Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: A Shift in History
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I caught my breath, overwhelmed with emotion.
Just as I was about to look at the document he held out, Jack spoke again.
[However, there is one problem.]
[Please, go on.]
[We’ve run into some issues with the supply of certain parts, so the project might take some time to proceed.]
He was likely referring to the fallout from terminating their parts supply contract with Jaewoo, which had halted production.
Of course, they must have been searching for new suppliers, but could any of them match the stable quality and production volume that Jaewoo had provided for over a decade?
[Well, I don’t think you need to worry about that. Actually, Jaewoo Aerospace’s F-16 parts production line is still active.]
But he could set that worry aside.
Anticipating this exact situation, I had ordered CEO Yoon to keep the production line operational, and it had been maintained ever since.
Restarting the line would be no problem at all, as soon as we signed a new supply contract with Nokid.
[The line is still active?]
Jack’s eyes widened in astonishment.
It was understandable that he’d be surprised.
No one keeps a production line running after a relationship has soured to the point of what was essentially a breakup.
He probably couldn’t make sense of it.
[The maintenance costs must have been substantial… That’s impressive.]
[It was nothing. In any case, given the situation, this doesn’t seem like a break time, does it?]
I responded with a joke and picked up my bread again.
[Just one more thing…]
Jack’s voice cut in again.
Feeling a bit awkward, I put the bread back down.
[I have a proposal for Jaewoo.]
[What kind of…]
His tone felt unusually serious, so I looked at him immediately.
A meaningful smile formed on his face as he slid another document across the table.
[What is this?]
[Frankly, after hearing Chairman Jin’s message, I’ve been thinking. Instead of simply upgrading the older versions, what if we applied this to the aircraft scheduled for future production as well?]
Future production of the F-16 would mean the Block 50+/52+ models.
They said the coffin was closed on this thing, but they were milking it for all it was worth.
Then again, considering they would continue to upgrade it to the Block 70/72, the V-model, Nokid was truly something else.
[Will you get government approval?]
[You don’t need to worry about that. As you know, the U.S. government didn’t object to conducting this upgrade project jointly with Jaewoo. Policy isn’t made of rubber; it wouldn’t make sense to approve our participation in the refurbishment but deny it for the production of new aircraft.]
He had a point.
Though it was called a refurbishment, it was practically on the level of building a new aircraft.
Given that, it would be ridiculous to exclude us from the production of new models.
Besides, this was Nokid we were talking about.
They had immense lobbying power in the political sphere.
In any case, his words meant that they wanted to elevate Jaewoo from a mere parts supplier to a collaborative partner, and I had no reason to refuse.
No, in fact, this was a situation to be welcomed with open arms.
Slowly.
Instead of answering, I picked up my bread.
Just as I smiled and was about to take a bite, Jack extended his hand.
[You’re a man who gets right to the point. I believe we will become the most powerful partners in aviation history.]
Tsk, it seems this bread was never fated to reach my mouth.
*****
‘Applying our radar to newly manufactured aircraft…’
The thought didn’t leave my mind the entire way back.
If it came to fruition, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much profit it would generate.
Moreover, with a massive defense corporation like Nokid as an official partner, Jaewoo’s external image in the aviation industry would soar to the heavens.
“You’ve worked hard.”
It was past 10 p.m., but Secretary Kim and Vice President Kim Young-gi were at the airport to greet me.
Perhaps because they had already heard the news over the phone, both of them had bright expressions.
“We could have just seen each other at the company tomorrow. Why did you have to come all this way?”
Vice President Kim laughed off my chiding, which I’d said out of apology.
*Grrrrowl!*
Suddenly, a thunderous noise erupted from someone’s stomach.
A startled Secretary Kim offered an excuse with an awkward smile.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been on a diet recently…”
“Don’t be like that. Let’s all go get something to eat before we head home.”
*****
We ended up at a 24-hour gamjatang restaurant near the airport.
Once the food was served, I was about to let out a chuckle at the sight of Secretary Kim digging in relentlessly when Vice President Kim began to report on what had happened at the company.
“The JLTV production line is about 90 percent complete. It looks like we’ll be able to start operations around the end of the year.”
“Have the transmissions we ordered from Germany arrived?”
I asked while tearing meat off a hefty bone.
“Not the full order, but enough to build a few prototypes has arrived.”
“Then tell them to hurry with the prototype production. We need to see the prototypes to identify and fix any problems.”
Vice President Kim nodded in agreement.
Then, Secretary Kim, who had been slurping her soup, chimed in as if she had just remembered something.
“Oh, the investment firm established in the U.S. has officially opened. The company name is JW Investment. Your acquaintance, Ryan, has agreed to act as the interim CEO.”
*What a straightforward name,* I thought.
JW Investment. As in, Jaewoo Investment.
It had been difficult to find a trustworthy CEO, so I had asked Ryan to take the role temporarily. This was clearly his handiwork.
Honestly, the guy had absolutely no naming sense.
“Ma’am, could you turn on the TV over here?”
When one of the customers shouted, the owner rushed over and grabbed the remote.
She flipped through the channels for a moment before her hand froze.
Puzzled, I looked up and saw a massive airplane on the TV screen, hurtling toward the World Trade Center in New York.
“What in the world is going on?”
The restaurant owner immediately turned up the volume.
*BOOM!*
An explosion roared from the speakers.
In her shock, she had cranked up the volume too high, and the sound echoed deafeningly throughout the restaurant. In an instant, everyone’s eyes were glued to the TV screen.
*Clang!*
I dropped my spoon, staring blankly at the calendar hanging next to the TV.
Damn it. I guess the name 9/11 will disappear from history now.
The incident had happened on August 11th, exactly one month early.
“What is that?”
A shocked Secretary Kim stared at me with a dazed expression.
Vice President Kim, who had been watching the news with a grave look, quickly pulled out his phone as if to make a call.
“Director of the NIS?”
After stepping outside, Vice President Kim returned after a long phone call.
I could already guess what he was about to say.
I immediately stood up and spoke to the two of them.
“It looks like none of us will be getting any sleep tonight. Let’s all go to my place.”
******
“At approximately 8:45 AM local time, an American Airlines aircraft crashed into the first World Trade Center tower. Shortly after, a United Airlines aircraft crashed into the second World Trade Center tower. Both buildings, engulfed in flames for some time, have now collapsed.”
The news that greeted us when we arrived at my house was the collapse of the Twin Towers.
My companions were in a state of panic.
Vice President Kim’s expression was particularly grim, likely because he was already anticipating what would come next.
The United States had suffered what was essentially an invasion of its mainland.
And how they would react to it.
[The U.S. government has immediately grounded all flights…]
We had been watching the news for two hours now. The anchor reported on the administrative measures being taken by the U.S. government.
Suddenly, Secretary Kim glanced at me and let out a sigh of relief.
“You almost didn’t make it back, did you?”
“I suppose so.”
After a brief reply, I turned my attention back to the TV.
Why did the timeline shift this time?
That was the only thought swirling in my head.
“Anyway, if this is a terrorist attack, what happens now? President Bush won’t just stand by after the U.S. mainland has been attacked…”
She seemed to have belatedly realized the implications of what was to come.
*That’s right. Afterward, the U.S. went to great lengths to capture the mastermind, Osama bin Laden, and eventually attacked Afghanistan.*
The repercussions of that war sent the entire world into a state of near panic.
The funny thing was, even in such a situation, there were people who profited. I would probably be one of them.
“Call Ryan first thing when you get to work tomorrow.”
“…”
Secretary Kim tilted her head at my words.
I didn’t feel good about it, but what’s done is done, and I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by.
I was planning to go bottom-fishing in the U.S. stock market, which was about to plummet.
“The stock market will probably nosedive for a while.”
“…”
“Tell him to keep an eye on the stocks I’ve designated and to start buying immediately when I give the signal. Also, let him know that the market will be closed for a while, so he shouldn’t waste his energy beforehand.”
“Yes, I’ll relay the message.”
Secretary Kim replied, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
It was already 3 a.m.
After showing her to a guest room, I returned to the living room to find Vice President Kim still engrossed in the news.
“Are you worried?”
“How could I not be? This is the first time the mainland has been attacked since the War of 1812. There’s no way the U.S. will let this go.”
“That’s true. But there’s no need to worry too much. This war won’t last very long.”
In fact, one didn’t need to know history to figure that out.
How long could a small country like Afghanistan possibly hold out?
According to history, it was only two months.
Even if it lasted longer, it was unlikely to affect the entire world.
Well, it would have an economic impact.
And that’s precisely why this was an opportunity.
******
[The stock market has plunged into panic.]
The next day, the KOSPI fell by a staggering 64.97 points.
It was no surprise, given that the highest level of uncertainty had just been unleashed.
People dumped their assets as if a war had broken out in our own country, and the panic selling fueled more panic selling, leaving the market in an uproar.
“Contact Jaewoo Investment and tell them we’re not touching anything for the time being.”
The downturn would likely continue for a while.
It would probably stop in about a month.
That would be the time to start buying. Afterward, a bull market would continue until next spring, resulting in a surge of nearly 100 percent.
‘Thank you, Min Seung-gi.’
The reason I remembered this so clearly was because of a former colleague from my ADD days.
Unlike others, when the 9/11 attacks occurred, he ignored everyone’s advice and went all-in on the stock market.
At the time, people pointed their fingers at him, calling him the world’s biggest fool, but he stubbornly stuck to his guns.
He sold everything in the spring of 2002, just before the market downturn, and made an enormous profit.
I don’t know if it was his excellent judgment and analytical skills, or if he had received some kind of divine grace.
“Tell Ryan to buy the stocks I’ve designated without limit, within our capital, for the next two months.”
For the U.S. market, the next two months seemed like the optimal time to accumulate shares.
Afterward, the U.S. government unleashed a flood of policies, including interest rate cuts, and the effects had even reached Korea.
I remembered it clearly because there had been days of debate over domestic interest rate policy, fearing a rate reversal with the U.S.
“Yes, I’ll relay that immediately.”
Secretary Kim bustled about at my words.
Was this becoming too much for her? She seemed quite out of it lately.
“How about we hire a personal assistant for you? Now that you have the Department Head position, it seems like handling that on top of everything else is too much for you.”
I suggested it gently, feeling genuinely concerned.
But I don’t know what she misunderstood.
Her face suddenly crumpled as if she were about to cry, and she bowed her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Am I that incompetent?”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
“If that’s not it, then I’m against it.”
She said firmly.
Well, if that’s what she wanted.
I shrugged, and her expression finally brightened.
“It’s not easy serving someone as meticulous as you, Chairman. One person to handle that is more than enough. Yes, absolutely.”
“…”