As soon as I arrived in the U.S., I headed straight to SAVE Investment.
David and Team Leader Han were waiting for me, and we greeted each other with warm hugs like long-lost family members reunited.
"You all look great."
"I look great? After everything I went through with the U.S. election and then the trip to Russia? I've been to hell and back."
"You really went through a lot. But thanks to you, we received a fantastic gift."
One of the reasons the Su-47 fighter jet ended up coming to Korea was David.
Thanks to his unique ability to build rapport, he managed to win over high-ranking Russian officials, and as a result, we got something completely unexpected.
"A fantastic gift? Thank you for saying that. I was actually a bit worried when they said they were sending us a fighter jet that had just been sitting around at the airport. After all the money we poured in… sending us an abandoned jet? The Russians can be so stingy."
"They weren't stingy at all. If anything, they were almost too generous—it nearly caused trouble."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It's better you don't know all the details. So—what's the situation like in the U.S. these days?"
Talking about the Su-47 fighter jet wasn't something that should be widely known.
I naturally steered the conversation in a different direction, and David followed along without missing a beat.
"Politics are in a good place. The Bush administration got re-elected, and they're friendly toward us. So at least until the next election, I don't think there's anyone or any group that'll interfere with us."
"You're still maintaining a good relationship with Senator Obama, right?"
"We are. We've been giving him generous donations, and I personally attend charity events and fundraisers. But honestly, I don't really get why we're going to such lengths. He's not even a serious presidential contender."
"Oh, he is a serious contender."
David rubbed his ears vigorously, as if he'd misheard me.
Even Team Leader Han, who was listening nearby, couldn't hide his shock.
"Sir, Senator Obama is Black. There's never been a Black president in U.S. history."
"That's going to change. Sure, it's still four years away and anything could happen, but from what I see, Senator Obama has a high chance of becoming the next president."
"Well, if the boss says so, then that's how it's going to be. Got it! We'll pay even closer attention going forward!"
That's what I liked about David.
He never questioned my words—he just followed through, wholeheartedly loyal.
"Enough politics for now. Team Leader Han, how's the U.S. real estate market these days?"
"Looking at the indicators, there's definitely a crisis looming, but strangely, property prices keep going up. They've risen by about 15% this year alone."
"That's a sign the bubble is inflating even further. It'll probably keep rising for another year or two. So don't move too aggressively."
"I've been increasing our insurance coverage little by little each year. These days, when I visit banks or insurance companies, the branch managers greet me at the entrance like royalty. They must think they've found the perfect sucker."
Who doesn't love free money?
In the financial world, where money means everything, those who hand out cash are kings and masters.
Since the real estate bubble was something no one believed would ever burst, Team Leader Han was an incredibly valuable guest to them.
"Now that you've tossed out enough bait, try being a bit more aggressive with insurance sales starting next year."
"I've already set aside plenty of funds for insurance subscriptions."
"If you coordinate well with Dimon, there shouldn't be any major issues."
"But, sir, if the real estate bubble bursts within 2 to 3 years, wouldn't that seriously shake the Bush administration? They might suspect we deliberately caused the crisis."
Han was genuinely worried that we might become scapegoats for the real estate bubble.
If that happened, our business in the U.S. would suffer a massive blow.
Not just SAVE Investment, but the entire Taewoo Group as well.
"That's why we need to keep throwing bait diligently from now on. Han, prepare reports warning about the risks of the real estate bubble immediately."
"I already have mountains of reports prepared."
"Then David, use Han's reports to inform the Bush administration and other politicians. Warn them that the real estate bubble is dangerous."
"That's easy enough, but with the market booming like this, who would believe such warnings?"
"That's not the point—we want them not to believe. It's just a formality to cover ourselves legally."
The subprime mortgage crisis was an international economic disaster.
Because it was such a huge accident, we had to prepare double and triple safety measures to ensure security.
"So basically, we're just pretending to warn them?"
"Yes. There's no need to shout it from the rooftops. Just send reports regularly like spam mail to key ministries and politicians. Nothing more than that."
"I get it! We're just making sure it goes in one ear and out the other."
"Exactly! We create evidence that we warned about the real estate bubble years ago. Our insurance subscriptions from years ago are also proof."
David and Team Leader Han nodded simultaneously.
Still, Han's face showed lingering anxiety.
"No matter how much evidence we stack up, there will always be a scapegoat. There's a good chance it'll be us."
"That won't happen. If we don't act, Wall Street itself could collapse. Instead of being scapegoats, people will be begging us for help. So don't worry and keep moving forward."
Han's complexion finally brightened.
"I have an appointment with Musk tomorrow. But he's currently deep in product development, so he wants to meet in Texas."
"It takes about four hours by plane to Texas, right? That's doable. Tell him I'll go to Texas."
"Musk's factory is in a very remote part of Texas. I'll have a helicopter ready near the airport."
"A helicopter, huh? That must be pretty far out. Prepare it then."
That was the end of today's work.
I headed back to the hotel early to recover from the long flight.
I forced myself to sleep early because tomorrow meant more planes and helicopters.
***
We took a helicopter to the outskirts of Texas, landing near the coastline.
But that wasn't the end — we had to get in a car and drive quite a distance before finally arriving at Musk's factory.
"Thank you for making the long journey! I should have gone to New York to meet you, but it's an extremely busy time here. Please understand generously."
"The trip wasn't too difficult. I had always wanted to see the Texas coastline at least once. Thanks to you, Mr. Musk, I can check that off my bucket list."
"I appreciate that. Let's head inside and continue our conversation."
Following Musk, I entered the factory.
But the exterior and interior were nothing like what I had imagined.
It wasn't a grand building by any means — it really felt like Musk had just set up a factory as a company.
What surprised me even more was the surprisingly small number of people working inside.
"Is today a company holiday? The number of staff here seems smaller than expected."
"...It's not easy to find rocket engineers, so the staff is inevitably limited. We barely managed to hire two expert technicians by paying them two years' worth of salary upfront."
The harsh conditions were shocking.
Before I returned, I knew Musk as one of the world's richest men.
But now, he looked like a workaholic engineer, and the factory and staff didn't match his usual image as he devoted himself to rocket development.
"You've been working hard. But most of your employees seem quite young."
"We mainly hired fresh college graduates. But I personally interviewed and selected every single one."
"Have you considered extending the rocket development schedule? I heard you plan to launch your first rocket next year, which sounds like a huge challenge."
"Falcon 1 is destined to succeed. Every one of our employees treats this like a special forces mission — risking their lives for this project."
That kind of talk was typical for small companies.
In large corporations, every task is clearly divided, and you only focus on your own job.
But in small companies, one person often handles development, accounting, and sales all at once, and calling them "special forces" was just a nicer way of describing that.
In reality, it was more like doing every odd job.
Normally, such projects have a low chance of success, but since Musk lived on-site 24/7 and worked alongside his employees, things seemed to hold together for now.
"You're fully committed to the rocket business."
"If we succeed, this technology will revolutionize the world. Vice Chairman Kim, you recommended reusable rocket technology to me, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did."
"I once went to Russia to inquire about the cost of launching satellites. They were utterly extortionate. If I could cut the price in half, every satellite launch contract in the world would come to me! SpaceX was founded to make that possible!"
SpaceX
Right now, it was just a shabby factory where new recruits bickered and struggled.
But in 15 years, it would become a company valued at hundreds of trillions of won.
"Are research funds sufficient?"
"…Actually, they're far from enough. Even after pouring in most of the money from selling PayPal, there's still an endless need for cash."
"May I invest a bit more?"
"Really?! Many have offered investments, but none I could trust, so I've rejected them all. But if it's Vice Chairman Kim, I can trust you and accept your investment!"
So the funding shortage was truly severe.
Musk, who had become a billionaire from the PayPal sale, was now desperate for investment because the space industry was a money-hungry beast.
"I'll invest $1 billion a year for 10 years."
"That amount would really ease things up!"
"If you want, I can increase this year's investment to around $3 billion."
"Thank you. I'm willing to give up as much equity as needed."
How much can a person change?
Once confident and proud, Musk now seemed humbled.
That's why he was the one to bring up the equity offer first, expressing his gratitude.
"But since you're fully focused on the rocket business, the electric car development must be somewhat neglected."
"I'm trying my best to handle both, but some neglect is inevitable."
"Don't worry too much. Focus on the rocket business now. We'll bring in more experts on our side to push the electric car project forward."
"Thanks for your consideration. I will make sure the rocket project succeeds so your investment won't go to waste!"
Some might call him a braggart.
How could someone be so confident to succeed in the most cutting-edge rocket technology with only two expert technicians and a bunch of fresh graduates?
But I believed him.
Because I knew well how he would change the world.
TL/n -
Hope this mass release makes your New Year a little happier 😊
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