Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 160

160. 46th. Leveling Up part.2 (4)

The morning after finishing the future strategy consulting for Haedong Motors.

While having breakfast, I showed Jang Hayeon the designs I had shown Geum Seok-ho and the factory manager yesterday because of the incident.

“What do you think?”

Jang Hayeon burst into laughter as she looked at my drawing.

“Pfft! Puhuhut!”

Seeing Jang Hayeon laughing so heartily, it seemed my plan to give her a gift of laughter was a success. She laughed so much that she wiped the tears from her eyes and handed back the sketchbook.

“Even middle schoolers would draw better than you, you know.”

“I put a lot of effort into drawing it too. You know I can’t draw, right?”

As I pouted and replied to Jang Hayeon, I silently shouted inwardly.

‘Who do you think gave me a phobia of drawing!’

It’s a cowardly excuse, but the drawing phobia I suffer from is all because of that fox-like wife of mine. When I was young, with a loving heart, I diligently drew her portrait, and she cried, ‘Is that what I look like?’ while hitting me on the back.

Perhaps now aware of my gaze fixed on her, Jang Hayeon composed herself and lowered her eyes.

“…I’m sorry, honey.”

“Are you really sorry?”

As I narrowed my eyes and asked, Jang Hayeon nodded vigorously. Having laid the groundwork sufficiently, I brought up my request.

“If you’re sorry, teach me how to draw.”

“Huh?”

Looking at Jang Hayeon blinking, I sighed.

“How embarrassing would it be for your husband to draw like an elementary school student? At least I should be at the level of a middle or high school student.”

What I’m shamelessly saying now is a complete lie.

‘What’s the point of having a box full of car designs in my head!’

Because of my damn awful drawing skills, I can’t fully utilize those designs, and it’s driving me crazy. I may be lacking compared to professional designers, but if I improve my skills, I plan to transfer the designs in my head onto paper with my own hands.

Jang Hayeon looked at me and readily nodded.

“Okay. After work, I’ll teach you for an hour or two each day. When should we start?”

“I might have to go to Daejeon or Changwon until tomorrow if I meet Uncle today, so how about starting next Monday?”

Seeing that Jang Hayeon hasn’t been drinking alcohol, coffee, green tea, or even black tea lately, it seems like she wants to have a child soon. I also want to have a child who resembles us as soon as possible, but work is work, so I had no choice but to ask cautiously.

After pondering for a moment, Jang Hayeon opened her mouth.

“…Okay. But in return.”

Jang Hayeon, who had paused for a moment, smiled and said to me.

“You have to make up for the missed time when you come back, okay?”

How could I refuse? It’s about making sons and daughters who resemble us, so I’ll do it a hundred, a thousand times.

***

After such a fiery exchange, we burned brightly for an hour from 6:30 AM before heading to our respective workplaces. After parking the car in the underground parking lot of the Haedong Group’s main building, I headed straight to Lee Myung-jin’s office.

“Vice Chairman, Director Lee Sung-min has arrived.”

[Tell him to come in.]

The male secretary, who reported through the intercom, got up from his seat after hearing Lee Myung-jin’s reply.

“I’ll open the door for you, Director.”

Even if it’s not the usual executives and employees, showing courtesy to me, who is still young, must be because I’m from the owner’s family. I smiled and waved my hand.

“No, it’s okay. Even though I’m the Vice Chairman’s nephew, strictly speaking, I’m an external consultant. You don’t have to be so polite in the future, haha.”

As I smiled at the secretary who didn’t know what to do, I opened the door and entered the office.

“Hello, Vice Chairman.”

Lee Myung-jin, who had risen from his chair in front of the desk, approached and greeted me.

“Welcome, Director Lee. I heard about it from Chairman Geum yesterday. He said that if his older brother, who passed away, were here, he would have been really happy, haha. Shall we have a cup of tea first?”

“Thank you, haha.”

Lee Myung-jin, who stopped beside me, patted my shoulder and pointed to the sofa with his other hand. I sat on the sofa with Lee Myung-jin and drank the tea that the secretary brought.

“I received a call from Chairman Geum, and he praised Director Lee highly. He said he felt like he was seeing himself when he was young.”

“It’s not true, Vice Chairman. I’m worried because the burden that the Chairman and the headquarters have placed on me is too heavy.”

Lee Myung-jin looked at me with narrowed eyes as I laughed casually.

“Don’t be so modest, Director Lee. With your skills, you’ll be able to do it, so what are you talking about? Hehe.”

Looking at Lee Myung-jin with a mischievous smile on his lips, I waved my hand.

“I’m afraid I’ll be kicked out of both the family and the company if Haedong Motors goes bankrupt. There’s nothing more terrible than ruining a company with the Haedong name, right? Hehe.”

Lee Myung-jin chuckled at my exaggerated pretense.

“Don’t worry, Director Lee. The consulting content that you told Chairman Geum is quite appealing to me and Haedong Heavy Industries.”

It was natural for Lee Myung-jin to show interest. Even though he majored in architecture, Lee Myung-jin had a great interest in engineering, and he still invites technicians in the fields of electrical, electronics, machinery, and metal to study.

Furthermore.

Haedong Heavy Industries is a comprehensive heavy industry company that conducts a wide range of businesses related to electrical-electronics and machinery, and it expanded its business to shipbuilding by absorbing Daedong Shipbuilding during the Hanko Group acquisition battle.

Above all, there were considerable ‘secret projects’ that I, as Shinseong’s dog in my past life, only learned about after acquiring Haedong Heavy Industries.

‘I don’t know what happened behind the financial real-name system [a South Korean law requiring financial transactions to be conducted under real names]. They protected the family’s money, so everyone must have made some progress…’

All of those projects were related to environmental issues and trade disputes that would erupt 20 years later. With a mixture of anticipation and worry, I asked Lee Myung-jin.

“I talked about Haedong Steel in Dangjin last time, so can I start with Haedong Heavy Industries today?”

“Before that, I have something to ask, Director Lee. Is that okay?”

“Please, Vice Chairman.”

Lee Myung-jin asked me, who yielded the order with a smile.

“What do you think about making steel using hydrogen instead of coal in the steel mill?”

I doubted my ears at Lee Myung-jin’s cautious question.

“Are you talking about the hydrogen reduction steelmaking process?”

Lee Myung-jin nodded in response to my question, just in case. This can’t be happening.

Lee Myung-jin smiled awkwardly as he saw me with my mouth slightly open.

“If we melt iron ore with the hydrogen reduction steelmaking process, we will emit water instead of carbon dioxide, unlike when using coal. Purifying pollutants mixed in water is easier than purifying exhaust gas, so I think the environmental pollution problem will be less… What do you think?”

‘I knew it since they were building a closed-type steel mill… Our uncle is also very interested in the environment, hehe.’

I was going to suggest it when I visited Dangjin, but since he laid the groundwork first, there’s no reason to refuse. I pretended to ponder for a moment and then replied to Lee Myung-jin.

“We should prepare for the future, even if it’s not right now. So, what are you planning to do with the steel mill you’re building in Dangjin?”

“We’ll only build three coke-using blast furnaces. We plan to install exhaust gas reduction devices, including carbon dioxide capture devices, as soon as Haedong Heavy Industries develops them starting this year. The ultimate goal is to reduce emissions to below 10 percent.”

A new determination that I had never seen before was revealed in Lee Myung-jin’s goal. If the determination that Lee Myung-jin had shown before was a solidity for maintaining the status quo, the determination he showed now was a firm will for expansion.

“If that happens, the criticism from environmental groups will decrease, and if we do well, we can supply those devices to coal-fired power plants as well. What do you think?”

There was no need to argue for or against it. Lee Myung-jin’s and Haedong Heavy Industries’ obsession with technology was as firm as that of the Japanese automobile company Honda, and they could flexibly respond to the upcoming coal phase-out issue.

‘Still, I can’t just go along with it since I’m the group strategy consultant.’

Since I was in a position to exchange opinions on the group’s business before being family, I added my own future-oriented MSG [a Korean expression meaning ‘a little something extra’ or ‘seasoning’] to Lee Myung-jin.

“If possible, it would be good to create an underwater plant that injects carbon dioxide from the steel mill into the seabed rock layer. In addition to that, after purifying only carbon dioxide from the exhaust gas…”

When I offered opinions on technologies such as making fertilizer for plants or making other chemical substances, a smile spread across Lee Myung-jin’s face.

“You’re really something, Director Lee. Now that I see it, you should have been my junior, not the junior of my older brother who passed away when you were a college student, haha.”

“Ahahahaha…”

‘I’ll gratefully accept your heart, Uncle. I’m already overwhelmed with what I’m doing now.’

Unlike Lee Myung-jin, who was laughing heartily, I only smiled awkwardly.

***

After briefly digressing and talking about Haedong Heavy Industries, I asked the most important thing after talking about the eco-friendly steel mill project that Haedong Steel and Haedong Heavy Industries would jointly promote.

“Vice Chairman, do you have any plans to further expand the power generation equipment business?”

“Huh?”

Lee Myung-jin’s eyes wavered for a moment. Unlike my calm expression, I was secretly snickering inwardly.

‘Look at that guy, trying to play dumb?’

Eyes can never lie, but I needed to find out if one of the ‘secret projects’ I knew was certain.

“Haedong Heavy Industries is also making combustion equipment for power generation, right? I thought it would be good to make ‘other equipment’ as well.”

“Other equipment? What are you talking about?”

Lee Myung-jin’s attempt to feign ignorance in response to my questioning was in vain. With a triumphant smile in my heart, I pinpointed that other equipment with my own mouth.

“Power generation gas turbines. Isn’t it the crowning glory to make even this?”

When the term power generation gas turbine came out, Lee Myung-jin looked at me with a blank expression and then chuckled.

“Our nephew, are you quick-witted, or do you have quick access to information?”

“Please consider me the eldest nephew who understands Uncle the best, hehe.”

Lee Myung-jin took a light breath as he looked at me with a sly smile.

“Good! Since our nephew understands this uncle’s intentions so well, I should give you a gift.”

Lee Myung-jin, who slammed down on both armrests and got up, opened the bookcase like a door and opened the door of the safe that was revealed behind it. Lee Myung-jin took out a document envelope from inside and returned to his seat and handed the envelope to me.

“Read it and talk about it, Director Lee.”

“Yes, Vice Chairman.”

I respectfully received the envelope with both hands and took out the documents inside. The cover of the document I saw had the title ‘Nickel-Based Single Crystal Superalloy Forming Technology’ written on it.

‘I knew it!’

I quickly turned the cover and examined the document, cheering inwardly.

Nickel-based single crystal superalloy forming is a casting and forging technology that melts more than nine metals, including nickel, to create an alloy that does not change shape even at temperatures above 1,400 degrees Celsius. This document showed that Haedong Heavy Industries had succeeded in developing that extreme technology last fall.

After looking through the document, I smiled at the phrase written at the very end.

[…By securing superalloy forming technology, the possibility of localizing core parts of power generation gas turbines such as turbine blades and vanes will increase. In the future, we will analyze the technologies of overseas companies such as General Electric, Ansaldo, Siemens, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Hitachi…]

‘I don’t need to see any more. I saved one of the secret projects with this.’

One of the secret projects that I, as Shinseong’s dog, only learned about after completing the acquisition of Haedong Heavy Industries in my past life was this ‘nickel superalloy forming technology’. Furthermore, Lee Myung-jin and Haedong Heavy Industries’ ultimate goal was to develop a power generation gas turbine, which is called the ‘flower of mechanical engineering,’ based on this technology.

‘In my past life, the project was ruined because I lost money due to the financial real-name system, but this time, I’m going to make a gas turbine, no matter what!’

I closed the document and returned it to Lee Myung-jin, vowing inwardly to complete one of our family’s long-cherished projects that I couldn’t achieve in my past life.

“What do you think, Director Lee?”

“I didn’t know that Haedong Heavy Industries had developed this technology. How did you secure it, Vice Chairman?”

This part was the most questionable to me. Technology is not something that is thrown from the sky, so how did they develop a technology that only a handful of countries possess…?.

Lee Myung-jin smiled as he saw me unable to hide my curiosity.

“Was it around the end of the Cold War? I went on a business trip to Russia at that time. I met with researchers and engineers there at the time…”

Lee Myung-jin started by becoming drinking buddies with those engineers with vodka, then bribed them to start developing the technology, and even told me that he used the slush fund he received from his grandfather during the Gangnam Terminal development as research funds.

‘He used that money for research funds…’

I was dumbfounded after hearing the whole story.

To create a slush fund of hundreds of billions of won, you have to circulate several times that amount of money. To think that he poured all of the slush fund, which had more value than its face value, into research and development… He thought of money as a means, just like me, but an old man like our uncle would be one of the best in the business world.

“Our Director Lee, you must be very surprised?”

“Yes. To be honest, I was a little, no, very surprised. Vice Chairman.”

I replied to Lee Myung-jin’s question with an awkward smile. I was surprised by Lee Myung-jin’s determination not to spare money on technology rather than developing the technology.

Showing a dazed look for a moment is enough. Now that a solid leading technology has been secured, I couldn’t stay still as a consultant.

“Can I give you what I prepared?”

“Of course. Haha.”

Lee Myung-jin, who was laughing heartily, received the documents that I took out of my bag and handed over respectfully.

“Hmm…”

Lee Myung-jin’s eyes widened as he looked through the consulting documents I handed him. Lee Myung-jin, who was examining the documents with narrowed eyes, gradually slowed down the speed at which he turned the pages.

“Director Lee?”

Lee Myung-jin, who took his eyes off the documents, called me with a surprised expression.

Now it’s my turn, Uncle.

***

I knew very well why Lee Myung-jin was surprised to see my documents, so I kindly explained it to him.

“I think the order will be to secretly contact the overseas companies and university-affiliated research institutes listed there. Once we have secured a certain level of basic technology, we should request the government to select it as a national project because we will pay all the development costs.”

What we need is not money, but national credibility arising from the selection of national projects. Isn’t Haedong Heavy Industries a company that has never made a power generation gas turbine?

When the explanation was over, Lee Myung-jin let out a hollow laugh as he looked at me.

“If other groups knew, they would call us crazy. Those guys are asking for national project selection to save research funds, haha.”

As Lee Myung-jin said, ordinary chaebols cling to the selection of national projects to save their own money, but we were promoting the selection of national projects not because we were short of money, but to gain trust.

I chuckled and said after hearing Lee Myung-jin’s answer.

“Let them call us crazy. How can they touch us when we say we’re going to do research with our own money? The government will also like it because it will be an opportunity to show off without spending money, haha.”

“That’s right. If we have all the basic technology and do research and development, who would say anything? Hehe.”

Lee Myung-jin, who was laughing heartily, got up from the sofa.

“Now that we’re on the subject, I should go to Daejeon.”

“If it’s Daejeon… Are you going to the research institute, Vice Chairman?”

Lee Myung-jin nodded at my cautious question.

“Thanks to Director Lee, gas turbine development has become easier, so I have to go and tell the researchers quickly. I also have something to show you. Would you like to go with me?”

‘I’m looking forward to it?’

My lips curled up at Lee Myung-jin’s suggestion with a smile on his face. If he had something to show me besides the gas turbine, I was excited because it seemed like it would be the rest of the ‘secret project’ that I knew.