Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The New Millennium's First Shot
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[Samjung Techwin Agrees to Corporate Swap with Jaewoo Distribution.]
[Wooyoung Heavy Industries: Likelihood of Merger with Jaewoo Group Increases.]
On the last day of 1999, the news was filled with stories related to Jaewoo.
Normally, such developments would have sparked in-depth discussions, but with the millennium just around the corner, the reports were given only a few minutes of airtime.
‘Tsk, what’s the big deal about a new millennium?’
[Jonggak is currently packed with a massive crowd.]
The screen soon switched to a view of the Jonggak neighborhood.
The camera captured a colossal crowd of people who had taken over the area, cheering wildly.
A random thought popped into my head—I’d also spent a night at Jonggak back in the day—and I was about to let out a dry laugh when I spotted a familiar face in the crowd.
“Kim Hee-won?”
At first, I thought I was mistaken.
But there was his face again.
This time, he was confidently answering a reporter’s question about his thoughts on the new millennium.
[With this, we’ve safely passed Nostradamus’s prophecy. I’m grateful for that alone.]
“…”
The lunatic. What kind of thing was that to say in this situation…
Anyway, when did that guy get all the way to Jonggak?
[If there’s anyone you’d like to send New Year’s blessings to, like friends or family, you may do so now.]
The reporter’s comment seemed to signal the end of the interview.
I wondered who he was thinking of. His eyes briefly glanced upward, and then my name came out.
Not Jin Hyun-seung, but Kim Jun.
[Kim Jun! Happy New Year. We may never see you again, but Hyun-seung and I will always remember you.]
For a moment, my heart ached.
Just as I was thinking I should visit the columbarium tomorrow, my eyes were drawn to the woman standing next to him on the screen.
Song Mi-joo.
Before my regression, she was Hee-won’s wife and the mother of his two children.
He had said they met by fate at Jonggak on the eve of the new millennium.
“So you ended up meeting Mi-joo after all…”
In the end, you and Mi-joo were destined to meet.
******
“Welcome!”
I headed to the main house early the next morning.
It was because Mrs. Kim insisted that I should at least have a bowl of New Year’s rice cake soup, but the table set before me was a veritable feast.
“I spoke with Chairman Lee Yong-moon yesterday. I thought it was a lost cause, so I have no idea how he managed to get such a difficult matter through the board.”
Chairman Jin was gradually recovering his health.
Still, it was too much for him to return to the front lines of management.
Lately, his days were mostly spent at home with Mrs. Kim.
“I’m here!”
Jin Hyun-cheol was a completely different person, a full 180 from before.
Not just his attitude toward me, but toward Mrs. Kim as well.
Although we weren’t a normal family like others, I could feel his earnest determination to forge a bond even stronger than that.
“If you have time tomorrow, I’d like to have a serious talk with you, brother.”
“Huh? What?”
Jin Hyun-cheol, who had answered absently, belatedly tilted his head.
The word ‘serious’ had made him tense up.
I ignored it and slid the documents I had prepared in front of him.
“I’m going to need you to take charge of Wooyoung, which we’ll be merging with soon.”
Instantly, everyone’s gaze turned to me.
Though their faces were different, they all wore the exact same expression.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden? You want me to run a heavy industries company?”
“You don’t plan on burying yourself in a construction business you have no interest in forever, do you? It’s time for you to make a comeback.”
“But…”
“To be honest, I’m almost at my breaking point right now. So it would be a great help if you could pitch in.”
“…”
He was silent for a long while.
Chairman Jin, who had been listening, gave a slow nod, and soon, Jin Hyun-cheol spoke with a smile.
“I don’t mind taking over management. But can you trust my recklessness?”
“This is a time when that recklessness is needed.”
“…”
His eyes wavered at my words.
A faint smile seemed to form on his lips before he let out a chuckle and a joke.
“You punk. Deleting those files must have really weighed on your conscience.”
********
Six months had already passed since the start of the new millennium.
According to a report from Aerospace, the attack helicopter had recently completed all general durability tests for its engine components.
They said progress had picked up to the point where they could attempt the first engine assembly and drive test by the end of the year.
-Casting for the blades will begin soon.
The development of parts for the fighter jet engine was also proceeding smoothly.
In particular, for the blades applying superalloy technology, we had already secured the basic melting technology.
The technology acquisition process was so smooth that development was progressing rapidly, enough to begin testing in a couple of months.
-The Russians are saying they’ve begun transporting the airframe.
The actual aircraft we were supposed to receive from the Sukhoi Design Bureau was scheduled to arrive in two days.
Even so, we wouldn’t be able to fly it until the project was officially announced.
We would probably be focusing solely on reverse-engineering for a while.
*Drrrrr!*
June 3rd.
I, along with the research institute staff, and Chairman Lee Yong-moon and military officials, who were invited as special observers, visited Techwin.
The purpose was to confirm the performance of the K9, which had undergone modifications.
In truth, calling it a modification was a bit of a stretch. It was impossible to replace the operating system right away, so only the barrel had been improved. Even so, from a tactical standpoint, it was practically a different weapon altogether.
“For now, the initial improvements include a modified barrel and a new insensitive propellant. Thanks to this, we are confident that the K9’s rate of fire is now close to that of the German PzH 2000.”
In fact, besides its rate of fire, the K9 wasn’t particularly lacking compared to the PzH 2000.
Its fully automated system, mobility, and armor were practically on par.
But now that we had improved its one weakness—the rate of fire.
In terms of cost-effectiveness, we had clearly gained the upper hand.
“If the product is being improved, shouldn’t we halt deliveries?”
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other army officials expressed their concern.
An upgraded model had appeared before the initial deliveries to the military were even complete.
It had put them in an awkward position.
“The first batch of deliveries can be upgraded later. I recommend you receive the improved version starting from the second batch.”
“The problem is the potential budget increase. Not to mention having to persuade the National Assembly and other related departments.”
To be honest, I was worried about that too.
When functions are improved, the unit price naturally goes up.
The military wasn't used to dealing with such variables.
But it wasn't as if there were no options.
“As you know, the unit price drops as mass production volume increases. And if the unit price drops, the military can acquire the improved version without needing a budget increase.”
“Are you suggesting we increase the number of units we’re acquiring?”
“The number of units for the second batch is already set. We can’t just change that as we please.”
“Then how…”
“For now, please leave that to me. I will find a way to lower the unit price before the second batch is delivered. If it still seems difficult, we’ll have to request a review from the National Assembly.”
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wore an ambiguous expression.
He clearly wasn't pleased with this situation.
But what could be done?
We were on the verge of producing a product that could be exported worldwide; we couldn’t just halt improvement work to appease our own military.
“On another note, I’d like to inform you that for operational suitability testing, the 40mm portable missiles supplied by Jaewoo have been distributed to several battalions of the 18th Regiment under the 3rd Infantry Division in Cheorwon, as well as to GP outposts. We figured we’d get more accurate results by conducting the operational tests in rugged terrain.”
Wanting to set aside the troublesome issue for a moment, the Chairman changed the subject.
Now that he mentioned it, the operational testing for the 40mm portable missile had already begun.
Unlike before, I was in a position where it was difficult to be involved in every ongoing project, so I had completely forgotten about it.
Anyway, I could understand the frontline units, but why the GP outposts?
Well, that was for the military to figure out, so it was none of my business.
“How long do you expect the operational testing period to last?”
“Jaewoo has already successfully completed various worst-case scenario tests, so this is mostly a formality. Still, it will undergo about three more months of field operations and tactical training for verification. Of course, the decision on mass production will be discussed after that.”
The conviction in his voice suggested he was satisfied with its performance.
It made sense. Infantry soldiers were now carrying a weapon capable of destroying most armored vehicles, except for tanks, in a single shot.
Moreover, his mention of tactical training suggested they were already exploring changes to infantry tactics based on this weapon. The impact of that would eventually lead to changes in the army's overall tactics.
“Good grief, we solve one problem and another one pops up.”
Gazing at the upgraded K9 again, the Chairman of the JCS left without his expression ever clearing up.
Perhaps feeling sorry for the dejected officials, Chairman Lee Yong-moon, who had been watching the whole time, shook his head.
“The military must have a real headache.”
“I’m sure they do.”
“But to lower the unit price, your only option for now is exports, just as you said. Do you have a specific place in mind?”
“I’m thinking of approaching the UAE first.”
“How many self-propelled howitzers can a small country like that import?”
He wasn’t wrong.
Considering the size of their military, even if they acquired a large number, it would only be a few dozen units at most.
That alone wouldn’t be enough to drive down the price.
“I know. That’s why I have a few other places in mind for exports. Anyway, I should get going to Wooyoung Heavy Industries now. What are your plans, Chairman?”
“Without even having lunch?”
“My apologies. I’m in a situation where even ten of me wouldn’t be enough.”
“Tsk. Well, if that’s the case, it can’t be helped. We’ll do lunch next time.”
Leaving Chairman Lee Yong-moon behind, I got into the car.
It was about a three-hour drive from here to Wooyoung’s headquarters.
I had so many documents to review on the way that those three hours felt like thirty minutes.
********
“You’re here?”
Jin Hyun-cheol was already at the Wooyoung headquarters when I arrived.
And he wasn't alone.
There were men who looked like they were from a bank’s due diligence team, as well as figures from related government departments.
Jin Hyun-cheol, who had been in deep conversation with them, quickly came over and whispered to me.
“The merger got approved by the relevant ministry.”
“That took a while.”
“Tell me about it. It’s a good thing Father and Chairman Han Myung-ho stepped in personally. Otherwise, it would have been an even bigger headache. The issues with the banks were all over the place. Anyway, it looks like we’ll be able to announce the successful merger to the press soon.”
“That’s a relief. You’ve worked hard, brother.”
“It was nothing. By the way, when are you planning to announce the development of the power generation turbines?”
“We have to do it as soon as the acquisition is complete.”
“The problem is we need to make a strong case for its success. To do that, don’t you think we need to announce that we’ve secured the superalloy technology?”
“Of course. But you must remember that we have to present it as our own in-house development.”
It was a measure to be considerate of the United States.
It wouldn’t do any good if the world found out that the U.S., which never transfers technology to other countries, had given it to us.
In essence, the U.S. had set a precedent through its deal with me, and there was no need for me to deliberately expose it and put them in a difficult position.
“Of course. Anyway, the impact will be enormous if we announce that we can produce power generation turbines ourselves.”
As time went on, Hyun-cheol showed more and more enthusiasm for his work.
Thanks to him, I was finally able to breathe a little.
Now, it seemed there was hope I could live a little more like a human being.
Dammit, even if I started all this, it would be a problem if I died from overwork.
Wait, what would happen if I died again?
Would I just enter eternal rest this time?
Or would I regress to another era?
“It looks like the due diligence is almost finished. Let’s go grab a bite to eat.”
I shook off the sudden, useless thought and spoke.
“Ah! Just a moment.”
Hyun-cheol immediately turned and headed back to the due diligence team. After excusing himself, he returned and offered to lead the way.
“Let’s go, Chairman. I’ll treat you to a fantastic lunch today.”
*Pfft.*
I followed Hyun-cheol with a dry laugh.
“Hey! Something’s happened. Come quick and look at the news.”
But what was this?
Just as we reached the elevator, the hallway suddenly became chaotic, and people from nearby offices began to murmur.
“What’s going on?”
Hyun-cheol and I looked at each other, puzzled.
At the same time, my phone rang.
The caller was none other than Secretary Kim.
“What is it, Secretary Kim?”
-Chairman! You haven’t seen the news, have you? It’s being reported that several GP outposts under the 3rd Infantry Division in Cheorwon have come under sporadic machine-gun fire from North Korean forces.
“…”
My jaw dropped.
After the Bombardment of Yeonpyeong had thoroughly intimidated them, what kind of provocation was this?
That was baffling enough, but the fact that this was happening right before the North-South summit nearly shut down my brain.
What on earth were they thinking over there?
“So? What did our military do?”
-I’m not sure about that… Ah! The news is saying our military returned fire… Chairman! I think you need to see the news for yourself. According to the anchor, our military’s response completely wiped out the enemy guard post.
“…”
Wiped out?