Chapter 100
Chapter 100
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Unforeseen Developments
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A week later, a C-5 Galaxy arrived from the U.S. mainland to transport the Polar Bears.
A true behemoth, with a payload capacity of a staggering 127 tons.
Its purpose was to prioritize the transport of a portion of the Polar Bears scheduled for delivery, and the sight of it swallowing dozens of vehicles whole was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
‘Tsk, no matter how I look at it, we need to acquire transport aircraft of our own.’
It was a thought I’d had several times already.
And not just transport planes. We also need Airborne Warning and Control Systems, as well as Joint STARS-type surveillance aircraft.
At times like this, I’m reminded of how long a road we still have ahead of us.
“The transport plane that came last time looks like a little kid compared to that one.”
Astonished by the Galaxy's size, Secretary Kim couldn't take her eyes off it, letting out a stream of impressed gasps.
The more I watched, the more my stomach churned, so I turned to leave. She quickly fell in step behind me.
“Where are you headed?”
“To the Daeyoo factory.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll have a car ready immediately.”
She didn't ask why.
She would have been aware of the need to expand the Polar Bear production line from the results of this morning's meeting.
To think, it had only been a few months since the line was completed.
I never expected we’d have to expand it again so soon.
Screech!
“Welcome, sir.”
At the Daeyoo factory, all the production lines were running without a break.
At a glance, it was hard to believe this was the same company that had once gone bankrupt.
The phrase ‘a world of difference’ couldn't have been more fitting.
“We've decided to expand the line by converting existing assembly lines, just like before. Building a new assembly building would take too much time…”
The representative in charge had a point.
My only concern was that it would reduce our commercial vehicle production capacity.
But in the end, I chose to accept his proposal.
“Let’s do that. Daeyoo Trucks’ market share hit rock bottom a long time ago anyway. It would be better for the commercial division to wait another year or so. By the way, what are your plans for recruiting more personnel?”
That was what I was more worried about.
Unlike commercial vehicles, the Polar Bear requires a lot of manual labor. With our current workforce, expanding the factory could lead to problems.
Moreover, new hires would need training to get accustomed to the work. To finish that within the expansion timeframe, we’d have to start recruiting immediately.
“You don't need to worry about that. There are plenty of skilled auto workers who were laid off during the IMF crisis, so it should be resolved quickly. In fact, we’ve already asked a government ministry to connect us with workers from shuttered auto plants.”
The representative said confidently.
True, there were a massive number of layoffs back then.
No wonder the economic minister and other officials had called me out of the blue this morning, showering Jaewoo Group with all sorts of praise. This must have been the reason.
“In any case, please hurry with the expansion. We need to have it operational by the end of the year at the latest.”
“What?”
The representative’s face fell.
He realized he’d have to work himself to the bone to meet that deadline.
Feeling a pang of guilt, I turned to leave when the phone in my pocket vibrated.
-It's been a while, Chairman Jin. This is Jack.
The caller was Jack Carson, the CEO of Nokeed.
I had been planning to call him soon anyway.
I greeted him warmly, and he got straight to the point.
-You've heard the news, I assume?
[Of course. But why the sudden decision?]
-Actually, the Department of Defense is pushing to accelerate the full-scale production of the F-22. As a result, securing production lines for the F-16 upgrades has become an emergency.
My guess was spot on.
There was no other reason a corporate giant like Nokeed would be facing a line shortage.
The question was why this variable had suddenly appeared, but Jack didn't seem to know either.
-In any case, that's why I need your help, Chairman Jin.
[We have no reason to refuse an opportunity to make money. However, transporting U.S. military aircraft can be quite tricky.]
-You won't have to worry about transport for the time being. Of the 100 jets scheduled for upgrades, 60 are assigned to U.S. Forces Korea. Once those are done, the remaining 40 will be flown over sequentially with in-flight refueling.
[…]
For a moment, my mind went blank.
As far as I knew, U.S. Forces Korea had a total of 60 F-16s.
If they're upgrading all of them, what about the power vacuum?
I asked again, thinking I must have misheard, but his answer was the same.
-To be honest, I was a bit surprised myself, but those were the orders from the DoD.
[But... we need to upgrade at least 20 jets simultaneously. What about the resulting gap in military strength?]
-Our Department of Defense has already prepared for that. From what I've heard, they plan to temporarily deploy the latest F-16 models from the U.S. Air Force.
[They're reassigning U.S. Air Force jets?]
Whatever the reason, this was good news for us.
Deploying newer aircraft would naturally improve operational capabilities.
It certainly seems the Republican administration has been quite accommodating to South Korea on issues like this.
-Oh, and the jets for U.S. Forces Korea will also be getting engine upgrades.
The call with Jack was good news to the very end.
Replacing the engines would send the upgrade costs skyrocketing.
And since installing our radar is part of the deal, we might end up being the ones who profit the most from this upgrade project.
‘Damn, things are going so well it's making me nervous...’
******
[President Bush has issued an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, giving him 48 hours to leave Iraq. Western media outlets are treating this as a clear declaration of war...]
A few days later, the United States invaded Iraq.
The official pretext was to eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
The debate over whether that was just an excuse would emerge much later. For now, the world was thrown into chaos by the news of another war.
[Bombing by the U.S. Air Force...]
As always, it began with aerial bombardment.
According to one account, the United States used up its entire massive stockpile of bombs.
It was so extreme that conspiracy theories emerged, claiming the war was orchestrated by the military-industrial complex.
[The ousting of Hussein will open the gates to another hell...]
Most Middle East experts in the Western world condemned Bush's unilateral actions almost daily.
But it was no use.
Influenced by the neocons, the media's tone gradually began to justify the war. In the end, four countries joined the conflict, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland, with a combined force of roughly 300,000 troops.
“We cannot simply ignore our ally’s request to join the war.”
“What if our country becomes a target for Middle Eastern terrorist groups as a result?”
Debates raged on television.
The main topic, of course, was whether South Korean forces should participate.
Since I already knew the outcome, I wasn't particularly interested. I was just curious to see how closely this war would follow the original timeline.
Damn it, history has been so jumbled lately that I can't even feel relieved.
Knock, knock!
“Chairman, CEO Jin Hyun-cheol is here.”
Just as I was engrossed in the news, Secretary Kim announced Jin Hyun-cheol's arrival.
Lost in the sweet bliss of newlywed life, he had put on some weight.
I wasn't sure whether to say he looked well... It was hard to judge.
“The whole country is in an uproar over another war.”
He said, gesturing at the TV I had just turned off.
Was it my imagination, or had his fingers gotten chubbier too?
The thought suddenly crossed my mind that it might be due to him having only one kidney.
“You’re not having any kidney problems, are you?”
“Where did that come from?”
“You look unusually swollen.”
“Ah, this... It’s not swelling. I’ve just gained weight.”
“...Tell my sister-in-law to stop feeding you so much. People are going to say she’s raising a pig.”
Hyun-cheol let out a laugh at my words and looked down at his body.
As if bothered by his burgeoning belly, he tightened his belt and offered an awkward smile.
“My wife asked me to find out when you’re coming over. How can a little brother not even show up for his older brother’s housewarming party?”
I had no excuse for that.
The ‘I’m busy’ excuse can only work for so long. It seemed I’d have to make time for it soon, no matter what. But every time I saw them, they brought up the damn topic of marriage, which made it awkward.
“By the way, would you be interested in being set up with someone?”
See?
It’s like they caught a virus or something. Now they’re both at it.
“I’ll pass.”
“When are you going to get married, then? Time flies. What will you do if Father’s health takes a turn for the worse again?”
“Father will live to be ninety, so you don’t need to worry.”
That's what I said, but honestly, I couldn't be sure of that anymore.
The history I knew was straying further and further from its original path.
The only silver lining was that the Chairman’s health was much better than before. The old man was hiking the treacherous Mount Seorak as if it were a walk in the park.
“You don’t have something going on with Secretary Kim, do you?”
I looked up at his sudden question.
He gave a faint smile, as if to say he wasn't just making small talk, and continued suggestively.
“It’s just suspicious that Secretary Kim shows no interest in getting married and is always stuck to your side. Haven’t you ever felt that?”
“She says she wants to live a short, impactful life.”
I replied, recalling what she had said back in Russia.
Hyun-cheol's eyes widened for a moment.
I snapped the document I was reading shut and looked him straight in the eye.
“Secretary Kim’s annual salary is over 100 million won. Do you think she’d quit her job?”
“A secretary’s salary is over 100 million?”
“Because she’s that capable. Anyway, what brings you all the way to headquarters?”
At that question, Hyun-cheol looked as if he’d just remembered something.
He handed me the envelope he was holding, then settled back onto the sofa with a grin.
“The battery division is planning to build a new factory in an Eastern European country, and I wanted to know what you think.”
“Is it already time to consider expansion?”
Jaewoo Chemicals, which began producing lithium-ion and polymer batteries a year ago, was experiencing explosive growth.
In particular, through the development of a proprietary anode material and the domestic production of separators, they had boosted power efficiency by over ten percent compared to existing products.
Naturally, demand had skyrocketed, and it seemed they had reached the point where they couldn't keep up with orders.
“It’s only natural for demand to follow a good product. The demand from laptop manufacturers, in particular, has exploded. It’s insane.”
“That’s good to hear. Alright, you can decide which country to build the factory in.”
I had entrusted the chemical division to Hyun-cheol from the start, so I felt it was right for him to make the decision.
Besides, there was no one with his level of judgment and ambition.
But was there a problem with that? He was staring at me with wide eyes.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“You’re leaving it to me?”
“Of course. You’re the one in charge, after all.”
“…”
He hesitated, unable to speak.
I was suddenly reminded of the promise we had made.
That he would only be in charge of the chemical division until the business was on track.
I let out a suppressed laugh and spoke.
“Knowing my current situation, do you still want to hand it over to me?”
“Hey, how long do you expect me to be responsible for it, then? Honestly, it’s becoming a burden.”
“Even if it’s a burden, you’ll have to bear it. You’ll probably be in charge for another ten years or so.”
“…”
Hyun-cheol stared at me, dumbfounded.
But he must have felt my situation was pitiful, because he stopped complaining and started muttering something under his breath.
“What are you mumbling about like a rain-soaked monk?”
“What do you think? I’m cursing out Father.”
“…”
“If he was going to bring in his outside children, he should have brought in three of them. Then we wouldn’t be the only ones suffering like this.”
Pfft.
I let out a dry laugh at his words and stood up for the upcoming meeting.
Then, the development status of the all-solid-state battery came to mind.
When I asked, he made an ‘Ah!’ expression and scratched his head.
“According to Dr. Kim Hee-won at the research institute, they’re looking at the end of next year.”
“Hmm, that’s about when I expected. Anyway, let’s go. We’ll be late for the meeting.”
Bang!
“Chairman!”
As I opened the door, Secretary Kim rushed toward me as if she had been waiting.
She hesitated, conscious of Hyun-cheol, but at my glance telling her it was fine, she spoke again.
“A moment ago, the President himself called.”
“…What did you say?”
“He asked if you were available for a meal... no, he said there was something important to discuss and that he strongly hoped you would attend.”
“…”