Chapter 120
Chapter 120
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Generosity and Progress
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Screech!
A short while later, Representative Ahn and I arrived at Jaewoo General Hospital and headed straight for the room where the security agent, Jung Tae-woo, was staying.
“Ch-Chairman!”
Even though we hadn't announced our visit, the ward was already in an uproar.
I hadn't given them a heads-up precisely to avoid this kind of commotion, but it felt like my efforts had gone to waste.
“In Mr. Jung Tae-woo’s case, he’s suffering from paralysis in his lower body due to nerve damage.”
The hospital director, who had rushed over at some point, followed behind me, explaining the situation.
I had already been briefed on the details.
After asking the director to do everything possible to help with his rehabilitation, I opened the door to the room.
“Daddy, does it hurt a lot?”
The first thing I saw was a group of small children huddled around Agent Jung Tae-woo.
Three daughters, no less.
One of them was a little tyke who still looked like she needed her mother's care. Surprisingly, though, the woman who seemed to be their mother was nowhere in sight; only an elderly-looking caregiver was there, struggling to handle the boisterous kids.
“Chairman!”
Spotting me, Jung Tae-woo immediately tried to sit up.
I waved my hand to stop him and turned my gaze back to the children. He spoke with an awkward expression.
“I’m sorry, sir. The kids insisted on seeing me, so I asked for permission just for today.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s a private room, so you’re not bothering anyone. By the way, I don’t see the children’s mother.”
At my words, Jung Tae-woo gave another awkward smile.
I wondered if I had made a mistake, but thankfully, it didn't seem to be that kind of issue.
“Their mother works as well, so she just dropped the kids off and had to leave.”
His words sparked a question in my mind.
Even with a professional career, it couldn’t be easy for a mother of three to maintain it.
Moreover, for her to go to work when the head of the household was in this state… I wondered if it was due to financial problems.
“I suppose the salary you’re receiving wasn’t enough?”
But if that were true, it would make even less sense.
The salaries of my security team are comparable to, if not higher than, a department head at a major corporation. There shouldn't be any reason for them to be in such a situation.
Just then, Jung Tae-woo spoke again with an embarrassed look.
“Ah, well, my father left behind a significant amount of debt.”
“If that was the case, why didn’t you just renounce the inheritance?”
“I wanted to, but the people who helped my father did so even when they weren’t well-off themselves. I couldn’t just disappoint them to save myself.”
Suddenly, a memory from my own childhood surfaced.
My biological father, who had driven his business into the ground and then killed himself by jumping.
And my biological mother, who, even after renouncing the inheritance, couldn't withstand the constant pressure from creditors and eventually fell ill and passed away.
Those past memories overlapped with Jung Tae-woo’s current reality, and a part of my chest sank.
“I don’t know what to say to comfort you.”
“Comfort? What you’ve already done for us is more than enough.”
At his words, I glanced at Representative Ahn.
From the way he nodded, it seemed he had already relayed my instructions.
But I took another envelope from my pocket and handed it to him.
“This is something extra I prepared as a gesture of consolation.”
“No, you really don’t have to do this.”
Jung Tae-woo vehemently refused my gesture.
But I finally broke his resolve by telling him to buy some snacks for the kids, then left the room without looking back.
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
Representative Ahn, seemingly puzzled by my hasty exit, quickly followed and asked.
I glanced back at the hospital room, but there was still no sound from within.
I pressed the elevator button and said to him.
“I was afraid he might feel burdened and try to refuse it.”
“How much did you put in there?”
Ssk.
I immediately held up one finger.
Representative Ahn let out a dry chuckle.
“That’s a bit much for a snack fund, but it’s hardly enough to feel burdened by one million won, don’t you think?”
“Who said it was one million won?”
I pressed the button for the still-unmoving elevator again and said casually.
Representative Ahn stared at me blankly for a moment, then let out a gasp of realization.
“You’re very generous. To think you’d give him ten million won.”
Pfft.
This time, I was the one who chuckled.
His eyes widened as he asked again, a look of disbelief on his face.
“Th-Then you put in one hundred million won?”
“You can add another zero to that.”
I said it nonchalantly and stepped into the elevator as its doors opened.
Representative Ahn stood frozen in place, clearly in shock.
I couldn’t resist adding one more thing.
“What’s the point of making money? It’s meant to be used in situations like this.”
“……”
******
[The U.S. Department of Defense announced this morning that they have captured former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The place of his arrest is reported to be his hometown of Tikrit…]
December 2003.
Hussein, whose whereabouts had been unknown since the defeat, was finally captured.
The first person to find him was, just as in the original history, Samir Juan, an Iraqi-American communications specialist in the U.S. Army.
Facing that news again, memories from that time came flooding back.
‘So, it seems that part of history is following its original course.’
For some reason, I felt a sense of relief about that.
If Hussein’s capture had been delayed, or if he had never been caught, unlike in the original timeline, there’s no telling how the future of the Middle East might have changed.
Besides, the recent unrest caused by guerrillas was already more intense and organized than in the original history. If Hussein hadn’t been captured on top of that, the future would have become quite uncertain.
“Chairman, CEO Kim Young-gi is here.”
Just as my thoughts were spiraling, I was informed of CEO Kim’s request for a meeting.
His sudden visit was puzzling, but only for a moment. CEO Kim entered and handed me a development status report on the K11 composite rifle, which I had forgotten about.
“A prototype is already out?”
“Right now, only the standard 5.56-millimeter rifle component is in the prototype stage. The airburst grenade delivery system and the fire control system are excluded.”
Even so, it was remarkably fast.
No matter how simple the structure and components, firearms development typically involves countless trials and errors before a proper weapon is born.
So for a prototype to emerge in just six months was almost surreal.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the shape of the rifle caught my eye.
It looked remarkably similar to the one the Dasan research team had developed to replace the K1.
“What’s the story behind this?”
“Ah, well, no matter how much research we did, we couldn’t come up with a design that could outperform the special operations rifle the Dasan team presented to you. So, we tried redesigning it with a slightly longer barrel, and the prototype tests showed quite satisfactory—no, outstanding—performance.”
That reminded me of our military’s K1 and K2 rifles.
When you think about it, they are also different variants derived from a single design philosophy.
It seemed CEO Kim and the researchers had taken a cue from that.
“True, there’s no fundamental difference between an infantry rifle and a special operations rifle. Anyway, when you say ‘outstanding performance,’ what level are we talking about?”
“It overcame the K2 rifle’s biggest weaknesses, like excessive barrel overheating and jamming. It also maintained normal function in harsh conditions and was easy to service. It didn’t fall short in any area.”
“Is it that good? In that case, we might as well propose this as our military’s next standard-issue rifle.”
“I was thinking the same thing. I plan to sound out the military about a potential requirement soon.”
His words made the corners of my mouth lift into a smile.
Whether it made money or not, if that requirement was accepted, it would be the starting gun for our military to begin its own Warrior Platform in earnest.
The truth is, changing a weapons system is always difficult at first, but once it starts, it tends to continue. I was confident this rifle could be that starting line.
“To be honest, I’m not sure it will be accepted. It’s not really my place to say, but the generals in the military have a mindset that if there’s money for that, they’d rather get one more self-propelled gun.”
“I’m sure. It’s so bad that people…”
I guess that’s why they ended up calling the Ministry of National Defense the ‘Ministry of Artillery.’
Of course, it was an unavoidable choice that developed from the foundation of joint operations with the U.S. military after the Korean War.
The concept was that the U.S. would handle air and naval power, while we would pour all our resources into ground warfare.
But was that truly the right direction for our military’s growth?
I believe that, in the name of rational military buildup, it was a foolish move.
—Honestly, why do we even need to develop our own fighter jet? Our ally, the United States, is already making cheap, high-performance fighters. Besides, if a war breaks out, the U.S. military will establish air superiority in an instant. Is there any reason for us to spend money on that?
As my thoughts spiraled, I suddenly remembered what a so-called military expert had said during a TV debate I participated in before my regression.
It was a debate between proponents and opponents of the KFX development program, wasn't it?
Even back then, I had passionately argued against the opponents’ logic. Yet that pundit, who insisted that domestic development was nothing but a waste of money, was later exposed by the media for taking money from a U.S. defense contractor.
The son of a bitch.
And what did he say after that?
That it was patriotic advice for the nation’s sake?
“Why did you stop talking?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Anyway, what’s the status of the airburst grenade launcher and the fire control system?”
“That part is currently about 40% complete. In any case, the military has scheduled the comparative evaluation for the fire control system for after June next year, so there’s no rush.”
As he finished speaking, he pushed another report toward me.
A quick glance revealed it was about the launcher for the attack drone I recently ordered, and the vehicle that would carry and deploy it.
I looked up, wondering what the problem could be, and he scratched his head as he spoke.
“The mobile vehicle is something Jaewoo Defense will have to handle.”
“Ah, I see. In that case, I’ll contact Jaewoo Defense separately.”
“But isn’t the development period excessively short? The launcher and vehicle are one thing, but developing the drone and its control computer won’t be easy.”
He said, his tone full of concern.
Well, for someone who hasn't fully grasped the technological level of the Jaewoo Research Institute, his concern was understandable.
But for Jaewoo—no, for me—I already had an enormous amount of accumulated data in the field of attack drones. The sensors, electronic components, and tactical control algorithms were all at a stage where they could be realized immediately.
So a one-year development period wasn't necessarily unreasonable.
“There are no obstacles to us developing the attack drone. The Jaewoo Research Institute should have already provided you with the relevant data on that, CEO Kim.”
“I did receive the report because of the parts that Jaewoo Thales needs to produce. But it was missing any solution for the core component: the electro-optical sensor.”
“……”
Surprised, I looked up at him again.
That was actually one of the key components of the attack drone we were developing, and I hadn't expected him to point out such a technical detail.
CEO Kim met my gaze and continued with an awkward smile.
“I was the Minister of Defense, you know. You didn’t think I’d be ignorant of such things, did you? In any case, the specs you provided clearly include a surveillance function. But there is no electro-optical sensor module in the world yet that can be mounted on a drone of that size.”
He kept pointing out the facts.
He had a point. It was virtually impossible to cram all sorts of sensors, including an optical sensor module, into a drone with a diameter of only 150 millimeters.
Even if a product existed that could make it possible, the cost would be a major issue.
Electro-optical sensor modules used in weapons typically cost tens of millions of won. Mounting one on a mere drone would be a case of the tail wagging the dog.
But if you look for a way, you can find one.
“We already have the technology to produce an electronic optical system and image processing sensors small enough to fit on that drone.”
“……”
At my words, CEO Kim blinked.
It was an understandable reaction, given that he was practically a layman in that field.
I put down the pen I was holding and spoke to him.
“Let’s take the smart artillery shell as an example. How do you think we managed to fit all the precision guidance functions into such a small shell, CEO Kim?”
“Now that you mention it…”
CEO Kim blinked again, as if the realization had just dawned on him.
Remembering that I had a catalog for the smart shell we developed in my desk drawer, I immediately pulled it out and showed it to him.
“Putting other explanations aside, we have the world’s best technology when it comes to developing Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, or MEMS. Simply put, it means we can drastically reduce the size and cost of any kind of sensor. So, you don’t need to worry about that.”
“Ah, I see. I wasn’t familiar with that particular area. In any case, it’s a relief that it can be solved.”
Pfft.
With a short laugh, I signed the document.
Just as I was about to hand it back to CEO Kim, the phone on my desk began to vibrate loudly.
“Hm?”
The caller was none other than Managing Director Lee Young-hoon from Samjung Group.
I had been curious about what was happening with him, so I quickly answered. He spoke in a dejected voice.
—Chairman Jin. I’m sorry to bother you, but would you have some time to talk with me?
“……”