Arrival in America
Enduring the long flight, Taesik finally arrived at the American airport. A long queue awaited him for immigration processing, so he followed the person in front and stood at the end of the line, waiting for quite some time. When his turn finally approached, Taesik presented his prepared passport and letter of admission, then waited for the immigration officer's questions. The officer, working mechanically, scanned Taesik's passport, but upon seeing a warning message suddenly pop up on the screen, he called for security. Taesik was led away by the guards to the immigration office.
The guard left him in an empty office and walked out. Taesik waited for someone to come, wearing a bewildered expression. A moment later, an unfamiliar white man entered and spoke to him.
"Are you Kim Taesik?"
"Yes. What is this about?"
"I don't know the details myself. I just received instructions to detain you if you were indeed Kim Taesik."
The white man, who had been verifying Taesik's identity, compared Taesik's face to his passport and stepped outside. Soon, two men in suits approached, grabbed his arms, and signaled for him to move.
"Where are you taking me?"
"You'll see when we get there."
The two men ignored Taesik's persistent questions, left the airport, boarded a van, and headed somewhere. The van drove for an hour before entering the basement of an unfamiliar building. A new white man appeared, verified Taesik's identity, signed some documents, and ordered two men who appeared to be his subordinates to take Taesik to an office.
The man took the elevator to the upper floor of the building, told Taesik he would keep his carrier bag for him, and took it out of the office. Taesik asked the man as he hurried out, "Where is this place? Why did you bring me here?" The man ignored the question and left. Taesik waited alone in the office for a long time.
About 30 minutes later, the same white man returned and asked for the laptop password. Having nothing to hide, Taesik provided the boot password and the Windows login password, then made a request. "I'm thirsty. Could I have some bottled water?" The man left without a word, returned with water, and handed it to Taesik. Taesik looked around the office to figure out what was going on. The dry, sterile office, containing only a plain mirror and a desk, offered no hints, so he waited for someone to come, resigning himself to the situation.
The white man who had asked for the password reappeared. "Mr. Kim, the folder is password-protected. What is the password?"
Since he asked for the password to the folder, Taesik immediately realized that the email he had sent from Korea regarding the sale of AESA Radar technical data was the problem.
"These bastards. The only files I password-protected were the blueprints I drew myself and the deep learning program. That's what they want."
"Yes...?"
Taesik smiled at the man's question and replied, "If you want to unlock the folder, bring money. I can't show you the data for free."
The stranger looked baffled by Taesik's mockery and left. A while later, an older white man entered and sat opposite Taesik.
"Are you Kim Taesik from Korea?"
"Yes. Where on earth is this?"
"I guess no one told you. This is the FBI New York Field Office."
"FBI...? Why is the FBI detaining me?"
"Before we get to the main point, is it pronounced Jip-ba-kku-ri? Anyway, can you tell me the password for that strangely named folder?"
"It's pronounced Jik-bak-gu-ri. It contains technical data I intend to sell in the U.S., so I only plan to show it to the buyer. Does the FBI happen to have plans to purchase it?"
"Hahaha. No. I don't even know what kind of data is in there, so why would we purchase it..."
"Then tell me why I'm being detained. And who are you?"
"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Brian, the Chief of the FBI New York Field Office. You are suspected of being an industrial spy who stole U.S. military technical data, so you had better answer carefully."
Suddenly accused of being a spy, Taesik assumed the technical data he had emailed had caused a misunderstanding.
"Is it possible I'm being accused of being an industrial spy because of the email I sent?"
"..."
"Hahaha. A spy? The number of transmit/receive modules in the AESA Radar being built in the U.S. would be completely different, wouldn't it? The AESA Radar I designed has over 1,000 transmit/receive modules. There's a clear difference in performance, so you shouldn't be accusing me of being a spy. Isn't it more likely that the U.S. is trying to steal my technology?"
As Taesik raised his voice, Brian smiled and replied, "We understand that you are far removed from AESA Radar technology, so selling such advanced technology makes you highly suspicious."
Taesik straightened his posture at the calm question. "Is it being a spy to develop something with superior technology? If the U.S. isn't interested, I'll sell it to another country. There are plenty of places other than the U.S. that will buy my technology. I don't know if it was Dastrop or Dacyon that reported me, but if you aren't interested, I'll look for another buyer."
"Hahaha. You're the first person to act this tough with the FBI. Everyone else is usually careful with their words out of nervousness..."
"Isn't that natural? I'm not a spy, but I'm being accused of being one, so of course I have to be tough."
"Honestly, I don't think you have the technical skills to develop an AESA Radar. How will you prove it? Currently, the U.S. is strengthening security after the 9/11 terror attacks. If you cannot justify yourself, I intend to send you to the CIA."
Hearing Brian mention the CIA, Taesik, who remembered the terror of the CIA's secret prisons from before his regression, felt tense and asked, "How can I prove that I designed the AESA Radar myself?"
"Hmm... that is a problem you must prove. I only judge whether you are a spy based on what you say."
Hearing Brian's cold words, Taesik pondered deeply and said, "Then I will show you that I designed it myself by explaining the operating principles and each component. Could you bring my laptop?"
"..."
Brian signaled to his subordinate waiting nearby to bring the laptop. When Taesik unlocked the Jik-bak-gu-ri folder and opened the blueprints, Brian watched his actions. Taesik turned the laptop so Brian could see, explaining the operating principles and the role of each component for every blueprint, and Brian listened to Taesik's explanation in silence.
After hearing Taesik's explanation, Brian said, "The explanation of the AESA Radar hardware seems sufficient. It seems software is needed to implement what you've described so far, but there is no explanation for the software."
When a question about his most confident field came up, Taesik smiled and replied, "The software is what processes all of this—integrating the multi-target information that comes in through the AESA Radar's transmit/receive modules, delivering it to the pilot, and performing continuous tracking. So..."
As Taesik confidently proceeded with the explanation of the software, Brian asked his final question.
"How does the AESA Radar you developed compare to Dastrop's AESA Radar?"
"I don't know the specifications of Dastrop's AESA Radar, so an accurate answer is limited. However, generally, radars are developed in air-to-air mode, then air-to-ground mode. I am confident that there is no AESA Radar in the world today that supports air-to-ground mode other than the one I developed."
"Hmm... listening to your entire story, you are saying that the AESA Radar you developed has superior performance to the AESA Radar the U.S. is developing."
"Isn't that natural? I developed it by taking the advantages..."
Taesik agreed with Brian's words, then shut his mouth, nearly having let slip that he had regressed.
"For now, I am well aware that you did not steal U.S. technology. Then, where do you intend to sell this technology?"
"Does my release depend on my answer?"
"Hahaha. It's for reference."
"I intend to sell it anywhere as long as the price is right. Currently, the only companies worth selling this technology to seem to be Dastrop or Dacyon."
Brian met Taesik's eyes and asked, "What are your future plans? I'm asking about your plans after entering MIT."
To Brian's question, who had thoroughly grasped Taesik's personal details, he replied, "Once I secure the proceeds from the AESA Radar sale, I plan to return to Korea and run a defense company. It seems more efficient for me to lead the technology than to learn at MIT."
"As I expected. When you leave this building, Dacyon officials will be waiting at the entrance. You can proceed with sales negotiations with them."
"Was it Dacyon that reported me?"
"Hahaha. It seems I've caused a needless misunderstanding."
"Every defense company reported you, and Dacyon conveyed the opinion that if you are not a spy, they have the intention to purchase the technology. You may leave now."
Taesik, cleared of the spy charges, let out a sigh of relief, but also felt a sense of injustice.
"How can you suspect someone visiting the U.S. for the first time of being a spy and then let them go without any compensation?"
"Haven't we given you the government's tacit approval so you can sell your AESA Radar technology? Even just that will be a great help for you to proceed with negotiations."
"Can you provide more practical help than that? I have the confidence to build a world-class company if I run a business, and if you help me, who has no foundation in the U.S., it will help you too."
"Hahaha. It will help me too? Let's hear it. What kind of help do you need?"
"Introduce me to key U.S. figures and let me take the sales proceeds to Korea safely."
"Introducing key figures is nothing, but you want to take dollars to Korea?"
"I'm a Korean, so isn't that natural? For now, I do intend to reinvest about half of the sales proceeds in the U.S."
"Hmm... I'll grant that request. Instead, I have a condition."
As Brian imposed a condition, Taesik asked with a tense expression, "What is it...?"
"The condition is that you do not sell the AESA Radar technology you developed to a third country. The U.S. does not want competing nations to possess AESA Radar technology."
"Call!"
Taesik answered readily, knowing that AESA Radar technology was something that could not be developed by anyone other than major developed countries like the U.S., U.K., and Israel. Brian smiled at Taesik's ready answer and rose from his seat.
"Mr. Kim, you may leave now. I'll give you my business card, so please contact me anytime if you need help."
After receiving Brian's business card and shaking hands, Taesik was guided by an employee to the first-floor lobby of the FBI building. Upon arriving at the lobby, the FBI agents introduced him to the strangers and disappeared.
"Mr. Kim. I'm Oliver, the Sales Director of Dacyon. Will you sell the technology you have to us?"
Taesik recalled his ordeal at the FBI and replied, "I just came out of the FBI. You people accused me of being a spy and caused me unnecessary trouble, so I want to take a hot shower first. I'll decide after seeing the services you provide. I don't feel refreshed unless it's a 5-star hotel."