even Mayor Gu, who was both the decision-maker and the supervisor responsible for oversight, couldn’t change this.

 

“Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Seoul City.”

 

“Yes!”

 

In this round of the President’s roll call, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was added.

 

“Reflect this opinion as well. On my desk by next Tuesday.”

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

The report submission deadline was extended by only one more day.

 

With only four days total available, the Minister of Commerce and Industry was now included in the list of ministers whose faces had turned deathly pale.

 

Mayor Gu, who had been smiling, seemed to have already given up, as his hearty laughter had merely changed to a hollow laugh.

 

What could he do? When those above tell you to peel, you have to peel.

 

“Your Excellency, then when would be good to start the construction?”

 

“Immediately. Don’t let it drag into next year.”

 

How urgent could he be!

 

How many days were left until the new year!

 

I was on the verge of breaking into a satisfied smile.

 

‘What would happen if this topic came up at the New Year family dinner when the whole family gathers?’

 

I didn’t know for sure, but the family’s interest would certainly be tremendous.

 

Father had struck a deal with the President to secure two additional major national construction projects, and even finalized the Subway Line 2 construction that Grandfather had been persistently working on and putting effort into.

 

But the President didn’t stop there.

 

“You’ve been invited as a state guest of the Saudi Royal Family?”

 

The President’s business in calling Father directly was just the beginning.

 

It was also the last question I had anticipated.

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