Chapter 49: A Door Opens at the Top

Hyunmu Construction’s President Oh looked around at the crowd.

There were quite a few people sending dissatisfied glances, having been swept up by President Kim of Wookwang Construction’s incitement.

“Let’s remember the original purpose of the Year-End Night. Do you think His Excellency would rather see a large amount of donations collected, or would he prefer to hear that we were kicked out for causing a commotion?”

The Year-End Night event was held by the Federation of Korean Industries at the request of the Blue House.

The idea was to dig deep into the pockets of the rich to help neighbors in need during the year-end and New Year season.

Otherwise, who in their right mind would willingly open their wallets and throw out their hard-earned cash?

“As you all know, the names and donation amounts of sponsors will be recorded and reported up top. I’ll leave it to your imagination what reason I’ll write next to the name ‘0 won’ when that happens.”

President Oh glared at President Kim of Wookwang Construction.

“If you continue to stir up trouble and cause a disturbance like this, I’ll have you forcibly removed from this place. President Kim, consider this a warning.”

President Kim’s face flushed red and blue.

Master clicked his tongue.

“What a farce, what a spectacle. Kicking up a fuss over nothing, acting all high and mighty over such a trivial thing.”

Grandfather laughed heartily and warmly welcomed the investors.

“Come this way. If you’re willing to help Taeseong, I should gladly accept your investments. I’ll treat you to a generous drink out of gratitude. Secretary Kim!”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Please escort our investors and have them fill out the investment agreement first.”

“Yes, understood. Would you come this way, please?”

Secretary Kim led the four heavyweights.

At that, people swarmed around Secretary Kim.

“I’m thinking about investing in Taeseong Construction too.”

“How much do I need to invest to receive a development site?”

“If I become a co-investor, will you at least tell me where the subway station is going to be, even if I don’t get a site?”

Secretary Kim glanced back.

The CEOs of Taeseong Group’s affiliates quickly came running, reading the room.

Securing investment for Taeseong Construction was the top priority above all else.

“This way, please.”

“At Taeseong, we always welcome investors.”

“We’ll do our utmost to prove with results that you won’t regret investing in Taeseong Construction.”

Grandfather burst into a hearty laugh as he shook hands with high-ranking officials and politicians.

My father, who had just been announced as Taeseong Construction’s new president, was just as busy.

He seemed overwhelmed, surrounded by people, deep in conversation.

President Kim of Wookwang Construction, left alone in the hall, gritted his teeth.

“Ha······!”

Taeseong Construction had just resolved its one and only weak spot: lack of funds.

President Kim of Wookwang Construction probably never imagined that the huge hole he’d created by coaxing the former president of Taeseong Construction would be filled so easily.

Perhaps overwhelmed by a sense of crisis, President Kim’s face contorted as if he’d just downed a bowl of sewage.

“Damn it!”

President Kim stormed out of the hall, fuming.

“We’ll see about this!”

His every step radiated blatant fury.

But no one paid him any mind.

Not a single person even bothered to bid him farewell.

“Now it should be a bit quieter.”

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction let out a chuckle.

“What a pity. President Kim of Wookwang Construction’s donation: 0 won. What reason should I write down for that?”

President Oh had already warned him.

He’d said he would report the reason along with the donation amount next to each name.

President Oh pulled out a notebook and scribbled with his fountain pen.



With a satisfied expression, President Oh slipped his notebook and pen into his suit pocket.

“Strictly speaking, the Year-End Night is a charity bazaar and fundraising event to help neighbors in need, but instead of collecting donations, all we’re gathering is investment money for Taeseong Construction. That’s quite the talent, I must say.”

The person who had caught President Oh’s attention was none other than my father.

“Cha Sungjun, huh. I heard he’s been appointed as the new president of Taeseong Construction. So it was the youngest of the Taeseong Group who sent Yoo Jongtae to hand over the Suseo-dong apartment site to me.”

President Oh’s eyes were full of goodwill.

“If it’s the Subway Line 2 project, there’s probably something I can help with.”

President Oh stepped down from the stage and walked into the crowd.

***

‘Alright!’

I clenched both fists tightly.

‘My mother and I have been introduced on official occasion, but everyone’s attention is focused not on us, but on Taeseong Construction! On subway project investment and development sites!’

People care more about the scraps of profit that might fall their way than poking into other people’s family business.

That’s exactly why I sent out invitations for this event and gathered the heavyweights of the previous era here.

‘Everything is going just as I planned!’

A surge of exhilaration and a deep sense of satisfaction filled my chest.

This is why people call me the Sillim-dong Ant Hell—one of the two reasons, anyway······

“Junghyuk.”

I looked up at my father’s call.

My father, having extracted himself from the throng around him, approached me.

From the way he carried a large plate filled with colorful finger foods, he must have picked them up from the food court set up on one side of the hall.

He’d even picked out only the foods I liked.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m fine.”

I was so busy just trying to gather information from the Grim Reaper that I hardly had time to care about eating.

If I’d wanted a meal, I’d have gone to a restaurant in the first place.

How could I just sit around eating when there was so much valuable intel floating around here?

“Here you go. Not sure if it’ll be to your taste.”

“Thank you, Dad. I’ll eat well.”

I reached out to take the big plate.

My father smiled warmly, then took my hand and led me to a corner of the hall where there were tables and chairs.

He set the plate on the table, slipped his hands under my arms, and lifted me onto a chair.

He sat down next to me and propped his chin in his hand.

“Are you scared at all?”

“No. Not at all.”

“You must have been tired from standing, but you didn’t complain. You must be hungry, but you didn’t whine. You must have gotten jostled by the crowd, but you didn’t fuss.”

It’s not like this is my first party.

Nor is it my first time dealing with people.

No need to make a big deal over something like this······

My father gently ruffled my hair.

“You held up bravely. Good boy.”

His hand was as gentle and kind as if he were stroking a newborn puppy.

“If you’re tired, would you like to go lie down in the room?”

“The room?”

“I booked a room at this hotel. I’ll probably be a bit late tonight.”

My father handed me a slip of paper with the hotel room number written on it.

I accepted the slip.

My father looked apologetic.

“It must feel strange, coming somewhere new. Are you bored?”

“I’ll find my own fun, so don’t worry about me.”

I was genuinely having fun.

From profitable stock tips to the political world’s secret movements.

This place was a veritable gold mine of high-level information.

It was also quite entertaining to watch the ridiculous antics of all the bigwigs whose names everyone knew.

I grinned.

“Go ahead, Dad. All those gentlemen are waiting for you.”

There were plenty of people desperate to talk to my father.

No way he had time to spare for me, too.

But knowing he still cared about me made my heart ticklish and warm.

“Shall we go watch something amazing later?”

“Something amazing?”

“There’ll be fireworks in the Hyunmu Hotel garden. I hear they’ll be colorful and beautiful.”

Fireworks?

Did they always have something like that at the Year-End Night event?

“Junghyuk, let me ask you something, just in case. The Suseo-dong land your grandfather brought······.”

I tugged gently at my father’s sleeve.

“Dad, President Oh has been waiting for you.”

“President Oh?”

As my father turned, President Oh of Hyunmu Construction smiled brightly.

“Sorry to interrupt father and son time.”

“It’s been a while, President Oh. I was just about to ask when the fireworks would start.”

“They’ll start at nine. Shall we talk for a bit?”

President Oh signaled with his eyes.

I gave my father a little push on the back.

“Go ahead. I’ll stay here and eat.”

“Alright.”

My father stood up.

He straightened his suit and slipped back into the crowd.

‘Hey, Guardian Spirit!’

[Yeah, I’m going.]

Ssssss.

The Grim Reaper swiftly followed my father.

***

President Oh of Hyunmu Construction crossed the hall.

“I hear you’re to be in charge of the Subway Line 2 project from now on?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Good. Then let me introduce you to someone.”

“Introduce me? May I ask who?”

President Oh smiled.

“Gu Jaecheol, the Mayor of Seoul.”

Gu Jaecheol—he’d served as Governor of Jeju, Director of Fisheries, Governor of North Gyeongsang, and then as Mayor of Seoul, before soon becoming the Minister of Home Affairs.

He was known for moving elite schools in Gangbuk to Gangnam, building the Seoul Express Bus Terminal, constructing the Geumhwa Tunnel, and accelerating Gangnam’s development, earning him the nickname ‘Outlaw of the Wilderness.’

But his greatest achievement was undoubtedly the construction of Subway Line 2.

“You know, right? The Mayor of Seoul has the final say on Subway Line 2, pays for the construction, and is responsible for overseeing and supervising the project.”

Subway Line 2 was a national project promoted by the City of Seoul.

“How much do you know about Mayor Gu?”

“I understand he’s a former artillery officer turned government administrator. I’ve heard His Excellency values him greatly.”

“Correct. He’s one of His Excellency’s closest confidants, having joined in the coup. Mayor Gu, in particular, is very interested in the Subway Line 2 project.”

“I hear he’s pushing to make Line 2 an even bigger success than Line 1.”

“For reference, Mayor Gu was extremely dissatisfied with the Line 2 plan drawn up by former Mayor Yang Taekseok.”

President Oh lowered his voice to a whisper.

“Former Mayor Yang’s plan for Line 2 started at Gimpo Airport, passed through Mokdong, Yeouido, and Gongdeok, went through Euljiro, then turned south at Wangsimni to end at Yangjae-dong.”

“If it went that way, it might connect Gangnam and Gangbuk in line with Gangnam’s development, but it wouldn’t really achieve the original goal of passing through all of Seoul’s major downtown areas that Line 1 missed.”

“Exactly why Mayor Gu scrapped Yang’s plan completely and started over from scratch.”

President Oh’s voice dropped even lower.

“Mayor Gu is an advocate of the Three-Core City Theory, insisting that Seoul should have three urban centers: inside the Four Great Gates, Yeongdeungpo, and Gangnam.”

The moment I heard ‘Three-Core City Theory,’ something flashed through my mind.

‘That’s right—Mayor Gu Jaecheol impulsively changed the Line 2 route! He turned it into a loop line circling the heart of Seoul, 48.8km long with 43 stations!’

Gu Jaecheol’s story is famous.

Maybe it’s because he was an artillery officer, but he had an exceptional sense of maps.

One day, he called his closest officials—City Planning Director, City Planning Section Chief, Subway Construction Headquarters Director—into his office and, in absolute secrecy, pushed through his new route plan.

In front of everyone, he spread out a prepared map of Seoul and, like planning a military operation, drew out the Line 2 route with bold strokes.

He muttered things like, ‘It needs to pass in front of the Guro Industrial Complex, and by Korea University.’

‘It was a backroom plan completed in just 30 minutes, but when construction actually began, it turned out that most of the route went ahead without any major difficulties.’

The only change made during construction was that the transfer station with Line 1 was switched from Yeongdeungpo to Sindorim.

This was because, with the technology of the time, it was impossible to pass under an already-built station.

“Just keep this in mind. It’d be good if you can use this information when you meet the Mayor. If not, well, no harm done.”

This was invaluable information, the kind you couldn’t buy with money.

My father stopped in his tracks and looked at President Oh.

“Thank you for your kindness.”

It was a polite bow.

President Oh gave my father a gentle pat on the shoulder and smiled.

“You were the first to reach out to me, weren’t you? That Suseo-dong apartment site.”