Chapter 64
Chapter 64
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: The Grand Design
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gellick was slightly surprised to find that the head of the Mirje Trading Company wasn't even twenty years old.
"Thanks, cousin."
Taking his seat, Oh Min-jae introduced Wang-sik again.
"The vice director of our company is my cousin."
"I see."
As Wang-sik stood behind him, Oh Min-jae placed a document on the table.
"This is my proposal. Please take a look."
They were meeting in one of Ertan's more luxurious teahouses.
With its private rooms, it was the perfect place for a confidential discussion.
Gellick suppressed his annoyance at being handed a document without so much as a proper greeting and reviewed its contents.
Oh Min-jae sipped his tea and waited. After reading the document, Gellick maintained an impassive expression.
"These are good terms."
That was Gellick's assessment after reviewing the document. But his inner thoughts were different.
'This document is nearly perfect.'
It was as if it had been written to scratch every single one of his itches.
—Construction of at least a Rare-grade gate or higher.
—No demands other than the gate's construction.
—Funding for the gate construction will be 1.5 times the average amount.
—Once the gate is complete, no questions will be asked about how the funds were used.
—No responsibility will be assigned for the outcome of the gate's construction.
He would be given full authority over the gate's construction, and he wouldn't be held responsible for how the funds were used or for the final result.
On top of that, the funding was fifty percent more than the average construction cost.
These were better terms than the best offer he had ever received.
'This is the first time I've been offered no responsibility for the outcome.'
The result was what every designer feared.
After all, a gate designer's competence was judged by how many Life Stones were obtained relative to the investment.
"But how can you guarantee you'll uphold this?"
"What guarantees do you have now?"
Gellick frowned at Oh Min-jae's response. The truth was, Gellick had no guarantees at all.
"I, at least, will guarantee the investment. Once the gate construction is confirmed, I'll give you all the necessary funds at once. As for how you build it, that's up to you, as per the contract."
This method would certainly secure the investment funds.
"To a merchant, money is creed. My willingness to invest such a large sum should prove my commitment to the project. The only thing left is to satisfy your concern about not being held responsible for the outcome."
This was something no one could guarantee, which was why such a poison pill clause was usually included.
But Oh Min-jae spoke with confidence.
"My gate business operates differently from the conventional model. Therefore, there is no expected 'outcome' to begin with. So, there's no need to take responsibility for it."
"What do you mean by that?"
Gellick asked, not understanding.
"The completion of the gate. That itself is the result. I'm not after Life Stones."
"In that case..."
"Anything more is a secret. If you want to hear more, sign the contract."
Oh Min-jae spoke confidently, but Gellick was still suspicious.
To be precise, he hadn't finished his calculations.
"All I have from you are words. Even if I forgo this contract with you, I have other options. He is a count, and the support from his trading company is growing. This is what's important."
Gellick played his hand.
"Can I trust you enough to abandon the place I'm already working for? Frankly, I don't know."
"You're right. But let's be honest with each other. Is the backing of the wealthiest man in the south truly for you alone? From what I hear, you're just one of many workers."
"That is..."
"Is creating Magic-grade gates enjoyable? I hear you're a man who loves adventure. That's why you're always developing new technology. You must have stopped developing new tech by now."
Gellick's expression noticeably darkened. Oh Min-jae had struck a nerve.
"Even if that's true, there's no guarantee you'll be any different."
His tone grew harsh.
"True. But I can at least satisfy your passion for gate research."
Having countered Gellick's attack, Oh Min-jae played his trump card.
Thump.
Oh Min-jae tossed a book onto the table and gestured for Gellick to look.
Gellick casually began to look through the book, but he soon fell silent and pulled his chair closer.
His eyes gradually filled with astonishment as he became engrossed in the contents.
"This is Neher's research record..."
As he muttered to himself, Oh Min-jae retrieved the book. The intense desire in Gellick's hands as he held onto the book being taken away was palpable.
"How did you get this?"
It was the first time Oh Min-jae had heard the name Neher, but he answered without any change in expression.
"Am I obligated to answer that?"
"Did his research succeed?"
"Yes. It did. And I have all of his records."
What Oh Min-jae had shown him was the research record of a necromancer.
The necromancer's name was Neher, and he was famous among black mages.
A man once called a genius.
Having had a taste of his research, Gellick's eyes wavered intensely.
"I'll be waiting for your call, then. When you're ready, come to our company office. And if you do decide to come, ensure you maintain confidentiality."
"If I come, will I be able to see all of those records?"
"That's why I sought you out."
Gellick felt a sense of clarity wash over his mind.
Why he had been approached.
Why he had been made such an offer.
He was the best man to reproduce Neher's research records.
As Oh Min-jae rose from his seat, Gellick asked one last question.
"Can you handle Count Caria? He won't just stand by."
"I'll take care of that."
Oh Min-jae turned away with confidence.
It was ten days later that Gellick visited the Mirje Trading Company.
Having finished his last job, he came to the company without a second thought.
He was accompanied by his two ever-present followers.
"This is Mironz and Camel."
Both were in their mid-thirties. Mironz was short and stout, while Camel was tall and slender.
The contrast between them was so stark that they looked rather comical standing together.
Since they were called the Gellick Research Team, Oh Min-jae accepted all of them.
"Your laboratory is already prepared. I'll give you the materials, so please begin your research. I'll show you to the lab."
He led them to a house not far from the company headquarters.
It wasn't large, but given the nature of the city ofagit, it was in a rather expensive area.
It was more than enough for the three of them, and black curtains blocked any view from the outside.
Upon opening the door, they found the living room had been converted and was already equipped with research tools.
Gellick was inwardly surprised as he examined the equipment.
"You have some knowledge of gate research."
"My goal is to build a gate myself. When I come to learn from time to time, please teach me kindly."
"I suppose I'll have to study hard to avoid being kicked out."
"Don't worry. The more capable people the company has, the better. Let's conquer the world on the other side together."
Oh Min-jae stated a grand objective as he guided them. Finally, he placed a book on their table.
"This is a summary I compiled of Neher's records. I'm afraid I can't give you everything. Please start with this for now."
Both sides needed a safety measure, and Gellick accepted this.
"And this is your payment."
Oh Min-jae placed two imperial gold bars on the table.
"Two gold bars a month?"
"Of course not. Two every ten days. That's six a month. This is your base salary; you'll receive separate compensation once gate construction begins."
This was a salary that even Gellick would find satisfactory.
"Now, please rest easy today."
"Company Leader."
Gellick, seeming to like Oh Min-jae's straightforward style, had correctly changed his form of address.
"Could you tell us what the first gate will be? It's necessary to have a clear objective."
"We're going to build the gate described in that record."
"In that case..."
"Yes. A two-way gate."
At those words, Gellick managed to control his expression, but his followers' jaws dropped.
The technology for two-way gates was possessed by only a few major guilds on the continent.
It wasn't just a matter of technology.
"It will require the cost of building a Legendary-grade gate. Are you aware of this?"
"You'll understand once you read the record. Neher lowered that cost to Hero-grade."
"Is that really true?"
"We're creating a new kind of two-way gate. Something of that caliber should be fitting for a name like Gellick, don't you think?"
As Oh Min-jae smiled, Gellick also smiled, revealing his half-rotten teeth.
"I will show you what I'm capable of."
"I look forward to it."
The gate research had officially begun.
Wang-sik and Oh Min-jae discussed what was to come.
"Do you think that Count Caria fellow will just sit back? I looked into him through the Thieves' Guild, but there's no information. To be precise, they can't give out information. It means he's a client of the Thieves' Guild."
There was a rule the Thieves' Guild strictly adhered to.
They never sold information about their VIPs.
"He'll probably just think of it as an annoyance. Still, he has a reputation to maintain, so he won't just let it slide."
"Should I take care of it?"
"No. Let's just take the loss this time. I'll go and negotiate. The sales rights for the newly developed material in the southern region should be enough."
"That's a completely one-sided loss."
"Well, it's not a small amount, but we have to consider it. This is a time to be cautious. And once the gate is open, a loss of that size will seem trivial. In fact, I might even be able to devour him."
Wang-sik disliked taking a loss on the Azelan Continent, but he decided to follow Oh Min-jae's wishes.
'Let's be careful for now.'
He and Oh Min-jae were on the same page about this.
"Is there anything for me to do?"
"You need to prepare things properly back in Korea, too. The research will definitely succeed. But I'd like Sa Seon-gi to help out a bit."
"Seon-gi?"
"To complete the gate, we'll eventually have to reveal all of the necromancer's records. We'll need someone to keep an eye on Gellick."
Gellick couldn't be fully trusted.
"Alright. I'll ask him. But I won't force him if he refuses. If Seon-gi doesn't do it, I will. But will surveillance be enough? I doubt that guy will be satisfied with just building gates."
"Don't worry about that. I just need to tell him about the plan that will make him obsessed with gate construction."
"You've already thought that far ahead?"
"Of course. I won't trust Gellick until the moment I have to deal with him."
"Good. Then all that's left is to gather the money. But aren't we short on funds?"
"Very short. As it stands, building just one will empty the company's coffers. It's only this manageable because Neher's gate method is so efficient."
"We'll have to pull some funds from Korea."
"First, decide how many gates we're going to build. Now that we've recruited Gellick, we need to get the most out of him."
"Alright. Finally, base construction."
Upon returning to Korea, Han Young-im laid out a rough plan and began the practical work.
"For now, I'm leaning toward an uninhabited island. The political scene is chaotic, so getting an abandoned air-raid shelter assigned to us won't be easy."
"Purchasing an uninhabited island won't be easy either."
"There's a place where Daehyun Construction started building a resort but had to stop. They've finished all the foundational work."
"Why was it halted?"
"There were no problems with the project itself. It was stopped because Daehyun Construction ran into financial difficulties. It was a joint venture with Chinese capital, but the scale was too large for them to proceed."
Han Young-im spread an architect's rendering on the table.
It was a rendering Daehyun Construction had made before starting the project.
The island was about ten times the size of the one Wang-sik was currently staying on, located about an hour's boat ride from Mokpo on the west coast.
The plan had been to develop a Korean-style resort island, similar to those often seen in Southeast Asia.
It included a 5-star resort, 30 luxury villas, and 50 family bungalows built along a white sand beach that covered half the island.
Opposite the beach, various water sports facilities, including water skiing and cruise ships, were planned, while behind the hotel, there was a large water park and amusement facilities. There was even an ambitious plan to operate a heated swimming pool and a ski slope in the winter.
"Just looking at the rendering, it seems like an enormous amount of money would be required."
"The initial estimated cost was 3 trillion won. A project of this scale is difficult even for major construction companies to take on. That's why there was a large influx of Chinese capital."
"How far along did they get?"
"They barely finished the infrastructure. Not a single building has been erected."
It was a shame, but also a relief.
If the construction had progressed further, the acquisition cost would have been much higher.
"I don't think acquiring it will be difficult. Frankly, besides us, there's no one else who would buy it."
With the infrastructure in place, they could move straight to construction.
"Proceed with it."
"I will. And for opening the gates, I think we can use the branches of our exchange."
Han Young-im seamlessly moved on to the next plan.
"I'm going to create the Guseong Gate Research Team. This team will act as a support for the Earth Defense Force. We'll set up the research team's facilities at the necessary exchanges to open the gates."
An exchange was certainly a place they could enter and exit without suspicion. There would be security issues, but Han Young-im would handle them.
"I can have the basic preparations finished within three months."
An island of this size and location could serve as a permanent headquarters, not just a temporary one.
"It's going to be a busy three months."
Despite his words, Wang-sik was smiling.