This Is How I Became a Chaebol

046 : Repair Base

“Why are you so lazy?”

“The patent clause in the contract.”

“Why is there a patent clause?”

I thought there would be a patent issue.

“The headquarters asked me to delegate the right to negotiate patents. Looks like they’re trying to scrape royalties from worldwide port construction. It looks like the money will be bigger than I thought, but it’s really a joint patent between me and CS, right?”

“Of course. You signed the contract. Whether it’s a patent or whatever, silver is yours to keep.”

The principal inventor in the patent clause is Silver, and I have contracted to be listed as a co-inventor.

“Yes, it was. right.”

When he readily answered, Silver flinched.

Not because I’m a gentleman, but because it’s far more profitable.

Unlike the Polytec patent, the caisson method is a method that architects can easily follow.

A leading construction company giving royalties to a Korean like me for a construction method that can be copied at a glance?

It may be possible in the 21st century, but it is impossible in the 60s.

It is also impossible to collect royalties.

Giant construction companies could sue me for invalidating my patent, or go a step further, claiming that their company has an original technology that surpasses my patent, and take away my patent right.

Patents must be strong to protect them, and royalties must be strong to be torn off.

It’s no wonder that Disney has been collecting royalties with the same characters for over 80 years.

In other countries, the copyright would have already expired, but the United States continues to collect copyright laws by changing them.

So even if you can’t eat 100% of it, if BR takes the lead and collects royalties, it’s realistically the best way for me to take part of the royalties as well.

This is because it is a general precedent that US companies only have licenses for employees’ job inventions and must compensate the inventors in proportion to royalties.

Moreover, as a co-inventor, I will have a license for the caisson construction method, which will give me an advantage in winning international port construction orders in the future.

Of course, even in the short term, BR will make a deal with me, so I just have to ask for a good amount of money.

“Isn’t that the only news?”

“how did you know?”

“Tell me now. That’s a good thing.”

“Yeah, I think I’m getting promoted. As a master.”

A natural result.

Isn’t the caisson method an item that will give BR company royalties for 20 years? I’ll promote Silver to Master and tie him down with some kind of contract.

It is like giving them carrots and putting them in shackles so that they cannot go on their own or go to other companies.

Of course, Silver, you’re snoring me too.

As a master-level engineer at BR, shouldn’t I use my brain to produce results?

Silver, know. My hair usage is very expensive.

“Congratulations, Silver. Next year, I will be enjoying cocktails in Hawaii.”

“Thank you, Master. All of this is thanks to Master.”

“yes.”

Yeah, I wanted to know when to call you Master.

‘I’m not stupid, it’s much faster than I thought.’

Coke was exceptionally delicious.

If you did that to Silver, it will bite me too.

They will ask you to entrust the right to negotiate patents, so you just have to ask for the price.

Telex will be flying soon.

***

a few days later,

Ranch near Houston, USA.

At a table in a larger ranch, two men were enjoying whiskey and cigars.

“Look, Van Flint. Not a girl, what kind of jackcock do you drink? Straight bourbon is the best.”

In the 1960s, middle-aged Americans considered Jackcock and Marlboro cigarettes as women’s favorites.

“Brown, the world has changed. Jackcock is a cocktail that never fails. It is like a symbol of America.”

Van Flint and BR (Brown & Root) chairman George G. Brown were close friends.

In the military-industrial complex called BR, which almost monopolizes the procurement of US military supplies and various construction businesses, a war hero like Van Flint was like a billboard that raised the brand value.

“Heh, did you like hearing that the young Korean did it?”

“Isn’t a life without failure a dream of all of us? Rather, take out the business first. I’m sure he didn’t invite you to drink Jack Coke with me.”

“Didn’t the guy you were talking about say CS Woo? I came across that name too.”

President Brown puffed out a cigar and put on an unusual expression.

It looked like he was going to die of fun.

At that age, discovering something interesting would get you hooked as much as making money.

“what brings you here? He must be working hard building a port in Vietnam.”

“Pretending not to know. He said he had a great patent on a caisson construction method or something. With a clumsy guy named Silverstein at the fore.”

“okay? Dude, you’re using your brain quite a bit.”

“It wasn’t just that I used my brain, I made a deal with a young kid.”

“What, bring me a deal?”

Van Flint feigned surprise.

Brown hadn’t seen CS in person, so that’s probably his reaction. If you had a conversation with him even once, you wouldn’t have used the word kid.

“Would you like to see this? When I asked them to hand over the right to negotiate patents, they replied like this.”

Brown handed the report to Van Flint.

The fact that the leaders of the BR company submitted a report to the chairman meant that it was a very strategic agenda.

「We will delegate the right to negotiate patents for the caisson method to BR. Instead, build a repair base for heavy equipment in Quy Nhon, including military trucks, jeeps, tanks, planes and helicopters. Compared to Japan, the quality is the same, and the repair cost is 80%. CS Woo.”

There were several analyzes in the report, but it was enough just to look at the telex sent by CS.

“ha ha ha! That’s a great deal.”

“Awesome deal for a kid. On the surface, he pretends to hand over the patent reluctantly, and packs everything he needs. Either royalty or repair bases.”

Brown saw through Chan-su’s intentions.

Even so, he was kind to Chan-soo.

Brown was well aware that having someone who uses the logic of power well will always be a useful card.

Even if it’s just a kid now.

“Isn’t that a good suggestion? There is a lot of talk in politics these days that Japanese kids are jumping up too fast. Sooner or later, even West Germany will be overtaken.”

“What do you think? Could this guy be a card to keep Japan in check?”

“How are you? We have nothing to lose whether he checks Japan or falls out while holding it in check.”

Van Flint didn’t want to let it be known that he had high regard for Woo Chan-su.

I deliberately spoke in a nonchalant tone, but deep down, Woo Chan-soo… No, I wanted Koreans to succeed.

“Heh, there’s nothing to lose… It’s not even profitable if you fall out in the middle. But do you really want to go on an adventure?”

“Aren’t you curious what the kid will do?”

“Curiosity alone cannot move the political world. Let me tell you. Why do you want me to accept that kid’s offer?”

“As a soldier, I just think Quy Nhon is better than Saigon as a strategic location for the US. Any decent soldier would agree with me.”

“What are you talking about? How do you compare Saigon and Quy Nhon? The capital of South Vietnam and the countryside.”

Brown’s view was just that of the average person.

“Saigon only became the capital because of the breadbasket of the Mekong Delta. Rice farming would do well, but it would be difficult to call it a military hub. The complex waterways and the surrounding jungle are rather used as shelters for guerrillas.”

“A guerrilla hideout?”

“Yes, even during the French colonial period, the local guerrillas were not wiped out. Dense shrubbery and complicated waterways make searching difficult and fire operations impossible. On the other hand, Quy Nhon is a strategic military base that can cut North Vietnam’s supply route in the middle.”

Van Flint echoed Woo Chan-su’s words that Quy Nhon is a military hub that will cut off the Ho Chi Minh route.

“Umm, if you have to, give up Saigon and choose Quy Nhon… No, that’s a more correct choice. Is this?”

“right. I will convince the soldiers like that.”

Above all, the U.S. Navy is the main axis of the Navy rather than the Army.

The waterways around Saigon were too narrow and complicated.

There were too many factors that interfered with the operation, such as mine attacks, surprise attacks, underwater explosions at anchor, and concealment of explosives when loading cargo.

“I ask you one more thing. Were the Korean troops stationed in Quyen useful?”

“I heard you built a trench-type position called a company tactical base. He even won public sentiment by sharing rice fields with the natives. The balance between military operations and psychological warfare is very good.”

“Psychological warfare, do you think a warmonger like you can even use such an expression?”

“I can’t use anything if I need it.”

Van Flint lazily drank a jackcock and puffed out a cigar.

Even when he thought about it, the change in Quyenn was surprising.

I didn’t even think of it at all, but should I say it’s emerging as a strategic strategic point? It was true.

It was interesting that it started with Woo Chan-soo.

“Okay, let’s move the repair base from Saigon to Quy Nhon. Leave the politics and finances to me. Wealthy people would gladly agree to invest in a safer place.”

Brown also drew a picture in his head.

Compared to the US, Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines, Quy Nhon looked better than Saigon in Vietnam.

It did not make sense to use Saigon as a logistics hub, where the port is accessible only by going inland by river.

“I am in charge of the soldiers.”

“Give me a cup of jackcock, too.”

“what’s the matter? This is a cocktail that only a poor soldier like me enjoys.”

“The poor are all dead.”

“Ha ha ha ha ha.”

Two denizens enjoyed jackcock.

For them, patents for new construction methods and repair bases were just one of many money-making items.

***

US Army Japan Procurement Headquarters (JPA) Hall.

The JPA meeting, which is held bimonthly in even months, was held in September, which was unusual.

The main agenda was to move the heavy equipment repair base from Saigon to Quy Nhon.

It was as if the center of gravity of the logistics base had moved to Quy Nhon.

“Umm…”

Since it was a meeting that was nothing more than a notification, the JPA leadership left before long, but the superiors did not leave the meeting room.

They were managers of prominent Japanese trading companies such as Itochu Corporation, Kabone Corporation, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Toyota Trading Corporation, and Mitsubishi Corporation. It would be said that he is a key practitioner in charge of the US military supply.

“What is this all about? I have confirmed several times that Japan is the main source of military uniforms and boots.

“It’s like being bitten there by an ant. Who knew the U.S. military would specialize in polytech so quickly?”

“So, the JPA should have quickly swallowed up the company that was the big business or something, rather than manipulating the three o’clock.”

The missed delivery of military uniforms and boots was so disheartening and resentful toward the JPA leadership.

“Not only that. Isn’t it moving the heavy equipment repair base to Quy Nhon? How can I report this to the president… JPA bastards, even if they’re incompetent, they’re good enough…”

“Oh no, my department is completely ruined. I tried to make some money by bringing logs and riding the government’s My Home policy, but I couldn’t even get close to Quy Nhon.”

The general manager of Toyota Trading Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Corporation sighed in succession.

“This is all because of that Korean guy who is doing something like Woo Chan-soo. That bastard has a tight grip on Qunyeon.”

“No, he does business in Quy Nhon? Didn’t Gabone decide to tie up the logistics vessel? What happened to that?”

“The merchant ships are all tied up. But, what should I do if I use the Korean Navy warships like merchant ships?”

Manager Gabone beat his chest and grieved.

They even lobbied all sorts of shipping companies at the cost of losses, obstructing exports of the unemployed.

It was really crazy to avoid cooking like a loach.

“Does the US trust him and move the repair base?”

“Ah, please. Lucky for him. Doesn’t he say that BR, a subcontractor, is building a large port with a new construction method? If large ships can come and go, it is right to move the repair facility as well.”

“Well… if it’s a quinyon, it’ll be easy to put it on the front line as soon as it’s repaired, so it’s natural for the US military.”

“It is not something to just sigh like this. We need a countermeasure.”

The general manager of Mitsubishi Corporation hardened his impression.

“Is there any way? What do we say about what the US military is doing as a policy?”

“I don’t know about the US military, but we can boil South Vietnamese politicians enough. If you mess up Quy Nhon, what you left Saigon will come back.”

Saigon was held tight by Japanese bosses.

“!!!”

So far, Japan has been supplying Vietnam Army uniforms, boots, motorcycles, road pallets, steel materials for construction, cement, cranes, and even beer.

For expensive items such as cameras, TVs, air conditioners, radios, and watches, Japanese companies such as Sony, National, Yashica, and Seiko were competing with each other.

In other words, it seemed no problem for Japan to monopolize the Vietnam War special if only Kwi Nyeon was somehow broken.

“Do you have any plan to use a Vietnamese politician?”

The others jumped up from their seats and looked at the mouth of the Mitsubishi Corporation manager.

“There is a place called the 2nd tactical district near Quy Nhon. It is said that it is a close combat area where the Vietnamese and Vietnamese troops are constantly confronted.”

The general manager of Mitsubishi Corporation unfolded a map of Vietnam that had been prepared in advance.

“Ohhh, at a glance, it’s a key point.”

The 2nd tactical district was a transportation hub where National Road No. 1 connecting the north and south and Road No. 19 connecting the east and west intersected.

“They said that the particularly dangerous areas here are Pleiku, An Khe, and Tuy Hoa.”

“So?”

“Is that so? Here, we need to ask for the presence of Korean or US troops and logistical support as well. Then where should I go?”

“It’s going to be like Kwun Nyeon getting stuck in a beehive.”

“It is. Could you be doing truck repairs in the rear if you were directly involved in the logistics of a skirmish zone? Port construction is also a mess.”

“Coheh! It’s an amazing idea.”

“It is difficult for Mitsubishi alone to roast and boil the Vietnam headquarters in Saigon. We need your help.”

“Of course we have to do it together. Aren’t we all members of the JPA?”

“sure. You should be willing to help.”

The heads of the five sergeant departments who had been criticizing the JPA leadership until just now joined hands.

Everyone excitedly imagined going back to headquarters and reporting this strategy to the top as if it were an idea they had come up with.

In an instant, the Kwyonon Ruining Project was formed.