Chapter 50: The High Schooler in Uniform Who Beat the Agency for Defense Development’s Greatest Genius
Off the coast of Taean, South Chungcheong Province.
A sailor was hauling in the net with a baffled look on his face.
“What the hell did we catch?”
It was a strange object that had absolutely nothing to do with fish.
“Captain!”
“What is it? What happened?”
“Take a look at this. We caught something strange.”
“What the hell is this?”
“Never seen anything like it in my life.”
The other sailors gathered around and examined the strange object.
“What are you making such a fuss about? Isn’t it just garbage?”
The captain checked it without much concern, but even the veteran soon looked flustered.
“Isn’t this some kind of missile?”
“Captain, it says ‘Agency for Defense Development’ on the surface.”
Guided Weapons Systems Development Lab, Agency for Defense Development, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
“That is absolutely impossible. There has never been a precedent for a problem with the combustion chamber.”
Chief Researcher Choi Yunyeol spoke with a frustrated expression.
He had been an elite who began preparing for entrance examinations at the age of seven and ultimately earned both his master’s and doctorate degrees from Seoul National University—the elite of elites.
“Could there have been a problem with the thrust-vector-control actuator?”
When a Senior Researcher suggested another possibility,
“I still think it may have been a problem with the combustion chamber....”
The Principal Researcher spoke with an uncertain expression. Even he was not confident in his opinion.
“No, it absolutely wasn’t the combustion chamber. A problem with the initial igniter would make far more sense.”
When Choi Yunyeol refuted them with complete confidence, the other researchers could not argue back.
He was an elite genius, after all.
“What’s going on?”
At that moment, Director Kang Chiwoo entered holding coffee in a paper cup.
“It’s about the L-SAM 2 long-range surface-to-air guided-weapon launch test.”
(Translator’s Note:L-SAM 2 — A South Korean high-altitude interceptor project intended to extend the engagement altitude of the original Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile system and reinforce the Korea Air and Missile Defense network. Its domestic system-development plan was approved in 2024)
“What about it?”
“It failed to reach the target properly. It deviated from its trajectory in midair.”
“Ah, I see.”
The Director immediately understood the situation.
“It must be difficult to analyze. By now, it’s probably sitting at the bottom of the deep sea.”
There were two kinds of weapons tests.
Some involved mobile weapons such as tanks or armored vehicles that could be disassembled and examined again after testing.
Others exploded and vanished without a trace after the test. Guided missiles belonged to the latter category.
“In any case, it absolutely wasn’t a problem with the combustion chamber. That part has never failed before.”
Choi Yunyeol complained in frustration.
“Did you analyze the telemetry data?”
(Translator’s Note:Telemetry data — Measurements collected from a missile, spacecraft, vehicle, or other remote system and transmitted to a monitoring station during operation. In missile testing, telemetry commonly records trajectory, pressure, temperature, acceleration, guidance status, and propulsion performance.)
“Yes. But everyone can only form hypotheses. We don’t know the exact cause.”
“Give it to me.”
The Director set down his coffee and began reviewing the test data.
“It really is difficult to reach a conclusion.”
“We’ll just have to test it again. I’ve lost count of how many tests this makes.”
There was nothing they could do about the slow progress.
These enormous trials, errors, and sunk costs were precisely why domestically developing defense weapons was so difficult.
At that moment, one particular person flashed through the Director’s mind.
“No. Wait a minute.”
“Yes?”
“There’s someone who could solve this at a glance. I’ll ask him to come over.”
“What? What are you talking about? You know better than anyone that an outsider cannot participate in a Class One classified project.”
Chief Researcher Choi Yunyeol stared at him in disbelief.
“Hey, I’m the Director! If I say we disclose it, we disclose it. Why do you have so much to say?”
Development Lab No. 2 at Science Facility’s Factory No. 2.
“H-02P has been designated a strategic weapon.”
At my sigh, Taeju asked with concern,
“Isn’t that a good thing? Doesn’t it mean the performance is insane?”
“No. It means showing it around would now violate the National Security Act. Like a nuclear missile.”
“That’s unfortunate, but it’s also a little chilling that the weapon you made is considered equivalent to a nuclear missile.”
“Haa.... This is bad. I have a lot of field testing left to do.”
I especially needed actual combat data, but now I could not obtain it.
“Maybe I should do it secretly.”
“What? You just said it would violate the National Security Act.”
“It doesn’t matter if no one catches me.”
Bzzzt.
At that moment, Secretary Seo Dojin called.
“Yes, this is Ryu Hyesung.”
—CEO Ryu, would you happen to have a day free?
He earnestly asked me to attend a development meeting for a new guided-missile system at the Agency for Defense Development.
Guided Weapons Systems Development Lab, Agency for Defense Development, Daejeon.
“Am I really allowed to attend this development meeting?”
“Don’t worry. The Minister of National Defense and even the President have already approved it.”
The place I arrived at immediately after finishing high school classes was none other than a Republic of Korea Grade-A classified national facility.
“Is this the ‘knowledgeable person’ you mentioned, Director?”
Chief Researcher Choi Yunyeol spoke in disbelief.
“Director, isn’t this kid a high school student? He’s wearing a school uniform.”
The Senior Researcher also looked unable to accept the situation.
“Ah, let me introduce him. This young man is....”
Director Kang Chiwoo hesitated.
Explaining in detail would violate the National Security Act.
“He’s rather intelligent.”
“What? You postponed the development meeting to bring in someone who is merely ‘rather intelligent’?”
“What kind of introduction is that, Director?”
Even the Principal Researcher now joined in, sounding dumbfounded.
“I know it’s startling. I reacted exactly the same way when I first met him.”
“I thought you were bringing in some MIT professor.”
Chief Researcher Choi Yunyeol removed his glasses and pressed hard against his eyes.
He found it absurd that some random high school student was sitting there instead of someone more impressive than himself, who was known as the greatest genius at the Agency for Defense Development.
“I thought he would at least have a doctorate from KAIST.”
“All right, enough nonsense. Hyesung, could you look over the data?”
“First, could someone please explain the situation?”
They were trying to move ahead without even asking my opinion, so I first made them explain what was going on.
The problem was that a new projectile being developed to domestically produce an air-defense network had deviated from its trajectory during testing and disappeared into the sea.
As a result, they did not know the exact cause of the failure.
“You want to analyze the failure, but the propulsion unit disappeared?”
It was something that inevitably happened while developing new weapons.
The wreckage was probably resting somewhere beneath the West Sea.
“Could I see the telemetry test data?”
When I requested the classified documents, Choi Yunyeol paused and looked at the Director.
“It’s fine. Give him everything.”
With a reluctant expression, he handed me the results.
“Hmm.... Do you also have internal-pressure test data for the igniter and solid propellant?”
“Just give him everything you have.”
Thud.
A mountain of hard-copy data and folders was placed on the desk.
For a while, I examined the data with a hawk’s eyes.
“If only we could find the sunken projectile, we wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble.”
The Director leaned deeply against the back of his chair, sounding sick of the situation.
“Ah, I see.”
“Already?”
The Director flinched in surprise and immediately sat upright.
“Pfft. What do you think you know? This isn’t a joke.”
Choi Yunyeol let out an incredulous laugh.
“You know the propulsion system responsible for the guided missile’s thrust?”
“Yes.”
“There was a problem during combustion. It probably failed to withstand the pressure and developed a small crack or a hole inside.”
When I gave my answer based on the pressure-drop data pattern, Chief Researcher Choi Yunyeol snorted.
“That is absolutely impossible. I told you, there has never been a precedent for a combustion-chamber problem. It was perfect from the design stage onward. Not once has it ever failed there.”
He waved his hand and denied it vehemently.
“Come on, everyone. That’s enough.”
The Director waved his hand and brought the situation under control.
“For now, assume there was a problem during combustion and prepare the simulation for the next test.”
“Director! I’m telling you, it absolutely wasn’t that part.”
Their emotions grew increasingly heated, and because the projectile was missing, it was difficult to determine who was right.
A few days later.
“Director!”
The Senior Researcher came running over, panting heavily from how urgently he had rushed there.
“What is it? What happened?”
“They found the projectile.”
“What? Which projectile?”
The laboratory was testing more than one or two of them.
“The L-SAM 2 guided missile!”
“What? The L-SAM 2?”
“Yes. They found it!”
The Director sprang to his feet in surprise.
“How did they find it?”
“A fishing boat pulled it up in its net off the coast of South Chungcheong Province.”
At his words, every researcher present immediately pricked up their ears.
“They found the projectile.”
“This is going to be huge.”
“Wow. I wonder who was right.”
The researchers began growing excited.
They would finally discover whether the combustion chamber, which had never once failed since its design, had truly been the problem.
It was a contest between Choi Yunyeol, known as the Agency for Defense Development’s greatest genius, and some high school student wearing a school uniform.
“All right. Let’s open it up!”
Choi Yunyeol rose solemnly.
“Let’s see whether there really was a problem with the combustion chamber, Director.”
He appeared deeply resentful that the experiment had proceeded according to the opinion of some uniformed student rather than his own.
“Haa.... Fine. Let’s open it.”
<Propulsion System Disassembly and Analysis Lab, Agency for Defense Development>
The seawater-soaked projectile rested on a massive precision-disassembly surface plate.
It looked like a critically ill patient awaiting surgery.
“Da-ra-ra-ra-dan, kung-jjak-jjak, kung-jjak-jjak.”
Researcher Choi Yunyeol made dramatic sounds with his mouth like Agui from the film Tazza as he dismantled the projectile’s outer casing and examined the inside.
(Translator’s Note:Tazza — A 2006 South Korean gambling crime film directed by Choi Dong-hoon, adapted from the manhwa by Huh Young-man and Kim Se-yeong. Agui, played by Kim Yoon-seok, is a feared gambler whose dialogue and mannerisms became widely quoted in Korean popular culture.)
The result left everyone stunned.
“Holy shit.... There really is a hole in the combustion chamber.”
“Damn, that student was right!”
The researchers erupted.
“No. This can’t be....”
The Chief Researcher stared blankly in disbelief.
“There had never been a precedent....”
The Director placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Well, now there is.”
He pointed at the missile and grinned.
“What are you going to do about it? Should I bring you a sledgehammer?”
The Director jokingly responded with one of Tazza’s famous lines.
“N-no.”
He spoke with a bewildered expression, sweating profusely.
“How does it feel now that the thing you insisted on turned out not to be true?”
“....”
Researcher Choi could not say anything.
“Now that you understand, stop being so stubborn and review the data with a little more flexibility, you bastard.”
The Director grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly.
“Yes.... Understood.”
That day, a legendary story was born within the Agency for Defense Development’s L-SAM 2 development team.
The legend of a “mad being in a school uniform” who existed somewhere and had effortlessly crushed the Agency for Defense Development’s greatest genius.
Break room at the Agency for Defense Development.
“Director!”
Chief Researcher Choi Yunyeol urgently called out to the Director, who was stirring his coffee.
“What is it?”
“Please bring that young man here just one more time.”
“What? Why?”
“If he can solve the final obstacle in our new hypersonic cruise-missile project, domestic development will be complete immediately.”
The L-SAM 2 had already been successfully domestically developed thanks to Ryu Hyesung carrying the entire project, and Choi had moved on to the next assignment.
“...No.”
“What? Why not?”
“I know how you feel, but... that young man is extremely busy.”
“Director, how busy could a student possibly be? We need him here immediately!”
“I said no. He isn’t busy on the level of an ordinary student!”
Afterward, Researcher Choi spent a long time pestering the Director to bring Ryu Hyesung back immediately.