Chapter 38 - Arrival In South Korea

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Mid-December 2012,

Vince and Leah were preparing for their trip to Seoul at the headquarters penthouse.

The security system alerted Vince regarding a visitor.

A muscular and lean caucasian man in his 30's wearing a combat uniform themed in blue and black entered his office.

"Vince, I'd like to talk to you about something before you leave." Price stated.

"Is there something wrong with Future Security?" Vince asked.

"The men's training is going well. Most of them have practiced utilizing Future Tech products like the new IED sweeper bots and recon drones." Price stated.

"Our military operations is a sensitive subject. Future Tech's current cyber warfare defense system I developed with Patel is top-notch. However, I'd still like to use the remaining $5 billion in Future Security's budget in forming a separate cybersecurity division within Future Security to develop defense and breach protocols; continuously." Price added.

"I'm on board with your idea, Price. I approve of your use of the remaining budget. A cybersecurity division will make it so we won't have to rely on the CIA or the NSA to protect our military secrets." Vince said approvingly.

"Great! I already have a few military contacts from my SOCOM days ready to be recruited. We'll work with Jessica and the API team to integrate our new cyber warfare protocols within Future Tech when it's ready." Price replied excitedly.

[Price's idea is fantastic! I can already imagine an army of netrunners defending the Bitcash network from corporate espionage! Indeed, we can't rely on AI defensive mechanisms forever.] Vince thought.

Leah arrived at the penthouse living room wearing a red-themed Future Couture dress. Her ashen hair and caucasian figure were magnified by an exquisite shawl made of the same advanced fiber.

"I'm ready to leave, Vince. How about you?" Leah asked.

"Price just left. I should be ready in a few minutes." Vince replied.

A security detail of five operators would accompany Leah and Vince during their travels.

Each operator was equipped with the new military personnel security drone, recently developed by Future Tech AI and the robotics division.

[These new security drones are much larger and more intimidating than the ones used at the headquarters. It kind of looks similar to the Militech Griffin drones in Cyberpunk 2077.] Vince thought.

"Hey, Felix. I've been busy with the military control systems these past two weeks. Could you please tell me about your new pet drones?" Vince asked one of the operators assigned to guarding their CEO.

"It's called the Future Tech Dragonfly. The drone features physical and cyber threat protocols and can scan a wide area of a 100-meter radius." Felix replied.

"These five drones are different from the regular Dragonfly, though, because of the added integrated machine gun that shoots armor-piercing ammunition, Sir," Felix added.

"They look rather heavy. How long can it stay hovering around and patrolling?" Vince asked.

"The new two-stroke hybrid engine from Koenigsegg used in all the Dragonfly drones can patrol for 12 hours straight before having to go back to base for refueling. In addition, the material science division is currently developing new fuel mixtures to optimize fuel efficiency, Sir," Felix replied.

[These guys are highly trained. Even Felix knows the ins and outs of this new drone.] Vince thought.

"What's this new combat uniform you guys are wearing?" Vince asked.

"Director Price issued Future Couture designed uniforms with the prototype plate armor woven into the fabric. It's lighter and stronger than any other body armor system in the market." Felix replied.

[Price had been very busy these past two weeks.] Vince thought.

"I assume your team is prepared to protect my mother and me in Seoul?" Vince asked.

"Director Price only sends the best for your protection, Sir," Felix replied like a soldier.

Their entourage headed to the private hangar and boarded the heavily modified 787 Dreamliner. Kevin from Future Tech F1 recently upgraded its system to meet the new military standards.

The seventeen hours of flight was a pleasant wait. Leah, Felix, and the other operators enjoyed the luxurious amenities they'd never tried before in flight.

"Flying like this is the best. Compared to the cold seats on the Boeing Globemasters we slept on, this feels like heaven." Felix stated.

"Were you a paratrooper, Felix?" Vince asked curiously.

"82nd Airborne Division, Sir. 'Death from Above,'" Felix said as he saluted proudly.

"Wow! It takes a lot of skill and cajones to jump off a moving plane into live combat." Vince replied in surprise.

"We train for months before our mission starts, and we don't usually drop in hot areas. Our landing zone is usually miles away from the action." Felix replied.

"What if your forces on the ground were in dire need of reinforcements? You'd have to run for miles before making a difference." Vince asked.

"Parachuting into direct anti-air suppression fire is a death sentence for the troopers and the pilots. So we were limited in that respect." Felix replied, embarrassed.

[Future Tech could develop a troop landing module using the Falcon 9 VTOL landing system and sell it to the airborne divisions. It will have to be more reliable, though.] Vince thought.

They landed at the Incheon Internation Airport before the Dreamliner taxied into a private hangar.

Delegates from the ROK government were waiting to welcome Vince Dalton and his entourage.

Intelligence officers notified President Lee Myung-bak of Vince's visit to South Korea for the Arena Pro League Season 2 Finals. He immediately readied delegates to represent the ROK and welcome the young CEO.

[As the youngest CEO in South Korea, I can smell a business opportunity.] President Lee thought.

The playoffs were already underway. The defending champions, Prime Alliance, are expected to take the top spot in Group A, while Clear Sky was dominating Group B.

Devices of every variety were playing their local Arena Pro League broadcast worldwide.

A television screen in a Seoul coffee shop showed images of the Korean professional players from Clear Sky while a commentator was talking.

"Clear Sky has brought their peak form here in the APL Season 2 playoffs. Charlatan is playing better than ever, while their team cohesion has reached a new level." a female broadcaster said in Korean.

"The close loss at the Season 1 Finals really lit a fire under these players to perform at such a high level." a male broadcaster replied.

"The Russian players from Team Blizzard have been doing well in Group A and could potentially knock out Prime Alliance." the female broadcaster added.

"Group A is up in the air for now. And, multiple teams in that group could potentially advance to the finals. Team Predator from the Philippines and Samurai from Japan, are two notable teams who played well during the season." the male broadcaster replied.

"Don't forget to tune in this Sunday for the Grand Finals! Thank you for watching Korean Daily Esports! Follow our Instagram account for more news." the female broadcaster said to end the show.

Vince's entourage and the ROK delegates arrived at the Signiel Seoul to settle down for the day. Leah was excited to try out the five-star amenities before going shopping at Gangnam.

A middle-aged man surrounded by bodyguards arrived at the hotel. He looked more like a businessman than a politician.

Regular hotel clientele quickly realized that the President of the Republic of Korea was walking through the lobby.

A delegate notified Vince of the President's arrival and gave him time to prepare for the unexcepted meeting.

Vince met with President Lee at one of the hotels' meetings rooms.

"My name is Vince Dalton. Good to meet you, Mr. President. Funny enough, you're the second president I've met this month." Vince said as he shook Lee's hand.

[I remember this guy from international news coverage. He was involved in bribery, embezzlement, tax evasion, and abuse of power during his presidency. He was good enough to evade the law for a few years but was eventually convicted.] Vince thought chidingly.

"I'm glad of your visit to our beautiful South Korea. From entertainment to industry, we can provide." Lee said amicably.

"Your Future Tech products have been quite popular here in South Korea. Corporations like Samsung have not been happy this past year, though our government is still open to doing business with you." Lee added.

[Even though this guy is crooked. He's still the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction. I should be on guard, but it doesn't hurt to hear him out.] Vince thought.

"As a man of technology, I assume you know how advanced our telecommunications technology is currently. Your Future Tech has been buying out telecommunications companies worldwide and has been successful so far. But building more infrastructure will be demanding from your side of the world." Lee said.

"I propose Future Tech partner with Hyundai Engineering and Construction to upgrade and expand communications towers in East Asia. We carry influence across the Asian continent. Of course, the Korean government can expedite the sale of our local telecommunications companies to Future Tech as a little bonus." President Lee proposed with a smile.

[As long as I can gain access to Future Tech's data, stealing and selling technologies will be more profitable than this deal.] Mr. Lee thought nefariously.

[Future Tech does need help in expanding cellular tower coverage in Asia, but I know precisely why this smug bastard is offering me such a favorable deal. Something underhanded will be going on with those 'upgrades' and 'expansions'. I'll play along, but don't feel so sorry later.] Vince thought.

"We're both businessmen, Mr. President. Let's talk numbers. I estimate our current projected total cost of expanding our East Asia coverage is $20 billion for two years. What's your offer?" Vince asked.

"So expensive! We can do it for half the cost, with the support of the ROK government. What do you say?" Mr. Lee asked.

"I appreciate your sincerity, Mr. President. The deal is as good as closed. I'll provide you with my lawyer's contact information after our conversation." Vince replied with a fake smile.

They conversed in some small talk before ending the meeting.

[Future Security's cybersecurity division will soon have its first mission.] Vince thought.

Stats last time checked:

15 million BTC (currently trades at $1,000)

$85 Billion in Future Tech

8350+ employees (Future Studios, Hive Mind AI, ARM, BitCash, Future Security, FT VR, Future Tech F1, Future Tech Investments, Future Arms)

Vehicles: Klassen Phantom, Agera R, Agera SFV, Boeing Luxury 787 Dreamliner

Five company collaborators (Epic, Koenegisegg, SpaceX, Tesla, Hyundai)

Dozens of investments under Future Tech Holdings (i..e., Instagram)

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