Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: A Double Recruitment
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Gurgle.
“Drink up. It's the weekend. You should relax a little today, at least.”
The place Jin Hyun-cheol had dragged me to was an indoor food stall near the company.
Soon, he ordered a bottle of beer and a bottle of soju.
As if understanding the meaning behind my gaze, he offered a playful excuse.
“They say I have to be careful now that I only have one kidney. A single bottle of beer is enough for me.”
I let out a faint chuckle at his words and tilted my glass.
Hours passed as we talked openly.
As if just remembering the purpose of our meeting, he brought up the matter of Minister Kim Young-gi's future again.
“So, have you given any thought to the Minister Kim Young-gi issue?”
“Bringing him over would be to our advantage. If he goes to LS, he could become a persistent obstacle.”
“That's what I'm saying. The man is so well-respected in the military that there are few problems he can't solve. It's obvious it would be a major headache if we let a competitor snatch him up. What's more, this recent incident has only deepened their trust in him.”
That was true.
The issue of his responsibility for the recent GP provocation was something that could have easily been suppressed if he’d wanted.
But his willingness to sacrifice himself would only make the military trust him more.
“I’ll go see him myself in a few days.”
“You're going to wait a few days? What if someone else snatches him up in the meantime?”
“That won’t happen.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“He's holding out even while a company like LS is practically begging him. Do you really think he'd consider anyone else? Who knows? He might just be waiting for us to reach out.”
“Waiting for us to reach out?”
“That's what I think, but we’ll only know for sure when we see. Anyway, I’ll handle it, so let's just drink today. You said you'd rescue me from the hellscape of work, but are you planning to fill our night with more shop talk?”
Hyun-cheol looked abashed at my words.
I'd already finished two bottles of soju myself.
But strangely, I didn’t feel the alcohol's effects today.
‘Bringing Minister Kim Young-gi over… It's true, there aren't many people of his caliber.’
******
Ding-dong!
A few days later, I found myself at Minister Kim Young-gi’s home in Jamwon-dong.
It was a modest apartment, not quite fitting for a former minister.
From what I’d gathered, half of it was still under a mortgage, a surprising situation for someone who had spent his entire life in the military.
“Who is it?”
The person who came to the door was his son.
I'd heard he had an unmarried son, well past the usual age. It seemed he was still living under his parents' roof.
“How can I help you?”
Contrary to the prejudice forming in my mind, my first impression of the man was quite good.
He had a delicate build, almost unbelievable for the Minister's son.
His glasses seemed quite thick, but they didn't make him look dull-witted.
“Is Minister Kim Young-gi in, by any chance?”
“Yes, he is, but…”
His eyes were full of caution.
Likely the result of frequent visits from LS.
When I casually took out a business card and handed it to him, his expression changed in an instant.
“Please, come in.”
The way he immediately dropped his guard lent weight to my suspicion.
Minister Kim Young-gi.
He might have really been waiting for me.
“Chairman Jin, what brings you to my home?”
Minister Kim greeted me with a bright smile.
It wasn't just him; his wife, who was bringing tea, was also being overly friendly.
My suspicion was hardening into certainty.
“I apologize for only visiting now, after hearing the news of your retirement.”
“Not at all. How many people in South Korea are as busy as you are these days, Chairman Jin? Please, have a seat.”
There was another detail that strengthened my conviction.
His manner of speaking to me was noticeably different from before.
Previously, it felt like he was using honorifics out of obligation, but now it seemed perfectly natural.
Ssk.
As I settled onto the sofa, I quickly scanned his home.
My conclusion was that his integrity wasn't just for show.
The old furniture was proof; the dining table, the sofa—everything was well-worn, with hardly a piece in perfect condition.
‘They say that when a person has money, it shows one way or another. The fact that there wasn't a single trace of lavish spending spoke volumes about his character.’
Of course, my judgment could be wrong.
An overly meticulous person could fabricate their environment to hide their true nature.
But I dismissed that possibility because of Deputy Chief Im.
According to the information he’d brought me, no matter how much they dug, Minister Kim’s assets consisted of this one house, some savings, and the pension he received from the state. That was it.
“I heard your son graduated with an engineering degree. If you don't mind my asking, what was his major?”
That was probably a thorny question to ask.
Bringing up the issue of an unemployed child.
But I’d broached it deliberately, intending to use the son as a stepping stone to open up the conversation.
After all, the chairman of a major corporation showing interest in an unemployed family member is a signal in itself.
That if you come to me, I might also take responsibility for your son.
“He majored in mechanical engineering. For a time, he also studied electrical systems. But then, on some whim, he quit a perfectly good job to team up with his friends, saying they were going to build motors.”
“Motors?”
“High-output motors, that is. According to that boy, the age of electric cars will come someday, and he's preparing for it. Honestly, I don't know what kind of fantasies they're all living in.”
“…”
Surprised, I glanced at his son.
He had been watching me intently from his seat in the corner of the kitchen for some reason, and when our eyes met, he quickly looked away.
‘Well, what do you know?’
I felt like I'd met a pioneer in the most unexpected of places.
Who would have thought I'd meet someone in this day and age who could envision the electric car market?
No, anyone could imagine it.
But how many would actually act on that vision?
The minister was one thing, but I suddenly felt a strong desire to recruit this young man.
“If it's not too much to ask, what would you think of me scouting your son for my company?”
I immediately turned to Minister Kim and spoke suggestively.
“…”
Startled by my sudden proposal, Minister Kim’s eyes widened as he looked back and forth between his son and me.
“What is the meaning of this…?”
“I need people with imagination. And from what I see, your son seems to be exactly that kind of person. Ah! On second thought, I should probably hear your son’s opinion first…”
“I accept.”
Before I could even finish my sentence, the man gave his consent.
I looked at him, taken aback, and he continued with a determined expression.
“I would welcome the opportunity to work with someone as creative as you, Chairman Jin Hyun-seung.”
“…”
“I know very well from my father that everything Jaewoo has accomplished was brought to reality through you.”
I let out an awkward laugh.
Seeming embarrassed himself, the man also scratched his head as he stood there.
“I’m sorry, but what is your name?”
I asked his son after seeking Minister Kim's permission with a glance.
Is a parent’s heart always like this when it comes to their child?
Even as the conversation took an unexpected turn, Minister Kim was actually smiling faintly.
“My name is Kim Ji-hoon.”
“May I ask when you first became interested in electric cars?”
“It’s an idea I’ve had since my university days. I believed that if electric propulsion became commercialized, it could solve not only environmental issues but many other problems as well. It's an especially crucial direction for a country like ours, which doesn't produce a single drop of oil.”
“…”
I stared at him for a long time.
No matter how I looked at it, this felt like killing two birds with one stone.
“I'll arrange a position for you at my personal research institute soon.”
Ji-hoon’s face lit up.
But it quickly hardened again, as if something was worrying him.
“I'm sorry, but would it be possible for my friends to join as well?”
“Of course. I know better than anyone that research isn't something one can do alone. It doesn't matter how many there are.”
His expression brightened once more as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.
It seemed he wanted to share the news with his colleagues as soon as possible.
As he quickly headed to his room, I turned my attention back to Minister Kim.
“By the way, Minister, it's time you decided on your future as well.”
“…”
His eyes wavered at my casual words.
His expression seemed to say, ‘The moment has finally come.’
What was strange was that a flicker of hesitation crossed his face for a moment.
“I know from what I've heard that LS is trying to recruit you, Minister, but have you received any other offers?”
“To be honest, His Excellency the President offered me a position as the head of a public corporation.”
It seemed this was the source of the slight unease I'd been feeling.
I suppose his retirement was a burden for the President as well.
He was essentially taking a bullet for the administration, so forcing him out without a safety net could have provoked discontent within the military.
Then what was that feeling I had earlier? I was so sure he was waiting for me.
“First, would you please take a look at this?”
Just in case, I took out the documents I had prepared.
The path Jaewoo would take in the future.
And a detailed plan for how we would transform our military, all written down in those documents.
Minister Kim’s eyes were glued to the papers for a long time. At one point, his hand began to tremble, and at that moment, I made him the best offer I could.
“We absolutely need you, Minister, to make these things a reality. Therefore, I want to take this opportunity to appoint you as the Vice President of Jaewoo Thales.”
Thud!
His jaw dropped as he stared at me.
As if he couldn't believe what he was hearing, he blinked several times before speaking in a trembling voice.
“Did you just… did you just say Vice President of Jaewoo Thales?”
“Of course, it may fall short compared to the position of a public corporation president. But I believe it is a place where you can achieve the rest of your dreams.”
“But that position… that company is the core of Jaewoo Group, its very foundation…”
“It is the foundation, that's true. But Jaewoo will be transitioning to a holding company structure, so you don't need to feel so much pressure. Furthermore, we plan to merge the business divisions of Techwin, including the recently acquired Wooyoung, and we desperately need your help for that process.”
“…”
He was speechless for a while.
After some time had passed, he spoke quietly, his face still etched with contemplation.
“If you have time, how about a drink with me tonight?”
“…I’d like that very much.”
***
“Hahaha!”
My drinking session with Minister Kim Young-gi lasted late into the night.
I had to talk him out of a second round, and by the time I got home, it was already midnight.
It had been an exceptionally long day.
‘Tsk, why did I even start…’
Feeling like sleep wouldn't come, I poured myself another drink.
Why was it?
Even though I'd drunk far more than my usual limit, my mind was still clear, which made drinking any more feel pointless.
‘How strange.’
Even after lying down in bed, I couldn't sleep.
Deciding I might as well pull an all-nighter, I was looking for something to read when suddenly, what Kim Ji-hoon had said earlier that day echoed in my mind.
The age of electric cars.
That such an era was coming.
‘Right, the world was eventually heading in that direction. Damn it, now that I think about it, why hadn't I considered that before?’
My eyes fell on the chip in my wrist.
I wondered if there might be technology related to high-output motors inside it.
Considering the ADD had been researching that area at one point, it wasn't entirely impossible.
Swish.
I immediately entered the password and accessed the data chip.
A series of gestures to swipe through the folders followed.
“Huh?”
Then, at one point, a folder with no name at all caught my eye.
‘What’s this?’
I immediately clicked on the folder, and a subfolder appeared.
The folder's name was ‘Incomplete.’
Taken literally, it seemed to mean something unfinished, but this was the first I'd ever heard of it.
‘…’
Curious, I immediately opened it.
The thought that struck me was that even I, the administrator, hadn't known such an item existed.
Then again, it wasn't as if I had memorized all several thousand folders, so it wasn't that strange.
(Classification of technologies not fully commercialized as of 2025.)
The text at the very top of the opened folder confirmed my suspicion.
But what did it mean by 'not fully commercialized'?
Did it mean development was successful, but there were still shortcomings that required more time? Or that commercialization was difficult due to excessive capital investment?
[Solid state battery.]
As I scrolled down, my mind snapped to attention.
Translated, that meant solid-state battery.
I rubbed my eyes and checked again and again just to be sure, but the contents of the attached file were undeniably about solid-state batteries.
“This is…”