Could it be because the nobility has fulfilled their military obligations for generations?
Jack seemed to know the history of the nobility very well.
In particular, he was almost an expert on the Grosvenor family.
"The previous duke served as a bomber pilot in World War I and was killed by anti-aircraft fire just six months before the end of the war. The current duke has also flown over 30 missions in the same aircraft during World War II."
As the conversation shifted to war stories, excitement began to mix into his expression.
"There's a famous story about how he got on a fighter plane without flinching after hearing that his brother had been killed."
The story flowed smoothly into the post-war period.
"I guess he felt something through the war. The duke actively invested in American defense contracts. He's said to be the largest shareholder of Lockheed, so it must be true."
Lockheed… a company that would later merge with Martin and grow into a leading defense industry in America.
But the largest shareholder of that company is a British duke family.
It seems like it's too early to be surprised.
"You see, being a noble means they've been rich since ancient times. Besides, before World War II, Britain held the rights to oil extraction. The Grosvenor family was at the center of that…"
I had only thought of them as landowners in London.
The scale is more substantial than I expected.
"I heard they invested all the money they made back into the U.S. They had know-how in oil from the start, so it wasn't difficult for them to buy up extraction companies. And, being British, they also reached out to Wall Street, which is all about finance."
So they poured enormous amounts of money into America's oil, finance, and even the defense industry?
This is quite a level of skimming off the cream.
"But how do you know all this?"
"There's a lot of information that comes through the family."
"Didn't you say your father is the leader of the first party in the National Assembly?"
He nodded.
"Anyway, I was expecting them to buy a lot of fighter planes with that money, but they just kept buying land, so I lost interest after that."
That was the end of the noble talk.
The topic shifted to Jack's service plans.
"Well, I'm planning to go to the army officer academy first… (omitted) … My goal is to work as a commander… (omitted) … but I always have the wish to fight in the field…"
It seems like a sudden thought came to him.
"Oh, right!"
"...?"
"South Korea is a conscription country, right? Aren't you going to have to go at some point?"
"Yeah… I guess so."
I had served my full term as an army sergeant, but now I had to go to the military again!
My head was spinning with the truth I had tried so hard to avoid.
"Well, since you're going anyway, how about the special forces?"
This was just as we were leaving the restaurant after finishing our meal.
"Did you eat a lot?"
"This is enough."
At my words, he scratched his head.
But that reaction was brief; he soon shuffled over to me.
"I brought you a gift."
"A gift?"
He pulled out a long piece of fabric from his pants pocket.
Upon closer inspection, it looked like it had military ranks written on it.
Could it be an epaulet?
"In London, you see a lot of pawn shops."
"...?"
"I saw one without thinking much of it, and there just happened to be a medal hanging there. When I asked the shop owner, he said it was left by a veteran."
A medal from a veteran.
It probably wasn't left there to make money, but out of respect for the soldier.
"But it seems like the situation is really difficult for him… he can't visit to retrieve it. So I worked part-time for exactly a month to pay back the money he borrowed."
"What?"
"A war hero's medal is hanging in a pawn shop. Isn't that a bit much?"
"So you really went and retrieved it?"
"Yeah."
Wow! A military enthusiast with both concept and execution!
"He felt a bit bad just giving it back, so he gave me a gift: a photo taken by a war correspondent and the epaulet he wore himself."
"Is this the epaulet?"
He nodded.
"But why give it to me…?"
"It belonged to someone who fought in the Korean War."
"...!"
"I thought you might take better care of it than I would. From what I've heard, you seem to have a strong interest in the military…"
Interest?
It's just that I know a bit because I served as a sergeant.
But in this situation, what does that matter?
I carefully took the epaulet that Jack offered.
"I'll treasure it."
"I knew you'd like it."
With crescent-shaped eyes, Jack was smiling broadly for the first time.
Meanwhile.
Park Yong-hak quietly looked down at the folder in front of him.
A few days ago, his grandson had pointed out a company.
It was a semiconductor company in the UK.
He suggested acquiring it because it was quite promising.
'If it's that good, why are you telling me?'
'I'm going to study abroad soon, right? It's a company I can't manage, so can you take it on?'
That's a good excuse.
Recalling that day, he couldn't help but smile again.
He could guess what his grandson was thinking.
He was burdened by having a large share in semiconductors.
If he had to take on the electronics as the largest shareholder, it would be a terrifying situation for him.
So he probably wanted to dilute the semiconductor share structure quickly.
It wasn't a bad strategy.
If Chairman Park acquired the British company, the semiconductor shares would naturally increase.
Then his grandson's burden would also decrease.
He chuckled.
That's why he wasn't planning to pay any attention to a British semiconductor company.
Although he had made up his mind that way.
"..."
It wasn't easy to suppress his curiosity.
This was the first company his grandson specifically recommended.
He wanted to know what it was like.
Just then, a report had come in.
It hadn't been long since they were founded, but the thickness of the report felt substantial.
Park Yong-hak slowly read through the contents.
It said it was created by graduates from MIT and Oxford joining forces?
'Hmm.'
As expected from a great talent pool, it was a company with solid technology.
The only problem was, as expected, capital.
Given the nature of the field, it seemed challenging to produce immediate results.
However, if they could find good long-term investors and move according to a plan?
Significant growth could surely be expected.
"Why does Ji-hoon know about things like this?"
If it were up to him, he would want to acquire it quickly and hand it over to his grandson.
"Ji-hoon would never agree to that."
There must be some way.
Could it be because of his greed?
Chairman Park gazed at the thick report for a long time.
***
The next day.
I took Jack wherever he wanted to go.
He even worked part-time for veterans.
Even if it was just for that kindness, I took him on a full course!
The first place we headed was the Army Museum.
I had heard of the War Memorial, but the Army Museum?
"I didn't even know this existed."
He wandered around like someone enchanted.
I don't know how he memorized the specs of other countries' weapons, but…
In any case, when it came to the military, he was a walking encyclopedia.
Starting from the Army Museum, we explored the regions where the British Army fought fiercely, and then to the Goseong Unification Observatory.
After completing the long schedule, I thought he would naturally want to go in and rest.
But what do you know?
"Is there no place to exercise?"
He unexpectedly responded.
"Maybe it's because I've been in the car all day… my body feels sluggish. I wish I could run up a mountain or something."
Who climbs a mountain at midnight!
But given who he was, it wouldn't hurt to be careful…
"Do you like soccer?"
"I enjoy watching it."
"Do you have a favorite team?"
Since he was from London, I expected names like Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, or West Ham.
But he said, "The soccer team under the Army Physical Training Unit…"
Great.
I was the fool for asking.
"How about playing, not just watching?"
"I'm not good at it."
"There's no need to be good. It's just for friends to play."
At my words, he quietly scratched his head.
Thirty minutes later.
Hyungang FC youth stadium.
Pabababa!
'Did I hear wrong?'
No, it wasn't.
He clearly said his skills weren't great.
I would concede a hundred times that his soccer skills were just average.
But.
Pa-bat!
Once he kicked and ran, there was no one to stop him.
'Isn't he a lot faster than me?'
Even if we were on the same team and didn't compete directly.
"..."
You know the feeling when you see someone.
The opponent was probably one of the top amateur teams.
Pabababat!
Jack was nearly at the level of a sprinter.
Of course, his finishing was lacking.
You could say his kicks were so bad that his feet seemed triangular.
Still, it didn't matter.
He ran around like crazy throughout the game.
He felt like a border collie herding sheep!
Thanks to him, by the end of the game, the opponents were nearly terrified.
Even after running like mad, he said with a smile,
"It's been a while since I've sweated like this; I feel regretful just going in."
"..."
"Honestly, I'm stronger in combat sports than in ball sports."
"Combat sports?"
"Soldiers exist for combat in the end. So, they have to train in various combat sports."
"Then have you tried wrestling?"
"Wrestling, sambo, jiu-jitsu. I'm confident in anything."
Throughout the soccer game, I couldn't help but admire Jack's stamina.
"What's with you?"
But this time, it seemed to be Jack's turn to be surprised.
"Why aren't you budging?"
I was also puzzled.
It seemed like our strengths were about even.
Strangely enough, my balance wasn't disrupted.
I didn't allow any of the opponent's attacks, from defending against tackles to blocking the hands probing under my armpits, as well as controlling the wrist and back of the neck.
When everything was blocked.
"…Ha!"
Jack ended up exhausting himself.
He had stamina, but he realized there was no way to attack.
Now it was my turn to attack.
I continued to apply pressure on Jack's wrist.
If things continued like this, his wrist would be completely subdued.
"Eek."
At that moment, he tried to pull his arm out with sheer strength.
Right then.
Swish.
I pretended to grab the back of his neck.
Pat!
I aimed low.
He was so distracted by the positional fight.
Whoosh!
Immediately, he was lifted into the air.
The match ended there.
I set him back down.
Hmm.
He said that if a fight broke out, I should focus on defense rather than tackles.
It seemed the professor's words were indeed true.
Not just me, but Jack had the most shocked expression.
"How long have you been wrestling?"
"A few months or so?"
"What?"
He shook his head at my answer.
"That won't do."
"...?"
"You really need to join the special forces."
TL/n -
Hey everyone!
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