Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Blueprints for a Secret Base
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Early morning.
Wang-sik dressed out of habit and left his bedroom.
“Ah, right. She left last night.”
It was a habit he'd developed naturally while living with Min Ha-na, but it was no longer necessary.
He took his time getting ready and left the house after nine.
“To the Guseong Gate Exchange, please.”
He stated his destination and sat in the back, the sound of the radio filling the car.
—The newly inaugurated administration has cited the globalization of South Korea as its primary objective.
—It's true that South Korea's international standing has diminished significantly since the Gates appeared. This is a time when change is absolutely necessary.
The voices belonged to a female host and a middle-aged man who sounded like an expert.
‘There was a presidential election.’
He knew about it from catching the news briefly before bed, though he hadn't paid close attention. He only ever checked to see if there had been any Gate incidents.
‘Looks like the administration changed. They said it was a close race.’
A new government had taken office. Wang-sik recalled the slogan of the party that had been in opposition during the election.
—Intensive development of the Gate industry. Evolving into a leading Gate nation.
The words didn't resonate much with him.
—Caught between China, which vies for the top spot with the United States and Russia, and Japan, which is ranked around tenth in the world, we were bound to become the weaker party. The gap has been widening, and the previous administration failed to address it properly.
The radio continued its critique of the former administration while presenting its own vision. It all sounded like empty promises, and Wang-sik soon lost interest.
The taxi driver, however, seemed to feel differently.
“This new government will be different, right?”
The driver casually tried to start a conversation. It was a common occurrence, and Wang-sik handled it skillfully.
“We’ll have to wait and see.”
It was best to leave it at that. Otherwise, he’d be stuck in an unwanted political discussion for the entire ride.
But then, an unexpected name came up on the radio.
—Bureau Director Kang Il-seop of the Hunter Management Bureau is reportedly opposed to the new government's policies. Could this become a burden for the administration?
—He is not against all policies, but rather opposes certain ones. As a veteran who has spent the most time in the field and is respected by the public, the current administration has stated that it will respect his opinions.
Listening to the radio, Wang-sik let out a long sigh.
“Don’t you ever study politics?”
He picked up his phone.
—I was just about to call you!
Kang Il-seop’s cheerful voice came through the speaker.
“Have you been well?”
—I wasn't doing well until yesterday! But I think I'll be doing great from now on! I'm the superior officer of an S-rank hunter, you know!
It seemed Min Ha-na had already filed her report.
—Can you believe it? An S-rank, I tell you!
“Why wouldn’t I? I was with her.”
—Haha! That's right!
“I’ll stop by the Bureau this evening.”
—This evening? Not right now? I could grant you anything you want if you came now!
“That’s exactly why I’m not coming. You don’t have anything you can do for me.”
—What are you talking about! I have the gift of my devoted, paternal love for you! I don’t just give this to anyone!
“Save that for the S-rank hunter. As a B-rank hunter, I'm not qualified to receive it, so I'll have to decline.”
Wang-sik ended the call first.
* * *
He arrived at the Guseong Gate Exchange. However, he wasn't guided to the VIP room.
Instead, he was led into a conference room normally used by employees, where Han Young-im and two men greeted him in unison.
“Welcome. This is Mr. Jang Seok-chan, President of Guseong Construction. And this is Mr. Park Hyeon-jin, a manager at Guseong Construction.”
“Hello. I’m Bae Wang-sik.”
Wang-sik returned the greeting and sat in the offered chair.
Once Director Jo Jeong-man, who had escorted him, also took a seat, Han Young-im got straight to the point.
“I’ve gathered everyone here to discuss the secret base you mentioned.”
“Ah! Are the blueprints ready already?”
“Not detailed schematics yet, more like a preliminary draft. I'll present it myself.”
The chairwoman herself rose from her seat and stood before the screen.
“Proposal number one: a submarine base.”
The lights dimmed, and with a click of the remote, a cross-section of a submarine appeared on the screen.
“This design is based on a 30,000-ton displacement submarine. We would dismantle the weapons-related facilities and convert the space for living quarters. It can accommodate up to 150 people, and its greatest strengths are its freedom of movement and stealth.”
“Whoa…”
It was only the first introduction, but Wang-sik’s expression had already changed. He stared at the screen as if he were in a dream.
“How did you even think of that…?”
Seeing his reaction, Han Young-im clicked the remote again. A 3D animation began to play.
A submarine breaking through the rough sea.
The top surface opened automatically, revealing a vertical takeoff and landing fighter jet.
The video ended with the jet taking off.
*Clap, clap, clap!*
Wang-sik applauded unconsciously.
It was genuine.
“Mr. Wang-sik, I’m disappointed.”
Han Young-im deliberately threw cold water on his excitement.
“What do you mean?”
“I'm disappointed if you're satisfied with just this. Is this the extent of your dream?”
Han Young-im looked genuinely let down. Wang-sik could feel her sincerity.
“You mean there’s something better?”
“Proposal number two: the Phantom Base.”
“The Phantom Base!”
The name alone was captivating.
The image that appeared was of the Han River in Seoul.
“It’s a bridge spanning the Han River. On the surface, it’s an ordinary road with cars passing by.”
The view switched to a cross-section.
The pillars supporting the bridge and the space below were packed with facilities.
“A base in the heart of the city, where no one would ever expect it. Special rails built beneath these pillars will allow deployment to thirty different locations across Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.”
Wang-sik had to admit it.
“I have much to learn from you.”
“Excellent. Then let’s move on to proposal number three.”
Three more proposals followed.
An artificial island, an underground base, and finally, an aerial base.
The underground base featured a special effect of the ground splitting open, while the aerial base, true to its name, was a modified airplane with the advantage of flight. However, its scale was more limited than the other bases.
“All of these proposals are technologically feasible. Of course, we haven't considered the special permits required by various national policies.”
“They’re truly amazing.”
“As I said, this is just the first draft. We plan to add more ideas as we go.”
“This is more than amazing enough.”
At Wang-sik’s praise, Han Young-im put down the remote and returned to her seat. As the conference room lights came back on, she spoke to Wang-sik, who still wore a dazed, dreamy expression.
“We will build this base for you. Let’s sign a contract.”
In truth, construction contracts were never settled this way.
They hadn’t even decided which proposal to go with.
But Wang-sik and Han Young-im both knew.
Would she ever find another owner with such tastes? She wanted to build a secret base just as much as he did.
“I see I’ve failed to recognize your true worth until now, Chairwoman.”
Wang-sik was completely overwhelmed by her presentation.
‘She’s on another level.’
This was, in fact, an opportunity for him.
“Let’s sign.”
Wang-sik was not one to let an opportunity slip by.
“This will be a preliminary agreement. Once the proposal is finalized, we’ll move to a first-stage contract, and after securing the necessary permits from the relevant country, we’ll sign the final contract.”
Still, the contract was thorough.
It contained sufficient safeguards for both parties, and Han Young-im recommended he review it in detail rather than signing immediately.
“Before that, please give me the specifics.”
Han Young-im asked Wang-sik, her expression filled with curiosity.
“What specifics?”
“The scale. I need to know the number of combat personnel, command staff, technical staff, and support staff, including cleaning and cooking.”
“Five combat personnel.”
“Hmm. Standard.”
The people from Guseong Construction next to him nodded in agreement.
“I’m thinking about seven for the command staff. As for technical and support staff, the minimum number required depending on the base’s scale.”
“I suppose we can only estimate the number of technical and support staff once the base proposal is finalized. For now, let’s set a baseline of forty technical staff and thirty support staff.”
“That’s similar to what I had in mind.”
They reached an agreement quickly.
“Still, I think we should spend a little more time on the proposals. We need to consider the internal structure as well. Let’s be more cautious.”
“Of course. It’s not like we can build it twice.”
As they spoke, their eyes sparkled.
The first meeting ended with a result that satisfied everyone.
Finally, Wang-sik asked about the most important part.
“How much will the construction cost?”
“We won’t know for sure until the proposal is set, but in the case of the submarine, excluding lobbying funds for permits, the purchase and modification of the submarine alone will cost two trillion won. Including operating costs, you’d need about three trillion.”
It was an astronomical figure, but Wang-sik simply nodded.
“Moving to a land-based option doesn't reduce the cost significantly. The artificial island is actually more expensive. You’d need at least seven trillion. However, the operating costs would be much lower, as you’d need fewer technical staff than for a submarine.”
“What if we were to build the absolute best?”
“There’s no limit. The more you invest, the better the base will be.”
It was an obvious truth.
“I guess I’ll have to earn as much as I can.”
Han Young-im smiled and pushed a file toward him.
“Let’s sign an exclusive contract. Not only will we adjust the commission fees, but we’ll also assign a dedicated asset management team to you. As a special VIP, Mr. Wang-sik, you’ll receive special privileges for all our services. If you wish, we can even create a corporate-level legal and personal team for you. However, that would be a hunter contract with the Guseong Group, not just an exclusive deal with the exchange. It would be a comprehensive contract including identity management and endorsements.”
“Hmm. I’ll have to discuss this with my team member.”
“When you say team member, are you referring to Ms. Min Ha-na?”
“Yes. She has officially joined my team.”
“Excellent. Then we’ll need to adjust the contract. If you both join.”
Wang-sik paused, lost in thought.
His dealings with the Guseong Exchange had been satisfactory. An exclusive contract wouldn't be a problem.
But an identity contract with the group was a different matter entirely.
“For now, I can promise an exclusive deal with the exchange. But I’ll have to think about anything beyond that.”
“Of course. Take your time. Relationships are built step by step.”
Han Young-im nodded as if she had expected this. Feeling as though he was being pulled along too much, Wang-sik decided to create a small ripple.
“There’s something I haven’t told you.”
“Please, go on.”
“I don’t think you’ve accurately assessed the power of the Earth Defense Force I’m creating, Chairwoman.”
“Would you care to point out where I’m mistaken?”
“Hunter Min Ha-na recently ranked up.”
Han Young-im’s eyes widened. She seemed to think for a moment before asking for confirmation.
“Are you saying she’s an S-rank hunter?”
“Yes. But there's something more important than that. I'm certainly no weaker than she is.”
Though he phrased it that way, Wang-sik’s combat power was far superior.
Han Young-im understood what he was trying to say.
“I’ve been too forward. I apologize.”
If they were to consider Wang-sik an S-rank for convenience, this would be a contract with a team of two S-rank hunters.
This was something every corporation in the world would fight for.
And she had tried to get it too easily.
“Then let’s proceed with an exclusive contract starting with the items you acquired this time. I’ve been entrusted with all of Agent Min Ha-na’s items as well.”
“I’ll handle that part.”
Director Jo Jeong-man, who had been listening quietly until now, spoke up.
Before checking the items, he presented a smartphone-sized device.
“This is the item appraiser we use. We’ve prepared a special model that can be used even inside Gates.”
It was a product made by the American Gate Research Institute.
Only a small number were produced, even within the US, making it an item money couldn’t always buy.
“The Chairwoman prepared this especially for you. In addition to its appraisal function, it contains a list of high-value byproducts. It will help you assess their worth.”
“So this is what asset management is like.”
“We judged that the amount of byproducts you acquired was too low compared to the mana stones. A quick look through this should be a great help in increasing your assets.”
“And of course, the exchange with the exclusive contract will also profit.”
“We will provide our full support to ensure even greater profits.”
Wang-sik smiled with satisfaction and took the appraiser.