Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: A Golden Opportunity
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A few days later, Chairman Jin and I headed to the USFK base together.
As it happened, the USFK commander, General Hummer, was an acquaintance of Chairman Jin, so securing a meeting was easy.
“Good heavens… what in the world…”
Chairman Jin wore an anxious expression, still unconvinced.
It was an attitude unbecoming of a man who had dealt with the military his entire life.
But since this was his first attempt at something like this, that level of tension was perhaps understandable.
“Are you nervous?”
“So you really think it's possible to export to the U.S. Army?”
“There's no reason it wouldn't be. The U.S. has an acquisition program for purchasing weapons from allied nations—the FCT. Besides, they desperately need the armor-piercing round we've developed.”
“Why would the U.S. military need it?”
“You'll see soon enough.”
“But you're well aware that the U.S. Department of Defense has no history of purchasing weapons from South Korea, right?”
“That's only because there's never been a product that met their standards. But the round we've developed this time is different.”
Chairman Jin, still not convinced, chewed his lip.
The difference in our experience was showing.
Having exported weapons to the U.S. countless times, I found his nervousness almost amusing.
“Haaah…”
Another sigh escaped him.
Just as I thought he couldn't shake off his tension, he suddenly voiced his concern about the delay in strengthening our own army's capabilities.
“I haven't always run my business by the book, but the Joint Chiefs of Staff are something else. To shelve a product that could advance our armored capabilities by twenty years overnight once it's mass-produced…”
“I see now you're quite the patriot, Father.”
“What do you mean?”
“Instead of being happy that the company is about to be saved, you seem more concerned that our army won't be able to secure enough of these rounds.”
Chairman Jin's expression grew even darker.
His jaw tensed, as if he had no intention of denying it.
“It's not about being a patriot. It's more like a duty for those born on this land. You might not understand yet, but at my age, such irrational notions sometimes creep into your thoughts.”
Far from not understanding, I knew it better than anyone.
After all, I was a victim of that same irrational notion.
Who would have thought that I, who had never once given a thought to patriotism, would throw away my life just to protect a single data chip?
“I understand what you're saying, but you don't need to worry so much. If the export is successful, the army will reinstate its original order.”
“Why would the army do that?”
“You'll find that out in due time as well. But to make it happen, you'll have to give me full authority over this matter. Can you do that?”
His eyes wavered for a moment.
It wasn't a negative reaction; rather, he seemed curious about what I would do.
His reply, when it came, was positive.
“This was your idea to begin with, so handle it as you see fit. But let me ask you one thing.”
“…”
“Since when, exactly, have you been considering the FCT?”
He must have been wondering about that the whole time.
It must have been a fresh shock to see his immature son orchestrate a situation like this.
But this was only the beginning.
Right now, I was only showing a glimpse of what I could do.
“From the very beginning, of course. The time has come to discard the notion that what we make is only for us to use. You know better than anyone, Father, that a defense company is still a business that pursues profit.”
“…”
***
[It's been a while, Chairman Jin.]
[Indeed it has. This is the first time since we met at the Armed Forces Day event.]
My first impression of General Hummer was a bit unusual.
A completely bald head and sharp, piercing eyes.
At a glance, he looked more like a movie star than a soldier.
Wait, now that I think about it, that face…
He definitely resembled someone.
Who was it?
Jason Statham?
Bruce Willis?
[Is this young man your second son, Chairman?]
Hummer, whose eyes met mine, gestured toward me with his chin.
His gaze wasn't exactly friendly.
It felt like he was wary of some potential, unwelcome request.
[It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Jin Hyun-seung, head of the development team at Jaewoo Thales.]
[Nice to meet you. Now, what is it you need from me?]
The atmosphere was chilly.
A glance at Chairman Jin's not-so-bright expression suggested this meeting had been arranged with some difficulty.
[It's not a request, but a proposal. To be more precise, I'm offering you an opportunity.]
[…]
Hummer's eyes narrowed for an instant.
Yet, he showed no emotional disturbance.
He was annoyed, but it was proof he was curious about my purpose.
[An opportunity… Let's hear it.]
[First, please take a look at this. I'm confident it's something the U.S. Department of Defense will definitely be interested in.]
Hummer took the documents and glanced through them nonchalantly.
After he'd flipped through a couple of pages…
…he straightened up from his slouched position and shot a look at me.
[FCT? You're applying for the DOD's weapons acquisition program?]
[That's right. The APFSDS round we recently developed is quite remarkable.]
[Look here. Are you unaware that we already possess the world's best armor-piercing rounds?]
It was an understandable reaction.
Asking the U.S. military, which uses cheap and effective depleted uranium rounds, to suddenly buy expensive heavy-alloy rounds was nonsensical.
Words would be a waste of breath; it would be a hundred times more effective to show him directly.
[Please take a look at this video.]
The five-minute video I'd prepared contained footage of all our tests.
His eyes gradually widened.
As he watched the final test, he finally let out a sharp "Hah!" and shot up from his seat.
[Is… is that really a tungsten penetrator?]
[Of course. As you can see, its penetration power is about twenty percent greater than the depleted uranium rounds currently used by the U.S. Army.]
[If it surpasses the penetration of depleted uranium rounds by twenty percent, that means all existing armor is useless… How is that possible? It's just a tungsten penetrator.]
[Asking me to explain that would be like asking for our core technology.]
Hummer gave an awkward smile at that.
Still finding it hard to believe, he replayed the video several times before turning his gaze back to me.
[But why did you think of supplying this to the U.S. Army?]
[Because the U.S. is the one that needs this product the most.]
A cold stare shot my way.
It was an interrogating look, as if asking what I knew to be pulling a stunt like this.
The sour aroma of the coffee suddenly felt exceptionally sweet.
[The United States is currently struggling with the issue of radioactive contamination from its depleted uranium rounds.]
[…]
[Under such circumstances, I figured you would naturally be interested in a tungsten round that not only outperforms the uranium ones but is also easier to store and handle.]
[…]
[And I also understand you recently attempted to develop a new armor-piercing round to replace it. Am I wrong?]
Hummer seemed particularly shocked by that last statement.
He repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist before letting out a hollow smile a moment later.
[I'm so taken aback, I don't know what to say. How on earth did you know the U.S. Army was developing a new armor-piercing round?]
[That level of intelligence gathering is a matter of course for a defense contractor.]
[But how? The developing company was even cautious about importing the materials, just in case.]
[That would have been useless. The movement of special metal alloys with no use outside of weaponry can never be hidden on the international market.]
[Hah…]
He looked utterly dumbfounded.
But he didn't seem to feel the answer was insufficient, and his demeanor softened again.
[I admit it. Just as you said, we tried to develop a new armor-piercing round. But we ended up abandoning it because we couldn't meet the cost target.]
[I'm aware. That's why I said this is an opportunity for the U.S. We can supply it at the same price as your uranium rounds.]
[What! You've lowered the price of a tungsten round to the level of a depleted uranium one? How?]
[Unlike the U.S., we succeeded in minimizing the proportion of expensive tungsten and having other heavy alloys take its place. Thanks to that, the unit cost dropped significantly.]
Hummer stared at me, his jaw slack.
Watching this, Chairman Jin discreetly smoothed his hair, a triumphant look on his face.
[So, what's your purpose in coming to me? Honestly, with a product like this, you should have no problem passing the FCT.]
[That would be true if the paperwork were processed properly. But I don't trust the working-level officials at the DOD's acquisition planning office.]
[You're worried about lobbying from American defense contractors.]
[Exactly. There's a high probability that our application will be 'lost' by officials who have taken bribes.]
That wasn't a guess; it was a statement born from my long experience.
Understanding my meaning, Hummer soon nodded.
[So what you're saying is, you need my letter of recommendation. To ensure the documents reach the Army's decision-makers directly.]
[Precisely.]
[I understand. But there's one thing we need to be clear about.]
[What's that?]
[This isn't a government-funded project, is it?]
Asking about government funding meant he was concerned about export approval.
And that meant he had made up his mind.
The last lingering shred of anxiety I felt vanished.
[It's not classified as a strategic material anyway, so the possibility of export is high. Besides, if the U.S. is the importer, the process will be quite streamlined.]
*Thump!*
As soon as the words left my mouth, Hummer shot up from his seat.
As I blinked, wondering what was happening, he strode to his desk and brought back a document bearing his official seal.
[It seems I owe you an apology. You weren't wrong when you said you were giving us an opportunity.]
[…]
[In that spirit, I'll give you this. Attach it to the very front of your application. Then your paperwork won't end up sleeping in the drawer of some lobbied official. You can expect a response from the Army in about a week, at the latest.]
It wasn't empty confidence.
The commander of USFK was one of the ten most influential figures in the U.S. military.
An FCT application with his opinion attached would likely go straight to the highest decision-maker.
[Thank you, General Hummer. I'll arrange a dinner for us soon.]
Chairman Jin belatedly shot up from his seat.
His face was flushed with excitement, as if the export deal was already a done deal.
Hummer, who shook his hand with a faint smile, suddenly gestured toward me with his chin and said.
[Forget dinner. Just send your son over again sometime.]
[Why? Is there a problem?]
[What problem could there be? I was just thinking I'd like to have a chat with him, since his insight seems so remarkable. By the way, I can't understand why you were so worried about a young man like him.]
[Ah, well, that's…]
Chairman Jin subtly glanced at me.
When I twisted my lips into a smirk, he pointedly looked away into the air.
*Pfft.*