We Do Business In Full Auto [EN]: Chapter 33

033

Turtle Ship (1)

83 Tower, located in Dalseo-gu, Daegu.

Construction began in 1984 to commemorate Daegu’s promotion to a direct-controlled city, but the project was halted due to the developer’s bankruptcy.

A new construction company took over and completed it in 1992, creating a themed park that opened in 1995.

The tower is called 83 Tower because its top reaches the equivalent of an 83rd floor.

While many taller buildings exist now, 83 Tower holds significant symbolic value.

However, up close, the exterior appeared stained, as cleaning the walls was challenging due to its location and height.

Access to 83 Tower was restricted during the exterior cleaning. The surrounding theme park remained open, but civilian access was limited because the windows needed to be opened for the cleaning process.

Whoosh.

The wind was quite strong when I opened the Sky Lounge window.

The sub-zero temperature brought a wind strong enough to make standing difficult.

Lee Seo-kyung was already there, waiting for me.

“President!”

“Director Lee, I feel like I’m seeing you almost every day. I might get attached.”

“Hehe. If you get *that* attached, I could work as a maid in your house.”

“I refuse.”

Even as a joke, that’s a bit scary.

Who knows what Lee Seo-kyung might do to my daughters? Why would I invite that kind of trouble?

After a few lighthearted jokes, we decided to start the cleaning immediately.

As expected, the Undead began cleaning with just a single rope.

Lee Seo-kyung watched, impressed.

“Wow, they’re incredibly skilled. It’s also thanks to your outstanding abilities, President.”

Lee Seo-kyung shook her head in admiration.

No matter how many times she witnessed it, it seemed amazing. The wind, no matter how strong, couldn’t compare to the L Tower [a fictional or well-known tall building in their world]. Standing there was incredibly difficult.

Here, standing was still manageable, making the cleaning easier than before.

I left four Undead behind and brought five here.

Now, I planned to travel around and deploy five Undead at a time. That way, I could clean six towers simultaneously.

I didn’t need to control them directly. Once the cleaning was finished, they would automatically return to the reserved accommodation, wait, and then resume work the next day.

That’s why I booked accommodation nearby, choosing a route unlikely to attract attention. There shouldn’t be any problems.

“Okay, I’ve deployed them here.”

“Are you going somewhere else?”

“I’m heading down to Busan and then to Daejeon.”

“You’re going all over the country.”

“I need to finish quickly.”

It was definitely easier with more Undead.

Lee Seo-kyung jingled coins in her hand.

“President, let’s have a cup of coffee. I have something important to tell you.”

“Shall we? I haven’t had coffee this morning.”

Without caffeine, I still felt a little groggy.

We headed straight to the lounge.

Looking down at Daegu from the Sky Lounge, the view was excellent.

Moreover, the weather was clear, providing long visibility.

I bought a milk coffee with the coins and drank it.

It was quite cold, so Lee Seo-kyung held the paper cup with both hands.

“You said you had something important to say?”

“Yes. President, do you know about the Yi Sun-sin Project?”

“Yi Sun-sin Project… Isn’t that a discontinued project?”

The Yi Sun-sin Project was a decades-long effort to salvage the Turtle Ship [Geobukseon], built 400 years ago by the famous Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin.

The project was first implemented in 1973, with the Ministry of Culture and Information directly in charge, conducting exploration for five years, but without success.

Later, the Navy discovered 25 artifacts, including four Seungja Chongtong cannons [a type of Joseon-era cannon], near Baekdo, Yeocheon, Jeollanam-do, but failed to locate the Turtle Ship.

Then, in 1998, Colonel Hwang, the head of the Chungmugong Naval Battle Relics Excavation Team, fabricated the discovery of Gihambyeolhwangja Chongtong [another type of cannon], causing a major scandal and leading to the project’s dismantling.

“It caused quite a stir at the time. I remember it because it was the year after the IMF crisis [the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, which severely impacted South Korea].”

“Although the project was dismantled, it has been reorganized this time. It’s a private project.”

“A private project…?”

“It means that H Group is in charge.”

“Oh! So, are you subcontracting to me!?”

“Yes. It will be a very big project. H Group can support all the necessary equipment, including salvage ships, but the exploration itself is the problem. The reason this project has failed for decades is the failure of the exploration.”

“So, the biggest problem is finding it first.”

“Yes. Secondly, it’s the salvage operation. Since it’s been so long, it’s important to salvage it without damaging it, even if there are remains.”

“But I have a question.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Has it really been 400 years? Will there be any remains left?”

“There are conflicting opinions among scholars about that… The prevailing view is that the original form remains.”

“What kind of wood did they use that it’s still there?”

“Even if the original form remains, it will be quite weak. That’s why H Group is also struggling.”

“This is like telling me to do everything myself… So, how much will you give me if I succeed in the exploration?”

“A down payment of 500 million won and a success bonus of 1 billion won.”

“1.5 billion won [approximately $1.15 million USD].”

That’s a lot of money.

They’re giving that money just for the exploration.

The corners of my lips slightly lifted.

The fact that they’re going to do the exploration means they’ve searched for candidate sites through historical research. If it’s not searching the entire Korean waters, I could release the spirits and explore sufficiently.

“If I find it, what about the salvage?”

“We’ll give you an additional salvage fee. However, your skills need to be involved here. They told me to ask if you can do it.”

“Who?”

“Chief Han.”

“Wow, that guy was serious.”

He definitely said he would push the project.

When I refused the investment, he immediately brought this huge project.

“Do you have the skills?”

“I have both exploration and salvage skills.”

“I asked just in case, but as expected!”

She clapped her hands.

“I knew you could do it, President!”

“But it’s a burden, isn’t it? The Yi Sun-sin Project. And salvaging the Turtle Ship… This has tremendous historical value.”

“Yes. That’s right. It has historical symbolism and military historical value. That’s why the government is so eager.”

“It sounds like they’re trying to shift public opinion?”

“Hehe. You’ve become an expert.”

Now, I know it just by looking.

Currently, South Korea is going through difficult times due to the aftermath of the international financial crisis. What would happen if the Yi Sun-sin Project succeeds at this time?

If you were to pick the greatest hero in the history of the Korean Peninsula, most people would not hesitate to name General Yi Sun-sin.

Of course, there were many other heroes, but how many figures have left such a tremendous achievement in history as the Saintly Hero?

As soon as it succeeds, national attention will be focused on it. Public opinion will be reversed in an instant.

“The president is using various methods to increase his approval rating.”

“If it succeeds, Ddak-ah’s reputation will also rise.”

“I don’t really need a reputation.”

I don’t want the Undead to be exposed to the media.

This is the limit I have. To overcome that, I need to reach at least the 5th Circle [referring to a level of magical ability or power].

“Anyway, are you going to do it?”

“I have to. First of all, I’m going to pocket that 1.5 billion won. If I do the salvage work, it’ll be enormous.”

“It’s a big project for an individual business owner. But it’s not easy. They’ve failed to explore even with advanced modern equipment.”

“I can do it.”

I was so sure.

If there is a Turtle Ship at the bottom of the sea, I can definitely find it. It is also possible to salvage it without breaking it.

The problem is if there is no Turtle Ship at all.

“But was the Turtle Ship really sunk?”

“Of course, there are claims that there was no sinking at all. But even this is the majority opinion of the academic world that it sank.”

“Then it’s worth a try.”

My body is burning up with excitement.

I wasn’t a patriot, but that didn’t mean I didn’t know the historical value of the Turtle Ship.

If I could find it, I wanted to find it. Apart from the money, the very fact that I could participate in such a thing would be an honor to my family.

I was about to experience patriotism that I didn’t even know I possessed.

It was evening when I came from Daegu to Busan and from Busan to Daejeon.

I figured I would have to stay in Daejeon tonight.

Lee Seo-kyung followed me to Daejeon. This was her job, but she was sticking with me to discuss the Turtle Ship in detail.

And before heading to the accommodation, I met the second-in-command of H Group.

“Hehehe! We meet again.”

“Aren’t you Chief Han?”

Chief Han Cheol-soo came in person.

I was actually a little surprised.

What on earth is Chief Han doing here?

“I received a report today. You have the technology to explore and salvage the Turtle Ship?”

“Exploration is definitely possible. However, salvage can only be assessed after seeing the condition of the Turtle Ship.”

“Oh, you have great technology. I’m curious about how you explore and salvage.”

“Please understand that it’s a company secret.”

“Hehe. I have to understand because it’s a secret.”

We arrived at the H Construction Daejeon branch.

I considered going to a cafe, but I had to be careful because it was still a confidential matter.

The Daejeon branch became busy when Chief Han Cheol-soo arrived.

“Oh, Chief, you’re here!”

The head of the Daejeon branch came down and bowed deeply, then straightened up.

That’s how important the group’s second-in-command is.

‘That’s power and authority.’

Looking at Lee Seo-kyung’s face, she seemed to be thinking roughly the same thing.

The branch manager gave up his office.

Han Cheol-soo sat in the seat of honor as if it were natural.

Somehow, Chief Han was in the seat of honor, I was on the left, Lee Seo-kyung was on the right, and the branch manager was standing awkwardly. He was even bringing coffee himself.

Han Cheol-soo unfolded a map.

Whirr!

It was a map of South Korea, specifically a detailed map of Gyeongsang-do [a province in southeastern Korea].

Chief Han Cheol-soo opened his mouth.

“Three Turtle Ships were built during the Japanese Invasion [Imjin War, 1592-1598]. After the Japanese Invasion, five ships were built, one each in Gyeongsangjwausuyeong, Jeollajwausuyeong, and Chungcheongsuyeong [naval districts], and increased to 30 ships by 1808.”

“More were built than I thought.”

“But it’s not even clear whether they sank, so scholars’ opinions are divided. Of course, it is true that they were defeated in the Battle of Chilcheollyang [a naval battle in 1597], so they only speculate that the Turtle Ship also sank at that time.”

It’s a more opaque possibility than I thought.

Still, it was fortunate that there was a planned exploration site through historical research.

The chief marked several places with circles with a pen.

“The planned exploration site is the retreat route during General Won Gyun’s Battle of Chilcheollyang. Starting from Chuwonpo, Gwangdo-myeon, Tongyeong-si, to Jangmunpo, Guyeong, and Gajo Island, Jangmok-myeon, Geoje-si [various locations in the Gyeongsang province]. There are a total of five planned exploration sites. If we fail here, it can increase to eight. The most promising place is Chuwonpo.”

“Is that accurate information?”

“Scholars have been researching for the past 400 years. Moreover, there are artifacts discovered by the Navy, so it should be quite accurate.”

A sense of patriotism flashed in the chief’s eyes.

Wouldn’t it be originally?

How many people live with patriotism in modern times? But when you do something like this, people tend to become more humble and reverent.

“Is it possible?”

“Leave it to me! I will definitely find and salvage the Turtle Ship.”

“Good. Then let’s draw up a contract right away.”

“Right now?”