Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: The Rush Order
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“You’ve worked hard.”
Vice President Kim Young-gi was at Gimpo Airport to meet me.
This was the man who was supposedly too busy to even have a proper lunch. What was he doing here?
As I stared at him, puzzled, he handed me a newspaper and stepped closer.
“Did something happen?”
“Take a look at this.”
He pointed to a corner of the international section.
A short article accompanied by a photo of U.S. President Bush.
I stopped to take a look, but Vice President Kim spoke again.
“It seems the U.S. Army's Delta Force conducted a hostage rescue operation in Mogadishu yesterday.”
“Hostage? Are you talking about Senator Chris of the Republican Party?”
I asked, recalling the news I'd seen at the hotel the day before.
If I remembered correctly, President Bush had definitely mentioned that name.
I hadn't paid much attention at the time and just let it pass, but it seemed to be a bigger deal than I'd thought.
“That's right. Aside from being a senator, he's a key policy advisor within the Republican Party, so the U.S. must have been under a lot of pressure with him being held hostage.”
“And?”
“Because of that, they initially sent in Navy special forces for the rescue operation, but it seems they suffered heavy casualties.”
“Tsk, a repeat of the Battle of Mogadishu.”
The operation that immediately came to mind was that one.
The one with the highest casualties among all of America's secret overseas operations.
For the same thing to happen again, the U.S. government must have been furious.
‘Wait, something tells me that's not the main point.’
The thought struck me, and I looked at the Vice President.
Was I mistaken? I felt like I'd caught a glimpse of a smile on his face.
“What does that have to do with us, that you'd come all the way to the airport to tell me?”
“Well, actually… the Delta Force members who were sent in for the subsequent operation were reportedly wearing the body armor we developed.”
“What are you talking about? How could they have body armor we've never even exported...”
As I said that, I remembered the samples Vice President Kim had sent to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Right, there was that.
“What were they thinking, using something that hadn't even been tested for operational suitability in the field... Anyway, what happened?”
“Among the Delta Force members who went in, there was only one fatality.”
“...”
“It seems he was unfortunately shot in the face, which was exposed. But aside from that one man, most of them apparently escaped serious harm. Because of that, Lieutenant General Michael is flying in tomorrow.”
“...”
He must be visiting for a reason.
He wasn't coming just to say thank you.
He must be coming to confirm the possibility of exporting it to the U.S. Army.
This felt like getting some unexpected pocket money.
“Have you finalized the unit price?”
“That's the problem. The price of the metallic foam is so high that there's a huge price difference compared to conventional vests, which only cost a few hundred dollars.”
That made sense.
Even if it was lightweight due to its nanostructure, the main material was titanium.
The price of the plates alone, excluding the soft armor, would easily exceed three million won.
“If mass production is possible, how low can we get the price?”
“Even then, a single vest will still be over three million won. The full set we sent to the U.S. military would have to be priced at a minimum of six million won.”
Vice President Kim replied with a pessimistic expression.
But why didn't that sound expensive to me?
Of course, it was a difficult price to approve for supplying our own military, but wouldn't it be different for the U.S. military?
“As soon as we get back, have them calculate the exact price based on production volume.”
I got into the car, my heart racing with excitement.
If this went well, the export value could be on par with the armor-piercing rounds, so I couldn't help it.
No, the samples Vice President Kim sent also included auxiliary armor for the lower body, so the export value would easily surpass that of the armor-piercing rounds.
‘Besides, if the U.S. adopts it, allies like the U.K. are likely to follow suit. If this goes well, it'll be much more than just pocket money.’
******
[It's been a while, Mr. Jin.]
The next day, Michael arrived in Korea as scheduled.
As always, he chose the U.S. military base in Korea as the meeting place.
Thanks to that, I was able to greet General Hummer after a long time.
[I was wondering if I'd get a chance to see you before returning home, Chairman Jin. I'm glad I did.]
Hummer delivered some unfortunate news right from the start.
He was finishing his term and would be returning to the U.S. soon.
It made sense. He'd been in Korea for over four years, so it was about time for him to leave.
[Are you retiring?]
I asked Hummer, just in case.
He smacked his lips with a look of regret, suggesting my guess wasn't wrong.
[Well, I'm not getting any younger. It's true that it's about time I got some rest.]
[What are your plans for the future? Knowing your personality, Commander Hummer, I can't imagine you just killing time at home.]
[Well, the Republican Party did offer me a chance to get into politics, but I've never really had a taste for the political scene....]
Hearing that, I suddenly became ambitious.
His trademark tenacity aside, his strengths were abundant.
But I didn't have a good excuse to keep him in Korea, so I'd have to give it some thought soon.
[Anyway, I heard the news too. That the body armor Jaewoo developed played a big role?]
After saying this, Hummer's gaze shifted directly to Michael.
As if to say that was enough talk about his own future.
Michael, seeming to understand the gesture, immediately began to speak.
[Before we get to the main point, I'd like to apologize to you, Mr. Jin.]
[For what?]
[For using the samples you sent in a real combat situation without your permission.]
[Oh, that... my permission aside, I'm more curious about what gave you the courage to make such a decision.]
[Actually, we had already completed the sample tests. As you know, the performance was not just outstanding, it was astounding. Then we heard the news that SEAL team members had been killed by enemy fire.]
I didn't need to hear the rest of the explanation.
If the solution was right in front of me, I would have made the same decision.
What puzzled me was why the casualties were so high when the ceramic plates the SEALs wore should have been sufficient to stop rifle rounds.
[That... was because of the nature of Mogadishu. The world's largest black market for weapons. As a result, armor-piercing rounds capable of taking on the U.S. military were practically lying around in the streets.]
Michael answered my question.
Finally understanding the situation, I expressed my condolences, and he responded with a bitter smile.
[Anyway, thanks to your armor, the operation was a relative success. After they returned, the Delta Force members strongly requested to their superiors that they be allowed to continue using the body armor they were issued. That's why I'm here now.]
[Does that mean their request was approved immediately?]
[Of course, that's realistically impossible. However, President Bush, after being briefed on the situation, personally requested that it be pushed forward.]
“...”
In that case, the story changes.
Unlike in our country, the U.S. President's authority is quite powerful.
Whatever the case, it was certainly a welcome situation for me.
No, on second thought, there was still a problem.
[Let me say this upfront: licensed production is out of the question.]
I made my position clear from the start, just in case.
Michael's shoulders flinched, as if he had been about to bring it up.
But had he come well-prepared this time? His following words were relentless.
[But with Jaewoo's production capacity, it will be difficult to supply them in a short period, won't it?]
“...”
[We need close to a million units. We have to supply not only the federal forces but also the National Guard, and even the reserves. Is it possible to produce such a large quantity in just a few months?]
[Why such a large quantity... no, why are you trying to secure it on such a tight schedule?]
I asked, puzzled.
But Michael remained silent on that point, so I waited with a frown for what he would say next.
[You should keep in mind that if we were willing to play hardball, we wouldn't need to import Jaewoo's product at all.]
Michael then threw out a meaningful remark.
[What do you mean?]
As I tilted my head, he cautiously watched my reaction and continued.
[To put it simply, it means that if we put our minds to it, we can develop it ourselves.]
“...”
[The core of the body armor Jaewoo developed is the metallic foam technology, and haven't you already provided that technology to us?]
That was true.
When we transferred the technology for the smart shells, we had certainly provided the foam processing technology for manufacturing the shock absorbers.
Considering that the manufacturing technology for the new plates was derived from that, it wouldn't be impossible for the U.S. to produce the body armor themselves.
“Tsk...”
But there was something he was overlooking.
Just how sensitive nanotechnology is to details.
The differences in temperature and molding methods, and how minute variations in the injection process could have a massive impact on performance.
[Just because semiconductors look the same on the outside doesn't mean they perform the same.]
I scoffed, as if to say it was ridiculous.
But what was with that triumphant look still on his face?
The look in his eyes as he watched me was also somehow unusual.
[Of course. But we are the United States. According to our defense contractors, it's possible to create a product on par with what Jaewoo has developed within a year.]
“...”
It didn't seem like an empty threat.
Dammit, this is why I was reluctant to transfer technology to the U.S. in the first place.
Just as I scowled in frustration, Michael subtly continued.
[However, if you permit licensed production, we will abandon our development efforts.]
“...”
[The truth is, we need it for our own use, not with exports in mind. Besides, Jaewoo and we are partners in many areas. Wouldn't it be a bit ridiculous to sever ties over a single piece of body armor?]
His skill at coaxing and placating was quite impressive.
So much so that he seemed like a completely different person from before.
Even so, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was getting the short end of the stick. As I hardened my expression, he cautiously watched my face and discreetly slid something toward me.
[This is...]
He had handed me a photograph.
To be precise, a photo of the 40mm guided missile we recently developed.
I looked at him, wondering about his intention, and he gave me a wide grin.
[The Department of Defense is currently considering the official adoption of that 40mm guided missile Jaewoo developed.]
[Why would the U.S. military need this?]
[We need it because we're us. Frankly, we considered the Javelin anti-tank missile as a squad weapon, but if we did that, our soldiers would undoubtedly use it indiscriminately, even to take out enemies behind walls. And those things cost a whopping 120,000 dollars a shot. In that case, wouldn't a 40mm guided missile that costs only a few thousand dollars be better in terms of operational convenience, portability, and economy? Oh! Of course, we also considered adopting the Carl Gustaf. But even that can't match the 40mm in terms of operational convenience.]
If this was true, it meant another unexpected revenue stream was about to open up.
But the thought that followed was that they would probably want a license for that, too.
But what Michael said next defied my expectations.
[For your information, we plan to procure the 40mm guided missile through an overseas procurement program, just like before.]
“...”
[Because if we asked for a license for that as well, I figured Jaewoo would just tell us to forget the whole thing.]
He spoke as if he had read my mind.
When I let out a dry laugh, he continued with a serious expression, as if to show he wasn't just joking.
[However, for the 40mm, you'll also need to provide a minimum of 50,000 rounds within five months. And a total of 150,000 rounds must be delivered by early next year.]
[That won't be a problem. We've already expanded the production lines for our own military's supply.]
[Can I take that to mean you'll permit the license for the body armor?]
I willingly nodded at his subtle question.
There was no reason to refuse when it would not only preserve my profits but bring in even more.
No, considering the demonstration effect of the U.S. military using our products on the battlefield, and the condition that they would abandon their own development, it would be foolish *not* to take this deal.
‘Hmm...’
But then, a strange thought crossed my mind.
They demand licensed production for the body armor, yet they'll procure the 40mm guided missiles through an overseas program?
Honestly, ‘because they were afraid I'd refuse the deal’ wasn't a sufficient reason.
For some reason, I get the feeling they want to license the body armor because they're pressed for time.
In other words, it seems their intention isn't to save money, but to prevent us from missing the delivery deadline.
'Come to think of it, the production facilities for the 40mm are complex, so it's faster for them to use our existing lines than to build their own from scratch.'
So it really seems to be about time... But why?
The reason they're in such a hurry.
It's not like they're about to go to war right now...
‘...!’
Just then, a future war came to mind.
The Middle East War that would begin with the 9/11 attacks.
In that instant, all the hair on my body stood on end, and a chill ran down my spine.
'No, it can't be... What am I thinking...?'