Free Web NovelEven though Bechtel and Halliburton maintained close ties with the Republican Party, they were still, in the end, separate companies.
That being the case, it was only natural that a fierce battle of nerves would unfold over which of the two would reap greater benefits.
I intended to exploit that point.
“Chairman Bechtel, isn’t what I’m saying correct? If all the extraction rights are handed over to Halliburton, then in the end I’ll have no choice but to take on the various projects that Bechtel is supposed to lead. Well, I don’t really mind either way.”
“Hm......”
As Riley Bechtel let out a low hum, Tim Bert spoke urgently.
“Chairman Riley! Didn’t we agree from the beginning? That we would take authority over the oil fields, and Bechtel would take everything else. That was decided even before the Iraq War began.”
So they had already planned how to divide things up before the war even started.
Afghanistan had been a war of retaliation against terrorism, launched recklessly in a blaze of anger with no real preparation.
But Tim Bert’s words made it clear, once again, that the invasion of Iraq had been a meticulously planned war.
“That was when Dream High wasn’t involved in this project. The situation has changed now, Chairman Tim Bert.”
“Chairman Riley. What on earth are you saying? Can you even handle the consequences of that statement right now?!”
I folded my arms after deliberately fanning the flames between the two.
This is pretty entertaining. Just as I was enjoying the situation with interest, my eyes met Henry Kissinger’s.
He didn’t say a word, but just from his gaze I could tell exactly what he wanted to say.
‘You sly fox.’
Who would’ve thought they’d take the bait over such a small provocation?
With the same meaning in mind, I said nothing, simply deepened my smile at Kissinger, and continued to watch the two of them argue.
“Handle the consequences? Are you asking me if I can handle them right now? Against Bechtel, of all companies? Chairman Tim Bert, do you take me for some hired manager drawing a salary? I am the head of the Bechtel family!”
Riley Bechtel overreacted to what he perceived as Tim Bert’s dismissive remark.
“Just because we’re sitting at the same table doesn’t mean we hold the same level of power. Watch your words. If you’re a representative, then act like one, and say only what you can take responsibility for. Do you understand, Chairman Tim Bert!”
“A representative? I am the duly appointed chairman of KBR!”
“Hah! At best, you’re nothing more than a carrier pigeon delivering the neocons’ messages.”
“Watch your mouth, Chairman Riley!”
As their argument showed no sign of stopping, Caspar Weinberger slammed the table hard.
“What do you two think you’re doing right now?!”
At his sudden outburst, both Riley Bechtel and Tim Bert flinched.
“Do you think I dragged this sick body of mine all the way here just to watch the two of you bicker?! What the hell are you doing! And doing it right in front of us, no less!”
Riley Bechtel hurriedly bowed his head.
“I’m sorry.”
Tim Bert also bowed quickly.
“My apologies, Director Weinberger.”
After sweeping the two with a dissatisfied gaze, Caspar Weinberger turned toward me and spoke.
“Young businessman.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“My health isn’t good, so I can’t stay here for long. Let’s make this simple. What is it you truly want?”
As expected of someone who had served as the longest-tenured Secretary of Defense, he had grasped my intentions perfectly.
Come to think of it, this man didn’t have much time left either.
Whether his words about his health were true or not, sickness was clearly written all over Caspar Weinberger’s face.
When I didn’t answer, Caspar Weinberger spoke again.
“Come to think of it, there was a time when Forbes tried to run an article about Dream High’s major shareholder. It was blocked by the White House, so the article never saw the light of day.”
“.......”
“That was when I first became aware of your existence. Quite interesting. To be ranked number one in the world based solely on known assets.”
“Director, why are you bringing this up now?”
“Just reminiscing, that’s all.”
Was he threatening me by implying that he could move Forbes to publish an article about me?
But there was no such intent in his eyes at all.
It didn’t seem necessary to respond sharply, so I opened my mouth carefully.
“Come to think of it, I heard you became chairman of Forbes after stepping down as Secretary of Defense. That must be how you know.”
Caspar Weinberger smiled and nodded.
Whether he was simply flattering me or trying to keep me in check, I still couldn’t read his intent.
I looked straight into his eyes and spoke.
“But there are surely people who are wealthier than I am.”
“That’s why I said ‘known assets.’”
With a dry chuckle, Caspar Weinberger steered the conversation back to the main point.
“Now then, what is it that Dream High truly wants? Speak.”
What should I do. I hesitated.
Should I continue driving a wedge between Bechtel and KBR, or should I say what I really wanted?
“Dividing business rights by regions would be too cumbersome, wouldn’t it?”
As if he had sensed my hesitation, Caspar Weinberger spoke first.
“Let’s exclude the minor projects and divide things broadly. Housing and transportation infrastructure, water and sewage and wastewater treatment, energy infrastructure, security and IT, power, and medical and other infrastructure. We can divide it that way, correct?”
Caspar Weinberger broke down the Iraq reconstruction project by sector.
I nodded, indicating that he was correct.
“It makes sense for Halliburton to take the energy infrastructure as planned. There’s no room for negotiation on that.”
Caspar Weinberger drove the point home in a firm tone, as if he would accept no rebuttal.
“So it would be unreasonable for Halliburton to take anything else as well. Isn’t that right, Tim Bert?”
“Yes, Director.”
In Caspar Weinberger’s low voice was also a warning directed at Halliburton.
It was a signal telling them not to be greedy beyond the energy infrastructure project. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
“Then, excluding energy infrastructure, the business rights that Dream High could take would be......”
Caspar Weinberger trailed off and tapped the table lightly.
After a brief pause, he spoke again.
“How about taking the housing and transportation infrastructure projects? That seems reasonable enough.”
“Housing and transportation infrastructure?”
Among the Iraq reconstruction projects, housing and infrastructure were of considerable scale.
It was practically giving us more than our equity stake warranted.
“Director Weinberger.”
Realizing that, Riley Bechtel called out to him urgently.
“It’s too large a project for Dream High to handle alone. Who’s to say they can even pull it off? If they fail and drag the project out, the entire reconstruction effort will be thrown into chaos.”
A small sigh escaped me before I could stop it.
All that smooth talk, yet he hadn’t even bothered to look into what kind of company we were.
He clearly had no idea how many construction firms were connected to me.
‘Well, I didn’t expect to be dismissed like this.’
Riley Bechtel saw Dream High—no, he saw me—as nothing more than a simple Wall Street investment firm.
But I was fundamentally different from such firms.
“That’s a valid concern. Charlie, if you take the business rights, can you proceed without delays?”
From my perspective, Caspar Weinberger’s proposal was a welcome one.
It was also a set of business rights that would synergize well with the companies I already owned.
Even if we divided things by region and took over reconstruction in a particular area, I couldn’t handle everything solely with the companies I owned.
But housing and transportation infrastructure were a different story.
Joongwoo Construction of Joongwoo Group, Daehyeon Construction of Daehyeon Group, and Poongsan Construction—which had just taken over the construction division of Ilseong Trading. If those three companies formed a consortium to participate in Iraq’s reconstruction, we could definitely get it done within the deadline.
“The founder who built Daehyeon Group once said this. Don’t say you can’t do something before you even try. If you do it, you’ll find a way somehow. That’s Korea.”
“Listen here, Charlie. What are you even—”
Riley Bechtel tried to say something, but I ignored him and continued speaking to Caspar Weinberger.
“Daehyeon Construction of Daehyeon Group, Joongwoo Construction of Joongwoo Group, and Ilseong Trading—ah, no, they’ve changed names now. It’s Poongsan Construction. Those three construction companies will form a consortium and complete the Iraq reconstruction project without issue. Their construction capabilities are among the best in the world. The only problem is that they have no PM track record...... but that’s not because they were incapable. It’s simply because they’ve never done it before. A lack of experience isn’t an issue.”
“Daehyeon Construction, Joongwoo Construction, and Ilseong Trading...... I’ve heard of those companies before.”
“Back in the 1970s and 1980s, during the Middle Eastern construction boom, they were the firms that completed projects faster and more safely than anyone else. I can confidently say their construction capabilities are top-tier.”
At that moment, Riley Bechtel snorted.
“A consortium of those three companies? That’s absurd.”
Only then did I turn my head toward Riley Bechtel.
“Why do you say it’s absurd?”
“Those three companies are competitors. In the projects we’ve awarded so far, they’ve clashed with each other countless times, bleeding each other dry. And now you’re saying they’ll form a consortium?”
At his words, I curled one corner of my mouth and scoffed. This is exactly why keeping quiet only gets you halfway there.
“That’s quite serious. You don’t even have the basics down, Chairman Bechtel.”
“What did you say?”
“Conducting negotiations without knowing anything about the other party...... honestly. I have no idea what the higher-ups at the White House are thinking.”
As I deliberately let out a deep sigh and shook my head, Riley Bechtel shot up from his seat.
“Listen here, Charlie! Even patience has its limits.”
How naïve. The way he bristled at such a small provocation was almost laughable.
People born into privilege, never having faced opposition, sitting in high positions simply because of their bloodline—that’s exactly the problem with them.
Unlike the scrappers who clawed their way up from the bottom, shedding blood along the way, he had lived his entire life consuming what was handed to him at birth, and it had made him unbearably arrogant.
I fixed Riley Bechtel with an icy stare.
Startled by the sudden shift in my demeanor, he flinched. I addressed him in a flat, emotionless voice.
“Chairman Riley Bechtel. You say you’re exercising patience? Who do you think has been holding back here?”
“What are you saying right now—!”
Perhaps humiliated by the realization that he had shrunk back, Riley Bechtel flushed red and raised his voice.
“The elders sitting here have been signaling it all along. Are you oblivious, or are you stupid? Do you even know who I am, what kind of person I am? No—you didn’t even try to find out. If you knew who I was, you wouldn’t dare talk about ‘patience’ so casually in front of me.”
“What is that supposed to—”
“I may be a businessman, but...... I am someone who will do anything for my own interests. I don’t hesitate to harm people. Do you understand what that means, what I’m implying? You don’t seem to grasp it when it’s said in words. Shall I show you instead?”
“W-What? Show me what?”
As I glared at him coldly, Riley Bechtel staggered backward.
“Chairman Riley Bechtel. If you’re nothing more than an ignorant young master, then just do what the elders sitting in front of you tell you to do. That would be better for your oh-so-proud Bechtel Corporation as well.”
“.......”
“Do you think there’s anything to gain by stepping in and ruining this negotiation? Do you honestly believe that someone as ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) calculating as Director Shultz or Director Weinberger would make such a proposal if it were going to harm Bechtel? Of course not. I’ll let this one slide, chalking it up to the babbling of an immature young master—but there will not be a second time. Never raise your voice at me again. Do you understand, Chairman Riley Bechtel?”
Riley Bechtel trembled violently, his fists clenched tight. His face was flushed even redder with humiliation.
Just as Riley Bechtel parted his lips to say something, Henry Kissinger stepped in.
“That’s enough! Chairman Riley Bechtel. Don’t say another word. Take this as advice.”
Riley Bechtel looked at Henry Kissinger with a wronged expression.
But Henry Kissinger ignored him and addressed me instead.
“And Charlie. You should stop as well. This isn’t a meeting convened to fight. As you said, he’s an immature young master. Wouldn’t it be enough to simply explain things to him?”
At Henry Kissinger’s intervention, I gave a small nod.
If he was going that far, there was no need to apply more pressure.
Doing so would diminish his authority, and it wouldn’t benefit me either.
“Well, fine. Since Dr. Kissinger is saying as much, I’ll stop here. Joongwoo Group belongs to Dream High. That means Joongwoo Construction is ours as well. We also hold a substantial stake in Daehyeon Group. So if we step in, Daehyeon Construction will join the consortium. As for Poongsan Group, which took over Ilseong Trading’s construction division—we hold a significant stake there too, and we supported them during their merger and acquisition. Naturally, Poongsan Construction will also participate in the consortium.”
With each word I spoke, Riley Bechtel’s face grew paler.
As I watched his face turn deathly white, like a wax figure, I pulled up one corner of my mouth.
“Does that answer your question now, Chairman Riley Bechtel? As to why they would form a consortium?”
