Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Sion Company
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“A proposal? What kind of proposal?”
“A way to lessen the burden of developing the transmission yourself.”
At his words, I stared at him quietly.
Smiling, CEO Kang walked over to his desk, pulled out a bundle of papers from a drawer, and promptly handed them to me.
“We currently have the 1500-horsepower diesel engine that you, Chairman, developed through the research institute.”
He was referring to the one Wooyoung Heavy Industries had developed for the K2 tank’s power pack before my regression.
Just in case, I had initiated its further development alongside the engine for the Polar Bear, and recently, its performance had been elevated to a level approaching that of Germany's MTU (the successor to Maybach) engines.
But now that I thought about it, the situation was a bit ridiculous.
Even though I tried so hard to push it out of my mind, I couldn't understand for the life of me why I had developed it.
“The problem, then, is the transmission, and Germany’s ‘Renk’ has the best technology for that.”
“I’m well aware of that, but what exactly are you trying to say?”
CEO Kang grinned at my question.
He pulled one of the documents he had handed me and pointed to a specific section.
“It seems that former researchers from ‘Renk’ recently moved to the United States and established a company specializing in transmissions.”
“…”
In that moment, countless thoughts raced through my mind.
The first among them was the question of *how*.
I immediately looked at him and asked again.
“The German government just stood by and watched? When Germany is more sensitive to technology leaks than any other country?”
“Of course, they wouldn't just let it happen. They apparently nitpicked over all sorts of things for a while, but eventually, they gave up.”
“Why?”
“First, most of those researchers had retired from Renk well over twenty years ago. In other words, too much time had passed to make an issue of a technology leak.”
“Hmm.”
“And one more thing. The transmission these retirees developed is said to have a fundamentally different design from the existing ones. So, Germany has no room to interfere any further.”
If the design method itself was different, it was true that they had no grounds to find fault.
To put it bluntly, it meant they had taken a different technical approach, and they couldn't just insist it originated from their own technology.
Persisting in making a fuss simply because the researchers once worked for their company would be unreasonable.
“So, what about the performance of the transmission their new company created?”
That was my next immediate question.
In fact, even Renk's transmission wasn't entirely without its problems.
For example, there was the issue of certain components with poor durability breaking off.
But if the transmission developed by these former Renk researchers had solved those problems, wasn't it a situation that would naturally pique my interest?
“From what I’ve gathered, its performance seems to be on par with existing Renk products. In particular, the durability of its components is said to surpass even Renk’s.”
If that was true, I had to contact that company one way or another.
Whether it was to import their technology or to acquire the company outright.
As if he had revealed this fact with that very intention, CEO Kang, who had been observing my expression, spoke again with a pleased look.
“What do you think? Are you interested?”
“I’m more than interested. It sounds like I need to fly out tomorrow. A company with that level of technology must have more than a few suitors lining up to acquire it.”
At my words, CEO Kang wore an expression that said, "I knew it."
But for some reason, when I told him to quickly assemble a working-level team, he suddenly looked relaxed.
“There’s no need to rush that much.”
“What do you mean, there’s no need to rush?”
“Actually, the CEO of that company… ah, its name is ‘Aron Technology,’ to be precise. Anyway, its CEO and I are very close. So, even if you don’t hurry, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to negotiate.”
“How do you know the CEO there, CEO Kang?”
At that question, CEO Kang’s eyes momentarily took on a hazy look.
As if he were recalling an old memory.
Soon, his gaze sharpened again, and he spoke with a smile.
“Actually, the CEO there was my supervising professor when I was studying in Germany. I believe it was around the time he had left Renk. Due to the terms of the contract he signed when he joined the company, he couldn’t work elsewhere and was teaching students at the university.”
The thought that crossed my mind was that I was truly blessed when it came to people.
What a coincidence.
Who could have predicted that CEO Kang, at this very moment, would have a connection to someone I desperately needed?
“Still, if possible, please assemble a team and dispatch them as quickly as you can.”
Despite his reassurances, I pushed to move things along.
CEO Kang showed a momentarily troubled expression, then suddenly said something completely unexpected.
“I don’t mind if you insist on rushing, but there’s a bit of a problem.”
“What problem?”
“The CEO there, my former professor, for some reason, has expressed his desire to meet you in person, Chairman. So, I’m sorry to ask, but I was wondering if you might be able to go yourself.”
“…”
***
[Passengers for American Airlines Flight 278, please…]
A few days later, I arrived in Minneapolis, where Aron Technology was located.
Having contacted him in advance, Ryan was there to meet me.
Seeing how much weight he’d put on, I had to do a double-take.
“What happened to you? I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“What do you think? I fell into the trap of instant food. I’ve been craving hamburgers so much lately.”
“Be careful. You might end up cutting your life short like that.”
“I’ve actually started working out again recently. Anyway, what’s all this about acquiring a transmission company this time?”
For Ryan, who didn't know the circumstances, it must have been a puzzle.
It was a difficult situation to explain here and now.
I vaguely mumbled something and headed for the car he had prepared.
“What’s wrong?”
He tilted his head, seeing me hesitate in front of the vehicle.
But a moment later, as if he belatedly remembered the car bombing I’d experienced, his expression changed to one of understanding. “Ah.”
“I couldn't exactly ship your car all the way here. I tried to pick the sturdiest one I could find, so please understand.”
It wasn't that I didn't understand.
It was just that old habits die hard. After getting used to riding only in armored vehicles, a sense of unease naturally crept in when trying to get into a regular limousine.
“Let’s just get in.”
Finally, as I opened the car door with a smile, Ryan scratched his head and walked around to the other side.
*Screech!*
Suddenly, two black Cadillacs screeched to a halt, blocking our vehicle.
Startled, my bodyguards immediately stepped in front to protect me. Soon, several men got out of the cars that had stopped abruptly and walked toward me.
“Are you perhaps Chairman Jin Hyun-seung?”
“I am.”
I gently pushed aside the bodyguards blocking my way and answered.
Across from me, Ryan stood with a tense expression, ready to pounce.
I gestured for him to stand down and looked at the men again. They bowed their heads with utmost courtesy.
“We apologize for suddenly blocking your way. The traffic was so heavy on the way here that we were worried we might miss you, so we acted a bit hastily.”
There was no hint of pretense in the men's behavior.
Their eyes, too, seemed devoid of any hostility.
Wondering who they were, I looked at the man again. He took a business card from his pocket and held it out to me. My bodyguard quickly intercepted it, checked it, and then handed it to me.
“My name is Derin Connor. If you have a moment, would it be possible to have a brief conversation with our chairman?”
The man didn't seem particularly offended by my bodyguard's actions.
No, in fact, he seemed to take it as a matter of course, stepping back with an expression that suggested my suspicions were unfounded. They certainly didn't feel like people who had come with ill intentions.
“Sion Company?”
It was a company I had never heard of before.
As I hesitated, the man tossed out a meaningful remark.
“Our chairman was the one who fully supported you, Chairman Jin Hyun-seung, during the recent Iran incident when the U.S. government was divided in its opinions.”
“…”
Suddenly, the identity of the chairman who was looking for me popped into my head.
Not that I knew his face, but they were the ones I had implicitly trusted.
The Jewish factions that pull the strings of the powerful in the U.S. administration from behind the scenes.
What was baffling was how they knew I would be setting foot on American soil, but on second thought, it didn't seem all that mysterious.
Frankly, for the people who move America, would it be so difficult to find out a simple fact like that?
“If you are still suspicious, our chairman can connect you with someone you can trust.”
Seeing my hesitation, the man spoke again and made a call.
After a brief greeting with someone, he immediately handed the phone to me. A moment later, I unexpectedly heard the voice of Jeffrey, the former U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, on the other end.
[It’s been a while, Chairman Jin.]
[Admiral, why are you…]
[Haha, I’m afraid I’m no longer an admiral. It’s been a year since I retired. I’ve now moved to a position as the Senior Managing Director of External Negotiations at Sion Company.]
“…”
Hearing those words, my mind became a tangled mess.
As I fell silent, Jeffrey’s voice came through again.
[You can trust me and follow that man. We’ve simply invited you because we have something to discuss with you, Chairman Jin.]
[But I have other business to attend to right now.]
[I know. That you’ve come to visit Aron Technology. That’s all the more reason why you should meet with us first.]
I couldn't fathom how things were unfolding.
The only thing that was certain was that Jeffrey already knew my objective, and he also knew about ‘Aron Technology,’ the reason for my trip.
After a long moment of deliberation, I finally accepted the invitation.
[I’ll see you in a bit, then.]
Jeffrey hung up, his voice still tinged with laughter.
What on earth was all this?
As I followed their vehicles, the questions in my mind wouldn't cease.
***
*Screech!*
We arrived at a high-rise building in downtown Minneapolis.
I caught a glimpse of a sign on the top floor of the building that read ‘Sion Company.’
I still had no idea what that company did.
“This way.”
The man named Derin, who had introduced himself as a senior managing director at Sion Company, immediately guided me inside the building after I got out of the car.
As I passed through the lobby, a glance at the directory showed a list of companies, all with ‘Sion’ in their names.
What piqued my interest most were the words ‘Investment’ and ‘Media Group,’ but it all still felt unfamiliar.
“Oh! It’s been too long.”
Jeffrey was already present in the office Derin led me to.
No, it seemed this office belonged to Jeffrey himself.
Whatever the case, I was glad to see him and approached with a bright smile. He grasped my hand firmly and began with an apology.
“I’m truly sorry about what happened at the airport. We only found out about your trip to the U.S. yesterday… and on top of that, we couldn’t get a phone signal on the plane, so it was very difficult to contact you.”
“I understand. This trip wasn't on my schedule either. By the way, what is this place? And what did you mean when you said I had to meet you before going to Aron Technology?”
I asked him point-blank.
As if he had expected it, Jeffrey smiled and gestured for me to sit. He then settled into a chair himself and began to speak.
“The truth is, Aron Technology is a company we effectively own.”
“…”
“Ah! Of course, I understand that expression. The ledgers you’ve investigated wouldn’t show that. But, it is undeniably a company we invested in and created, so naturally, meeting me first would be the proper order of things, wouldn't it?”
“…”