Chapter 92
Chapter 92
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Call
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"-Mister Jin! It's been a while."
The caller, unexpectedly, was Michael.
I had thought maybe Ryan was calling to congratulate me after hearing about our JLTV's victory in the rally.
["It has been a while."]
Still, I was somewhat pleased to hear from him.
If he'd heard about the Polar Bear's development and was calling because he knew about the rally win, things would get much easier going forward.
"-I'm calling to see if you've heard the news about the performance of the South Korean submarine that participated in RIMPAC this year."
But his words were completely unexpected.
Just as a dry laugh was about to escape me at the thought of my misjudgment, I suddenly recalled my recent conversation with the Minister of National Defense.
["RIMPAC?"]
Right, the Minister had definitely mentioned it then.
The submarine *Na Daeyong*, whose propeller we had modified, was participating in RIMPAC.
["It seems the *Na Daeyong* performed quite well."]
"-More than just 'well.' The Pentagon is in an uproar right now."
["..."]
"-Because of that one small submarine, we're now in a situation where we have to completely revise the U.S. Navy's anti-submarine warfare strategy."
That wasn't how it happened in history.
Of course, the *Na Daeyong* was known to perform well, just like the *Jang Bogo*-class submarines that participated before it, but its fate was to eventually be detected by communications signal tracking and get hit.
["Explain in more detail."]
"-I hear the number of ships the *Na Daeyong* 'sank' this time is staggering. Ah! Of course, you know that when I say 'sank,' I don't mean it was actually sunk, right?"
Is he taking me for a fool?
["Of course. Taking a picture of a virtual enemy vessel through the periscope is considered a sinking. It carries a high risk of detection, so there's a bit of a gap between that and a real combat situation."]
"-Even so, it's not entirely different from a real battle. Anyway, the *Na Daeyong* achieved the feat of sinking a total of 35 virtual enemy ships. What's more surprising is that a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier was among them. It was judged to have landed ten hits with heavyweight torpedoes."
["..."]
Taking that many heavyweight torpedoes would be enough to sink even an aircraft carrier.
For a mere 1,200-ton submarine to achieve such a result...
As I remained silent in disbelief, Michael's voice came through again.
"-Do you know the decisive reason why a call for a strategic revision came up? After the U.S. Navy signaled its surrender, the *Na Daeyong* calmly surfaced less than 800 meters from the carrier. Thanks to that, the admiral in charge went pale and sent the Pentagon into a frenzy."
Michael chattered on, clearly excited.
Anyone would have thought he was a soldier from the Republic of Korea, not the U.S. military.
As if sensing it himself, he cleared his throat and continued in a calmer voice.
"-According to our sonar operators who participated in the exercise, the *Na Daeyong*'s noise level was nearly impossible to detect. Isn't it incredible that we couldn't find it even when it was that close to the carrier?"
That was likely due to the propeller's influence.
Just as a sense of pride threatened to twist my lips into a smile, Michael suddenly brought up what I presumed was the main topic.
"-Thanks to that, our navy is in an uproar. They're asking if we shouldn't apply this to U.S. Navy submarines as well. And from what I hear... that was Jaewoo's work, wasn't it?"
A sense of foreboding washed over me.
From my experience, they were never satisfied with simply importing what they needed.
In other words, they would almost certainly demand a technology transfer, but the problem was that this was a technology of immense strategic value.
It was far too impactful to sell off for a paltry sum of money.
["It's true that we acquired Daeyu, but... well. I'm not personally involved in every single detail like that..."]
I chose to give a vague, evasive answer.
Judging by the surprised tone from the other end of the line, it was an unexpected response.
"-You didn't know about it?"
["As I said, I have more than a few things to worry about. I'll look into what happened."]
"-..."
He was silent for a while.
After some time, he let out a long sigh and said something unexpected.
"-Anyway, please give me a call once you've grasped the situation. No, on second thought, let's talk in person. I'm scheduled to visit Korea in a few days to consult with the new commander of U.S. Forces Korea anyway."
["What business do you have with U.S. Forces Korea?"]
"-It's a bit difficult to discuss that matter over the phone..."
This time, he was the one being evasive.
Sensing it would be difficult to press for an answer, I ended the call. For a while afterward, his lingering last words echoed in my mind.
‘What on earth is it that he can't talk about over the phone?’
******
*Knock, knock!*
A few days later, Michael, having arrived in Korea as scheduled, came straight to my office.
["Oh! Mister Jin."]
The first thing I noticed were the four stars on his shoulder.
As I blinked in surprise, he approached with a hearty laugh.
["Haha, I was promoted about two months ago."]
["Congratulations. But you should have told me about such good news sooner."]
["It would have just been me boasting. Anyway, you're looking better than before, Mister Jin."]
He offered the pleasantry with his characteristic friendly smile and took a seat on the sofa.
A four-star general.
Finding it hard to adjust, I kept an awkward smile on my face, which made him scratch his head with an abashed look.
["No need to stare like that. My rank may have gone up, but my position is practically the same."]
["What do you mean? How can your position not change after a promotion?"]
["It's a bit perplexing, but I'm not the only one, so I have to accept it. Actually, the Pentagon's rank structure recently underwent a major overhaul. As a result, there are quite a few generals whose rank increased while their position remained the same."]
To be honest, that issue was none of my business.
The only thing important to me was resolving the question of why Michael was visiting U.S. Forces Korea.
But the answer I received was unexpected.
["But why the sudden visit to U.S. Forces Korea...?"]
["Ah! That's..."]
He hesitated for a moment.
After a moment of contemplation, he clicked his tongue and spoke again.
["Well, it'll be announced in the Korean media soon anyway, so I suppose there's no harm in telling you. Actually, it's the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who has business with USFK. I just came to Korea with him."]
["..."]
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff being here meant something big was happening.
The problem was, I couldn't recall any major incidents on the Korean peninsula around this time.
As I furrowed my brow, he continued.
["President Bush will likely raise suspicions tomorrow about North Korea providing weapons to Iraq."]
The moment I heard that, something clicked in my mind.
Right, Bush did raise those suspicions at one point.
He also lumped Iraq, North Korea, and Iran together, labeling them the "Axis of Evil."
Most people didn't know it, but that led to changes in the organization of USFK and the circulation of emergency manuals for North Korean provocations. The Chairman's visit was likely for that reason.
Wait, wasn't Bush's "Axis of Evil" speech supposed to have happened much earlier than this?
Well, setting that aside, the "Axis of Evil" speech meant the U.S. was starting to gear up for a move on Iraq. Maybe I should start preparing in earnest as well.
["Then what business did you have with me?"]
At my words, Michael just stared at me.
His gaze seemed to say, *You know exactly why, so why are you playing dumb?*
But when I continued to feign ignorance, he frowned slightly and spoke.
["Tsk, you've become quite the sly fox, Mister Jin. Fine, I'll be direct. We need the manufacturing technology for the composite material deposition propeller that Jaewoo developed."]
From his attitude, he seemed quite desperate.
Well, it was understandable he'd be so antsy, given that a way to dramatically increase the operational capabilities of U.S. Navy submarines had just appeared.
["Ah! If that's what you're talking about, you'll need to seek cooperation from the government, not me."]
["..."]
But I had no intention of giving it up easily.
Compared to its strategic value, which could determine a nation's military superiority, selling it wouldn't bring in much money.
Even if they paid a premium, it would only be slightly higher than the usual rate. It was better to choose a path that guaranteed other benefits instead.
["In fact, not just the material but the manufacturing process itself has already been designated as a strategic item."]
Therefore, what I had planned was the early designation of it as an export-controlled item.
Through that, I had planned to protect the technology and receive compensation from the government. Fortunately, the government agreed and promised fair compensation.
No, not just fair, but more than generous.
Frankly, pushing through the procurement of nearly 200,000 sets of body armor was far more profitable than what I'd gain from exporting the propeller technology.
["...But that was developed independently by Jaewoo..."]
As expected, Michael looked quite troubled.
It was natural for him to be flustered, since in this situation, not only technology transfers but even the export of finished products would be restricted.
Moreover, they now had to deal with the government, not a private company.
They probably couldn't get it with money. It would likely require a concession on a major issue under negotiation or a diplomatic dispute between the two countries to resolve.
["Haa... this has become a headache."]
As if thinking the same thing, Michael let out a deep sigh.
What was strange was his expression. For a situation this serious, he didn't look too upset.
["I understand. I'll discuss that matter separately with my superiors."]
For a moment, it crossed my mind that he might have anticipated this situation.
Otherwise, he couldn't be this calm.
I quickly ran through countless possibilities, but nothing came to mind.
["That aside, that's not the only reason I came to see you, Mister Jin."]
Just as I was wondering what cards they held, Michael spoke again.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked up to see him pulling a photograph from his pocket, his eyes gleaming.
["What... is this?"]
The photograph showed a half-destroyed, burning Humvee.
The background suggested it was somewhere in the Middle East.
Sensing his intention, I looked at him, and he spoke, his eyes still shining.
["This is a vehicle belonging to our special forces, attacked by anti-American warlord factions during the Somali Civil War. That incident brought the Humvee's inadequate protection to the forefront within the military."]
["And?"]
In response to my question, he placed another photograph on the table.
It showed trucks plastered with armor.
If my memory served me right, it was a picture of an MRAP from South Africa.
["Because of that, the need to develop an MRAP like this was continuously emphasized within the Pentagon. It wasn't just emphasized; we were about to issue a request for proposals to U.S. defense contractors. And then..."]
["And then, you saw the vehicle we developed."]
I finished his sentence for him.
He broke into a grin and, as expected, pulled out a picture of the Polar Bear crossing the desert in the rally, nodding.
["The Pentagon analyzed this photo for a long time. It had been modified so heavily that we weren't sure at first."]
["..."]
["But the final conclusion we reached was that this isn't just a simple infantry tactical vehicle, but a kind of MRAP with maximized protection. We were especially convinced by this composite armor section here."]
As soon as he finished speaking, I stood up.
I immediately pulled a document with the Polar Bear's specs and a report with its protection test results from a drawer and handed it to him.
["It's different from an MRAP. To be precise, it's called a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle."]
His ears perked up, and he couldn't take his eyes off the documents for a long time.
After some time, having read through the protection test results, he let out a long sigh and spoke.
["You know what? There are times I wonder if you can see the future, Mister Jin."]
["..."]