Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 1520 Tears of the Weak (Second update, please subscribe)

In midsummer, the sun is scorching, and the scorching sun is baking the earth mercilessly.

The man was sitting in a thatched hut on the side of the road. The wooden chair under him looked worn out by the erosion of time. Everything here was worn out.

He was wearing a T-shirt that was soaked with sweat, his trouser legs were covered with dirt and dust, and his pair of sneakers had long lost their original color.

He looked at the road boredly - at the bumpy, dilapidated road.

"Damn, it's actually the best road in the country!"

Li Shengyang couldn't help but curse.

"Even a farm road is better than this road..."

As a civil engineer, Li Shengyang had participated in highway construction in Iran and Iraq. He had seen all kinds of roads, including roads as dilapidated as this one. However, no one would ever accuse this road and say it was the best road in the country.

But for South Korea, this asphalt road from Busan to Seoul built by the US military during the Korean War is indeed the best road in South Korea. It's just that due to years of disrepair, it is no longer as good as it used to be.

While he was complaining, a shabby American car drove over from the distance.

"The 13th..."

Then Li Shengyang recorded the number. This was his job.

In the past half month, he and his colleagues have been counting the cars passing by on the highway from Busan to Seoul one by one.

He counted the passing cars, and every time a car passed by, his eyes would follow the car for a distance until it disappeared from his sight.

Then he couldn't help but complain.

"It's such a long road, and there are only a few dozen cars passing through it every day. Why do they want to build a highway? These Koreans are just daydreaming."

As a member of the highway expert group invited by South Korea, Li Shengyang came here to help the Chinese people build highways. However, after they arrived here, the first thing they did was not to investigate how to build highways, but to count cars on both sides of the highway between Busan and Seoul.

This number is not important, but it reflects the reality of poverty in South Korea.

"This damn weather is so hot that it's killing me."

Li Shengyang muttered, picked up a towel from the back of a chair beside him, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Just then, a young and beautiful girl came running over in a hurry, holding a plastic insulated box in her hand. Before she got under the shed, she said.

"Mr. Li, here's Fanta for you."

Jin Chengmei handed over a bottle of Fanta. The Fanta was iced in the insulated box. In the past few years, it has been brought to the world just like American soldiers did back then.

Engineers like Li Shengyang brought Fanta to the world when they worked overseas. Of course, more often he benefited from advertisements on television and other media.

When he took the Fanta from the girl's hand, he felt the coldness in his hand. A rare smile appeared on Li Shengyang's face.

"Thank you, Cheng Mei."

He opened the bottle cap and took a few gulps of water. The iced drink instantly dispelled the heat in his heart.

The feeling of comfort made him unable to help but let out a cry.

Looking at his appearance, Jin Chengmei couldn't help but laugh.

"Mr. Li, the weather is so hot, how about I watch it for you for a while, and you go to the car to enjoy the air conditioning?"

Li Shengyang shook his head and said.

"No, we must obtain the most accurate data. We need to collect this data in person, which can effectively avoid data falsification."

The reason why Li Shengyang mentioned "data falsification" was due to their experience working in other countries. In order to obtain loans from the World Bank or foreign banks, those countries like to falsify data the most. They can exaggerate the data by several times or even dozens of times, or increase it by ten or twenty percentage points.

In short, first-hand data must be collected personally.

"I understand……"

Jin Chengmei nodded as if she understood, but she really didn't understand. After all, she only studied music in college. In order to entertain the inspection team, she and some of his classmates were called together.

She accompanied the delegation throughout their visit to South Korea, and her task was to take good care of the members of the delegation. Although there were only 17 people in the delegation, she and her classmates numbered more than people, and they took meticulous care of them.

As long as they have needs, they can certainly satisfy everything, after all, it is for the country.

However, it seems... these people didn't make any demands.

"Mr. Li, why don't I sit here with you for a while..."

Looking at the beads of sweat on the girl's forehead, Li Shengyang said.

"Cheng Mei, the weather is too hot. You, a girl, should go to the car. I can stay here by myself."

Li Shengyang's words made Jin Chengmei bite her lip. In fact, she really hoped that something could happen between her and these engineers, not only for the country, but also for herself.

If I could be with them, I would have a chance to go overseas and leave this damn place, Korea.

Although a little disappointed, Jin Chengmei still left here reluctantly.

Watching Jin Chengmei's receding back, Li Shengyang couldn't help but feel emotional.

Although this country is extremely backward, it is completely different from what they see in Iran, Iraq and other countries.

Since they arrived here, the Korean government has paid unprecedented attention to the delegation, and these extremely beautiful girls carefully selected from universities are proof of this. "These people... after all, they have aspirations!"

However, do they know that the road to national prosperity is extremely difficult?
But Li Shengyang knew very well in his heart that no matter how difficult the road was, they would keep going. Perhaps, it was because they understood their responsibilities and missions that they would do their best to complete it.

"Number..."

Sitting on the side of the road, Li Shengyang once again recorded the cars passing by, including the type of car, approximate tonnage, etc. What will these data eventually form?

Naturally, it is a feasibility report.

The feasibility report on the Busan-Seoul expressway was not just about counting cars. Experts from SEA spent a month investigating the old highway and even analyzed South Korea's topography along the dirt road used by oxcarts.

During this period, Park Jung-woong attached great importance to the expert group. Not only did he treat them with delicious food and drinks, but he also sent his confidants to accompany them. Any needs of the expert group would be met immediately. Even the waiters in the hotel where the expert group stayed were replaced by female college students invited from the university.

"For the future of South Korea, you must meet all the experts' demands!"

In short, people across South Korea attach great importance to the expert group.

After an inspection that lasted about a month, Rudolf, the head of the expert group, the president of the SEA Road and Bridge Engineering Association and a German engineer who had presided over the design and construction of the SEA Ring Island Expressway, walked into the Blue House.

Unlike other people who had to wait for a while before meeting Park Jung-woong, Rudolf was welcomed into the office by Park Jung-woong after arriving at the Blue House. As soon as the two met, Park Jung-woong asked:
"Mr. President, I heard that you have already issued a feasibility report for the expressway?"

The reason why Park Jung-woong was concerned about this feasibility report was that this highway required a loan from the Asian Development Bank. Without the feasibility report from the expert group, it would be difficult for the Asian Development Bank to provide the loan.

It is for this reason that he attaches great importance to the arrival of the expert group, and even regards receiving the expert group as the top priority above all other tasks.

You know, ever since Park Jung-woong visited SEA and was shocked by the world-class highways there, he has been thinking about building a highway connecting Seoul and Busan since he returned home.

He has been preparing for this for several years, and now the only thing left is the last step - a loan from the Asian Development Bank.

As long as the loan is obtained, the highway can be built, and the prerequisite for obtaining the loan is the feasibility report of the expert group.

"Yes, Mr. President."

Rudolph said bluntly:

"During the past month's inspection, we have been able to feel your country's vigorous development, and we also believe that South Korea will have a bright future under your leadership, but..."

One by one, Park Jung-woong's heart was in a knot.

Then, just as he feared, Rudolf came to a negative conclusion:

"Based on our field investigation, there is no need to build expressways in South Korea."

Although Rudolf's tone was light, it sounded full of contempt in Park Jung-woong's ears:
"Dear President, our delegation traveled from Seoul to Busan and back to Seoul and found that we could only see an average of 17 cars per day on this road. In a country like this, why is it necessary to build a world-class highway?"

This is true. Over the past month, the expert group even counted the cars on the road themselves and finally came to this conclusion.

There is no need for South Korea to build expressways, at least not now.

"So we have every reason to suspect that there are serious data errors in the feasibility report you submitted previously."

Where is the data error? It is clearly falsification.

Although he was mentally prepared for this conclusion, Park Jung-woong, who still had a glimmer of fantasy, remained silent for a long time after hearing this.

At this moment, it was as if the reality of the country's poverty and weakness was exposed. That kind of ruthless exposure made Park Jung-woong burst into tears, and drops of them fell on the report in his hand.

His thin body swayed twice, and he slowly stood up from his seat, facing Rudolph and said word by word:
“Please forgive me, Mr. President, maybe I was too eager for the highway, so there were some misunderstandings in the data.

Now I just want to say one thing to you, believe me, our country will not be like this forever."

As he spoke, Park Jung-woong bowed deeply to Rudolph in front of him.

"Please believe me, Korea needs the expressway. As long as Korea has this expressway, its economy will definitely be greatly improved.

Our country cannot remain poor forever, nor can we wait until we become rich to build highways.

Mr. President, you must understand us."

After he finished speaking, Park Jung-woong bowed again. He seemed to be asking for forgiveness, and also making a request to the other party, hoping that the former president could understand South Korea.

Faced with Park Jung-woong's sincere attitude, Rudolf fell silent. In the past month, he could feel the expectations of the whole South Korean nation for this expressway. He could also feel their attention to the expert team.

But...anyway, you can't fool anyone.

So Rudolph answered.

“Mr. President, data is data and there can be no falsification, but during this trip to South Korea, I can feel your desire and pursuit for national prosperity.

And I also believe that under your leadership, I will definitely become prosperous. I believe the bank will take these factors into consideration when the time comes.”

Although he did not reject the offer outright, Rudolf had made it very clear that as an engineer he must stick to the engineer's creed - absolutely no fraud.

When he said this, Park Jung-woong suddenly became listless. He nodded weakly and smiled bitterly.

"Hey, Mr. President, I'm really sorry to bother you for so long.

But before we leave, I hope to host the president and the delegation again at the Blue House to express my gratitude for your work."

(End of this chapter)