Free Web NovelNot long after Yoo Seongjin left, Lee Sanggeun arrived.
He entered the study and bowed deeply.
“President. It’s been a while.”
“Welcome, Chairman Lee. Please, have a seat.”
I greeted him warmly.
Straightening his back, Lee took a seat.
He looked a bit tired, but brighter than before.
It had been the right choice to pull him out of the underworld.
He may have stepped into the shadows for money, but his abilities were genuine.
When Joongwoo Group collapsed, Joongwoo Construction had fallen from 2nd to 5th place in the construction ranking.
I merged Joongwoo Construction with Geukseong Construction and put Lee Sanggeun—whom I had dragged out of the underworld—in charge.
As a result, by last year the company had reclaimed 2nd place, and this year it was expected to overtake Daehyun Construction to reach 1st.
“I knew you’d handle it well, Chairman Lee.”
“It’s all thanks to your trust, President.”
I shook my head slightly. All I had done was believe in him.
“You’re flattering me for no reason. Joongwoo Construction grew this big purely because of your ability.”
“Thank you.”
After becoming chairman, Lee had come to me with a cautious proposal.
He wanted to take over sponsorship of the orphanage I had been supporting.
I gladly accepted—there was no longer any need to keep his weakness as leverage.
Though, his reason for it seemed somewhat different. Between a gang boss and a construction company chairman, it was obvious which one looked better in people’s eyes.
He must have wanted a respectable title to continue supporting those orphanage kids proudly.
When I heard that he had handed out his business cards to the children during his visit, I couldn’t help but laugh.
At that moment, Chief Ma entered with a teapot and cups.
“Sit down as well, Chief.”
I poured tea, sliding one cup toward Lee and another toward Ma.
“Let’s have some tea first.”
At my words, they each lifted their cups and took a sip.
The warm tea loosened the stiffness in the room. Once the cups were nearly empty, I spoke.
“So then, when are you going to tell me the good news, Chairman Lee?”
At my sudden question, Lee was visibly startled.
He even coughed as if something had gone down the wrong way.
“President, how did you...?”
“Haha, is there anything I don’t know? So, who is she? I’m curious.”
After a while of coughing, he finally set down his teacup and answered.
“...She’s a good woman. She was always by my side when I # Nоvеlight # was struggling, and she loves me deeply. Of course, she knows exactly what kind of man I am.”
A warm smile spread across the face that was usually so cold. He truly was in love.
Seeing my people happy was always a pleasant sight.
“When you plan to get married, let me know beforehand. I’ll need time to prepare—can’t have you lacking in dignity, can we?”
“Your words alone mean a lot. Thank you.”
Enough small talk. I set my cup down and moved to the main topic.
“How is the purchase of Eunmi Apartments progressing? It should be nearing completion by now.”
Buying the entire Eunmi Apartment complex required a massive amount of money and time.
But with enough money, even time could be shortened.
“We’ve secured most of it. We’re paying up to 150% of the market price. We’ve been purchasing both listings on the market and properties we sought out directly. The remaining few should be settled soon. Chunha Group is assisting us fully.”
I nodded, satisfied. It wouldn’t take long before it was all in my hands.
But the next words made me frown.
“However, there’s a problem.”
The redevelopment of Eunmi Apartments had been meticulously prepared—there shouldn’t have been any problems.
“A problem? What kind of problem?”
“My apologies.”
Sensing my displeasure, Lee quickly bowed his head.
“It’s fine. I know you wouldn’t create a problem on purpose. What is it? Surely there’s no room for any pests to get involved?”
When the IMF crisis hit, the real estate market collapsed.
If that hadn’t happened, even suggesting a plan to buy out the entire Eunmi Apartment complex would have been impossible.
As the market crashed, owners started putting their units up for sale.
Through multiple real estate companies divided under Eva’s management, I began buying them up.
At that time, I had already secured more than fifty percent of the total units.
On top of that, I had also acquired land transferred from Hyeonbo Group and the plots previously owned by Seoul City.
There were no legal issues preventing redevelopment even now, but I wanted it done perfectly.
My goal was to build Korea’s—no, Asia’s—most luxurious residential district without anyone’s interference.
“The National Evictees Federation has gotten involved.”
“...What the hell do they have to gain here? Demolition hasn’t even started, and the redevelopment schedule isn’t public yet.”
“There’s already a rumor circulating that we’re planning to redevelop Eunmi Apartments—and that we’ve nearly completed the purchases.”
No matter how discreetly we worked, rumors were inevitable.
Besides, it had been over a year since Joongwoo Construction began buying.
No construction company would buy property like that without certainty of redevelopment.
But most owners of Eunmi Apartments were wealthy.
Ordinary people with a single home had sold during the financial crisis; the remaining owners mostly had multiple properties.
Would such people really ally themselves with a group like that?
“So, who exactly are they working with? Owners of Eunmi Apartments wouldn’t have any reason to join them.”
“They seem to be stirring up the merchants in the commercial area. The Merchants’ Association has been organizing rallies lately.”
The National Evictees Federation—an infamous group of professional protesters who latched onto redevelopment projects wherever they occurred.
Formed by radicals expelled from the National Evictees Council, they were notorious for excessive demands and violent protests.
Molotov cocktails, illegal demonstrations—they didn’t hesitate to use force.
“This is going to be a headache.”
“The apartment owners are wealthy enough not to yield, but the shop owners are different. Their livelihoods are at stake—they probably had no choice but to sympathize.”
“I was told all the commercial spaces had already been purchased. Hyeonbo Group went bankrupt, and we acquired their lots, plus every private unit. So what are they demanding?”
Lee looked troubled.
“They want compensation for their business rights upon eviction, guaranteed rights to reoccupy stores after reconstruction, compensation for lost income during the redevelopment period, and additional bonuses. Their demands are outrageous. Apparently, one of the Federation members owns a unit in Eunmi Apartments, so they’re confident redevelopment will go forward.”
So they were planning a proper holdout.
I didn’t like that some nobodies were trying to piggyback on my work.
“What do you think we should do, Chairman Lee?”
“Once the redevelopment is announced, all eyes will turn toward Eunmi Apartments. We should settle everything beforehand. I intend to negotiate by offering them fair compensation.”
“Hm... So you’re saying we should meet their demands.”
Lee’s choice wasn’t a bad one—it was the most moderate solution.
Money wasn’t the issue. What I didn’t like was the idea of yielding to them.
I organized my thoughts and spoke.
“If we let them look down on us, they’ll start meddling in every redevelopment Joongwoo Construction undertakes. There will be no negotiations with the Federation.” freёwebnoѵel.com
If we yielded once, they’d strip us down to our underwear next time.
With such shameless bastards, negotiations should never even begin.
“Let’s go the straightforward way. Buy the remaining apartments at two to three times the current price. The units held by the Federation—I’ll leave those to Chunha Group. Finish acquiring the rest within this year.”
At the mention of Chunha Group, Lee’s face darkened.
“Chairman, sometimes violence takes precedence over money. And this is one of those times.”
“...Understood.”
“And as for the merchants, I’ll handle their treatment personally. Do not, under any circumstances, engage in any talks with the Federation.”
“Yes, I’ll issue that order.”
“Being poor doesn’t automatically make someone virtuous. Don’t let emotions cloud business.”
Because he’d grown up in an orphanage, Lee tended to be soft toward the less fortunate.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
The tea had gone cold. I emptied the cup, poured a fresh one, and asked,
“By the way, did you get the personnel you needed for Afghanistan? You’ll need quite a few experts. Construction can’t proceed without skilled technicians, no matter how many laborers you have.”
The promised food and medicine had already been sent through Joongwoo Trading.
Now it was time to send people to build schools and hospitals.
Joongwoo Trading had connections in Pakistan. Though relations between Afghanistan’s interim government and Pakistan were at their worst after the Taliban’s fall, we still managed to send supplies through Pakistan.
That was possible thanks to Joongwoo Group’s global network—the legacy of its “World Management” days.
“Since the civil war isn’t completely over, there weren’t many volunteers. So we offered double the salary and big bonuses, and we’ve filled the essential positions.”
“Well done. Money isn’t the point here. What we’ll gain from Afghanistan in the long run is far greater, even if we take a short-term loss.”
Lee nodded quietly—he’d already calculated the profit.
“So when do they depart?”
“Kabul Airport is reportedly opening to civilians soon. We’ll send them then.”
“Oh? That’s good. It’ll make shipping supplies easier.”
As I checked the calendar, Lee spoke cautiously.
“President, but I’m worried about the workers’ safety.”
I knew exactly what he meant. The civil war wasn’t fully over yet.
“The war will end soon. The remaining Taliban forces have all been pushed toward Pakistan. Kabul is safe for now.”
Unlike in my previous life, the Taliban hadn’t managed a proper counterattack this time.
Afghanistan, which should have been in chaos, was regaining stability under Massoud’s leadership.
His influence was far greater than I had imagined.
Even factions that once supported the Taliban were surrendering one by one, and he accepted them.
Public sentiment in Taliban-controlled regions was turning, forcing the militants to flee into Pakistan.
The United States hadn’t expected such a result.
But they still hadn’t found the shadow of Osama bin Laden, whose name had justified the invasion.
“Mercenaries will handle the security for our workers in Afghanistan, so you don’t need to worry.”
In addition, Igor’s mercenaries would personally guard them.
No one in Afghanistan would be safer than Joongwoo Construction’s employees.
“Anything else to report?”
“No, President.”
“Joongwoo Construction will soon be counted among the world’s leading construction companies, not just in Korea. Until then, you’ll have to work hard—projects will come flooding in.”
The Eunmi Apartments redevelopment, Pangyo New Town development, Pangyo Techno Valley project—those alone were plenty.
But that wasn’t the end. The reconstruction projects in Afghanistan and Iraq were about to begin.
It seemed the Middle Eastern construction boom of the 1970s was about to rise again.
