Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: New Weapon Development Project (2)
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“What the hell is this? No way, how could this happen...?”
I was sipping my morning coffee from the mug when it all spilled out. My already wide eyes felt like they were about to pop right out of their sockets.
My gaze was fixed on the yellow journalism site, infamous for churning out the most worthless clickbait articles on the internet.
They usually just polished up popular posts from major online communities and turned them into so-called “news.”
A third-rate outlet I’d normally never spare a glance for.
But today, of all days, the top headline on the portal site came from that rag—and unbelievably, it was about Ammunition Group.
-Ammunition Electronics Revives Morning Jog for First Time in 20 Years!
-[Photo] Employees Below Department Head Level Running from Cheonggyecheon to Yongsan Station in White Jogging Gear.
Pudgy-bellied, bespectacled researcher uncles with protruding guts. They looked like they’d never touched exercise in their lives, tongues lolling out as they huffed and puffed in utter misery—it was pathetic just to look at.
“Ha... this is insane. Hang on... no way, is that him?!”
Peering closer at the photo.
There, front and center with a red cap on his head, waving a flag as he led the pack, was a familiar face.
The man with the whistle in his mouth was none other than Lee Taek-gyu, president of Ammunition Electronics.
“What the—no! What is this? He’s supposed to be overseeing the Defense Acquisition Program Administration bid, not playing Marine Corps boot camp!”
“Ah, Chairman. So you saw it after all. Man... no matter how I think about it, this is Ammunition Group’s problem. For real.”
Kim Won-cheol had appeared at my side without a sound, like a ghost.
Shaking his head with his eyes closed, he embodied ‘I knew this would happen’ with every fiber of his being. Like some kind of performance artist.
“What in the world is going on right now? Seriously.”
“I was just about to send up the report. The preliminary review docs came up from below, but I couldn’t just let this slide.”
As instructed, he spoke casually when we were alone, keeping the same informal tone even after I became chairman.
He plugged a USB into the computer.
“Brace yourself. It’s a doozy.”
With a whir from the cooling fan, a document file filled the monitor screen.
It was like a scene from a fantasy movie—an outlandish report so immersive you could get sucked right in.
My vision tunneled into the screen. With the blue glow, the worldview of the report began flooding my mind.
This absurd tale, the so-called Ammunition Universe, opened... with a climb up Seoraksan in Gangwon Province.
* * * *
“Protecting our beautiful Ammunition Group! We live today with manly spirit!”
On a golden Saturday afternoon.
The barren mountain path, stripped of nearly all its autumn leaves with only skeletal branches remaining, echoed with what sounded like a military march.
“Charging through seas of artillery fire! For our homeland, parents, siblings, and peace!”
Dozens of hikers in matching uniforms emblazoned with the flame-shaped logo.
The Seoraksan hike was billed as voluntary attendance, but in this company culture, skipping it wasn’t an option.
“Fellow employees! I protect my company myself!”
Amid their ragged panting, the voices of young 20- and 30-something salarymen, squeezed out to their limits.
They looked exhausted beyond belief.
Their faces were rotting away like soil contaminated with decayed organics.
“Under Ammunition’s torch! We pledge our lives!”
Dozens of desk-jockeys with zero stamina somehow conquered Seoraksan.
These busy folks had dropped everything to come here—er, had been dragged here—for a reason revealed in the chant they bellowed from the summit.
“We can crush it! Crush what?!”
“SA Group!”
“Who will be the victor of the future?!”
“Ammunition! Ammunition! Ammunition Electronics! Woo!”
SA Group, number one in the business world.
Originally named Seorak Group—a quintessentially Korean name—they’d rebranded to the alphabet initials to chase globalization trends.
Already a behemoth, they dominated especially in electronics with overwhelming tech prowess.
That’s why Ammunition Electronics always saw SA Group as a thorn in their side. Half envy, half jealousy.
“Hup!”
Lee Taek-gyu, Ammunition Electronics president, sporting his trademark red cap.
Sucking in his gut, he bellowed like a drill instructor at boot camp.
“We have! Climbed to the top of Seoraksan! This is like! Standing atop SA—Seorak—Group’s head! All together now, produce half an apple from your lunchboxes!”
“Sir!”
It was a scene beyond description—straight out of the twilight zone.
And then, the rustling sounds followed.
Atop the windy peak, dozens suddenly pulled out plastic bags and extracted apples in a ridiculous village farce.
Apples with logos crudely carved into one side, the exposed flesh browned and nasty.
“Will you soldiers settle for topping SA and becoming Korea’s number one electronics firm?!”
“No, sir!”
“That’s right! We aim for the world’s number one electronics company! And so, from now on, we chew these apples aggressively. Execute!”
“Execute!”
The world’s top electronics firm: Apple.
No clue how stuffing your mouth with apples related to surpassing Apple, but when the big boss orders it, you obey.
“Wooo!”
Finally, Ammunition Electronics’ young employees let out a earth-shattering cheer.
Dragging their drained feet down the mountain, they gazed at the sunset and thought:
“Hey, Kim, section chief. I had an epiphany today, crawling up Seoraksan on my busted knees. The apples too.”
“Haa... senior. I’m dying here already—what crazy nonsense now?”
“Ha, brat. So picky. Hear me out—you’ll agree 100%.”
Their voices dropped to whispers inaudible to others.
The pairs around them were doing the same—it wasn’t just those two murmuring.
“Escaping Ammunition Electronics... is by IQ ranking!”
* * * *
“Haa... this is madness. Pure madness.”
“Heh heh. I get it. When I first saw this this morning, I was stunned like I’d been tased for ten minutes straight.”
I clutched my face with both hands at the unbearable scene.
Scrolling down revealed even more colorful horrors awaiting.
Gritting my teeth to steel myself, I scrolled. And sure enough, it was packed with choke-inducing gems.
“And this... ‘development team report at 6 a.m.’ What’s that?”
“Hm? Oh, right—for the morning jog, they ordered everyone in by then. That white tracksuit mob from the internet article.”
“Exactly. Work starts at 9, so even for a jog, coming three hours early? It’s not a marathon...”
Kim Won-cheol stifled a chuckle as he pulled banana milk from the fridge and handed it to me.
I tilted my head at the sudden gesture, and he jabbed a straw into his and spoke.
“They all jog 30-40 minutes together, then hit the bathhouse as a group. Sit in a circle in the sauna for a two-hour so-called ‘creativity meeting.’”
“...And group sauna time magically breeds creativity?”
“No idea. That’s just his style—unity, military vibes. Everyone from exec director level down is stuck with it.”
Giggling as he sat with his banana milk post-sauna mention.
The more I heard, the more my head throbbed.
Pressing my temples, I moved to the next page.
“Office partition removal... and what’s this? ‘Knights of the Round Table’?”
“Oh, the partitions? To stop slacking and make them watch each other. And ‘Knights of the Round Table’...”
Hoping head-to-head would spark productivity, they introduced round catering tables. The poor souls stuck at them were dubbed ‘Knights of the Round Table.’
The photo showed event-hall round tables—like for weddings—with employees hunched uncomfortably.
It was so absurd, no laugh would come—not even a hollow one.
“Isn’t this... the round table for outdoor terrace dining?”
“Yup. For summer champagne and standing skewers.”
“So using that for office work isn’t awkward? Heights won’t match the chairs.”
“Of course it’s awkward. But getting chewed out by the boss and shipped to a branch? Way more inconvenient long-term. So they grit their teeth.”
Right then, pity welled up for the grunts enduring this crap.
I’d told them to draft plans for the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s new weapon project, but the execs insisted on discipline first.
Might’ve worked back in the Fifth Republic days, but not now—that was clear.
“Whew...”
I fired a loaded sigh at the ceiling, then issued orders to Kim Won-cheol.
“Stop this idiocy now. Revert everything to normal.”
“Roger that.”
“We’ll find someone proper for culture management. Root-and-branch reform... Tell Lee Taek-gyu to stick to development.”
Just then, a knock at the door.
Sadly, the chairman gig left no time for leisurely plotting.
Soon enough, Yoo Se-na, my aide, appeared for the next schedule.
“Chairman. Time to head out. For your first FKI meeting, better not be late.”
“Already?”
Glancing at my watch en route, we were already five minutes behind.
No time to sit, so as we headed to the car, I got briefed on the FKI event by Aide Yoo Se-na.
“Most business leaders will attend today. Even SA Group’s Vice Chairman Im Jae-ho, who rarely shows, is coming.”
“SA Group... you mean?”
A name that piqued my interest.
Pre-regression, as Ammunition Group disintegrated, SA Group evolved into a global IT powerhouse in the top ranks.
Their potential demanded attention.
-Vroom!
Even in the car, the briefing continued. Aide Yoo Se-na flipped through her notebook pages, carrying on.
“And... Cheolhwa Group’s Chairman Seo will attend. Notably, SA-Cheolhwa Techwin’s CEO Seo Yun-ji is coming too.”