Chapter 180

Chapter 180

Young Master Is a Genius!

Busan trip decided on the spot suddenly.

Director Choi immediately transferred a travel carrier larger than President Shim’s to the car trunk.

“Often all-nighter for days in the research building lab. Have to carry this level like wallet.”

How born, researcher’s life!

Like that we rode the highway heading to Busan.

Leaving behind office family and researchers’ Hanujeong company dinner.

Vroom.

Yu Jong-tae hummed following the song flowing from the radio.

“On the camellia island where flowers bloom~♬ Spring came though~♬”

‘Come Back to Busan Port’ sung by king of singers Cho Yong-pil.

In 1976 Cho Yong-pil arranged the song previously announced at fast tempo and modified some lyrics and put on exclusive album and hit unprecedented.

Director Choi sitting side by side with me in the back seat suddenly asked.

“I aside, Young Master still young yet okay going Busan like this suddenly?”

“Left school, car there, map there, wallet also full, reason not okay?”

“Reasons not okay overflowing. First received permission from parents?”

“Permission? If received such I wouldn’t be going Busan alone like this now.”

“······.”

“Originally work hit and see.”

I winked one eye.

“For eight-year-old child receiving forgiveness easier than receiving permission.”

Director Choi looked at me with a blank expression.

“Surely this unauthorized runaway?”

“Of course notified.”

I clearly conveyed to the secretary’s office.

Exactly as learned from the master.

-Please convey going to Busan briefly for important matter!

-W, wait······!

Click.

Phone always only briefly the business!

“Then school? Surely unauthorized absence?”

“Ei, already settled and talk finished with the teacher.”

Finished certainly while leaving school earlier.

-How long since entered already absence notice······.

-Then shall go as unauthorized absence? Confident in cleanup?

-······First okay asking why trying to absent?

-Have to go Busan for work.

-Ah, then not particularly difficult. Originally absence processable only if parents contact. Where absence form······.

-If parents contacting I wouldn’t be telling the teacher now?

-······.

-Seems understanding really not going? Shall finish detailed explanation at Cheonggye Mountain?

-Understanding complete! Hahaha. Don’t worry about school matters and comfortably see work and return!

Director Choi made a groan sound.

“Anyway seems have to do unauthorized overnight stay too?”

No choice.

Only two months left until tank performance test observation.

To make results somehow no choice but to accept unreasonable.

“First goal same day trip.”

“Seems difficult? Just going to Busan by car takes several hours······.”

No choice.

To process matters secretly no choice but to put time and effort.

I looked at Director Choi and smiled.

“Then ultimately how long Busan business trip takes, whether this becomes unauthorized runaway, unauthorized absence, unauthorized overnight stay all matters hung on Director Choi?”

“······.”

“Have to choose tanks well.”

“······.”

I took out one neatly folded paper from the coin wallet and shook.

A memorandum that Director Choi entirely responsible regarding tank smuggling.

“I’m a person who stakes life on recovering more than invested.”

How I became a big shot of the Republic of Korea’s underground finance world.

Director Choi made a suffering sound.

“Thorough.”

“Tens of millions of won per unit.”

I grinned.

“Shall confirm JH Research Institute’s skill in this opportunity? Whether really money-eating hippo no way to salvage or not.”

“Will choose with hawk eyes hard, doing best, so no disappointment!”

Director Choi lit eyes and began reading the smuggling pamphlet meticulously.

Only then barely escaped nagging I looked outside the window.

The ridges of rice paddies and fields on the outskirts of Seoul dyed green.

‘Same Gyeongbu Expressway, quite different from the 21st century.’

Gyeongbu Expressway the highway with the most traffic volume in the Republic of Korea, and the longest total length as a single route.

The aorta of the national land diagonally crossing the Republic of Korea, and the representative symbol of Korea’s high economic growth called the miracle of the Han River.

‘Heard our Taeseong Construction also participated in Gyeongbu Expressway construction.’

Thinking so somehow new feelings.

Starting construction in 1968 thick construction companies like Taeseong Construction, Geumjo Construction, Hyunmu Construction, Ilseong Construction, Cheongwol Construction jointly completed the road reaching total route length 416km in 1970?

‘Did father also participate in road construction?’

Suddenly became curious.

* * *

‘Really different from the 21st century!’

This a rest stop?

Roughly placed wooden desks and chairs crude toilet!

Only a few hole-in-the-wall stores with old signs written shop!

‘No potato? Didn’t know no roasted squid or hot dog, hot bar, twisted bread, rice cake skewer, even beef soup.’

This can’t be!

‘Not even selling ssanghwa tea, no way selling iced americano!’

Came to the rest stop and have to buy and eat heated soy milk and makgeolli rice cake?

If came to the rest stop wanting to buy and eat a bit more special and delicious human nature!

Right then Director Choi made a meaningful smile and opened the car trunk.

“Hungry shall open one cup ramen here and go?”

A pile of cup ramen popped out from Director Choi’s travel carrier.

Overwhelming.

“Why cup ramen?”

“The item our research institute concentrating heart and blood developing recently?”

“Ah, right. Cup ramen development.”

U-gwang Research Institute pushing cup ramen development research requested by U-gwang Food.

Cup ramen first domestically sold in 1972, but failed catching consumer hearts and soon discontinued.

After 1981 yukgaejang bowl noodle sales cup ramen market grew rapidly with the 88 Seoul Olympics as opportunity.

In short the sound cup ramen still only prototype.

“Keup······!”

This can’t be!

Just ate one bite, mother’s food skill felt from the cup ramen.

In short dirty not tasty!

“Noodles undercooked and overcooked coexisting, broth no umami and even bland, container dirty expensive double plastic.”

I put down the wooden chopsticks tak.

“Absolutely won’t sell like this.”

In this era cup ramen about 4 times expensive compared to bag ramen.

Profit calculation not matching to go seeing only one convenience advantage.

“Precisely to solve that problem our researchers researching multi-directionally and rotting heads quite.”

Director Choi smiled with a troubled expression.

“Lived only with cup ramen for this half year? Because U-gwang Food pressed so much to release new product within 1 year solving even lodging and meals in the research building lab······.”

“Now time to concentrate on cup ramen research?”

I clicked the tongue.

“Have to hang only on tank technology research for at least two months.”

“Ah, right. Know well.”

Director Choi lowered the head deeply.

“Of course have to. Will.”

“For that the whole time coming by car memoing regarding cup ramen in the notebook?”

“Sorry. Have to choose tanks tens of millions of won per unit first, but habitually spirit escaped to cup ramen······. Showed ugly appearance.”

Director Choi scratched the back of the head awkwardly.

“Lived hanging only on cup ramen for half year so head full only cup ramen thoughts······.”

“With that can properly concentrate on tank research?”

“Sorry. Researchers all like this. Because deeply immersed in one and can’t come to senses endure this life.”

Suddenly eyes reached Director Choi’s large travel carrier.

In the carrier not only cup ramen but also underwear and socks to change, washing tools etc.

No choice.

“If only roughly solving cup ramen problem can promise concentrating on tank research?”

“Receiving salary for that.”

“Resolve of salary level no. I hope Director Choi and researchers sincerely, do best and pour whole spirit into tank research.”

I spread fingers.

“Hmm, first can narrow improvement directions to about five.”

“Yes?”

“First, container better changing to styrofoam instead of expensive double layered corrugated plastic.”

“······!”

No need to look with such surprised eyes.

Just reciting based on cup ramen I ate a lot in the past.

Early cup ramen mostly styrofoam containers seemed.

Director Choi stood up with a whoosh as if struck by lightning.

“Styrofoam! Manufacturing difficulty also much lower, production cost also cheaper. That good plan!”

“Second, noodles better round instead of square, floating so caught in the middle of the container.”

“······!”

Of course don’t know the reason have to make so.

Just because ate cup ramen shaped so until now.

But Director Choi burst a scream this time too.

“Convection phenomenon! If using the phenomenon of hot water and steam rising can cook noodles much faster and evenly!”

I don’t know that.

“Third, make noodles much thinner than now, and raise starch ratio compared to bag noodles so cook quickly.”

“Ah, doing so even now. So developed noodles cooking in 1 minute.”

“So not tasty. Only holes dense, soon overcooks.”

I clicked the tongue.

Don’t know theory but know taste?

“Important not cooking quickly. 3 minutes, that just good.”

Anyway cup ramen 3 minutes academic theory.

Director Choi quickly took out notebook and ballpoint pen.

“3 minutes! How changing starch and flour combination seems plausible work will come out?”

Finding that golden ratio your work.

I don’t know up to there.

“Fourth, noodles also dense upward, sparse downward.”

“······!”

Cup ramen companies all make so.

Director Choi shouted as if breath stopping.

“Finally the clue solved!”

Director Choi even threw the eating cup ramen and began memoing madly taking out the notebook.

Whether or not.

“Fifth, try improving the soup a bit. Don’t know sodium and MSG pak pak pak? Water temperature not even 100 degrees, bland absolutely can’t eat.”

“······Great! Sodium, exactly that the problem!”

Director Choi stood up with a whoosh.

Hands holding notebook and ballpoint pen trembling.

“Young Master is a genius!”

Director Choi excited and blew nasal breath.

“The problem we couldn’t properly solve for half year so simply······!”

“Still not come out as result. I just pointed improvement directions.”

“Newly the fact researched like a buoy floating on the vast sea until now felt to the bone.”

Director Choi said with eyes closed.

“When President Shim frustrated saying poor even organizing U-gwang Research Institute core research materials, office people only looked at one thing to President Shim saying will rummage U-gwang Research Institute.”

-President Shim, what how should we do? Only set the work direction!

-Then will make the best results no matter means and methods within the deadline somehow!

“Then thought these guys crazy as group, but not. Goal and direction setting! Leader’s virtue precisely that.”

Director Choi looking at me with eyes seeming very burdensome.

Eyes overflowing with respect and admiration.

“One our Young Master better than 100 overseas study faction PhDs.”

Probably not?

Just overseas study faction PhDs couldn’t properly eat proper cup ramen, I ate convenience store cup ramen enough to get tired.

“Young Master, also properly set goal and direction for tank technology development research!”

Director Choi shouted full of enthusiasm.

“Then our researchers also with JH’s spirit will make the best results no matter means and methods within the deadline somehow!”

Satisfactory answer.

Then enough.

Then suddenly a thought brushing the head.

‘Wait, heard generals from all over the country gather at this domestic tank performance test?’

I grinned.

‘Push this as military food, or combat rations?’

Since decided to jump into defense industry, good stamping eye seals on military generals.