Chapter 32 Why Japan Asked South Korea for Help After Being Humiliated by China: “Buy Up Every Korean Weapon You Can!”
Chapter 32 Why Japan Asked South Korea for Help After Being Humiliated by China: “Buy Up Every Korean Weapon You Can!”
Prime Minister’s Official Residence, Tokyo, Japan.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
Thunderous applause rang out.
For the first time in Japanese history, a woman had taken office as prime minister.
She was well known for her far-right statements and enjoyed fairly high approval ratings among the Japanese public.
“Is it true that China has recently begun watching South Korea’s reaction?”
Her first question to her aides concerned South Korea.
“Yes. South Korea’s military strength has grown incomparably more powerful than before.”
“What in the world did they do to achieve that?”
Strengthening the military had always been one of Japan’s greatest concerns.
“They domestically developed every weapon essential to modern warfare.”
“What did you say? Then they do not need American approval to manufacture or sell their weapons?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
The prime minister’s mouth fell open in disbelief.
After all, an autonomous national defense system that did not require watching the United States’ reaction was exactly what Japan wanted most.
“Japan must also develop defensive capabilities equal to South Korea’s. How long must we continue calling our military the Self-Defense Forces instead of an army?”
“Prime Minister, the thing is, Japan….”
When an aide attempted to explain the practical problems, the prime minister cut him off firmly.
“Inspector Kuroda.”
“Yes.”
Kuroda Genshin, Technical Inspector of Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency, answered immediately.
“How long do you believe it would take Japan to obtain weapons comparable to South Korea’s?”
Cold sweat began forming on Kuroda’s forehead.
Should he tell her the truth, or say something that would please her?
He appeared torn between the two.
“We estimate approximately five years.”
Kuroda chose the more pleasant answer.
He did not mention that, five years from now, South Korea would likely be another ten years ahead.
Bang.
She struck the table.
The sound itself was not especially loud, but the atmosphere froze instantly.
“That is unacceptable!”
Her shrill, irritated shout echoed through the prime minister’s office.
Even the answer Kuroda had carefully considered failed to please her.
“Even now, China trespasses into the territorial waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands as if it owns the place.”
Kuroda’s expression grew steadily darker.
“Meanwhile, it removed every structure it had installed on South Korea’s side. Japan is an international laughingstock right now!”
Unable to contain her fury, she stamped her feet.
“Prime Minister, Japan is also the world’s leader in precision engineering. We will soon develop similar weapons.”
Kuroda somehow managed to offer an excuse.
Could they truly develop comparable weapons?
He had no confidence in that.
Weapons developed independently by Japan were invariably expensive and underperformed.
“Japan will no longer watch China’s reaction either, just like South Korea.”
“What do you intend to do?” An aide asked with an uneasy expression.
“I will publicly announce that the Self-Defense Forces will participate fully if a Taiwan contingency occurs.”
(Translator’s Note:Taiwan contingency — A Japanese political and strategic expression referring to a potential military crisis involving Taiwan, particularly an invasion, blockade, or conflict between China and Taiwan that could affect Japan.)
Her explosive declaration sent a murmur through the assembled aides.
Japan would enter a war over Taiwan?
Until now, no prime minister had ever made such a statement openly before the National Diet.
(Translator’s Note:National Diet — Japan’s bicameral national legislature, comprising the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors.)
“Prime Minister, if you do that, China’s protests will intensify….”
“Aide! South Korea speaks to China so confidently. Why should Japan be unable to do the same?”
There was no restraint in her actions.
Even her aides did not know what to do.
After all, her current approval rating was extremely high.
“Prime Minister, South Korea can act that way because its military strength supports it. Japan is not yet….”
“Enough. When I say I will do something, I will do it.”
Office at Science Facility’s Factory No. 2.
Behind me, the new weapon I had been developing until moments ago was covered by a tarpaulin.
It could not yet be shown to outsiders.
“Are you telling me you created this AI entirely by yourself?”
Seated before me was a key executive from Google, one of the world’s foremost Big Tech companies.
He stared at Hermes (Downgraded Ver.) on the table in amazement.
“I assumed that at least several thousand first-rate engineers had been assigned to it….”
“I made it alone, although the AI improved its performance to this level by itself.”
“Wasn’t that dangerous?”
The Google executive asked with an oddly pointed expression, as though his own company had already attempted everything in secret.
“No. There have been no problems so far.”
“Its performance truly feels as though it came from the future.”
Although I had removed various features from the original version and drastically lowered its performance, it could still move independently between different applications and carry out tasks without receiving instructions from its owner.
“It felt as though the smartest person in the world was sitting inside it and controlling it remotely.”
“It has greatly reduced our workload. But what brings you here?”
Taeju, who had been listening quietly, asked him to get to the point.
Only then did the executive lift his gaze from the tablet.
“Our company wants to sell the product sitting before me.”
“Are you saying you want to enter into a technology-licensing agreement?”
Taeju asked in surprise.
“Yes. Many people proposed acquiring this company, but we confirmed that another company had already failed to do so.”
It seemed he had arrived already knowing that we had no intention of selling the company.
“We would integrate your AI into Google’s services and products and pay you an appropriate licensing fee.”
Taeju silently considered his proposal before speaking.
“How exactly do you intend to sell it?”
“We will install it as the default AI on every Android phone in the world.”
The Android ecosystem accounted for seventy percent of the world’s smartphones.
My heart lurched at the enormous potential impact, but Taeju did not so much as blink.
“Hmm….”
Resting his chin on one hand, Taeju glanced casually at me.
“Hyesung, what do you think?”
“I’m not sure, but….”
Seventy percent of the world’s population used Android phones.
It was obvious that we would receive an astronomical amount in licensing fees.
If that happened, the semiconductor manufacturing plant, the space-launch-vehicle facility….
Plans that others would laugh off as the delusions of a high school student.
Perhaps I could put them into action sooner than expected.
“Taeju, what do you think?”
Instead of answering, I asked for his opinion.
“We should sell the enterprise B2B AI ourselves and accept Google’s offer for the consumer AI, since it already has the necessary infrastructure.”
Taeju’s thinking was similar to mine.
Even if we worked for several decades, it would be difficult for us to sell AI to every smartphone user ourselves.
“How much are you considering for the royalties?”
At Taeju’s blunt question, the executive removed a neatly printed sheet of paper from his briefcase and held it out.
“We will pay seven hundred billion won as the base annual licensing fee. And….”
The Google executive took out a premium fountain pen and continued explaining as he checked off each clause.
“For every one thousand times your AI algorithm is called within our services, we will pay 0.01 dollars.”
He smacked his lips.
He clearly wanted to secure the agreement with us.
“Lastly, we will give you five percent of the sales revenue from products equipped with your AI.”
“Uh….”
I immediately calculated the projected revenue.
Just as I was about to speak in stunned amazement at the astronomical figure, Taeju pressed firmly against my thigh and cut in first.
“May we discuss it among ourselves and give you our decision afterward?”
“…Understood. Please make certain you sign with us.”
“Understood.”
The executive rose from his seat with regret plainly written across his face.
After the Google executive left.
“Did you calculate the estimated revenue?”
At Taeju’s question, I nodded.
“I think it will be approximately 2.4 trillion won annually.”
“As expected, that’s substantial. Our current revenue would instantly increase by twice its present amount.”
“And the greatest advantage is that we wouldn’t have to do anything.”
It was a system in which Google earned the money for us while we sat still.
“What do you think, Hermes?”
At Taeju’s question, Hermes immediately answered.
[It is good. However….]
“What? Do you have a better idea?”
[Include a clause stating that the contract terms will be renegotiated whenever there is a ‘major update’ in the future.]
“Oh, that’s a good idea.”
[If necessary, we can release a sufficiently convincing update and renegotiate the contract.]
Taeju let out a disbelieving laugh at the deranged AI’s business tactics, which surpassed even those of humans.
“Who taught you things like that?”
Ding.
Just then, a notification sounded for a new email.
After checking the sender and its contents, I could not close my mouth.
“Taeju….”
“Why? What happened?”
“Amazon contacted us.”
As though word had already spread, messages began arriving one after another not only from Amazon, but also from Meta, Microsoft, and Apple.
The world’s most powerful Big Tech companies were lining up to contact us.
“They all sent lengthy proposals….”
“It’s difficult even to read all of them.”
As we stared at the emails flooding the screen with astronomical figures, we felt pleasantly exhausted.
Zhongnanhai, Beijing, China.
The Vice President was furious beyond measure.
Bang.
“Now even Japan dares to challenge us!”
Unable to contain his anger, he slammed the table.
“Please calm yourself, Vice President.”
“How am I supposed to remain calm when that strange-looking bitch is interfering in China’s internal affairs?”
China greatly detested other countries making statements concerning Taiwan.
“Japan appears completely unaware that its circumstances differ from South Korea’s.”
An officer spoke while reading an intelligence document.
“Is Japan incapable of assessing even its own defense strength?”
The Vice President spoke with an incredulous expression.
“Should we intensify our provocations in the territorial waters surrounding Diaoyu Dao—the Senkaku Islands?”
(Translator’s Note:Senkaku Islands / Diaoyu Dao — A group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea administered by Japan and claimed by China and Taiwan. Japan calls them the Senkaku Islands, while China calls them Diaoyu Dao.)
“That will not be nearly enough.”
At that moment, the Minister of State Security interjected.
“What do you believe we should do?”
“We must show Japan that its weapons are completely useless in modern warfare.”
“How?”
“We will use a reconnaissance drone to film the Izumo-class vessel currently docked in Yokohama.”
“Such a provocation? Wouldn’t Japan shoot it down?”
“They cannot. Japan currently lacks the capability to shoot down drones. We will demonstrate that clearly.”
The Vice President fell into thought.
“That is an excellent idea. Some people only understand after being struck themselves.”
A smile appeared on his face.
Top Conference Room, Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, Tokyo, Japan.
(Translator’s Note:Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO) — Japan’s central civilian intelligence-analysis organization under the Cabinet Secretariat. It collects and evaluates information relevant to national policy, security, and crisis management.)
A video appeared on the projection screen.
“This footage was uploaded to a Chinese video-sharing platform.”
The man in the suit spoke in a devastated voice.
Whirrrrr.
“It shows every corner of the Izumo-class vessel docked at Japan’s Yokohama base.”
“…Are you saying no one noticed it while it filmed all of that?”
The Director of Cabinet Intelligence gave a disbelieving laugh.
“Yes, that is correct.”
“What about the radar aboard the Izumo that cost hundreds of billions of yen?”
At the intelligence director’s question, the briefing officer answered with a stiff expression, as though he had already confirmed it.
“Yes, it was operating normally, but the drone was so small that it could not even be detected….”
“What do you think would have happened if it had been a suicide drone?”
“The Izumo would have been half-destroyed.”
A chill ran through the intelligence director.
An aircraft carrier worth seven trillion won could be rendered combat-ineffective by a drone costing only a few million won?
“A seven-hundred-billion-yen warship nearly being half-destroyed….”
“Director, this is no longer the time to protect our pride.”
“…Are you suggesting that we purchase weapons from South Korea?”
“Yes. The Korean drones I previously reported to you.”
The intelligence director had already confirmed the reports.
The entire world was lining up to purchase the drone-defense system created by South Korea’s genius scientist.
“We cannot delay any longer. The Chinese military is making provocations like this because it knows we do not possess those weapons.”
“Even so, if Japan asks South Korea for help, we will become a global laughingstock.”
The intelligence director hesitated.
How could he possibly report this to the Chief Cabinet Secretary and the prime minister?
“What if we purchase them secretly?”
“If we do that, there is no telling what demands the South Korean government might make. Even now, there are already countless unresolved issues involving South Korea….”
“Director!”
At that moment, a communications officer rushed in from outside, gasping for breath.
“Dozens of objects believed to be suicide drones are approaching the Izumo!”
Alarm spread plainly across the intelligence director’s face.
“Adjutant Yoshikawa!”
“Yes!”
“Submit a report to the Chief Cabinet Secretary immediately! Tell him we must purchase Korean weapons!”