Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Sanctions and Negotiations
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[South Korea's first domestically developed 4.5th generation fighter jet has finally taken to the skies.]
The next day, most news outlets were buzzing about the prototype's flight test.
This was an era where information flowed not just through TV, but online as well.
Thanks to this, public reaction was being conveyed more clearly than ever through comments.
-It's a dead ringer for the F-22.
↳Nah, the tail section looks more futuristic than the F-22. I don't know about performance, but in terms of design, I think ours is better.
-Does design even matter for a fighter jet? Performance is what's important. Anyway, can someone explain what 4.5th generation means?
↳Isn't it the stage right before a full stealth aircraft?
↳So, is ours going to evolve like the F-22? I heard that's the plan for Block 2.
↳According to the development plan, yes. But there's also a rumor that if our fighter becomes 5th gen, it'll smoke the F-22...
↳Are you crazy? The F-22 is the result of torturing aliens. How could we possibly beat that?
Reading through the comments, I felt a strange sense of novelty.
Like I'd finally reclaimed a lost piece of our culture?
While I was lost in the comments, Secretary Kim knocked on the door.
“Chairman, CEO Jack Carson from Lockheed Martin is on the line.”
I was the one who had requested the call with Jack.
Just yesterday, I had secured a promise from the President: if the contract terms with Lockheed could be changed, he would agree to expedite the development of a low-end fighter jet.
There was no reason to delay things, then.
-It’s been a while, Chairman Jin. I just got out of a meeting, so my reply is a bit late.
[Not at all. I should be the one apologizing for calling you at such a late hour.]
Jack's voice clearly conveyed just how busy his life was.
The title of CEO isn't just for show, after all.
Suppressing a sense of camaraderie, I got straight to the point.
[Actually, I called to discuss the development of a light attack aircraft based on the T-50.]
-...
A brief silence hung on the other end of the line.
He had already guessed what I was about to say.
Sure enough, his tone became a little more cautious.
-Has that issue come up already?
['Already' isn't the right word, considering the current state of our air force.]
-True, considering the original background for the T-50's development, you have a point. In that case, we'll assemble a working-level team and send them over soon.
Jack was subtly trying to evade the conversation.
As if I wouldn't see his intention.
I cut straight to the chase.
[I believe this is a matter for us to resolve between ourselves, rather than leaving it to a working-level team.]
-...
He fell silent again.
Had he given up on going home? I could hear him asking his secretary for some water over the phone, and a moment later, he said my name again.
-Chairman Jin. To be frank, I have a pretty good idea of what you're trying to say.
[...]
-That since the F-16 is already undergoing upgrades, the contract's standard should also be changed. Isn't that what you wanted to say?
[That's right. According to the contract, as long as its performance doesn't exceed that of the F-16, there's no issue. So there's no reason to stick to the previously agreed-upon specifications, is there?]
-But that's...
He started to speak, then swallowed his words.
He had no real counterargument.
But if he agreed to readjust the FA-50's specs, it could potentially become a competitor to the F-16 down the line.
He must be burning up inside right now.
[I know what you're worried about, but let me tell you something realistic.]
I dangled the bait at that moment.
As if his curiosity was piqued, Jack's breathing became a bit heavier. I continued.
[Even if the T-50 is developed with better specs than before, it won't be able to encroach on the F-16's market.]
-How can you guarantee that? To be honest, in terms of price, the light attack version of the T-50 has a clear advantage over the F-16.
As expected, that was his main concern, and he responded immediately.
I chuckled inwardly and spoke again.
[It certainly has an advantage in terms of price. But no matter how much you improve the specs on the T-50's light attack version, it can never equal the performance of an upgraded F-16. That's due to its inherent limitations from birth, so to speak.]
-...
Jack remained silent.
He was probably thinking that even if that was true now, there were no guarantees for the future.
And to be fair, he wasn't wrong.
Unlike in history, the specs of the FA-50 to be developed now would be far beyond what could be called 'low-end.'
But as I said before, the inherent disadvantages couldn't be overcome.
Its limited combat radius, for example.
Therefore, it would never be able to compete on equal footing with the F-16, a fact Lockheed surely knew well.
-Huuu...
Jack let out a long sigh.
He still seemed conflicted.
It was time to drive the final nail in.
[One thing you should keep in mind is that I'm not asking for your consent; I'm informing you. According to the clauses in our contract, as long as the T-50 based light attack aircraft doesn't exceed the F-16's level of performance, that's all that matters. And that's what we're going to do.]
-...
He fell silent again.
After all, what could he say to refute a point based on the contract?
Moreover, given that Lockheed and Jaewoo had already mended a past conflict, it would be difficult for him to just stubbornly refuse.
I was fairly certain I could expect a positive response.
-You're not wrong. Even if a T-50 based light attack aircraft were exported, it would only fill a niche market. It's not worth breaking our relationship with Jaewoo over. Very well, I'll put it on the agenda for tomorrow morning's meeting.
The answer was, as expected, 'yes.'
After agreeing to dispatch a working-level team soon, we shifted to lighter topics to ease the tension from our brief disagreement, and the call ended up lasting longer than expected.
-By the way, have you heard the news? They say the U.S. might start imposing sanctions on Iran soon.
It was such an abrupt shift from the lighthearted topics we had been discussing that I didn't react for a moment.
He seemed to take my silence as surprise.
Well, I was surprised, but anyway, Jack continued excitedly, as if he were sharing the world's greatest secret.
-The exact start date seems to be still under discussion, but it looks like the decision to impose sanctions is final.
[Is it because of their nuclear program?]
I asked immediately.
-That's the gist of it. According to what I've heard, our government recently obtained conclusive evidence that Iran's nuclear development is progressing at an unusual pace.
[What kind of specific evidence are we talking about?]
-I wouldn't know that.
For a moment, all sorts of scenarios ran through my head.
Had their secretly hidden centrifuge facilities been exposed?
Or was it something else?
But even so, wasn't this happening far too early compared to the original timeline?
Just then, Jack spoke again.
-The important thing here is that the U.S., which is still struggling to clean up the mess in Iraq, won't be taking military action against Iran.
[That's a given. If they started another war now, the U.S. government wouldn't be able to handle the public outcry. So you're saying it'll be economic sanctions. What kind of sanctions specifically?]
My posture straightened as I held the phone, my focus sharpened.
This wasn't a topic I could take lightly.
I waited for his next words, silently pleading for it not to be *that*, but his reply immediately shattered my hopes.
-It looks like they're going to impose a total ban on the trade of Iranian crude oil among their allies.
[...]
******
*Knock, knock!*
“Chairman, the Director of the NIS has arrived.”
A few days later, I received a call from the Director of the National Intelligence Service.
As expected, the first thing he brought up was the news of U.S. sanctions on Iran.
It wasn't something we could discuss over the phone, so I requested a meeting, and he had made time to visit me today.
“My apologies for coming on such short notice.”
His expression was incredibly tense as he entered the room.
Given the gravity of the situation, it was understandable.
I offered him tea, hoping he might relax for a moment, but he didn't even touch the cup before stating his purpose.
“This morning, the U.S. State Department informed us of a complete ban on Iranian oil.”
“...”
I knew this was coming.
Historically, the sanctions against Iran had started with exactly this.
The only difference was that it was happening far too soon, but these kinds of historical deviations had become so frequent lately that they no longer felt strange.
“Then they must have also notified you about freezing the oil payments.”
I said casually, raising my teacup.
For a moment, the NIS Director blinked and asked back.
“How did you know...?”
“It's the logical next step, isn't it? The U.S. aims to deal an economic blow to Iran, so there's no reason they would let oil payments continue to flow in.”
“Ah...”
The NIS Director gave an awkward smile and reached for his teacup.
He seemed to have finally found a moment of composure.
After taking a quick sip of tea, he continued.
“That brings me to my point. Would it be possible for you, Chairman Jin, to help the government with this matter?”
“Me?”
“As you know, we've been importing crude oil from Iran at a very reasonable price. With that route cut off, we now have a fire at our feet, so to speak.”
“So, what exactly are you asking me to do?”
“Please, persuade Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”
“...”
“We need a stable supply of crude oil, but stabilizing the price is just as important.”
“But isn't that something the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be handling?”
“Of course it is, but you, Chairman Jin, understand the current reality better than anyone. With the global economy booming, it's difficult for the government alone to secure the necessary volume and negotiate prices. So please, help us. We will be sure to compensate you for your efforts later.”
I understood what he was saying.
The turning point that marked the beginning of the high oil price era was 2005.
It was triggered by a global economic boom, and the price of crude oil, which had been steadily rising since 2003, had now hit $55 a barrel.
And that trend would continue, eventually breaking the $100 mark in 2008.
The government couldn't see the future, but since economic trends and oil prices are linked, it wouldn't have been hard for them to predict a continued rise.
In short, his plan was to use me to secure a stable supply and price in advance.
“Hmm.”
I had actually anticipated this to some extent after my call with Jack.
After all, I was the one managing the funds invested by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Therefore, it was true that I held a better negotiating position than the government.
But that wasn't the only problem.
Even if the crude oil import issue could be resolved somehow, the real problem was how to handle the conflict with Iran that would arise from freezing their oil payments.
That complicated issue, the one that had been a headache right up until I returned to the past.
“Do you have any countermeasures for Iran's protests when we refuse to pay for the oil?”
I asked, just in case.
As I thought, they had no plan.
The NIS Director immediately shook his head, and I clicked my tongue inwardly.
*Tsk.*
Damn Yankees and their thoughtless plans.
When will they ever change their attitude of not considering our position...?