Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Like a Honeybee Chasing Sweet Fragrance
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Like a honeybee chasing a sweet fragrance.
Oh Deok-bae followed my guiding hand without resistance.
Jin-seong, whom he had always admired, and Han Yu-jeong, a stunning beauty he had never even spoken to.
This place was practically paradise for him.
And so, Representative Seo Kyung-hwan met Oh Deok-bae.
This was the representative's office at Vigang Systems.
Oh Deok-bae, looking awkward as he glanced around, lit up at the sight of the trophies filling the room. They ranged from awards won at famous corporate competitions he had heard of to plaques given in recognition of his achievements.
The owner of the room, Vigang's CEO Seo Kyung-hwan, was a well-known figure in Korea.
"Wow, you got this one too?"
A competition to see who could fly a drone the farthest first.
Or the fastest.
The trophy's base was made of glossy black material, symbolizing cutting-edge technology of the future. Atop it floated a structure shaped like a drone.
Oh Deok-bae stared intently at the trophy.
"Would you like to take it?"
"...Wh-what!?"
A response that made no sense.
I had no idea where that "Wh-what?" came from. Apparently, according to Jin-seong, it was once a popular humorous phrase on SNS.
Anyway, at the words that he could take the trophy, his eyes sparkled like a puppy's. He looked like he truly wanted it, as if it would fulfill his every wish.
"But there's a catch—there's no such thing as something for nothing in this world. And Deok-bae... I'll call you Mr. Deok-bae. If you agree to my terms, this is yours."
Behind the display shelf stood a massive wooden crate containing a gigantic drone, disassembled into parts—who knew when it had been made.
"!"
It was so large even I was surprised.
And it revealed Seo Kyung-hwan's meticulous preparation.
He was willing to sell his soul to bring Oh Deok-bae into Vigang Systems.
"Wh-what!!"
"What do you say, Mr. Deok-bae?"
Even with this courtship, Oh Deok-bae shook his head.
"I see. How about this, then?"
He gave him a tour of the company. Researchers worked freely in their own spaces, which delighted Oh Deok-bae.
"If you join Vigang, Mr. Deok-bae, you can have your own space like those researchers over there and work freely. You can watch anime or movies inside, do your research without pressure, and just get involved in a few company matters. You'll earn great money and build your career. Oh, and that drone toy I showed you earlier. I can confidently say it's one-of-a-kind in the world. No one else can touch or buy it."
Seo Kyung-hwan's mouth fired off words like a machine gun.
Soon, a flood of saliva mixed in from his mouth.
I couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight.
A talent who solved a problem that had stumped Vigang in just 10 minutes. Other companies coveted him too—he was too precious to let go...
Ahem!
Correction.
He was too precious a person to let go.
At the promise of free access to the company, Oh Deok-bae pondered deeply. He wasn't great with people to begin with. We'd talked a lot on the way here.
About his unfortunate past.
About how those events had changed his mindset.
In some ways, he had a lot in common with me.
Even the trauma of being belittled in the past.
"...Alright, I'll give it a try."
"Really?"
"Yes. When you're going this far..."
Seo Kyung-hwan shouted three cheers of joy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The moment Oh Deok-bae joined Vigang, the company atmosphere changed dramatically.
He wasn't from a top university—just a high school grad. Vigang, which had recruited such a high school dropout, became the subject of countless rumors.
A rising star that treats high school grads well.
Vigang Systems doesn't care about pedigree.
They only look at talent.
"Are you Researcher Oh Deok-bae?"
"...Um, I'm not actually a researcher."
Senior Researcher Lee Dae-hwi patted the shoulder of the mumbling, insecure man.
"If you're here, you can hold your head high. This is a company with Korea's top researchers, even if it's not just about drones."
Vigang wasn't just any company.
It was a research center where talents from various fields gathered to develop new technologies.
CEO Seo Kyung-hwan didn't focus solely on results; he valued the process of breaking old stereotypes above all. This philosophy had permeated every step from the beginning to now, shaping the researchers' mindset uniquely.
"Do it like this here..."
"Ah! That part a bit more..."
"Of course we'll help. We're all family here."
As a result, even Oh Deok-bae's timid personality gradually shifted in a positive direction.
Unlike companies rife with bullying, all Vigang employees were united as one.
And the outcome?
"Oh my god..."
The previously unsolvable issues started getting resolved one by one.
And they achieved the desired results.
"Hahaha! Deok-bae, you're amazing!"
"Wow, you solved it like this?"
"I was worried your introverted nature might not fit at first, but no worries. You did something huge, Deok-bae!"
Oh Deok-bae scratched his head shyly.
"N-no, everyone worked hard too... That's how we got this result."
"Hahaha! I like your humility, Deok-bae, but it's not the whole story. You accomplished something unbelievable right before our eyes!"
The busy Vigang researchers, who had only now welcomed the new hire due to their schedules, decided to throw a welcome party for Deok-bae.
"Alright, Representative Seo Kyung-hwan gave us the company card today. And for our investor, the future Chairman Do-jun of tomorrow—cheers!"
Lee Dae-hwi raised his glass high, toasting to Vigang's bright future.
"To Researcher Oh Deok-bae's joining and Vigang's future!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Meanwhile, in stark contrast to the heated atmosphere at Vigang.
The nation was plunging into chaos.
— Anonymous [No, fuck! Where the hell is our defense budget going? Do we have to live in fear all day, every day?] North Korea's daily trash balloon launches continued.
They grew bolder by the day, with more and more balloons visible over Seoul's skies.
— User1 Damn, a trash balloon popped right above the car in front of me on my way to work lololol — User2 I saw it too. Something floating up in the sky... — User3 Didn't a few people get hurt by trash balloons today? — User4 Yeah; 3 injured. — User5 Fuck, too scary to even walk outside! How many did they launch? — User6 Dunno. News says over 170 now? — User7 Isn't this all-out war? If they stuff biochemical weapons in there, we're toast? — User8 North Korea doesn't wanna die either, they'd never do that. — User9 Above comment is clueless. When Russia hit Ukraine, everyone thought it was bluffing—a show. Then boom, real war. North Korea's initial balloons were just simple ones.
Now, they were remote bombs using GPS—no different.
The Ministry of National Defense held press conferences daily amid the escalating intelligence of these trash balloons.
"Minister! A word on this situation!"
"The public is terrified. What countermeasures are you planning?"
"Two more innocent people injured today. Will it always just be 'regrets'?"
The Defense Minister's face was rigid with anger even before the press, his pursed lips a sign of suppressed fury.
Then, at one reporter's question, his eyebrows shot up sharply.
"We've heard Vigang Systems developed a new drone model for air defense, not attack. Saudi's Ramzan Abdulman already called it a pillar of future air defense and is actively adopting it. Why did the Defense Ministry reject Vigang's proposal in the past?"
Murmurs erupted!
Corruption, exposé.
The one who dared ask what no one else would was Cha Se-yeon from Daehan Ilbo.
She pressed aggressively, as if the Defense Minister meant nothing to her.
"Vigang proved its performance before diplomatic delegations at Saudi test sites. They offered it 17% cheaper than other countries. A proud domestic achievement with top cost-performance and efficiency—why ignore it?"
"Th-that's not something for here..."
"Minister! Explain to the press!"
The other reporters scribbled furiously at the new info.
Embarrassment flashed across the Defense Minister's face. Thin sweat beaded on his forehead, revealing his pressure.
"...We'll address that later."
With that, the Defense Minister fled the press room.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I had no idea Oh Deok-bae had such incredible talent. I just aimed to rehabilitate him as part of Jin-seong's content.
Of course, the skills he showed hit me like a shockwave.
The communities were already flooded with posts praising how we discovered such a gem.
— Netizen1 Whoa! The guy from episode 1 of Hope Delivery is killing it at Vigang? For real? — Netizen2 Yeah; he solved a problem Vigang couldn't. — Netizen3 Source? — Netizen4 Rumor from Vigang. Some current researcher posted on office community that the new hire did something huge—it's trending. — Netizen5 Vigang's public recruitment ended last time? Only one new hire fits. — Netizen6 Yep, that's him. Various posts on the community.
I never expected episode 1, which I hadn't even hoped for much, to cause this much buzz.
Let alone the groundbreaking future drone developments.
"This is the model we're developing for the future at Vigang?"
"Yes. That's our next goal."
A small dragonfly perched on my hand.
The catch? It would have a tiny camera on its tail, and if done right, even a micro-bomb inside.
Seo Kyung-hwan looked at the dragonfly in my hand and said,
"DJ02's original goal was unmanned combat aerial vehicles. You know, like the US Predator or Reaper—those big drones."
"Yeah, their specs are monstrous."
Honestly, the US military drones were basically fighter jets. Dropping Hellfire missiles from a "drone"...
"We aimed for that too, but in a meeting, Deok-bae said we should target insects for future drones."
"Insects?"
"Yes. Especially dragonflies."
Dragonflies have four independent wings, front and rear moving separately. This allows ultra-precise flight and omnidirectional movement.
Plus, they can hover while flying at high speeds.
Everything modern aircraft dream of.
Perfect as a prototype for Vigang's future goals.
"If a dragonfly-inspired DJ02 model is born under Vigang's hands, the world will face a new revolution."