Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Ramzan Abdulman and the Drone Test
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"Feel free to call me Ramzan."
Surprisingly, Ramzan Abdulman turned out to be a hearty fellow.
Quite unlike his appearance, in fact.
He wore a traditional white thobe, known as a tobra,
and a red checkered ghutra.
They said he also donned a bisht with golden details for official events.
Well, I'll be.
He looked just like a character straight out of Arabian Nights.
"I'm Kim Do-jun."
"I already knew that."
"You speak Korean... remarkably well?"
"What? Kahaha!"
He burst into booming laughter and poured tea into a small handle-less cup called a finjan.
"The reason I took an interest in Korean is because of my fascination with the advanced weapons produced by your homeland."
"You mean our weapons?"
"Of course! They call it K-Defense these days, don't they?"
"Ah..."
Was he referring to the famous K9 self-propelled howitzer and K2 tank?
Not just those—Saudi Arabia had shown particular interest in multiple rocket launchers like the Cheonmu and even recent fighter jet development projects.
They'd traditionally relied on American gear, but surprisingly, they raved about Korean equipment that could stand toe-to-toe with—or even outperform—the superpower's offerings in conventional army hardware.
'Makes sense, with the Middle East situation being so volatile.'
The neighboring countries were deep in conflict.
Israel versus Hamas.
And on top of that, tensions between Israel and Iran.
As we chatted,
Ramzan suddenly grew serious.
"Do you know what the most shocking event in my life has been?"
Hmm.
For a man with this much power and wealth, it wouldn't be some personal matter. Probably something that shook the entire world.
"No idea. Something that could shock you..."
"The Gulf War."
"!"
Early 1990s.
The military clash sparked by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
It had reshaped the geopolitical order of the Middle East.
"Back then, the world—America aside—believed sheer numbers could turn the tide of war. We Saudis leaned on manpower over equipment, too."
"..."
"But America crushed Iraq, then a superpower, with weapons no one saw coming."
It was tied to the Vigang System, too.
Seo Kyung-hwan nodded vigorously beside me in agreement.
The Air Force's F-117 Nighthawk, the world's first stealth fighter, obliterated their air defenses. On the ground, the M1A1 Abrams tank wiped out Iraq's massive mechanized divisions in a flash.
And that was just the start.
The Navy's Tomahawk cruise missiles, working with stealth fighters, dismantled Iraq's supposedly airtight air defenses in mere hours.
It was outright slaughter.
The world was thrown into chaos, questioning if it was war or just a massacre.
No wonder China, which had been eyeing America's spot with confidence, scrambled to modernize its aging forces.
North Korea felt it, and Korea watched with the same dread.
"I still can't forget the Gulf War. Know what the royals said back then?"
"?"
"They said we'd rather be America's dogs than face annihilation."
For instance, Saudi Arabia shared a border with Iraq and became a key base for the U.S.-led coalition, swallowing every bit of pride.
That's how the famed Operation Desert Shield was born.
"We're eyeing drones' potential. We've designated them a national priority and are advancing the tech. But we don't need just our own—we have the money and the will to spend it."
"What exactly do you want?"
Down to business.
I wasn't one for long preambles.
Ramzan's eyes gleamed at my question.
"Everyone knows Korean quality is world-class. But we need to see it tested, especially to get the crown prince's approval."
"We're already prepared."
"Koreans and your preparedness—it's why we can't resist."
Ramzan stood and called over someone waiting nearby.
"You must be tired from the long trip. Rest up. Follow him."
Go Do-jun approached from outside.
"This way."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Ramzan got back to us soon.
As I was shaking off the fatigue in palace-like quarters, Go Do-jun showed up.
"They said the test is exactly two days from now."
"Two days? That's tight. Has the attendee list come out?"
Go Do-jun handed me a sheet of paper.
It listed all the high-ranking Saudi officials.
Whoa, damn.
One slip-up, and we'd plummet straight to hell, not just the abyss.
"These people are really coming?"
"Yes. And foreign diplomatic delegations currently in Saudi Arabia will be watching, too."
The stakes were higher than expected.
Maybe Ramzan Abdulman's ploy.
He'd announced his investment in Vigang System publicly.
So, impressing not just Saudi but its allies would pique interest in our DJ01.
Sales would skyrocket.
High risk, high return, though.
If we ignored the insane danger...
'Crown prince and Ramzan are givens, but Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, Interior Minister, Finance Minister, Energy Minister, Commerce Minister—no, why's the Education Minister here?'
Even nations tied into their vast energy networks.
UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco.
What, holding a summit?
How many countries were spectating?
"We'll need to prepare meticulously."
Seo Kyung-hwan stared at the list, sweat beading on his forehead.
He'd thought it'd be just a few Saudi bigwigs. But guests had poured in right when we arrived.
Coincidence like that? Impossible. Ramzan's courtesy—and his test.
Prove we're worth his investment.
'Middle East and North Africa heavyweights. What're they plotting...?'
Some uprising? No Korean media reports.
If this many nations gathered without press knowing, they were scheming something.
Tch. Whatever they were up to, it didn't concern me.
We just had to showcase DJ01 perfectly and rake in the cash.
"The poorer nations are probably eyeing drones."
Seo Kyung-hwan had spotted a pattern in the list.
I agreed.
"Drones offer the best cost-performance right now. A few million won toy humiliates the king of ground warfare, the tank. Irresistible for countries that can't pour GDP into defense."
Funny part? Those drones had even downed attack helicopters mid-bombardment.
Dominating ground and air.
Fantastic bang for the buck.
"Anyway, let's prep thoroughly. Nothing more humiliating than a public flop."
The news had already hit Korean media and the public.
A quick portal site search on my smartphone showed articles dominating categories.
[Vigang System Enters Saudi Arabia.]
[K-Defense's Future: Drones After Tanks and Howitzers!?]
[Secret Test Underway? What Kind of Drone is Vigang's DJ01?]
[Exclusive Scoop! DJ01 Can Strike 20 Targets Simultaneously—Unprecedented Secret Korean Weapon! Product of KAIST Grads, Pinnacle of Domestic Science...]
[Is Kim Do-jun, Backer of Vigang System, Truly Midas-Touched?]
My name was in the headlines.
Comments already over +9,999. This wasn't just our problem anymore.
'Fail the test, and it'll haunt us forever.'
People called me Midas-Touched, succeeding at everything. Rumors even swirled of a famous director DMing me to invest in his film.
'Whew, my heart's pounding like crazy.'
Me, a total loser.
Standing center stage at a test site, under VIP eyes from a whole nation, after partying in my room.
Beyond new—it was chilling.
'Future's unpredictable...'
In school, they called me Ghost.
Present but absent.
At the recent reunion, a smug friend even offered me a job: "Quit being a NEET."
Now I was stepping into the global market from Korea.
'Never dreamed Vigang would blow up like this...'
Initial goal: Partner with Future Distribution to revitalize logistics. Overseas, drones for deliveries, disaster relief, remote areas.
So many uses left.
Who'd have thought it'd hit defense—K-Defense—in Saudi, a key exporter.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Sleepless nights later,
the big day arrived two days on.
Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!
A massive explosion, dwarfing the flash, filled the test site. Unlike our domestic run, Seo Kyung-hwan had loaded max payload to make a statement.
True to an oil exporter, they rolled out real tanks they used. Russian mainstays, even downgraded M1A1s sold by the U.S.
All those cutting-edge tanks melted.
The Russian one even cooked off in secondary blasts, plunging the site into chaos.
Foreign delegations gasped in shock.
"Wh-what..."
"Heavens, is that drone power?"
"Russia's one side, but American too?"
"Look—no margin for error, all hitting simultaneously."
"Interceptable?"
"Sure, but one soldier controls 20 at once. Sheer numbers make defense impossible."
"A Korean firm stirs another storm..."
"Their tanks and howitzers are premium, but this drone? Priceless."
Of course, drones must breach air defenses to prove battlefield worth. Our DJ01 couldn't penetrate 100%.
However.
If one soldier pilots 20 drones, while foes handle 100, we unleash 2,000—20 times over.
Drones are cheap; swarm fast and hard for max effect.
"Hahaha, President Do-jun! Production capacity?"
I glanced at Seo Kyung-hwan.
"Capacity TBD, but we'll send exact numbers later."
"Need factories, too."
"Yes. Drones require manpower and facilities."
"Heavens... How much?"
"That later, too..."
Ramzan's eyes twitched oddly at the insane power.
He wanted Vigang, money no object.
I sensed the shift.
Before, Saudi was top dog, us under.
Now, we were top, Saudi under.
Seo Kyung-hwan's Vigang System DJ01 had exceeded imagination.