The Genius Construction Worker Who Moved to America - Chapter 38

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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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Chapter 38

The Poisoned Chalice

“God, I’m losing my mind. How am I supposed to find a valve that’ll seal off that water column within a week?”

Leo paced his office with his necktie hanging loose, his face drained of color.

Eighty meters beneath 1248 Address, scalding hot spring water was surging upward.

In normal terrain, there was no reason for 150-degree thermal water to erupt from such a shallow depth. But this was California, where the San Andreas Fault System—the world’s largest seismic zone—cut through the land.

The cracks left by tectonic movement had allowed boiling water from the depths to force its way to the surface, where it now lay trapped.

“I just called around to the specialized piping companies. They all say it’s impossible.”

Sofia sighed and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose with irritation.

“They said manufacturing alone would take at least three months. Some even scoffed, saying there’s no way such a thing would be in stock….”

“Three months? Am I supposed to watch this land tear itself apart? Dominic! Can’t you work your connections?”

At Leo’s outburst, Dominic sat up from the sofa where he’d been lying and raised both hands in defeat.

“Sir, I’ve been scouring the black market all night. I could maybe find a tank, but a specialized valve like that? No luck. Besides, who’s going to steal something like that in the first place?”

Silence filled the office.

One week. If they didn’t find a solution by then, a radius of one kilometer would collapse into a sinkhole.
The penalty of instant death was no bluff.

While everyone sank deeper into despair, Kang Joon’s bright voice cut through the silence.

“Don’t worry so much, everyone. I have an idea.”

Kang Joon turned on the tablet PC sitting on the desk and held it out for all to see.
On the screen was a photograph of something massive, moored in the waters off Long Beach.

“Do you remember what Brown said earlier today? About how Blackwood has been putting off the demolition of the abandoned drilling rig off Long Beach Harbor?”

“I remember, but why are you talking about a drilling rig now, of all times?”

Kang Joon tapped his finger on the lower section of the drilling rig in the image—the submerged structure beneath the water.

“At the very bottom of the drilling shaft, there’s a safety device installed to prevent oil and gas from backing up and causing an explosion. In other words, a Blowout Preventer Valve.”

Kang Joon’s eyes gleamed.

“One hundred and fifty degrees of hot spring water? The pressure at eighty meters underground? Compared to a valve that controls crude oil gushing from three thousand meters beneath the seabed, that’s child’s play. It’s the perfect cap we’ve been looking for.”

Sofia cut through his words with cold realism.

“But Director, considering our relationship with Blackwood… they’ll never hand over the demolition rights to us.”

Sofia had a point. Yet Kang Joon smiled as he answered.

“If you know an enemy’s weakness, things change. It’s about time we heard from them….”

Ring!

Before Kang Joon could finish speaking, his Smartphone on the table vibrated. The caller was Max.

“Yes, Director Max. Any luck with the investigation?”

[Director, bingo. I got the goods on these bastards.]

* * *

A few hours earlier. A dingy pub tucked in a back alley near Long Beach Harbor.

Two middle-aged men sat hunched at a corner table that reeked of stale cigarette smoke. Max and his old colleague Bill.

“Come on, have another. It’s been so long, I’m getting nostalgic.”

Bill was currently the site foreman for the drilling vessel demolition project.

Bill knocked back the harsh whiskey Max poured for him in one gulp. Dark circles hung heavy beneath his eyes, and his shoulders sagged with exhaustion.

“Ugh… damn it. Max, you leaving the company was pure luck. It’s turned into absolute hell now.”

“Hell? But the demolition project seemed massive… Why aren’t they moving forward with the work?”

Max feigned complete ignorance, probing carefully. Bill glanced around, then leaned in close to the table and lowered his voice.

“They’re not delaying the demolition—they can’t do it! You have no idea what’s accumulated in the hull.”

“What is it? Asbestos? Layers of it?”

“Asbestos would be a blessing. It’s Toxic Waste Sludge! Mixed with water and oil, chunks of heavy metals all caked together, completely clogged up!”

Despair threaded through Bill’s voice. Max discreetly checked that the Recorder in his pocket was running smoothly.

“If it were just regular oil, we could pump it out and sell it. But this toxic sludge has to go to a chemical processing plant. The disposal cost alone could run over several million dollars!”

Blackwood’s dilemma. The moment its true nature was laid bare.

Proceeding with demolition meant astronomical Environmental Burden Fees and Waste Disposal Costs.
But if they did nothing, the Harbor Authority would collect thousands of dollars in Penalty Fees every single day.

A Poisoned Chalice, pure and simple.

“So what’s the plan? Keep hemorrhaging money in penalties? Julian, that madman—he’d never sit still for this.”

Max’s Leading Interrogation technique worked perfectly. Bill tore at his hair in despair.

“That’s what’s driving me crazy! The Vice Chairman… he ordered us to open the valve in the hull and dump the toxic sludge into the ocean without authorization!”

“What? Are you insane? They’re dumping that waste into the sea?”

“Shh! Keep your voice down!”

Bill panicked and clamped his hand over Max’s mouth.

“If we get caught… I could rot in prison for life. But with a family to think of, I can’t just refuse….”

[Director, did you hear? These animals are planning something truly heinous.]

[Excellent work, Director Max. Withdraw immediately.]

Max patted Bill’s trembling shoulder, then slipped out of the pub.

Back at the 1248 Address site office.
The team’s reactions to the recording’s contents varied widely.

Sofia’s mind raced through Blackwood’s financial state and projected penalties in seconds.

“The Harbor Authority’s delay charge alone is fifty thousand dollars a day. Add the minimum waste disposal cost of fifteen million dollars. If the illegal dumping is discovered, punitive damages on top of that will bankrupt Blackwood outright.”

“Exactly! Which is precisely why we can’t get anywhere near that barge! We can’t eat a poisoned apple just to get our hands on one valve!”

Leo protested furiously, but Kang Joon spoke with even greater resolve.

“We’re going to take that entire barge before Blackwood ever dumps anything.”

“What? Mr. Choi! Didn’t you hear what Sofia just said? Fifteen million dollars’ worth of poison!”

Kang Joon continued, unbothered by Leo’s outcry.

“They’ll be desperate to offload this cargo one way or another. We exploit that. To extract the valve we need, we’ll have to drain the toxic sludge sitting on top of it anyway.”

Kang Joon turned to Sofia with instructions.

“Sofia. Draft a Public Works Transfer Agreement stating that Golden Gate assumes full authority over the decommissioning of Blackwood’s Long Beach offshore drilling platform, and accepts complete responsibility for all environmental burden fees and waste disposal costs arising from the dismantling process.”

“Director… that’s as good as putting a noose around your own neck. Can you really take on something like this?”

Sofia asked with genuine concern, but Kang Joon’s eyes held not the slightest flicker of doubt.

“Don’t worry, Sofia. Who knew that garbage could turn into gold? Draft it so it looks favorable to Blackwood. Make sure they bite on the bait.”

* * *

The next morning, Blackwood Group Headquarters.
Kang Joon and Sofia pushed through the revolving doors of the first-floor lobby and stepped inside.

Someone stopped them as they crossed the lobby toward the VIP-exclusive elevator.

A man in a uniform bearing the Blackwood logo, both hands laden with coffee carriers.

It was Reynolds—until recently an executive at Blackwood, now demoted to a regular employee in the wake of the Pasadena incident.

“You! What are you doing here?! How dare you show your faces in this place!”

Reynolds shouted, his face flushing with indignation, but his pathetic appearance carried no threat whatsoever.
Kang Joon chuckled softly and gave Reynolds’s shoulder a light tap.

“Step aside, Mr. Reynolds. We’re legitimate guests here to discuss business with Vice Chairman Julian.”

Leaving the red-faced Reynolds behind, Kang Joon and Sofia entered the elevator heading calmly to the top floor.

Blackwood Group Headquarters, top floor, Vice Chairman’s office.
Julian’s brow furrowed as he took the secretary’s call on the intercom.

“Kang Joon of Golden Gate is here? Walking straight into the tiger’s den… Show them in.”

A heavy hardwood door swung open, and Kang Joon and Sofia entered the office. Julian received them without rising from his seat.

“Mr. Choi, I’m curious what brings you here. Are you testing the limits of my patience?”

“Let’s skip the pleasantries, Vice Chairman. I’m a busy man myself.”

Kang Joon strode forward and hurled the folder he’d been holding onto Julian’s desk.

“The drilling platform demolition project off Long Beach. Transfer it to us.”

In that moment, Julian’s eyes narrowed to slits.
He was startled beneath the surface, but his face arranged itself into a smile.

“You’re asking me to hand over the drilling platform demolition? Why on earth would I do that?”

“That smile of yours—I wonder how genuine it is. You haven’t even started the demolition, and you’re bleeding penalty fees every single day. How much longer do you plan to cling to that scrap metal?”

Kang Joon’s provocation landed. Julian’s eyebrow twitched faintly.
He pretended to remain composed and picked up the papers from his desk.

As Julian’s gaze reached a particular clause, his heart began to race.

[Article 4. Upon execution of this agreement, all authority pertaining to the dismantling of the drilling platform shall transfer to Golden Gate, and Golden Gate shall assume all Environmental Burden Fees, Waste Disposal Costs, and legal liabilities arising from the demolition process.]

At that moment, Sofia, standing beside Kang Joon, cut in sharply.

“Of course, since this is a public works project, Harbor Authority approval will be necessary.”

Julian’s eyes flickered, and he cut off Sofia’s words.

“Ah, we can handle all the Harbor Authority paperwork on our end! As long as you can vouch for this agreement, that is.”

Eager to dump the troublesome matter as quickly as possible, Julian swallowed the bait whole.

‘Kang Joon… do you have any idea what you’re accepting? You don’t suspect for a moment that there’s ten million dollars’ worth of toxic waste sludge pooling in the hull.’

Julian felt a silent laugh rising in his chest.

In his eyes, Kang Joon looked like a moth plunging into flame, hoping to scrape together a few pennies from scrap metal.

‘The moment he signs this paper, he won’t be able to bear the disposal costs and will go bankrupt. He’s practically handing me my revenge on a platter!’

Julian suppressed the smile tugging at his lips and staged an expression of concern.

“Hmm… Mr. Kang. Are you truly confident you can manage this? Demolition work at sea is in a different league than neighborhood construction.”

“Don’t worry about us. Just put your stamp on it.”

Julian drew a fountain pen from the drawer.

Scratch, scratch.
Several strokes crossed the transfer agreement.

“The deal is done. I’ll take good care of the asset, Vice Chairman Julian.”

“Mr. Kang, farewell. Oh, and do watch the bottom of the hull.”

As Kang Joon left the office, a smile played at his lips.

“Sofia.”

“Yes, Director.”

“Contact Dominic. Tell him to get a barge floating in Long Beach Harbor and load it with waterproof tarpaulins.”

Kang Joon tapped the contract whose ink hadn’t yet dried, issuing his orders. A dark crimson light flickered in his eyes.

“Well then, shall we go find the lid?”

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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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