Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

057 – Mass Effect

After almost a day of lengthy negotiations, Soo-jeong received authorization from DARPA for dozens of the latest U.S. military weapons, including a single F-35 Lightning II, an F-22 Raptor, and an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that can track over 2,000 missiles at once. It was clear that these were by no means items that could be handed over to a foreign civilian company, but DARPA and the White House had no choice but to decide that the technology demonstrated by Soo-jeong in actual working samples was ‘worth trading for’.

Each piece of technology applied to the equipment Soo-jeong presented went beyond the common knowledge of the material universe that humanity possessed. There was anti-gravity generating equipment that could lift dozens of tons into the air with power consumption equivalent to an electric car’s battery usage. Next-generation explosive production facilities capable of delivering firepower stronger than any gunpowder ever used by humanity. Special Armor that was as thin as aluminum foil yet flexible enough to bend freely and block even rifle rounds. A next-generation CPU that boasted performance approaching that of supercomputers while being no larger than a thumbnail. And even battery technology using crystal cells that had several hundred times the capacity of conventional lithium-ion batteries. All these technologies could only be described as ‘Alien Technologies’.

The negotiation process left U.S. government officials flabbergasted. These technologies were so extraordinary that they made the “world’s most advanced military technology” in their possession look like something from the medieval era. Eventually, the U.S. government had no choice but to agree to Soo-jeong’s request, placing the condition that “the acquired technology must not be transferred to any other foreign government.” Besides, once they received these new technologies from Soo-jeong, the U.S. military would have to re-create all their equipment from scratch.

Throughout the entire negotiation, Myung-jun silently observed Soo-jeong’s negotiation, not uttering a word and merely watching her conduct the negotiations. As soon as Soo-jeong’s day-long “trade” concluded, Myung-jun asked her separately about the reason for conducting this deal.

In response to his question, Soo-jeong, with a truly astonished expression, turned to Myung-jun and asked, “Huh? You knew the reason, so you didn’t say a word throughout the negotiation, did you?”

“The reason I didn’t say anything is that I believed you had full authority over this negotiation, considering that all authority related to Liberal Clan’s technology currently belongs to you Senior.”

“So, you trust me so much that you didn’t say a word during such a significant negotiation?”

Myung-jun nodded, and Soo-jeong embraced him tightly, expressing great emotion. Then, she lightly kissed Myung-jun’s cheek and smiled sweetly.

“Well, I believe that you’d trust me unconditionally when I make an unexpected choice. Probably, even if I were pointing a gun at your head right now, you’d just smile like this and ask why I didn’t say anything.”

“That’s true.”

“So, this isn’t an interrogation, just pure curiosity. As far as I know, with the current level of technology you possess, there shouldn’t be a need for the U.S. military’s weaponry. So, what’s the reason for transferring U.S. military weaponry, even to the extent of handing over future technology?”

In response, Soo-jeong, with a serious expression, said to Myung-jun, “What I need is not the U.S. military’s ‘weaponry’ per se, but rather a kind of ‘system’.”

“A system?”

“Let me explain it in simple terms. As you know, with my abilities, I can easily create something like a fighter jet. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“A fighter jet created like that will undoubtedly fly at the speed I want, have the stealth capabilities I desire, and operate in the manner I want. The problem is that I don’t really know what I want.”

Soo-jeong was explaining that the process of making equipment felt similar to someone who had never made a car attempting to build one. They might know enough to design it to go forward when you hit the accelerator and stop when you press the brake, but even achieving the minimum requirements a car needed would be challenging.

She used examples and analogies to make it easier for Myung-jun to understand.

“If I looked at the sixth car I made, most of the functions would be there, but I would have forgotten to install the windshield wipers. So, I would make a seventh car with the wipers, but forget about the windshield wiper fluid. Then, when I completed the eighth car, I would realize that the brake lights should come on when I press the brake.”

“Modern military equipment’s ‘generation’ does not simply refer to the time they were made. It contains all the problems identified and the efforts of developers to improve them over decades, not just the generation they represent. And my goal is to absorb the entire ‘history of effort’ that the U.S. military has accumulated up to now.”

“Just for that reason, you don’t really need to acquire the latest Aegis destroyer, do you? We don’t have any plans to operate the ship for now.”

“Of course, I won’t be building the ship, but the radar and anti-aircraft systems onboard the Aegis ship are quite attractive. Among the monsters, some can fly, right? If I utilize the know-how of the anti-aircraft system on the Aegis ship, I might be able to develop new Armor suit that can handle not just hundreds but thousands of them simultaneously.”

“So, you’re saying you’ll combine the nameless technology you acquired with the accumulated human knowledge of warfare?”

After pondering Soo-jeong’s plan for a moment, Myung-jun smiled at her and said, “I made the right decision to trust you senior.”

“Ahem! Remember, I’m the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of the Liberal Clan?”

“Right! Chief Technology Officer Han Soo-jeong! You’re the best, Senior!”

“Hehe, give me more compliments!”

Upon Soo-jeong’s request, Myung-jun not only complied but also started to fly her around with his thumb in the air.

“The most beautiful and brilliant Senior Soo-jeong in the world!”

“Hehehe!”

“The Armor suit created by such a Senior is also the best!”

“Hehehehe!”

At that moment, the door to the room where the two of them were, along with the sound of knocking, Soo-jeong’s mother, Lee Jeong-hee, who was a director, entered with her voice.

“Um, I’m sorry to interrupt the pleasant atmosphere, but can we move on to the next schedule?”

At this point, Myung-jun’s expression shifted to a calm one.

“Are you satisfied?”

“Yes.”

“In that case, it’s my turn next.”

“Yes! Are you going to show an impressive performance?”

“Since Senior managed to secure the best negotiations as CTO, it’s my turn to shine as Leader now. Please trust me. I will ensure the best results for the Liberal Clan in the next negotiations.”

The “next” negotiation that Myung-jun was waiting for was a crucial one. He led the meeting to determine the “Gate Conquest Procedure Standard”. which was essential for ensuring the future activities of the world’s first private Awakener Clan on a global scale.

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Unlike Soo-jeong, who had led the “technology trade negotiation”, Myung-jun, representing the Liberal Clan, led the discussion to establish the basic procedures necessary for Gate conquest. The counterpart in this negotiation was the President of the United States, a superpower with significant influence that could push the agreed terms into “international standards.”

However, Myung-jun showed no fear or hesitation in leading the negotiations, even in front of the President of the United States, who could make anyone’s legs tremble with a mere glance. In today’s meeting conducted via video conference from the DARPA research facility in Area 51 for security reasons, the discussions between Myung-jun and the U.S. government about setting the standard procedures were vital, as they would determine the direction in which the world would change.

Facing the U.S. government’s negotiation team, most of whom were much older than him, Myung-jun easily grasped what the U.S. government wanted. ‘Ultimately, what they want is to continue the current international situation led by the United States. If possible, they want to restrain rising powers like China or Russia,’ he thought.

The problem was that the Awakener Clan had the power equivalent to tactical nuclear weapons. Unlike traditional nuclear weapons that required significant investment and research for development, the power of Awakener was an issue. In addition, their powers could be harnessed with relatively simple tools, such as a few AK-47 rifles, and that was the problem Myung-jun explained to the U.S. side.

“The biggest problem with the Awakener situation is that you can’t just exclude it, but neither can you leave it unchecked. If you try to suppress the growth of the Awakener too much, fearing that it may disrupt social order, it will become increasingly difficult to withstand the onslaught of these monsters.”

On the other hand, Myung-jun also warned against leaving the Awakener in a state where they couldn’t be controlled.

“The ideal country for the emergence of Awakener is a country where you can easily acquire personal firearms to counter the monster and a country where you can easily push a large number of people into Gates as part of a national policy. The former could become lawless states like Somalia or drug cartels in South America, and the latter could become communist countries like China that can easily push a significant number of soldiers into Gates.”

“But the U.S. is a country that allows personal gun ownership, and it’s filled with gun enthusiasts who are eager to shoot. Plus, it’s a country that has an abundance of weapons, right?”

“Yes. However, in life-threatening situations, humans are surprisingly reluctant to take risks. Moreover, most of the civilian firearms in the United States have semi-automatic or full-automatic capabilities or are handguns carried for self-defense. Apart from such firepower, the weapons owned by U.S. civilians are more limited than one might think.”

The problem was that they couldn’t easily pour resources into Awakener development without due consideration, as even the current U.S. military’s armament level posed a threat. The value of U.S. military lives and the ability to conduct monsters hunting, even at the level of current U.S. military armament, were incomparable, which made it challenging to handle.

Because of this, Myung-jun anticipated that if things were left as they were, stronger Awakener forces would emerge in countries other than the United States.

“Actually, we need to gather more information, but it’s likely that some major cartels in Central and South America have already secured significant Awakeners. And some military groups in Africa may also possess Awakeners.”

“Why hasn’t this caused controversy then?”

“That’s because the Awakeners are not easy to grow, despite being relatively easy to manifest.”

Myung-jun explained.

In reality, the manifestation of Awakener abilities was proportional to the number of monsters hunted. This meant that there was a higher chance of Awakener appearing in lawless regions where firearms could be freely used.

The problem was that for Awakeners to grow, they needed to hunt monsters, and this process often resulted in many deaths among Awakeners themselves.

“For example, if the U.S. military or the South Korean military confirms the manifestation of Awakener abilities in a soldier, they will immediately transfer that soldier’s affiliation to a specialized agency for Awakeners, such as the EDF. They will thoroughly manage and provide the safest environment for the growth of their abilities as valuable special personnel.”

“… But in the case of irregular groups like drug cartels, it’s difficult, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. If a subordinate acquires Awakeners while the boss is not an Awakener, the subordinate may perceive it as a kind of threat. Even if the abilities are manifested, the subordinate is likely to hide the fact from the organization until they are confident.”

“And if they succeed in growing their abilities…”

“Then they might attempt a coup or take control of the organization. For now, it would be advisable to use intelligence agencies to monitor the activities of drug cartels abroad. If an organization’s rank-and-file member with no background suddenly rises to the boss’s position, it’s likely to indicate that they are an Awakener.”

Myung-jun’s remarks were mostly based on events he had indirectly heard about before his regression.

Therefore, Myung-jun’s words naturally felt logical and quite persuasive, and the U.S. government showed significant interest in the “persuasiveness” contained in Myung-jun’s explanation.

“I believe Myung-jun is the person who is most accurately assessing the current situation. From that perspective, I’d like to seek advice… How can we increase the power to respond to the Gate incidents without dismantling the current order?”

“… That’s right.”

“In my opinion, substantial support for civilian clans is the way to go.”

Myung-jun said.

Basically, humans follow what benefits them, so if the gains from Gate conquest are more significant than the collapse of the established order, people will naturally steer their path toward Gates rather than cocaine plantations.

“In simple terms, if the benefits obtained through Gate conquest are greater than those of drugs, then we can naturally redirect the Awakener from cocaine plantations to Gates.”

Myung-jun explained that securing the large amount of cash needed for this process was not that difficult with Crystal Stones.

With Crystal Stones, it was possible to create batteries several times larger in capacity than conventional lithium batteries, generate an immense amount of power without any carbon emissions, and create special solutions capable of selectively decomposing specific substances in heavily polluted areas.

Myung-jun explained that this could become a miraculous solution that would solve all of humanity’s current concerns.

If they applied a little pressure at the beginning, the demand for Crystal Stones would naturally increase substantially within the world’s major corporations.

As Myung-jun’s explanation continued, when he asserted that Crystal Stones would become a more valuable resource for humanity than oil, the negotiation team from the White House began to understand why he was advocating for the freedom of civilian clans’ activities. If it were as Myung-jun said, then lower-level organization members, who had risked their lives to gain Awakener abilities, would not necessarily choose illegal drug cartels over legal activities.

“They will probably try to join an Awakener clan in that country as soon as they Awaken.”

“That’s right. And if the parent company operating that clan has its headquarters in the United States…”

“Ultimately, the U.S. government will secure new Awakener forces.”

“Exactly, the ‘freedom,’ which is like a symbol of the U.S. government, will become its most potent force. Of course, provided they can offer a fair compensation to the Awakener.”

“Is Liberal Clan included in that ‘power’?”

“If the conditions are met, then yes. After all, our goal is to establish an independent civilian clan that does not belong to the influence of any nation.”

Awakener abilities could be likened to tactical nuclear weapons that could be created in any country. Myung-jun’s proposal was not to attempt to control it but to create an atmosphere from the beginning that guaranteed freedom of activity for Awakeners.

If that were the case, ultimately, the one who could offer a better reward would become the owner of the new power, according to Myung-jun’s explanation.

After Myung-jun finished his explanation, there was a heavy silence in the conference room. Finally, when the President of the United States spoke, Myung-jun heard the answer he had been hoping for.

“In the emergency meeting at the United Nations next week, I will push for new international laws that reflect the intentions of the Liberal Clan.”

A declaration from the most powerful man in the world. It was the largest achievement obtained by the Liberal Clan during this trip, in addition to the technology trade negotiated by Soo-jeong.

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