The Genius Construction Worker Who Moved to America - Chapter 30

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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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Episode 30

Starting to Deliver

“I’ve lost….”

Dominic’s voice was hollow as he shook his head. The swagger he’d worn just moments before had vanished entirely.

The next morning at the Site Office.

The office was abuzz from the moment sunrise broke. The cause was Dominic’s spectacular collapse the night before during the company dinner.

“Oh, Dominic! To go down like that over a single glass of whisky! You know, there’s actually a Korean word for people like you. Sooljjira, I think they call it? Ha ha ha!”

Leo was having the time of his life ribbing Dominic. The clever barb drew a laugh even from Max.

Dominic’s face flushed red as he shot up from his chair, bristling.

“No, last night was… I was just exhausted from being underwater all day. I absolutely do not lose to alcohol!”

Dominic launched into his defense with fervor.
But everyone who’d watched him sobbing the night before exchanged meaningful glances now.

‘As if that hulk didn’t just blubber all over the place.’

Stung by their silent judgment, Dominic grew more flustered. He began hammering his chest with his fist, brandishing his pride.

“Dominic Pierce never loses to something as trivial as alcohol! Just look at these muscles!”

He rolled up his shirt, flexing thick biceps. That’s when Max, smoking nearby, chimed in.

“I don’t know—from what I saw last night, those looked more like water weight.”

“Water weight?! Director, let me show you right now whether this arm is real or fake!”

Dominic eagerly positioned himself at the table and challenged Max.

And so an arm-wrestling tournament staking pride erupted from the first light of morning.

Max, who prided himself on strength, crumbled pathetically in just one second. Leo barely warranted consideration.

Having easily overpowered the two, Dominic turned to Kang Jun with a triumphant grin.

“Come on, boss—our real man. Care for a round of arm wrestling?”

Kang Jun studied the thick, corded forearm flexing before him, still leaning against the wall.

Built like a special forces operative, the man’s muscles were formidable. By sheer strength alone, no one on site seemed his match.

‘I think it’s time I reminded this one who holds his leash.’

A wild colt, this one. It was necessary to make him understand, at least once, who kept him in check.

“All right. Let’s try it. Though….”

Kang Jun positioned himself across the table and raised his right hand, displaying it with two fingers extended—index and middle alone.

“I’ll use only two fingers.”

In that instant, Dominic’s face flushed crimson. It was unmistakable mockery.

“Sir, are you joking right now? You’re saying you’ll take me on with just two fingers, after looking at these arms? I won’t be responsible if you get hurt!”

“No need to worry. If you really object….”

Kang Jun let out a quiet laugh, then lowered his right hand and raised his left. Again, only his index and middle fingers extended.

“I’ll use my left hand instead.”

“……!”

Veins bulged across Dominic’s forehead. He set his jaw and raised his arm, signaling he would hold nothing back now.

“Fine then! No excuses after I win! And if I lose, I’ll give you a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year. Though I won’t be losing, of course.”

Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year—the finest bourbon whiskey, the kind that money alone could scarcely procure.

And so the contest between the two men came to be.

They locked hands. Or rather, Dominic’s massive palm—like a pot lid—wrapped around Kang Jun’s slender two fingers.

“All right, both of you ready…. Begin!”

The moment Leo gave the call, Dominic’s arm muscles convulsed.

“Nngh!”

Dominic drew a sharp breath and exerted all his strength.

But.
Contrary to Dominic’s face—flushed to the point of bursting—the table remained perfectly still.

Kang Jun’s arm hadn’t moved a single millimeter from its starting position. Like an ancient tree with roots anchored deep in stone.

‘His raw strength is genuinely monstrous.’

Kang Jun’s expression remained serene, but inwardly he marveled at Dominic’s sheer power.

For an ordinary person, the fingers would have snapped. But that was a fate that would never befall Kang Jun.

[Passive Skill: Craftsman’s Grip Strength (Lv.2) has activated!]

Power surged up from Kang Jun’s left forearm. Each joint in his fingers hardened like steel, deflecting every ounce of pressure bearing down upon them.

“Ggh…! Th-this can’t be…!”

Dominic’s face drained to a sickly purple hue.
He wrung every last bit of strength from his body, yet Kang Jun’s arm remained immovable as a mountain.

Then Kang Jun applied pressure with his fingers. Just slightly.

“Strength shouldn’t be wielded so crudely. Angle and axis—those are what matter.”

He could have simply pressed down with raw force. Instead, Kang Jun deactivated the Craftsman’s Grip Strength and activated the Human Protractor skill instead.

Calculating the principle of leverage and the precise angles of force distribution, Kang Jun rotated his fingers fractionally and pressed downward.

Bang!

With a tremendous crash, Dominic’s hand slammed down onto the table.
Kang Jun brushed off his hand and shrugged toward the breathless Dominic.

“Ha… I concede. Our fearless leader here’s got some serious strength.”

“Well then, break out that whiskey—though I doubt you’ll need it, drinking buddy.”

At Kang Jun’s quip, the office erupted in laughter once more.

* * *

The morning commotion faded, and the workday began in earnest.

Kang Jun stood before the progress board, reviewing the project’s advancement.

[Pasadena Old Town Restoration Project Status]
▶ Zone A (Severe Damage / 42 structures): Roof truss reinforcement and redwood arch integration complete. Currently conducting foundational interior finishing work.
▶ Zone B (Moderate Damage / 80 structures): Double waterproofing membrane installation and asphalt shingle capping complete.
▶ Total Progress: 70%

Thanks to yesterday’s temporary bridge, the schedule had normalized. Yet Kang Jun’s gaze remained fixed on the map’s center, where an X marked a location.

The river bridge they’d demolished yesterday.
Just then, Sofia rushed over with a freshly printed document for Kang Jun.

“Supervisor! An urgent notice just came down from City Hall.”

She pushed up her glasses and read through the document’s contents.

“Regarding the permits for bridge demolition and explosive use, we request that a proper bridge capable of supporting general vehicular traffic be installed at the earliest opportunity. Please be advised that applications for supplemental budget allocation and project schedule extension are available…”

Once Sofia finished, Leo let out a long sigh.

“Hmm… So they won’t sign off on the Completion Inspection with just the temporary bridge. Still, we should be grateful City Hall is willing to extend the deadline.”

A standard concrete bridge construction typically took several months minimum—a major undertaking.
Dredging the riverbed and raising the framework was no simple task.

Max also shook his head.

“No matter how skilled Master Kang is, this is impossible. Even accounting just for concrete curing time, we don’t have enough schedule left.”

While the team sank into discouragement, Kang Jun crossed his arms and drew a line.

“We don’t need to file an extension request.”

“Pardon? What do you mean? The notice clearly said they’d extend the timeline…”

“I appreciate the city’s goodwill, but it’s faster to install the deck while they review the paperwork than to wait for approval.”

In truth, Kang Jun had conceived a construction method from the moment he pressed the detonator yesterday.

“We’ll bring in a Modular Steel Bridge fabricated at the factory and assemble the span. We’ll use a crane to lift the frame and deck, then fit them together like blocks. If materials arrive on schedule, we can have the bridge in place within ten days at the latest.”

Kang Jun’s explanation was clear and direct—the same assembly method they’d used for the temporary bridge.

Sofia noted his words and busily worked her calculator.

“Modular Steel Bridge…. Director, it looks like we can place an order from the additional budget allocation. Let me contact the contractors immediately….”

Sofia, who had been typing at her keyboard, glanced back over her shoulder at Max.

‘Wait… if I say all this while Max is here? Just like last time, it’ll get reported back to Blackwood headquarters!’

She signaled urgently to Kang Jun, her lips moving soundlessly.

‘Director, keep it quiet!’

But Kang Jun simply nodded slightly, reassuring her that all was well.
A faint smile played at the corner of his mouth.

“Now, Director Max, please return to the site and handle the finishing work in Zone A. Sofia, Dominic, and I will have a meeting about the material procurement.”

Kang Jun’s tactful way of dismissing him.

Once he confirmed that Max’s footsteps had faded, Kang Jun turned to Sofia and Dominic, his words laden with meaning.

“The bait is cast. Now it’s our turn to move.”

Sofia and Dominic’s eyes lit up at his words.

Kang Jun had already anticipated Blackwood’s next move and laid a trap to ensnare them.

Meanwhile, Max, back at the site, submitted a report detailing the site conditions to headquarters, as he did every day. The report’s central keyword was unmistakably “Modular Steel Bridge.”

* * *

Blackwood Construction Headquarters, Vice President’s Office.

Crash! Papers scattered.

Julian, the vice president who rarely showed his emotions openly, hurled a stack of documents across his monitor screen.

Between the fluttering papers, his eyes gleamed with a sharp, predatory light.

“Damn it… that rat of an Oriental bastard. This time he got lucky, didn’t he?”

Julian stared intently at the report displayed on his screen.

“Brilliant mind on that one. Wasn’t enough to float a temporary bridge—now he’s talking about modular structures.”

He exhaled slowly to collect himself, then pressed the intercom to summon his secretary.

“Right now—immediately—contact every steel bridge fabrication company in California! Offer them double what Golden Gate is paying, and secure those modular steel components!”

An urgent response came through the speaker.

After ending the call, Julian sat brooding for a moment, then picked up a business card holder from the corner of his desk.

“That won’t be enough. Who knows what else that Oriental might pull off. I need to make this foolproof.”

He held a business card for a senior reporter at a local media outlet in his hand. Then he picked up his smartphone and began composing a message.

[The Dark Side of Pasadena Old Town Restoration. Wasteful demolition and blasting by a local construction firm squanders budget, strands ordinary citizens. Evacuation shelter residents on the verge of explosive fury.]

As Julian hit send, a cunning smile spread across his face.

“That’s it. Nothing works like public opinion. Stoke the residents’ anger, and even Mayor Scott won’t be able to hold the line.”

Julian leaned back against the cushioned seat, envisioning the scenario of victory in his mind.

He would pressure the media, corner Mayor Scott with public opinion, then strike.

And just as Golden Gate floundered, helpless, they would appear like saviors.

“Kang Jun, your thrashing about won’t help you this time.”

Julian’s eyes flashed with cold calculation.

* * *

At that very moment.
Beneath the scorching California sun, on the highway toward Nevada.

Vroooom——!!

A Black Mustang Sports Car was tearing down the road, engine roaring.

The speedometer had long since blown past any legal limit.

Behind the wheel, Dominic pressed the accelerator to the floor, window wide open.

Gripping the steering wheel with one hand, he shouted into the rushing wind.

“Ha-ha-ha! It’s been so long since a delivery run—I’m buzzing! Don’t worry, boss! There’s no such word as ‘late’ in my dictionary!”

The Mustang blazed forward, dust billowing in its wake.
Golden Gate’s delivery—the strike that would shatter Blackwood’s schemes—had begun.

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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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