A Genius Speaks with Money

Chapter 24

Baghdad, Iraq.

It was early morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise.

The city was gradually waking up, but a quiet current was already flowing in a private room on the top floor of a luxury hotel.

There was someone waiting for someone else, having arrived first.

The young men dressed neatly in deep navy suits were Choi Seo-jun, the representative of HJ Partners, and I, Lim Hyunjun.

We watched the sunlight spreading beyond the curtains and turned our heads at the sound of a door opening.

The figure who entered was a middle-aged Iraqi man in neat traditional attire.

He was Hakim al-Zaidi, the Iraqi Minister of Oil.

He was a power among powers, even mentioned as the next Prime Minister.

Behind him, someone with a familiar face entered.It was Samir al-Zaidi, the son of Minister al-Zaidi and the person I had personally saved not long ago.

I greeted him in Arabic with a bright smile.

"May peace be with you, Minister."

It was a short but accurate pronunciation.

At the polite appearance, Minister al-Zaidi'

s eyes wavered minutely.

The words ‘18 years old’ came to his mind.

However, the young man before his eyes did not feel young at all.

Samir approached me, hugged me, and spoke.

"You are doing it quite well now. You have become proficient."

"Proficient? I only know how to say a greeting."

Minister al-Zaidi spoke calmly as he sat down.

"The pronunciation is quite proficient."

"Thank you. Even though I am clumsy, it was worth practicing for this occasion."

Beside Minister al-Zaidi, his son Samir sat side-by-side to translate for him.

It was a way where the Minister replied in Arabic and Samir spoke in English.

Al-Zaidi raised his arm and patted his son'

s shoulder.

"Today, this fellow said he would take charge of translating, so I brought him along."

Samir bowed his head and offered a greeting.

"I am happy to meet you again, my brothers."

"I am also happy, Samir."

After the two of us shared a short greeting while looking at each other, Minister al-Zaidi began to speak in earnest.

"As a father, a lifetime of repaying the favor would not be enough for the person who saved my son, but my thought is that I cannot judge the interests of the country based on that."

At the words that were more resolute than expected, Choi Seo-jun'

s complexion darkened.

However, I was full of composure.

"Minister, the tea here tastes good. First, please moisten your throat."

As I leisurely lifted the teacup placed in front of me, the Minister, who had heard from Samir, also lifted his cup and drank.

Perhaps the tea tasted good, as the wrinkles on the Minister'

s brow smoothed out slightly, and his voice became somewhat softer, unlike before.

"I have come to this meeting today as the Iraqi Minister of Oil, not in a personal capacity. If you came here without knowing that, it is unfortunate, but please go back."

Minister al-Zaidi was resolute.

The end of his words had become softer, but the intention contained within was still sharp.

The expression of Samir, who was translating beside the Minister, stiffened in an instant.

Eyes filled with apology turned toward me.

As if I already knew, I did not panic and answered steadily.

"I fully understand your words, Minister. And the proposal we want to offer is not a personal request."

When I gave a look toward Choi Seo-jun, he took out documents and handed them over.

Taking them, I placed them on the table.

[Iraq'

s Future Strategy]

"Taeseong Construction is not a company that exists simply to carry out construction. Together with HJ Partners, we hope to become a partner that aims for the industrial reorganization and global trust recovery of Iraq. That is what we are proposing."

Minister al-Zaidi quietly turned the pages of the material I handed over and read through them.

Contained within were plans that considered political aspects in addition to the contents regarding the construction.

‘...Did they say 18.’

He chewed over it once more.

Regarding the person named Lim Hyunjun.

An attitude, gaze, way of speaking, and atmosphere that did not match his age.

He was polite, his attitude was respectful, and his gaze did not waver at all.

Among those things, what stimulated his nerves was a strange sense of weight.

‘Those with such an energy at that age are rare. I look forward to the future.’

The corners of Minister al-Zaidi'

s mouth moved minutely.

It was neither mockery toward me nor simple interest.

It was like the feeling of discovering a gemstone in a stone that no one had noticed.

As if I knew what kind of evaluation I was receiving, I neither noticed nor avoided his gaze.

Rather, I accepted that gaze as if it were natural and answered what Minister al-Zaidi said.

"Minister, the contract we have presented now shows the direction in which Iraq will move toward the future."

At my words, Minister al-Zaidi'

s expression was distorted.

"The words are quite grand."

"I understand, you probably cannot believe it now. I heard that Taeseong Construction and Daehan Construction are meeting Vice Minister Hamidi today. If your mind does not change even after going there and hearing their stories, I will give up cleanly."

At my confident attitude, the Minister'

s gaze wavered for a moment.

He stood up from his seat after emptying all the tea remaining in his cup.

"...It is good because you are straightforward. I will take it as meaning you will give up cleanly. I shall be going now."

While Samir and Choi Seo-jun were flustered, I bowed my head and greeted the Minister with a confident expression.

"Thank you, Minister."

After Minister al-Zaidi left the meeting room, I looked at the sunlight shining brightly beyond the curtains.

Samir, who remained even after the Minister left, felt dejected with an apologetic expression.

"I am sorry, my father is someone who acts thoroughly when it comes to national affairs, so it cannot be helped."

I turned my body and looked at Samir.

Thanks to the strong sunlight, it felt as if a halo was shining from my body.

"The future of Iraq is bright. If it is for the country, one must clearly distinguish between public and private affairs."

"Thank you for thinking that way."

"Now, since gathering like this is also a commemoration, it would be good to eat delicious food first."

Unlike me, who looked leisurely, Choi Seo-jun was worried about whether it was right to tell him to listen to other companies'

stories when it would not even be enough to strongly appeal.

I spoke with a smile.

"There is a Korean saying that even Geumgangsan Mountain should be viewed after eating."

As if he understood it as a joke, Choi Seo-jun laughed lightly.

In any case, regardless of the result, a sense of relief that the work had been concluded was felt.

Soon, luxurious food made by a local chef came out.

The three of us were harmonious while enjoying the well-prepared food.

***

Even before the words of Samira Naji, the interpreter, were finished, the door opened.

The gazes of everyone, including Jeong Seong-pil and Nam Jae-heon, turned in that direction all at once.

A man with a dignified stride entered leisurely while wearing neat traditional attire.

When he appeared, the Iraqi officials who had been sitting in their seats stood up all at once.

"How did the Minister come all the way here...."

Samira Naji quickly informed who the person who had entered was.

Hakim al-Zaidi.

He was the current Iraqi Minister of Oil and a power among powers who was being prominently mentioned as the next Prime Minister.

Not only Jeong Seong-pil but even Vice Chairman Nam Jae-heon wore a surprised expression.

In fact, he was not simply the Minister of Oil.

He was a core figure leading the Iraqi economy and someone whom businesspeople all over the world wanted to meet.

Such a man had personally entered the meeting room.

Samira Naji quietly stood up and guided him.

"Minister, this way."

Minister al-Zaidi nodded and slowly sat in the chair in the center of the meeting table.

Having sat in the seat, he looked at Jeong Seong-pil and Nam Jae-heon in turn.

While a strangely long silence flowed, his voice flowed out.

"I could not help but come upon the story that the two of you were meeting here."

Minister Hakim al-Zaidi lifted the water glass placed in front of him, took a sip, put it down, and then continued speaking again.

"The reason I have come to this place is only one."

Everyone'

s gaze focused on him.

"It is because I decided that I must personally see and decide which partner to join hands with for the future of Iraq. This is not a simple business contract. It is a choice for the lives of our people, for our next generation."

He slowly turned his gaze toward Vice Chairman Nam Jae-heon and Manager Jeong Seong-pil.

"Therefore, I wanted to personally hear the stories of the two companies."

After a moment of silence flowed, Vice Chairman Nam Jae-heon stepped forward first.

He explained the vision, technical prowess, and specific plans for capital investment of Daehan Construction articulately along with organized materials.

Jeong Seong-pil could feel how sincere Daehan was about this project while looking at Vice Chairman Nam.

Following him, Manager Jeong Seong-pil also opened his mouth.

He talked about the experience of having personally visited Iraqi sites and in what way Taeseong had worked in Iraq.

He spoke of actual cases where they tried to coexist with Iraq based on local manpower.

The explanations of the two companies ended, and the meeting room sank into a heavy silence.

At that time, a quiet word flowed out from Minister Hakim al-Zaidi'

s mouth.

"I thought so, but as expected."

In an instant, Nam Jae-heon'

s gaze wavered minutely.

Minister al-Zaidi looked at the two of them with an expressionless face.

"If the conditions are at this level, there is no reason to proceed with a contract with either of the two companies."

His words were resolute and delivered a decisive blow.

In an instant, tension spread rapidly inside the meeting room.

Faisal al-Hamidi, the Vice Minister of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, leaned forward in his seat while flustered and opened his mouth.

"Minister, Daehan Construction'

s proposal is superior in all aspects, whether it be technology or capital. Their international credibility is also sufficient. Are you not judging too coldly..."

Even before his words were finished, Minister al-Zaidi struck the table strongly.

The meeting room froze in an instant.

"Hamidi!"

The Minister'

s voice was just like a thunderbolt striking down.

"Did you forget what kind of place this place is?"

Vice Minister Hamidi was startled and flinched in his seat.

Minister al-Zaidi'

s eyes shone fiercely.

"Showing personal feelings at this place where the future of Iraq is decided? Did you accept something behind my back!"

At Minister al-Zaidi'

s sharp rebuke, not only Vice Minister Hamidi but everyone was to the point of holding their breath.

Vice Minister Hamidi'

s face turned pale, and he made excuses hurriedly while breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Never... That is absolutely not true, Minister. It is a misunderstanding. I have never done such a thing."

Looking at that appearance, Vice Chairman Nam Jae-heon'

s expression stiffened at once.

The confident expression he had until now had disappeared without a trace.

Minister Hakim al-Zaidi slowly tapped the table with his fingers while wearing a cold expression.

"It seems there is nothing more to discuss here."

He rose and left the meeting room.

The discussion was canceled just like that.

Minister Hakim al-Zaidi, having left the meeting room, immediately boarded a luxury sedan that was waiting.

The executive secretary sitting in the seat next to the driver'

s seat asked cautiously.

"Where shall I take you, Minister?"

Minister al-Zaidi, who was silent for a while, replied in a low voice.

"...Let us go to the place we went this morning."

"Yes."

The vehicle carrying Minister al-Zaidi began to drive quietly on the road.

His gaze was directed somewhere outside the window.

However, his inner thoughts were already staying in the conversation shared this morning.