This Is How I Became a Chaebol

111 : Base Camp

“Hey, that’s cool.”

When I entered Aqaba, I came out with admiration. There was no need to worry at all.

Our staff did a really good job.

It had drilled through about 1/3 of the rocky mountain. I arrived at just the right time.

“You set off the dynamite perfectly. I got it right on which side of the rock is the base of the granite.”

Even in the Middle East, the land of Jordan is a mixture of limestone and sandstone in granite bedrock, perhaps because it has repeated subsidence and uplift over tens of thousands of years.

By digging a road like this, you can collect aggregates to be mixed with cement, so it is also a cost-effective construction.

“No, shit. That way…”

In the distance, I saw Sambok climbing the mountain carrying a fork.

Unbeknownst to me, my heart was beating.

I squeezed even the strength I had been sucking on and ran up the mountain path.

“Wow!! I am the boss.”

“The boss is here!!”

“hurray! The boss is here! Now, the hard work is over!”

The staff around me cheered when they saw me.

It’s not the end of the hard work, it’s the beginning of the main construction.

“Director Lee Sam-bok!!!!”

He stood tall at the sound of my voice.

“thank you for your effort. Director Lee Sam-bok.”

I hugged Sambok and patted him on the back.

‘Damn you bastard. Why are you showing up now? Do you know how much blood I pooped on? I’ll see you later!’

Sambok couldn’t make a loud noise because he was in front of the staff.

“Now, everyone, stop working and take a break. I’ll give you work instructions soon. Manager Kim Chun-seok, please come here. We have something to talk about.”

“Yes, boss.”

I climbed the rocky mountain with just the two of us.

“Ah, this minuscule! No matter how busy you are, how come you haven’t contacted me! You don’t have to do the job instructions properly! Do you know how far I’ve been?”

As soon as I got out of sight of the staff, Sambok started kicking me. Of course, I’m not the kind of person who would get kicked like that.

“I know, I know! I know everything. David said that thanks to you, the summit could be connected and the 30 million dollar start-up fee could be sent tomorrow.”

“Start-up cost of 30 million dollars?”

“Hey, the manager did something.”

My father jumped in and gave Sambok a thumbs up.

Where will the hands and feet matched in Vietnam go?

“sure. It saved our company and brought peace to the Middle East. It will remain as a story behind world history. Sambok, you must write an autobiography later.”

“… Well, with that much.”

Sambok’s eyebrows twitched, and his expression gradually relaxed. thank god.

“Anyway, the road went well. You did a good job finding the granite side of this huge rocky mountain.”

“Yes, I detonated the explosives and continued to steer my way to the less breakable side. Otherwise, the driveway keeps collapsing.”

“Was that also the CEO’s opinion?”

“Of course. The safety of the employees is the top priority, so he gave a work order that he should go ahead and check it even if he has to go back.”

It was really fortunate that Sambok was jjolbora.

I cleared the road as I wanted without any safety accidents.

“huh! I am also a trend man. I know that much!”

“Yeah, well done.”

I was deeply grateful to Sambok.

Sambok’s words were still a bit short, but he did start a conversation.

“Okay, now that we’re about 1/3 up, shall we make a base camp here?”

“By base camp, what do you mean specifically?”

“It is necessary to raise the seawater over this mountain, but it is difficult to raise it all at once. You should be able to divide it into three parts and pull it up.”

“ah! The boss wants to install the pump in three stages on this rocky mountain.”

Dad understood right away.

“It should be. The height of this rocky mountain is about 200 meters, so if you divide it by 3, there will be no problem with the pump operation.”

No matter how high-powered the pump is, it is unreasonable to pump water up to 200 meters in one go.

It is much safer to cut 7 to 80 m apart.

“Are you building a factory here?”

“It’s not even a factory, it should be called a facility”

“Phew, I’m glad it’s not a factory.”

I let out a long sigh, as if Sambok was relieved by my words.

He seemed to have a rough idea of how difficult the construction was.

“Manager Kim, we need to make a flat area of about 500 pyeong in this area.”

“Do you need 500 pyeong for pump installation?”

“We need to install pumps and cranes, so that kind of level is necessary.”

“Are you installing a crane here?”

“sure. Are you going to keep going through this driveway all the way to the top of the mountain? From here, we have to pick up heavy equipment with a crane and send it upstairs.”

“Ugh!”

My father was shocked by my words, so he drew a picture for me.

It sounds very ignorant in words, but it is a technique that is commonly used in the 21st century.

When constructing such a rocky mountain, a crane is installed at the base camp in the middle.

Like an amusement park, heavy equipment is picked up and moved around the construction site by hanging it on steel wire cables.

“If you install a crane, you just need to build a treadmill with dynamite and you can lift heavy equipment and water pipes. You can think of it as making a giant staircase and inserting a steel wire cable into each step to go up.”

“So the boss told me to bring three cranes.”

“Right. A pump facility is also built, and equipment is moved to various places on the site by borrowing the power of a crane. Once you’ve built the stairs going up, you need to build the stairs going down on the other side as well. Instead of installing water pipes there, we have to build dams.”

“ha ha ha! Horrible to think of what needs to be done, but the work seems to be progressing.”

My father did not hide his true feelings from me.

I liked it when I saw potential even in difficult things.

We will become a legend in the construction history of the 20th century.

“Hahaha, not terrible, but worth doing. I will point out the pulse.”

“Are you Mac?”

“Seeing once is faster than hearing a hundred times. There’s a blaster up there! Bring a can of paint, too.”

“Yes, boss!!!”

As I shouted, the demolition team rushed through the staff who were watching from afar.

Everyone was holding a drill with their seat belts on.

“Everyone follow me.”

I put on my safety gear and climbed up the cliff.

There was no problem in going up because technicians specializing in scaffolding (temporary scaffolding) had already firmly installed the scaffolding by driving iron stakes into the cliff.

“If you want to climb a rocky mountain, you have to focus on the white or yellow layers like this. All you have to do is make a series of holes in an oblique line so that the blasting stones can roll down the cliff. I mark it with paint.”

“You look at where the debris is splashing in advance.”

I outlined the texture of the rock and marked where the holes should be drilled with paint.

The place where the dynamite will be installed must be marked like this.

“If a rock falls where the crane is installed, it will be a big problem. Once you try it, you will get a feel for it. Drill a hole where it is marked, and fill it with dynamite.”

“Yes, boss.”

They were experts in demolition, so they understood what they were saying right away.

I drilled a hole in the rock, primed it with dynamite, put it in the hole, filled the hole with sand, and pulled a long strip of detonator wire.

If you drill a hole in the wrong way or do not put explosives properly into the hole, a safety accident will occur.

Even if you are a veteran, you have to be careful, and be careful.

“Everyone to a safe position!”

“To a safe location!!!”

It pushed people far back from the rocky mountain.

The electric wire connecting the detonator was long enough, so there was no problem securing a safe distance.

“count down!”

“Countdown, 10, 9, 8… 2, 1, blast!”

“blasting!”

Kwak-kwak-kwak!

In the 21st century, it would be possible to split the rock more precisely by adjusting the time of each dynamite’s explosion, but for now, this was the best. The sound of the explosion was very good.

When the explosion sound is light like this, the rock cracks and cracks.

Kurleung! bang!

“Wow!! Look at that, it’s cut slickly.”

“Really! It’s like stairs!”

Although the cut side of the rock was slightly slanted, it was safe to say that it was a staircase.

“Oh, you should have come earlier! You do a week’s worth of work in one go!”

Sambok stabbed my side.

“I have nothing to be ashamed of. To install a crane halfway up the mountain, you have to clear a driveway anyway. The hardships so far have been necessary.”

“…really?”

“That’s right! Shaxia!”

Sambok’s expression brightened only then.

It has worked well so far, and from now on, construction will begin to pick up speed.

“Boss, now I know what you mean by checking the pulse. It looks like a grasshopper jumping while lifting heavy equipment with a crane on the incision made like that.”

“Right. Employees will be able to move easily if we drive stakes in each cutting area and hang steel cables.”

“Did you all hear! If you install a crane on the mountainside over there, the air will be greatly shortened!”

“Waaa!”

Shortening the construction period is mutually beneficial.

In Daesae, money is given based on performance, so if the construction period is shortened, employees can take a lot of money at the same time, and I can save fixed expenses.

“What are you doing! It’s a crane, and it’s a pipe, and you have to move it!”

“Wow, let’s go!”

The staff ran to the port saying good things.

Where did you bring it to use? If you assemble the crane that was stored on the ship while doing so, you can climb the mountain without having to go through the trouble of digging the access road anymore.

“Did the shipyard work go well?”

“Are you asking now? that is great.”

“How much did you borrow?”

“I am not sure yet. Still, there are many people who want to borrow it. It will work.”

“Well, I mean it almost worked. Also, you are a talented guy. Breaking rocks well, borrowing money well.”

“Hey, are you feeling a little better now?”

“Resolved! This is 10 years worth of junk!”

Sambok pretended to be angry.

I’ll go back to my lodgings at night and have a glass of wine I brought from England.

“Yes, yes. No, I had a hard time too.”

“If you have something to do, tell me now. Also, don’t just talk loosely and go on a business trip.”

“Haha, okay. First of all, you have to dig a well, measure the surrounding terrain, and give it to BR. That’s how you decorate the blueprint.”

“Of course it’s surveying, but digging a well? Is this a desert?”

“Don’t you pour concrete to build a desert? A well is essential. And I can feel the energy of the water here. Don’t worry, friend.”

This is one of the few places in Jordan where water comes out when you dig a well.

If you drill the well and throw the survey data, BR will make a blueprint at once.

“Did you catch the pulse again?”

“oh! I can feel it… I can feel the water vein… Ah!”

“Ah, Shiva! I can’t tell if he’s joking or serious.”

“ha ha ha.”

Building a base camp at the height of 1/3 of a rocky mountain is necessary no matter what kind of construction, so it can be done without a design, but not in the future.

To complete the reservoir in one year, I would have to move quickly and pull all the air.

Small hydro power plants and seawater desalination facilities have no choice but to be postponed for now.

In order to discuss the total construction cost, it may be better to postpone the selection of the maker of the facility.

If I make a reservoir and show it, the Jordanian government will have no choice but to be anxious about the construction of this aqueduct, and the direction of the negotiations will be decided as I want.

The vice minister of the shipyard will have to wait about two months.

Chairman Appledore Longbottom is actively stepping up, but the European bank that will administer the syndicated loan will have to evaluate the business feasibility.

Originally, Barclays Bank will be the host bank, right?

The bank’s evaluation period won’t be shortened just because I’m doing my best, and it’s better to focus on Jordan here in the meantime.

The Blue House will call me when the European Bank’s evaluation report comes out, and it’s not too late to go there and coordinate.

‘Won’t you go quietly? They’ll talk again about the size of the shipyard, right?’

This guy’s Blue House.

I am very grateful for the unlimited guarantee for the loan, but it is very burdensome in terms of persuasion in order to carry out my strategy.

Well, where in the world is there anything for free?

If you get something, you have to pay the price.

“Chansu you! Think of something else!”

“No, no. Can’t you see I’m looking for water veins?”

***

one month later,

“Hehehe, what the hell… how far are you going to go?”

“General, what if a respected war hero struggles with this?”

“No man can win against time.”

“Haha, everyone came up, so you won. Enjoy the scenery. Yaaa!”

I cried out from the top of the rocky mountain.

The peak where the pump was to be installed could easily be reached by a working cable car, but I wanted to show General Van Flint the view from this peak.

From this spot, you can see the valley that will make the reservoir at a glance.

“Has there ever been a place like this in the Middle East? nice.”

General Van Flint nodded in admiration.

“It’s a complex valley like tree roots stretch, so it’s perfect for creating a reservoir. The left side of the valley will be filled with sea water, and the right side will be filled with fresh water.”

“Looks like they’re going to build a sand dam. If you break down the valley properly, you can control the waterway.”

I’ve already looked closely at the blueprints.

“That word is great. We have demolition experts, aggregate is everywhere, and we have well water to harden the cement, so a small sand dam or two is just fine.”

“The blueprint said to make a total of 6 reservoirs, right? Judging by its size, it should be called a large lake.”

“I would like to test the seawater desalination facility by making only one first. I even promised to build a reservoir within a year.”

“By the way, why did you recommend Westinghouse? There are several seawater desalination makers.”

Van Flint found Westinghouse very uncomfortable. It must be because they’ve been peeking at the defense industry lately, right?

“There is no other reason. Because Westinghouse installed the world’s first MSF (Multi-Stage Evaporation) seawater desalination plant in Kuwait. I think that’s how it works for Jordan as well.”

I need to strengthen my relationship with Westinghouse.

It’s a damn company anytime, because I have to take over the seawater desalination patent or the nuclear power plant patent.

In the 21st century, small nuclear reactor technology would have been coveted, but it is still premature to start with seawater desalination technology.

Introducing the technology won’t be difficult.

Westinghouse would consider Daesei a completely backward country company.