CH25 : Discussion

Thud, thud.

I followed the secretary into the building.

'Is this the Blue House guest house from the 60s that I've only heard about?'

The white marble floor was impressive.

In the distance, I could see the President and a burly white man.

Both looked like soldiers, but the feeling they gave off was completely different.

One looked like a hardened GOP soldier, the other like a headquarters officer lounging around the PX.

"Your Excellency."

"Go ahead."

It was simple and direct.

The secretary even spared words to say he had brought me here.

I was familiar with the President from documentaries, but Van Flint was different from what I had expected.

Despite being a high-ranking politician from a military background, he gave off a warm feeling.

'What am I thinking? Get a grip.'

This was the tiger's den.

The man in front of me was the President, holding my life and death in his hands.

You must never have other thoughts in the tiger's den.

"It's an honour to meet you. I'm Woo Chan-soo from Daese Industries."

"I know. Relax and have a drink."

Van Flint had called me, but I prioritized the President. This was Korea, and he was the king.

The President lightly tapped my shoulder.

It was as if he had casually met the son of a friend on the street.

Up close, his face looked gaunt.

The title of absolute power seemed unfitting.

"But you, shouldn't it be Daese Group instead of Daese Industries? I heard you just set up a new factory in Ulsan called Daese Chemical."

Did he figure out my background in that short time?

"It's not a group, not at all. We're just trying to contribute to the national economy by refurbishing and using an old factory."

"It's been a while since I've seen someone who doesn't shrink before me."

"If I've been rude, please forgive me."

"Rude? If you're an industrial worker, you should be able to give such a bold answer. Right, General Flint?"

"Haha, of course. If you're an expert linking the Vietnam War to American inflation, that's basic."

Van Flint laughed heartily.

Judging by his mention of the Vietnam War and American inflation, it was clear that David had introduced me to him.

That's probably why he left my name with the Gulf branch manager and left his phone number.

"It's our first formal introduction. I'm Van Flint."

"I'm Woo Chan-soo from Daese Industries. It's an honour to meet you."

We exchanged business cards.

"James A. Van Flint"

"Chairman of the Korea Society, Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Outside Director of Skadden Law Firm, Outside Director of Brown & Root..."

His business card listed a plethora of titles.

I expected the policy advisor to the U.S. Department of Commerce, but the Brown & Root director title surprised me.

'What? Van Flint was an outside director of Brown & Root?'

Brown & Root, also known as BR, was a company that made a huge fortune during the Vietnam War.

Not only did they handle military supply procurement for the U.S. military, but they also monopolized most of the construction projects related to the Vietnam War.

They wielded immense influence in American politics and received numerous perks.

They were the representative of the concept of 'commercialization of security.'

There were rumours that the agreement ensuring South Korea's participation in the U.S. military supply procurement business in exchange for dispatching troops to Vietnam was called the 'Brown Memorandum' because it was associated with BR.

Officially, it was named after the U.S. Secretary of State at the time, Brown, but there was talk otherwise.

'Am I actually present at the negotiation table for the clauses of the Brown Memorandum?'

If so, this was no ordinary matter.

Companies like Hyunsan Construction and Hanshin Trading, which participated as subcontractors under the Brown Memorandum, grew into conglomerates overnight.

Both companies made over 100 million dollars in revenue just from subcontracting services.

In 21st-century terms, that would be about 10 trillion won in revenue.

"I'm pleased as well. I've seen your name in several reports. From the U.S. inflation warning report to the review of Korean petrochemical investments."

"... You've read those reports?"

Did he read those reports himself?

Maybe it's because he was a commander; he was a meticulous man.

Great. He wasn't someone who disliked documents.

"Especially the idea of monopolizing the naphtha from Gulf was very fresh. As if you anticipated a surge in naphtha demand."

He phrased it differently, but it was clear that Van Flint also anticipated a surge in naphtha demand soon.

"It was too obvious to even call it anticipation. Isn't that why the General is here?"

"What do you mean?"

"If the Vietnam War becomes a prolonged conflict, the demand for petroleum products is bound to explode."

"A prolonged conflict? You think the war with Vietnam will be prolonged?"

He laughed, but it was a testing laugh.

"Of course. Isn't that why General Van Flint flew to Korea, worried that the U.S. military alone wouldn't have enough combat troops?"

Recalling the legendary tales from OBs, I remembered that at the end of the Korean War, the amount of bombs the U.S. military dropped matched the amount used during World War II.

In other words, if General Van Flint was the Supreme Commander at the end of the Korean War, he preferred a strategy of overwhelming the enemy with sheer volume.

If such a person looked at the Vietnam War, he would have judged that the U.S. military alone was not enough for combat troops.

Having experienced World War I, World War II, the Greek Civil War, and the Korean War, a top commander like him would have likely foreseen the dangers of Vietnam's jungles and guerrilla warfare.

"I think very similarly to you, Mr. Woo. The jungles of Vietnam will be tough for not only the U.S. military but also for our own troops from Asia. It's bound to be a prolonged conflict."

President Park added his opinion at the right moment.

It was an opinion befitting someone from a military background.

"Yes, Your Excellency. However, I believe General Flint is also concerned about another situation."

"Another situation?"

"Mr. Woo, you think I'm concerned about another situation?"

Van Flint looked at me with a meaningful expression. This conversation was crucial to prove my worth, and the opportunity came sooner than expected.

"Aren't you concerned about an invisible enemy?"

"An invisible enemy?"

"I'm talking about the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, or the Viet Cong, composed mainly of South Vietnamese civilians. There's clearly an enemy, but since you can't eliminate them, this war's end is uncertain. It's bound to be a prolonged conflict 99.99%."

"Ha..."

"Mr. Woo, how did you come to see it that way..."

Both of them were impressed by my words.

It was like I had pinpointed something they felt uneasy about but couldn't quite articulate.

The reason the U.S. lost the Vietnam War was very complex, but the core issue was that they couldn't distinguish between friend and foe.

Officially, the main enemy of the U.S. military was North Vietnam, known as Viet Minh, but the actual fighting force was the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, mainly composed of South Vietnamese civilians.

They were commonly referred to as the Viet Cong.

The U.S. military, prioritizing human rights in the fight against communism, couldn't recklessly eliminate civilians suspected of being Viet Cong.

The Viet Cong persistently exploited this.

"The South Vietnamese government may not be clean, but it should at least be competent. Unfortunately, they're incredibly incompetent, which is troublesome for the U.S. too."

What the U.S. needed at the time was a competent South Vietnamese government, but that was impossible.

Having been invaded by foreign powers so often, the Indochina Peninsula's sense of national identity was utterly destroyed.

In the meantime, the Communist Party, backed by China and the Soviet Union, had an organization close to a national identity, leading to Vietnam's eventual unification.

Considering that the resilience and potential of the Korean people were unmatched globally.

Despite traitors and incompetent leadership, they ultimately drove out foreign forces and rebuilt the nation.

There were some who belittled it by saying the U.S. help and luck were decisive, but the global response to Korea's independence was due to our people's relentless resistance and efforts.

Anyway, there was no need to reveal the outcome of the Vietnam War here.

I had to be wary of the butterfly effect.

For me and my country, the special conditions created by the Vietnam War were a once-in-a-century opportunity.

"It sounds like you have a way to end the war quickly."

The war shouldn't end quickly.

"The best way is to go for a war of attrition. Instead of trickling resources, we should pour them like a waterfall to clear the front lines all at once."

"A war of attrition."

Van Flint's eyes sparkled.

It was clear he liked the idea of a war of attrition.

No matter how capable a commander is, they're always attracted to pleasing words.

Especially if those words sound objectively plausible.

Since World War I and II, the truth that the outcome of war is determined by who better supplies military resources was nearly universal.

In modern warfare, not only weapons and ammunition but also large and expensive military supplies like tanks, ships, aircraft, and missiles, as well as essential items like military uniforms, combat rations, medical supplies, and even toothpaste and socks, were needed in abundance.

The U.S. loss in the Vietnam War was primarily due to guerrilla warfare, but another significant reason was the leakage of all kinds of weapons and supplies provided to South Vietnam to the Viet Cong through back channels.

How could any country, even the U.S., win a war while supplying both the enemy and their own forces?

I pretended not to know how the supplies would flow.

"To wage a war of attrition, we need to build highways around Vietnam and ports to transport U.S. military supplies, as well as large-scale oil storage facilities."

"... Highways and oil storage facilities..."

Van Flint seemed to have considered the ports, but highways and oil storage facilities were unexpected.

However, he soon realized my point.

In Southeast Asia, let alone highways, even regular roads were lacking. Moreover, the area was covered in jungles.

Even if supplies were shipped to a port, there had to be roads for trucks to deliver them to the forward bases.

If the supplies had to be dropped by parachute from planes like in the movies, the war was already lost.

Moreover, ships carrying supplies need refuelling to return.

Therefore, oil storage facilities were necessary.

"Right, a supply line as solid as the logistics base is needed for a war of attrition."

"General Flint, we should procure military supplies from Korea. That's the core condition for deploying combat troops."

The President interrupted firmly.

Mr. President, infrastructure construction projects are just as lucrative as military supplies. We must not miss out on that.

"Korean companies must also participate in the construction of said infrastructure. Of course, as a prerequisite for the deployment of combat troops."

"Haha, you miss nothing."

Being caught in between them made the conversation progress rapidly.

It seemed like specific terms were being set in return for deploying combat troops.

If an agreement is reached for participating in military supply procurement, logistics bases, and transportation infrastructure construction, Korea will hit the jackpot. The Vietnam War wouldn't end easily, and the amount of money the U.S. spent was beyond imagination.

"As a businessman, it's just a natural deduction."

"If it's such a natural deduction, can you deduce where to build the highways and ports?"

"Of course."

"Where?"

"Your Excellency, may I speak?"

I deflected Van Flint's question and turned to President Park.

"Hahaha, you should wet your throat before speaking."

The President poured me some champagne.

He meant for me not to speak rashly.

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

For businessmen, he only offered cheap rice wine to suppress their spirit, but I was probably the first to receive champagne.

"Mr. Woo, how much would you like for your consulting fee? What amount of a loan do you want?"

As I avoided answering while sipping champagne, Van Flint proposed a deal to the President.

"Our government..."

He intended to accept the loan amount suggested by the President in exchange for the information.

No.

The loan amount was already set at 150 million dollars.

My information wasn't cheap enough to be exchanged for such a sum.

It was information on where to build the U.S. logistics base.

Clink.

"His Excellency doesn't care much about the loan amount."

I gently clinked glasses, interrupting the President.

People of this era could never imagine this, but I was from the 21st century.

And this was the tiger's den.

If I didn't elevate my value here, I'd never get another chance.

If you're delicious, you'll be devoured whole; if not, you'll be forgotten.

I had to create a reason to survive.

'How dare you interrupt me?'

The President's eyes flashed with both anger and surprise.

I expected this, but I had to take the risk.

This was not the time to negotiate over a loan.

"Not concerned about the loan amount? That's an exaggeration."

"His Excellency is the head of the state. The loan amount should be discussed by the officials."

"Then what do you want?"

"We need an agreement between the U.S. and South Korean governments. Deploying combat troops involves risking many young lives. For that, it's only fair to have an official statement on the U.S.-Korea alliance, support for the modernization of the South Korean military, and participation in the U.S. military supply procurement business."

"Exactly! As expected, today's young people are different. You read my mind."

The President patted my shoulder like when we first met. The touch felt different now.

"Can Korea handle the U.S. military supply procurement business?"

"Nothing is impossible for Koreans."

Van Flint's face took on a complex expression at my words.

Did I succeed?

At least I seemed to have captured their attention.

"Great. It's been a while since I've met a proper negotiator. How about starting a puzzle with me?"

"Anytime."

Van Flint was ready to play.

Playing with a 21st-century person who knows the future?

I'd gladly accept.