Chairman Jang Kyung-joon gulped down a bottle of mineral water.
His stomach churned bitterly as Taewoo Group finally succeeded in winning the KEPCO site bid.
The only consolation was that Taewoo Group had to spend a massive 6 trillion won to acquire the site.
"They spent 6 trillion won on real estate—Taewoo Group's stock price should drop a bit then."
"It wasn't 6 trillion. They won the bid at 4 trillion won."
"4 trillion? Are you sure you didn't mishear 6 trillion as 4 trillion?"
"No, sir. There are already multiple news articles reporting they secured the KEPCO site for 4 trillion won."
Chairman Jang couldn't believe it.
He hurriedly turned on his computer and searched for the articles. Sure enough, Taewoo Group had won the KEPCO site at 4 trillion won.
"…Mr. Park, what do you make of this? Why is there a difference of 2 trillion won from the bid amount they gave us?"
"I think they planned to use the 6.1705 trillion won figure if we hadn't withdrawn."
"They lowered their bid because we backed out? With Samsung Group in the running, do you
really think they could cut 2 trillion won off?"
"They must have a clear read on Samsung's nature. Samsung never makes irrational moves in
business. So they must be confident Samsung wouldn't bid more than twice the market price."
Chairman Jang rubbed his forearm, trying to calm the sudden chill running down his spine.
"So they prepared thoroughly to win with the smallest margin possible. You don't think this was luck or skill alone? It doesn't make sense unless they planted spies in every group."
"Our Hyundai Motor Group prioritized security above all in calculating our bid. To maintain
secrecy, our employees stayed in a hotel 24/7 without going home."
"Vice Chairman Kim Min-jae… he's a formidable man."
"I'll double-check whether there was any breach of security."
Holding the Taewoo Group's bid documents in his hands, Chairman Jang thought at least some compromise had been reached, so they could salvage something.
"There must not have been a security leak. It looks like Vice Chairman Kim Min-jae pulled some magic. We should avoid antagonizing Taewoo Group as much as possible."
"We are competitors in the finished car market, but so far, no major conflicts."
"Until we have the power to overwhelm Taewoo Group outright, don't provoke Vice Chairman Kim Min-jae."
"Understood."
Chairman Jang Kyung-joon had always believed he knew Vice Chairman Kim Min-jae better
than anyone else.
Their relationship stretched back to the turmoil within Hyundai Group, and they had grown
together by helping each other.
Because of that, despite being rivals, he even felt something close to camaraderie.
But the recent KEPCO site bid changed his perspective completely.
Kim Min-jae was no one to be underestimated.
Anyone who tried to take advantage of him would only end up being devoured themselves.
We won the KEPCO site bid!
I couldn't wait to share the good news with my grandfather, so I rushed straight into his office.
"Grandfather! The KEPCO site has gone to Taewoo Group!"
"I already heard the news. Well done. Very well done."
He opened his arms wide and embraced me.
It had been a long time since I felt the warmth of his embrace.
"And we managed to secure the site for only 4 trillion won."
"Ha, I thought you'd spend at least 6 trillion. How did you make Hyundai Group back down?"
"I didn't intervene at all. Chairman Jang Kyung-joon made the first offer. He said they'd
withdraw from the bid if we agreed to a partnership."
"So you gave up the capital in exchange for the KEPCO site."
"The partnership contract is only for three years, but the land will be ours forever."
The partnership was a three-year deal.
Just by joining hands with Hyundai Capital for those three years, we had won the golden land— no losing deal at all.
"That's right, land is forever. But were you sure Hyundai wouldn't bid over 4 trillion?"
"Hyundai is just like that. They never cross a bridge until they've knocked on it a hundred times."
"Ha, reminds me of what Chairman Jang Young-joo said once. Whenever Hyundai tried to enter a business, they said just follow along—Hyundai would have already checked every detail thoroughly."
Hyundai Group had genuinely participated in the bid.
But because minimizing risk was their corporate principle, they wouldn't spend more than double the market price.
"Thanks to Hyundai's caution, we were able to secure both KEPCO sites."
"Ha, you got both pieces of golden land with minimal investment!"
"Now, all that's left is to decide where to build the new headquarters. Grandfather, which site do you think is better?"
"Both are good. Decide based on which one gets permits and approvals faster."
"Then we'll designate both sites as planned headquarters and move forward."
"There's not much left of this year, but I hope you can break ground by next year."
"I will make sure of it!"
"You've never lied to me before, so I trust you. Who do you take after to be this handsome?"
Grandfather pulled me into a warm embrace again.
No matter how much I've grown up, in front of him, I'm still just his grandson.
After staying hugged for quite a while, I finally spoke again.
"To get permits for either the Charlotte Group site or the KEPCO site, we'll need to convince the Air Force."
"We'll have to persuade the Ministry of National Defense first, then coordinate with the Seoul city government. How do you expect this old man to handle that?"
"For now, I'll try meeting them first. If that doesn't work, I'll ask for your help."
"Never underestimate the military, especially since many of them have very stubborn, rigid
personalities. If you provoke them, they'll only dig in their heels."
Grandfather had protected Taewoo Group even during the military regime.
That's probably why he had a certain respect—and fear—for the military.
But to me, the military was just another organization to negotiate with, no different from any
other company.
Assemblyman Choi Jae-seok had not forgotten my request.
About a week after winning the KEPCO site bid, he arranged a meeting with the Air Force Chief of Staff.
Because it had to be a secret meeting once again, Captain Kang prepared a quiet mountain lodge in advance, and we invited General Lee Ho there.
"Thank you for making the long trip. I wanted to find a proper place but ended up hosting such an esteemed guest in this humble setting."
"Humble? What hardship is there? Soldiers sleep on mountains and eat by the roadside. This
lodge is practically a mansion in comparison."
General Lee Ho's first impression was that of a typical military man: a strong square jaw, deep-set eyes, a thick nose bridge, and the crisp, precise movements unique
to soldiers.
But I didn't just scan his face and gestures.
I dug into detailed information to find any weak points, but he had little connection to corruption and had simply devoted his life to the advancement of the Air Force.
People like him are even harder to deal with.
If someone were a bit more flexible, a little money would do the trick.
But with a man like this, you have to persuade him wholeheartedly.
"I won't keep you long, so I'll get straight to the point."
"I have a rough idea. It's about the high-rise building permit issue, isn't it?"
"That's right. I understand the Air Force and the Ministry of National Defense oppose the highrise buildings because of the runway at the Air Force base."
"The Republic of Korea is still a divided country where the war hasn't officially ended. National security must come first, so opposition is inevitable."
Can a person really be this rigid?
Chun Min-jung's AI seemed smoother by comparison.
"National security is important, but isn't the economy important too? A strong economy means more tax revenue to fund defense."
"I agree with that point, but I cannot accept the plan that Charlotte Group previously proposed."
"Of course, I came with a new proposal."
Before my return, Charlotte Group had tried building high-rise buildings.
Their approach wasn't so much negotiation with the Air Force as it was using the government to force submission.
"I understand relocating the Air Force base's runway costs over one trillion won."
"That's the minimum estimate—at least one trillion won."
"Taewoo Group will cover the entire relocation cost. Even if it costs more than two trillion won, we will fully support it."
"Changing the runway could create a security gap, so this isn't something money alone can
solve."
As expected, money alone wouldn't work with this opponent.
To deal with soldiers who place security above all else, I had to offer something other than
money.
"There is something I can do for the Air Force."
"Even if you donate billions, some things just can't be done."
"Not a donation—what if I gave you fighter jets?"
"...Did you just say fighter jets?"
Our military was obsessed with one thing:
The army with artillery, the navy with ships, and the air force with fighter jets.
As General Lee Ho said, since our country was still a divided nation at war, they constantly
sought stronger firepower.
Especially the Air Force, which tried every means to acquire new fighter jets.
That's why General Lee's expression changed when I mentioned fighter jets.
"I understand you're introducing the F-15K as part of the first FX project."
"Due to the IMF crisis, the plan was drastically cut down, and only 40 jets will be introduced."
"I understand the entire FX project was scaled back compared to the original plan."
"That was unavoidable because of the IMF aftermath."
The FX project was a fighter jet procurement program.
The Air Force's current fleet was outdated, so they urgently needed new jets.
They planned to introduce the F-15K through the FX project, but due to the IMF crisis, the
number was cut down.
It wasn't only the number of jets that was reduced.
From the Korean fighter development program to equipment development projects, many budgets were slashed.
They had no choice but to settle for acquiring just 40 jets.
"I can personally secure fighter jets for the Air Force."
"...Do you realize how dangerous that statement is?"
"That doesn't mean I intend to use illegal methods. I'm talking about officially procuring them with approval from both countries involved."
"That's hard to believe. What kind of jets, and how many, are you talking about?"
Despite his skepticism, General Lee Ho was listening intently.
His reaction was noticeably different from when I had mentioned trillions of won.
"You brought in the American F-15K, so shouldn't we also have Russian Sukhois?"
"Are you seriously saying you can officially procure Russian Sukhois?"
"Not many, but I can secure some. Why do you ask?"
"Of course I'm interested. If we could bring Sukhois into the Air Force, it would have several
advantages!"
General Lee's eyes lit up.
It wasn't a toy fighter jet — it was the real deal, so such a reaction was only natural.