The Chaebol Who Flies From Space - Chapter 53



Only Noblemtl

53. Oil drilling (4)

“How did you know?”

Team Leader Oh’s expression, which was always smiling, turned cold.

“How would you know? I could tell just by looking at it.”

From the moment I first saw Team Leader Oh, I could sense the unique aura that those who handle information give off.

You may think you hid it well, but if you have a lot of contact with intelligence agents like me, you will find out right away.

“If your facial expression changes like that as soon as I speak, I can’t help but feel confident. You have to hide your facial expression well.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Team Leader Oh let out a sigh.

“I don’t think the information was leaked.”

“I’m quick-witted. It doesn’t seem to be information, but rather instructions to protect me.”

No matter how controversial the intelligence agency’s intervention in domestic politics may be, the intelligence agency’s unique system operates.

“You’re really quick-witted. That’s right.”

Team Leader Oh, who was at first worried about how to judge this, readily admitted it.

If they approached you as a security team rather than an internal employee, the objective would be obvious.

“If the Intelligence Service does not take interest in a person as outstanding as me, it is dereliction of duty.”

How should I view this?

It was funny to see Team Leader Oh’s bewildered expression, as if it was his first time seeing someone like me paint their own face with gold.

“Haha, that might be true.”

He ended up laughing as if it was ridiculous.

“You know I’m trying to take over Woo Dae-jo.”

“I heard.”

“How was the progress?”

“Most people said there was no need to sell it now. They said that most of the debt had been paid off internally and that the shipbuilding industry was doing well and making profits, so there was no need to rush the sale.”

It seemed like that.

Although they made many excuses, their true intentions of not wanting to hand over preferential treatment to Joseon were obvious.

It’s nice to make space and eat.

They talk about normalizing insolvent companies, but in reality, since state-run banks are the major shareholders, aren’t they the same as public enterprises?

Since it is a private company, there is no separate audit, so it is an even better environment for working.

I can’t help but hate it when they ask me to give up my honey pot.

“Then there’s nothing we can do. We have to go to Newport.”

“That’s where US aircraft carriers and submarines are built, so foreigners won’t be granted permission to take over.”

“What’s the problem? You just need to acquire American citizenship. Why is it so hard to change your citizenship when you’ve even served in the military?”

American shipbuilding is a declining industry.

As the Merchant Marine Act eroded competitiveness, now all but the special parts needed to build domestic warships have dried up.

It would be difficult to win the fiercely competitive shipbuilding market with the high labor costs in the United States.

The only way to survive was to earn a living in the warship division, which was relatively profitable.

If warship construction is pushed out of the national defense plan, shipyards will be shaken.

Such was the situation at the Newport Shipyard.

“Go and tell the higher-ups. Ask them to cooperate in the acquisition of Woo Dae-jo.”

“Is there a reason you are so focused on shipbuilding companies?”

“I have developed several technologies. I thought I would have to take over a shipbuilding company to use them. I thought it would be a pain in the ass if someone else made money using my technologies.”

Although drill ships and FPSOs were put forward for resource development, submarine construction was also necessary.

Resource nationalism will become more prevalent in the future.

It was nice and convenient to develop resources in the open sea without anyone having to worry about it.

Although Woo Dae-jo’s submarine technology was good, it was incomparable to that of Newport Shipyard. It was a place that built nuclear submarines.

“If you think about your country, you can’t change your nationality.”

“Why change your nationality?”

It’s not that I don’t understand. It’s understandable that they have such high patriotism since they lost their country and then got it back.

I also know of cases where people gave up their citizenship and only kept their permanent residency because they didn’t want to change their nationality.

But I think nationality is something that can be changed if necessary.

If a businessperson doesn’t like that kind of thing, he shouldn’t be in business.

He went to the military and came back, and while doing business, he also had to pay taxes······. This part is a little bit awkward since he used a paper company created in a tax haven, but he paid enough anyway.

How much corporate tax will the toad pay this year?

Even with various deductions, it still exceeds 300 billion, so I think I have done enough for this country.

Next year, you will have to pay at least twice as much in taxes as you did this year.

The amount of taxes you pay each year will increase, not decrease.

It’s so unfair, should we move our company headquarters to a tax haven?

When I was lost in thought, Team Leader Oh was the same.

***

As expected, the drilling rig owned by the oil company had a drilling limit of 3,500 meters.

“You say the depth you have to dig is more than 6,000? It’s impossible. If you go that deep, the drill won’t be able to hold up.”

The drilling team leader looked as if he had heard something ridiculous.

Drilling technology is the best in the major companies. Every year, they spend a huge amount of money on technology development. The exploration capabilities of the oil company are also top-notch, but they still fall short of the major companies.

As the drilling depth increases, the drill bends.

How can a drill machined from a special material dig so deep that it can’t withstand it?

“So I’ll say let’s meet here. We need to change the drill. It’s a specially made drill that can dig up to 7,000 meters. There are also limitations to the technology, but I’ve brought in an expert in that area, so he’ll be helpful.”

Laurent Robert, a drilling expert who has worked for the British oil company BP since his youth, is a drilling expert scouted by Her.

We brought him in specifically because he has extensive experience in deep-sea oil field development, such as the North Sea oil field, which is difficult to develop.

“The deeper the depth, the more pressure it has to withstand. Not only the drill, but also the pipe material has to be specially manufactured, and there is a lot to prepare.”

At first, the drilling team leader and equipment manager were shocked but then they started listening to the experts.

Deep sea drilling technology is a special technology that cannot be learned from anyone else.

While the experts were talking about the equipment, I climbed aboard a semi-submersible drilling rig moored in front of the shipyard and inspected the equipment.

I was thinking of failing the first time because of what other people thought, but the amount of money needed to sell it at once was too much.

This is failing because of what other people think!

Am I crazy!

The first drilling had to be successful.

We have already completely identified the genetic location and have conducted another detailed survey to confirm where to drill the borehole.

I was finally able to relax after confirming that the equipment control program created by Ariel was working perfectly.

A borehole was drilled at the specified coordinates.

After a fierce struggle and a series of minor accidents, the borehole was finally drilled to a depth of 6,000 meters.

At first, the technicians were working indifferently, but as Yu-Jing appeared one by one, they became very nervous and started working.

It was a myth that oil would be found in the West Sea, but when the probability of oil fields actually being found increased, people started getting excited here and there.

If it were far out at sea, interest would be low, but it was a relatively close distance inland.

The broadcasting station’s helicopter took off and reporters also arrived.

Why else would my grandfather and father come to me and yell at me? They said they would definitely see the oil rise.

There has never been a riot like this.

“If this fails, I will be labeled a traitor.”

“Don’t even mention that. You have to succeed the first time.”

“Father, this guy has a mouth.”

My grandfather and father, who were watching the drilling operation from the top spot with a good view of the work scene, shouted at me.

I could hear snickers of laughter here and there, perhaps because it was funny to see me, who had been reigning over the workplace like a king and nagging at others, struggling.

Once we figure out who laughed, we’ll just watch it later.

“I should have brought my mother too. She said she would come.”

The whole family wanted to watch this scene together, but the work environment must have been very harsh.

“The work here is usually rough. You can come back later when things stabilize.”

When I promised to increase the foundation’s funding when oil came out, my mother was more extreme than I was.

I’d rather pray for oil to explode than for me to do so.

As we were talking about this and that, the end finally came into sight.

The shaking in my body became more intense.

“Come up!”

With a roaring sound, the long-awaited gray water finally rose up through the pipe.

The rough work environment was filled with the sounds of machines turning and cheers of success, making the workplace go crazy.

The drilling rig shook violently again.

With a loud thud, black water shot up high into the sky.

My grandfather held my hand with tears in his eyes as he stood among the drillers who were busy with stabilization work.

“Good job, Yongwon! Good job. Really good job.”

How sweet my grandfather’s words sound to my ears.

I also found myself shedding tears.

My father shouted “Manse” and then hugged me without saying a word.

“Hurray, oil!”

“Oil is produced in Korea too.”

“It’s oil! It’s oil!”

“Oh, Korea is now an oil-producing country too.”

Only after the stabilization work was completed and the flames rose high into the sky did the workers finally feel relaxed and started to shout “hurray” while covering their entire bodies in black oil and shedding tears.

And then I had to face the president who arrived by helicopter with the news that the stabilization work was complete.

“I had to see the oil rising with my own eyes.”

The president looked disappointed that he could not see it in person because people around him were trying to stop him.

It was a given. Drilling was extremely dangerous work, so I had also tried to stop my grandfather and father from coming.

The President’s feelings at seeing the pillar of fire rising high into the sky were new.

It was so big that I could feel the heat even from far below.

“I also had a hard time keeping my family from rushing in to see it.”

“It’s really spectacular! It’s really spectacular. After seeing that, I feel a warm feeling in my heart. But

“How long are you going to burn that thing like that? How precious is that thing?”

“Once the stabilization work is complete, we will immediately replace it with the prepared drilling equipment.”

“Yeah, I have to work quickly. The more I look at it, the more I feel like it’s a waste.”

The president, who had been looking around the drilling rig, took his seat in the VIP room when his excitement subsided and stared blankly up at the pillar of fire.

“How much is it? How much is it? Is the estimated reserves what I heard correct?”

“It’s hard to say exactly how much it is, but it seems to be more than the estimated amount. We initially estimated 10 billion barrels, but given the rising pressure, it seems like it will increase further.”

The president, who had not expected to hear that the estimated reserves had increased rather than decreased, burst into laughter.

“That’s really good news. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

I’ve been waiting to hear this.

Even if the president is in a lame duck state due to all sorts of controversies, the president is still the president.

“Additionally, preferential shipbuilding acquisitions are needed to build drilling rigs and drill ships.”

“I heard that story too. The director of the National Intelligence Service said it. Is it really necessary?”

If you proceed with the acquisition of a large corporation at the end of an administration, it is likely to be a subject of gossip. If it doesn’t work out, the next administration can proceed with the operation, and that’s it.

In the way he looked at me, I could feel the spirit of a seasoned president who had been through a lot.

I heard that he had many close calls with death before he got to his position.

“Yes, it is absolutely necessary.”

The president closed his eyes and sat still at my firm answer.

“······. I see. You need it that much. I have to help you.”

It was the answer I was waiting for.

“Thank you. I will take over the company and help the country.”

“Okay, that’s fine.”

“But can the oil produced here meet domestic demand?”

“It’s difficult. Oil companies also have long-term contracts, so it’s difficult to handle all the volume here. We have to increase production slowly.

Because oil prices are low, there is little profit to be made. Since oil prices will continue to rise for a long time, production must be increased slowly.